Parking Survey Distributed.

City Wants Citizen Opinions.

A survey was distributed to business owners that are located on the Square and within the downtown two-hour parking district yesterday morning to try and get opinions as to how the two-hour parking regulation is viewed. The survey was requested by the City Council Public Service Committee after several issues concerning downtown parking were brought before the committee.

The survey, distributed by the Police Department, asks questions ranging from increasing the parking fines to eliminating the restriction all together. Also addressed was parking for residents living on the Square.

"Lately parking issues have been a huge concern among both citizens and city leaders," begins the survey. "Please take the time to fill out the survey below. Someone from the Carthage Police Department will come by to get the survey on May 13, 2009. The Carthage Police Department is committed to serving our citizens in the best possible way. This study could greatly impact downtown parking in the future depending upon your input. Please let us know how you feel."

In the Stimulus Bill,

One Zoo Stands Above All Others

by Michael Grabell, www.ProPublica.org

Soyono the Sumatran tiger will get her enclosure spruced up under the federal stimulus bill. So will Luke the Lion. But forget about Miss B., the old world rabbit at the Philadelphia Zoo. The polar bears in Providence? Left out in the cold.

The economic stimulus law explicitly bans state and local governments from spending stimulus money on zoos. But it makes no mention of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where Luke and Soyono live.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said it’s a classic example of Washington saying, "Do as we say, not as we do."

"The question is whether or not the National Zoo is a priority right now given our economic times and the problems that we face," Coburn said. "Building a new place to house lions? Is that more important than building a new bridge?"

Despite multiple restrictions and cuts to appease budget hawks, federal and local officials have found ways to fund projects that were criticized during the congressional debate.

Majority Democrats agreed to cut $50 million for repairs to the National Mall. But when the National Park Service announced plans last month, it included $55 million for the National Mall.

House Republicans have lampooned [2] a proposed skateboard park in Pawtucket, R.I. But officials there say kids in the neighborhood have few recreational options, and they’re going ahead with the project using a stimulus grant.

One of the key political compromises made to get votes for the $787 billion stimulus bill was a provision prohibiting state and local officials from spending money on casinos, golf courses, swimming pools, aquariums—and zoos.

Local zoo directors say their facilities were unfairly tarred despite meeting stimulus goals: a backlog of "shovel-ready" projects that would create jobs, a mission of educating children and a role in raising environmental awareness.

Zoo officials around the country say they bear no hard feelings, but funding projects at the National Zoo demonstrates that their projects aren’t pork.

"Zoos and aquariums don’t belong on that (banned) list now, and they never did belong on that list," said Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. "There’s no difference between those projects and projects in St. Louis or Sacramento or Boise, Idaho."

The Smithsonian Institution, which runs the zoo, will spend about $11.4 million of its $25 million in stimulus funding at the National Zoo and the zoo’s research center in Front Royal, Va.

The money will be used to install fire alarms at the zoo’s visitor center, repair bridges, and renovate the veterinary hospital and the lion and tiger complex.

"We have some buildings that are 40, 50, 100 years old," said Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas. "Replacing roofs in the zoo, replacing deteriorating animal areas—these are things that have to be done."

The National Zoo has a history of problems in recent years. After a string of animal deaths, auditors found crumbling buildings. Congress pumped millions into repairs. In 2006, a fire revealed that many buildings lacked alarms or sprinklers.

More than 2 million people a year visit the zoo, which has free admission and receives 70 percent of its budget from the federal government.

Despite the recession, admission at the 218 accredited zoos and aquariums nationwide has held steady as families look for affordable activities that are close to home, Feldman said. But zoos rely heavily on state and local budgets that are being cut.

A list of potential stimulus projects by the U.S. Conference of Mayors included a number of zoo renovations. The Philadelphia Zoo requested $20 million for construction at the children’s zoo, the aviary and the Big Cat Falls exhibit. The Duluth, Minn., zoo said it could create 50 jobs with a geothermal energy project.

And in Louisville, the zoo listed $13 million for sewer system repairs first identified in 1999. Now, storm water might come into contact with zebra or gorilla waste before running off into a stream.

The lack of support for zoos "hurts," said John Walczak, director of the Louisville Zoo. "We’ve got a lot of great construction projects."

In New York, Gov. David Paterson had threatened to cut all funding for zoos from the state budget. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees zoos, poked fun at the proposed cutbacks with a video, in which the zoo director informs a porcupine named Wednesday that she’s been laid off.

The funding was restored, but the Bronx Zoo, which gets as many visitors as the National Zoo, shut down its sky ride in January and will close three exhibits, sending away several animals—although Wednesday got a reprieve. A recent list of stimulus projects released by Paterson included $52 million for the zoo.

None of them will be funded.

Ivine Galarza, manager of Bronx Community Board 6, said the zoo provides affordable activities for one of the poorest places in the country.

"I feel like we always get the short end of the stick," she said.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I eat sardines two or three times a year. I grew up always havin’ a can or two in the cupboard. Maybe a can of Spam and a couple of cans of pork (sorta) and beans. That and a box a crackers made up my dad’s "emergency" food storage.

We never made a sit down meal of it, but sometimes Dad and us kids would break open the cache and have a snack fest. In a week or two, the cupboard would be replenished and not be bothered for three or four months.

After all these years, the habit hangs on. I don’t like sardines that much, but it’s comforting to know I could eat ‘em if I had too. With all the problems plaguing the economy today, I may throw in an extra can just in case. The test would be if I could eat ‘em two days in a row.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’

by

Curry Automotive

Sponsored by Metcalf Auto Supply

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Logano Struggling in Sprint Cup

Joey Logano is struggling as a rookie in the Sprint Cup Series, which really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, since Logano is all of 18 years old.

Ever since Mark Martin began raving about this kid who is destined to win championships -- Logano was 13 or so at the time -- Logano has been widely regarded as a star of the future. He had to wait for his 18th birthday -- he’ll turn 19 on May 24, by the way -- to race in the Nationwide Series for the first time. He won his third race, at Kentucky Speedway.

Logano became the first driver to win more than once at the age of 18 with his Pepsi 300 victory at Nashville Superspeedway. In his rookie Sprint Cup season, though, the Middletown, Conn., native has struggled. He ranks 35th in the point standings.

Asked how much the Nashville victory meant, Logano said, "More than you think, that’s for sure. It’s been a long time coming since Kentucky last year, and we should have won a lot more. To get this is what this whole team needed."

Logano bears the heavy burden of driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota in Sprint Cup. The number -- and team -- earned fame with Tony Stewart, who won championships in 2002 and 2005. Logano was named as Stewart’s replacement when the veteran star took the role of both owner and driver at Stewart Haas Racing.

In the current configuration, Cup cars are much more difficult to drive than their Nationwide Series counterparts. Logano is still trying to make the transition.

But winning is important for any young driver’s psyche.

"It’s big for me," said Logano. "It’s an awesome confidence booster, for sure. Looking and saying, ‘Hey, I can do this; I am here for a reason; I can win races.’ That’s big. Just to reassure yourself of that.

"I’m sure this is just going to keep carrying on, and now we just have to build on this momentum and keep going."

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom an Ray:

I’m a proud grandma and a disappointed owner of a Toyota Prius. The proud part is this: My precious grandkids made me small clay decorations, which I displayed on my dashboard - a 2" clay flower and a 1" clay ball sat against the multifunction screen. After a few weeks, the screen stopped working. The Toyota dealer, said the objects had "burned an image into the screen,". The screen would need to be removed and repaired, and would cost anywhere from $850 - $4,300! Your advise? - Barbara

RAY: I’m, guessing it was a grandson who made the ball, even in art class, you can always count on boys to make something that has future weapons potential.

TOM: There are several possible explanations for what happened. Clay is partially made up of either water or oil. So it’s possible that liquid seeped out and affected the electronic circuits.

RAY: Or, the clay could have been leaning on part of the screen that could have been trying to activate one of the controls continuously for several weeks.

TOM: The reason for the estimate range is that your dealer doesn’t know what’s wrong. They need to send it back to Toyota for a diagnosis.

RAY: I’d get in touch with Toyota (800-331-4331). This is an unusual problem, and you may be able to get them to show you some mercy. That’s assuming your grandkids didn’t just neglect to tell you about the juice box they spilled down the center console!

TOM: You could ask the dealership to see if they can find a used one to replace the touchscreen.