Back In The Gutter.

The Public Works Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to reject all bids on a curb and gutter project on Hazel Street. The low bid price of $13,675 was almost double that of the engineer’s estimate.

City Street Commissioner Tom Shelley told the Committee that storm water drainage along Hazel has been a problem for some time.

"I’d hate to see the project not get done," said Shelley. "It’s basically a drainage problem. It’s not like somebody out here wanting curb and guttering just for aesthetics or something. This is nothing but a drainage problem, the only way it can be solved is with curb and guttering."

The property owners adjacent to the proposed project had originally agreed to pay for the project through a tax bill. City Engineering Department Director Joe Butler said he has spoken to the property owners and two of the five would still be willing to go ahead with the project.

The Committee discussed several options to get the project completed. A policy for curb and gutter incentives for property owners is being considered.

Management Council Appoints
New Board Members.

news release

The 7th Annual Management Council meeting was held February 24 at Red Hot & Blue in Joplin. County commissioners, mayors and representatives from Vernon, Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald Counties attended.

The new Region M executive board was selected during the meeting. Jasper County Commissioner Ben Johnson was elected as chairman, Bill Wilson, McDonald County Commissioner, was elected vice chairman, Joplin Mayor Earl Carr was elected treasurer and Charlie Johnson, Vernon County Commissioner, was elected secretary. Other board members include Bob Hamilton, City of Pineville, Commissioner Dennis Wilson of Barton County, Lynn Calton of the City of Lamar, Ron Clow of the City of Nevada, Joe Butler of the City of Carthage, Commissioner Glenn D. Wilson of Newton County and Mile Kelly, City of Neosho.

One a the few things salvaged from the City Street Department shop buildin’ when in burned was the wood burnin’ stove. The stove played no part in startin’ the fire, it just was able to survive the heat.

With it bein’ unlikely that a new structure would use the appliance, the City’s reserve of 47 ricks of firewood will, with Council approval, be sold on a fist come first serve basis for $25 a rick. The wood comes from fallen limbs and trees in the City and therefore is a mixed variety of native types.

Whether there will be any takers at the price is unknown, but the Public Works Committee recommendation is to let the marketplace do its job.

If you’re interested, see what the full Council votes next Tuesday night. More information should be available at that time.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a question about my husband’s 1995 Ford Ranger. The Ranger has a standard transmission and a four-cylinder engine. When we put the Ranger into overdrive, the rpm goes down but the engine loses power. In order to climb a small hill, we must downshift to forth gear. Is this normal? My old five-speed Honda wasn’t like that. Can you explain this to me? - Denise

Ray: It’s absolutely normal, Denise. Especially when you have an engine that is - in purely technical lingo - a real dog.

Tom: My brother doesn’t mean that in a bad way, Denise. He just means that this particular four-cylinder engine is a little on the small side for this particular truck.

Ray: It’s also possible that it’s geared differently from the Honda, and the Ranger’s fifth gear is "taller" meaning it slows the engine more to conserve fuel at the expense of power.

Tom: Whatever the combination of reason, when you get to a hill, you need the added mechanical advantage of a lower gear to get up it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why they give you five different gears to choose from.

Ray: Your Honda, on the other hand, may have had a similarly sized engine, but it probably weighed 1,000 pounds less! That gave it a higher horsepower-to-weight ratio (more horsepower for every pound of car the engine was pushing).

Tom: So not to worry, Denise. This is exactly what overdrive is supposed to do. It’s supposed to reduce the engine speed (and save gas) when you’re cruising on the highway and don’t need as much power.

Ray: And also give those six-cylinder Ranger owners a chance to pass you on hills and feel good about the extra money they blew on their bigger engines.