Carthage CVB Re-Leaf campaign

News release -The Carthage Convention & Visitors Bureau is encouraging the community to give a tree-mendous gift to the city this fall by purchasing trees, tulips and daffodils through their third annual campaign, "The Great Carthage Re-Leaf."

The campaign encourages residents and friends of the community to purchase landscaping products to replace those lost through the natural devastation of the ice and high wind storms from the past years. These trees and bulbs may be planted near their homes, businesses, or donated in-kind to the city to replace items lost throughout the city’s parks. CVB Director Wendi Douglas says, "It is a very natural choice in fundraising for the CVB. Carthage has been voted the Southwest Region’s Beautiful Town and a great part of that decision is made based on our atmosphere. It is a great way for the community to renew their lost landscaping and promote a beautiful Carthage."

This year the CVB has added tulips and daffodils to the items available for purchase. Bulbs can be purchased in amounts of 50 or 100. For more information call 417.359.8181. www.visit-carthage.co

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Hamlin Is Top Gun

RICHMOND, Va. -- Contrary to popular belief, the Chase for the Sprint Cup did, in fact, change during the Air Guard 400.

Not the composition. The order.

Denny Hamlin, by winning at Richmond International Raceway, nailed down the top seed. By virtue of 60 bonus points, 10 for each of his victories to date, Hamlin will begin the Chase with 5,060 points, 10 more than the winner of the past four championships, Jimmie Johnson.

Ten points are insignificant over the span of the 10-race Chase. For that matter, Hamlin’s 60-point edge over the five winless Chase drivers is relatively small.

But, noted Hamlin, it’s something. He said winning six races, more than anyone else this season, was proof his team’s quality and evidence that it would contend for the championship.

But, he added, "Your momentum ends as soon as you go to the next race track, as far as I’m concerned."

Hamlin, 29, has made the Chase in each of his five full seasons. His latest victory was the 14th of his career. His previous Chase finishes, beginning in 2006, were third, 12th, eighth and fifth.

"I’ve made a lot of these Chases and made a lot of mistakes through these Chases," he said. "Every year I feel like we learn something. I feel like this year I’m as clear as I’ve ever been and we’re winning at race tracks where we don’t usually win."

Kevin Harvick won the regular-season point race by a wide (228-point) margin, but that means little once the Chase begins on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick has won three races to date, meaning that he opens the Chase trailing Hamlin by 30.

The Chase qualifiers, with points as reconfigured, are Hamlin (5,060), Johnson (5,050), Harvick (5,030), Kyle Busch (5,030), Kurt Busch (5,020), Tony Stewart (5,010), Greg Biffle (5,010), Jeff Gordon (5,000), Carl Edwards (5,000), Jeff Burton (5,000), Matt Kenseth (5,000) and Clint Bowyer (5,000).

Four drivers who won races -- Jamie McMurray (2), Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Reutimann -- failed to qualify for the Chase.

I heard talk about a guy that was one brick short of a load the other day. I’d have ta figure that most get the feelin’ they don’t know all they should at some point or another. I’d lived a lotta years ‘fore I heard the expression "not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

I grew up hearin’ ‘bout those bein’ one card short of a deck, ladder not reachin’ the top rung, and bein’ a half a bubble off.

Typically these were not judgemental statements, but just observations considered as fact.

‘Course usually the statement was followed by the observation that the person had many admirable traits also.

I’m sure I’ve lost a brick or two along the way. If ya find it, put it on your pile, if ya think it’s worthy.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

My wife has a 1994 Toyota Camry with a very loud exhaust. I figured there has to be a hole somewhere causing this. So, when I got home today, I started her car and could tell that the noisewas coming from the front. As soon as I looked underneath, I could see hole. It is well before the manifold, in plain view, and is located on the pipe. But it’s not a rust hole or a crack; it looks like a hole that was intenitonally put there. Then I immediately noticed, hanging right next to it, a small tube that looks like an exact fit for the hole. It is obvious that this tupe is supposed to be connected to this pipe. What is it, and is it an easy fix? - Jeff

Ray: Boy, you’re really taxing the old brain cells by asking us to remember what the exhaust pipe on a ‘94 Camry looks like. Sure you don’t want toquiz us on the Second Italo-Abyssinian War instead?

Tom: I think that hole was some kind of test port.

Ray: I think my brother’s right. A lot of cars from that era had a tube in the engine compartment that plugged right into the exhaust pipe, before the catalytic converter. It allowed the mechanic to stick a probe into the tube and anylyze the pre-converter exhaust.

Tom: Then he could compare that reading with the exhaust coming out the tailpipe - on the other side of the converter - and see how well the converter was working.

Ray: But that tube has now rusted off. Since you really don’t need the tube anymore, just have someone weld or braze the hole shut. Don’t spend a lot of money in repairs, chances are there’s a lot more rust where that came from.