The Public Safety Committee was consulted by Carol Green of Main Street Carthage concerning future events proposed for the Square during the Committee’s regular meeting last Monday.

Green is proposing events that would repeat on a monthly basis throughout the warmer months of the year.

One of those events being considered is a "Second Saturday" monthly antique show. Green is working in conjunction with a promoter that has been contacting antique dealers and anticipates that as many as forty-five dealers would eventually be involved. The plan is to use the parking spaces on the inside of the Square for display.

Green is also considering an arts and crafts show on a separate Saturday, and an entertainment day on another Saturday.

"I would say that 90% of the business owners on the Square are behind me," Green told the Committee.

Committee members wanted assurance that sales tax would be collected and that parking did not become a problem.

The Committee recommended that the proposals be brought to the full Council.

NASCAR to the Max

If asked to name his favorite track, Kevin Harvick would probably answer "Chicagoland Speedway." The series has made only two visits to the track and Harvick has won both. His most recent was this past Sunday’s running of the Tropicana 400. Ironically, it was Harvick’s own miscue that ultimately led to his win.

With 70 laps remaining, Harvick attempted to pass Kurt Busch on the apron (the flat inside portion of the track) and lost control of his car. Harvick’s spin caused a chain reaction pile-up behind him but he came out unscathed. The ensuing caution period allowed everyone to refuel and change tires.

Before the race restarted with 67 laps to go, Harvick and Jeff Gordon returned to pit road to top off their fuel tanks. On lap 240 of the 267 scheduled, the final caution of the day came out for an incident involving Ryan Newman and Jerry Nadeau. Harvick and Gordon elected to stay on the track while the rest of the leaders pitted for tires and fuel placing them 1st and 2nd on the restart.

Harvick was able to keep Gordon at bay on the restart and stretched his lead to almost 10 car lengths at the finish. Harvick’s crew calculated his fuel mileage so closely that Harvick ran out of fuel while celebrating his win with the "donuts" that have become customary among the younger generation drivers.

Of the top six finishers of Sunday’s race, the oldest was Tony Stewart at 31 and three were rookies.

This week’s race will be held at New Hampshire International Speedway. The one-mile track’s design being long and narrow usually allows little passing and uneventful racing. However, the track’s turns have been reconfigured and widened to allow more lanes of racing and more side-by-side action. The track hosts two events each year with Dale Jarrett winning this race last year. Robbie Gordon’s late race bump and pass of Jeff Gordon (no relation) for the win provided the excitement, and controversy, in the fall race. Jarrett and both Gordon’s will be contenders of the 43 starters.

There are some things that just don’t interest me anymore.

Like seein’ how far and high I can jump a chat pile on a bicycle. I can remember spendin’ summer hours with a couple a friends developin’ the guts and skill to accomplish a good long jump. I don’t think about that much anymore. Just not interested.

Don’t know if it’s cause I’m smarter or just don’t have the energy, but it’s way down on the long list of things I do have an interest in. It’s down there with learnin’ how to do tricks on a skateboard, or playin’ football. Use ta be pretty important stuff.

I still do get the urge ever now and then to play a little softball, but the thought of slidin’ home and gettin’ a mouth full of catcher’s mitt usually calms the desire.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom & Ray:

My Toyota Camry with 90,000 miles is the best car I’ve ever owned. But it cannot be balanced. Numerous attempts have been for naught. The guy at the tire place who tried to balance it suggested that the General Hydro 2000 tires that are on the car might be the problem. They have a deep aqua channel and he suggests that the belts in the tires with such radial tread designs could become uncentered and render the tire unbalanceable. What do you think? — Guy

RAY: I haven’t had any personal experience with General Hydro 2000 tires, but a balancing problem certainly could be caused by bad wheels or tires.

TOM: It’s easy to find out using the old scientific method. I assume you feel some sort of wobble or vibration in the steering wheel, and that your mechanic has eliminated all the real dangerous stuff and narrowed it down to a balancing problem.

RAY: So the first thing to do is try swapping the front and back wheels. A bad tire is much more noticeable in front, where it gets telegraphed through the steering column. If you swap the wheels and the problem goes away, then you know one of those two (now) rear wheels are the culprit. Then you can swap one at a time back to the front and figure out whether it’s the tire or the wheel and replace whichever one needs replacing.

TOM: If you swap the wheels and the wobble doesn’t go away, then you have to go to Wobble Experiment, Stage Two. It’s unlikely that you have four bad tires, but you have to eliminate that possibility.

RAY: So make a deal with the guy at the tire place. Tell him you’ll try a new set of tires, and if they solve your problem, buy them.