Nine 8-0 Votes.

The City Council approved nine ordinances, most concerning the budget for the upcoming year, by a vote of 8-0 during its regular meeting Tuesday evening. Council members Claude Newport and J.D. Whitledge were absent.

Included in the list were contracts with Main Street Carthage in the amount of $20,400 and the Carthage Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in the amount of $136,000. The Council also approved a resolution naming the CVB as the City’s Destination Marketing Organization. The designation allows the organization to apply for State marketing grants for the City.

The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing the appeal of Kristen Shannon to overturn her denial by the Planning, Zoning, and Historic Preservation Commission of a Special Use Permit for a day care center to be located at 1324 S. Garrison.

The Council Chambers hummed with the sound of children as seven citizens spoke favorably of Shannon’s skills as a child caretaker. Neighbor’s expressed concerns about traffic. The Council will agreed to allow the permit if those concerns were addressed.

NASCAR to the Max

Sunday’s running of the Dodge-Save Mart 350 from Sonoma, CA was the first of two road course events scheduled for the season. As the laps were winding down, it appeared that one of the title sponsors, Dodge, was going to have one of it’s cars in the winners circle. Jerry Nadeau was driving the #44 Dodge of Petty Enterprises and had a nearly five second lead on second place challenger Ricky Rudd. Rudd was gaining about a half a second a lap but it appeared that he would run out of laps to catch Nadeau. With three laps to go, Nadeau still held an almost four second lead. As Nadeau approached the start/finish line with two to go, his car slowed and he was forced to pull off the track, the victim of a broken rear end gear. Rudd inherited the lead and was able to hold off a hard charging Tony Stewart for his first win of the season.

If anyone was due some good fortune, it was Rudd. Rudd was leading the race at Pocono several weeks ago. With less than 10 laps remaining he punctured a tire and finished 17th. He was also chasing down the leader and challenging for the win at Dover recently. As the laps wound down he was victimized by loose lug nuts and relegated to a 19th place finish.

Rumors continue to swirl regarding Rudd’s future with Robert Yates Racing. Yates has allegedly been in discussions with Elliott Sadler to assume Rudd’s ride at the end of the season. Sadler has acknowledged signing with a team but states that a confidentiality agreement precludes him for discussing it. Rudd also acknowledges that he is considering retirement at seasons end and to discussing his options with another team. Rudd has stated he will announce his decision in mid-July.

The series is idle this weekend, allowing the drivers a brief rest before they begin a grueling 20-week stretch of consecutive races. The series will resume on July 6 with the running of the Pepsi 400 from Daytona, Florida.

Just so ya don’t let it slip by, this Saturday is the third annual Police Department Mud Stock out at Myers Park. It’s a fun day for kids and parents alike.

If ya take a crew out, Chief Veach recommends that ya bring some towels. The Fire Department will hose the kids down when they get outa the mud, but they will need ta dry off some for the ride home.

The fun starts at noon and slips on until three. Typically a police officer or two end up goin’ through the course just to let the kids know that even adults can get down and dirty.

If ya wanna see some kids of all ages just havin’ a good time, get by this Saturday. The cool spray from the fire truck even feels good from a distance on a hot day.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray: Something that looks like black soot forms on my wheels - especially the front ones. I own a ’96 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with 16-inch polished aluminum gold-painted accent wheels. They are sort of "waffle-style," with lots of cracks and crevices for this stuff to stick between, which makes them a real challenge to clean.

My wife has a ’95 Honda Accord with fancy aluminum wheels, and it has the same problem. How come I don’t remember seeing cars with this problem years ago? Is this because of the materials that they’re making brakes out of now? - Guan

TOM: It’s brake dust, Guan. And it’s not a new phenomenon. The reason you see more of it now is because of all those fancy "waffle style" wheels on the road.

RAY: Most cars used to have wheel covers, which kept the brake dust contained and out of sight. But wheel covers have fallen out of fashion. And now alloy wheels with slots and spokes and holes are all the rage, not only because people think they look nice, but because they weigh less and let more air in, which provides better cooling for the brakes. The downside is that those same holes which let air in, let brake dust out.

TOM: The stuff is harmless, Guan. At least to your car. I mean, I wouldn’t sprinkle any on your corn flakes or anything. But aside from the all-important aesthetic considerations, it’s nothing to worry about.