No New Name Just New Boundaries.

Mayor Kenneth Johnson brought the purposed name change for the Carthage Municipal Golf Course back to the Council unsigned at their bimonthly meeting Tuesday evening.

Johnson told the Council that he believed the golf course name should stay the same for another year until a name that everyone agreed on was chosen.

The Council shared some strong opinions regarding Johnson’s decision. Council Member Bill Putnam said that he was going to vote to override Johnson’s decision and that it was time to move on.

"We need a new name now," said Putnam. "We need to be able to market the golf course."

Council Member J.D. Whitledge urged the Council to vote in favor of overriding the veto.

To override a veto it takes two thirds majority (7 votes). The council voted 5-5 to override the veto so for now the name remains Carthage Municipal golf Course.

An emergency bill was brought to council for a first and second reading. The bill was regrading ward boundaries that had been moved previously. According to City Attorney David Mouton First Ward Candidate Mike Harris didn’t live in ward one anymore since the boundaries were changed. The Council voted with a 6-4 vote to change the boundaries back so that Harris was able to represent First Ward.

Putnam told the Council that he was disappointed with the decision to move the boundaries without any notice to the public. He said that it seemed like a way to cover up mistakes that were made.

Whitledge told Council that the decision was "un-clean" and that as of April 8th at 7:00 (when the polls closed) Harris lived in the wrong ward.

Putnam threatened to sue and have the elections overturned.

NASCAR to the Max

With Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip having won seven of the past nine races on the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, it was a safe bet that one of the two would end up in victory lane after Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 from Talladega Superspeedway. To further tilt the odds in Earnhardt, Jr.’s favor, he had won three consecutive races at Talladega.

Things took a turn for the worse for Earnhardt, Jr. prior to the race when his crew discovered water in his crankcase indicating a cracked block.

His crew hurriedly changed motors. NASCAR requires teams to run the same motor for qualifying and the race. Earnhardt’s switch required him to start the race in the 43rd and last starting spot. NASCAR requires cars at these super-speedways to run a plate between the carburetor and intake manifold to restrict airflow into the engine and thereby limit horsepower and speeds. Two crashes in the late 1980’s that saw superstar Richard Petty and Bobby Allison’s cars become airborne and almost fly into the bleachers prompted NASCAR to take this measure to increase driver and fan safety.

These restrictor plates cause the cars to run in a tightly packed group often times running three and four wide and six to eight deep. With the cars running is such tight packs a slight bobble or parts failure can lead to a multi-car wreck often called "The Big One."

On Sunday, "The Big One" occurred on lap four of the scheduled 188 when Ryan Newman had a tire blow out and involved 27 cars though several were able to continue. Earnhardt emerged from the melee with damage that took 17 pit stops to correct and began his charge to the front. Earnhardt used a controversial late race pass of Matt Kenseth to take the lead with less than four laps remaining. Earnhardt held the lead the final laps to claim his fourth consecutive Talladega victory.

The series’ next stop takes place at the shortest track on the circuit, the .526-mile, fairly flat Martinsville (VA) Speedway.

I’m lookin’ down the road a bit, worderin’ if in fact the election of Mike Harris was overturned at some point in time. Or if someone at some time strongly disagrees with a decision the Harris voted on while on the Council. How much effort would be involved in goin’ back and rehashin’ all those decisions he had voted on?

I’m thinkin’ the best solution is for the Council not to accept the election results for the First Ward and then appoint Harris to the post.

My thinkin’ isn’t because of any ideas of underhanded dealin’, or anything that would undermine Harris as an honorable Council member. He has served, and I’m sure will continue to serve the First Ward well. The only downside is he will only be appointed for a year.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

By Ray & Tom Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

Automobile engines get dirty as they age. I would like to clean my engine, but I am concerned that the water and strong chemicals might damage electronic components, as well as rubber and plastic components, and that lubricants in the front end might be washed out. How do you feel about do-it-yourself engine cleaning? Is it better to take the car to a shop that has steam-cleaning equipment? Is it best to just let the dirt accumulate? — Bill

RAY: We’re generally in favor of letting the dirt accumulate. That’s the same approach we take to my brother.

TOM: Here’s why. First of all, steam is the best thing to use, and pressurized steam can damage expensive electronic equipment. And there are components under the hoods of lots of cars that are vulnerable, like computers, air-mass meters and the like.

RAY: Second, all that stuff that comes off your engine is an environmental hazard. So if you wash it off in your driveway and it goes down the sewer, we’ll all be drinking it eventually.

TOM: The reason engines get dirty is because they leak stuff. Sure, there’s a certain amount of plain old dirt that just kicks up from the road. But when you see an engine that’s really filthy, it’s because it has been leaking, and dirt adheres to that leaked oil or grease and forms a disgusting cake of crud.

RAY: But the only good reason to get rid of it is because it makes it easier to find the source of the leak. If the whole engine is covered in black gunk, it’s difficult to see where newly leaking oil is coming from. Whereas if you clean the engine, you get a lot more contrast, and it’s easier to see where the leak is originating.