Today's Feature

Surplus Radios to be Donated.

Police Chief Dennis Veach asked the Public Safety Committee for permission to give away surplus mobile radios at the meeting this week.

Veach told the committee that after many grants for equipment had been received the Police Department has all new mobile and portable radios. This leaves the department with approximately 14 older but still functional mobile radios that are not in use. Veach asked that these extra radios be declared surplus items so that they may be donated to surrounding area police departments who may have not been so fortunate as to get grants for this equipment.

Fire Chief John Cooper said that he had surplus radios as well and would like to contribute them for the same purpose.

The Committee approved a motion to declare the radios as surplus and Veach said he would coordinate with the Fire Department to find out how many radios were available before finding an avenue through which to locate departments in need and distribute the items. The committee suggested that the departments keep two of the surplus radios for backups in case of malfunction.

Kids always seem ta think it’s never long enough, most parents wonder if it’s ever gonna be over. Not sayin’ it’s not good ta have the kids around and shufflin’ from this practice, camp or swimmin’ hole to another, it’s the routine that is missin’ in most summers.

That is especially true this time a year when the new year preparin’ starts. Shoes, clothes, back packs, other regular school stuff. It not only takes the toll on the pocket book, but also absorbs a lotta time and energy. ‘Course all the little darlin’s are worth the effort, it’s just somewhat restful to have it over with and get back to the daily schedule. After all, time is a relative thing, ‘specially if the relatives are your kids.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I’m anxious to ask you guys a car question that has stumped the Chevy dealer. My sister has a 2003 Chevy Impala whose battery seems to have continuous corrosion, either on the tray that the battery sits on, or on the connector cables. The car will periodically not start up because of this problem. The car has less than 15,000 miles on it, and the dealer said the original battery was split, so they replaced it. Well, now it’s doing the same thing all over again, and the new battery is only a couple of months old. Everyone is stumped. Can you help? Thanks. - Cathy

TOM: Your sister’s car is overcharging, Cathy.

RAY: Which is what my brother and I do to our customers at the garage.

TOM: The alternator makes electricity to charge the battery. But the amount of voltage the alternator makes is directly related to the speed of your engine. The faster you go, the more juice the alternator can put out.

RAY: So, to keep it from sending too much voltage to the battery, the alternator has something called a voltage regulator. My guess is that her voltage regulator is no good, and it’s allowing the battery to get overcharged - at least some of the time.

TOM: When the battery gets pelted with too much voltage, it can outgas hydrogen, boil over its acid, corrode things around it and even split open its plastic casing. Sound familiar?

RAY: So, tell your sister to ask the dealership to thoroughly inspect the charging system. And even if it tests OK, have them replace the alternator, because that’s almost certainly the problem. Since this is covered by warranty, Cathy, the battery should be the only thing that gets overcharged in this transaction.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Danica Patrick’s presence in the Indy Racing League series couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, it seems like the biggest cheers in the past few years have been for Jim Nabors when he’d sing "Back Home Again in Indiana." I love Nabors and the tradition, but the IRL needs more American-bred racers to promote. And, this one just happens to be female.

Dan Wheldon, this year’s winner, said several times in victory lane that the Indy 500 is the most important race in the world. Wheldon is the first Englishman to win the Indianapolis 500 since Graham Hill in 1966. And bravo to him; he deserved it. However, even with his Hollywood looks, Wheldon will never become an Earnhardt and will probably go to Formula One racing as he continues to impress everyone with his driving skills.

Back to Indy. It was Patrick who garnered the most media attention. Perhaps Beth Ann Morgenthau, the only full-time, day-to-day female car owner in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing, said it best about Danica Patrick:

"I guess it’s just natural for a female to pull for the female driver, but it was exciting to see how well she did," said Morgenthau, who along with her husband, Tony, owns the BAM Racing No. 49 Schwan’s Home Service Dodge of driver Ken Schrader.

"It was incredibly impressive, not just to see her finish so well but to overcome so much adversity to do that, and to do so as a rookie driver. Any driver doing that well would be admirable, but the fact she did it as an Indianapolis 500 rookie is very, very impressive," Morgenthau said.