Today's Feature

Community Improvement District.

The City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance to establish a community improvement district which will be known as the Peach Tree Village at the Council meeting on Tuesday.

Mike Carlton of the Peachtree development gave a presentation with Darrell Gross from Gross and Associates. The community improvement district would allow the new development to add an additional 1 per cent sales tax inside its own property to be used for improvements to streets, sewers and electrical in that area. It would be considered a political subdivision in Carthage.

The concept follows in line with a similar one called a Transportation Development District which applies the same self-taxation but which can only be used for road improvement. Community improvement districts became available to Missouri on August 28 according to Carlton, and there are similar projects being developed in Springfield, Branson and other surrounding cities.

Tentative drawings of the development were presented, and Carlton said he hoped for an emphasis on senior housing and providing a safe environment for seniors.

Livin’ in a small town woulda meant most folks woulda known of the adventure before the yoke got hard. ‘Sides the thought of wastin’ a good egg on a silly prank.

The tradition at our house was ta take what ya want but eat what ya take. ‘Course there was always that new dish that ya ate whether ya took it or not. We learned to eat spinach with vinegar and plenty of salt and an occasional servin’ of beef liver.

Now fryin’ up some liver on the sidewalk woulda suited me fine at the time. I didn’t really consider it edible anyway.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1994 Volvo Wagon that is drinking all of its coolant. I can’t drive more than a few miles before all the coolant is gone. Then the heater gives out and the car overheats. I haven’t noticed any leaks anywhere from the engine. I think it’s all coming out of the exhaust. What is the problem? - Keith

RAY: Are you sitting down, Keith?

TOM: You might want to just close the newspaper right now. You know, just turn the page and pretend you never saw your letter in the paper.

RAY: Well, if you’re still reading, the coolant is definitely coming out of the exhaust. That means the church-and-state-style separation that is supposed to be enforced between combustion chamber and coolant has been breached in your engine. And it sounds like it ain’t a minor breach.

TOM: You’re probably not losing ALL of your coolant every few miles; if you were, your engine would seize. But you might be losing all of the coolant in the overflow container. And even that’s enough for us to conclude that your problem is serious.

RAY: If it’s just a blown head gasket, you should expect to pay somewhere in the $1,500 range to get it fixed.

TOM: If it’s worse than that, and you’ve cracked the head or the block, then you’re into home-equity-loan territory.

RAY: So, screw up your courage and ask your mechanic to find out what’s going on. He won’t know for certain until he takes the head off and gets a look inside. While you don’t need to take the plates off before you drop it off at the shop, you might want to check the screws that hold the plates on and make sure they’re moving freely. Good luck, Keith.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Grand Am: A New Take on Sports Car Racing

The Grand American Road Racing series is a relatively new series. The sanctioning group presented its first-ever race at Daytona in February of 2000, notably the 24-hour event. The last couple of years have proven very successful for Grand Am, thanks to excellent management, new rules, new cars and a list of "name" drivers.

As president of the Grand American Road Racing Association, Roger Edmondson is responsible for all aspects of the organization, including competition, sponsorships, marketing and media relations. When asked why he established Grand Am, which looks somewhat similar to the popular American Le Mans Series, Edmondson was quick to note the differences.

"That’s a fair question," he said. "The world didn’t need another ALMS. The ALMS was doing fine. And there was absolutely no reason to create another series that was identical to what was out there. Our feelings were there was a need for a road-racing program that was more in tune with the American racer marketplace and spectator fan base than had been presented in the past."

"We created a plan for a new car that we presented to the teams as the next logical step. And it’s been very well-received in the last few months."

Senior News
By Pam Madole
Sponsored by Generations

According to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) the first thing everyone should do to prepare for the storm season is develop a plan of action in case of inclement weather. Every member of your home should know what this plan is and you should try a practice drill to make sure the plan is workable.

FEMA suggests your emergency Plan include the following:

Disaster Plan Decide where to go if at home, work, outdoors, or in a car when a flood, severe thunderstorm, or tornado warning is issued. Update these plans every year.

Disaster Supply Kit Be sure everyone in the family knows where your Family Disaster Supply Kit is located. During extreme heat, be sure to include extra water or juice, sunscreen, and wide brimmed hats.

Communication Plans Designate a friend or relative outside your town or area as your family contact in the event you are separated from family members during a storm, or in case the electricity is off. Agree upon a place where the family members can meet if separated.

Evacuation Plans Get a good map and plan various evacuation routes, avoiding low-lying areas. This is especially valuable in the event of flooding from rivers, streams, or flash floods. Do several test runs of different routes. In the event of a flash flood, remember that you will not be able to evacuate. Instead, immediately seek higher ground. For times of extreme heat, identify locations where you can escape sweltering conditions for hours at a time: a mall, a movie theater, or the home of a friend or relative.

Your Family Pet Plan Make sure all dogs and cats are wearing collars and up-to-date identification. Have a safe place to take your pets if possible; most disaster shelters cannot accept pets.