Today's Feature

Already Discussing Fireworks.

The Public Services Committee approved a motion to recommend a $15,000 fireworks show bid from Fireworks Spectacular to City Council at the meeting Monday evening.

City Administrator Tom Short told the Committee that Fireworks Spectacular had provided the firework display for the previous year’s Fourth of July celebration. The City this year submitted for a $15,000 show and a $20,000 show bid and received bids from two companies. Short provided the committee with a side by side comparison chart between Fireworks Spectacular and Premier Pyrotechnics showing that Premier offered less shots per show than Fireworks Spectacular.

The Committee discussed the differences between the $20,000 and $15,000 shows deciding that the lower cost was a better alternative. Show length was also discussed and Short informed the committee that the bid requests specified a show less than forty minutes long. The committee will recommend the bid from Fireworks Spectacular to City Council at the next Council Meeting.

Apparently at one time someone named Jane had my home phone number a few years back. There for a while we’d get calls for Jane and we would say no one by that name lives here. A couple a times the caller wanted to argue the point that Jane did live there and they wanted to talk to her.

It’s frustrating to have someone call you an idiot while your sittin’ in your own livin’ room. Especially when ya don’t know who you’re talkin’ to and the person on the other end of the line knows your phone number. ‘Course I’ve been called an idiot by strangers in better places than that.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

You lugheads - and I mean that in a good way - keep talking about the proper way to drive a manual transmission. Well, I have an automatic and know nothing about shifting from "Drive" to "1" or "2" and back. Those numbers are just for decoration, aren’t they? Thanks for all the laughs. - Anne

RAY: Actually, they pretty much ARE there for decoration these days, Anne.

TOM: In which case you’d think the car makers would do a better job, wouldn’t you? I mean, would a couple of rhinestones or a little glitter kill them?

RAY: Automatic transmissions are pretty much "set it and forget it" these days; 99.9 percent of your forward driving can be done in "Drive." When the transmission needs to be in a lower gear, it’ll shift itself into a lower gear.

TOM: There’s only one really important exception, and that involves long, steep hills - but only when you’re going down them. On a steep mountain road, where you’d need to be on the brakes pretty much constantly for more than a half a mile or so, you should shift the car into a lower gear. Shifting down in that situation uses the inertia of the engine to help keep the car from going too fast.

RAY: That prevents you from overheating your brakes, which leads to brake failure, which leads to a life insurance claim.

TOM: Try the next lowest gear below "Drive" first. And if you still need to ride the brakes to maintain an appropriate speed, drop down another gear, all the way down to "1" or "Low" if necessary.

RAY: But during normal driving, if the transmission really needs to be in a lower gear, it’ll figure this out itself. These are college-educated automatic transmissions we have these days, Anne, so fugetaboudit.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Don Schumacher Still Rules Drag Strip

Don Schumacher’s record as a drag-racing car owner/crew chief is remarkable. His technological advancements made his Funny Cars the leading performers in the country in the 1960s and early ’70s. Retired since 1974, Don’s interest in drag racing returned when son Tony began racing NHRA sportsman cars in the early ’90s.

In their first full year, Schumacher and son captured the 1999 NHRA Winston Championship. In 2000, father and son partnered with the U.S. Army and today are the reigning 2004 NHRA Powerade Top Fuel Champions.

Schumacher Racing operates out of a new 100,000 square-foot building in Indianapolis, where one Top Fuel team, three Funny Car teams and two Pro Stock Motorcycle teams are housed. A new two-car Pro Stock operation is also based there in a separate building.

Schumacher still answers his own phone, writes his own communications and prepares daily spreadsheets to monitor each business venture, including Schumacher Electric Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of battery chargers.

Senior News
By Pam Madole
Sponsored by Generations

Do you have a smoke detector?

Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers should be in every home. While smoking is the leading cause of deaths from fires, carelessness in the kitchen is the number one cause of residential fires.

Cooking accidents are the leading cause of fire related injuries for older adults. The kitchen is often the busiest room in the house. You should have a fire extinguisher near or in the kitchen no more than 10 feet from the stove and nearest a door that could be used as an exit from the room. Wear tight fitting clothes or keep loose sleeves tucked away with a band so they won’t catch fire. Never use a dishtowel as a potholder, they can catch fire and go unnoticed before a burn results.

Forgetting food cooking on the stove is common among older adults. Stay in the kitchen when cooking, if you must leave the kitchen take a timer with you that sounds with a loud bell reminding you to return to the kitchen. Never put water on a grease fire, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner.

Have smoke detectors installed on every level of your home including just outside all sleeping areas. Maintain detectors by keeping them dust free and by testing the batteries monthly. Smoke detectors are also available for the hearing impaired. For additional information call Pam at Generations, 417.359.2454.