Today's Feature

Hazardous Waste Collector Chosen.

The Public Works Committee approved a bid from Haz-Mert Inc. for Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal at the meeting this week. The hazardous waste collection is scheduled to take place during the City Wide Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 29th.

Public Works Director Chad Wampler presented the two bids that were received. The bids were from Haz-Mert Inc, of Rogers Ark. and Mid-America Environmental Solutions, of Carthage. Haz-Mert performed the collection at last year’s cleanup.

The mobilization and set up fees were the only that were definite, as a portion of the price is based on the quantity of materials collected. The mobilization fee for Haz-Mert was listed at $1,200. Mid-America Environmental Solutions listed mobilization fees at $1350. Additional figures were included in the bids for the price per pound/price per foot of a variety of hazardous wastes including batteries, paint and bulbs. Wampler illustrated a tentative total price by figuring last years collected quantities against the price per unit of each bid. The tentative totals were approximately $5,671 for Haz-Mert and approximately $6,251 for Mid-American Environmental Solutions.

A Region M grant has been received for up to $5,000 for the collection service. The committee approved the bid from Haz-Mert and will forward the item to City Council.

The committee also spoke with a representative from Joplin about a proposed Home Investment Partnership Program. Ross told the committee that Joplin is looking into the program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The partnership program would allow for funding for housing rehabilitation and affordable housing projects through HUD. Ross told the committee that if a consortium was established consisting of regional cities that it would increase the amount of funding available to all. Webb City, Joplin, Jasper County and Carl Junction have all agreed to join the consortium. The committee agreed to forward the item to Council with a recommendation.

During the staff reports section of the meeting Street Commissioner Tom Shelley spoke to the committee concerning the rates for utility cut charges. The discussion of the rates was requested by Tom Short.

Shelley said that due to elevated costs of raw materials the rate structure should be increased. The last increase to these rates was completed in 1990. The price per square foot laid of asphalt is $2.50, $3.50 for concrete, and $4.50 for combination concrete and asphalt. The current price per linear foot curb and gutter is $8.00. Shelley told the committee that the curb and gutter jobs require at least 3 or 4 trips to the site before completion of the job.

The committee approved a motion to increase rates to $3 per square foot of asphalt, $4 for concrete, $5 for concrete and asphalt, and $16 per linear foot for curb and gutter. The item will be presented for approval at the next Council meeting.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
4/20/06

Stench reported Wednesday morning around 10:00 on Carthage Square

They say that a good portion of bein’ happy is based on expectations. If you expect to make a dollar and ya get two, you’re happy. If ya expect to make four and only get two you’re sad. ‘Course nowadays, if ya expect ta buy anything with two dollars, you’ve just lost touch with the borin’ facts of reality.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

My daughter needs a lug wrench and jack for her 2003 VW Jetta. I don’t want to give an arm or a leg to a VW dealership for these items, but I can’t find them anywhere. Can you give me some particulars on these items, such as size needed and where I might purchase them at a reasonable cost? Will a jack from Wal Mart work, or one from an auto-parts store? Are they called something else besides "hard to find"? - Tommy

RAY: Well, I’m sure there’s a good story behind how your daughter managed to lose the original jack, Tommy. But clearly, you’re not inclined to entertain us with it.

TOM: If you want the same jack that she used to have, the easiest place to get it is at a junkyard. Oops, I mean "auto recycling center."

RAY: Right. You’ll find one that may have been used just once. Or never. Even if it was used 20 times, it’s still perfectly good.

TOM: But I’m going to suggest that you pick up only the jack at the junk yard, and replace the lug wrench with something better.

RAY: Volkswagens and Audis use bolts to secure their wheels instead of just nuts, like most other cars. They’re notoriously difficult to remove - especially when they get overtightened, which they always do.

TOM: So instead of that little 6-inch lug wrench that came with the car, you should go to your local Sears or auto-parts store and get a 17-millimeter impact socket and an 18-inch breaker bar.

RAY: The impact socket fits over the wheel bolt and then the breaker bar slips onto the socket and gives you leverage to twist the bolt. That’ll give your daughter a better set of tools - which will make the next person she "lends" them to much happier.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

NASCAR’s Busch Series Needs Major Overhaul

It’s been accepted through the years that NASCAR’s Busch Series is both a proving ground for future stars of Nextel Cup and a great stand-alone series for some really fine race drivers. Nowadays, however, the Busch Series is looked on as an outlet for Cup drivers to "test" more and, to make matters worse, take home most of the top prize money. Thanks to lenient rules that allow "Cup" teams to compete in these Busch Series races, NASCAR is now facing a dilemma. Specifically, Cup drivers, in superior Busch Series equipment, win just about every race.

With the demand to perform on track for sponsors, and the financial demands of the series itself, the Busch teams need the prize money and the TV exposure for their sponsors. This leaves Busch Series teams at a huge disadvantage, both financially and in the important car-owner point rankings.

Granted, NASCAR knows the "Cup Busch" team and driver helps at the ticket gate, where race fans know they’ll see the best in the business go against the second team.

I’d like to see all Busch Series full-time teams have a chance to make the field based on their prior year points and the fact that they are 100-percent Busch teams with the same obligations to sponsors as Cup teams. Second, I’d like to see 100 percent of the points awarded to the Busch teams, meaning if you are a full-time Cup driver, you receive no points, but do earn the prize money. Third, limit the number of Cup teams allowed to compete to five or so, or, expand starting fields of up to 50 cars after the fifth race of the season until the Cup teams start dropping from the top 35 in points (if possible).