Today's Feature

Sign Project Questioned.

Public Works Committee members questioned the "wayfinding signage" program at Tuesday’s meeting. Carthage Convention and Visitor Bureau Director Aimee Smith was present at the meeting to discuss the project with the committee.

Smith requested funding for the project at the previous evening’s Budget committee meeting and had been met with approval contingent on the Public Works committee’s approval and the status of a warranty on the signs. At Tuesday’s meeting the Public Works Committee did not take any action concerning the signs.

Smith first informed the committee about the warranty status, saying that the sign company had guaranteed a 5 year written warranty on the signs. The committee asked several questions about materials used for the signs, overall size, placement and quantity.

Street Commissioner Tom Shelley said he had reviewed the placement list and had noticed that 7 of the 26 locations were on state right-of-way property. Shelley said that 8 of the 26 proposed locations would need minor adjustments to allow for walking room on sidewalks and visibility for traffic.

"These can be moved, shifted... no big deal," said Shelley.

Shelley discussed with the committee the height requirements for signs, saying that standard signs, like stop signs, are placed with the lowest part of the sign 7.5 feet from the ground. The wayfinding signs are wider and taller than stop signs, measuring 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall. Shelley mentioned several options including using two poles instead of one to support the signs.

Committee chair Tom Flanigan told Smith he would like to see one of the signs before giving the project his blessing. Flanigan also questioned if 26 signs would be considered "overkill".

Committee member Claude Newport asked if there would be a way to eliminate some of the signs in exchange for a kiosk. Kiosks are proposed as a second phase of the plan.

Public Works Director Chad Wampler suggested phasing the signs in over three years, selecting 10 strategic locations per year. Committee member Bill Johnson said that it was more cost feasible to have the signs made all at one time, and that the current bid was lower than had been anticipated.

After much discussion and debate the committee agreed to take no action until the next meeting. Flanigan requested that a sample sign be brought before the committee to be viewed. The committee asked Smith to work more with Tom Shelley on the installation plans and iron out the placement details and to return for the next meeting.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
8/16/06

No Stench Reported on Carthage Square.

It’s a little embarrassin’ ‘cause the old friend feels as though you’ve associated him with some other idiot.

"Remember that time we were out fishin’ and you slid down that bank and into the creek?" I might say.

"We never went fishin’," comes the reply.

The fact that these lapses in memory obviously aren’t just in my mind is reassurin’. But maybe it wasn’t fishin’. Maybe we were quail huntin’. Anyway it sure is a good memory.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin.’

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a question about cars with VERY low mileage. I have a 10-year-old car that has less than 12,000 miles. What maintenance should I be doing? I am told at the dealership that due to the "time" element, I need routine "flushes". Is this true? - Rosalie

TOM: Well, most manufacturers recommend that you change your oil every 7,500 miles. But for you, that would be only once every dog year, Rosalie. There’s a "time"-based recommendation as well.

RAY: For most cars that get very little use, the recommendation is to change the oil every six months. In general, we’d agree with that. Here’s why.

TOM: When you run the engine, it produces water. It’s one of the products of combustion. Some of that water always ends up in your crankcase, mixed in with the oil. Normally, when the engine gets good and hot, that water evaporates.

RAY: But if you only take short, little trips - like two or three miles a day - you never get the engine hot enough to get rid of that water. So you have watery oil, which doesn’t lubricate well.

TOM: So if you take lots of short trips, get your oil changed every six months.

RAY: But, if you have low mileage because you use the car infrequently, but you really let the engine heat up when you do drive, then you can extend that interval.

TOM: As for other stuff, you’ll want to change the coolant once every five years or so, and you’ll need to keep an eye on rubber components, like belts and tires.

RAY: I wouldn’t let the mechanic talk you into too much else. You don’t need a transmission service or a fuel-system cleaning. You might need a new air freshener. But the vast majority of cars wear out from use, not from lack of use.