Today's Feature

Fancy Little Boxes.

The Public Safety committee on Monday evening agreed to begin the process of installing emergency traffic signal preemption devices in Carthage emergency vehicles, contingent on Council approval.

A presentation was made by Jim Lucas, of Lucas Technologies LLC, explaining the workings of the global positioning satellite (GPS) based signal preemption. Lucas asked the committee’s permission to provide the technology to Carthage emergency vehicles (Police, Fire and Ambulance) free of charge.

Lucas proposed first installing the mechanism in one car and one light and fine-tuning the system based on the results of the initial test. There are two components which include the vehicle transmitter and the intersection receiver. By way of GPS technology, the receivers use the vehicle speed, location and direction to determine when to prompt a signal change to allow the emergency vehicle through.

The technology was built to Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) specifications so that it may be implemented in MODOT owned traffic lights as well as those owned by the City.

Lucas said that installation of the receivers might incur minimal cost, so the committee’s motion was made to allow up to $100 installation costs per vehicle. The City would also need to obtain a license from the Federal Communications Commission to operate the mobile data radio transmitters. Lucas Technologies is in the process of negotiating a distributor agreement for the area with Brown Traffic Products, Inc. which installed new traffic signals for Carthage.

Other items discussed by the Committee included the two-tiered licensing proposal for cats and dogs. Committee member Bill Welch was not in attendance of the meeting.

The committee noted that the proposal had been approved by the Budget/Ways and Means Committee. No citizens were present to speak about the proposal, and a motion was made to prepare a Council bill for the item.

Also at the meeting, citizen C.J. Wickstrom asked the Committee for permission to organize a low-speed driving course at the easternmost parking lot of the Fair Acres Sports complex. The course would be used by the Greater Ozarks British Motoring Club during the event.

The committee approved the event for one time at the location, contingent upon the City Hall approval of a liability waiver for the event.

Stench Report:

Tuesday,
8/22/06

No Stench Reported on Carthage Square.

Some Wall Street types preach this line a thinkin’ all the time. Watch for the trend, then go the other way. Those who settled in this part of the country were experts at findin’ opportunities where no one else was lookin’.

Communities that have historically depended more on tradition than most face some draw backs. They also have some long lasting benefits.

Quality of life is still a tradition worth preserving, especially for those who might take it for granted.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

• "To remove excess fat before using your slow cooker, brown meats first, then add. The excess fat gets drained away instead of being added into your sauce." -- A.H. in Colorado

• Put chalk in a toolbox to prevent rust.

• Patti of Orlando, Fla., gave us this great hint: "On outside potted plants, use a spare piece of wire screen to keep soil in the bottom of the planter. It works way better than a coffee filter."

• Going shopping for a specific item that you saw in the sale pages? Call the store before you head out, and make sure the sale item is still in stock.

• "Unload the bottom rack of the dishwasher first. This way, you won’t wet the dishes on the bottom if any pooled water on the top shelf spills. I thought everyone did it this way, but then my boyfriend thought I was such a genius that I figured I would share this hint with others!" -- A Reader via e-mail

• "When confronted with a phone call from a charity requesting a donation, I always ask that the organization send literature to me by mail. I generally do not give out personal information over the phone, and especially not when a person has called ME. Reputable organizations are happy to send information by mail." -- E.O. in Pennsylvania

• Tax tip: Don’t overlook the possibility of a deduction for child-care expenses, energy-efficiency upgrades you might have made or donations made to a qualified charity. These can really add up! Make sure you keep your receipts throughout the year.