Recycling Agreement To Be Clarified.

The subject of recycling was revisited during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Curb side recycling pick up is scheduled to go into effect October 1, 1999. The charge to be paid by each household adds an additional $1.29 per family, or $1.46 per single, per month.

"That’s the cost of one Coke," said Council Member Bill Fortune.

The Council approved an ordinance in 1998 that included curb side recycling with the mandatory fee, but delayed implementation for one year to allow for educating residents.

"I want to state for the record that I am against mandatory recycling, not recycling," said Mayor Kenneth Johnson.

His comment came during a lengthy debate in which Council member H.J. Johnson moved to have City Administrator Tom Short request written documentation from Allied Waste Industries, Inc..

The requested document, which sparked a verbal exchange between Council members, was a request for clarification of position from Allied in the event that the City would delay or cancel the curb side recyling plan before the five year trash hauling contract expires. Council member Johnson wants the disposal company’s response in writing so the Council can know what its options are. The motion, seconded by Council member J.D. Whitledge, passed 6-4.

Shortly after the recycle debate ended Mornin’ Mail was able to talk to Lowell Biliew, a representative of Allied Waste, who attended the meeting.

MM: Several Council Members have commented on missed pickups. Can you explain this?

Biliew: "Pickup problems are basically tied to computers and drivers. We operate 80 trucks in this area. Each day the driver is given a computer generated list of pickup sites. Sometimes the computer doesn’t list everyone. Also new drivers don’t know all of the routes. Part of the problem we have right now in Carthage is that one of our regular drivers is on a three week vacation, but we think the problem is now resolved."

MM: How do you explain picking up waste on one side of an alley and not the other when the refuse is in plain site?

Biliew: "I can’t. If your house is missed call us and we will return to pickup what we didn’t get the first time." (Carthage residents are encourage by the City to call the City Engineering Department - editor)

MM: Are you familiar with the current contract between the City and American Disposal?

Biliew: "The contract was originally submitted to the City with three options: No recycling, a drop-off recycle site or curb side recycling. The City chose and approved the drop-off recycle site option."

MM: Where will you dispose of the recycled items?

Biliew: "Joplin. Before the new recycle center opened we drove to Branson."

MM: Can the City cancel the recycle contract?

Biliew: "Yes. Once an agreement is reached between the City and Allied, the contract can be amended by adding a waiver that is signed by both parties and approved by the full City Council."

Allied Waste Industries, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is the parent organization consisting of 114 collection companies, 72 transfer stations, 26 recycling facilities and 72 landfills located throughout the United States.

Allied recently purchased BFI located in Springfield, Missouri. The sale is scheduled to be finalized in two weeks. Allied is listed on the NYSE as symbol AW.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

Looks like the annual spring shuffle for retail space on the Square is about completed. Seems each spring and fall there is movement, usually shops that have survived just off the square move into buildin’s vacated for one reason or another.

Bring’s ta mind the tide movin’ in and out. The real life free market place in motion.

The fact that there seems ta always be someone willin’ to jump in is always a reassurin’ sight. The Square continues to be a viable business atmosphere that thrives on the activity of the downtown area.

There are those who remember it as a different place, and it was. The facinatin’ thing about business is that it is forced to adapt to the consumer. The Square is gradually adaptin’ to the new business climate.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack Talk Cars

Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1989 Ford Probe with an automatic tranmission and 107,000 miles. I have heard and read that the tranmission on this car is problematic. I purchased the car with 60,000 miles, and, aside from leaking in the rain and squeaking and rattling a lot, it's been good to me so far.

My question is, how can you tell when the transmission is starting to weaken? Are there any clues that a problem may be approaching, or does it sneak up on you, and suddenly your transmission is a mile behind you in the middle of the street? Every once in a while my tranmission will seem to slip between first and second, or second and third. When whis happens, it's like the car is in neutral for a second or two while the rpm's are still climbing. Then the car will catch and jerk forward. Is this my clue to bail and move on before major repairs are unavoidable? -Chad

TOM: You got it, baby! The "slipping" you describe is a likely sign that your automatic transmission is in trouble.

RAY: But I wouldn't necessarily unload this car on an unsuspecting in-law or co-worker just yet, Chad. The first thing you you want to know is, is there enough tranmission fluid in there? If not, filling it back up may solve the problem. And if you've got a slow leak and you need to fill it up every 5,000 or 10,000 miles, so what, right?

TOM: Even if it is full, it's worth trying a tranmission fluid and filter change anyway. If the fluid is particularly dirty, and there are chunks of transmission floating around, that could cause the slipping. And in some (very lucky) cases, just changing the fliud and filter improves the transmission's performance dramatically - at least for a while.

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