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Choral Society auditions
The Gaston Choral Society is now accepting singers for its fall season.
All singers are welcome. They will be auditioned in small groups. Music-reading ability is encouraged but not required for membership. Rehearsals begin Aug. 28, 7-9 p.m. They will be held every Thursday in the music room at Gaston Day School.
For more information, call Lawton Blandford at (704)827-0853.
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Squeezed by gas crunch
By THOMAS LARK
- Thu, May 15, 2008
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| A Belmont Fire Department truck was among the vehicles responding to the scene of this traffic accident last week.- Photo by Thomas Lark |
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BELMONT—As gasoline prices approach $4 a gallon, first responders are feeling the same crunch as average citizens.
Those in Belmont are trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Belmont Police Department Chief David James said Thursday that his officers are once again walking 15 minutes out of every hour. James said this plan was also implemented last year, May-August, during the worst of the 2007 gas crisis.
“We’ve been doing this again for about the past two months now,” said the chief. “We’re trying to do every bit we can to help our gas budget.”
The BPD had a $70,000 gas budget for fiscal year 2007-08. As the current fiscal year winds down, and fiscal year 2008-09 looms on a darkening economic horizon, James said the BPD has spent some $67,000 of that fund.
“This really cuts in,” he said of the fuel crisis. “But we police have got to do our job.”
To that end, he added, the BPD is looking to purchase four Dodge Chargers for f.y. 2008-09. These patrol cars, featuring six-cylinder engines, are more fuel-efficient than the Ford Crown Victorias typically used by law enforcement, James explained.
But paying for the gas crunch remains very much a concern, the chief continued.
“We may end up having to rob Peter to pay Paul to pay for this,” he lamented.
Belmont Fire Department Chief George “Buck” Altice said that his personnel are adopting similar belt-tightening measures.
“We’ve suspended all take-home cars,” said Altice, “and that’s just about what we can do. There’s a policy in place. As far as consumption, I’m still within the budget. We planned on about an eight-percent increase for the current fiscal year’s costs.”
The BFD typically spends about $9,000 a year in fuel costs, he added, with the firetrucks using Diesel fuel and the cars, regular gas. For fiscal year 2008-09, the department is factoring in a 10-percent increase in fuel costs.
“We’ve got to provide and maintain our excellent level of service,” said Altice. “But my feeling is that we ought to be—all of us, everywhere—trying to conserve fuel all the time. That’s my management style. If you can save fuel, then you absolutely should.”
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