EcoEKY: Green News from Eastern Kentucky

from the Middlesboro Daily News:

Looks like a Yellow Jacket, but doesn’t sting at the pump

Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12:12 PM CDT

Smart Car gets 36 MPG in the city, 40 on the highway

By Andrea Schneider/Staff Writer



Photo: Lynn Jones’ chose yellow for the color of her Smart car because yellow says “caution I’m here don’t hit me,” but mostly because yellow and black are the school colors of the Middlesboro Jackets. (ANDREA SCHNEIDER)

MIDDLESBORO— It is very likely that several people who have been driving through Middlesboro over the past month have seen a little yellow flash pass them by on the roads.

Most drivers do a double-take in order to see exactly what that little yellow flash is. With a second look, drivers notice the tiny car.

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This tiny car is Middlesboro’s first Smart Car. Lynn Jones, owner of the car, says it gets “a lot of looks, stares and questions.”

The Smart Car, by Daimler AG, was designed as a compact fuel efficient car. It has a one liter, 71 horse power, three cylinder engine and travels at a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour. The nine feet long car is a two seater and can be driven in either manual or automatic. However, the best feature has to be the 36 miles per gallon the car gets in the city. It gets 40 plus miles per gallon on the highway and only has an eight gallon tank.

“I followed the car for six years,” said Jones who found the car online. “It has been very popular in Europe, and in January of 2008 it was released in the United States.”

Once Jones found out it was going to be released in the U.S. she knew she had to have one. She reserved her custom made car— in Middlesboro Yellow Jackets yellow— a year in advance.

“In April of 2007, I paid $99 and reserved my car online at the Smart Car website,” said Jones. Then on April 2, 2008 she traveled to a Mercedes dealer in Knoxville, Tenn. to pick up her car.

“I wanted the car because it was small and fuel efficient and I knew the gas prices were not going to go down, even a year ago.”

Jones was driving a Chevrolet Trail Blazer at the time and said she felt she did not need a big car just to drive around town.

By driving the Smart Car, Jones has saved quite a bit of money. Jones says she fills up the eight gallon tank every two and a half weeks and even though the car runs on premium gasoline she still only spends around $27 per fill up. She said that in her Trail Blazer she would spend around $60 per tank of gas.

“I get a lot of questions about the car,” said Jones. “I feel like I am an ambassador of the car. So maybe with mine there will be more people aware of it.”

The car comes with every modern comfort feature including heated leather seats, a six CD sound system and a sun roof. For more information on the Smart car visit www.smartusa.com.

Andrea Schneider is a Staff Writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. She can be contacted via e-mail at aschneider@middlesborodailynews.com

Middlesboro Middle Schoolers inform Board of Education members about global warming with a podcast.

From the Middlesboro Daily News:

Board members get lesson on podcasts

By Brandy Calvert/Senior Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:24 AM CDT

MIDDLESBORO — The Middlesboro Board of Education held their regular March meeting at the newly remodeled Middlesboro Middle School on Monday, March 17. Two of Mrs. Givens’ computer students presented their latest creation to board members- their podcast, “Helping prevent global warming”. By utilizing new technologies in their school, eighth graders Cassie Kirkland and Shayna Thomas showcased their technological talents and even taught board members something new.

Middle School Principal Steve Spangler spoke with board members about a recent review that the school received. Spangler told the board that the school system, school leaders and teachers were highly commended for creating a climate conducive of learning....