Date: Fri 29-Nov-1996

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Forecast-International-car

Full Text:

Tired Of High Gasoline Prices? Consider The Alternative

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

People attending a demonstration sponsored by PRS International this week got

a sense of what the near future may hold in terms of automotive fuel

technology.

At PRS International on Commerce Road, participants strapped themselves into a

full-sized, four-door 1996 Ford Crown Victoria police car. The vehicle is a

marked police patrol model rigged with a heavy-duty frame, body mounts,

suspension and braking system.

Unlike a conventional power plant which burns gasoline, the 4.6-liter V-8

internal combustion engine which powers the car burns compressed natural gas

(CNG).

The automobile was provided to PRS for demonstration purposes by Ford Motor

Company of Dearborn, Mich, and Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation of

Hartford.

"It is a chance for us to test drive what is arguably the immediate future in

terms of automotive and fuel technology. What Ford and Connecticut Natural Gas

have done is to marry two familiar technologies - the internal combustion

engine and natural gas - and create a viable source for alternatives to

`normal' gasoline-powered vehicles," according to David J. Franus, PRS

International's group director for power systems and infrastructure.

The Ford's engine runs extremely smoothly on the natural gas fuel. Compared to

a gasoline-powered engine, emissions are very low. The engine runs so quietly

it can be considered a "stealth" car, Mr Franus said. Powering a car by

compressed natural gas is actually safer than running it on gasoline, he

added.

Scott Allo, an automotive analyst for PRS, said some other alternative fuel

technologies, such as electrical-powered automobiles or fuel cells, are

limited by current technologies or are still in research and development.

Compressed natural gas exists and is being used in the US to power bus fleets

and automotive fleets, according to a PRS statement.

Mr Franus, Mr Allo, and Julius Fabrini, a PRS analyst, tested the big Ford in

the areas of responsiveness, acceleration and quietness.

The vehicle which was demonstrated at PRS Monday runs only on compressed

natural gas, unlike "bi-fueled" vehicles which can run on natural gas or

gasoline.

The sedan's fuel capacity is 1,240 cubic feet of gas, comparable in size to a

10-gallon gasoline tank. The car has a range of about 180 miles under normal

driving conditions, according to PRS. The gas is kept compressed at 3,000

pounds of pressure per square inch.

According to Mr Franus, Ford is the only major auto manufacturer which sells

vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. Chrysler left the market this year

and General Motors is expected to re-enter it next year.

The are five compressed natural gas fueling stations open to the public in the

state. People who use compressed gas vehicles on a regular basis can obtain

hardware that allows their vehicles to be refueled overnight at home.

Although CNG-powered vehicles cost more than conventionally-powered vehicles,

savings on fuel and vehicle maintenance make up the difference, according to

PRS. CNG isn't taxed as a motor fuel.

"One of the nice things about compressed natural gas is it's a North American

product," Mr Franus said, commenting on the volatility of overseas petroleum

markets.

PRS International is a Forecast International Company. Forecast International

is a privately-owned market research, consulting, and publishing firm serving

the domestic and international aerospace, weapons, naval, electronics, power

systems, automotive, and other high technology market areas. The company

provides marketing intelligence, information and data, and long-range

marketing forecasts.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 29-Nov-1996

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