Councilman test drives a Honda Civic GX natural-gas automobile

YONKERS ? Confronting one of the major bugaboos from Republican Mayor Phil Amicone's first two years in office, Democratic Council President Chuck Lesnick has launched a trial of alternative fuel vehicles aimed at reducing the operating costs of the city's fleet of cars and trucks. Homeland Energy, a Yonkers-based company that promotes the use of clean energy, arranged a loaner 2005 Honda Civic for Lesnick to try. The car runs on natural gas, which is significantly cleaner and cheaper than gasoline, though harder to find for a fill-up.