Today's Feature

Penalty Discussion To Continue.

The City Council Public Works Committee will meet this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the Public Works Department Building, 623 E. 7th Street. Items on the agenda include the discussion of a penalty fee structure for contractors working without a construction permit. The committee discussed this item at the previous meeting but took no action.

Public Works Director Chad Wampler told the committee that the department had encountered several contractors who begin construction work without obtaining a permit from the department. Wampler added that there are a number of repeat offenders, and recommended creating a penalty fee structure to decrease the number of violations. The following structure was discussed at the previous meeting: 1st offense, $25; 2nd offense, $100; 3rd offense, $250. The committee agreed to continue discussion of the matter at the next meeting, which is to be held this afternoon.

The committee is also scheduled to discuss bid openings for Household Hazardous Waste collection and the construction of a fence at the Carthage Recycling Center.

Mornin'

I grew up workin’ ‘round farm country most of my childhood. I always figured I was pretty well educated on the various nomenclature for animals associated with the Midwest. I can’t for the life a me think of what ta call a bunch a pigs.

I don’t think they aren’t a flock, or a covey, or a heard. The only thing I ever heard ‘em call a lot of the animals was "the pigs." I’m thinkin’ pigs are too independent to be lumped in a group. Even humans are sometimes referred to as a clan, or a tribe, or a community. Pigs seem ta be just pigs.

Don’t know much about wild pigs, maybe they don’t gather in bunches. The man made pig pen may be the only social structure able to confine their yearnin’ for self sufficient, independent expression.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Boosting Good Cholesterol.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a man in my late 60s and healthy except for some heart-valve disease. I maintain a right lifestyle, which includes walking on a treadmill for one hour, eliminating red meat and fat, eating lots of vegetables and fruits, and consuming soy instead of milk products.

My HDL cholesterol is low -- 21 to 23 mg/dL (.54 to .59 mmol/L). I have taken niacin or omega-3 fatty acids and Tricor. My HDL cholesterol remains persistently too low.Do you have any advice how to increase it? Is my diet wrong? -- L.L.

ANSWER: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol removes cholesterol deposited on artery walls and dumps it into the liver for disposal. That’s why it’s called good cholesterol. The higher its number, the better. An HDL-cholesterol above 40 (1.03) is good, and one higher than 60 is very good.

Your diet is perfect. Don’t change it.

Exercise increases HDL cholesterol. You’re spending an hour a day exercising, which is more than enough. Increasing the tempo of your exercise might have a beneficial effect on your HDL level, if your doctor says you’re fit enough for an increase in exercise intensity.

In addition to limiting saturated fat, as you are doing, you have to be careful about trans fat, fat found in many commercial baked goods and in fried foods from some fast-food restaurants. If you’re not a label reader, start reading label information.