Today's Feature

Personnel Policy Expansion.

Carthage City Council will meet this evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. Items on the agenda include the first reading of an ordinance amending the Carthage Personnel Policy manual expanding the Classification and Pay section .

This ordinance would allow for situations wherein it is not possible for a City department to recruit qualified candidates. In this case the department could hire a candidate at a lower grade and establish a training system by which the applicant could be brought up to the correct qualifications to achieve the job requirements over a period of time. The Department Head and City Administrator would be responsible for organizing the training plan. This item was brought to Council by the Finance and Personnel Committee.

Other items on the agenda include an ordinance authorizing the City to issue certificates of participation for providing funds to finance the costs of Library improvements for the City. The library board has tentatively scheduled a September ground breaking for the addition project

The kids nowadays don’t know the meanin’ of bein’ cool. I’m talkin’ real cool, as in temperature, not attitude. The tricks of beatin’ the hot weather that were old standbys are not bein’ transferred to the younger generation ‘cause it’s easy ta just flip a switch and get air conditionin’.

The best coolin’ off place growin’ up was the farm pond, mainly ‘cause it was handy after a day in the field. In town the water hose was always a good cooler for the younger kids. Takin’ turns sprayin’ each other , slidin’ on the grass, slipin’ on the sidewalk. There seemed ta be somethin’ daring about runnin’ through the spray of water, it wasn’t the same ta just stand and get soaked.

Inside fans made a lot a sense. And open windows in the evenin’ with June bugs bumpin’ into the screens. Cool man.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Cluster Headaches Bring Unbearable Pain

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have cluster headaches. They appear approximately every two years and last two to four weeks with three or four episodes a day. Is there a cure? What is the best treatment? It’s the worst pain ever. — D.J.

ANSWER: Cluster headaches are one of humankind’s most painful experiences. They come on suddenly and last for a relatively short time — 15 minutes to two hours — but each minute of the headache seems like a year. The headache is a one-sided affair, and often the nostril on that side of the head drips and the eye on that side tears.

People find the pain so unbearable that they cannot sit still, a feature that distinguishes cluster headaches from migraine headaches, which make their victims seek a dark, quiet place to lie down. Often cluster headaches waken people from sleep.

The headaches come in "clusters" of one to four a day for weeks to months at a time. Then they disappear as inexplicably as they appeared.

Some find that the best way to end a cluster headache is to breathe pure oxygen for about 15 minutes. Since oral medicines take time to work and since cluster headaches are somewhat brief, oral medicines are not the greatest in terminating a headache. Sumatriptan, a migraine medicine, comes in a self-injectable dispenser, and it can bring an end to the headache. It also comes in a nasal spray, which works quickly.

Collecting
By Larry Cox
Sponsored by Oldies & Oddities

Avon Bottles

Q: I have about two dozen Avon bottles and containers in various shapes and sizes. Could you help me find someone who might be interested in purchasing them? — Betty, Albuquerque, N.M.

A: Avon bottles are fairly plentiful. Originally called the California Perfume Company, bottles issued during that period, or before 1939, are especially collectible. Typical values are Jaguar decanter, $5; Daisies Won’t Tell toilet set from 1956, $25; and a 1973 Tee Off decanter, $5.

There are several sources that might be helpful, including the National Association of Avon Collectors, P.O. Box 7006, Kansas City, MO 64113; dealer Rhonda Schiver, owner of Avon Lost & Found, 7646 Nancy Drive, Elkridge, MD 21075; and collector Dwight Young, P.O. Box 9868, Kansas City, MO 64134.

Q: I have an older phonograph that plays all three speeds, 33 rpm, 45 rpm and 78 rpm. I need a replacement needle and can’t seem to find one that will fit my machine. — Shirley, Staatsburg, N.Y.

A: I highly recommend you contact Dave Vaughn of Dave’s Antiques in Tucson, Ariz. He buys, sells and repairs older phonographs and TVs in addition to maintaining an excellent inventory of replacement parts, including, of course, needles. I even purchase the old steel Victrola needles from him. His address and phone number are 449 West 29th St., Tucson, AZ 85713; and 520-790-2618.