Today's Feature

Intersection Improvements on Agenda.

The 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 to execute a contract between the City and Sprouls Construction, Inc. for improvements to HH and Garrison Avenue. This item comes from the Public Works Committee with a recommendation from City engineer Sprenkle & Associates. Three bids were received for the project, all of which were over the budgeted amount. Those bids included Sprouls Construction, Inc. in the amount of $326,194, APAC-Missouri, Inc. for $346,309 and Snyder Bridge Co. in the amount of $369,270.

The budgeted amount carried over from the previous year’s budget is $280,000 which would leave $46,000 to be made up in a budget adjustment. Public Works Director Chad Wampler said that Sprenkle had figured the projected cost based on calculations from the Missouri Department of Transportation, which may have run lower than actual project cost. Wampler cited the mobilization cost as part of the reason why all of the bids came in higher than expected. The mobilization cost for Sprouls is $35,000, which is $15,000 less than the other two bids, APAC’s cost being $50,225 and Snyder’s being $50,000.

The Public Works committee agreed to forward the item to Council, recommending approval contingent on the approval of additional funding.

Items in their second reading include an ordinance that would annex 3133 South Grand Avenue into the City, and budget adjustments to this year’s budget and last year’s budget.

Spraying for Mosquitoes

The City of Carthage Street Department will be spraying for mosquitoes this week through Friday, July 27th. Areas will be sprayed in the evening of the day of regular trash pickup, between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight. It is recommended that citizens turn off attic or window fans when the sprayer is in the immediate area.

I’ve heard that those who grow up in an area that has four seasons find it unsettling when they move to places like Arizona. The change of seasons seems to be somehow ingrained in the natural cycle of their lives and the year long "summer" weather disrupts that sense of movement.

The sameness turns to a type of season boredom. It’s like havin’ a fresh ear of corn without any butter or salt and pepper.

In this part of the country, summer has always been the season for increased activity. Gettin’ the crops in, or even leisure activities, like goin’ to the lake.

I personally enjoy the warm and even the few really hot days of summer, but I am always ready when the cooler fall moves in. ‘Sides, three or four months of air conditioner bills is enough for any year.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

To Your Good Health
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Treating Damaged Heart Valves

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had a double heart bypass done seven years ago. I have emphysema. Now I have three out of four heart valves that are bad. My doctor says I need surgery, but he wants to put it off as long as possible because of my health.

What is the function of heart valves? What causes them to go bad? What types of replacement valves are available? -- J.B.

ANSWER: The four heart valves keep blood flowing in the right direction from one heart chamber to the next, and finally out of the heart. Serious valve problems can happen to any of them, but the two valves most often affected are the aortic valve and the mitral valve. The aortic valve prevents blood from flowing back into the heart after the left ventricle pumps it out. The mitral valve prevents blood from flowing back into the left atrium after it has filled the left ventricle.

Rheumatic fever used to be the No. 1 cause of valve malfunction. Aging is a big reason why valves fail. Calcification of valves -- something that happens throughout life -- is another reason for valve trouble.

Valves can become too narrow which makes it difficult for blood to flow through and out of the heart. Or they can become leaky which causes blood to flow back into the chamber it just left.

Early on, medicines can often compensate for what damaged valves cause in impairing blood flow and heart emptying. Quite often, however, surgical repair or replacement of the valve is the only option.

Replacement valves are mechanical, man-made devices; those fashioned from pig or cow tissue; or from a patient’s own tissues. The decision is based on the patient’s particular symptoms. Valve surgery is major surgery. Most do quite well.