Today's Feature

CID First Reading.

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 approving the Peachtree Village Community Improvement District (CID).

The CID allows the Peachtree development to add an additional 1 per cent sales tax inside its own property to be used for improvements to streets, sewers and electrical in that area.

The ordinance comes with the recommendation of the Public Works committee where the agreement has been under review for several months.

Valentine’s at Stone’s Throw.

Stone’s Throw Theatre, of Carthage will present its Valentine’s Day Special, "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney on February 14, 2007. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; dinner served at 6:30 p.m. $25. per person. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Stone’s Throw Theatre at 417-358-9665 or 358-7268 or by e-mailing to bbell23@ecarthage.com

Tracing the lifelong correspondence between the staid, dutiful lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and the lively, unstable artist Melissa Gardner, the story of their bittersweet relationship gradually unfolds from what is written - and what is left unsaid - in their letters. From book jacket Love Letters, a Plume Book- Penguin.

The play will be directed by Alesha Lindeman and will star Linda Bailey and Kelly Peterson.

Stench Report:

Monday,
2/12/07

Stench Reported 2/9 In the Evening

Growin’ up we always had a dog around. Betsy was a Collie that was scared to death of thunder storms. She’d hide behind the curtains under the kitchen sink. She’d also have "fits" ever’ now and then and just lay down and shake. At the time I had no idea what epilepsy was and didn’t realize until years later that was the reason for this strange behavior.

After Betsy came Smokey who was supposed ta be a Collie but never grew into the part. She started her stay by relievin’ herself under the Christmas tree where she was placed by Santa. Bein’ an outside dog, as she matured she began chasin’ a phantom intruder whenever we’d pull in the driveway. She’d run just to the edge of the yard and then come to the car for congratulations.

The Great Dane is another story.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Scoliosis Shouldn’t Preclude Pregnancy

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am the mother of an only child. She is 31 and has been married for one year. My daughter is afraid to become pregnant because she believes she’ll have difficulty carrying a child due to her spinal curvature. She’s also afraid that carrying a baby will make her scoliosis worse. An orthopedic doctor followed her in her teens and didn’t suggest treatment since her scoliosis was "borderline." I know she wants to be a mom, and I want to be a grandmom. What do you say? -- A.A.

ANSWER: Scoliosis is a curving of the spine to one side. The curve can be in the upper back, the lower back or in both upper and lower back. The degree of curvature correlates with the severity of symptoms and with the limits of physical activity. The degree is assessed through X-rays.

Your daughter had mild scoliosis as a teenager. Her curvature didn’t require a brace. It’s not too likely that the curvature increased so much since then that she can’t have children. Rarely, if ever, does scoliosis prevent a woman from having children, and pregnancy doesn’t aggravate scoliosis. Your daughter isn’t complaining of back pain, is she? She does everything she wants to do, doesn’t she? Then there’s no indication of severe scoliosis.

Have your daughter talk to a family doctor or to an orthopedic doctor. I believe she will be surprised to learn that her scoliosis isn’t a contraindication to her having a family.