Heard on the Street

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GRUDGE CUP VICTORY|ret||ret||tab|

Twin Oaks staged a furious rally Oct. 21 to defeat rival Hickory Hills 13-11 in the annual Grudge Cup, a two-person scramble event begun in 1996, according to a press release from the Twin Oaks team. The contest featured 24 low-, mid- and high-handicap golfers from each club. The Twin Oaks win, the first since the event's inception, was clinched by a three-foot putt by Rob Haik. "I am, obviously, glad to win this year and am sure that if Hickory just practices a bit more, they can be competitive next year," said Twin Oaks captain Jim Crumpley.|ret||ret||tab|

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TOWER OF LONDON|ret||ret||tab|

The campus of Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains is receiving the gift of a fully constructed Bell tower and plaza adjacent to Looney Hall, to be known as the Smith-London Bell Tower and Plaza, according to an SMSU release. The tower and plaza honor the Smith and London families, who have served the country and the community in a variety of capacities. Donated by the Smith family, the tower and plaza will be built at the corner of Garfield and Cleveland avenues. The brick masonry structure will measure 40-plus feet in height and feature four operational clock faces with electronic bell chimes. The tower will be surrounded by a concrete plaza. "Sited aesthetically to be seen from virtually any location on or near the campus, this bell tower will serve not only to announce the time, but with its adjacent plaza, (will) become a true gathering place," said Fred F. Marty, chancellor of the SMSU-West Plains campus.|ret||ret||tab|

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20/20 FOR +40|ret||ret||tab|

St. John's Eye Specialists is now offering a new treatment for hyperopia in baby-boomers age 40 or older. The treatment, laser thermal keratoplasty, was developed by Sunrise Technologies of Fremont, Calif., and was recently approved by the FDA, according to a St. John's release. The treatment is for the temporary reduction of hyperopia of +0.75 diopters to +2.5 diopters. The magnitude of correction diminishes over time, though some patients retain their refractive correction. The laser time of the treatment is about three seconds and does not require cutting or removal of corneal tissue. |ret||ret||tab|

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IN THE MONEY|ret||ret||tab|

Marshfield-based Webster County Electric Cooperative has received a $6.6 million, low-interest, long-term loan from the Department of Agriculture to help the co-op expand its lines and facilities in its seven-county service area, according to a release from 7th District Congressman Roy Blunt. "$2 million will be used to install a new automated meter reading system," said WCEC General Manager Terry Stewart. "The rest of the loan will be used for the development of new service lines to keep up with growth in the system," Stewart added. "The electric cooperative has been growing about 4 to 5 percent a year for two decades, and we don't see anything slowing it down."|ret||ret||tab|

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TUILERIES|ret||ret||tab|

An interesting part of the ongoing renovation of the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library is the historic structure's new tile roof. The red clay roofing tiles used in the original construction had never been replaced, outlasting by more than four decades their normal 50-year life span. According to Laura Derrick, the architect for the project, the tiles were in terrible shape and "they were running out of red caulk to hold them together." The replacement tiles were obtained from the same company Ludowici, an Italian manufacturer that made the originals almost 100 years ago. "We were able to reuse the original caps, but we replaced all of the roof tile," Derrick said. The job was done by a Kansas City firm that specializes in clay tile roofing. Coincidentally, the library's roofing tiles are identical to those used on SMSU's new Public Affairs Building.[[In-content Ad]]