I suspect that very few of us subscribe to all of Al Gore's theory on global warming and climate change. I would suspect that we humans would be very pretentious believing that our actions alone can change this planet's weather in such a short time frame that is merely a blink of an eye considering the duration of Earth's life. I was once told that if Earth's life span was put on a 24 hour clock starting at midnight, mankind would not make an entrance until 11:57 p.m. the following night, just a few minutes before the period ended.
Nevertheless, we certainly are experiencing some dramatic changes in our weather patterns. It certainly seems strange that the weather here in the midwest the last few years has become wetter during the spring and summer seasons with rains hitting our area just about every day somewhere. The temperatures have been in the 90s but the humidity has been like Louisiana. The rains and the high humidity levels are making the corn grow and even the wet spots are looking better. There definitely is going to be some good yields on the fields that were planted early. Our farmers need all the help they can get with the high input costs that it takes nowadays to put in their crops.
The rains are still making it difficult for the road and bridge crews to get some needed work completed, especially the bridge crew. It is very difficult to be down in a "hole" working with heavy equipment in the mud driving H-piling and setting beams. The incessant rains keep the creeks running with water, oftentimes over our temporary crossings that are installed to get back and forth across the streams, making it very difficult to make much progress. The new bridge, No. 13, that our crews are constructing up in the northwest part of the county north and east of Elmo on 125th Street just east of Danube and south of Missouri Route KK is progressing well conidering the conditions that the guys are working in. I was at the job site this past week while they were setting the huge beams that weigh nearly 15,000 pounds each. I wish everyone could observe how efficient our crews are and see the good equipment that they have to work with, which by the way is all paid for. The money that the county saves by constructing our own bridges is significant and the bridges are of federal design with a concrete deck and "no load limit." This means that they are designed for two way traffic and will hold up anything that crosses that is of legal weight and not over loaded.
The culvert crew can work in a little bit more muddy conditions than the bridge crew if they can get to the job site which is often in isolated areas and also often on dirt roads. They have been working on several sites all over the county putting tubes in. We are still getting daily calls of tube washouts and holes in roads. The excess rain that we continue to receive is still compromising tubes and we are doing our best to get them put in but as long as the new calls keep coming in it is difficult to get caught up. Although we have several tubes on hand, we often have to get them quickly from our local supplier, Maryville Metal Culvert, who does a fantastic job in getting our special needs taken care of quickly. We are very fortunate in this county to have a manufacturer of pipe locally and that can generally beat everyone else during the bidding period.
Work on the tower of the courthouse is progressing with a significant portion of the interior of the tower dismantled. All of the openings have been removed, the slate roof has been taken off, and the construction company is now shoring up the beams the bell will be set on and slid over to the opening for removal. The large hammer that struck the bell and its cross beam are already down and I was informed that they hope to get the bell ready for removal next week. As stated, it must be supported by beams placed under it that rest upon the brick walls of the structure. It was supported from a large interior framework of beams that it hung down from but the crane can not reach into and above it, and therefore it needs taken loose and put close to an opening for removal. When it is on ground level, we will house it somewhere safely until the construction efforts are complete and then make accommodations for public display. I certainly hope when it is down that everyone can take a close look at it. The hammer and its support beam are currently in the Administration Center in the commissioners' office. The hammer has a "40" cast in it; I presume that is the weight of it.
I was asked this past week who all is going to be working on the courthouse project and that I need to outline all the different companies and will do so. The general contractor is Lawhon Construction based in Saint Joseph. There are nine subcontractors to date that will be working on the job. The immense scaffolding was installed by Harsco-Pattent from Kansas City. D&D Sealants will be doing all necessary tuckpointing and caulking. Midland Steel will construct the I-beam support system that will be integrated into the brick structure of the tower that will hold the pre-fabricated cupola manufactured by Campbellsville. Crane work will be provided by Midwest Crane Service that will remove the bell and install Campbellsville's cupola. Hausman Metal Works, also in Saint Joseph, will perform all necessary roofing, any slate repair, and the complicated sheetmetal replacement which will be painted by G.A. Thompson Painting. Two local companies, Coenen Electric and Preferred Lightning Protection will also provide services for this project.
Coenen will install necessary wiring for the clock mechanism and lighting of the tower and Preferred will provide the lightning protection for it.
This is an immense project that should make the tower weatherproof and stable for many years to come. This project and many others are keeping all of us very busy but we always have time for any questions, comments, or concerns so do not hesitate in calling or coming by.
Commissioner Bob Westfall is also home and doing well following his "visit" to the hospital.
–Joe Baumli is the presiding county commissioner of Nodaway County and provides a weekly column for the Maryville Daily Forum
