The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 16

IOWAM Page 6B Monday, July 31, 2000 The Des Moines Register ST Get the Most Out of Life FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS AARP offers help on health-care plans More than 700,000 elderly Americans are learning that their HMO plans no longer are covered under Medicare. A new AARP publication, "What to do if Your Medicare Managed Care Plan Leaves," covers the basics in terms of what options are available and how to decide which option is best. For a free copy of the publication, call AARP toll-free at (877) 276-5950 or go to www.aarp.org and under Feature Finder select Health and Wellness. Pamphlets tell how to fight bacteria Frightening news accounts DOUG WELLSTHE REGISTER Treat your feet right: Natural Health magazine recommends scrubbing your feet and replacing your shoes for max! mum foot comfort. Powder your active feet to I xfi rv vdh keep them from smelling.

Consider a reflexology foot massage. Replace your shoes. If you don't, your feet, legs and back can be compromised. Go barefoot at home or on the beach, the most convenient way to massage your feet. Sand naturally exfoliates dead skin, and walking barefoot strengths foot muscles.

Give your feet a break and wear flat shoes when possible. When doctor's busy, others may help you What should you do if you're not feeling well and your doctor's unavailable? Often a nurse practitioner (N.P.) or a physician's assistant (PA.) is available to see you, and sometimes that's just the right medicine, says Leslie Ramirez, M.D., in Shape magazine's August issue. HARRY BAUMERTTHE REGISTER Gym-Sized: Maintenance supervisor Teri Domer stands next to part of Old Joe, the antiquated air-cooling system at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids. The system is believed to have been installed in 1929. about bacteria that are resistant to drug treatments are becoming more common.

Public health officials say it will take a concerted effort from physicians and the public to beat the threat. The National Consumers League has put together two free pamphlets to explain the problem and how to fight it. The first guide, "Bacterial Resistance," explains how these "superbugs" develop, while the second one, "Beating Bacteria," offers tips on how to keep them away. The pamphlets are available from the National Consumers League at 1701 Street N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, D.C. 20006, or by calling (202) 835-3323.

They are also online at www.nclnet.org Follow these steps to keep your feet fit Since your feet will carry you more than 115,000 miles, it pays to treat them right. Natural Health magazine offers these tips for maximum comfort. Scrub your feet, ankles and lower legs for three to five minutes a night to revive sore and tired feet. Buy well-fitting socks. Loose socks can cause blisters and tight socks can cause ingrown toenails.

IcEflBfijf 4 raw i N.P.'s and are alternatives when you're suffering from a minor illness, and they often are able to spend more time with you. Their services usually are covered by insurance. For information and referrals contact the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners at (512) 442-4262 or www.aanp.org, or the American Academy of Physicians Assistants at (703) 836-2272 or www.aapa.org Calendar plays Oklahoma at 7:05 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and at 1:35 p.m Sunday. $9 (club box) and $7 (field Because Old Joe predates Freon, it runs on carbon dioxide.

Koolbeck said the system has to be turned on 24 to 48 hours before a show to cool the building. When Old Joe is turned on, she said, it needs to be watched around the clock because it chugs oil like a soccer team does Gatorade. 'We don't leave him alone once he's turned on," she said. From the basement, Old Joe sounds like a jet plane about to take off, Koolbeck said. Even upstairs in the theater, she said, you can hear the not-so-rhythmic beat of Old Joe's engine.

Those with seats on the right side of the theater can even feel the vibrations through their chairs. Koolbeck said Old Joe was the first air-cooling system put in west of the Mississippi and is the only one of its kind still operating in the United States. Although it was ahead of its time when installed, lacks many of the amenities taken for granted in air conditioning today like a thermostat. "We monitor the Lebeda, owner of Lebeda Engineering in Cedar Rapids. Every night after work for a week, Lebeda worked making springs for Old Joe.

When Old Joe blew a seal as well, Lebeda spent another week making some new copper seals. Old Joe is up and running again now, but theater managers are keeping their fingers crossed. They would like to install a new system, but they know such a project will be very expensive. Koolbeck said the city recently allocated $2 million for infrastructure repairs at the Paramount and the theater is looking into other funding options to pay for the rest of the $5.5 million project. Continuing to run Old Joe isn't exactly a cheap option either.

"If you rent the Paramount Theatre and want air conditioning, it costs an extra $250," Koolbeck said. Reporter Mary Challender can be reached at (515) 284-8470 or challendermnews.dmreg.com Old Joe is the air-cooling system at Cedar Rapids' Paramount Theatre. By MARY CHALLENDER REGISTER STAFF WHITER Few theaters name their air conditioners. Then again, there aren't many air conditioners like Old Joe, the antiquated air-cooling system at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids. 'We believe it was put in the building used in 1929," said Tammy Koolbeck, director of marketing for the city-owned theater.

YouVe heard, no doubt, of room-sized air conditioners. Old Joe is closer to gynnsized. Koolbeck estimates that if Old Joe's compressor, condenser and evaporator were all in one unit, they'd measure about 30 feet by 100 feet. Its cooling power is less impressive, Koolbeck said. "If we can get it to 78 degrees when it's 90 degrees outside, we're happy," she said.

temperature in the building by carrying around a thermometer," Koolbeck said. That Old Joe is still running today is largely due to the efforts of the Melsha family, owners of Banjo Equipment do. in Cedar Rapids. Robert and Wencel Melsha helped install the air-cooling system. Now Robert's son Tunnie and Tun-nie's two sons are the ones the theater calls when something goes wrong.

Because parts for the air-cooling system are so hard to find, the theater lives in fear of a breakdown. Just after the production of "Showboat" in April, a spring broke, Koolbeck said. It wasn't your basic 50-cent Ace Hardware part. The springs on Old Joe are flat-wound like a Slinky. Companies stopped producing them decades ago because they are so hard to make.

Banjo's Chicago parts supplier told them it would be a six-to-eight week wait at the least. The theater was saved from a sweaty summer by Francis box). Reserved grandstand seats: $7 adults, $5 children age 13 and younger. General admission seats: $5 adults, $3 children age 13 and younger. 243-6111.

a.m. Showmotion Outreach Program's "Pictures in the Park" with photoghapher Yvonne Alsip, Cattell Elementary School, 3101 E. 12th St. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. "A Brush with Breakfast," featuring work from a group of artists who met mornings and produced work together, Polk County Heritage Gallery, Polk County Office Building, First and Walnut streets p.m.

Showmotion Outreach Program's "Tracks Through the Prairie," railroad songs with Frank Strong, Cattell Elementary School, 3101 E. 12th St. 6 p.m. Jazz in July featuring Doliho with Ro Bezz and Sarah, Linnan Park, 8500 Alice Clive. Free admission.

What: Dance Lessons Where: Urbandale When: Tuesday Three-week salsa or cowboy cha-cha classes and a five-week beginning two-step class. Tuition varies. Dance notes provided. 278-2816 (Carol Trimble). House Calls What: Transportation Celebration Where: St.

Louis When: Saturday-Sunday. Family entertainment, music, rides, streetcar and double deck bus rides, car displays, exhibits and more at the Answers to your medical questions from physicians with the Polk County Medical Society. What: Iowa Cubs Where: Sec Taylor Stadium, 350 S.W. First St. When: Thursday-Saturday Des Moines' AAA baseball team Heat stroke and related illnesses explained Museum of Transportation.

Call (314) 965-7998. QWhat are the signs of possi- ble heat stroke? What can be Today's Horoscope Joyce Jillson done when you suspect heat stroke? Concerned central Iowa woman intense, prolonged exercise. These may be a precursor to heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is a serious heat injury. Body temperature is often elevated; there is some dehydration, and electrolyte abnormalities.

Symptoms would include profound weakness, fatigue, light headedness, nausea, vomiting, headache and muscle aches. Heat exhaustion requires immediate treatment. The most severe heat illness is heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. The body loses ability to control temperature, heating to between 105 and 108 degrees. There is progressive brain impairment, including confusion, disorientation, agitation, hysterical behavior, delirium, seizures and eventually coma.

Treatment for heat stroke includes immediate external cooling and IV replacement of fluids. To prevent heat illness, avoid heavy workouts during hot and humid conditions when it would be difficult to cool the body. Gradually acclimatize the body to these higher temperatures and increased workout. Also, drink plenty of fluids during an activity. If you develop signs of a heat illness, stop the activity, have something to drink, sit in the shade with a cool breeze and spray water on yourself.

If you have experienced a heat illness in the past, you are more susceptible to experiencing one in the future and need to be extremely cautious of the heat. Robert A. Lee, M.D. A There are four exertional heat syndromes. The least severe is heat syncope, which is passing out because of dehydration.

Heat cramps are the next most severe, causing tightening and muscle spasm during or after Your Worth Lost Found jg LIBRA (Sept. 23-0ct. 23). It is difficult to lose self-consciousness, but once you do, you are completely effective. A change of scene doesn't necessarily require a change of partners.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Someone you admire returns your admiration. You are called upon to evaluate the progress of others.

Enjoy the satisfaction of work well done. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You are in charge.

Have confidence in your ability to master a challenging job. Try humor when logic fails. A sibling or longtime friend can introduce you to a new romantic prospect. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.

19). Finish artistic projects in the next three days; success is assured. Be cautious with investments friends have good intentions but bad information. Why second-guess a lover when you can come right out and ask? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.

18). Talk leads to money if you add your famous follow-through. Plan events now. A lover Is eager to please but needs some old-fashioned encouragement. PISCES (Feb.

19-March 20). A sweetheart will be flexible if you show that you, too, are willing to compromise. Take action immediately when a challenge is Issued on the job. CREATORS SYNDICATE ARIES (March 21 -April 19). You may need to take an intervening step in your love relationship to avert a crisis later.

You are growing to believe something that was unfathomable just last week. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Turn emotion into action. Attempts to connect on more intimate levels are successful when direct. Money comes through real estate.

Time out from daily hassles can give you a better perspective. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Clear communication problems now before things get totally out of hand. Keep promises, even if they are costly. Singles should hold off on romantic decisions.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Someone who has disappointed you in the past is eager to make amends. A sibling could introduce you to a very attractive Pisces. A compromise made reluctantly could turn out to be surprisingly beneficial. LEO (July 23-Aug.

22). Your reward for studying Is about to come in the form of a great new job or promotion. Afternoon events may take on an almost unreal quality. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22). Your willingness to share knowledge and skills will speed a project to completion. A seemingly frivolous person might surprise you. A Gemini or Scorpio will help you heal. What is up with people who call Can you help? to make appointments for a perm or hair color and book two hours or more out for it and don't bother to show up or call? Center, (319) 824429, has a round table top to fit on a card table.

Glen Hill of Lorimor, 763-2068, has "The Gang They Couldn't Catch." Robert Coleman of Des Moines, 265-1110, has an owners manual for a Bearcat 300. Lillian Jahr of Waverly, (319) 352-5296, has a GAF slide projector with vertically positioned rotary slide tray. Des Moines woman who thinks If rude Whose idea was it for the Sal The only really happy people are married women and single men. Des Moines single The lottery says that because gas prices have risen, lottery sales have fallen. That is not why people stop playing the lottery.

It is because nobody ever wins. 515 area woman Please get some lifeguards at Grays Lake. Concerned West Des Moines woman A 24-hour phone line for anonymous callers. Just leave a message on the recorder. Call (515) 284-8244.

vation Army to throw everything in and mix it all together in boxes so you have to dig for stuff? Bill Clark of Lake Mills is looking for a horn (6 volt) for a Model A Ford. Nate Niceswanger of Des Moines is looking for rock, jazz and other unusual records for any era. Diane Seibert of West Des Moines wants a 3-quart Magnalite sauce pan. Jeane Goszbach of Murray needs to find a stove top bake oven with thermostat in good, working condition. They can help Jeanne Plager of Grundy Des Moines woman Why are all the movies at 7 p.m.

and 9:30 p.m.? Why doesn't any theater have movies at 8 p.m. when Write to Lost Found, The Des Moines Register Newsroom, P.O. Box 957, Des Moines, 50304. Phone: 284-8498. Include name, address and phone number.

that is the time it is easier to go? Astrologer Joyce Jillson offers a personal forecast from Touch-Tone phone to callers 18 and older. Call 1-900-420-2787 (99 cents per minute; average calls last three minutes). Urbandale resident 1.