Almost 30 years living with it...
Heart transplant leaves man thankful
by T.L. Huffman He was diagnosed with Ischemic Cardiomyopa“It’s one of those things you come to live with,” thy. His heart was damaged, the weakened mussays Donald Baker. Donald was struck by advanced cles couldn’t pump blood. Over the next few weeks, his team of doctors heart failure in his youth. “We’re all going to die one of these days. I’d been saved so I didn’t think tried balloon surgery and pacemakers. Nothing too much about it. I got on with life and thanked the helped and he was running out of time. Doctors told Patty that they were fighting good Lord for another day.” just to keep him alive. After receiving a heart transFinally, he was told his only plant in June of 1990, Donald has hope was a heart transplant. enjoyed the gift of “another day” “At the time, it was terrifying for 29 and a half years. The record for the family,” Donald says. for surviving a heart transplant is But he was in good hands. The 33 years; so he’s close. He says Scientific Registry of Transplant he’s been born three times: once Recipients placed Saint Luke’s as in the womb, once in Christ, and the top heart transplant program once when he got his new heart. in the country for patient survival, “Donald has been amazing,” given the experience, short wait says his wife Patty. “When one times, and excellent post-transthing hits him he just keeps fightplant survival. ing. He is a good Christian man Of course, those accolades that believes God always answers came in 2018, after the hospital prayers. Not always the answer had performed 800 heart transwe want but He always has a plan plants. Back in 1990, Donald was for us.” just their 48th heart transplant. Up until the day his health He set numerous records that failed dramatically, Donald had will probably never be broken never really even been sick. Donald Baker during his wait for the transplant. In April of 1990, he was an active father of three (Chris, Doug and Kerri), and He had 200 code blues in 48 hours right before the only 40 years old. He’d been mushroom hunting, surgery. His heart stopped so many times, doctors playing basketball with a son, and enjoying indoor left a defibrillator attached to his chest. Lingering near death, Donald had time to retime spent with his wife and daughter. He was at his job at the prison in Cameron as flect on his life and wonder about what had made a guard, when seemingly out of the blue, he felt him so sick. Donald was born and raised around Trenton. He faint, blacked out, and had a heart attack. An inmate started CPR; another guard assisted. He grew up on a farm near Spickard. He was the only was rushed to Cameron Hospital and then to Saint one of his five siblings born in a hospital. He went (continued on page 3) Luke’s on the Plaza in Kansas City.
Missouri Quilt Museum starts Phase 2 construction Work has started on the phase two renovations of the Missouri Quilt Museum. The museum is located in the 100-year-old former Hamilton High School. Phase two renovations will include the building’s gymnasium and lower level. Spokesperson for the museum, Dakota Redford, said the renovations will include a second quilt gallery, four new exhibits, and several hands-on classrooms. Redford also announced a special permanent display for the second gallery. “We are extremely excited to
announce that the Missouri Quilt Museum has partnered with the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY, and will host a permanent gallery for the National Quilt Museum.” The National Quilt Museum has one of the best and most comprehensive quilt collections in the world, Redford added. Missouri Quilt Museum will be hosting a revolving exhibit of their quilts. The National Quilt Museum Gallery will be located in the gymnasium section of the building. The collection will be rotated
quarterly. Redford noted: “We will have a fresh exhibit from the National Quilt Museum every three months. And with our other galleries, there will be something new every month at the museum.” Planned exhibits for phase two include Elias Howe’s Workshop, a Native American exhibit, an underground railroad quilt exhibit and a flour sack exhibit. “The Missouri Quilt Museum is not a traditional quilt museum,” Redford said. “In addition (continued on page 3)
Santa on the Gallatin square is a sure sign of Christmas. More scenes from the Christmas Around the Square festival appear on page 19
Impact statement released by the USDA on Little Otter Creek Watershed project USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Missouri released a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement recently for the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan. The plan involves construction of a proposed multipurpose reservoir in Caldwell County. The supplement addresses changes since NRCS prepared the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan and Environmental Impact Statement in 2003. The document updates the original Environmental Impact Statement by providing more recent relevant environmental information and expanded alternatives. The supplement analyzes a range of reasonable and practicable alternatives and their expected environmental impacts. The Little Otter Creek Reservoir near Hamilton is designed to provide 1.24 million gallons of water per day to nearly 10,000 people in Caldwell County. The reservoir will also provide flood damage reduction and water-based recreation opportunities. When complete, the reservoir will have a permanent pool of 344 acres. “This is a major project for our staff that we’ve been working hard to complete with the help of our state and local partners,” said J.R. Flores, State Conservationist for NRCS in Missouri. “The release of the updated environmental impact statement gets us one step closer to completion.” Public comments on the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will be received by NRCS through Dec. 26, 2019. Submit comments to Chris Hamilton, Assistant State Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Parkade Center Suite 250, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Columbia, Missouri 65203-2585, or to Chris.Hamilton@usda.gov. The final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement as well as the 2003 Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan and Environmental Impact Statement are available for viewing at http://tiny. cc/1fd33y.
City accepts bid for power plant roof, hears 2020 budget
Milbourn, a roofing contractor located in Independence, provided a new bid for the roof replacement on Gallatin’s electric power plant, but the amount of the bid didn’t change from last year at $108,928. The Board of Aldermen was still interested in fixing the roof and accepted the bid. The 2020 budget was taken up during the special meeting of the Gallatin Board of Aldermen held Oct. 18.
Electric Department The electric department budget was heavily reviewed and discussed. The board decided to move the blue bucket truck repairs out of the 2020 budget for repairs as soon as possible in 2019. The board would like the roof to be repaired in 2019, but if it isn’t completed it will be included in 2020. The board agreed to budget for a vacuum trailer and expense $3,250 of the cost in the electric department along with $10,000 expense for other purchases/rentals in capital equipment line item.
The capital improvement was budgeted at $148,928 if the roof gets repaired in 2020. The roof is bid at $108,928, engineering the 2400 system at $30,000, and LED lights and new electric meters at $10,000.
Water Department The board decided to budget capital equipment in the water department for a vacuum trailer at $6,500 and a lawn mower at $2,500 in the capital equipment budget line item. New water meters were budgeted at $20,000 using capital improvement tax money. The skid loader budget was increased for new tracks. Sewer Department The sewer department budget was reviewed. The 2020 equipment purchases include a vacuum trailer at $1,625 and a new lawn mower at $1,875 in the capital equipment line items. Engineering costs for the wastewater plant were budgeted at $65,000 for 2020. Discussion was held on selecting an
engineer for the repair and rehabilitation of the wastewater plant during the Nov. 12 meeting of the aldermen. AllState Consultants was selected for the engineering project. Benton and Associates and Great River Engineering were also interviewed. In other business at the Nov. 12 meeting Jeff Arp with Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (MIRMA) presented a plaque to the City of Gallatin for the grant program participation. The city was awarded $15,065.25 in total grants for 2019, and received a check for $6,388.99 for the grant items that have been purchased so far. The items that have been purchased include: sidewalk milling machine, automated external defibrillator, escape breathing apparatus, hydraulic saw and adaptor, and four fall harnesses. Gallatin Police Department reported no major issues on Halloween night. Even though it was cold the police department saw a large number of children out. Offi-
cers gave out candy bars from the patrol cars which was a hit with the kids. The department also saw a lot of the glow sticks they gave out being used by the kids. Several code violations received summons during the past two weeks. A total of nine summonses were issued for various violations. Public Works Director Mark Morey reported that the city recently hosted a water training class for operators to earn credit hours toward their certification renewal. There were nine others present for the class. Chris Plant started his water class in Cameron. Chris has a class D certification and is trying to obtain his class C certification. His test will be Dec. 18. A contractor had gotten in touch with the city, inquiring about replacing the power plant roof. Unfortunately, the contractor didn’t have the necessary insurance requirements to be approved for the (continued on page 3) project.
Gallatin boys, Trenton girls draw #1 seeds in the 43rd Annual Gallatin Invitational Basketball Tournament.
See pages 10-11