Sue Morrow: Even a purebred pup won't pay for heart bypass

A case of misspelled road signs in Sparks made it on local and national television recently, resulting in replacement of the offending signage.

The two signs cautioned drivers to "Yeild to bikes." According to a Reno newspaper, no one noticed the misspellings until they were featured on local TV and MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." The contractor "bought and installed the signs and didn't notice," the senior vice president of the construction company was quoted as saying.

The issue, which I saw on both local news and Olbermann's program, reminded me of an incident years ago in the capital city. I had received a telephone call at the Nevada Appeal about a goofy sign on the corner by a local funeral home. I went over to the Fourth and Carson streets location where I met with Capital City Mortuary owner Art Kvam.

Standing at the corner where a sign rose above him, Kvam laughed as he pointed to the wording. "One way - do not Etner."

Camera in hand, I shot a photo of Kvam and the sign, which was published in the Appeal. Soon thereafter the sign was removed and replaced.

I am a regular Olbermann viewer, and his constant jabs about U.S. Senate Republican hopeful Sue Lowden's so-called "chickens for checkups" proposal for docs to accept foul and livestock in exchange for services also struck a chord of nostalgia. When I was a kid we were living in a Kansas town of 500 souls with my physician grandfather and my grandmother while my dad was serving overseas in the Navy. It's fair to say that between my grandfather and his father, the two had delivered almost all of the tiny village's population.

My grandfather came into the house one day bearing the most adorable, irresistible English setter puppy given in lieu of cash for medical services. Granddad gave the pup to us kids, and we cherished him for years to come.

But realistically today's docs can't pay their personal bills, their staff and overhead, etc., with chickens, a goat or an adorable puppy, even if it is a purebred.

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True to her word, the student activities director at Carson High School saw to it that every senior who wished to attend their prom earlier this month but couldn't afford the $55 price tag for dinner and dancing got a ticket thanks to donations from the community.

Jennifer Tartan said about 480 students attended the event at the Hyatt Regency Resort at Incline Village, which she considered the "best prom ever" since she's been at CHS. "It was gorgeous ... very well executed," she said.

• Sue Morrow is a longtime journalist and member of the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. She may be reached to soozymorrow@yahoo.com.