Speak Out 10/8/09

I would like to thank Mark Cook, principal at Jefferson Elementary School, for doing a great job. He has his hands full. I don't know what those parents would do if he wasn't so understanding.

CAPE Central Marching Band would like to thank Schnucks for the donation of bags for the fundraiser. Thank you for all you do.

WHAT is wrong with dog owners in Northfield subdivision? The constant barking is terrible. I have the day off and had hoped for a relaxing day. I have been listening to three dogs bark the last hour, and the owners will do nothing. This is ridiculous. It is terrible with the windows shut and unbearable with the windows open. Dog owners need to understand other people live in the neighborhood and do not want to listen to that noise.

I don't understand all the complaining about the proposed trash pickup changes in Cape Girardeau. I've lived in seven cities, and this is the only one I know of that still uses this type of pickup system. The large trash bins I've used in other cities were easy to wheel to the curb, easy to store and held a much larger amount of trash than I can fit into my two cans. It didn't matter how heavy they were, because the machine lifted them, and the machine set them back down on the road rather than throwing them wherever to roll down the street and have the lids blowing away. I'm sure there are circumstances where it will be difficult for residents to store the bins and get them to the curbside, but I doubt that it will be any more difficult for them than the two cans they are having to cope with.

TO suggest that unemployment compensation is a wasteful program is to indicate you have never lost your job because of no fault of your own. Were all the people from Thorngate responsible for the plant closing? When they lost their income, do you think they lived it up on unemployment?

WE have a nation where one out of 10 workers is jobless. And we've got a mess in Afghanistan we've got to face. Is this a winnable situation?

I love Cape Girardeau, but driving on the streets is like driving down steps. The streets are so rough, and city officials seem like they don't want to do anything about it. I went to Jackson, the streets there are like glass over there. It's amazing to me how Cape Girardeau doesn't want to improve the streets.

THERE are angels among us. A couple of weeks ago, there was a woman behind me as I was checking out at Walmart. I had left my credit card and debit card in my car. I was picking out the few items I could pay for. The woman behind me said she would pay. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was blessed that day, and I will pay it forward.