ASSISTANT REGISTRAR AT SEMO FILES FOR BOARD

Marty Clay, assistant registrar at Southeast Missouri State University, has joined the list of contenders for a seat on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education.

Clay joins Gary L. McIntyre, Andrew Ostrowski and the Rev. William Bird in a contest for one of three, three-year terms up for election April 6.

Clay said he deliberated some six months before deciding to seek a position on the board. There are pros and cons to any political office, he said, but in this case he saw an opportunity to make a positive difference in the school district.

"I'm concerned that we need to treat the whole system," he said. "You've got to create an environment where the teachers and the advisers feel comfortable and able to do their jobs better."

Clay, a retired Army officer, moved to Cape Girardeau in 1996. He and his wife, Evelyn, have two children who attend Alma Schrader Elementary School.