'Bake sale' will attract ex-Cape man in Colorado

TRINIDAD, COLO. - Mike Bertrand grew up in Cape Girardeau, "Rush Limbaugh's hometown, and he's proud of it.

So proud of it, in fact, that he and his wife, Kim, plan to drive 240 miles from their Trinidad home to Fort Collins, Colo., to attend "Dan's Bake Sale" Saturday.

But it isn't just any bake sale; this one originated in a conversation between Limbaugh and a caller to his conservative radio talk show. The show reaches a national audience.

Limbaugh has touted the "bake sale" on his show and is planning to attend the event, which was suggested as a fund-raising scheme for a Limbaugh fan to pay for a subscription to the Limbaugh newsletter.

Thanks to Limbaugh's show, the event has received widespread publicity. Brennan's, a New Orleans' French Quarter restaurant, plans to offer some of its famous food at the "bake sale."

A die-hard Limbaugh fan, the 33-year-old Bertrand said he plans to promote Cape Girardeau by distributing Rush Limbaugh postcards, fans, and informational fliers provided by the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). He's also hoping to hand out some other Limbaugh memorabilia.

"I thought it would be kind of neat since I grew up there and everything," said Bertrand, whose parents still live in Cape Girardeau.

Lyn Muzzy, CVB director, said the Limbaugh items are used in out-of-town promotions of Cape Girardeau and are not being distributed locally.

"I'm not promoting Rush Limbaugh," said Muzzy. "I am in the job of promoting Cape Girardeau and I do use Rush as a promotional part of it."

Bertrand graduated from Cape Central High School in 1978. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Kansas with an architectural degree.

He spent eight years in architectural practice in Albuquerque, N.M., before taking a job as city planner of Trinidad about a year ago. The city in southern Colorado, near the New Mexico border, has a population of about 8,500.

Bertrand enjoys talking of Limbaugh's high-voltage, conservative rhetoric. He likes preaching to the enemy.

"This area right here is a heavily Democratic area, so it is kind of fun," said Bertrand, who lives on a 75-acre ranch that's home to roaming elk, wild turkey and deer.

"You get around Boulder and they get real New Age and flaky. They are all environmental whackos," he said.

Bertrand said he enjoys listening to Limbaugh on the radio. "He's fun. Rush knows how to have a good time and that's what I enjoy about him."

He said he's looking forward to the bake sale and hopes to meet Limbaugh. "This is a good opportunity to go out and have fun."