BARBARA BUSH MAY VISIT FAIR ON WEDNESDAY

Preliminary plans are being made for First Lady Barbara Bush to attend the Southeast Missouri District Fair Wednesday.

Cape Girardeau Police Chief Howard Boyd said Thursday he had been alerted by the Secret Service on Tuesday that Barbara Bush might visit the fair.

Lloyd Smith, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, said they were first contacted about three weeks ago concerning her visit, but stressed nothing has been confirmed.

"Hopefully we will get some confirmation by Friday, and if not, sometime Saturday," said Smith.

"We are very excited about having the First Lady of the United States visiting our congressional district, but we do not have firm confirmation that she will be here," added Smith. "We have been contacted in the last 48 hours about what might be accomplished but don't have any confirmation that our ideas have been accepted and others rejected."

Boyd said the Secret Service has told him "there is a good possibility she will be in town."

The police chief said that the department would work closely with the Secret Service, but "there really is not much more we can do until an itinerary is set."

He added that preparations for a visit by Barbara Bush are not quite as involved as it would be if the president or vice president were coming in.

Tentative plans are for Barbara Bush to fly into the Cape Girardeau airport around 2 p.m. Wednesday and arrive at the fair around 2:30. She would depart at about 4 p.m. in order to attend a fundraising reception in Ladue.

Police Capt. Steve Strong stressed that things are very tentative and subject to change. "A visit is usually not locked in until the Secret Service comes down to talk with us face to face, and they have not done that," he said.

Strong said he did not know where Barbara Bush would go on the fairgrounds.

Most members of the Bush-Quayle campaign staff are on the other side of the state this week, getting ready for today's campaign swing by President Bush to Joplin, Kansas City and Excelsior Springs.

Smith said it is possible that Emerson will return to the district to accompany the First Lady, but that would depend on the schedule of the House of Representatives.

In the 1988 campaign, Barbara Bush came to Sikeston and toured a Head Start center there.