CO-WORKERS PRACTICE KINDNESS AT CITY HALL

Last week, Carolyn Barks in Cape Girardeau City's planning department has treated her co-workers to homemade treats every day. Barks hopes to say thank you for nine weeks of kindness she received this spring.

Barks is recuperating from a serious broken leg. People in her office volunteered assistance every day for the entire nine weeks. "You know, I never would have asked for help," Barks said.

But every morning, she drove up near the city hall doors. Someone came out to valet park her car.

"Some days, when it rained, they got soaked," Barks said.

Two spotters walked up the stairs with her to make sure she didn't slip.

"The guys got a lot of teasing for carrying my big, heavy purse up the stairs," Barks said.

But Ken Eftink, Kent Bratton, Bill Vaughn and Steve Williams took the teasing in stride. "We just don't know how to accessorize," Williams said.

Someone always made sure Barks had something to eat for lunch. "They made sure I wouldn't starve to death," she said.

As part of her job, Barks is supposed to carry the mail downstairs at 4 p.m. For nine weeks, she was surprised to find someone headed downstairs for some task at 4 p.m. who also offered to take the mail.

Mary Helbock and Teresa Webb and the others in the office shrugged off Barks' praise, saying that's what friends do for each other.

"We were just happy she made it to work," said Eftink.

But Barks knows better. "They are a wonderful bunch to work with," she said.