FATE OF FERRY IS UNCERTAIN; MISSOURI, TENNESSEE WITHHOLD PAYMENTS

HICKMAN, Ky. A plan to save the historic, 150-year-old Hickman, Ky.Dorena, Mo. ferry might be scuttled unless Missouri and Tennessee agree to help a new operating authority pay for the cost to purchase the ferry.

Officials say that unless the states help pay their share of the cost for the Mississippi River ferry, it could be shut down to the public by the end of September.

"It's very discouraging," said Hugh Lattus, who owns and operates the ferry with his family. "It's costing too much money for me to continue to operate it."

The Lattus family operates the ferry for the public and for his farming operations in western Kentucky and Southeast Missouri.

Lattus said the ferry has cost $100,000 to operate over the past 10 years. He has subsidized the ferry service with his farming income, but the past several years have not brought bumper crops, so there is little money left to spend on the ferry operation.

Lattus wanted to close the ferry in April, but was persuaded by a group that formed the Tri-State Ferry Authority to continue to operate it until the end of the year. The group consists of organizations and individuals from Southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee.

Their plan called for the governors of the three states to commit $20,000 from each state to the authority as a down payment to purchase the ferry service from Lattus. The authority would pay the remaining $140,000 balance in payments to Lattus after it took over the ferry in 1992.

Kentucky sent its letter of commitment to the authority after some delay, but Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft and Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter refused to commit their shares, citing tight financial budgets in their states.

But Mississippi County Presiding Commissioner Fred DeField of Charleston, who is a member of the Tri-State Ferry Authority and a former state representative, said Missouri's share of the money is available.

He said the Ashcroft administration lacks only the commitment to help the people of Southeast Missouri.

"If they (Missouri and Tennessee) really want to do it, they could do it," DeField said Wednesday. "I was in Jefferson City for 12 years. I know the ropes. The governor has an emergency fund of over $7 million he could draw from."

Defield said the authority asked State Rep. Ollie Amick of Scott City, Sen. John Dennis of Benton, and State Rep. Gene Copeland of New Madrid to try to persuade the governor to make the $20,000 commitment to the authority, but they apparently had little success.

In reply to a letter sent by Amick to the governor last month, Ashcroft wrote: "While I support the efforts to preserve the Hickman-Dorena ferry, I know of no source for the $20,000 that Missouri would need to contribute.

"With many worthwhile programs cut back or `on hold,' it would be very difficult to locate a source for $20,000 to subsidize the Hickman-Dorena ferry right now. If there is sufficient support for this issue, then the General Assembly may want to appropriate money specifically for this purpose in its next session."

After reading Ashcroft's reply to Amick, Claudean Cochrum, executive director of the Hickman Chamber of Commerce, said: "I feel it's a carbon copy of a stamped reply to anyone who asks for money.

"Somebody has not reached the governor with an emotional plea that, `Hey, do you understand what we are trying to do here, and what this ferry means to the people of Southeast Missouri?'"

DeField and Lattus said that with proper promotion and publicity, the ferry service would pay for itself many times over. "If I had the money, I'd buy it myself, but it's just too much for any one individual," DeField said.

Lattus, DeField and Cochrum, say closure of the ferry would hurt the local economies and the three-state area's tourism industry.

"The Reelfoot Lake recreational area is only 18-20 miles away from Hickman, and they're opening up a new visitor's center at Big Oak State Park over near New Madrid," Lattus said.

With all the recent publicity about the ferry, the formation of the ferry authority, and the possibility of the closing of the ferry service, Lattus and DeField said tourists have been flocking to both sides of the Mississippi River this summer for an opportunity to ride the ferry.

"The ferry's tourist business this summer has been great," said Lattus. "If it weren't for all the overhead expenses, we'd be all right."

Meanwhile, support for the ferry continues to pour in from throughout the United States.

"I've received phone calls and letters from people all over the country asking that the ferry not be shut down," said Cochrum. "They tell us, `Do whatever you have to, but save the ferry service.'"

But Cochrum and Lattus said they have not seen that kind of strong support for the ferry service from local residents in the three-state area.

"If the people in Missouri and Tennessee really want to save the ferry, they should sit down and write their representatives, senators and governors asking why they cannot find $20,000 to preserve the ferry," said Lattus.

Cochrum said with proper promotion and publicity, the Hickman ferry could generate even more tourist business on both sides of the river.

"Commitment is the key word here," she remarked. "We are not seeing a commitment on the part of Missouri and Tennessee to help the people of Southeast Missouri and west Tennessee."

Besides playing an important role in the area tourist industry, the Hickman ferry also serves as a economical bridge across the river for those who work in Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The ferry is the only way to cross the river for more than 100 miles between the bridges at Cairo, Ill., and Caruthersville.

Despite the setback caused by the lack of funding from Missouri and Tennessee, Cochrum said the Tri-County Ferry Authority is far from throwing in the towel. "We'll keep on trying to find a solution, but the problem is we're running out of time," she said.

Cochrum said the authority is working with its attorney to achieve a non-profit status that would make it easier for the authority to receive grants and donations. It would also enable the authority to sell memberships to help raise money to purchase the ferry from Lattus.

But she said it will be several months before the authority can get its non-profit designation. "Until then, our hands are tied," Cochrum added.

The Hickman ferry is currently operating seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.