Ice storm help, praise

Today is the last day to sign up for assistance from the Southern Baptist Chainsaw Ministry. A total of four out-of-town teams, from Northeast Missouri, Jefferson County and Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Iowa, are helping cut up trees and limbs and get it to the curbside.

The Rev. John Rhodes, New Bethel Baptist Church's pastor, said more than 150 have applied for the free aid.

Brenda Reker was among volunteers taking calls Sunday at the Cape Girardeau County Administration building. Apply for help -- or to drag debris to the curb, if you are physically fit -- from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the administration building, 1 Barton Square, Jackson; or call 204-2599. Enter from the High Street door.

Other cleanup tips:

City of Cape Girardeau, 334-9151: Public Works will pick up an unlimited number of bags this week. The city's transfer station at 2500 S. Sprigg St. will accept spoiled food and meat free of charge. Hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until further notice.

Jackson, 243-2300: The recycling center, 508 Eastview Court, is accepting storm debris during normal business hours, from residents only.

Chaffee, 887-3558: Crews will go street-by-street to chip limbs and trees. No extra charge for bulky pickups on regular trash days.

Scott City, 264-2157: Bundle broken limbs in 4-foot lengths and put at curbside or streetside sometime in the next two weeks.

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Six Missouri cities sent help to Jackson, where an estimated 6,300 of its 6,500 electric customers lost power. Mayor Barbara Lohr said Jackson has mutual aid agreements with the cities of Hannibal, Herman, Poplar Bluff, Columbia, Lebanon and Kirkwood.

"Of course they do get paid. They work 16- to 20-hour days," she said. The city's cost for storm-related repairs: An estimated $1 million. Expect some discussion on this when the Jackson Board of Aldermen meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, 101 Court St.

Lohr said Jackson's disaster management plan worked well, though record-keeping could use some tweaking.

Don Schuette, director of electric utilities, worked with electric operations manager Chuck Reed, who relayed information from the city's power plant to field crews. Janet Sanders and Sharon Raines took calls at the plant. Lohr said the cemetery crew pitched in to clear sidewalks.

"We really appreciate our citizens, who, for the most part, were very cooperative and understanding," she said.

Now, Lohr said, comes the task for getting rid of debris.

"It's not something that can be done in a day or two. Our regular business has to be done," Lohr said. "But I just can't say enough about how wonderful our city crews did."

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Tim Gramling, public works director for the city of Cape Girardeau, got walloped with a cold as the storm system was leaving town.

He drove around the city Friday anyway, assessing ice and tree damage.

"We're trying to decide if we're going to hire contractors," he said.

He said at the storm's peak, his department was "stretched about as thin as we could be stretched" in trying to plow and salt streets, clean limbs from roadways and keep storm sewers clear.

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In the village of Perkins, firefighter Will Yates remains impressed at the way "everybody in a small community can pull together like they did."

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Joel Evans, director of Scott County Emergency Operations, estimates at least a weeks' worth of cleanup remains. His "very tentative estimate" of the storm's costs to Scott County: $100,000.

Questions, suggestions or tips for Lost on Main Street? E-mail pmcnichol@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 127