MISSOURI FIRST LADY WILL TOUR SCHOOL IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

By Tamara Zellars Buck

Missouri First Lady Jean Carnahan will make a stop at Jefferson Elementary School Oct. 26 as part of a week-long tour of Southeast Missouri schools and libraries.

Carnahan, who has written two books about life in the governor's mansion during husband Gov. Mel Carnahan's terms in office, is touring communities throughout the state to promote literacy and her love of reading. During planned visits to 12 schools and six libraries, she will read with students, answer questions about her life, and donate copies of her books to each library she visits.

"She wants to help people realize the libraries are there for a purpose," said spokesperson Paula Earls. "Also, she wants to make sure people in that area know they are important in our state. Many times people in our area get to see political figures, but that's not true of the outstate areas."

Carnahan selected schools in Cape Girardeau, Scott City, Charleston, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Caruthersville among others based on a list of recommendations from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The schools were selected because they "promote positive attitudes," Earls said.

Education department spokesman Jim Morris said the list included school districts that had benefited in some way from the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993.

In addition to promoting literacy, Carnahan will use the time in this region to promote her husband, a Democrat, who is locked in a tight race U.S. Senator's race against incumbent Republican John Ashcroft. Jean Carnahan plans to attend several lunch and dinner campaign events, but she will not speak about the campaign during her visits to the schools.

"It's more of a First Lady visit than a campaign visit," Earls said.

Jefferson Elementary School Principal Mark Cook said he was unaware of the details of Carnahan's visit, but he welcomed the opportunity to show off his school's Missouri history classes and educational program. He said he was more concerned about the length of the visit than the reason's behind it.

"Usually if the governor's office says they're coming I don't question why," said Cook.