Veterans Home newspaper typo results in calls, e-mails

Ken Lipps thought the fall edition of the Veterans Home News distributed on Friday was just another successful effort to promote the Cape Girardeau home for elderly veterans.

And then he checked his voice mail Saturday.

Instead of describing residents setting up the "Avenue of Flags" outside the Missouri Veterans Home, a caller informed Lipps, a front-page photo caption mentioned the "Avenue of Rags."

And then Lipps, the home's volunteer services and public relations coordinator and fund raiser, realized just how many people read his newspaper. By mid-afternoon Saturday, he had 16 voice mails and 11 e-mails on the subject, and the majority of readers hadn't seen their copies yet.

"You talk about Murphy's Law," he said. "Of all the times for this to happen, after the terrorist attacks."

About 3,500 copies of the 12-page, quarterly tabloid are hand-delivered or mailed to 200 veterans and civic organizations across Southeast Missouri and to home employees, residents and their families and other individuals.

The copy is scanned in on a computer, which read "Fl" as "R" in this case. Lipps said he caught the error in 10 other places when he proofread the pages.

The Avenue of Flags was presented to the Missouri Veterans Home by Sen. Christopher Bond and the late U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, both Missouri Republicans.

Lipps said he expects more calls from readers once everyone receives the paper.

"All e-mails and voice mails have been understanding, so far," he said.