WAR OF YARD SIGNS ON GAMBLING ISSUE HEATS UP

At least in one sense, opponents of riverboat gaming in Cape Girardeau are waging a losing venture in campaign yard signs.

Melvin Gateley, a city councilman and member of Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling, estimated that 275-300 of the 350 yard signs the group printed have disappeared.

Proponents of riverboat gambling give similar reports, although not on the same scale, in what's become the Cape Girardeau sign war leading up to a June 8 city election on riverboat gambling.

"We have very few yard signs left on the major streets where we put them," Gateley said. "The only reason we have any left is because they're in the more secluded subdivisions."

One resident of Cape Rock Drive, frustrated at the apparent repeated theft of his anti-riverboat gambling signs, has resorted to printing his own sign, which simply reads, "NO."

Gateley said the group opposing the ballot measure has spent about $800 on the signs.

"All of us have our own values and character, and a person just has to wonder why this would be taking place at this time," he said.

Gateley said sign-stealing is indicative of the concerns expressed by Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling regarding "increased crime" as the thieves vandalize property and trespass.

"This is what we're really concerned about, the changing character of our city," he said.

Evelyn Boardman, who has been hired by The Boyd Group, a Las Vegas-based gaming company that's proposed placing a riverboat here should voters approve the measure, said she's also dismayed at the theft of yard signs.

"We've had quite a few stolen, but I don't know the numbers," Boardman said. "I can't imagine why people on either side of the issue would steal signs.

"I keep hearing that people are taking them for souvenirs."

Boardman said proponents of riverboat gambling have printed about 500 signs and are printing more.

Capt. Steve Strong of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said police are aware of the problem and have been asked to "become more observant."

Strong said officers recovered three stolen signs Saturday night after a vehicle was pulled over in Cape Girardeau.

Three teen-agers in the car told police they were involved in a competition with other youths to steal "vote no" signs, he said.

"Two officers talked to a total of about 10 kids ... basically two carloads of kids were stopped," Strong said. "At this time, none of them have been charged.

"They were warned, and we are waiting to see if an actual complaint will be pursued."

Strong said anyone stealing the yard signs could face misdemeanor theft, trespassing or property damage charges.

He said yard-sign stealing is nothing new.

"This is a periodic thing," Strong said. "Naturally, you have to have the signs available to steal ... but it's not unusual for us to have rashes of sign thefts.

"Periodically, we accumulate large numbers of `For Sale' signs, and we've had cases of yard sale signs being stolen."