FALL MEANS FAIR, & A NEW TRADITION: YELL FOR 'PAPERS

We're excited about Wednesday's planned Y.E.L.L. for Newspapers, on which we're cooperating with the Jackson Cash-Book Journal, Southwestern Bell, the Area United Way and so many volunteers. Special appreciation must be expressed to the following radio stations, as well:

K-103-KZIM; KGMO-KAPE; KTXI; and Y-105. All are doing some form of live remote broadcast Wednesday morning, and all are helping us out with public service announcements between now and then.

If you've not yet signed up as a volunteer seller and would like to take part, please call the United Way office at 334-9634. This promises to become a fun annual event for a fine cause. Among others, Southwestern Bell's Craig Felzien and Dennis Marchi of Schnucks have done yeoman work in getting this project off the ground.

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Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to longtime attorney, civic leader and bon vivant Lehman Finch (my former next-door neighbor), who lies gravely ill in Southeast Hospital. Lehman is one of Cape's great ones, and as his large family and many friends know so well, he's bounced back from adversity so often before. We're pulling for him to do so again.

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If it's the second week of September, this must be ... Fair Week. Like a reliable visit from an old friend, this year's event offers plenty of fun and excitement, beginning with today's preview and gathering momentum in tomorrow evening's annual parade. The famous Clydesdale eight-horse hitch will be pulling their wagon in the parade, their first appearance here in 14 years.

As a country music fan, I'm really looking forward to the unusually strong lineup of talent the Fair will be showcasing beginning Wednesday evening. Wednesday offers Joe Diffie, a real comer in the business. Thursday offers Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman (a Paducah native). Friday we'll see Ricky Skaggs, whom I've long thought to be among the most gifted artists on the country/pop/bluegrass scene, and whom I first noticed years ago, when he was a background singer and guitar player for the lovely and incomparable Emmy Lou Harris. Then the bill is rounded out by Saturday evening's appearance of Shenandoah, a most entertaining group at their Show Me Center gig a year or two ago.

Congratulations and thanks to all the hardworking members of the Fair Board, and to all their volunteers.

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Have you picked up a free copy of this month's Tipoff magazine? It's one of a stable of what we call our Targeted Publications (the others are Business Today, and monthlies TBY The Best Years, and Youth Sports Review). We're extremely proud of the job being done by our Targeted Publications ad sales crew: leader Marvin Wormington, who gets help from Amy Snyder and Susan Helwege.

The September Tipoff, the one with the Clydesdales on the cover, features a fine article by Jon Rust on the newly published book of poetry by retired Southeast Missouri State Professor Peter Hilty. Jon's piece, like its subject, reveals a light touch and is simply a delight. A brief excerpt from Jon's article:

"Reading Peter Hilty

"I have many friends who are struggling to establish themselves as writers. Unfortunately, many seem to be attracted to the unintelligible, the shocking and the wierd in their quest for fame.

"The pleasure of reading Peter Hilty's `How Far is Far?' is that his poems are powerful for the very fact that they are simple and understandable. And they are about places and folk I as a Midwesterner can relate to even if it took me a moment to realize that the "strange town with a strange name" in the poem "Saturday Night in the Retirement Home" is Cape Girardeau ..."

Peter Hilty's newly published book is an easy, satisfying read. It's available (or soon will be again) at the book store in the University Center.

Question: Will the English Department's other gifted poet, Ted Hirschfield, now join colleague Peter Hilty in print with a book of his collected works? Ted's In Memoriam tribute to Jim Hamby, the late, great philosophy professor, is a classic of the genre, an unforgettably touching piece of work.