LOT OF MUSIC, SPCIAL AWARD, CUTTING-EDGE TRENDS, AND A JOKE

Music. Music. Music: Two events over the weekend and one coming up have love and music as the underlying theme.

Last Saturday, Wendy and I attended the wedding of two individuals who met in the Southeast Missouri State University music department, JASON SHAFFER and JENNIFER ANN LAGE. They tied together a religious ceremony, music solos, audience singing and, later, dancing to some of the songs written by the bridegroom. It was a beautiful ceremony with personality under FATHER J. FRIEDEL's (the celebrant) appropriately informal touch.

My friend and associate, WALLY LAGE, and his wife DORI were proud parents of the bride.

Later in the evening we attended a rare, spontaneously exciting evening of music provided by three pros: DOLORES FINCH (piano, vocals and good-humored banter), JOE BLACKWELL (bass player extraordinaire) and mesmerizing drummer STEVE WILLIAMS.

JERRY FORD put this fund-raising package together for the CAPE HISTORICAL MUSEUM, and we were undercharged for the value received.

The professional flow of one old-fashioned favorite song to the next led by DOLORES was reminiscent of the later saloon-singing albums of FRANK SINATRA (who generally had a 30-piece orchestra backing him).

DOLORES delivered the message of her songs with personality, timing and theatrics. Great FUN!

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FORD, a truly relaxed emcee who has mastered the feel of his audience and settings took the opportunity to tell the crowd of approximately 100 people about the upcoming MUSICAL MEMORIES benefit concert at Rose Theater at the university.

A $10 donation for technical theater/design scholarships this FRIDAY will get you into the 8 p.m. performance.

The JERRY FORD ORCHESTRA will once again bring together some of the top musicians of the tristate area to present music from the big-band era, Broadway, and traditional German favorites.

Last year's concert by this group was one of the musical highlights of 1999.

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Previously recognized locally as the recipient of the RUSH LIMBAUGH Award for Community Service ... HARRY REDIGER recently was one of only four hospital board members statewide to receive the Missouri Hospital Governance Award recognizing his administrative volunteer work with this area's medical community, most specifically as a board member and chairman of the executive committee of St. Francis Medical Center.

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Wendy, sons Jon and Rex and I attended the National Newspaper Association meeting in New York last week.

We were involved in cutting-edge newspaper industry trends and discussions of future media developments.

We also had the opportunity to hear Mayor RUDY GUILIANI, Vice President AL GORE, first lady HILLARY CLINTON, Texas Gov. GEORGE W. BUSH and others.

We also were caught up in the funeral for CARDINAL JOHN O'CONNOR. Former BISHOP of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau BERNARD F. LAW, now cardinal and archbishop of Boston, received the most response and favorable press for his remarks at the funeral.

Yes it's a small world.

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A priest is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small, and the doorbell is too high for him to reach.

After watching the boy's efforts for some time, the priest moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring.

Crouching down to the child's level, the priest smiles benevolently and asks, "And now what, my little man?"

To which the boy turns and hollers, "Now we run!"

~Gary Rust is president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and other newspapers.