Speak Out 12/28/10

Manners, please

MY pet peeve at restaurants are people blowing their nose, picking their nose, children rubbing their noses all over their hands and arms and sleeves, grown men standing there at the counter or smorgasbord or wherever scratching certain parts of their anatomy. It's gross. People standing there scratching their heads, their hair falling in the food. I lose my appetite. When are people going to learn manners?

Need earlier call

WHY is it the Cape Girardeau School District can't make a decision on whether to stay open? Are they considering the hundreds of 16-year-olds behind the wheel? Some parents are getting up and getting ready for the day at 5 a.m. They need to know before then whether there will be school or not. Other schools don't seem to have a problem.

Smoke's effect on pets

THIS is concerning secondhand smoke. I would like to get some feedback from Southeast Missourian readers. How many people out there have ever heard of a cat or a dog dying from secondhand smoke? I never have, and I'm 68 years old. I'd like to get some feedback on this.

Special treatment

I see in the news when fallen and disgraced Gov. Ryan may get an early pardon and out of prison because his wife is supposedly dying of lung cancer. How many other people are incarcerated where they have a family member dying of something or other? Well, it's no wonder the state of Illinois is in such dire straits.

Country folks have rights

THIS is in regards to smoking. I think we people who live out in the country should be able to vote on the smoking deal too. I don't think it's right for only the city people to be able to vote on it. We spend our money in town and pay taxes. There shouldn't be only a few city people trying to run our country. I'm a World War II veteran. We fought for our country and then we have a few people trying to take our rights away. I don't think this is right.

Leaf problems

OUR bold mistake in leaf pickup schedule: I've lived in Cape Girardeau for the last 45 years and there was no problem in leaf pickup until this year when they changed the first week to the last week, the last week to the first week. In this part of town, around Alma Schrader area, the oak trees had not even dropped when they came. Now there are leaves everywhere. The sewer is going to get the largest part of them. This is the first time I've had to pay to have my leaves hauled off in 45 years.

Quarry consequences

ANYONE who lives within a four-mile area of the proposed rock quarry in the Fruitland area needs to be aware of how the shocks travel from the blasting. You will get cracked concrete floors, brick walls and ceilings. I lived in Illinois across the river from the rock quarry in Missouri, and we have felt the blasting here when they were blasting. My husband worked around rock quarries for several years, and he knows the damage that the blasting causes for the surrounding area to the quarries.

Lawn ornament

IT'S been two years now since someone took my lawn ornament. It's a concrete baby lamb. It had been standing in my yard for years, but it's been gone for two years. Maybe you're tired of it by now and would like to return it. Also, I want to thank my Missourian carrier for leaving my paper at my doorstep. Cheryl, you are a wonderful person. God bless you all.

Woodpeckers won't stop

I'M calling in regard to the Styrofoam-based exterior insulation used on Cape Girardeau Central High School building. I can tell you from experience that the woodpeckers will continue, year after year, to peck through that Styrofoam. I've had real experience with it. I don't know about exterior insulation, but I think they can get through any Styrofoam. I think it should be used for only interior insulation. Any exterior Styrofoam is going to be a continual problem. They should take legal action against the producers and architects and the builder.

Going bankrupt

I truly believe the politicians in Congress and the White House are trying to spend so much money that they make the government go bankrupt. I don't know why they want the government to go broke but that's the only conclusion you can come to.

Woodpeckers attack

I didn't know before today that woodpeckers are attacking our high school. Good job giving us that information. It looks like most of the high school is covered in a very decorative nice concrete block and woodpeckers wouldn't go through concrete blocks so there must be just a few areas that have the Styrofoam and synthetic stucco. My suggestion is you rebuild that with either a rat wire inside the stucco so birds won't go through it or you rebuild it with real concrete stucco. Birds don't like chipping on real concrete.