OpinionMarch 15, 2007
Speak Out 3/15/07
Drugs and prostitution; Keep them happy; Parking on Parkview; Bumpy break; Check it out; Can't read or spell; Costly coaching; Detour problem; Temporary stop signs; Rats in the park; Sock conspiracy; Blame the computers; No-smoking restaurant; Musical protection; Sock solution; Make it permanent
Drugs and prostitution
I WALK my dog on South Lorimier in the middle of the day. There are more drug dealers and prostitutes there than East St. Louis. Why don't the police do something about it?
Keep them happy
CINCINNATI MAY not be the best choice for flight out of Cape Girardeau, but if it keeps Procter & Gamble executives happy, then they are less likely to close the plant and put thousands out of work. Not just P&G workers would feel the burn either. P&G is one of Nordenia's best customers. The economic effect of closing the plant would be greater than the inconvenience of driving to St. Louis or Memphis.
Parking on Parkview
PLEASE PUT no-parking signs along Parkview Street by Capaha Park. Some child is going to get killed during the Southeast Missouri State University baseball games. Today it was almost a one-lane street, and it is the main detour off Broadway. Parked vehicles lined both sides and made it impossible to see. Two young children darted between the parked cars, and brakes were slamming like crazy.
Bumpy break
I BOUGHT four crystal wine glasses at the mall and had the clerk wrap them in tissue paper and put them in a gift bag. When I pulled up to the four-way stop at West End Boulevard and Bloomfield Road going north on West End, I heard them break. The street is that bumpy. I'm sending the bill to the city, and someone better pay it.
Check it out
WHY CAN'T the police department respond to calls about college students drinking while driving? I've called the station twice to tell them about young men in pickups with open containers racing all over town, and the response is always the same: "We don't have time to check that out." The police will have the time when someone gets killed in a crash.
Can't read or spell
I AGREE with the teacher who called in about high school students not being able to read on grade level. I'm a grandmother, and I'll tell you why they can't read. Elementary teachers don't teach phonics. The kids can't read and can't spell.
Costly coaching
HOW MUCH does it cost us to have reading coaches when they only produce 45 percent of all fourth-graders reading on grade level?
Detour problem
I BROUGHT my daughter to Cape Girardeau on Saturday to attend First Steps at the university. We were late getting to our first session due to the poor traffic control at Capaha Park. There was a baseball game going on, and people were allowed to block the detour street by parking on both sides. That situation should not be permitted. A single lane of traffic to take the place of Broadway is ridiculous.
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Temporary stop signs
I TRIED to cross Parkview Street by the rose garden and nearly got run over. Why isn't there a temporary four-way stop there just like on West End Boulevard? It took me about 10 minutes to cross the street.
Rats in the park
THE RATS are back at Capaha Park because people are throwing leftover food wrappers on the ground. The police should park in Capaha and issue tickets for littering. They can shoot the rats while they're at it.
Sock conspiracy
IT'S A conspiracy, Sam. You should have never demanded a room of your own. You'll never have matching socks again.
Blame the computers
MY SON is a junior at Central High School. He won't pass the MAP test. and he'll never score high on the ACT. He's a bright kid but hasn't been taught the basics. He has no idea that letters make sounds, so he can't figure out how to read words he doesn't know. He can't spell. He can barely read cursive handwriting. I'm not sure he even knows how to write in cursive. He never memorized his multiplication tables. His standard response to me is, "Mom, that's why we have computers."
No-smoking restaurant
I WOULD like to commend Ron and Vivian at Pagliai's for making it a no-smoking restaurant. My family and I will eat there every chance we get. I hope other restaurants start to wonder why their business is falling off. It's standing-room-only at Pagliai's, and that's the reason.
Musical protection
ALL RESTAURANTS should have music playing. I don't want my private conversations overheard.
Sock solution
HERE'S SOME advice for Sam Blackwell. Do what I did. Buy about three dozen pairs of socks that are exactly the same in black, navy and brown. When you start to run low, go out and buy some more. My wife has lost hundreds of socks. It's funny that she never loses hers, just mine.
Make it permanent
I HOPE the city will keep the four way stop at Rockwood Drive and West End Boulevard. I go to Southeast Missouri State University, and it's nice not to have to dodge speeding cars when I cross the street.
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