Speak Out 4/30/12

Positive event

I attended the Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School Family Fun Night faculty, parents and students basketball game Friday night. It was an amazing event. I want to thank Mrs. Ellis and all Central Junior High faculty for implementing this event for the past six years. One of the most amazing parts was when a special-needs child scored a basket. When he scored, the crowd cheered loudly out of excitement for him. He then scored another basket during the dollar game. Another high point for the night was the honoring of a young man who was hit by a dump truck when he was 3. We need more events like this to keep our young people busy and parents involved.

Appreciated adviser

I've been involved with student government at Southeast Missouri State University for the last couple of years, and we had our end-of-the year banquet last night. I want to thank Michele Irby for all of her hard work in advising us. I don't think a lot of people at the university and other students realize how she spends every Monday night with us as our adviser at our meetings for at least four, five, six hours. We appreciate her mentoring, her guidance and everything she has done to help us be a successful organization at Southeast Missouri State University. Thank you, Michele, and please know that your hard work has not gone unnoticed.

Levee story

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tells you on a front-page newspaper story that they had to activate the Bird's Point New Madrid spillway in order to relieve pressure on the entire system, they are lying to your readers. When they activate that spillway, it acts as a shortcut for the floodwaters to get to New Madrid. It helps towns upstream, but actually increases flooding downstream at New Madrid and Caruthersville. It makes the system more dangerous for everybody south of the Bird's Point New Madrid spillway.