Speak Out 6/30/06

Paddle threat

MY SON is going to a pre-kindergarten summer school this summer and the principal has told him and a couple of the other kids that if they didn't behave at regular school they would be spanked with a wooden paddle. We have got to stop this. Now he is really afraid to go to school. Please, teachers, there's got to be something better to discipline our kids.

Weeds on Route W

THE CAPE Count Road District should be ashamed of how they have let the weeds, Johnson grass and all grow up to 3 and 4 feet tall on Route W. Please, would somebody come out and mow the weeds on Route W?

Chain restaurants

I WAS extremely disappointed after reading Scott Moyers' article "Restaurants still risky business," which mentioned the demise of my favorite restaurant, Sidewalk Sandwich Co. Mr. Moyers clearly made no attempt to research the reasons why this business closed. It is so unfortunate that Cape is not a conducive environment for nonchain restaurants. I work at a hotel and everybody that stays wants to dine somewhere unique to our town. The article cites several non-chain places that beat the odds but fails to mention that these places all have dinner menus and alcohol to supplement sales. Please support local venues whenever possible.

Age for mowing

SOMEONE SAID they read that there was a law governing the age a child should be to mow a lawn, both with a riding mower and push mower. Does anyone know what those ages are?

Thanks for road

I JUST wanted to thank the city council and Mayor Jay Knudtson for completing Abbey Road, tying the dead end to the new part of Abbey Road and completing construction. It will make it a lot nicer for us people who live in Wyandot to travel down the street. Thanks again, Mayor Knudtson and city council. I appreciate it.

Dark streets

LAST NIGHT, after dark, driving along Kingshighway and from Lexington and Kingshighway to Independence, we counted 19 street lights that weren't working. I'm wondering who's in charge of that. Is it AmerenUE or is it the city or state? It's a blot on our community to have a dark street and not very good for safety.

Money for people

I'M CALLING about Blunt's DREAM, about how he's going to send all this money to revitalize all the downtowns. This is all fine and good, but people are starving, people don't have food. The food pantries are running out. People can't pay their utility bills. They're getting kicked out of their houses. He needs to spend money on the people, not the buildings.

Defining leadership

THE PERSON who commented that Bush "successfully led" two wars has a different definition of success or leadership or both. Leadership is not based on how many wars you can start, nor is success guaranteed just because you're fighting them. Over three years into Afghanistan and Iraq, neither has an immediate end in sight or concrete ideas about how or when soldiers will come home. In the case of Iraq, there was never a good reason to be there in the first place. I'd say he's successfully started two wars but hasn't led one bit.

Invest in tomorrow

FRIDAY I was following a recycling truck on Perryville Road to Lexington Avenue. There were practically no houses with recyclable items to be picked up. Our dumps are full, and we're running out of locations for our refuse. The world in time will have a shortage of raw materials. Recycled plastic, cardboard, newspapers and glass can help our children be assured of a better world. Not only Perryville Road, but our entire community needs to use this service. All we have to do is put our items on the curb. It's an investment for tomorrow.

Attracting geese

JACKSON NEEDS to post more signs around the lake telling people not to feed the dirty geese. Food only attracts more to mess up the trails.

Dentists and Medicaid

I'D LIKE to know why dentists won't accept Missouri or Illinois Medicaid. These people cannot help it if they cannot afford to go to a dentist without Medicaid. It's high time these dentists start thinking about people that are poor and disabled.