SPEAKOUT

Municipal bands

PEOPLE IN this area are very fortunate and don't know it. We attended both the Cape municipal band's concert on Memorial Day night and Jackson municipal band's concert in the park. What a wonderful night. People should really support these two groups. They deserve your support. They are excellent.

Stones and glass houses

I FOUND it rather amusing that Bob Dole accused people in Hollywood of promoting loose morals and casual sex. All I can say in response to that is Bob Packwood, Gary Hart, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy and Marion Barry.

Priority for worrying

I SURE do hope the river goes down so Cape Girardeau can have the Riverfest. Seems like they are more worried about that than they are the people who are flooded out.

Big-screen TV

I SAW in the newspaper where the Red Cross had big-screen TV in the gymnasium at the high school for the flood victims to watch. I don't feel like giving money to the Red Cross. I do not have a big-screen TV at home, and I feel like that was wasted money to provide a large-screen TV for flood victims to watch.

Oak Ridge interchange

I'M CALLING in regards to the interchanges that are proposed at Oak Ridge and Jackson. I feel an interchange should be put at Oak Ridge since it was promised years ago.

Too much radar

THANKS, Southeast Missourian. Your recent story on traffic fines being down in the city sure did the trick. Now you can't drive across town without seeing a police officer using radar. As far as the Mount Auburn deal goes, you can only go about a quarter-mile and you see someone using radar. I was out there the other day and saw four police cars in 10 minutes using radar. This is not about safety. It's about getting money for the city, which you certainly accomplished.

REPLY: It is hard to understand why law-abiding motorists would be concerned about the use of traffic radar. Complaints about speed checks seem to come from motorists who think it is OK to exceed the speed limit. Observing speed limits would eliminate the need for worrying about the use of radar on Mount Auburn Road or any other street.

Water standards

IN A recent report we read that more than one in five Americans drink water that violated EPA safety standards under the Clean Water Act. That is 53 million, compared with 50 million the year before, which is a tremendous increase. The report also said that several cities in Missouri and Illinois were listed as having water problems. How does Cape Girardeau's water stack up?

REPLY: Cape Girardeau's water meets EPA standards. Water in cities that are below the federal standards don't necessarily have unsafe water. In many cases, the EPA standards are arbitrary. The comment below points out some of the problems with the recent report.

Scare tactics

THE NATURAL Resources Defense Council says America's drinking water is a lot worse than what we originally thought. Isn't it ironic that this group would release this report at a time when Republicans are attempting to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending from the Clean Water Act? Let's not forget this is the same group that perpetrated the Alar hoax that caused thousands of apple growers to go broke. Let's also not forget that the NRDC, along with the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and other radical environmental groups, is no more than an extension of the ultra-liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

Interchange advantages

IN REGARD to the I-55 interchange at Oak Ridge. One of the main advantages to this interchange would be the medical benefits it would provide. It would make it easier for ambulances to get to and from the rural areas. In medical emergencies, five minutes can make a difference between life or death. More people from the Oak Ridge area need to call the Cape Girardeau County Commission voicing their support for this interchange.

Recycling vouchers?

A LOT of people are complaining about the recycling program. I think the city should have a voucher program for the people who recycle, and they should get a credit on their monthly bill for trash removal. It seems like that might be an incentive to get people to recycle, because we really need to get behind this program.

A nice word for Donna

THERE IS a young lady named Donna at the Cape Girardeau Public Library who works at the front desk. She is always friendly, courteous and helpful with a pleasing smile. Donna makes each visit to the library very enjoyable, and she is a credit to the library in Cape.

REPLY: Thanks for the compliment. Donna works at the circulation desk at the library in the mornings and works at the Homework and Literacy Center in the afternoons. She has been a library employee almost two years and is a valued worker. Hearing praise from the public is icing on the cake.

Shelter is useful

THIS IS in regards to the "Shelter for victims" comment. I work at an area hotel, and the Red Cross is calling around trying to get the cheapest rate. Did you ever think that maybe the flood victims' families may not have had enough room for the flood victims? I think that a nice bed to sleep in and a spacious room at an inexpensive rate is much better than a floor or a couch in a crowded family room. Keep up the good work, Red Cross.

Trash talk shows

I AGREE with the person who said the talk shows are mostly trash. Some say turn it off if you don't like it. I don't want you to watch them either. They certainly are not uplifting nor will they improve one's mind. Why can't we have some good cultural education and entertainment or something to improve our thinking and make our lives filled with good things? Certainly the trash talk shows do nothing but promote more of the same problems. These programs are about premarital sex, divorce, infidelity, family squabbles, hatred, jealousy, violence and so forth. Let's make America a beautiful country in every respect.

Highway story

I WOULD like to comment on Highway 177. I live in Rolling Hills Subdivision. John Oliver (of the state highway commission) said it would cost $3 million to $4 million to raise the highway. For that kind of money they could build a new road high and dry. I don't want the road because it makes it faster for me to go to town. I want it because it would be faster for emergency personnel. In 1993, my father had a heart attack while the water was up. We called 911 for a helicopter. They could not find the house for 45 minutes and then said they couldn't land. So they wanted to send an ambulance, but the ambulance did not know the way. Dad later died. Seconds count. Don't forget that.

Praise for Red Star church

I'D LIKE to recommend the Red Star Baptist Church for a community service award. It has been in the community for about 50 years, and it has always been there for the community every time something has ever happened. The floodwaters have come and gone, and Red Star Baptist Church has always been there to help. I think they deserve an award.

Tangled fishing hooks

I WAS looking on your front page of your Sunday edition where they put the rocks around the Capaha Park lagoon. That's an improvement, but as an avid fisherman any time you've got all those rocks you are going to get your hooks tangled and you will have to break the line. This might be disheartening for the younger people starting to fish. I suggest they drain the lake down a little bit and pour concrete and fill up around the rocks and make kind of a smooth surface.

Fire Explorers

A SPECIAL thanks goes out to the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. I stopped and had my car washed there by the Fire Department Explorers. It's really good to see young men and women so sincere about doing a good job.