STRONG LEADER, NO. 1 LOBBYIST, GOOD COACHES AND MORE

Life is fragile. Daily this newspaper reports the deaths of area residents. ... Death comes to all ... being totally unbiased as to race, sex, age, intelligence, good, bad, and all the rest.

This area lost a quiet, but strong inspirational leader when MARTIN JANSEN died last week. The large crowd at his tribute at the Notre Dame High School gym Friday night said a lot about the respect the friends and people he'd touched had for Martin.

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Last Friday I went to Jefferson City to join about 100 other former Missouri legislators and friends to attend the surprise 75th birthday party for JOHN BRITTON ... Missouri's No. 1 lobbyist for the last 35 years.

John's been a friend and is respected and trusted by business, labor unions, educators, lawyers, Republicans and Democrats primarily because he studied his bills and knew the process and because he is smart, honest and trustworthy in providing information for those who needed or requested it.

It was fun to visit with some of my fellow legislators of 25 years ago and to pay tribute to the "Titan," as John could be labeled.

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I recommend to you the movie currently playing in Cape Girardeau, "REMEMBER THE TITANS." When two high schools are merged in a southern community ... the challenges to the coaches in merging an all-black football team with an all-white team delivers a lot of messages in this basically true story.

The night I attended ... after the lights came on, there were about 30 members of the SEMO football team in attendance.

I've been highly impressed with the quality and growth of the CAPE CENTRAL High School and SOUTHEAST MISSOURI State University's teams this year. My congratulations to Coaches Lawrence Brookins and Tim Billings and their staffs.

The biggest bouquet goes to Jackson High School Coach CARL GROSS and his staff, who have fielded one of the finest (if not the finest) football teams in Southeast Missouri year after year. This team is always in shape, well-disciplined and game ready.

Coach GARY GARNER'S SEMO basketball team displayed a lot of depth and solid new additions at its black-and-white scrimmage Saturday. Also, there was a good awareness of the style of play expected of them (after only two weeks of practice). Any preseason questions about weakness or height problems on the front line were answered.

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JACKSON voters ... I hope you pass your school bond issue. Yes ... some say it could have been handled better, but the reduced proposal in front of you seems to be a reasonable step to make at this time.

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At the invitation of the REV. HAL GREENE, I visited last Sunday's worship service at the Cape Bible Chapel to hear visiting speaker DR. ROBERT FOSTER, who has spent years in missionary work in Africa and who serves as director of spiritual ministry for Samaritans Purse and World Medical Mission. ALAN TERRY (husband of daughter Penny and son of Dr. William (Bill) and Eloise Terry) joined this FRANKLIN GRAHAM-led group this June in an administrative capacity. I was warmly greeted by a number of friends from this large congregation.

I rushed over to LaCROIX METHODIST Church to hear the REV. RON WATTS' message on the best-selling book of all time ... the Bible ... and how to read it for all it's worth. It was an instructive message that would benefit anyone.

Some of the suggested guidelines would apply to some of the issues to be voted on next week (just six days to go). Namely:

1. Planning and zoning ... many good questions, but on balance I support it.

2. The billboard limitation proposal. Some of my friends support it, but I will be voting no.

3. The so-called but misnamed FAIR ELECTION BILL (Proposition B on election financing). This bill is really BAD. With a campaign financed basically from out-of-state sources, Prop B requires the guidelines suggested for Bible reading, some of which include:

Interpretation: Avoid the hazard of misreading by closely observing and interpreting content (especially the small print), context, culture and comparison, and consult others.

The election commercials, over-simplifications and misrepresentation of this year's campaigns have become a challenge to a rational, fair-minded person to keep one's cool.

To paraphrase another part of last Sunday's message ... Americans suffer from information overload. We learn a lot of things and principles ... but don't apply them. Get informed ... and then vote.

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Two special non-politically related events coming up on my calendar include the ESTATE TAG SALE Friday, Saturday and Sunday put together by Jill Smirl's new JWS company in the former Sav-A-Lot grocery building on Spanish Street. This building was recently purchased by John and Jerri Wyman (Mollie's, Royal N' Orleans, Europa). Collectibles, furniture, jewelry and much more from 12 estates will be on sale.

On Monday there will be the annual YOUNG LIFE DESERT BANQUET to start at 7 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church. This vibrant group has recently expanded its activities into Jackson.

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Is it in destroying and pulling down that skill is displayed? The shallowest understanding, the rudest hand, is more than equal to the task. -- Edmund Burke

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Always there will be, along the sidelines of life, inferior souls who throw mud at those whose attainments they do not quite understand. The man who really accomplishes doesn't pay attention to such detractors. If he did, he'd be on their level. He keeps an eye singled on the higher goal -- and the mud never touches him. -- Jerome P. Fleishman

~Gary Rust is president of Rust Communications.