Speakout 9/1

Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Has the Sikeston Public School Board given any consideration to the legal ramifications that they could potentially face as a result of the locker policy implemented at Sikeston Senior High School? For the past two years, the senior high students have only been allowed to go to their locker one time (at lunch) during the day. This forces the students to carry a minimum of three books in their back packs at all times, with some classes requiring additional books. Students regularly complain about back pain as a result of the weight they must carry around the campus. A local chiropractic firm is also currently running public awareness announcements on the radio addressing the health problems associated with carrying such a heavy load. The average weight in a high school student's back pack is 28-30 pounds. This is an unnecessary burden that the school board and administration should address immediately. Students should be allowed access rights and the time necessary to visit their lockers between classes, or the school should consider placing an extra set of books in each class to be used during the class period only.

To the guy who called the other day and was griping, saying people around here would even sell their souls for a place to work, you couldn't pay your bills if you work at a fast-food place in Sikeston, much less try to save any money. I don't think anybody would try to sell their soul for a job, but it would be nice if there were more ways people could work around here to make money.

I read the article about a big company from Austria is going to build a big $700 million steel mill in Osceola, Ark. The article said it will be built in Osceola, Louisiana or somewhere in Southern Missouri. Since I live in Southern Missouri and we haven't seen any more information since then about where the steel mill will be built or how much ground it will cover, I would say this. I sure would like New Madrid to make a pitch to get it in its industrial park if it has enough ground. Associated Electric could possibly furnish the electric if it were built there. The article said electricity in the plant would cost millions of dollars a month. Associated Electric is located in Springfield and one of the biggest producers of electricity in the United States. I think it could easily furnish the electricity for a steel mill. I'm waiting to learn more. You newspeople get up there and get all the news you can on this. Anytime it means jobs in this area, you need to work really hard and get it to the people.

Can the city trim the bushes on the Murray Lane side of the City Cemetery? When you want to come out of the cemetery, you have to stick the nose of your car almost out into the street so you can see. Please trim them so nobody will get their car hit when they leave the cemetery.

Call the Sikeston Street Department at 471-2512.

I was reading about the Sikeston Family and Dental Clinic opening in the Aug. 22 Standard Democrat. I called in some time back to see if I could get into the dentist there because of my low income. I was asked if I was a Medicaid patient and I told the lady that I pay as I go. She said, "We're not taking any new patients." I needed help because I'm on low income and I don't ask for anything.

We have neighbors on Poplar Street in Morehouse that has a bunch of old junk cars in their yard and the yard is all junked up. It's bad, really bad. There are all kinds of houses around here that are all junked up. Why can't the City of Morehouse make people clean up their yards? What happened to the Yard of the Month and making people clean up around here? It's a disgrace!