SpeakOut 7/22

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Call 471-6636

I live on Helen Street in a FHA house in East Prairie. I have spoken to the mayor. They just won't clean this area up. We have nice FHA houses on one side and on the other side we have run-down trailers, dogs eating dirty diapers, bringing them into my yard and other people's yards. We are paying for these nice homes and these people are living like dogs themselves. The landlords won't clean up the trailers (the trailers need to be condemned). If anyone calls and says to go to the mayor or to the city council, I have. I have called them two times, and what has been done? Zero. Nothing has been done. Maybe all of us on Helen Street could get together and get something done, get these nasty trailers cleaned up, somehow. Maybe if the Standard Democrat will call the mayor and ask why this isn't being taken care of, when they have complaints, maybe then they would look into it after Michael Jensen calls them.

First, I am not associated with the Bootheel Golf course. After seeing an item in your paper's SpeakOut section about the Chamber of Commerce not promoting the Hooter's Golf Tournament, I just assumed it was just another local golf shoot. As I drove by the course on Ingram Road on July 15, there were sponsor tents and cars everywhere. There were thousands of people. This thing must be generating great revenues for Sikeston. It turns out this is a national golf tour, not unlike the PGA with many large corporate sponsors. This is where the confusion comes in. I was under the assumption that the Chamber of Commerce of a town was there to promote city growth and lure potential business into the community, to help the city grow. If you have to be a member to get promoted, isn't this just another advertising company? Perhaps this is the prime reason small towns stay small. Luring other businesses and manufacturing to a community would certainly be a priority for future community growth. It is my belief that a nationally-ranked, year-round golf course that is good enough to host a nationwide professional tournament would be a huge selling point to potential executives, much more so than a rodeo or restaurant. (You know how those execs like golf!) But in the words of Dennis Miller, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

To the person who was looking for coffee cans, I have several. Call Richard at 471-3929.

We need your help. The children of Lorene and Eddie DeRoush are looking for a picture or pictures of the Bulldog Drive Inn, preferably from the late 1950s or early 1960s, however any photo will do. We will pay in advance for any copy charges. If you can help, please contact Marty DeRoush at (615) 746-0033 (call collect) or write to 2497 Old Clarksville Pike, Ashland City, Tenn. 37015. The pictures are wanted for use at a family reunion which will be held in Sikeston.