Speakout 6/24

As soon as the people here in town that are taking care of our money need to get those cameras paid for I wish they would take some of that money and start taking care of our streets. There are a lot of them that need working on.

Understanding cemetery trouble. In August 2002, my husband became a widower after 19 years of marriage and two sons later due to his wife falling. Garden of Memories gave him the run-around over a marker for months. They finally approved, in writing, a special marker in 2003. Then when the marker was delivered, in August of 2003, they denied it. They said it didn't meet their requirements. Meantime, the ex-in-laws would and family would call and talk to us like dogs. The ex-brother-in-law would call all the way from Florida, blaming my husband when the cemetery did nothing to get the marker down. In August of 2004 after ordering special scrolls and paying them extra money we got them to put it down. It was the worst cemetery ever to deal with. Good luck to everyone dealing with these people. It is like a full-

time job.

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On the cemetery trouble. I had the same troubles with the owners of Gardens of Memories Cemetery. I went to the office of Memorial Gardens, which owns all the cemeteries here in Sikeston. I kept track of them and they finally got the monument placed. Several people need to go to the office at one time at Memorial Gardens and demand to have this taken care of.

Are you sick of the Iraq war? Do you think it is time to bring our troops home? I have a suggestion: I recently heard two Americans, on average, perish each day in Iraq. Yesterday's toll was much higher. In order to honor these soldiers and their families, and remind President Bush of the high toll this effort is exacting, I suggest we all lower our flags to half-staff until our troops are taken out of harm's way. Our fallen heroes certainly deserve this respect and those still fighting need to be reassured that the American people are pressing the government to find an exit strategy now, not later. If you agree, pass this along.

This is to the little boy who had the big long stick and to the little dog which is a pug down here on Stanford. The next time I catch you after trying to hit that dog with a stick, I'm going to call the law on you. You have no business cutting through the yards down here and then to take a big long stick and try to hit this dog. You ought to be ashamed of your self.

I want to make a comment about the business, J.D.'s Saloon. This is for the guy who was griping about the loud music. I think the Saloon was there before his business was. I don't know why he is griping about it, I live by it myself and you just learn to put up with it. So should he.

This is in response to what year the Morehouse School consolidated with Sikeston Schools. The year was 1969. The reason I know was my sister graduated from there in 1968 and I was to graduate from there in 1969 and after they consolidated I had to go back to Richland School. 1969 was the first year for Sikeston and Morehouse together.