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SEMOTIMESWWW.SEMOTIMES.COM
The Most Important News of your Week 3.30.12
Page 6
Page 17
G Set Records reopens downtown
Zombie 5k survival run to benefit UCAN
New dowNtowN exec has deeper
roots thaN predecessor
2
3The Week in Review
the social network
how to join our social network:
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from our friends at:
It was a good week for the television news industry. “Anchorman” will return
on the big screen for a sequel, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) announced Wednesday on Conan O’Brien. Stay classy, Tyler Profilet.
It was a good week for Pop-lar Bluff’s finest. A woman was robbed for $60 at gun-
point Wednesday at the 1st Community Bank ATM, but the suspect was appre-hended within hours. PBPD don’t mess around!
It was a good week for state Reps. Todd Richardson and Steve Cookson, who will go
unopposed for their sophomore terms in the newly drawn House districts.
It was a good week for 18-year-old Ashland Brady of Poplar Bluff, who we were
all worried sick about Thursday when it was posted on our Facebook wall that she was uncharac-teristically MIA for 24 hours. For those who didn’t receive the memo, no need for an AMBER Alert, she has re-turned home safely – and just accepted our friend request as this is being writ-
ten, as a matter of fact.
It was a bad week for people stealing campaign signs in the Hillview area. Now that’s not
playing fair. Those suckers cost money for someone.
1. How do you take your coffee?
2. Who do you have winning the NCAA tourney?
Lorelei Morris
Kim McMullin
Stacey Scobey
1. Kenya roast with Splenda and half & half.
2. Not Mizzou.
1. Iced caramel mocha with a triple shot of espresso! And from The Bread Co of course!
2. Ummm... Cowboys? Lol. Hon-estly, I don’t watch basketball un-less it’s one of my kids.
1. Mocha frappuccino with whipped cream.
2. Louisville Cards :)
StaffPublisher
Scott R. [email protected]
Managing EditorTim [email protected]
ReporterLiz Ellis
Semotimes
“The most important news of your week”
3.30.12Volume 4 Issue 11
100 S. Main StPoplar Bluff, MO
573-785-2200
Cover
Designed byLiz Ellis
Story byTim Krakowiak
Photo byTim Krakowiak
Cover Story SEMO Times4
by Tim Krakowiak, Managing Editor
he Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. board took the logical step to bring continuity in our commercial historical
district: choosing a leader who is here to stay.
Poplar Bluff native Penny McGath, 41, was hired last week to succeed Tracy Frish as DPB executive director effective April 11.
“Penny is an intelligent, mo-tivated and well-organized per-son who knows the people in our area and the key players to see this project (the rev i ta l iza t ion of downtown) move forward,” said Steve Hal-ter, Greater Pop-lar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce pres-ident.
Along with being a member of the 11-person DPB board, Hal-
ter taught McGath graduate courses through Central Methodist University by way of Three Rivers College. Pre-paring for a leadership position, Mc-Gath earned her master’s degree in business administration last year.
“I believe we already have a lot of great things happening in our down-town area such as the Black River Col-iseum, the historic Rodgers Theatre,
the train depot and museum, the Vine Street Apartments, the skate board park, the library... We also have several vibrant business-es and a group of business owners who are motivat-ed to see down-town improve,” Halter went on. “It is going to take collabora-tion from all vested groups and a strong leader, such as Penny, to take our downtown to
the next level.”
M c -G a t h w a s w o r k -ing as a loan default specialist at Three Rivers when she de-cided to resume her own college edu-cation full time. During that stretch she had gotten involved with several non-profits including the Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff, the United Can-cer Assistance Network, the American Cancer Society, Women Aware and the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center Women’s Auxiliary.
“I used to work in health care and always thought that was my calling up until the last couple years, when I got more involved in the community and realized that’s where my passion is,” said McGath, who is married to Dr. Rick McGath, owner of the Ozark Family Practice. Her professional ca-reer began with Gamma HealthCare.
In November, Penny McGath decid-ed to take a temporary job as adminis-trative assistant for the crew building the new hospital on Oak Grove Road,
M.J. Harris Construction, based in Bir-mingham, Ala. When Frish resigned from the downtown position in Febru-ary to move back to the Northeast, Pen-ny McGath was among a few dozen people to apply for the vacancy.
“I’m well pleased she accepted the position,” said Poplar Bluff City Coun-cilman Loyd Matthews, one of five members of the DPB executive com-mittee responsible for interviewing the finalists. “Other candidates were not from Poplar Bluff—good candi-dates, don’t get me wrong. But with Penny’s educational background, her grasp of the volunteer process—the backbone of our community, her work ethic based on her references, and her general interest in Poplar Bluff, having watched it grow, made her come out on top as far as I was concerned.”
The downtown strategic plan, based
New downtown exec has deeper
roots than predecessor
T
Penny McGath, downtown Poplar Bluff
Executive Director>>Director, pg 8
semotimes.com
highlights
5
Commission over police dept’s accreditation seeks public commentA team of assessors from the Commis-
sion on Accreditation for Law Enforce-ment Agencies will arrive Sunday to examine all aspects of the Poplar Bluff Po-lice Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support ser-vices, Chief Danny Whiteley announced Wednesday.As part of the on-site assessment, agency
personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The session will be conducted in the com-munity room on the bottom floor of the Poplar Bluff Public Library located at 318 N. Main St.If for some reason an individual cannot
speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, s/he may do so by telephone. The public may call 537-686-8622 on Monday between 1-3 p.m.Persons wishing to offer written com-
ments about the police department’s abil-ity to meet the standards for accredita-tion/recognition are requested to write: The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gaines-ville, VA 20155 or via e-mail at [email protected] more information regarding the
Commission for Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., call the com-mission at 703-352-4225.
MoDOT to seek feedback on rail plan April 25 in Poplar Bluff
SIKESTON, Mo. – Enhancing passenger rail service and improving freight rail ac-cess are among the top public recommen-dations included in a new draft state rail plan, intended to provide the 20-year stra-tegic framework for passenger and freight rail development in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Transporta-tion will seek the public’s feedback on the plan during a series of meetings, includ-ing one from 4:30-6 p.m. April 25 at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce.The draft plan is available at www.mo-
rail.org/, where the online version of the public meeting will also be available start-ing April 10. Public comments will be ac-cepted until May 4.
National Library Week begins April 8
Poplar Bluff Public Library invites the public to celebrate everything their library does for the community during National Library Week, held April 8-14. The theme for this year’s celebration is “you belong @ your library.”The library provides you with access to
the latest technology, a genealogical and cultural heritage collection, books in print and electronic formats, resources for job seekers, computer and technology as-sistance, special children’s programming and many other creative and practical re-sources.
Children’s version of King Arthur Saturday at Tinnin Center
The Imaginary Theatre Company of St. Louis will return to the Tinnin Fine Arts Center with a new show for children on Saturday.Once again transforming literature into
a live-action adventure, ITC has created a King Arthur origin story especially for fourth to sixth graders. The show will be performed twice, once at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.Tickets are on sale now at www.trcc.edu/
tinnin. Printed tickets are available now at the Three Rivers College business office, the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, and at the door the day of the performance.
Business SEMO Times6
G Set Records gives aspiring artists a chance
ll aspiring artists dream of being picked up by a record-ing label in Hollywood and
making it big in the music industry, their music on iTunes and performanc-es lined up across the world. But, what if they could make it happen right here in Poplar Bluff?G Set Records reopened last week on Broadway, and is now on the lookout for new talent for their recording label. Currently, the company has 10 artists of various genres, and they are always looking to expand. But Chief Execu-tive Officer Eric White said the record-ing process is not always what it seems.
“First thing you have to understand is, it’s nothing like Hollywood,” White explained. “You come and you have to be prepared, with a track in mind al-ready. Our sessions are closed—there isn’t a whole bunch of guys hanging out watching you record like in the movies. You can have who you want in there, and if you don’t want anyone in there, that’s fine too.”
One of the things that set G Set Re-cords apart from others is their low cost, White said. For a vocalist with just a beat, the standard fee is $20 to lace a single track. For a band, White said, the fee changes according to how complicated it is, but is generally priced at around $60 for a track, and they offer packages which include a CD cover design as well.
However, recording is not all that they do. As a formal recording label,
they also offer distribution packages for artists to put their music online or at various stores, and even in music vid-eos. Music from artists on G Set’s la-bel can be found at many stores around town, and even in other places in the state, plus online.
“We offer a lot here. I just want to make sure ev-eryone under-stands that. It’s not just about being a recording stu-dio—it’s much more than that,” White explained.
E v e n t u -ally, White has plans to expand his business to other states to broaden his reach and pull for new talent. But, he said, Poplar Bluff will always be home.
“I open the door and let people come in and chase their dream,” White said. “Not a lot of people can
do what I do, producing and moving forward and giving people the oppor-tunity to do what they can. All I do is say, ‘Here’s the key, there’s the door.’ I don’t take you through 20 million mazes—it doesn’t have to be that hard. Some will make it, and some won’t. I let them try.”
For more information on G Set Re-cords, visit www.gsetrecords.webs.com.
Liz Ellis can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or by calling 573-785-2200.
by Liz Ellis, Reporter
G Set Records offers recording, mixing, marketing and distributing to potential artists, as well as music videography and other services. The three minds behind G Set are (from left) B.J. Walker, A.J. Stewart and Eric White, CEO. Photo by Liz Ellis
A
7
News SEMO Times8in part on a streetscape and buildings study recently completed by PGAV Planners t h r o u g h t h e D R E A M i n i t i a -t i v e —D o w n -t o w n R e v i t a l -i z a t i o n and Eco-nomic As-s i s t a n c e for Mis-s o u r i —will be presented for adoption Monday during the city council meeting.
Last week, the council authorized a $10,000 match for a $25,750 survey on land use and building conditions
in downtown, a collaboration with the Missouri Department of National Re-
sources through a federal grant pro-gram.
To conduct a complete engineering and architectural survey on the status of 68 buildings downtown could “add a
couple zeros” to that total, City Planner Dennis Avery estimated, but this base-line information will help developers looking to pursue historical tax credits, for example.
“You can never have too much infor-mation,” Matthews explained. “Revi-talization of downtown is like a baby learning to walk. It’s a gradual process, then suddenly he’s walking, and that’s what I think we’ll see happen if we’re continuing the path.”
Besides putting together all this data to ultimately entice potential investors and create jobs, Penny McGath will be charged with making the position self-sustainable through fundraisers such as the Iron Horse Festival, or perhaps the implementation of a taxing district.
The executive position was initially funded for two years beginning in 2010 by a $100,000 community de-velopment block grant under the Mis-souri Department of Economic Devel-
opment, and the city agreed to match the salary and benefits up until 2014. Penny McGath also has grant writing experience, having been charged with securing the federal funding for her po-sition with the community college.
“I’m going to be visiting other DREAM communities such as Cape [Girardeau] which has had success bringing people downtown with events like Tunes at Twilight—because you don’t know what works until you try it,” Penny McGath stated. “Downtown is like an endangered species, and the challenge is to modernize it without taking away that historical value. All it takes is that one new business, one person, one step.”
Tim Krakowiak can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or fol-low him on Twitter @TimKrakowiak.
“”
“Revitalization of downtown is like a baby learning to
walk. It’s a gradual process, then suddenly he’s walking.”
-Loyd Matthews,Poplar Bluff City Council
>>Director, from pg 4
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Arts & Entertainment SEMO Times14
Comedy for a Cure
Ed Strenfel Fish Fry Fundraiser
ACS Denim and Diamonds Gala
March 308 p.m.
Port CapeCape Girardeau
March 313 - 6 p.m.
Gamma Lab BuildingPoplar Bluff
March 316 - 11 p.m.
Holiday InnPoplar Bluff
The Pulse Events from PoplarBluffLive.com in the 573 area code
Whimsical Events Open House
March 3110 - 11 a.m.
Chamber of CommercePoplar Bluff
Zombie-themed 5k by Liz Ellis, Reporter
t is midafternoon and you are running through the woods, your tennis shoes crunching twigs and leaves as you weave
between the trees, following the nar-row path. As you pause for breath, you see movement in the woods out of the corner of your eye. You pause, heart pounding and scan the forest again, while suddenly, with a grunt, a zombie tackles you from behind. You prob-ably scream as you scramble out from underneath the corpse, regaining your feet and taking off down the trail, your heart beating wildly as your brain reg-isters that you won. You got away.
This time.For anyone who wants to try their
hand at outsmarting the undead, next weekend may be the best opportunity to see if you really have what it takes to outlast a zombie apocalypse.
The UCAN Survive Zombie 5k Run, hosted by the United Cancer As-sistance Network and Ozark Fitness is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 14 and will feature a 5k run through a trail on the Tinsley farm occupied by zombie volunteers stationed at 10 secret “hot spots” throughout. Each spot will have several alert zombies. All runners will be wearing a ‘UCAN Survive’ T-shirt and a flag football belt. The zombies will attempt to tear off the flags to ‘in-fect’ runners.
“Everybody does a 5k. We needed
something that would make ours stand out,” said Melody Melloy, UCAN marketing director. “With 2012 here, and all of the apocalypse zombie talk going on, we thought, ‘Why not?’”
The event will also feature an apocalypse party afterward for all of the partici-pants. In addi-tion, the runner who finishes the race
with the best time and the most flags left will win a one-year membership to
to benefit cancer patients
IEvery runner in the 5k event will recieve a T-shirt with the above logo to set them apart from zombies. The goal of the event is not only to finish with the best time, but the most ‘life.’ Submitted Photo
15Arts & Entertainment SEMO Times
March 318:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Global
Earth Hour Carry the Cross Benefit Yard Sale Lending a Hand 5k Run & 1 Mile Run/Walk
April 67 - 11 a.m.
Hwy 60 W & Hwy 63 NCheck FB for details
April 76 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Family Video/Radio Station parking lot
Poplar Bluff
April 711 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Van Buren City ParkVan Buren
How it Works:1. Create a Facebook event
2. Invite the SEMO Times to your event on Facebook3. The event will automatically be updated on poplarblufflive.com
4. Your event will appear in the paper!
Ozark Fitness (to stay fit for the apoca-lypse), a generator (to keep the power going once the plants are overrun by zombies), a year’s supply of beer if the winner is of age (because, what else are you going to do while everyone else is zombiefied?) and a few other odds and ends.
“It is going to be a lot of fun,” said Andy Beis, manager at Maverick Glass. Maverick Glass will be host-ing one of the zombie hot spots dur-ing the event. “In a zombie apocalyptic situation, there would be lots of bro-ken glass from zombies and such, so of course you have to have Maverick Glass there,” Beis joked.
For the run, only 100 runners will be accepted, and about half of the spots are already taken. Those interested can pick up a form at Ozark Fitness, UCAN or the UCAN website. The deadline for registration for zombies or runners is April 6, and both zombies and runners must be 14 or older. There is a $35 reg-istration fee associated with this event.
“When else are you going to get the opportunity to run a 5k chased by zombies? I mean, it’s not something
that happens every day,” Melloy said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be different, and you’re supporting a great cause.”
Melloy said that 100 percent of the funds raised for this event will go to-ward helping area cancer patients. UCAN helps cancer patients in But-ler County with gas cards, small bills and other necessities during treatment. For more information on this event or UCAN, visit www.ucanpb.com/
Liz Ellis can be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 573-785-2200.
16 Opinion & Editorial SEMO Times
To the editor: No one has said anything so I guess I will. I recently read where the city of Poplar Bluff was awarded a grant for downtown, and the pow-ers that be decided to use it for a study on how to improve downtown. So which one of the crony’s buddies is pocking that money? Hello. That is what the first step of the DREAM project did. Re-member the huge push for the survey's they wanted everyone to fill out and the studies that designated what was downtown and what wasn't; what was entertainment, retail and office space; what was historic and what was residential? It lasted months. So now we will ‘do' another study... Right. Someone will pull the data everyone forgot about, copy, paste and rear-range, and then present it to the lambs that blindly listen to what they are told to believe. Hey, it's not the first time. Remember the way things had been handled at the BOB? Criminal activity took place there and the city only admitted to it after the statutes of limitations was up. And if you think they are going to put anything into downtown when they are invested in what happens at Eight Points, you have worse eyesight than Stevie Wonder. People wake up... When the person who decides who the city does business with sits on the board of directors of two of the biggest entities the city does business with, don't you think something is afoot? It's time to get these knuckleheads off the council. Who gives a lifetime contract to a city manager, so if the city goes south, his job is secure? Where is his incentive to work hard for the people of the community? Then take the intelligence of those on the council. Recently, when the Internet debacle took place, one member thought a router was a person that worked for a trucking firm who told drivers where to go to pick up a load, and another thought a server was the person with the ball on the tennis court. And these people are making decisions that affect your pock-etbook. It is time to vote in new blood all across the city council. I am not endorsing anyone in the city council election. I'm not sure there is a good choice out there running. But to paraphrase the old saying, if we always do what we’ve always done, we will always get what we always have. We as citizens of Poplar Bluff must begin to take a closer look at what is happening with the leadership of our city. What direction are they taking us in? Where are they leading us? What is their vision for the future? A future that includes our children and grandchildren? Are they looking out for what is best for us or riding the coat tails of the good ole boy system that has run this town since it became incorporated? These are things to remember, think about and consider when you make your next trip to the voting booth. Cronyism makes me sick, and I stay nauseous most of the time when I consider how this place is run.
~Rick Woolard,Poplar Bluff
End the cronyism in Poplar Bluff
Letter to the Editor
Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
I will be the first to admit that I am not smart enough to hold up my end of a good argument on evolution. While I have very strong beliefs on the subject, I have learned over time that this is one subject that you won't change any minds on. Besides, I have spent most of my day showing and listing homes (a very good thing) and just am not up for a fight at 3:08 in the afternoon.
So if we can get past the whole evo-lution/creation thing, let's talk real es-tate. Or maybe you would prefer to ap-ply the above quote to whatever you do in life. Stop and read it one more time. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” It makes sense, doesn't it?
Whether you sell real estate, teach school, run your own business or raise a family, how well you survive and thrive is greatly impacted by your ability to change. The technological advances of the recent decades have forced us all to become familiar with words like text, iPad, WiFi and Google. Words that didn't even exist when I was a kid, or had totally different meanings. The ways we interact with each other, communicate, do business and live our lives have all changed dramatically.
And we can either adapt to that change or we can begin to get left in the dust.
The same applies to real estate. A good agent still does open houses. S/he still has nice signs in the yard, takes good pictures of the home and runs ad-vertisements in newspapers and homes guides. But the agent who stops there, simply because "that's the way we've always done things around here." is missing the boat. And more important-ly, their client is missing out. As tech-nology moves forward, so must we.
The imagination of today's home buyer cannot be limited to a 1-inch square picture in the Sunday paper. They don't simply drive around in search of their dream home. The new norm is the computer search. Or maybe they skip the computer altogether and simply use their smart phone. Online, they will find better pics, more info and the tools they need to make the right decision.
As always, Poplar Bluff is not lead-ing the rest of the world in this area. But we are making advances. Over the next few months, you can expect to see us do a better job of adapting to change to serve you better. The agents and the offices that adapt best will serve you better, whether you are buying or sell-ing a home. This is just one more thing to consider as you choose the Realtor that you want to assist you. So check us out. And don't hesitate to voice your needs. We are working hard to adapt for you.
The survival game
17Opinion & Editorial SEMO Times
With the weather warming outside, I am hearing more and more people say that they have caught a tick on them. It is that time of year! Even though we love to be outdoors, working in the garden, going hiking or camping, these little blood suckers can be quite prob-lematic if not dangerous.
I myself have fallen victim to the perils of tick borne illness in 1979 when I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Now don't be fooled by the name, you do not have to be in the Rocky Mountains to get it. I got right it here in Southeast Missouri. It is caused by the Rickettsia rickettsii bacterium and is the most lethal of the rickettsi-als in the United States. If caught early it can be no more problematic than the flu, but if treatment is delayed it can lead to all sorts of complications, even death.
Symptoms usually start within a week to two weeks and can be very non-specific during the early period, mimicking the flu. The most important symptom is the petechial rash, howev-er in some cases a rash never develops so it can be tricky to diagnose. Treat-ment is doxycycline or tetracycline.
Another serious side effect of a tick bite can be Lyme's disease. Lyme's dis-ease is the most common tick borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere. It is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belong-ing to the genus Borrelia. Symptoms of Lyme's disease again can be very non specific making it difficult to diagnose, and again the most common factor in diagnosis is a characteristic "bulls eye" rash. If left untreated it can affect the joints, heart and nervous system.
To prevent tick bites it is recom-mended to stay out of tick infested ar-eas, but since stepping out on our porch can lead to a tick bite, that one really is not possible for us in SEMO. So here
are few tips to prevent tick bites:• Apply an insect repellent. Use in-
sect repellents according to the di-rections on the label, particularly when applying repellent to chil-dren. Some insect repellents can only be safely applied to clothing rather than skin. Use a lower-con-centration repellent on children. Do not put repellent on small chil-dren's hands, since they often put their hands in their mouths. Wash the insect repellent off with soap and water after returning indoors.
• When going into the woods or tick-infested areas, cover as much of your skin as possible. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. Keep in mind that it is easier to spot ticks on light-col-ored clothes. Wear gloves when you handle animals or work in the woods.
• Take steps to control ticks on your property if you live in an area where Lyme or RMSF disease is prevalent. Though I am not a fan of chemical insect repellents, I will use them to prevent ticks. The se-rious effects of tick borne illness far out weigh the dangers of insect repellent, in my opinion, but you have to decide for yourself.
If you or someone you know has had a tick bite, is having flu like symptoms or develops a rash, seek medical help immediately. For more information in preventing tick bites or tick borne ill-ness, contact your local health depart-ment or county extension office.
A yoga/healthy lifestyles instructor, Kat Robinson is the owner of Active Kat Yoga in Doniphan, which can be found online at www.activekatyoga.com. You can reach her by emailing, [email protected].
Healthy Lifestyleswith yoga instructor
Kat RobinsonPreventing tick bites
From the corner of
Main & Vineby Scott R. Faughn
If you have bought anything in Pop-lar Bluff over the last few years you paid for something to happen Thursday. If you have voted for a city council-man in the last 15 years you voted for something to happen Thursday. Thursday the citizens of Poplar Bluff paid a lawyer to walk into court in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, United States of America and file a lawsuit to compel that court to force a gag order on one of its own citizens. What is more dangerous is that not only did the city government sue to si-lence a citizen, but they sued to silence a citizen that has been a vocal critic of the same government. The person the city sued to silence is Brian Becker. Now, it’s true Brian Becker isn’t the most sympathetic person. I’ll admit he is a little quirky, and doesn’t always do the best job hiding the fact the he feels he knows more about computers than you do. In fact, I think that if he owes the city $175,000 then the council has no other choice but to instruct the city manager, who I would assume would instruct the city attorney to do all they can to collect they debt the city is owed. I can’t see how they could be upholding their fiduciary responsibility and not aggressively pursue the debt. That said, how unconscionable is it to attempt to silence criticism? If the city of Beijing enters Chinese court to silence a citizen or the city of Moscow enters Russian court to silence a citizen it’s outrageous. How much more alarm-ing is it for the city of Poplar Bluff to enter an American court in an attempt to silence a citizen? Let’s step back from the fact it is morally wrong, and lets think about how stupid the timing of it is. Brian Becker has been mounting
a campaign in the media, on his blog, and door to door for over a year now. There has been litigation that could lead to a jury trial for well more than an year, and for that time he has be-come the most vocal critic of the city. Today his ability to influence people with his anti-city argument is greatly diminished compared to a year ago, but the city moves to silence him now.....? Lastly, this isn’t the first time the city attorney has tried to “gag” or silence citizens. This may be the only issue on which Don Schrieber and I agree 100% on. In the January 30, 2002 edition of the DAR the entire front page was dedicated to attacking the city on an attempt by the city attorney to keep city employees from speaking to the media complete with clip art gags placed on the councilmen. The cornball plan was dropped, and you would think lesson learned. In fact two current councilmen were elected in part because of this ham handed tactic. It’s a little hard to know whose to blame for this. I have personally spoken to three councilmen since I testified against the gag order in court, and none of them knew anything about it, and said if asked before they would have stopped it. It makes you wonder who came up with this idea, and in what cockeyed form of government can a mere employee, a city attorney, decide on his own to try to violate a citizen’s first amendment rights? In the end Judge Ligons of Carter County nearly laughed the city out of court, ruling in literally seconds against a gag order. However, next time it may not be a quirky guy with business interests tied in, that the government wants to silence, next time it may be you.
It could be you next time...............
18 Opinion & Editorial SEMO Times
Everyone has a favorite color. If you’re around children very much, you’ll find that one of the first things they’ll ask another child when get-ting to know them is, “What’s your favorite color?” The cool thing about this is that young children are unaware of societal expectations, so they always give honest answers.
I thought about this the other day while having a conversation with my brother about childhood memo-ries. I remembered that when he was little, his favorite color was pink. As he became a bit older, his favorite color switched to green.
Did his favorite color preference honestly change? Or did he at some point figure out that pink was seen as a “girly” color?
This is actually an important ques-tion, because scientists have known for some time that color preference says a lot about human personal-ity. People with certain personality traits tend to prefer certain colors.
Here are the basics of color the-ory.
White symbolizes purity, inno-cence, and even naiveté. People who prefer white are often perfec-tionists. It can also symbolize a de-sire for simplicity.
Red is the color of strength, and is often chosen by people who are outgoing, aggressive and even im-pulsive. Red people are optimistic and hate monotony.
Because pink is a softer shade of red, pink people are more gentle,
appreciate love and affection, and are maternal. Pink people tend to be charming, but sometimes indefinite in what they want.
Orange is the color preference for the more flamboyant, social person. They tend to be dramatic, but good-natured and popular.
Yellow is the color of happiness, wisdom and imagination. People who prefer yellow are likely to be optimistic and shrewd, but with a good sense of humor. Yellow is con-sidered to be the color of the intel-lectual, and they tend to be clear and precise.
Green is the color of harmony and balance, representing renewal and peace. People with a green color preference tend to be gentle and sin-cere.
Blue is the color of introspec-tion. Those with a preference for the blues are generally patient and self-controlled. Others see them as steady, wise and faithful.
Lavender is the color of those on a “higher plane.” They tend to be refined and believe in high and no-ble causes. They are often creative, charming and witty.
The person who prefers the more vivid purples usually has a strong desire to be unique. They are fre-quently artists, and are often tem-peramental, aloof and sometimes sarcastic.
And… then there are the people who prefer neutrals. What does that say about them?
Well, people who prefer brown are considered solid, steady and conservative. They generally are not impulsive and are highly re-sponsible, but they can sometimes be stubborn and inflexible.
Gray is the color of caution and compromise, and a black color pref-erence is often associated with mys-tery, or a suppression of desire.
Color theory may sound like weird psychobabble, but you can bet marketing people and people who design environments for all types of industries take it very seri-ously. Color theory is likely to af-fect everything from the color of walls in a hospital room to the color of walls in a prison to the colors in a magazine layout. Humans respond to color.
For us as individuals, that means study your own closet!
The color you wear today could be a factor in whether or not you pass that job interview with flying colors. It could be a factor in attract-ing the opposite sex. It could even effect how you feel about yourself.
What’s your favorite color? Wow… that is definitely a loaded
question!
Tammy Hilderbrand is the owner of Hilderbrand Diamond Company in Poplar Bluff, which can be found online at www.hilderbranddia-mondcompany.com. You can reach her by emailing [email protected].
Color me blue… or pink… or yellow
19Advice SEMO Times
Dear Joy,My husband’s side of the family is extremely lazy. They always invite
themselves over to our house for supper after I’ve gone to the grocery store and eat all of our food. They are always asking for rides to run their errands and never chip in for gas. They are always asking to borrow money which they never pay back.
I’ve tried to put my foot down and tell my husband that we shouldn’t be giving his family so much charity but he gets very upset and nothing changes. We can barely make ends meet ourselves but he believes that if we have it and they need it, they should get it. I have no problem with helping anyone out but they are so ungrateful and act like we owe them.
Fed Up,Poplar Bluff
Fed Up,This is a tough situation for you to be in. I would be VERY
frustrated if it were me. Your husband has to stop, in my opinion, now... getting him to stop is a different story!
First of all, he really isn’t helping them in the long run. People who are not grateful and have no pride in themselves usually remain takers all of their lives. They are setting such a bad example for their children if they have them, also. Since you ‘put your foot down’ and that didn’t work, what to do next?
Family issues are so complicated. I’m sure he loves them and wants to help. If you have a relationship with your husband that is open and you can talk about anything, try to explain how you feel. Remember this is his family. Don’t call them the low-life scumbag users they sound like they are. Explain how you guys don’t have extra money to hand out. Tell him that you feel like the help you have given them is not helping their situation.
Nagging him and talking about his family won’t work. I realize you have told him how you feel before. I would try to talk again. Let him know beforehand that you want to talk about something that is very serious to you. Be calm and, as I said, don’t put him or his family down. Try to reason with him explaining the facts.
I am not one to usually say it may be something you have to live with, but this is really up to your husband. He is a grown man. You can’t force him to stop. I hope he listens to reason and understands he REALLY is not helping them. If they love their brother and want a relationship with him, they will understand if he tells them he can’t afford to help them out any more. He needs to be honest with them.
You are his wife, and you and your family should come first. Best of luck in a tough situation!
-Joy
A weekly advice column from a local romance expert, Ask Joy is our own version of the nationally syndicated Ask Abby. To ask Joy a relationship question, email her at [email protected], or befriend her on Facebook at Ask Joy. Names are kept confidential.
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