Real estate agents play prank on Cape mayor at luncheon

Local real estate agents left Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson in figurative stitches Tuesday over his March 14 knee injury at a charity basketball game.

Six members of the Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors showed up on crutches, canes and bandaged feet at the group's luncheon meeting at the Holiday Inn. They carried homemade placards joking about injuries.

One woman even wore a neck brace as they paraded around Knudtson, who showed up on crutches to talk about the four proposed tax issues on the April 8 ballot.

Knudtson sat at the head table, his injured left leg stretched out to his side as he chuckled at the actions of the real estate agents, some of whom carried signs proclaiming "real estate survivor" and "grown men get hurt playing games."

"He's such a jokester," said real estate agent Barbara Baker, explaining why she and others couldn't resist pulling the prank.

"We're trying to get across that being in real estate in Cape Girardeau is as dangerous as being mayor," Baker joked before the start of the meeting which drew about 60 real estate agents.

Real estate agent Dorothy Miller showed up with one wooden crutch for the occasion. "I had a broken leg in 1998," she said.

Knudtson, who tore a tendon in his leg and dislocated his knee cap, is recovering from surgery. "I was in bed most of last week," he said.

Knudtson returned to his job as executive vice president of First Missouri State Bank this week, making use of a wheelchair to get around at work.

The mayor hopes voters pass the four tax issues: a quarter-cent sales tax for fire department needs, a 2 percent sales tax on out-of-state purchases totaling more than $2,000 a year; a monthly storm-water fee; and extension of a 10-cent property tax.

But Knudtson joked that he won't count on getting "the sympathy vote."

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123