Speak Out 9/13/10

No Call lists

THIS is in regards to the No Call list. Register with the national No Call list and also Missouri list. If you're not registered with the national list, you will get calls from other states or other countries. You can sign up for the No Call list online. It's simple to do. I hope this helps.

Too loud

THE John D. Hale Band's "Barn Party" was excessively loud. Living well within the Jackson city limits miles from the venue, I should not be able to hear and understand the music while inside my home. I'm all for them having a good time in the country, but surely it didn't need to be that loud.

Downtown noise

REGARDING the story about the noise at Bel Air Bar & Grill: I can understand both sides, but here's the problem I have dealing with. Bel Air has been in operation for years. It is a popular spot. Like most bars, it can get a little loud at times. But the residents that live around there knew this when they bought their house. So why would you move into a neighborhood and then expect everything to change to suit you? I hope Bel Air continues to operate and stays in operation. It is one of the only places downtown that I enjoy.

Turn it down

REGARDING the noise at the Bel Air Bar & Grill: Places like that don't need an amplifier for the music. The instruments are plenty loud for a place like that. I have been to a birthday party where a local band played, and the music was so loud people couldn't talk or visit or anything. I asked the manager of the band about turning the volume down, and he said he couldn't. At least a third of the people left by the time I got through talking to him because of the loudness. I'm 100 percent for the city buying a noise evaluator not only around Bel Air, but also the traffic in town. The city needs to do something about the noise instead of finding excuses not to do it.

Casino needed

THIS is for the people who don't want a casino in Cape Girardeau. You must have secure jobs to support your family. You don't care about the people who are not working and can't get a job. You don't care if businesses in Cape Girardeau close their doors because they don't have any business. Shame on the people who are against the casino. We need this to help our economy.

Good advice

INSTEAD of criticizing columnist Michael Jensen, tell the president to read Jensen's column and react positively to it. He's much more on the ball and much more accurate than what our president is telling us.

Inappropriate attire

AS a fairly young female teacher, I've been shocked at the lack of professionalism on the part of teachers of all ages. Some of my colleagues wear shirts that are either cut low or unbuttoned to the point that every time they lean over to help a student, that student gets more than an eyeful. Others chew gum while teaching, make and take personal phone calls on their cell phones during class and eat and drink during class. I wish flip-flops were the worst problem, but they aren't. Teachers leave their class unattended to get more coffee from the lounge or to check their mail, and they play video games or chat on Facebook during class.

Great postal service

I would like to say thank you to the U.S. Postal Service for continuing to deliver mail on Saturdays. I know there is a rumor that you are losing money during these trying times, but getting a letter by mail still means a lot to many people. Seeing the smiling faces of our letter carriers through all types of weather does not go unnoticed. We appreciate you. Thank you for all that you do.

Light the trail

WHY can we build a great water park (which it is great), but we cannot put up lights on the trail? Maybe the mayor could address this instead of worrying about a new casino.

Wrong location

QUARRIES in the heart of Fruitland will put residents, students, workers and children at risk. I am not against quarries, but I do have a problem with them being in a residential area, on both sides of a new high school or near an elementary school and numerous day cares. Water supplies, air quality, noise pollution and 300 heavy trucks per day per quarry will hurt Fruitland and that part of Jackson beyond repair. Residents, let's take a stand.

Accept help

WHEN an oil spill happens there is 100 percent of the oil in the water, whether an ocean or river, until it is removed. President Obama refused offers from other countries that wanted to assist BP and the U.S. in the cleanup. The ones willing to help us assured they could retrieve 99.7 percent of the oil. Obama indicated he wanted 100 percent or nothing. The bottom line is that he is still setting the stage for one of his buddies (George Soros) to tap his energy resources in a different country.