News and Notes

Thanks to the folks at Lemons Waste for a very informative tour of their landfill facility. We sure generate a lot of trash and it takes a lot to get rid of it.

In case you missed it, disposing of our waste has gone high tech. The landfill on Highway 25 has radiation detection monitors that incoming waste has to pass through before being deposited in the landfill. According to Harold Lemons, the monitors have actually gone off twice that he could recall.

By the way, Harold said he most likely be hanging it up next April. I'm sure he'll get the proper send-off.

Dan Rigazio, head honcho of Allied Waste's operation there, and his staff were also showing off their new toy, a trash truck that has more gadgets and gizmos -- two different cameras that show the driver/operator what's behind them, for example -- than some small aircraft. For a mere $200,000 you too, can find one of these under your Christmas tree.

Mayor Joe Weber, City Administrator Mark Stidham and chamber exec Janet Coleman also came out to get the tour. Or maybe it was more than a tour of the landfill they were after. Lemons treated its guests to a barbecue lunch with all the trimmings. That included dessert. And while Mark got some credit for passing on the homemade pies, his ability to fend off the temptation was tempered a bit when we learned there was a piece of birthday cake waiting on him back at the office.

Winners

Once again I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the Malden Hot Chili-Cool Cars chamber outing last Saturday. The event was a repeat of last year's inaugural and had some 25 teams competing for honors of the best tasting chili in the world.

Okay, maybe it was only the best tasting chili in the Bootheel. And maybe it was only on that that particular Saturday, but it was still a contest and a lot of fun was had by all.

Jim Crawford was on hand to show that he knows about more than just running a hospital. Jim along with Kimberly Snider and the staff of MSH's clinic in Malden fielded a team. Jim tried to convince me he was the head cook just because he got up at six o'clock that morning to get everything started. I think the rest of his team just let Jim think that to keep him happy.

I will say this though: if that hospital administrator thing doesn't work out for Jim he makes a pretty good bowl of chili.

The Loco Motion Car Club of Dexter was well represented. The local group was presented with a trophy for the best participation by a car club. I think there were over 120 cars, trucks and motorcycles on display within a four or five block area of downtown.

Libby's defense

There's a rumor going around that Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the aide to Vice President Dick Cheney indicted last week has mounted his defense.

Despite the attempts by Democrats at the national level to try casting the indictment as a national security issue, ol' Scooter was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice.

Sound familiar? The rumor is that Scooter's defense is going to focus on the definition of the word, "leak." Don't laugh, it worked once.

-- Bud Hunt