This is just to whet your appetite a bit, we'll have more later in the news columns. I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but the Kennett Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a SEMO Outdoors Festival on Saturday, Nov. 3. The organizers are planning a lot of fun things for kids of all ages.

Tony Crawford, of turkey hunting fame in these parts and who I am pretty sure is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, has put together a sanctioned event for turkey callers. There will be at least two different divisions, one for adults (older kids, if you will) and a youth event. Tony has also talked about a team-calling event, but I don't know if that has been formalized or not.

There are more turkey hunters around here than you might think. I can remember several years ago, before Sonny Ridings retired, having to skip a haircut because he was off to the turkey woods.

Entertainment is also being provided throughout the day.

The yet-to-be-discovered-by-Nashville group, Sons of the Western Bootheel, will make an appearance. Maybe if we're all lucky we can get Matt Mobley to share a few words of wisdom with us between musical numbers.

A boat, motor and trailer are going to be given away as well. A limited number of tickets are being sold at $100 each for the opportunity to win this prize. I have been advised this is not a raffle because the State of Missouri does not have raffles. I don't think tickets have gone on sale yet, but should be appearing soon.

One fellow that was briefly in the market for a boat was John Robertson.

John was playing golf a couple of weeks ago and after the first nine holes made the comment something to the effect that, "I think I'll just buy a boat and take up fishing."

One of his playing partners was Jingo Cole, who was having about as much fun as John at that point in the round and suggested John, "Buy a boat big enough for two people and I'll just go with you."

Well by the end of the day they had figured out a few things and played a little better. Apparently they both decided it was easier to get a little white ball in a hole that a worm in the mouth of a crappie.

John has postponed buying a boat, but he's pretty involved with the outdoors festival in getting the boat, motor and trailer raffled off. Uh, I mean, given away.

Kirk Ford is giving away a "big ol' ATV" as well. Actually I'm pretty sure it's an Artic Cat but I don't remember the model, more on that later, too. A ticket to the show will get you in the drawing for the ATV.

There's a rumor out that some of the festival organizers are trying to raise a little extra money by getting up a pot to see Danny Ford, yes there's a connection, do wheelies on that Artic Cat through the American Legion Building. Okay maybe that's not officially part of the event, but I'll bet there are a few people who would pay to see that happen.

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Peachy idea

A story that didn't get a lot of play in Missouri came out of Georgia this week when a federal judge upheld a challenge to the Peach State's photo voter ID law.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy ruled, "The plaintiffs failed to prove that the 2006 law's photo ID requirement unduly burdens the right to vote." The newspaper also noted that the state supreme court had dismissed a similar lawsuit earlier this summer.

Contrast the Georgia court rulings with a ruling by the Missouri state Supreme Court that ruled a similar law here requiring a photo ID did create an undue burden on voters.

I don't pretend to know all the details of the Georgia law but maybe Missouri lawmakers want to take a look to see if it is materially different from the law passed by the General Assembly.

Could be Missouri's elected representatives might want to make another attempt at passing a photo ID bill.

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100 years ago

A tip of the hat to the DDD's unofficial but much appreciated historian Vivian Helton for sending along the following information. Actually, Mrs. Helton sent a clip from the Dec 7, 1937 edition of the DD (still waiting on the daily D at that point). Included in that clipping was an item about several things that happened in 1907 at Senath High School. There had been no merger with Hornersville at that point.

In 1907 ...

"Senath High School bought the first basketball in this section, south of Cape.

"Senath High School had the first basketball team in this section."

The entire schedule of the 1907 team consisted of six games. By 1937 the home schedule consisted of 11 games against Dexter, Lilbourn, Campbell, Cardwell, Holcomb, Malden, Deering, Arbyrd, Hornersville, New Madrid, Cooter, Cape Girardeau Central and Kewanee.

The really big news was that the teams, girls and boys, would be playing in the new gymnasium.

Bud Hunt is publisher of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.