Downtown Columbia has a continuously changing face. In August we lost Lainey's Cafe temporarily to Oilcan Harry, when the popular eatery fell victim to the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet in a misunderstanding over a tax bill. Everybody was ready to come to her aid, including House Speaker Jody Richards, whose intervention made for much more polite negotiations. Lainey sold her print shop, Hot Prints, to Mr. and Mrs. Darryl Kemp, and helped to ready that business for its important election year business. She was also able to get rid of some rental problems which took her time. The bottom line was that when she reopened she had paid off the KRC completely and is now able to concentrate on the cafe. Coming next, additional night hours.

Let's us state here why we are not endorsing Joe Moore for City Council. The reason is simple. He won't allow it. He's afraid that our reputation will ruin his chances. And he doesn't want to be beholden to anyone. Nobody I have electioneered to vote for him has refused. So far, his stock answer when I tell him I've locked up another vote is, "I already had her/him," as the case might be, to maintain his independence.

It happened just this week in Columbia.

UPS had left a package at the wrong place. The employee called UPS' 800 number to let them know.

"You all left a box that doesn't belong here," the local told the UPS 800# Person.

"You've got UPS," the UPS 800# Person said..

"Yes, I know," our person said. "You all left a box here that doesn't belong."

"You'll have to call them," the UPS 800 # Person said. "They will take care of it."

"Call who?" , our person asked.

"Why U-Haul, of course," the UPS 800# Person said, "this is UPS-the United Parcel Service! U-Haul left the box there, didn't you say?"

The confusion was finally straightened out, but not without indignation on our person's part. "That UPS woman was so green if you'd planted her, she'd have grown," our person said. "She didn't know the difference between 'you all' and "U-Haul,'"

Attorney Bobby Reynolds says that, in his family-and he claims he's the same-everybody always knows which part of the country and what ethnic group a member on the phone is talking to. Briefly into the conversation, they adapt the dialect of the party on the other end of the line, whether its a Suthren drawl or Minnesotan, the family members on this end know where the call is coming from by listening to the answering party.

My sibs can similar with him on that. My Dad and Aunt Opal Walker did that. When Dad was talking with Arnie Claycomb, who had a beautiful Southern accent, the result of a lifetime in Nashville, you'd think Dad had never heard the consonant "R" in his life, and when they were talking to each other, you could tell their regional mood by whether they were using southern, northern or standard Adair County speech.

Now, with the global village in this mode

Recently, Ralph Waggener was being railroaded by a Yankee-type, who told him, "I can't understand a word you're saying . You'll have to speak more clearly."

Many of us might have obeyed the order.. But Ralph isn't one to be pushed around. "You," he retorted, "will have to listen harder."

The Chamber of Commerce may be back downtown soon. An offer, contingent on the Chamber securing a grant, has been made for the old BP Station property. The 11,800 sq. ft. property fronts on Burkesville, Fortune, and Reed Streets, and just may have the highest ratio of street frontage to lot size in the city, and a fantastic night view of Begley Chapel.

Among the sites mentioned for a new Post Office include the Burton Bros. Service Station corner on Fairground and Campbellsville Streets, the old Hudson Property now owned by Joe Pyles on Fairground Street; Kermit Grider's Mark Twain Shopping Center on Burkesville Street; the inside corner of Jamestown Street and Russell Road owned by Don Franklin; and the old Columbia High School property owned by Mr. and Mr.s Mark Royse. The Post is advertising in this issue of Columbia! for a new, larger site.

The latter property could become a new Adair County campus for Adanta, if zoning is approved.