The committee set the 50 per-cent target to cover major initial ex-penses yet get started on theproject, Hagen said. “Right now, ourgoal is to get enough money to pur-chase the stone and get the pricelocked in,” she said.

The committee is working to getout information about the memorialproject, Irish said. The public hasresponded with donations of about$50,000, and the committee has cov-ered initial expenses.

“That’s a lot of money that wehave already raised. We feel verygood about it,” Irish said. “Most ofthe donations have been $20, $50and $100. But we have had dona-tions ranging from as large as $1,500down to $3 or $4 when some kidsgot involved and donated theirmoney.”

The community has even initi-ated its own fundraisers for the vet-erans memorial, Hagen said.

“The local quilt club made aquilt and raffled it off to benefit us,so that support has been absolutelytremendous,” she said. “And the in-mates held a fundraiser at Mike Dur-fee State Prison (in Springfield) anddonated the money to the veteransmemorial. It was very substantial to

receive their support.”Fraternal organizations are pro-

viding matching funds, stretchingthe donations even further, Hagensaid.

As another funding source, theSpringfield committee has appliedfor grants from the South DakotaCommunity Foundation and MaryChilton DAR (Daughters of theAmerican Revolution) Foundation,she added.

“There are a couple of other pos-sibilities that we are running downright now,” she said. “We have alsodone some solicitations from majorbusinesses, and we are waiting for aresponse on that.”

On its grant applications, theSpringfield committee includes in-formation that the area contains theburial sites of more than 300 veter-ans from the pre-Dakota Territoryyears to the present, Hagen said.

The memorial effort has re-ceived other forms of local support,Hagen said. For example, the Spring-field College Museum includes re-minders about the veteransmemorial in its semi-annualnewsletter.

In addition, the Springfield CityCouncil and Chamber of Commerce,along with the American Legion andthe Legion Auxiliary, have providedletters of support for grantapplications.

The city has also provided theland for the memorial, Hagen said.The monument will be located west

of the picnic shelter at Terrace Park.The cannon in the park will bemoved to the west and featured aspart of the site.

“The Terrace Park location hasspecial significance for all the peo-ple that grew up in the Springfieldarea,” Irish said.

Terrace Park also offers a strate-gic location for the memorial, Hagensaid. The park overlooks the Mis-souri River on the south end ofSpringfield, and the LED light on thememorial will be visible from theriver, she said. In addition, the me-morial will be visible as travelersenter Springfield at its north end.

“You can view the memorialfrom both land and water,” she said.“We think the symbolism is veryimportant.”

As part of the planning process,the committee is trying to locatethe World War II Veterans Memorialplaque last seen at the south end ofthe football field located at the for-mer University of South Dakota-Springfield (USD-S). They are askinganyone with information to contacta committee member.

Luken Memorials of Yankton hasdesigned the monument. The sitewill feature a tapered 20-foot spirewith a stainless steel LED light atthe top and a broken/zig-zag wall at-tached to the spire. At its base, thespire measures 30 feet by 30 feet.The top of the spire measures 12feet by 12 feet.

The memorial walls will contain

the names of veterans with ties tothe Springfield area. This includesthe names of veterans and currentlyactive military personnel. If an indi-vidual currently lives in the Spring-field area or once lived in theSpringfield area, attended school inSpringfield (including the formercollege), was a member of theSpringfield National Guard unit orhas family from the Springfield area,the memorial committee will con-sider the inclusion of their name onthe memorial.

“Some memorials ask $100 toput your name on it. We don’t dothat,” Irish said. “We don’t chargefor engraving a name on the memo-rial (at this time), and we collect thenames of anybody who has ties tothe Springfield community.”

As of its August meeting, theSpringfield committee had accumu-lated 1,273 names for the memorial,and more names have been re-ceived since then, Hagen said. Shestrongly encourages interested par-ties to submit names before engrav-ing begins on the project.

In conjunction with building thememorial, the Springfield VeteransMemorial Committee is creating adata base of area veterans that willbe part of the Springfield HistoricalMuseum. Veterans are asked to pro-vide information about themselvesand where they are stationed whilein the military.

The committee is seeking pho-tos from all eras of service for the

memorial and dedication booklet.The committee seeks “action” pho-tos rather than formal military pho-tos. This would include photos ofpersonnel with military vehicles,scenes from overseas and state-sideservice and other venues that de-pict the time of service.

The committee is also askingthat submitters include a descrip-tion of the photo which can be usedin the booklet. Submissions can besent to Hagen at Box 629, Spring-field SD 57062, or photos can beemailed as attachments with de-scriptions tospringvetmem@yahoo.com.

The submitters should includereturn names and addresses if theydesire return of the photos. Thecommittee recommends sending acopy of the photo rather than theoriginal photo itself.

Committee member Jim Horn-stra maintains the Facebook page,

which includes the current list ofveterans’ names along with photosand stories.

The committee will disbandonce the memorial is completed,Hagen said. At that point, the Ameri-can Legion post in Springfield willtake over maintenance of thememorial.

———To make a donation to the me-

morial, contact Irish at 41208 311thStreet, Springfield SD 57062. To sub-mit a name for the memorial, con-tact Hornstra at 40827 312th St.,Springfield, SD 57062, emailspringvetmem@yahoo.com or call(605) 369-5555.

For more information, visitwww.springfieldsd.com.

You can follow Randy Dockendorfon Twitter at twitter.com/RDock-endorf

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NEWS DEPARTMENT: news@yankton.net12 PRESS DAKOTANthe worldU.N. Chief Ban Demands Action In Syria

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon de-manded international action to stop the war in Syria, telling asomber gathering of world leaders Tuesday that the 18-month con-flict had become “a regional calamity with global ramifications.”

In sharp contrast to the U.N. chief, President Barack Obamapledged U.S. support for Syrians trying to oust President BasharAssad — “a dictator who massacres his own people.”

Opening the U.N. General Assembly’s annual ministerial meet-ing, Ban said in his state of the world speech that he was soundingthe alarm about widespread insecurity, inequality and intolerancein many countries.

Putting the spotlight on Syria, the U.N. chief said “the interna-tional community should not look the other way as violence spiralsout of control.”

“We must stop the violence and flows of arms to both sides, andset in motion a Syrian-led transition as soon as possible,” he said.

Ohio’s Job Growth, Auto Industry Help ObamaVANDALIA, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has emerged as the presidential

race’s undisputed focus. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are mak-ing multiple stops this week alone in a state that’s trending towardthe president, endangering Romney’s White House hopes.

The popularity of Obama’s auto industry bailout, and a better-than-average local economy, are undermining Romney’s call forOhioans to return to their GOP-leaning ways, which were crucial toGeorge W. Bush’s two elections. Ohio has 18 electoral votes, sev-enth most in the nation, and no Republican has won the WhiteHouse without carrying it.

Romney is scrambling to reverse the polls that show Obamaahead. On Tuesday, he made the first of his four planned Ohiostops this week, joining his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, for arally near Dayton. On Wednesday, Obama will visit the collegetowns of Kent and Bowling Green, and Romney’s bus tour will stopin the Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo areas.

“If this president persists on the road of making it harder andharder for small businesses to grow and thrive, he’s going to slowlybut surely weaken our economy and turn us into Greece,” Romneytold supporters Tuesday in Vandalia. He said the Obama adminis-tration has put government between patients and their doctors,and is picking winners and losers in private business.

“That is not the America that built Ohio!” Romney declared.

Suu Kyi: Return Home Possible For BurmeseFORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Myo Myint lost most of his right arm

and right leg and several fingers fighting for the Burma army beforehe began working against Myanmar’s military rulers and became apolitical prisoner.

The 49-year-old political refugee would like to return to hishomeland one day, but he doesn’t believe it will happen, even afterhearing Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi say shewould work to make sure people like him could come back.

Myint was among thousands of elated supporters who greetedSuu Kyi with cheers, tears and a standing ovation Tuesday as shetook to the stage at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum inFort Wayne, Ind., the fourth stop on her 17-day U.S. tour.

Like Suu Kyi, Myint was imprisoned in 1989. But Myint, whospent 15 years as a political prisoner, said he doesn’t believe SuuKyi will be able to help him go back to Myanmar. That’s because hesays he’s too well-known for working against the junta, having beenfeatured in an HBO documentary called “Burma Soldier.”

“She cannot do anything. She is not in the power,” he said.

Posters Of Iran’s Leader Rise Up Across IraqBAGHDAD (AP) — After years of growing influence, a new sign

of Iran’s presence in Iraq has hit the streets. Thousands of signs,that is, depicting Iran’s supreme leader gently smiling to a popula-tion once mobilized against the Islamic Republic in eight years ofwar.

The campaign underscores widespread doubts over just how in-dependent Iraq and its majority Shiite Muslim population can re-main from its eastern neighbor, the region’s Shiite heavyweight,now that U.S. troops have left the country.

The posters of Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei first appeared inat least six Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad and across Iraq’s Shi-ite-dominated south in August, as part of an annual pro-Palestinianobservance started years ago by Iran. They have conspicuously re-mained up since then.

“When I see these pictures, I feel I am in Tehran, not Baghdad,”said Asim Salman, 44, a Shiite and owner of a Baghdad cafe. “Au-thorities must remove these posters, which make us angry.”

In Basra, located 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of the capital,they hang near donation boxes decorated with scripts in bothcountries’ languages — Arabic and Farsi.

BY BEN FELLER AND NANCY BENACAssociated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Con-fronting global tumult and Mus-lim anger, President BarackObama exhorted world leadersTuesday to stand fast against vio-lence and extremism, arguingthat protecting religious rightsand free speech must be a uni-versal responsibility and not justan American obligation.

“The impulse towards intoler-ance and violence may initiallybe focused on the West, but overtime it cannot be contained,”Obama warned the U.N. GeneralAssembly in an urgent call to ac-tion underscored by the highstakes for all nations.

The gloomy backdrop forObama’s speech — a world rivenby deadly protests against ananti-Islamic video, by war inSyria, by rising tension over a nu-clear Iran and more — markedthe dramatic shifts that have oc-curred in the year since the Gen-eral Assembly’s last ministerialmeeting, when democratic upris-ings in the Arab world created asense of excitement and opti-mism. Obama had tough wordsfor Iran and condemned anewthe violence in Syria as Bashar al-Assad tries to retain power.

Six weeks before the U.S. pres-idential election, an unmistak-able campaign element framedObama’s speech as well: Thepresident’s Republican rival, MittRomney, has tried to cast him asa weak leader on the world stage,

too quick to apologize for Ameri-can values.

Romney, speaking at a ClintonGlobal Initiative forum just milesfrom the U.N., avoided direct crit-icism of Obama in deference tothe apolitical settings of the day,but he said he hoped to return ayear later “as president, having

made substantial progress” ondemocratic reforms.

Obama, likewise, avoided di-rect politicking in his speech butoffered a pointed contrast to hisGOP opponent’s caught-on-tapecomment that there is little hopefor peace between Israelis andPalestinians.

“Among Israelis and Palestini-ans,” Obama said, “the futuremust not belong to those whoturn their backs on a prospect ofpeace.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s opening state-of-the-world speech to the GeneralAssembly’s presidents, primeministers and monarchssketched the current time as onewhen “too often, divisions are ex-ploited for short-term politicalgain” and “too many people areready to take small flames of in-difference and turn them into abonfire.”

The leaders are assembledhere as anger still churns over amade-in-America video thatmocked the Prophet Muhammad.The video helped touch offprotests throughout the Muslimworld that have left at least 40people dead, including the U.S.ambassador to Libya.

Obama, a onetime professorof constitutional law, deliveredwhat amounted to a lecture onwhat he presented as thebedrock importance of freespeech, even if it comes at aprice.

He stressed that just as the“cruel and disgusting” video didnot reflect U.S. values, the back-lash against it did not representthe views of most Muslims. Still,he said, “the events of the lasttwo weeks speak to the need forall of us to address honestly thetensions between the West andthe Arab world that is moving to-wards democracy.”

MemorialFrom Page 1

BY LINDSEY TANNERAND KAREN MATTHEWSAssociated Press

NEW YORK — It’s a campaignbelieved to be unprecedented inits size and aggressiveness: NewYork City is dispensing the morn-ing-after pill to girls as young as14 at more than 50 public highschools, sometimes even beforethey have had sex.

The effort to combat teenpregnancy in the nation’s largestcity contrasts sharply with theviews of politicians and schoolsystems in more conservativeparts of the country.

Valerie Huber, president of theNational Abstinence EducationAssociation in Washington, calls it“a terrible case once again of big-otry of low expectations” — pre-suming that teen girls will havesex anyway, and effectively en-dorsing that.

But some doctors say moreschools should follow New York’slead.

Emergency contraception issafe and effective “if you use it ina timely fashion. It provides reliefor solace to a young woman orman who has made a mistake butdoesn’t want to have to live withthat mistake for the rest of their

lives,” said Dr. Cora Breuner, aSeattle physician and member ofan American Academy of Pedi-atrics’ committee on teen health.

Plan B emergency contracep-tion is about 90 percent effectiveat preventing pregnancy if takenwithin 72 hours after unprotectedsex.

New York’s program wasphased in at health clinics atabout 40 schools in the 1-million-student school system startingabout four years ago. Since Janu-ary 2011, it has expanded to 13additional schools that don’t haveclinics. The little-known programwas reported on Sunday by theNew York Post.

Nurse practitioners or physi-

cians dispense the pills, and par-ents can sign an opt-out form pre-venting their daughters fromtaking part. Only about 1 to 2 per-cent of parents have opted out,according to the city HealthDepartment.

The program is seen as a wayto reduce a startling number:More than 7,000 New York Citygirls ages 15 to 17 get pregnanteach year. More than two-thirds ofthose pregnancies end inabortions.

“We are committed to tryingnew approaches ... to improve asituation that can have lifelongconsequences,” the Health De-partment said in a statement.

In the 2011-12 school year, 576girls got the pills at the 13 addedschools, said Deborah Kaplan, anassistant health commissioner.

Felicia Regina, Parent Associa-tion president at Port RichmondHigh on Staten Island, has twoteens at the school, a junior and asenior, and said she has neverheard any parents voiceobjections.

“I do think it’s a good idea,”she said. “The children nowadaysare not going to abstain from sex-ual intercourse. How many unwedmothers do we need?”

But Mona Davids, president of

the New York City Parents Union,a volunteer group, opposes theprogram. She has a daughter whoattends Laguardia High, notamong the schools where Plan Bis available.

She said parents should haveto sign an “opt-in” form grantingpermission for Plan B instead.“When your daughter has gone ona trip, didn’t you have to sign thatit’s OK for her to go on a trip?”she said.

Davids said emergency contra-ceptive is too serious a drug togive without parents’ permission:“They can’t even give our kids as-pirin or Motrin without informedconsent. This is a chemical hor-monal drug cocktail.”

Anne Leary, a conservativeblogger in Chicago whose chil-dren are in their 20s, also said theidea is ill-advised and underminesparents’ authority. Her own chil-dren attended high school in aChicago suburb and were not of-fered emergency contraception atschool.

“These kids are under 16,which is the age for statutoryrape in most states. I just thinkit’s subsidizing and encouragingbehavior that’s probably nothealthy for kids that age,” Learysaid.

NYC Schools Dispensing Morning-After Pill“These kids are under16, which is the age forstatutory rape in moststates. I just think it’ssubsidizing and encour-aging behavior that’sprobably not healthy forkids that age.”

ANNE LEARY

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the United Nations General As-sembly September 25, 2012 in New York.

U.N. General Assembly

Obama Asks Leaders To Reject Extremism