Stories from Sunday, February 16, 1997

To the editor: In response to the Jan. 25 letter from Ray Umbdenstock, it seems as if Mr. Umbdenstock is a little confused about some of our current environmental issues. Perhaps we can clear the air on some of the fallacies contained in his letter...

Line Kristiansen is finding that she has more free time now on her hands as an exchange student than she did when she was at home in Vejle, Denmark. The Rotary Club sponsored her exchange program that allowed her to come here in August. She leaves in the beginning of July...

25 years ago, 1972 Survey conducted by Jackson Jaycee Wives for Chamber of Commerce shows that most people in Jackson favor proposed relocation of Highway 72 to south of city; Warren Wilson, chamber president, said results have been tabulated and will be discussed at special meeting Feb. 23 by heads of various organizations in city and some chamber members; meeting won't be open to general public...

It is possible to live a holy life in an environment that is far from holy. It is not automatic; it is not easy. But help is within reach. m e sincere, devout Christian can call for help in an emergency and he will receive it. But he must not neglect the means of grace in the routine of daily living...

In a rare moment of historical trivia, let it be noted that both America and Missouri are being governed by second-term Democrats for the first time ever, a fact certain to bring smiles to Democratic faces and frowns to Republican visages. For those who display little or no interest in the fortunes of the two major partisan religions, whoever is occupying the Oval Office and the Executive Mansion at any moment is little more than someone to hang society's ills on, a societal scapegoat who is merely the easiest, most public person to blame.. ...

Senate Bill 275, which would ban the gruesome practice of partial-birth abortion, received a highly favorable hearing Wednesday afternoon before the Judiciary Committee. After approximately two hours of some of the most riveting testimony ever heard in Jefferson City, the committee slam-dunked its approval of the bill by the vote of 8-0...

Week before last, legislation was introduced in the Missouri Senate to modify the original law passed in 1990 that authorized an election and creation of a lake authority by Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties. After lying dormant for nearly seven years, discussion of a lake is once again heating up...

The bees maintain the core temperature of the hive at 92 degrees even in cool weather. KENNETT -- Anything can be rented -- even honeybees. Neal Bergman, a beekeeper at Kennett, has more than 45,000,000 -- that's 45 million -- bees currently leased to California almond growers...

Work on the third and final phase of the Walker Branch flood control project is scheduled to begin this summer with channel improvements and replacement of the Marietta Street bridge. Work on the Walker Branch improvements began in 1993. It is slated for completion in 1998...

`Make the most of the hemp seed and sow it everywhere.' -- George Washington, 1794. Hemp once was one of the nation's vital crops. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis hemp on their plantations. It was the country's oldest cultivated plant. But Congress outlawed hemp farming in 1937 in an effort to eliminate the use of marijuana as a drug...

From the opening in a misty forest glen to the magical finale in which the Faries, Sprites and Pixies disappear beneath King Oberon's billowing cape, the Saint Louis Ballet's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" delighted an audience of 1,160 Friday night at the Show Me Center...

You have to go back over a month to find the last time Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team won a game by more than three points. It was with much relief, then, that the Indians welcomed their impressive 78-65 dismantling of Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech Saturday night in front of 4,812 fans at the Show Me Center...

High school basketball fans in the immediate area no doubt noticed a score from last Tuesday night: Jackson 56, Cape Girardeau Central 48. Now, although the Tigers probably rated as solid favorites entering the game, the Indians' victory wasn't really a startling upset, primarily because the schools are big rivals, Jackson was playing on its home court and, although Central does appear to be better on paper, the teams aren't all that far apart talent-wise...

Time continued to run out on Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team Saturday. The Otahkians, trying desperately to rally for a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, suffered their third straight loss as Tennessee Tech claimed an 85-67 victory at the Show Me Center...

ST. LOUIS -- Four Jackson wrestlers and two from Cape Central placed in the top three in the Class 4A sectional meet at Parkway Central Saturday and qualified for the state meet in Columbia, which starts Thursday. Qualifying for Jackson were freshman 103-pounder John Schlick, senior Joe Wiseman (130), junior Kent Langston (179) and senior Travis Reiminger (215)...

MEMPHIS -- Southeast Missouri's baseball squad saw Memphis score three runs in the first inning and went on to drop its season opener 8-3 Saturday afternoon. While the Indian offense was eventually able to account for the three-run inning, Memphis added another three runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth...

DENTON, Texas -- With another meet hanging in the balance, the Southeast Missouri State University gymnastics team was able to floor another opponent. After winning last Saturday's Cap'n Crunch Invitational on the merits of stellar floor routines, the Otahkians again relied on the event in a narrow 192.8 to 192.275 victory over Texas Woman's University...

On Thursday, Cape Central's girls watched missed free throws force Jackson to do a bit of squirming in the closing moments. Jackson ultimately survived its closure problems at the line. Saturday against Perryville, the sisters Harris made sure a good defensive effort by Central wasn't for naught. The Lady Tigers' clutch free throw shooting earned straight A's in its 38-33 victory at the Tiger Field House...

COLUMBIA -- Two Cape Central swimmers earned all-state honors Saturday in the Missouri state championship meet. Sophomores Matt Younghouse and Jason Owen both earned all-state honors. Younghouse placed fifth in the 500-meter freestyle in 4:56.27 and Owen finished sixth in the 100-meter backstroke in 55.99...

JEFFERSON CITY -- A mystery that came to light when a youngster found a five-legged frog in a Columbia pond remains unsolved. But officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation say they are getting more reports and hope to find enough evidence to unlock the secrets of what is causing deformities in Missouri amphibians...

JEFFERSON CITY -- One of the most popular fishing events in Missouri is only a couple of weeks away. March 1 is opening day for the regular fishing season at the state's four trout parks. Hatchery personnel with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) are busily stocking fish in anticipation of the thousands of anglers expected to inundate the waters of Bennett Spring, Montauk and Roaring River State Parks and Maramec Spring Park for the trout season opener...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Effie Pauline Hooten, 76, of East Prairie died Friday, Feb. 14, 1997, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center of an extended illness. She was born Jan 17, 1921, at Griffithville, Ark., daughter of William and Maude Ramer James. She and Ernest B. Hooten were married Aug. 10, 1947...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Jefferson Franklin "J.F." DeJournett, 72, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1997, at the John Pershing Veterans Administration Medical Center. DeJournett was born at Essex, Sept. 29, 1924, son of Virgil DeJournett and Mary England DeJournett. He and Cozett Grant were married Dec. 18, 1946. She preceded him in death on May 7, 1982. He then married Stella Mathis on March 7, 1992 at Dexter...

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Barbara Hope Kem, 59, died Friday, Feb. 14, 1997 at St. Mary's Hospital in Palm Beach, Fla. Kem was born July 11, 1937 in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Oliver A. and Bernice Mosely Hope. She and Lawrence R. Kem were married Sept. 1, 1956...

MARBLE HILL -- James Albert Ainsworth Jr., 75, of Marble Hill died Saturday, Feb. 15, 1997, at Mineral Area Medical Center in Farmington. He was born August 26, 1921, at Blodgett to James Albert Ainsworth Sr. and Cora A. Parker Ainsworth. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War...

BENTON -- Marjorie A. Oliver, 59, died Friday, Feb. 14, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 27, 1938, in St. Louis to Ernest and Elsie Thompson Greer. She married Thomas Oliver on August 12, 1965, in Sikeston. She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene and worked for Potlatch until 1974...

SIKESTON -- Larry J. Massey, 52, of Sikeston died Friday, Feb. 14, 1997, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Feb. 19, 1944, to Charles Wesley Massey and Cora Lee Songer Massey. He married Athel I. "Cooter" Bailey on Oct. 2, 1970. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a truck driver for Packard Transportation Co. He was a member of Sikeston Eagles Aerie No. 3319 and was of the Baptist faith...

ANNA, Ill. -- Dellis Pierce Buzbee, 89, of Anna died Saturday, Feb. 15, 1997, at Union County Hospital. He was born April 6, 1907, in Vienna, Ill., to S. Archie and Laura Pierce Buzbee. He married Maude Pender on June 14, 1930, at Westfield, Ill. He was a graduate of Vienna High School and earned his bachelor of science and master of science degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale...

NEW HAMBURG -- Leo A. "Bud" Steger, 84, died Saturday, Feb. 15, 1997, at his home. He was born Sept. 24, 1912, at Chaffee to Theodore Steger and Effie Stevens. On Oct. 26, 1933 at Red Bud, Ill., he married Vera Louise Steger, who died Dec. 16, 1991...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Joseph E. Motes, 58, of Paducah, died Saturday at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel.

Sometimes when I'm doing mundane household chores I catch myself humming, or singing softly, "Ah, sweet mystery of life, at last I've found thee. Ah, at last I know the secret of it all." That's about as far as I get. Maybe because I've forgotten the correct arrangement of the following words or because I'm mentally alert enough to ask myself if I have, like the lyricist claimed, found the mystery? The secret?...