Stories from Tuesday, May 19, 1998

What can thrill a young child as much as a trip to the big city to see a major league baseball game? Recently our family went to St. Louis to see the San Diego Padres play the Cardinals. We went 2 hours early, hoping to see batting practice. It was drizzling and threatening to do worse, so the teams practiced hitting in cages beneath the stands, where we couldn't see. ...

We have several friends, one in particular, who love e-mail postcards. These postcards are easy, quick and a fun way to keep up with friends. Let us start at a nice site that is a favorite of our e-mail sender, Steve Mosley. www.bluemountain.com Peggy: The nice thing about Blue Mountain cards is that they are animated and musical. ...

Travis McGuire removed a concrete form behind a house that is under construction by the Vo-Tech building trades class. Bud Thompson, left, building trades class instructor, assisted Todd Johnston, a Central High junior, with installation of a garage door spring at the house being constructed by Vo-Tech students...

Editor's note: This is the last in a series of articles following Bernie residents Erin Holt and Bradley Botsch through their freshman year at Southeast Missouri State University. At the conclusion of her freshman year of college, Erin Holt is confounded by the amount of time college requires -- especially of a student-athlete. Finishing up his freshman year, Bradley Botsch has so much spare time he is thinking about taking a part-time job next semester...

Legislation approved last week would free up enough local money to build a juvenile justice center in Cape Girardeau County, officials said. House Bill 971 approved by the Missouri General Assembly provides that juvenile officers in multicounty court circuits become state employees paid by the state instead of by counties. The changes would take place July 1, 1999, if Gov. Mel Carnahan signs the measure. He has indicated he will do so this summer...

The newest, largest shelter at Cape Girardeau County parks will be named in honor of the man who helped develop the parks. The Cape Girardeau County Commission approved a resolution Monday to name the shelter the Gene E. Huckstep Pavilion. The recommendation to honor Huckstep came from the County Park Board. Max Stovall said it was one way to say thank you to Huckstep for his work...

Although it sits at the intersection of two dusty gravel roads surrounded by farm fields, the church I attended Sunday isn't one that has only been preserved for history's sake. It was just as alive and well as when it was founded nearly 85 or more years ago. And people from all around packed the pews Sunday for a homecoming service...

CHRISTINE STEPHENS recently wrote in a letter to the editor that she didn't think there would be many country clubs in hell. Country clubs are, of course, noted for their golf courses. Thus, one can conclude that, by extension, Ms. Stephens was saying there won't be many golf courses in hell. ...

Upon the death of the great 18th century British architect Sir Christopher Wren, a London admirer said, "If you would ask what are his monuments, look around you." So it is with Gene Huckstep. Look around. Begin with the stunningly beautiful Cape Girardeau County Park north and south along U.S. ...

To the editor: Remember the Alamo, San Juan Hill, Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Bulge, Pork Chop Hill and a thousand other battlefields where the young me of America laid down their lives. The euphoria over the recent news about the marriage made in heaven, the merger of Daimler-Benz of Germany and Chrysler Corp. of America leads me to believe that the leadership of this country choose to ignore the sacrifices made by our soldiers, sailors and marines on foreign fields...

To the editor: The trend toward non-judgmentalism started in the wake of the great upheaval of the 1960s. As people tried to defend the values with which they had been socialized into the community of Americans, there ran into what was to become a classic counterpunch: the epithet of hypocrisy. ...

Numerous bids for upcoming construction projects were received and a date was set for making recommendations to address the next school budget during a meeting of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education Monday night. School board members will meet June 1 to review information and proposals and hear recommendations from administrators regarding how to eliminate about $1 million from the next school year's budget. The amount needs to be eliminated to correct deficit-spending from previous years...

JACKSON -- Mayor Paul Sander Monday night vetoed a vote by the Jackson Board of Aldermen that would have rezoned property at the intersection of West Jackson Boulevard and Old Toll Road from residential to commercial. The board had voted 5-3 to approve the rezoning. Sander said he vetoed the decision because he favors waiting to rezone until the Missouri Department of Transportation decides on a plan for the future of Highway 72...

A $66,674.57 contract for construction of phase IV of the city's recreation trail was approved by the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday. Nip Kelley Equipment Co. Inc. submitted the low bid for construction of 1,810 linear feet of the trail, which will stretch from North Kingshighway to Lexington along Cape La Croix Creek...

Millersville native Jeff McCullough has been promoted to the rank of corporal in the Missouri Highway Patrol. Since beginning his career with the patrol on Jan. 1, 1993, McCullough has been stationed in Malden. He will remain in Malden but will be designated as assistant zone commander of Zone 10 headquartered at Kennett...

Kansas -- specifically Wichita -- will be the next stop for Southeast Missouri State University's history-making baseball team. The Indians, making the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time ever, were Monday assigned to the Midwest Regional hosted by Wichita State...

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Defending champion LSU emerged from the powerful Southeastern Conference as a top seed Monday as play begins toward the College World Series. The Tigers will be trying for their third straight college title, something that has not been done since Southern Cal won five in a row from 1970-74...

CHAFFEE -- Fourth-seed East Prairie appeared to have everything going its way in the seventh inning of Monday's first-round Class 2A, District 2 tournament game here at Harmon Field. The Eagles had just taken a one-run lead over fifth-seed Scott City and had one of the best pitchers in Southeast Missouri, left-hander Ben Marshall, on the mound looking to close out the win...

Four Southeast Missouri State University softball players have been named to the GTE District VII Academic All-District team. Southeast had more selections to the team than any other university in the district, which included Nebraska, Creighton, Northern Iowa, Southwest Missouri, Missouri and Wichita State...

The three finalists for the athletic director's position at Southeast Missouri State University will be on campus for interviews and meetings over the next two weeks. Bobby Thompson, director of athletics, intramurals and recreation at the University of Texas at San Antonio, will be in Cape Girardeau Thursday...

The McDowell Capahas will have to wait a few extra days to open their 1998 season. Cape Girardeau's tradition-rich baseball team was scheduled to open the new campaign Friday night with a home game against Evansville, Ind. Those same squads were slated to play a doubleheader the following day...

Jackson is the tournament host, but Cape Central's undefeated girls soccer team will be heavy favorites to claim their second straight District 1 title starting today at the Jackson Soccer Complex. The Lady Tigers earned the tourney's top seed by completing their second consecutive undefeated regular season last week with a 17-0-1 record. Second-seed Jackson, 13-4-1 including three losses to Central, is hoping to get one more crack at the Lady Tigers in the title game...

SIKESTON -- A more heartbreaking loss would be hard to come by. Jackson High's baseball team led by as much as 12-3 before Farmington scored seven runs in the seventh inning and beat the Indians 13-12 Monday in the Class 4A, District 1 tournament. "There wasn't much we could do," said Jackson coach Sam Sides. "(Farmington) just battled back. You have to give them credit."...

Missy Minton, 14, of Advance, competed in the Level 9 Western Nationals gymnastics meet in Austin, Texas, this weekend. Minton's 8.975 on the vault placed her 14th among 57 gymnasts. She also was 17th on the floor with a score of 9.225. Her all-around score of 35.2 placed her second among five participants from Missouri...

Jay Ruark has been shooting a basketball for about as long as he can remember and he practices every chance he gets. It perhaps should could as no surprise, then, that the 13-year-old recently qualified to compete in the International Shootout National Championship that will be held May 30-31 at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas...

The sixth annual Jim Belknap/Friends of St. Francis Junior Golf Classic will be held June 8-9 at Bent Creek Golf Club in Jackson. Boys and girls ages 10-12 will play nine holes each day while boys and girls ages 13-18 will play 18 holes each day. Entry blanks for the event are available at the Bent Creek pro shop; First Community Banks in Poplar Bluff, Malden, Bernie and Campbell; the West Park Mall office; and the foundation office at Saint Francis Medical Center...

The 1998 Scott City Running' Ram Basketball Camp will be held May 26-29. A session for boys entering grades 3-6 will be held from 8-10 a.m. daily while a session for boys entering grades 7-9 will be held from 10 a.m.-noon daily. Campers will receive instructions from the Scott City coaching staff and players. There will be a variety of drills as well as five-on-five play each day...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will host its 8th Annual Junior Outdoor Tennis Tournament June 20 at Arena Park's and Cape Central's courts. Participants should be at the Arena Park courts at 8 a.m. and play will begin shortly after that. The tournament is open for youths ages 10-18. There will be singles and doubles play...

CHARTER OAK -- Clinton Earl "Clint" Barber, 60, of Charter Oak died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at his home. He was born Jan. 1, 1938, at Charter Oak, son of C.I. "Ike" and Stella Mae Stepp Barber. Barber was employed several years by Sonny Wheeler Farms...

ALTENBURG -- Funeral for Garlan D. "Woody" Woods of Altenburg will be held at 2 p.m. today at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel. Burial will be in Home Cemetery at Perryville. Friends may call at the chapel from 11 a.m. until service time. Woods, 64, died Saturday, May 16, 1998, at his home...

BELL CITY -- Graveside service for Myrtle A. Templeton, Bell City Route 1, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Forest Hills Cemetery in Morley. Russell Rice will officiate. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel at Sikeston is in charge of arrangements. Templeton, 88, died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at her home...

ANNISTON -- Graveside service for Alta Reed of Anniston will be held at 10 a.m. today at Anniston Cemetery. Phil Nuernberger will officiate. McMikle Funeral Home at Charleston is in charge of arrangements. Reed, 85, died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at her home...

DELTA -- Glen Prosser, 81, of Delta died Monday, May 18, 1998, at his home. He was born Aug. 26, 1916, at Blomeyer, son of Oscar and Bertha McMillan Prosser. He and Lois Medlin were married Jan. 24, 1942, in Ecorse, Mich. Prosser was a retired farmer. He was a member of First Baptist Church at Delta, and VFW Post 3127 at Chaffee...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Randal L. Lawrence Jr., 80, of Dongola died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at his home. He was born June 27, 1917, at Cobden, son of Randal L. and Mabel Hardin Lawrence Sr. He and Mary Sadler were married Dec. 17, 1948, at Cobden. She died June 16, 1982...

Funeral for Muriel G. Price Dombroski of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. Roger Christiansen will officiate, with burial in Fairmount Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. Thursday...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Linda Sue Beggs, 56, of Ullin died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at her home. She was born July 20, 1941. in Carrier Mills, daughter of Claude and Monica Morse Murphy. Survivors include her husband, Bill Beggs; a son, David Beggs of Springfield; three sisters, Mary Tague of Austin, Texas, Mona Duden of Overland, Kan., and Shirley Metz of Tinley Park...

FROHNA -- Ernst W. Verseman, 98, of Frohna died Monday, May 18, 1998, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born April 14, 1900, at Farrar, son of Henry and Emma Koenig Verseman. He and Meta S. Bronnenkant were married Dec. 22, 1928. She died June 22, 1985. He later married Paula Meyer April 19, 1987. She died July 31, 1995...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Annie Jewel Hicks, 76, of East Prairie died Sunday, May 17, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Nov. 29, 1921, in Mississippi County, daughter of Frank and Victoria Bass Holmes. She and Lewis G. Hicks were married May 3, 1963...

ANNA, Ill. -- Calvin Silliman Sr., 65, of Anna died Saturday, May 16, 1998, at Union County Hospital. He was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Laurens, N.Y., son of Harold and Letha Sutton Silliman. Silliman was a retired truck driver. He was a life member of Carroll P. Foster VFW Post. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...

Henry Perr of The Lutheran Home died Monday, May 18, 1998. Arrangements are incomplete at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel.

Son to Timothy W. and Lori L. Huey of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:32 p.m. Sunday, May 10, 1998. Name, Timothy David. Weight, 6 pounds 8 ounces. First child. Mrs. Huey is the former Lori Towery, daughter of David Towery and Glinda Towery of South Pekin, Ill. She is a teacher at Cairo Junior High School. Huey is the son of Jackie Green of Aquilla and Michael Huey of Scott City. He is a floor technician at Seabaugh's Custom Hardwood Floors...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, will be the guest speaker at the American Diabetes Association Southeast Missouri Chapter dinner meeting May 26. Reception begins at 6 p.m. at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau, with dinner at 6:30 and business meeting at 7:30...