Stories from Sunday, August 8, 1999

Dear Editor: Having moved to Jackson almost five years ago from Long Island, New York, I can't tell you how pleased I was to read about the changes in our local newspaper. I love our fair town and with its growth comes change. I'd love to hear about how the townspeople feel about them...

The Arnsberg Cemetery Association met July 29, at the home of Norman and Val Tuschoff. The main item of business was the planning of a book to be published in the year 2000. The title of the book will be "The Restoration of the Arnsberg Cemetery and Reviving the Memory of the Town of Arnsberg and the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church"...

Everyone in the nineteenth-century Ukrainian village of Kulyenchikov is stupid, thanks to a 200-year-old nurse...er, curse! The River City Players are bringing Kulyenchikov and its dimwitted residents to life at the River City Yacht Club above the Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant on the Cape Girardeau water front, in Neil Simon's "Fools."...

While the future of the struggling St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway is still uncertain, help is beginning to come from many directions. Jackson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ken Parrett addressed the railway's stockholders last week and advised them to seek non-profit status. The railway is pursuing this move, which would allow it to compete for various grants and for donations to be written off for tax purposes...

The teaching staff of the Cape Girardeau Vo-Tech Adult Learning Center recently attended a three-day workshop at the Sikeston Junior High School. The workshop was sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in cooperation with the Moberly Community Area College and Central Missouri State University. ...

Thirteen of the Rev. John Rice's 17 years in the ministry have been spent in a small town atmosphere. With four children at home, Rice felt it was time to return to the safer, friendlier confines of a smaller community. Rice assumed duties as pastor of New McKendree United Methodist Church July 4, after serving four years at a St. Louis church...

Cross country practice for Jackson High School runners will begin at 8 a.m. Monday for all high school students (grades 9-12) planning to run this fall. Runners should be at the high school multipurpose building, dressed to run. It is very important that each runner attends the first day of practice...

KFVS-12 news anchor Dave Courvoisier has long been involved with neglected and disadvantaged children. Tuesday he brought his case for a Cape Girardeau County chapter of the national Big Brothers Big Sisters program before the Jackson Rotary Club. Courvoisier, who returned to Cape Girardeau this year after being in Las Vegas 13 years, is in on the ground floor of organizing a local chapter of the national program. ...

Joe Bob Baker was sworn in last week as the new Ward 4 Jackson alderman. Baker is a co-owner of B & B Auto Salvage in Jackson. "I look forward to the prospect of serving the people in Jackson and very much look forward to working with the mayor, the seven other council members and the city staff," Baker said. "I will bring the perspective of a small business owner here in Jackson, to this office."...

Several new titles have arrived recently at the Riverside Regional Library's main facility in Jackson. In the adult line, new books include UFOs, JFK and Elvis, by Richard Belzer; Reaching to Heaven, by James Van Praagh; Cool Communication, by Andrea Frank Henkart; The Tween Years, by Donna G. Corwin; Abidge With Me, by Lynn Harris; Guenevere, by Rosilind Miles; Honor! by Dana Fuller Ross; As Time Goes By, by Michael Walsh; and a collection of paperback westerns...

COLUMBIA -- William Schabbing, veterinarian at Jackson, hascompleted a 43-hour course in beef cattle nutrition, according to Bob Larson, veterinarian at the University of Missouri. The nutrition course was offered by the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Office of Continuing Education and the University Extension Commercial Agriculture program. Larson is a member of the Commercial Agriculture beef focus team...

The trademark of Washington, D.C. is politics. That's rightly so; everyone in DC has an agenda. Once I was caught in a staff elevator with two guys in suits who looked about my age. "So what brings you to Washington?" I asked. "We are lobbing Congress to make the Everglades a national park which would stop their destruction."...

25 years ago: 1974 Harold Klaus of Perryville has been elected 1974-75 president of Riverside Regional Library Board of Trustees; other regional officers are vice president, Dr. Theodore Fischer, Altenburg, and secretary-treasurer, Mrs. L.W. Kasten, Jackson...

WE HAVE suffered very much through this extreme heat, but God always sends a relief period. But when the tribulation period comes upon this earth, he will not listen to the suffering of the lost as stated in Revelation 16:8-9. "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and power was given unto him to scorch man with fire. ...

It seems that on those few occasions that I stand up for congressional Republicans, they always make me eat my words. Last week, under cover of darkness, and with the anonymity of voice vote, the Senate passed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I loathe hate-crime bills in general, but this one is particularly venal because it involves such an overreaching exercise of federal authority, as I will explain...

A survey of liquor licenses in Southeast Missouri shows that there are a lot of resort licenses, although there are no current resort licenses in Cape Girardeau. The survey was quite an eye-opener, particularly when you consider this part of the state isn't particularly known for its resorts...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Polly, want a cracker? Or maybe a bigger cage or a bird gym? For exotic bird lovers, there was plenty to choose from at the Tri-State Exotic Bird Fair Saturday at the JR's Executive Inn Riverfront. The fair featured more than 100 vendor booths and more than 1,000 exotic birds from cockatoos to Amazon parrots...

It takes a lot of gear to prepare for a new school year. Just ask our soon-to-be second grader, Becca. Joni recently took her shopping for school supplies. Hours later, they returned with a whole cartload of supplies. The whole experience, as it turned out, was akin to outfitting an army...

Southeast Missouri State University has announced its fall lineup of mini business workshops for the community. The classes are designed for busy people and cover such areas as Windows 95/98, Microsoft Office 97/2000, office ergonomics and web page development...

Summary: High school squads will start practicing Monday. By Bob Miller First-year Cape Central football coach Lawrence Brookins doesn't believe in two-a-days. He prefers the one-long-practice-a-day. When high school football practices across the state begin on Monday, Brookins isn't going to let his players out of sight until they're finished...

Tigers in unfamiliar position as OVC grid favorite. The times have certainly changed as far as Ohio Valley Conference football is concerned. Gone are the days when a team like perennial powerhouse Eastern Kentucky was virtually automatically penciled in for the top spot in the preseason poll...

Gabe Edwards This area apparently has some budding young track and field athletes. Evidence of that is the fact that five local youngsters have qualified for the Hershey's Track and Field Youth Program North American Final Meet. The 21st annual event, which will feature 480 of the top young track and field athletes in North America, will be held be held Aug. 15 in Hershey, Pa...

The River Eagle Budweiser men's slow-pitch softball team captured the World Amateur Sports Association (WASA) Missouri State Championship held last weekend at the Shawnee Sports Complex in Cape Girardeau. It marked the third consecutive state title won by Budweiser, which captured the WASA crown in 1998 and the NSA championship in 1997...

Cape Central sports practices begin Monday Practices for the fall sports teams at Cape Girardeau Central High School will begin Monday. Following are the details for each sport (practices are at the high school except where noted). Football: Begins at 7 a.m.; Boys Soccer: From 6-8 a.m. and from 6-8 p.m.; Cross Country: From 8:30-10:30 a.m.; Girls Tennis: From 7-10 a.m.; Volleyball: from 8-10 a.m.; Softball: At 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. for grades 11-12, at 5 p.m. for grades 9-10, all at Arena Park...

Thomas Statler MILLERSVILLE -- Thomas Emerson Statler, 97, of Millersville died Thursday, Aug. 5, 1999, at his home. He was born Nov. 14, 1901, north of Sedgewickville, son of Albert Ross and Sarah Caroline Bowman Statler. He and Mary Hallie Keller were married Sept. 16, 1924, in Chester, Ill...

Elmore Watson Kassel Elmore Watson Kassel, 59, of Lemay died Monday at his residence. He was born Jan. 16, 1940, in Cape Girardeau to Neva E. Ford and Elmore Wilson Kassel. He was the brother of Ruth Jean Lange of Fruitland and Chloe Jane Gibbons of Shell Knob, the father of Michael Dale Kassel and Jeffrey Allen Kassel, both of St. Louis, and the uncle to six nieces and nephews...

Ina O. Boesch FARMINGTON -- Ina O. Boesch, 77, of Farmington died Friday, Aug. 6, 1999, at Parkland Health Center in Farmington. She was born Feb. 8, 1922, in Yount, daughter of Charles "Booger" and Pearl Johnson Head. She married Wilburn J. Boesch Sr. on Nov. 1, 1944. He died June 28, 1996...

Ruth Graham SIKESTON -- Ruth L. Atkinson Graham, 78, of Sikeston died Friday, Aug. 6, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 5, 1920, in Bloomfield, daughter of Clyde R. and Jottie L. Williams Launius. She married Robert Atkinson on June 6, 1940, in Sikeston. He died March 25, 1975. She married Elzie Graham on Sept. 2, 1978, in Sikeston. He survives...

James R. Gill JACKSON -- James R. Gill, 66, of Jackson and formerly of Delta died Saturday, Aug. 7, 1999, at his residence. He was born Jan. 26, 1933, at Puxico, son of Hansel and Velda Mitchell Gill. He married Linda Myers at Chaffee on Feb. 23, 1985. She survives...

Henry Dillow ANNA, Ill. -- Henry Don Dillow, 76, of Anna died Saturday, Aug. 7, 1999, at Union County Hospital in Anna. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. Services will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home...

Goldie Collins BLODGETT -- Goldie Elnorah Collins, 92, of Blodgett died at her home Saturday, Aug. 7. 1999. She was born Feb. 18, 1907, in Gatewood, daughter of Richmond and Menvera Wright Sadler. She married Edgar Collins on Aug. 5, 1925, in Tryon, Okla. He died Oct. 14, 1956...

Raymond Goodman Raymond H. Goodman, 58, of Perryville died Saturday, Aug. 7, 1999. Arrangements are incomplete at Young & Sons Funeral Home in Perryville.

Robert Kahtz Robert L. Kahtz, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 6, 1999, at his home. He was born June 25, 1924, in Edwardsville, Ill., son of August H. and Martha Metzger Kahtz. He married Joyce Irvin on Aug. 28, 1946, in Edwardsville. She died April 15, 1999...

Walking Weiner Kennel in Perryville offers a special approach to the selection of a puppy. Cliff and Jo LaFentres have built a puppy nursery where dogs are bred and whelped and puppies are cared for until time to go to new homes. The little yellow nursery resembles a play house. "I tell people this is the doll house Jo didn't have as a child," said Cliff...

We think the chief purpose of flowers are to delight us with their beauty of form, color, texture and perfume; all our efforts to produce them are for that purpose. Also, we think the tomato, bean, okra, corn, etc., come to fruition for our Epicurean delight. We cultivate, fertilize, weed and sometimes stake to aid them to grow for our eating pleasure...