Stories from Wednesday, June 8, 1994

DELTA -- Lorena Ashley Barnett, 2, of Delta, died Monday, June 6, 1994, at her residence. She was born Jan. 6, 1992, at Farmington, daughter of John Darrell Barnett and Sabrina Jean Strange. Survivors include her parents; a brother, Jesse Barnett of Delta; her maternal grandparents, Paulette Knight of Park Hills and Alton Lloyd Strange of Gulf Port, Miss.; and her paternal grandparents, Winnifred and Darrell William Barnett of Park Hills...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Some stars of yesteryear will visit Metropolis this weekend. Four days of events are scheduled for this Southern Illinois city's annual Superman Celebration Thursday through Sunday, and the schedule of events for the 16th annual extravaganza is more extensive than usual, said Dan Milam. That's because of the "Superman Comes Home Convention" being held during the celebration...

To the Editor, What a way to end my senior year at Cape Central High School! After some great finishes in academics and athletics, including the 4A baseball championship, something happens to bring us back to the reality of politics in school systems. When I heard that some seniors were going to be allowed to walk across the stage on Friday night even though they lacked necessary credits, I was shocked...

The Glenn House, 325 S. Spanish, will host a one-day exhibit of antique photography equipment and photos Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The exhibit is planned in conjunction with Riverfest activities downtown this weekend. The collection is on loan from Don Beattie of Nowell's Camera Shop and Tom Neumeyer of Neumeyer Photography...

St. Francis Medical Center will sponsor a pair of babysitter training courses in June at the St. Francis Information Center in Jackson. The courses will be offered on Monday and on June 20, from 9:30 a.m-1:30 p.m. both days. The Information Center is located at 2122 East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson's Heartland Plaza, across from the Jackson Wal-Mart...

When a student starts his freshman year in high school, the societal expectation is graduation in four years. In Missouri, one in four teenagers do not. Recently released 1993 figures place the state's four-year graduation rate at 72.8 percent -- down from 73.2 percent in 1993...

To the Editor, The Cape Girardeau School Board sent two disturbing messages Friday by adopting a last-minute, behind-closed-doors policy to allow students who have not met the requirements for graduation to participate fully in graduation ceremonies...

To the Editor, I speak as an alumnus of Cape Central High School and the mother of two children who are alumni also, as I voice my disapproval of the recent decision of the school board and school superintendent with regard to the last minute changes in requirements for participation in graduation. ...

Dear Editor, I have a simple solution for ending the controversies, the anger, and the frustrations that arise across our country every year just before graduation ceremonies are performed and diplomas are awarded. I have been advocating this solution to my friends and colleagues for several years. ...

You've heard the expression: a couple of bad apples spoil the barrel. Well, that's exactly the case with federal anti-crime legislation. Both the House and the Senate have passed strong bills, but in each legislative package there's something tacked on that simply overwhelms the rest of the measure -- and that's too bad. I'm referring to the Racial Justice Act (RJA) and the semiautomatic weapons ban on 19 guns...

On an auto trip through Kentucky and Tennessee some time ago, my friend Esther and I found the scenery so breathtaking we were at a loss for words to describe it. Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and the almost-right word was like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. ...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Funeral service for Ralph Ray Sigman of Cobden will be held at 8 p.m. today at Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. Burial will be Friday in Steele Chapel Cemetery at Elk Creek, Mo. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6 p.m. to service time...

Chester D. Niswonger, 69, 2549 Marvin, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born March 28, 1925, in Cape Girardeau, son of Omer H. and May Grieb Niswonger. He and Thelma "Pat" Crites Leggett were married Jan. 15, 1952, in Piggott, Ark...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Sandra S. Smith, 56, of Mt. Vernon, Ind., died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind. She was born Aug. 2, 1937, in Cairo, daughter of Glenn and Lillian Johnson Golightly. Survivors include two sons, Harold Smith of Nashville, Tenn., Eric Smith of Mt. Vernon, Ind.; a daughter, Cindy Smith of Tampa, Fla.; her father of Dongola; a brother, Jon Golightly of Anna, and five grandchildren...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Marie Keller, 80, of Dongola, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, in Union County Hospital. She was born Feb. 9, 1914, daughter of William and Matilda Poole Staudacher. She and Leo H. Keller were married Dec. 7, 1930. He died Sept. 17, 1990...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Alvin Leo Froemsdorf, 79, of McClure, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. He was born March 17, 1915, at Jackson, Mo., son of Martin and Annie Raumuller Froemsdorf. He and Gertrude Sylvia Crites were married March 7, 1936, at Jackson...

CHARLESTON -- Charlotte Berry Evans, 30, of Portales, N.M., formerly of Charleston, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at Methodist Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. McMikle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNISTON -- Funeral service for Pete McClendon of Anniston will be held at 1 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie. Dickey McClendon will officiate, with burial in Anniston Cemetery. McClendon, 76, died Monday, June 6, 1994, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff...

THEBES, Ill. -- Homer William "Gator" Wallace, 74, of Thebes, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at his home. He was born Jan. 3, 1920, in Alton, son of William Leonard and Anna M. Townsley Wallace. He married the former Jeanette Storm. Wallace was a retired truck driver, and was retired from the Alton Police Department...

SIKESTON -- Henry Clifton Holland, 79, of Matthews, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at the Sells Rest Home in Matthews. The Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel of Sikeston is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete at this time.

ANNA, Ill. -- Jennifer Sandlin, 77, of Anna, died Tuesday, June 7, 1994, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home of Anna is in charge of arrangements.

Cape Girardeau voters turned down a 37-cent tax increase earmarked for building improvements at the city's schools. Tuesday's ballot issue lost by 176 votes. According to the unofficial tally, the vote was 2,321 yes to 2,497 no. The school district asked voters to waive the property-tax rollback provided by Proposition C, the state sales tax for education...

The Cape Girardeau Parks Development Foundation kicked off the first-ever capital campaign for the city's parks Tuesday. Judy Wilferth, chairman of the foundation board, announced the campaign hopes to raise $500,000 to supplement city funding of two major projects at Shawnee and Osage parks...

Cape Girardeau Board of Education member Bob Fox is unhappy with a decision allowing seniors who have not completed requirements to participate in Central High school's graduation ceremony Friday. "I wasn't happy with the decision and I was not happy with the way it was made," said Fox...

Voluntary annexation paves the way for orderly and efficient growth in Cape Girardeau. At least this is the way Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III sees it. Two voluntary annexation requests are pending before the city of Cape Girardeau. One involves property on Bloomfield Road, County Road 206 and Wolf Lane -- on the west side of I-55. Another petition seeks to annex property east of Cape Rock Drive and west of Old Sprigg Street Road...

Gerald "Joe" Martin saw someone perish in a gas station fire once. Ever since, he's had this terrible fear of being engulfed by flames. The very thought of fire makes him nervous. That anxiety will never go away. For that reason, and the fact that he was bilked by someone who didn't know how to properly wire his house, Martin would like to see electricians adhere to a licensing and testing standard...

WHITEWATER -- Voters of the 55-square-mile area of southwest of Cape Girardeau County served by the Whitewater Rural Fire Department approved a 30-cent tax levy Tuesday to be used to upgrade the level of fire protection service. The vote creates the Whitewater Fire Protection District, and establishes a five-member board of directors to govern the district...

When a landlord directs the finger of responsibility at the tenant and the tenant points back, who is ultimately in charge of cleaning up a mess while the argument continues? That and other issues are what the minimum property standards review committee wrestled with Tuesday during its first meeting in the city council chambers...

Jackson County Executive Marsha Murphy, hoping to win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, is traveling the state this week saying if she is elected she will reject perks and gifts provided by special interest groups to members of Congress...

Flamenco guitarist Ronald Radford will close his performance season in the area with a free concert at Chateau Giardeau at 7 tonight. Radford travels throughout the Midwest to perform. His flamenco music is haunting and amazing. He punctuates the performance with stories about his musical education and travels, Spanish flamenco style and personal life experiences...

JACKSON -- When Col. David Ray Moll enlisted in Company A of the former 140th Infantry, Missouri Army National Guard, now the 1140th Combat Engineer Battalion, at Jackson on Dec. 20, 1960, the nation was at peace with most of the world. John F. Kennedy was the president-elect, the Cuban Missile Crisis was several years away, and only a few American advisers were in South Vietnam...

"When I grow up, I want to be a teacher," said Nicole Williams, fifth grade. "I really want to be a fireman so I can help people," said Lawrence Kenkel, fourth grade. "I can't decide if I want to be a pediatrician or a veterinarian," said Amy Gibson, sixth grade...

Guest conductor Robert M. Gifford will direct and vocalist Charlene Peyton will be featured during the Municipal Band concert at 8 tonight in Capaha Park. Gifford, a member of the department of music at Southeast Missouri State University, has served as director of the university's Golden Eagles Marching Band and has conducted bands in Norway, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Canada. ...

A postal rate proposal and how it will affect business, presorting mail to take advantage of bulk and sorting rates, and other postal automation technology are among subjects to be discussed during a special Postal Training Conference here next week...

Residential swimming pools, if properly constructed and situated, can be a big source of enjoyment and exercise. But before deciding to build a pool in your backyard, Jack Byrd, president of Tri-State Swimming Pools Inc. of Cape Girardeau, suggests homeowners decide what they want a pool for and consider its usage in later years when the children leave home. Other factors to consider are how the pool fits into the neighborhood and blends with the home and the various city and professional codes...

Singing in the Rain June is Rose Month. This is the time of the year when the All-America Rose Selections announce the winners for the coming year. This year's honorees for 1995 are Brass Band and Singin' in the Rain, both floribundas, perhaps the most versatile rose for the home garden...