Stories from Thursday, December 7, 1995

CHARLESTON -- Louis Krauss, 80, of Charleston, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1995, at his residence. He was born Jan. 2, 1915, at Bertrand, son of William M. and Nellie Atkins Krauss. He and Lillian Beatrice Winders were married June 2, 1934. She preceded him in death May 17, 1950...

To the editor: This is a letter to share a very special joy that I have been so privileged to experience. It also holds bittersweet moments, but I hope that if I've touched even just one person's heart this holiday season, I will know that a difference has been made...

Southeast Missouri State University's presidential search committee has appointed 10 of its members to two subcommittees to screen applicants. Anne Bradshaw of Cape Girardeau will chair one subcommittee and Veryl Riddle of St. Louis wil chair the other...

More than 2,500 area school children are expected to converge on the Show Me Center Friday for a program designed to introduce them to the art of ballet. The 12:30 p.m. program sponsored by Biokyowa Incorporated will be conducted by members of the Saint Louis Ballet...

Just when you thought Christmas had been done, artistically speaking, along come Pablo Rodarte and Dance Espana with "Navidad Flamenca," a passionate flamenco interpretation of the Nativity story. The bilingual "Navidad Flamenca" combines elements of a Spanish Mass with Las Posadas, the New Mexican tradition of lighting the way -- literally to the inn. It is, in the words of one reviewer, "a truly wondrous mystery play."...

Tchaikovsky's classic Christmas tale the "Nutcracker" will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday at the Show Me Center by the Saint Louis Ballet. This is the second year the ballet has performed in Cape Girardeau and the 15th year the Saint Louis Ballet has presented a production of the "Nutcracker." This year's performance in sponsored by St. Francis Medical Center...

Now we know why he doesn't ever take questions at the annual regional education conferences. Now we know why those meetings are always held at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, in relatively distant locations, the better to minimize opportunities for ordinary working Missourians to attend and offer questions or comments. Now we know...

Like many cities, Cape Girardeau has an unappreciated and little-used asset in its local-access cable-television channel. With the exception of regular coverage of Cape Girardeau's city council and school board meetings, local programming on the station is sporadic. A handful of local programs -- forums for doctors and lawyers, church services -- have been produced and broadcast over the years, but few would argue there is an overabundance of local programming...

Fifty-four years ago today, in the "day that will live in infamy," more than 3,000 Americans lost their lives in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. As U.S. troops head to Eastern Europe there are stark contrasts between this mission and that of Americans in 1941. ...

To the editor: In his Dec. 5 letter to the editor, Donn S. Miller of Tamms, Ill., takes Speaker Newt Gingrich to task for comments that Mr. Gingrich made following the killing of a northern Illinois woman and three of her children. I have only one question: How would Mr. Miller explain why this horrific act took place?...

To the editor: The children at May Greene School received $1,000 from the YELL program. These funds have been used to purchase 200 books for our classroom libraries. The classroom libraries are a part of our accelerated reader program. This is a computerized, literature-based reading management program. ...

Cape Girardeau County Rudolph and Alverta Koerber to The Koerber Revocable Trust; Eddie and Sharon Tuschhoff to Virginia Tuschhoff; Albert and Alberta Gross to Richard and Sheila Gross; Motorcycle Stuff Inc. to The Evelyn and Hazel Rhomberg Trusts; Wetworks Ltd. to The Evelyn and Hazel Rhomberg Trust; John and Faye Stinnett to Norris and Margaret Greer...

WHITEWATER -- John W. Deneke, 98, of Whitewater, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1995, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 5, 1897, in Gordonville, son of William H. and Sophia Sander Deneke. He and Sophia Louise Neumeyer were married March 8, 1930. She died Oct. 18, 1984...

ANNA, Ill. -- Frank Jastrab, 77, of Anna died Wednesday, Dec. 6, 1995, at Spanish Oaks Center in Anna. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna.

PERRYVILLE -- With a new 911 numbering system, some Perry County residents might get a new address without even moving. As county officials have researched and listed road names found on computerized maps, they have found a need to rename some roads...

BENTON -- When there's a community project to be done near Benton, volunteers seem to come from miles around. At least 20 volunteers recently helped build a new playground at the elementary school here. In June, about 100 volunteers from the Benton area completed a new baseball field at the city park. Construction of the field took about 15 months. The new playground was built in about two weekends, although planning took about two weeks...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Funeral service for Helen Frances Kennedy of Mounds will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge. The Rev. Herman Painter will officiate, with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery at Pulaski. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

Son to Rick and Melanie Shultz, 3606 Hopper Road, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:02 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, 1995. Name, Patrick Marshall. Weight, 8 pounds 6 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Shultz is the former Melanie Rankin, daughter of Marshall and Pat Rankin of Farmington, Ky. She is a registered nurse at Southeast Hospital. Shultz is account manager with Deutsche Financial Services. He is the son of Charles and Pat Shultz of Sikeston...

ANNA, Ill. -- Glenn R. Hindman, 89, of Anna, died Wednesday, Dec. 6, 1995, at Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. He was born Oct. 1, 1906, in Anna, son of Francis and Charlotte Davis Hindman. He and Etta Belle Hooppaw were married Dec. 21, 1940. She died March 18, 1989...

As our readers know, English has been taking a back seat in classrooms the country over for decades. For more than 10 years, teachers of subjects other than English have been required to assign essays relating to their own subject matter. Even so, basic English continues to sit behind unrelated content and hands-on practice. No hands on, no fun learning, is the tune ringing incessantly in our ears...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Margaret Verna Shelby of St. Louis will be held at 11 a.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery near Charleston. Shelby, 88, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1995, at her home. She was born Sept. 19, 1907, at Charleston, daughter of C.I. and Martha V. Harris Lutz. She and A.C. "Clarence" Shelby were married in 1927. He died Sept. 16, 1984...

The first few days of December had people thinking less about sweaters and coats and more about T-shirts and shorts. Temperatures hovered around 65 and the sun shone brightly most of the time, beckoning people away from the heater and out-of-doors. It was a welcome change from the autumn chill of just a week ago...

Volunteers with the 1995 Toybox toy drive have started working to match donated toys with children who are hoping for a merry Christmas. As anyone who's ever Christmas-shopped for children can attest, some items are more in demand than others. "We need basketballs, baseballs, Barbies, Power Rangers," said Kerry Reeves, co-chair of the toy drive. "We have gotten a lot of stuffed animals, and a lot of baby dolls."...

Mrs. J has three loves in her life: her church, her home and her garden. She volunteers many hours every week working at the church. Although her arthritis and heart problems have limited the type of work she can do, Mrs. J has found lots of ways to continue helping...

High-school and college students would be required to complete service hours to graduate under a law proponents hope to introduce in the coming legislative session. The proposal would link education with community service and perhaps build a generation of community volunteers. It is being put forth by the Missouri Community Service Commission, over which Lt. Gov. Roger B. Wilson presides...

Dec. 7, 1995 Dear Patty, Greenery the length of a good touchdown run stretches from our dining room into the living room. DC is adorning it with colored lights. Some of the strands don't work, of course, which may have to do with the puppies' false belief that something in the garland ought to be edible...

I AGREE 100 percent with the caller regarding discontinuing of throwing candy from the floats. It is really aggravating trying to watch a parade with kids pushing and shoving and knocking each other down, mostly with the little tykes getting the worst end of it. ...

Although the federal speed limit was enacted as an energy-saving measure, the reduction of injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents that followed was quickly noticed. With the repeal of the federal limit, state lawmakers must decide how to balance the popular desire for higher speeds while maintaining safe roadways...

Murray State University in Kentucky will expand its discounted tuition program for students from Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee. The tuition break already makes it difficult for Southeast Missouri State University to attract Southern Illinois students, said Juan Crites, Southeast's admissions director...

More than 1,200 entries were received from school children throughout the region for the 1995 Nutcracker coloring contest. The winners are: Garrett Ruppel, kindergarten; Kristen Lear, first grade; Grant Hahn, second grade; Lacey Hayes, third Grace; Katie Lohse, fourth grade; Ashley Cary, fifth grade; and Megan Murphy, sixth grade...