Stories from Thursday, February 27, 1997

To the editor: Jackie Robinson, known for his fame, once said, "Life isn't important in itself. It's the impact it makes on others." Many years ago we lived a block away from the Himmelbergers. Their stature and beautiful home oftentimes led one to feel a little inferior. It was quite the opposite, however, as they were warm, sharing and outgoing people, always willing to oblige...

To the editor: The Rev. Wissman's recent letter to the editor accurately portrays racism as an evil that should be denounced. However, his suggestion about how to get rid of hate groups is much more dangerous than those groups themselves. To give the government the power to abolish and disenfranchise groups that have views that offend us not only would render the First Amendment null and void, but it would grant an already overbearing federal government power that would border of fascism. ...

Don't panic, but in the mail today might be a bill -- a whopping one -- for every person in your household. It would be for the national debt. The amount? About $20,000 apiece, give or take a few dollars. And the total, like a runaway credit card, is growing by hundreds of billions of dollars a year...

I'M A lifelong reader of the Southeast Missourian and generally have no complaints about its news coverage. However, the coverage the Missourian gives to Cape's exorbitant gas prices is practically non-existent. ON the rare occasions that the subject is covered, the Missourian usually interviews representatives from local oil companies and accepts their explanations without investigating any further. ...

With building a performing arts center and establishing a musical theater major at Southeast becoming more than talk, "The Music Man" makes a timely arrival Friday night on the Forrest H. Rose Theatre stage. Bringing 1912 River City, Iowa, to life requires an agile collaboration between theater, music and dance departments that would only be enhanced by a state-of-the-art performance center and state-of-the-art performers. ...

Plans for a new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau have been delayed for at least a year, a federal official said Wednesday. "It is a dead issue for this year simply because of what the budget provides," said the official, Bond Faulwell, deputy regional administrator for the General Services Administration's Kansas City office...

Library users are checking out items from the Cape Girardeau Public Library at a much faster clip than last year, a year when library usage fell. Longtime users like Martha Bender are excited by what Bender said is a marked increase in the number of people she sees in the library when she visits...

Harold Holigan, president of Holigan Family Investments Inc., met this week with area realtors, homebuilders and bankers to discuss plans for Southeast Missouri. "We can design and build any type home in any price range," said Holigan of Dallas, Texas. He is in Cape Girardeau to discuss his company's recent investments in the city and at Jackson, Fruitland and Sikeston...

Feb. 27, 1997 Dear Pat, Today's mail brings a package from C.C. Fish, who makes tarot cards and assorted items meant to help guide your path. Inside were three refrigerator magnets displaying C.C.'s original art and messages that I think come to her in dreams...

A Southeast Missouri State University committee Wednesday voted that the school's athletic teams keep their Indian and Otahkian nicknames. The men's teams are nicknamed the Indians and the women's teams the Otahkians. A handful of committee members wanted to scrap the nicknames...

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee schools will be under new leadership beginning July 1. The school board recently voted unanimously to hire Dr. Bob Biggs as the new superintendent of schools. This decision comes two months after Superintendent Ernie Lawson was told by board members that his contract would not be renewed for a fourth year. Dr. Randy Dooley, board president, would not discuss the decision not to renew Lawson's contract...

The season ended for Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday night in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference post-season tournament at Middle Tennessee State. Middle jumped on us early and built a 21-point halftime lead that we were unable to overcome. So we finished the year with a 12-18 record, 9-9 in the OVC, which tied us for fifth place...

Southeast Missouri State University track coach Joey Haines says an Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship was a just reward for his women's team. "They really worked hard and put in a lot of effort," said Haines. "It was great to see all that rewarded with a first-place finish."...

FARMINGTON -- Cape Central and Jackson kept the seeding true to the end in the Class 4A District 1 tournament Wednesday as both boys teams advanced to a showdown of top seeds tonight. Top-seeded Cape Central improved to 20-6 with a 69-49 victory over Farmington. Second-seeded Jackson (17-8) moved into the 7:30 p.m. final with a 54-49 victory over third-seeded Sikeston...

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Brooks Bryan continued to swing a hot bat for Mississippi State in a 10-4 victory over Southeast Missouri Wednesday. Bryan, who had a home run among his three hits in Tuesday's victory over the Indians, added four hits on Wednesday, including a home run and double...

PARK HILLS -- The second-seeded Perryville Lady Pirates played an outstanding defensive game Wednesday night, holding No. 3 seed North County to only 33 points, to advance onto the Class 3A, District 2 final. The Lady Pirates (20-8) will face No. 1 seed Fredericktown which beat Arcadia Valley 53-50 in overtime...

BLOOMFIELD -- Reva Durhan King, 75, died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at her home in Bloomfield. She was born on Nov. 3, 1922 in Bell City to Guy and Elsie Capps Pritchett. She married Woodrow W. Durham, and he preceded her in death in 1982. Survivors include one son, Larry Dale Durham of Chaffee, one brother, H.M. Pritchett of Bloomfield, and three sisters, Thelma Sipes of Madison, Ill., Marjorie Julius of Casyville, Ill., and Alma Kinser of Dexter...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Everett E. Schuler, 94, of Mound City, died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born April 24, 1902, at Mound City. He owned and operated Schuler Ice and Coal Co., in Mound City until his retirement...

ADVANCE --Elsie Lee Friedrich, 82, of rural Advance died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born April 29, 1914, at Himmel, daughter of James R. and Mary E. McCulley Lee. She and George Friedrich were married March 12, 1934, at Bell City. He died Jan. 16, 1985...

DEXTER -- Alma Ritch, 83, of Dexter died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 21, 1913, in Blytheville, Ark., daughter of John and Maude Knapp Sutton. She and Paul Ritch were married Oct. 25, 1933, in Blytheville. He died in October 1965...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department hopes to have a monthly, 30-minute informational television show as early as May, Chief Rick Hetzel said. The show will be broadcast on local public access Channel 5, Hetzel said. The police are looking to give the show a name. Top contenders are "CGPD Blue," "Cape Blue," "Behind the Badge," "It's the Law," "The Thin Blue Line and Cape's Finest."...

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Lela Kelley Sullivan, 80, of Grand Chain died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997, at Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis. She was born Jan. 13, 1917, in Tiline, Ky., daughter of John and Bessie Hall Holdman. She and Wesley C. Kelley were married in 1936. He preceded her in death in 1981...

The local chapter of the National Association of Social Workers will sponsoring a "Solution Focused Brief Therapy" conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 7, in the Harrison Room of Southeast Missouri Hospital. The conference will be presented by Timothy Galvin, winner of this year's Social Worker of the Year award for the St. Louis area, and will focus on different aspects of brief treatment...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Helen L. Haire, 63, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997, at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. She was born Dec. 13, 1933, in Perryville, Mo., daughter of Guy and Estie Upchurch. She and Dave Haire were married Aug. 15, 1963, in Perryville...

JACKSON -- Ronald Albert Lowes, 53, of Jackson died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 29, 1943, in Cape Girardeau, son of Albert H. and Juanita E. Fowler Lowes. He and Marilyn Kay Gerlach were married June 1, 1968, in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER -- John Leroy "Junior" Price, 62, of Dexter died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at his home. He was born Dec. 26, 1934, at Sikeston, son of John Leroy and Jewell Ramsey Price Sr. He and Patricia Helton were married Oct. 15, 1964, in Anderson, Ind...

ORAN -- Funeral service for Walter G. Herb of Oran will be held at 2 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran. Bill Bradley will officiate, with burial in Forest Hills Memorial Gardens near Morley. Friends may call at the chapel from noon to service time...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- George Simms, 78, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1997, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born March 10, 1918, in Joliet, son of Frank and Marie Simms. He and Grace Klasek were married Oct. 14, 1967. Simms was a member of Anna Moose Lodge...

Son to James Owen and Keri Ann Price of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:41 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, 1997. Name, Brandon Alexander. Weight, 6 pounds 8 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Price is the former Keri Cianfrone, daughter of Dennis Cianfrone of Bogota, N.J., and Linda Mack of Forked River, N.J. Price is the son of Terrell and Rhonda Price of Jackson. He is employed by James Window and Siding...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Howard Wayne Bollinger, 52, of Springfield, formerly of Sikeston, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997, at his home. He was born Dec. 25, 1944, in Advance to the late David and Bessie Cooper Bollinger. He married Sylvia Nance on May 23, 1981, in Sikeston...