Stories from Friday, May 9, 1997

To the editor: On behalf of the Travelers Protective Association of America Post M, I would like to commend Tamara Zellars Buck and photographer Lou Peukert for their April 29 article on the School Safety Patrol program. The greatest commendation, of course, goes to the volunteer students and staff who give of their time to provide this service...

Awiakta, an award-winning Cherokee poet and storyteller, will speak on "Gender Balance in Cherokee Society" at a Common House presentation May 14. She will speak at 12:15 p.m. in Room 124 of Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall. Awiakta authored "Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom" and "Abiding Appalachia: Where Mountain and Atom Meet."...

From nightgowns to ball gowns, the clothes of the 1840s to the 1890s differ from today's. On Tuesday, as part of Historic Preservation Week, the Glenn House will contain a self-guided tour of a display of vintage clothes. The tour, sponsored by the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau Inc., will be open to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will feature a buffet lunch. Adele Kupchella, event chairwoman, said visitors may come and go anytime during the tour hours...

Marge Nichols Sullivan has been named coordinator of the Missouri Mentoring Partnership for Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties. The mentoring program offers selected youths who have experienced out-of-home placement an opportunity for employment with mentor support in the workplace...

C-SPAN on Saturday will air last month's debate at Southeast Missouri State University between conservative columnist William F. Buckley and former senator George McGovern. The taped program will air at 7 p.m. as part of C-SPAN's "American Perspectives" television show...

Switching Internet servers is not a simple matter. Ask Shirlene Krewson, LDD Net manager. "The end result will be better service," said Krewson, "but making the switch can create some problems." LDD Net, 24 S. Minnesota, an Internet provider for thousands of customers, has been providing the service with the use of another company's server...

Mergers and acquisitions have accelerated everywhere, but David W. Kemper still likes the idea of being a premier "super community" bank in the Midwest. "Our marketplace is Missouri, Illinois and Kansas," said Kemper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of St. Louis-based Commerce Bancshares Inc. "These areas provide good growth potential with their stable economies and diversified industries. We've had good growth in our operations during the past year."...

It's been a half-dozen years since Goody's Family Clothing received the "East Tennessee Entrepreneurial Company of the Year" award. That was 1991, and the year Goody's passed the century mark in stores. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company has more than doubled that total moving into new territories and establishing stores, ranging in size from 25,000 to 55,000 square feet...

Considering the number of militia groups in Texas, Montana, Utah, Georgia and even our own state, it appears America has more revolutionaries today that we had in 1776. Missouri legislators can't agree on whether the state needs one or two prisons in the next couple of years. At the increasing rate of new convicts, we needed them last year...

The agreement between President Clinton and Republican negotiators to bring federal revenue and spending into balance by 2002 for the first time in 40 years is good news. It is an indication that top leaders in Washington are serious about finding a way to end mounting deficits, which would, left unchecked, have disastrous consequences for taxpayers and for those who are looking forward to such entitlements as Social Security and Medicare...

The Cape Girardeau Farmers' Market opened at 3 p.m. Thursday, and by 3:40 Bonnie Newcomb had sold all of her rhubarb. Although it is open in Plaza Galeria parking lot every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., shoppers who want the best produce need to get there early...

A Missouri Senate committee has approved a measure to provide construction money for three education projects in Southeast Missouri. The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday voted to earmark $2 million for a technology center for Southeast Missouri State University, $1.5 million for a new Cape Girardeau vocational-technical school and $1.5 million for a Sikeston education center...

About 60 area schools recently gave a new Missouri math assessment test a trial run, but feelings are mixed on whether it will positively affect student scores. The math test becomes a mandatory assessment next year. It moves away from the multiple-choice format of the Missouri Mastery and Achievement Test, or MMAT -- which doesn't require students to demonstrate their proficiency -- and towards the new Show Me Standards requirement for more performance-based evaluations...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Graduation is a family affair for the Demmins, who will be throwing a party at their home Saturday. Karen and Ron Demmin and their son Rama and daughter Amma will graduate from college this month. Amma, 21, will receive a bachelor of science degree in social work from Southeast Missouri State University on May 17...

Let's call this a cleanup column. It's sort of like refrigerator soup -- you know, where you put all the leftovers into a pot and let everything simmer for two or three hours. First, some really big news: As some of you who have golfed with me already know, my skills with golf clubs leave a lot to be desired. I played fairly regularly several years ago, and then I gave up golf for more than 10 years due to lack of time and general frustration with the game...

Rain may have washed out last weekend's Cape Central Big 8 Tournament, but the baseball tourney will attempt to bounce back starting today with more of a local touch. Eight teams, all from Southeast Missouri, will battle for the Big 8 title this weekend in what could also be viewed as the championship of Southeast Missouri...

From Ste. Genevieve to the Big Apple, with many stops in between. That's the road former Southeast Missouri State University baseball player Steve Bieser traveled to finally reach the major leagues. Bieser, 29, is in his first season with the New York Mets after spending the previous eight years kicking around the minor leagues without ever being called up to the big show...

CHICAGO -- For the second straight season, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team advanced to the NCAA Play-In game. And for the second straight year, Southeast's offense fell short in its quest to join the NCAA Tournament. In its best-of-three series against Mid-Continent Conference champion DePaul at Wish Field, Southeast lost both games of a doubleheader and ended its season at 33-23-1. The Otahkians dropped the opener 9-1 and nightcap 5-3...

Cape Girardeau Central's golf team saved its best for its last dual meet of the season as it beat New Madrid County Central handily Thursday at Cape Girardeau Country Club. The Tigers' four-man team combined for a nine-over-par 149. New Madrid shot 162. Central coach Dick Wadlington said that Thursday's score was the best a Central team has totaled "in several years."...

PERRYVILLE -- Olive A. Layton DeRoe, 97, formerly of Perryville, died Thursday, May 8, 1997, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 22, 1900, at Brewer, daughter of Joseph and Minnie Moore Kline. She first married Harry S. Layton Nov. 4, 1919, at Brewer. He died Feb. 18, 1959. She later married Comile J. DeRoe Dec. 9, 1967. He died Sept. 12, 1988...

DELTA -- William "Bill" Robertson, 66, of Delta died Wednesday, May 7, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 25, 1931, in Maunie, Ill., son of Martin and Louise Acey Robertson. He and Mary Alleta Livingston were married July 14, 1951, in Sikeston...

JACKSON -- Paula Esther McCray, 83, of Jackson died Thursday, May 8, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 18, 1913, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Louis Emil Theodore and Ella Alvina Haertling Graden. She and Paul W. McCray were married June 30, 1934. He died Sept. 15, 1994...

Twin sons to Trevor Dean and Starla Kaylene Pulley, 3034 Themis, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Sunday, April 20, 1997. Caleb Gene was born at 1:25 p.m. and weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces. Cameron Dean was born at 1:26 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds 7 ounces. The couple also has a daughter. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Martha Elva Klaus, 75, of Perryville died Thursday, May 8, 1997, at her home. She was born Feb. 10, 1922, in Chicago, daughter of the Rev. Paul and Meta Sievers Guelzow. She and Harold F. Klaus were married Oct. 29, 1943. Klaus was a registered nurse, and member of Immanuel Lutheran Church...

The calliopes will sound, and a local band will belt out river tunes and Mother's Day music this weekend when paddle-wheelers dock along the Mississippi River in downtown Cape Girardeau. Two of the three Delta Queen Steamboats Co. Inc. riverboats will dock here during the weekend...

Adults at the Senior Fun Fest on Saturday at the Show Me Center, may feel like children again. And that's the goal of the event, said Donna Pikey, Senior Fun Fest steering committee member. The Fest, which will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., is free to people 55 and older...

Sobriety checkpoints will be setup at various places by Cape Girardeau police during the Memorial Day weekend. The program is to help keep the streets safer by identifying intoxicated drivers, said Sgt. J.R. Davis, with the police department's traffic division...

PERRYVILLE--Eight people protested a proposed oil change business in a residential zone at this week's Perryville City Council meeting. Charles Glueck, owner of Jackson Fast Lube, wants to buy two lots on French Lane just south of St. Joseph Street, tear down the white frame houses and put in a quick oil change business. Glueck leases the adjacent property on St. Joseph and is building Plaza Tire there...