Stories from Saturday, April 25, 1998

PADUCAH, Ky. -- The weekend quilt crowd in Paducah can be spotted around town with quilted vests, appliqued T-shirts and handy tote bags. The quilters find a pieced-together friendship in the centuries-old art of quilting. These same visitors also have a keen eye for what makes a great quilt...

A proposed bypass route through the Wolf Lane subdivision hasn't been endorsed by Cape Girardeau, Jackson or Cape Girardeau County officials. In fact, none of the routes being proposed for a new Highway 34 from the Highway 34-72 intersection west of Jackson to the new Highway 74-Interstate 55 interchange in Cape Girardeau has been endorsed, say Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III, Jackson Mayor Paul Sander and Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- In 1961, a dance called the twist was banned in Tampa, Fla., and Buffalo, N.Y. South Vietnam and East Germany also forbade the citizenry from engaging in movements its creator compared to "drying your butt with a towel while grinding out a cigarette."...

Judy Gregory's beagle-basset hound was severely shocked while chewing on an electrical cord. Fortunately she is married to quick-thinking East Prairie Police Chief Richard Gregory, who restarted the dog's heart with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The dog lived, and has only a ruptured eardrum to show for the experience. But Gregory, who has four other dogs and three cats, feels unprepared to handle an emergency situation herself...

No one can "play" at being a parent. To quote my grandmother on my wedding day: "Either you do and you don't. Which is it?" Thursday was "Daddy Day" in the Buck household. That's the day -- usually about once a month -- when my husband, Patrick, decides to keep our 1-year-old son, Jerry, home from day care so they can spend quality time together...

Four general contractors submitted bids for a renovation project planned at Cape Girardeau Junior High School. School district architect John Dudley opened the bids during a Board of Education meeting Thursday. Contractors submitted a base bid for general alterations and renovations to the building and a second bid to provide air conditioning in the school's gymnasium...

BENTON -- A woman and two boys suffered moderate injuries Friday afternoon when their vehicle was struck in the median of Interstate 55. Connie Ray, 48, Dominic Taylor, 10, and Daniel Crabtree, 12, all of Corning, Ark., were transported to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

The Great Wall Chinese Super Buffet reopened Thursday afternoon after being shut down Tuesday by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center for alleged violations of state regulations. Two inspections of the restaurant Tuesday and Wednesday yielded 18 critical and 40 non-critical violations, most of which had been corrected by Wednesday afternoon, said health officials. A third inspection performed Thursday ended the closure and allowed the restaurant to reopen for business that evening...

Fifteen Southeast Missouri domestic-violence-shelter representatives heard a presentation about the newly formed Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence during a meeting Friday at the Safe House for Women. Tammy Gwaltney, president of SEMO-NASV, made the presentation to members of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence who were in town for a regional meeting. ...

A full lineup of professional air show performers will be coming to Cape Girardeau to demonstrate their flying talents during a three-day regional air festival in July. Civilian and military aerial aerobatics and displays will be held at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

It was a roller-coaster week in the Missouri Legislature for Cape Girardeau's proposed vocational-technical school. On April 16, the House Budget Committee voted to remove $1.5 million in funding for the construction from the state budget. To make matters worse, the aftermath of the meeting degenerated into finger pointing, name calling and political game playing. ...

Volunteers don't perform good deeds for recognition. But it's always nice to get a pat on the back for a job well done. This week the Area Wide United Way and Ameritech honored people who had been nominated for their kind acts day in and day out. The 1998 recipients are Dusty McDowell, Annette Trout, Melvin Gateley and RSVP of Scott City...

To the editor: Another school in another community is in shock over the senseless killing spree by students on other students. This time it looks like premeditated murder. The involved community was near Jonesboro, Ark., almost right in our own backyard. ...

I TRAVEL down the 2400 block of Melrose Avenue quite often taking my children to school and visiting some people I know. Lately I've noticed how it is turning into a parking lot. I see cars that have been parked without moving for several days. It's so sad to see that a such pleasant street is being turned into an obstacle course. It is dangerous. Do people not know the purpose of parking lots? And I'd like to know where the traffic cops are. Why is the problem not be deterred?...

To the editor: President Clinton has just launched another salvo in the continuing attack on Joe Camel. Never mind that poor Joe has been dead for nearly a year now. Joe himself is merely a representative of the reprehensible industry that peddles a deadly poison to our children. Joes demise, it seems, in no way diminishes one important fact: Tobacco has been elevated to the position of public enemy No. 1 and must be dealt with as the greatest evil facing America today...

"One of the oldest track meets around" will be held today at Southeast Missouri State University's Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex when Cape Central High host a field of 11 boys and 10 girls teams for the 32nd running of the Tiger Relays. The above description came from Cape Central track coach Jerry Dement and he's expecting another exciting day of competition when action begins with the pole vault at 9:30 a.m. Field events follow at 10 a.m., with running events starting at 10:30 a.m...

Southeast Missouri State University football coach John Mumford likes the effort his players have put in during spring workouts and he says they deserve to have some fun. That fun will come today (2 p.m.) when Southeast's spring drills conclude with the annual Red vs. White scrimmage at Houck Stadium...

In the third inning of Cape Central's 8-3 win over Festus at Tiger Field, Central first baseman Paul Dobbins watched three straight pitches from Festus pitcher Adam Easter go by for strikes to end the inning. "I looked at three straight pitches -- in the same place -- and struckout," Dobbins said in disgust...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's softball team clinched the Ohio Valley Conference Western Division title Friday with a doubleheader split against Eastern Illinois. Southeast lost the first game 4-0, but came back in the second contest for a 6-0 victory. The Otahkians are now 34-10 overall and 16-2 in the OVC. EIU stands at 20-19, 7-8...

CHAFFEE -- Kelly improved its season record to 9-1 with a 5-2 baseball victory over Chaffee Friday afternoon. Denver Stuckey allowed seven hits in going the distance for the Hawks. Stuckey struck out six and walked one. Josh Hanlon also allowed seven hits in suffering the loss. He struck out four and walked three in 6 1/3 innings...

MULKEYTOWN, Ill. -- Mary Jewell Broadhacker, 84, of Mulkeytown, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Friday, April 24, 1998, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born Sept. 11, 1913, at Marion, Ky., daughter of Charles A. and Pearl Morrall Love. She had lived in Mulkeytown for the past 20 years...

PERRYVILLE -- Arlene Mae Reitzel, 63, of Perryville died Thursday, April 23, 1998, at her home. She was born Dec. 19, 1934, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Earl and Belle Ness Collins. She and Claude C. Reitzel were married Jan. 27, 1951. Reitzel was a member of St. Vincent's Catholic Church, its Ladies Sodality, and the MS Society...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Dennis L. "Pat" Woolsey, 81, of Villa Ridge died Friday, April 24, 1998, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born Oct. 29, 1916, in Alto Pass, Ill., son of Barney and Nora Smith Woolsey. He and Oma Lee Schultz were married Dec. 23, 1945...

Son to Kirk and Kimberly A. Schulz of Milford, Ohio, Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, 10:55 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 1998. Name, James Eric. Weight, 7 pounds 3 ounces. Mrs. Schulz is the former Kimberly Bowers, daughter of James and Dorothy Bowers of Cape Girardeau. She is an account coordinator at Downing Displays in Cincinnati. Schulz is the son of Melvin and Joan Schulz of Milford. He is president of Premier Southern Ticket Co. in Cincinnati...

Bloomfield -- David Holyfield, 55, of Bloomfield died Friday, April 24, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born at Hattieville, Ark., son of Orval and Lucy Rackley Holyfield. He married Joy Lynn Little on June 8, 1964. She survives...

The Cape Girardeau Area Handbell Festival will be held at Jackson Middle School, 1651 West Independence, Jackson, on Saturday, May 2. This will be a celebration of handbell music and will involve 11 individual hand bell choirs from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas. The event will start with rehearsal of all bell groups for mass pieces from 2:30-5:30 p.m. and conclude with a concert at 7:30 p.m...