Stories from Wednesday, October 14, 1998

(This letter was sent to James Layton of the Missouri attorney general's staff following a hearing Sept. 28 on the proposed hospital merger.) Dear Mr. Layton: As a presenter at last night's public hearing and also as a listener and observer, as I know you were, it allowed me to crystallize my thoughts about the merger of St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital here in cape Girardeau. As a result, I would like to share them with you...

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Whatever the answer to that perennial question, surely the omelet followed not long after. Omelets go back to the Romans who were among the first to break the ancient taboo against eating eggs, a practice condemned in primitive times because it was seen as destroying a chicken. (Though as Samuel Butler once noted, "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.) Utensils for making omelets have even been found in the ruins of Pompeii...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Alexander-Pulaski counties branch of the NAACP will hold its annual banquet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cavalier Club, 2511 Commercial Ave., in Cairo. Dr. Joseph Brown, chairman of Southern Illinois University's Black Studies Program, will speak...

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee has endorsed U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson for re-election to Congress. Organized in 1979, the VFW PAC provides the VFW's 2.1 million members and their families an opportunity to collectively support candidates for federal office...

"Public Forum," a 30-minute public affairs program, received a second place Certificate of Distinction by the Missouri Broadcast Educators Association -- 1998 Media Awards. The program is produced by Dr. Jim Dufek, associate professor of mass communication at Southeast Missouri State University, and the television directing class in Southeast's mass communication department...

I'D LIKE to thank the Southeast Missourian for printing how the people in the House of Representatives voted on the impeachment issue. Those who have a "y" after their names will not receive my vote. Those who have a "n" after their names will receive my vote...

At last week's Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Industrial Appreciation Dinner, emcee ALAN GREGORY shared with the large crowd some summary comments of previous award winners. LONE STAR was the repeat winner this year (you can repeat after five years)...

For the first time, enrollment in the Jackson School District tops the total for the Cape Girardeau School District. On the official benchmark enrollment day, Jackson's count was 4,349 students, compared to Cape Girardeau's enrollment of 4,227. The expanding enrollment in the Jackson district reflects a good school system with a growing residential base. Just drive through Jackson. The city is booming with new housing and commercial development...

Parents often have a hard time talking with their kids about such difficult issues as HIV/AIDS prevention. The Jackson School District offered a two-day HIV/AIDS prevention course last week, an elective option of the state's comprehensive health education program...

To the editor: I have been reading with interest about the ongoing situation with the Baptists banning women from becoming deacons. The Baptist church is going to lose one of the finest couples who have ever served in a church. When I say served, I mean deacon, pianist, choir director, Sunday school teachers and ardent donors to their church, both of their time and money. ...

B.W. Harrison of Cape Girardeau, a longtime supporter of Southeast Missouri State University who provided the financial springboard for the River Campus project, will be named the 1998 "Friend of the University" Oct. 31. The award will be presented by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation at the annual Copper Dome Society breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center. The award is presented annually during Homecoming weekend...

Development of a proposed River Campus could lead to development of a public transportation system that would serve both students and the city, Southeast Missouri State University officials say. But the university's president, Dr. Dale Nitzschke, said there isn't time to finalize transportation plans until after the Nov. 3 city election on a tax plan to help fund development of the River Campus...

A visiting Japanese poet and professor has found a connection with American novelist William Faulkner and his stories of the southern United States. Ryo Nonaka, a professor of English and American culture at the School of Literature at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, is studying Faulkner's works this semester at the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- This year's Fort Massac Encampment will be a big one. "We'll be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the encampment," said Debby Watkins of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which sponsors the annual two-day event at Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis...

The Other Half has developed a new, irritating habit that's taxing our marriage. I call it "guerrilla decorating." It's when he lets me believe I'll be the one decorating certain rooms of our new home, when in reality he'll be changing pretty much everything I do. He makes the changes during quick, sneak attacks while I'm at the office...

JACKSON -- Jackson school board members approved development of a remodeling schedule at the junior high school and decided several transportation issues during a meeting Tuesday night. The junior high school tops a list of future facility improvements that need to be made within the district, said schools superintendent Dr. Howard Jones. He asked board members to authorize school architects to walk through the building and develop "broad plans to bring the building up to district standards."...

SIKESTON -- Members of the United Methodist churches in Missouri will host a forum Thursday in Sikeston to talk about the boats in moats campaign. However, no one from the casino organizations is expected to attend the meeting that will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church, 1307 N. Main St...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents will consider plans for the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center when it meets today. The regents will meet at 11 a.m. in the council chambers at Sikeston City Hall. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new center will follow at 2 p.m. in the Sikeston Industrial Park. Gov. Mel Carnahan will attend the ceremony...

Rust Communications of Cape Girardeau has acquired the Holiday Island Regional News, a direct-mail distribution newspaper of 14,000 circulation in Carroll County, Ark. The company already owned three weekly newspapers and a regional shopper in Carroll County -- the Eureka Springs Times-Echo, the Berryville Start-Progress, the Green Forest Tribune and the Ozark Mountain Trader -- and a monthly entertainment guide, The Flashlight. The company operates them as Carroll County Newspaper (CCN)...

Cape Girardeau is looking for ways to educate the public on potential disasters. The Project Impact education and public outreach committee met Tuesday to begin planning projects for the disaster-preparedness initiative. All six of the Project Impact committees are setting project priorities and coming up with cost estimates for those projects, said Walter Denton, who is overseeing Project Impact for the city...

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen figures its about time for his program to get back to its old winning ways. The 1998-99 Otahkians will officially begin working toward that goal Saturday when practice starts. Southeast will have two home exhibition games Nov. 1 and Nov. 9 prior to the season opener Nov. 14 at home against Christian Brothers College...

Needless to say, the bus ride from Tennessee Tech was much more enjoyable than the week before. Southeast Missouri State's 29-24 win over Tennessee Tech was, again, somewhat of a roller-coaster ride. Our players did a great job of handling adversity throughout the contest. They are playing 60 hard-nosed minutes of football each game and are growing into "expecting victory" rather than "hoping for victory."...

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians probably surprised some people last season by finishing with a winning record in their debut under head coach Gary Garner. This year, however, a winning record might not come as a surprise. The Indians figure to be a solid team -- and perhaps even one that can contend for a finish among the elite of the Ohio Valley Conference...

Baseball, Yogi Berra once declared, is 90 percent mental; the other half is physical. Given the exploits of Cape Girardeau Central High and Notre Dame Tuesday night, the same could be said of volleyball. While Notre Dame suffered slip-ups at inopportune junctures, Central exorcised some past mental ghosts and overcame the Lady Bulldogs in dramatic, anxious fashion, 15-12, 12-15, 16-14 at Notre Dame...

Southeast Missouri State University basketball coach Gary Garner takes one look at the Indians' non-conference schedule and immediately has mixed emotions. On the one hand, Garner figures playing those kinds of games should help the Indians prepare for the Ohio Valley Conference season...

Cape Girardeau Central High's boys soccer team exploded with four second-half goals to break a tie and coast past visiting Marion, Ill. 5-1 Tuesday afternoon. The Tigers, now 8-11-2, got goals from Nathan Gibbar, Chris Cole, Arthur Pilsner, Brad Bollwerk and Keith Benton. Justin McMullin, Brett McNabb and Benton had assists...

KENNETT -- Westwood Hills Country Club of Poplar Bluff prevailed Saturday in the Southeast Missourian Cup Golf competition held at the Kennett Country Club. The annual event pits eight golfers from each of the six country clubs in Southeast Missouri. Every team plays nine holes of chapman, nine holes of scotch, nine holes of scramble and nine holes of best ball...

The Jackson Swim Team will hold sign ups Sunday, Oct. 18, at Parker Pool on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. Sunday's sign up will be held 4:45-6:45 p.m. Sign ups will also be held at the same time on the following Tuesday (Oct. 20), Wednesday (Oct. 21) and Thursday (Oct. 22)...

MURRAY, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team won its seventh straight match Tuesday night, downing host Murray State 15-13, 15-9, 15-3. The Otahkians are 13-7 overall and 8-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play. MSU fell to 8-10 overall, 5-3 in the league...

The Cape Aces will sponsor a girls fastpitch softball camp Nov. 14 in the Cape Girardeau Central High School gym. The camp will be divided into two sessions. Session I is for girls in grades 9-12 and will run from 1-3:30 p.m. Session II is for girls in grades 3-8 and will run from 4-7:30 p.m...

Men's and women's tennis leagues will begin in mid-November at Universal Health and Fitness. The men's league begins Nov. 16 and runs through mid-March. The women's league starts Nov. 14 and also extends through mid-March. Cost is $55 for members and $95 for nonmembers...

THEBES, Ill. -- Funeral for Susie Myers of Thebes will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms. The Rev. Curtis Alderson will officiate, with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

Son to Robert C. and Rebecca Schreiner of Kansas City, North Kansas City Hospital, 3:59 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1998. Name, Justin Michael. Weight, 8 pounds 6 ounces. First child. Mrs. Schreiner is the former Becky Etherington, daughter of Rick and Prill Etherington of Cape Girardeau. ...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- James J. Weimer, 69, of Dongola died Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1998, at his home. He was born Nov. 29, 1928, in St. Paul, Pa., son of Walter Milton and Lyna Woods Weimer. He and Claudene Holdman were married Oct. 9, 1953. She died June 13, 1985. He and Annette Holdman Eaton were married in 1998...

ESSEX -- Funeral for Janice Lou Fowler of St. Charles will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. Doyle Corlew will officiate, with burial in Essex Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

Funeral service for Charles Clark II and Justin Clark of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of Sikeston, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the West End Missionary Church in Sikeston. The brothers drowned Oct. 8 in the Brushy Creek flood in Kansas City. The sons of Charles Clark Sr. and Vanessa West Clark of Kansas City, formerly of Sikeston, Charles Clark II, 19, was born May 19, 1979, and Justin Clark was born July 9, 1980...

Funeral for Pearl Scully of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Brendan Dempsey and Msgr. Richard Rolwing will officiate. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. at IOOF Cemetery in Charleston. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel from 4-7 p.m. today...

Funeral for Ruby Mae Perez of Fredericktown will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. Cy Smith will officiate, with burial in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel Thursday from 9 a.m. until service time...

JACKSON -- Florence B. Paar, 93, of Jackson died Monday, Oct. 12, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 4, 1905, at Jackson, daughter of Newton D. and Daisy Propst Browning. She and Fred Frank Paar were married in 1928 at Jackson. He died Jan. 1, 1968...

JACKSON -- The 1998 Marching Band Festival at Jackson began with the traditional parade through the city and ended Tuesday night in a tribute to Nick Leist, director of the Jackson Marching Chiefs for 30 years. Leist, who retired at the end of the 1997-98 school year, was serenaded by the 15 bands massed at the Jackson High School Stadium. The approximately 1,000 musicians played his Southeast alma mater along with "Thanks for the Memories" and a modified version of the Village People's "YMCA."...

JACKSON -- Boys and girls ages 4-11 are invited to enter the Youth Pizza Pace Race Saturday at the Jackson Swimming Pool parking lot. Youths ages 4-5 and 6-7 will race one-fourth mile, while those 8-9 and 10-11 will run one-half mile. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with the races beginning at 9:30 a.m...

The Southeast Missourian asked members of the Jackson Marching Chiefs about their experience with the annual Jackson Marching Band Festival. Aaron Ulrich: "It's neat to see all the different bands come out and play in a massed band. It's not to have a competition, but to put on a show and have a good time."...