Stories from Wednesday, May 19, 1999

When I tell someone how to plant a tree, shrub, rose, or azalea, the instructions are pretty easy until I get to water. The standard questions at that point are:"How much do I water?" and "When do I water?" The simple answer to these questions are:"Water until wet." and "Water when plants need it." These answers seem obvious, but many people are often confused by such a simple answer. They want some formula to go by. They want me to say "Water every other day with 3.5 quarts of water."...

The making of homemade ice cream is a summertime betokened family festivity. The rich churned custard is so pleasing, that it's a wonder that it is not a sin! My Mother always prepared the golden vanilla custard the day before the ice cream makin' was to take place. By doing this you increase the yield and produce a smoother textured ice cream...

Thirty-two local youngsters recently made the trip from the Cape Girardeau area to Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis to join Tony's Troops. This is an outreach program started by St. Louis Cardinal manager Tony La Russa, first while he managed in Oakland Calif. and now in St. Louis. Included in the recent trip was Boy Scout Troop 17 from Nell Holcomb School...

OK, the kids have a coloring contest to win McDonald's Teenie Beanies. But what about adults? The Southeast Missourian and the local McDonald's stores will team up for a Teenie Beanie Bear Trivia Contest. The prize will be three complete sets of the new International Teenie Beanie Bears...

They're back. McDonald's brings back its most successful Happy Meal promotion in the company's history this week. A dozen Ty Teenie Beanie Babies -- miniature replicas of the full-sized stuffed animals -- will be available beginning Friday. For the first time ever, a special edition of four Ty Teenie Beanie Babies International Bears will also be offered in early June...

The contest begins Friday and runs through Tuesday, June 1. Six complete sets of the 1999 McDonald's Teenie Beanies will be awarded to winners in three categories: Ages 4-6, Ages 7-9, and Ages 10-12. Youngsters are encouraged to color their favorite Beanie Baby on an official entry form that will appear in the Friday and Saturday newspapers. Children can enter as often as they like, as long as they use the official entry form. Sorry, no photocopies or other paper will be allowed...

I WANT to comment on the Academy of DanceArts ballet performance that was held on May 8-9 and to thank the academy owner, Joann Ruess, for bringing in the talented young lady, Dana Goodin Vanoni, who choreographed the ballet and also performed her own choreography for three dances. ...

The dedication Saturday of the outstanding JOE UHLS SEMO baseball locker room in Houck Field House brought back some memories. COACH UHLS was my College High baseball and basketball coach the four years I lettered in both. Some insights I was able to share with some of his children at the dedication included his pioneering effort in the area of weight lifting for basketball and baseball players...a common practice today, but considered then to create muscle bound athletes with little body flexibility. ...

A key bill passed by the General Assembly in the just-concluded session is House Bill 427, measure creating the new crime of infanticide for performing certain late-term abortions. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Luetkenhaus, D-Josephsville, and co-sponsored by 109 of his colleagues, passed by veto-proof margins in both the House (127-29) and Senate (27-6). ...

The sounds of chain saws reverberated throughout the area Tuesday while thousands of homes remained eerily quiet due to power outages from Monday's devastating windstorm. Utility crews worked throughout the day Tuesday to restore electricity to thousands of area residents whose homes and businesses were shut down by the high winds that raced through the region...

Some foods remain safe to eat following a power outage, while others need to be pitched. However, a definitive list of what is safe and what is potentially dangerous is hard to compile, said food safety experts. Anyone still without power may bring perishable food items to Schnucks in Cape Girardeau to be stored until the power is back. Items should be placed in a box or cooler and clearly identified. The items will be held in freezers or coolers...

BENTON -- More power. Sheriff Bill Ferrell says that is what the Scott County Jail needs in the wake of Monday's windstorm that knocked out electricity in the region. Ferrell said two gas-powered generators for the jail weren't adequate to light the jail office and power the police radios and telephone system...

JACKSON -- The proposed expansion of Highway 34-72 from two lanes to five lanes will cost nearly $13 million, will use about 10 acres of farmland and will impact 21 houses, three businesses and one church. Somewhere in all the facts and figures, Bruce Kraemer and some other people are losing their family homes...

Editor's Note: Columnis heidi Nieland is taking a month-long writing sabbatical. During her break, the Southeast Missourian is publishing favorite past columns. This column origianlly ranf Feb. 18, 1995. There's a price to be paid when you're 6 feet, 3 inches tall but your body thinks like a size 8...

It's party time for the region's senior adults Saturday when four area organizations host Senior Fun Fest '99. The festival begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m. May 22 at the Show Me Center. It is free to adults ages 55 and older. Senior Fun Fest is held every other year in May, Older Americans Month...

The winds that blew across Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois Monday left hundreds of trees mangled and broken. Some can be saved, but others should be cut down to make way for new, healthy trees, said Joe Garvey, a forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation...

ADVANCE -- A mid-afternoon storm Monday whipped up a sandstorm in the Dexter area and slammed hard into Advance, knocking down walls, tearing off roofs and making potential firewood out of trees throughout the town. There were no reports of injuries resulting from the storm, but the entire town appeared without electricity after the storm blew through the area -- en route to other communities stretching to Cape Girardeau -- about 3 p.m...

JACKSON -- The sun went down on Monday night's meeting of the Jackson Board of Aldermen. The board met outdoors in the gazebo in Courthouse Park because power had not yet been restored in the wake of Monday afternoon's severe wind storm. "I think it was the first time it had ever been done," City Administrator Steve Wilson said of the outdoor meeting...

The Cape Girardeau banking market has been good for Commerce Bancshares Inc. "Areas like Cape Girardeau, with its stable economy and diversified industries, provide good growth potential in our operations," David W. Kemper, president and chief executive officer of the St. Louis-based bank holding company...

The local penny shortage is over. At least for now. Mercantile Bank was inundated by more than 200 people bringing in their pennies after the Southeast Missourian published a story about a penny shortage Saturday. The bank had been paying a 10 percent premium for pennies. Mercantile is still accepting pennies, but is no longer paying the premium...

JACKSON -- The temptation to pet any and all dogs is often too great for a child to handle. And often it gets them into trouble. Statistics show that nearly 50 percent of all children in the United States will be bitten by a dog before age 12. Phyllis Spence and her six-year-old retriever Jake visited kindergarteners at Immaculate Conception School in Jackson to help them learn about dog bite prevention...

Cigarette vending machines will remain in Cape Girardeau despite the concern raised by at least one city councilman Monday night. Councilman Melvin Gateley had requested information regarding the possibility of prohibiting tobacco vending machines in the city...

SIKESTON -- Jackson High School and pitcher Josh Hopkins waited until the Class 4A, District 1 Tournament began Tuesday to show their best to Poplar Bluff. Jackson, which dropped both its regular season games to the Mules, ended fourth-seeded Poplar Bluff's season in no-hit fashion. Hopkins totally stifled the Mules' offense in the first-round game as Jackson rolled to a 5-0 victory...

The St. Louis Cardinals opened a six-game West Coast road trip Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals led 3-2 in the ???? inning when the Southeast Missourian went to press. Complete results will appear in Thursday's edition.

Cape Girardeau Central High School bestowed its highest athletics honors on seniors Courtney Haman and Chris Allen Tuesday night at the All School Recognition Banquet at the A.C. Brase Arena. Haman was presented with the Darla Pannier Award and Allen with the Lou W. Muegge Award...

Southeast Missouri State University's Jeremy Johnson and Ryan Spille have both had big-time baseball seasons. Tuesday, their performances were rewarded as both players were named to the all-Ohio Valley Conference first team as voted on by the league's head baseball coaches and sports information directors...

Kansas defeated Southeast Missouri State University 7-0 on March 19 during a tournament in Sacramento, Calif. But the coaches of both softball teams believe that result will mean little when the squads square off at 6 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Regional in Tucson, Ariz...

Nathan Owen, who recently announced his attentions to transfer from the Southeast Missouri State University basketball program, has signed with Truman State University. Owen, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard from Cape Girardeau Central High School, will be eligible to play next season for the Bulldogs. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at the Kirksville school...

There will be a women's fast-pitch softball tournament June 12-13 at Arena Park. The event is sponsored by the SEMO Fast-pitch Association. The tournament will include four teams in the women's division, four teams in the 18-under division and four teams in the 14-under division...

The 7th annual 4-person scramble will be held Saturday, June 19, at Cape Jaycees Municipal Golf Course. The field will be limited to 40 teams with an entry fee of $120 (does not include cart or trail fee). Numerous prizes will be awarded in the four-flight tournament...

After all the success Cape Central's girls swimming team has had this spring, nothing could dampen coach Dayna Powell's spirits. Nothing could keep her and her swimmers from being ready for the Missouri State Swim Championships at the Recplex in St. Peters this weekend...

JACKSON -- Top-seeded Cape Central opened its Class 4A, District 1 title defense Tuesday with a 10-0 rout of fourth-seeded Farmington. Kim Aslinger, Katie Hawkins and Lorie Bittle led the way with two goals apiece. Amanda Hiler, Jennifer Daume, Amber Voerg and Cameron Bennett all had single goals. Aslinger, Hawkins, Hiler, Daume, Voerg and Rachele Hessenkemper each had an assist...

COLUMBIA -- The St. Vincent golf team shot a 332 in the second round of the Class 1A state tournament, taking third place with a total score of 662. The Indians, who finished first in state last year, finished 14 strokes behind second-place Viburnum and 27 strokes behind Gallatin, the state champ...

CHAFFEE -- Notre Dame will play Chaffee and Kelly will play Woodland today in the highly competitive Class 2A, District 2 baseball semifinals. Second-seeded Notre Dame knocked off No. 7 Bloomfield 10-0 in five innings and No. 3 Chaffee posted a 6-0 win over No. 6 East Prairie...

Squaring off against accomplished St. Louis-area schools like Lutheran North High made for a rugged path to the Class 2A state track and field meet for local teams. But 15 athletes from Kelly, Scott City and Chaffee placed in the top two in their events Saturday in the district meet and will be among 16 competitors in each event Friday and Saturday in the state meet in Jefferson City...

MARBLE HILL -- Robert Denver Abernathy, 76, of Bridgeton died Monday, May 17, 1999, at his home. He was born Sept. 18, 1922, in Greenbrier, son of Marvin Wesley and Opal Cameron Abernathy. He and Myra Emmanell Vance were married July 21, 1945, in St. Louis...

CHARLESTON -- Mabel Lucille Coffer, 90, of Charleston died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Bertrand Retirement Center in Bertrand. She was born Jan. 25, 1909, at Philadelphia, Miss., daughter of Ed and Georgia Moorman Holdiness. She and Brad Coffer were married Sept. 11, 1924. He died March 13, 1971...

Graveside service for Emma M. Davis of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10 a.m. today at Memorial Park. Dr. Larry Gallamore will officiate. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Davis, 91, died Monday, May 17, 1999, at the Lutheran Home...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral for Glenn Bennett Keesee of Scott City will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City. The Rev. William Dickey will officiate. Burial will be in Lightner Memorial Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 5-8 p.m. today...

MARBLE HILL -- Hester Mae Shrum, 91, of Marble Hill died Monday, May 17, 1999, at Bond Nursing Care Center. She was born June 17, 1907, at Marquand, daughter of Emanuel and Rose Ann Biffle Lorance. She and Thomas Benjamin Franklin Shrum were married Aug. 2, 1936. He died Aug. 28, 1976...

CHAFFEE -- Graveside service for Skyler Austin Kennedy will be held at 11 a.m. today at Forest Hills Memorial Gardens near Morley. The Rev. Dale Hendrix will officiate. The infant was stillborn Monday, May 17, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

Irene M. Whitener, 79, died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Fountainbleau Lodge. She was born Nov. 28, 1919, at Oran, daughter of Samuel Harve and Hattie Roberts Crader. She and Wray Whitener were married April 8, 1939, in Cape Girardeau. Whitener was a member of Lynwood Baptist Church...

CHARLESTON -- Betty Council Simmons, 68, of Charleston died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at her home. McMikle Funeral Home at Charleston is in charge of arrangements.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Steven A. Carpenter, 42, of Paducah, Ky., was found dead Tuesday, May 18, 1999, in Paducah. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

A memorial service for John Donelson Dunn of Nashville, Tenn., was held May 13 at New Song Christian Fellowship in Cool Springs, Tenn. Dale Evrist and Mark Elliott officiated. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Nashville. Woodlawn Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements...

CHAFFEE -- Paul M. Carroll, 74, died Friday, May 7, 1999, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was born Jan. 21, 1925, in Vanduser, son of William and Loretta Miller Carroll. He was a retired truck driver and of the Catholic faith. He is survived by a son, John Carroll of Pennsyvania; a daughter, Ann Carroll of Pennsylvania; and two brothers, Leonard Carroll of Chaffee and Eddie Carroll of St. Louis...

In the midst of school violence and tragic news everywhere we look, wasn't last week's Randon Acts of Kindness Week a welcome breath of fresh air? The week showed so many wonderful examples of how people can really make a difference in so many lives. Thank you all who sent nice notes into Recipe Swap. Your thoughtfullness was overwhelming and very much appreciated...