Stories from Sunday, August 22, 1999

Whether we're relieved or depressed, summer has just about run its course. Summer weather may and may not hang around for a while longer, but the summer schedule is a thing of the past for most of us. During my school days I naturally looked forward to summer vacation. ...

To the editor: I am concerned and disappointed that U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft has played politics again in the nomination of Judge Ronnie White to the Eastern District Federal Court for the second time. In the Aug. 5 article in your paper and in the larger article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the senator claims Judge White would be an "activist" judge who would use the law to bring about social change...

I am prone to making lists of needed things. The urgent things are always at the top, but sometimes a seemingly insignificant thing makes the top because, well, its seasonal time has come. The top of the list now is an Osage orange or a round, Styrofoam ball of about the same size. Why has its time come? Because of molting bird feathers! This sounds like a disconnect. Let met connect the dots...

According to Kenneth E. Vowels, county executive director, Scott County Farm service Agency, producers may take a marketing assistance loan or loan deficiency payment on harvested crops. Eligibility for either option requires producers to make application before beneficial interest is lost in the commodity. For a producer to have beneficial interest int commodity, the producer must have control of the commodity, title to the commodity and risk of loss in the commodity...

PORTAGEVILLE -- For the first time ever, those at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center's annual field day, Sept. 2, will be able to eat breakfast and lunch in comfort. After breakfast a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m. to mark the opening of G.W. "Son" Rone Exhibit Hall...

OAK RIDGE -- Celebrating their quaquicentennial in style, the Oak Ridge R-6 School District opens its 125th year with many new faces. "It looks very good. A lot of excitement is going on," said Cheri Fuemmeler, superintendent of schools. "This is our 125th year as a district and we plan some special celebrations."...

Area administrators expressed pleasure with the way the first days of the 1999-2000 school year run last week. "It was really a very smooth opening," said Rick McClard, Jackson High School principal. "We had very few problems. Most of the students seemed to know where to go."...

East Missouri Action Agency has received $192,000 for utility assistance, due to the extreme high temperatures. President Clinton released $7.6 million to Missouri for cooling assistance. According to Bill Bunch, director of community services at the Park Hills EMAA office, the funds will be used to assist low-income households with utility assistance...

Weather was nice and crowds large during Jackson's 91st annual Homecomers last week. Plenty of entertainment, food and fellowship was available to festival attendees. Homecomers was co-sponsored by the Jackson Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158 and the Jackson Chamber of Commerce...

25 years ago: 1974 Pending endorsement by County Court, Cape Girardeau County will be among other Missouri counties requesting emergency loan assistance this year because of massive crop failures resulting from freezing, excessive rains and drought; these natural disasters combined this year to drastically reduce production of soybeans, corn, sorghum, wheat, oats, hay and pasture...

There are politicians and officials in Washington, D.C., who argue that it is too expensive to provide emergency assistance to our family farmers and ranchers. But as your Member of Congress representing our heavily agricultural district of Southern Missouri, I know that it is too expensive not to provide emergency assistance to our nation's producers...

Dana Goodin Vanoni has ties to the Southeast Missouri area, and gained dance experience throughout the United States before forming her own dance company in Italy. Goodin Vanoni will be in Cape Girardeau Sept. 10-11 to hold auditions for Carol's Dream...

A Republican lawmaker from New York has introduced legislation that would abolish the Selective Service system signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt nearly 60 years ago. Actually, the provision is contained in an appropriations bill members of the House of Representatives will take up upon their return after Labor Day. Introduced as a cost-saving measure, it would supposedly save the Selective Service's $24.4 million annual budget...

Cape Girardeau School District officials are asking the state to commit an additional $1.8 million in funding for the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School, which serves students from here and eight surrounding school districts. While the state has traditionally paid half the funding of these projects, fulfillment of this request is far from certain...

Would life really be so bad if ... ... Only citizens who proved they had minimal knowledge of the U.S. Constitution could vote in federal elections? ... Citizens voting on constitutional questions would be tested to prove they understood the issue being presented?...

Conscientious parents preparing to send their children back to school may want to know they are not alone in their concerns about their little ones' safety. A new survey shows that such fears are widespread -- and shared by the children themselves. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of American parents of school-aged children believe that children's safety concerns are so severe that academic performance is affected, the FrenchToast.com Back-to-School Survey has found...

The Aug. 3 special election for an open seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, up in suburban Kansas City's Platte County, was an instructive episode. While 104 of Missouri's counties were passing last April's right-to-carry referendum -- some by margins up to 5-1 -- Platte County was one of the 10 mostly urban and suburban counties that rejected it by margins sufficient to cause its narrow defeat. ...

The smell of burning leaves. Autumn would never be the same without it. It is the season of football, hayrides, homecoming and Halloween. And the month of October, with all its colored splendor, is about to cut its stay far too short. It is difficult to think for long of such pleasant things on this cold, rainy late October eve as I sit at my desk. ...

School is starting and many of us can still remember the song "School days, school days, good ol' golden rule days. " Remember the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. " This rule should be on every teacher's blackboard and in every school handbook. ...

The best courtside seats were taken early Saturday as area basketball lovers flocked to Indian Park for the eighth annual Slamfest. The title game will take place at 5 p.m., today at the park. It will be preceded by a gospel fest at 3 p.m. and a slam dunk contest at 4 p.m...

At 85, Bob Anglin still loves the open road. So does his 78-year-old wife, Lennie. The Cobden, Ill., couple travel together on their bright orange BMW motorcycle, equipped with a side car. Bob does the driving. Lennie rides in the side car. The Anglins, sporting matching red T-shirts featuring Betty Boop on a motorcycle, were among 380 bikers who turned out for the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies ride...

During the past decade, Dr. Edwin Smith has spent his summer vacations traveling the world to collect art. He now possesses more than 4,000 drawings and paintings from 23 countries and the United States -- all of them by children. The professor of art education at Southeast Missouri State University is interested in the visual symbols 6-year-olds, 8-year-olds and 10-year-olds use in their art...

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Talent says he would overhaul the Missouri Department of Transportation, if necessary, to move ahead with his highway plan. However, Talent, a St. Louis area congressman, said Saturday he hopes that won't be necessary...

You have to hand it to Tom Anderson and Sabrina Root. The Philadelphia couple recently paid for their $34,000 wedding by selling advertising space at the ceremony and reception. In our marketing-is-everything society, we shouldn't be surprised that even marital bliss is for sale...

U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft says chances are slim that Americans will see a tax cut this year. President Clinton has threatened to veto a 10-year, $792 billion package of tax cuts. Congress probably doesn't have the votes to override a veto, Ashcroft said during a visit to the Southeast Missourian newspaper office Saturday afternoon...

The Southeast Missourian and Southeast Missouri State University will co-sponsor a series of community Internet training classes. Since the classes began in 1997, more than 1,000 people from throughout the region have received Internet training through this program. Participants have ranged in age from 8 to 94...

When the Rev. Paul Short first began counseling church members who wanted to overcome problems with alcohol or drugs, he turned to the Scriptures. During his 25 years in the ministry, he has found it easy to open the Bible and find an answer to life's problems. But for many people struggling with addictions or compulsive behavior, the Bible or church is one of the last places they would think to go for help...

The broiling sun beat down on all the coaches and players -- not to mention the media -- during Wednesday's annual Southeast Missouri State University football media day at Houck Stadium. While I would have preferred some air conditioning and a cold beverage, the Indians didn't seem to mind the heat one bit...

As has been the case the past several seasons, Southeast Missouri State University's football team will once again attempt to turn things around this year. Since going 7-5 and finishing a best-ever third in the Ohio Valley Conference in 1994 during the school's fourth Division I-AA season, the Indians have found the going tough...

Gayle Gorham sank her third career hole-in-one Friday at Kimbeland Country Club. Gorham used a 3-iron on No. 6, a 134-yard par 3. Witnesses to the shot were Pat Gorham, Harry Sharp and Lisa Hunter.

GRAPHIS -- 1999 PRESEASON POLL; 1999 FINAL STANDINGS; 1999 OVC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Tennessee State certainly uprooted the normal order of Ohio Valley Conference football last season. Now the Tigers will try to show that they were not just one-year wonders in 1998...

September brings the first of the fall hunting seasons with the opening of dove season on September 1. This year promises to be an above average season as the number of doves in the southeast region of Missouri is up. Mourning doves are prolific breeders because they continue to renest all summer. Doves average five clutches of eggs each year. Each nesting usually has two eggs that require only 14 days of incubation...

Emry Dilday, recently named the president of the National Federation Interscholastic Officials Association for 1999-2000, will be the guest speaker Wednesday during the annual meeting of the SEMO Football Officials Association. The meeting, set for a 7 p.m. start, will be held at River Eagle Distributing in Cape Girardeau...

The Jackson Men's Softball Fall League is currently forming with play scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 7. Entry fee is $150 a team with no individual player fees. League play will consist of six doubleheaders (12 games total). Entry deadline is Aug. 25...

The Notre Dame High School Booster Club will hold a fall golf scramble Oct. 11 at the Cape Girardeau Country Club with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The cost of $75 includes 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch, beverages, range balls and a chance to win over $2,500 in cash prizes...

The American Cancer Society has rescheduled its Capaha Bank and Outback Steakhouse 1999 Golf Shamble to Sept. 22 due to current course improvement work at Bent Creek. The tournament is a four-person best ball. Entries must be submitted by Sept. 15. For more information, contact the local American Cancer Society office at 334-9197...

Fall racquetball leagues are forming at Universal Health and Fitness. Entry deadline is Sept. 13 with play scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 20. The leagues will be open for men and women of various levels of skill. League play will be held from 6-9 p.m...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Elida Modene Puyear, 78, of Thayer, formerly of East Prairie, died Friday, Aug. 20, 1999, at the Cox South Hospital in Springfield. She was born June 18, 1921, at Naubeau, Ala., daughter of Humpy Hemphill and Sarah McGough Gifford. She lived in Thayer for the past 31 years and was a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church...

GIPSY -- Hobert E. Griffin, 78, of Gipsy died Saturday, Aug. 21, 1999, at his home. He was born on Nov. 7, 1920, at Omage, Ark., son of Joe and Arkie Horton Griffin. In 1946, he married Edna Lee Griffin at Leslie, Ark. She died on March 20, 1994. He was a retired farmer. He was a veteran of the Army, serving during World War II. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans and was of the Pentecostal faith...

JACKSON -- Dorothy L. Williams, age 75, of Jackson, passed away Saturday, Aug. 21, 1999, at the Jackson Manor in Jackson. She was born Oct. 19, 1923, at Lutesville, Mo., daughter of Lewis and Georgia Proffer Barks. She married Weldon Williams Sept 19., 1942, at Crump, Mo., and he survives...

Ollie S. Hopkins, age 87, of Jackson passed away on Friday, August 20, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born on July, 1, 1912 in Cape Girardeau, the son of Artie Hopkins and Treacy E. Slinkard. He married Frances Marian Sharp on September 23, 1954 in Hernando, Miss. She preceded him in death on June 6, 1999...

JACKSON -- Carl Leon Ford, 68, of Jackson, died Thursday Aug. 19, 1999 at his home. He was born July 6, 1931 to George and Ethel Wyatt Ford. He was married to Delores Revelle July 25, 1952 and later married Betty Stovall Seiler June 17, 1977. An avid fisherman, Ford worked as a truck driver most of his life. He also was a member of the Teamsters Union...

Loy E. Stone, age 76, of Chaffee, Mo. passed away on Thursday, August 19, 1999, at St. Louis University Hospital. He was a retired custodian. He was born on July 19, 1923 in Bollinger County, Mo., the son of Hessie Edward Stone and Blanche Edith Conrad. He married Norma Kathleen Strahan on April 17, 1953 in Hernando, Miss. They later were divorced. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Chaffee, Mo...

CHARLESTON -- Naomi Moss Turner, 68, of Charleston died Friday, Aug. 20, 1999, at her home. She was born Sept. 22, 1930, in Blytheville, Ark., daughter of the late Louis and Annie Naugles Tarver. She moved to Missouri in the early 1930s. She attended Lincoln High School in Charleston and graduated from Belleville Area College...

Lyman Wilson Moore, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Aug. 21, 1999, at his home. He was born March 5, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Fred Alf and Gladys Anna Baird Moore. He and Jewell Frances Nitsch were married Nov. 27, 1941, in Cape Girardeau...

When Brock Uelsmann, then barely 1, started taking swimming lessons, his mother, Tonya, spent an afternoon with him at the baby pool at Capaha Park. "It was really a mess," Tonya says now. He wanted to be like the older children and play like the 5-year-olds...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson have comprehensive swimming programs during the summer. Cape Girardeau has the advantage of running its swimming program eight months a year. Cape Girardeau's recreation coordinator for aquatics Doug Gannon says the city has swimming programs tailored for all ages...