Stories from Sunday, November 21, 1999

The Jackson Noon Optimists will have registration for girls basketball Dec. 4, 9 a.m. until Noon, at the Jackson Middle School. The registration fee is $25.This year the league will have four divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. Play will begin in early January and conclude with a tournament in late February.For more information, call Anita Sievers at 243-5489...

Our family's rules were not written or posted on any doors, but we knew them. Usually they were spoken by our parents and grandparents as we sat around the supper table after some disaster or cause for rejoicing had occurred. Grandpa, seated at the head of the table, after the first passing around of the food, would raise his arm for quiet, fork in hand like some king's scepter and proclaim, something such as, "When you go through a gate, close it behind you, always." We didn't know about underlining or italicizing words then, but we instinctively knew that that word, always, was an edict as unrecallable as an edict of King Ahasurerus to the Jews.. ...

It has been a good football season in Jackson. The Indians finished with a 9-2 record, and gave us lots of good moments, thrills, and memories in spite of a season ending loss in the first round of the playoffs. And the Rams are finally giving St. Louis-area fans something to cheer about...

ALTENBURG -- Dip & Deli Pizzeria is expanding into the "The Port" building. The new establishment will be called "Saxons Landing."Owners Vern and Betty Dreyer have seen Dip & Deli outgrow their current building. They were anticipating opening the Landing for business Friday and will hold a grand opening Dec. 4. The public is invited...

As far as income is concerned, the best stroke of fortune for Missouri farmers would be a tornado hitting their crops so they could qualify for federal emergency assistance. Both John Ashcroft and Mel Carnahan deny they are bleeding-heart conservationists. They're really not hugging trees. Just shaking them for campaign contributions...

To the editor:A great big thank you and a pat on the back to Mr. David Lemmon, owner of Basic Fuel, for having a brilliant marketing idea. Who would have thought it: a gas station that only sells gas at a competitive price.I don't know about you, but the idea of having a choice in the amount of money I am willing to spend on a gallon of gas is a choice that I do not want taken away. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Cape Girardeau Road Runners are sponsoring a one mile run/walk for Toy Box Charity Nov. 28, at 4:55 p.m. Awards will be given to overall male and female winners, and first place male and female in the age groups 6-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-14 years 15-19 years 20-29 years 40-49 years 50-59 years 60+ years. Runners and walkers compete together in the same race division...

A classic novel begins, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." So it is today in Missouri's two largest cities, home to two of America's desperately troubled urban school systems. The state has begun the process of taking away accreditation for both school systems within the next two years if significant improvements aren't made...

The annual Crafts, Gifts and Collectibles Show at the Bavarian Halle will continue today.The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge for Sunday shoppers. Tickets will be available for purchase to win a handcrafted quilt, which will be given away at the conclusion of the show at 5 p.m.The event is sponsored by the River City C.B. Club. Proceeds are donated to the Junior Members/European Tour 2000...

A log cabin, said to have been built in 1790, was disassembled and moved from its location in northern Cape Girardeau County recently.Said to be built by Berryman Roe in 1790, the horizontal log structure will be reassembled by Steve Butler on land he owns near Defiance. Butler intends to use the rebuilt cabin as weekend cabin.According to Tim Kilby, historic restorationist, the cabin has unusual sycamore beams and a sycamore staircase...

Cape Girardeau school superintendent Dan Steska was in Jefferson City last week testifying before a special House committee looking into the plight of the 52 school districts that are designated "hold harmless" under the formula for distributing state aid to local schools. This "hold harmless" category, Steska says, could better be termed "hold helpless." We agree...

To the editor. I thank the Missourian and Laura Johnston for the excellent news story written from the background and comments I delivered announcing my candidacy for the Cape Girardeau City Council from Ward 4. Because of space limitations, you were not able to print my entire paragraph announcing I support the River Campus project. ...

November is the time of year that we look forward to the holiday season. We will soon gather around the table with our families and loved-ones to give thanks for all that we have in our homes, in our nation, and in our lives. Next month we will again gather with our family and loved-ones in our churches and in our homes to celebrate our faith in the glory of Christ. ...

The Southeast Missourian is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who fired shots at La Croix United Methodist Church Thursday night.The shots from a .22-caliber handgun or rifle damaged the front entrance to the church and the music director's parked van.Anyone with any information can contact the Southeast Missourian at 335-6611, the newspaper's Speak Out line at 334-5111, Crime Stoppers at 332-0500 or *500 on Ameritech cellular phones.. ...

Five initiative petitions are being circulated in Missouri by groups that want to get their issues on the November 2000 ballot. If those groups are successful, Missouri voters could decide whether to repeal the death penalty, restrict billboard advertising, authorize publicly funded political campaigns, allow veterans organizations and other groups to operate video gambling machines, and approve collective bargaining for firefighters and ambulance personnel...

PERRYVILLE -- Few people die without a good reason in Perry County. When the reason isn't good, law enforcement either finds out why in a hurry, or the case goes unsolved forever. Fortunately for Perry County, both of these extremes are rare. In the only two murders in Perry County this decade, police either appeared at the scene as the victim was dying or the murderer came to them...

Many people are worried about problems that might occur because of Y2K, and emergency preparedness experts are trying to use that increased awareness to get people to prepare for less exotic but perhaps more likely scenarios.Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Health Department, isn't expecting any disasters associated with Y2K. ...

Debbie Ebaugh Darby and Jackie Ebaugh Masters were at the Christmas Arts & Crafts Bazaar at the Osage Community Centre Saturday peddling gifts their mother gave them. Their cookbook "Tried & True" is a collection of family recipes compiled as a tribute to their mother, Gayle. ...

It's tough to be a turkey at this time of year. Too many people want to gobble you up. Thanksgiving is a time when Americans give thanks for their blessings and then proceed to eat their way through a ton of the holiday bird. If Ben Franklin had his way, Americans would be talking turkey all the time. Bill Clinton would be sitting under the sign of the turkey in the Oval Office. Franklin adored the wild turkey, proposing it as the symbol for the new nation...

Southeast Missouri State University will install Dr. Ken Dobbins as the school's 17th president in a ceremony Dec. 10. Dobbins, who has served as president since July 1, will be installed in a low-key ceremony at 3 p.m. in Academic Hall Auditorium. The investiture will feature a procession of about 100 faculty members in academic regalia. Members of the Board of Regents, university deans, administrators and Student Government officers also are scheduled to participate...

The Southeast Chamber Players will open their 1999-2000 concert season at 3 p.m. Dec. 5 with a public concert in Old St. Vincent' s Church. The ensemble, which was formed in 1990, is comprised of Southeast faculty and students as well as area music teachers and has distinguished itself not only with local performances and school workshops but also with a performance for the Missouri Music Educators Association at Tan-Tar-A.The Dec. ...

Tennessee State's football team put the finishing touches on a perfect regular season Saturday, but the Tigers had to withstand a spirited and impressive effort by Southeast Missouri State University's Indians in order to pull off the rare feat. Southeast battled TSU on even terms most of the way before the Tigers were able to hold on for a 35-28 victory that ended the season for Southeast. A crowd of 6,850 watched the game at Houck Stadium...

Southeast Missouri State could get used to this. Oh wait, Southeast Missouri State is used to this. The top-seeded Otahkians (28-5) continued their mastery of Ohio Valley Conference volleyball by claiming another OVC Tournament title -- 15-12, 15-3 and 15-11 -- over No. 3 Austin Peay (23-11) Saturday at Houck Field House, assuring Southeast a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament...

RICH HILL -- St. Vincent's bid for a second straight state championship game appearance was rebuffed Saturday by Rich Hill, the No. 1 team in the state, 21-0 in a Missouri Class 1A semifinal football game. The Indians (11-2), ranked No. 2 in the state, managed just 45 rushing yards and 43 yards through the air...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the young season Saturday night when Arkansas State slipped past the Otahkians 74-69 in the championship game of the Arkansas State Tournament...

The Cape Girardeau Road Runners will sponsor a 1-mile run/walk Nov. 28 to benefit the Toybox Charity.The run will start five minutes before the annual Parade of Lights and cover the parade route from Capaha Park to Main Street. Adults, children, families and student groups are encouraged to participate.Awards will be given to the overall male and female winners and to the top finishers in each age division.A new toy or $5 is the entry fee. ...

The Cape Girardeau Parks Department will hold an informational meeting for the Girls Basketball League 7 p.m. Nov. 22, at the Osage Community Centre.If a church, school or community-sponsored group would like to participate, send a team representative to the meeting.The league will have three divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. ...

To find a large variety of freshwater animals in the United States, you will not have to go no farther then Missouri. The fish, crayfish, mussel, and amphibian fauna of Missouri is more diverse than that of most neighboring states. The diversity of freshwater animals in our state is a result of the variety of habitats that occur here, and the ability of the animals to use these habitats. ...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Warm weather chilled hunting success during the opening weekend of the 1999 firearms deer season. The deer kill Nov. 13-14 was 94,481. That is a decrease of 16,025 from the 1998 opening weekend total. The Conservation Department received reports of seven hunting accidents during the weekend, including one fatality...

Three people were injured in accidents Friday and Saturday in Southeast Missouri, the Highway Patrol said. A Bernie man was injured in a one-vehicle accident Saturday afternoon on Route D, two miles east of Malden in New Madrid County. The Highway Patrol said Curtis Oliver, 73, was eastbound when the accident occurred at 2:30 p.m...

JACKSON -- Leanna M. Kuntze, 89, a former resident of Jackson, died Friday, Nov. 19, 1999, at the Lutheran Care Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.She was born Sept. 18, 1910, in Dutchtown, daughter of Charles and Anna Nieman Bochers. She married Eberhard Kuntze on June 28, 1945. He preceded her in death on April 9, 1988...

JACKSON -- Patsy Ruth Wilson, 71, of Jackson died Friday, Nov. 19, 1999, at her home. She was born on May 14, 1928, at Carthage, daughter of Chalmers H. and Myrtle J. Wheeler. She married Robert O. Wilson Jr. on June 24, 1950, at Kansas City, Kan. She was a social worker, working with developmentally disabled adults. She was a member of the Overland Park Christian Church in Overland Park, Kan., and the National Association of Social Workers. She graduated from the University of Kansas...

Juanita Mae Ratliff, 79, of Cape Girdeau died Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999, at her home. She was born Sept. 9, 1920, in Clinton, Ky, the daughter of J.L. and Mary B. Rogers. She married Carl Ratliff in Pike County, Ky., on Jan. 20, 1939. He preceded her in death on Aug. 5, 1981. She and her husband opened Ratliff's Grocery in August 1950. She retired from the store in April 1997...

SIKESTON -- Beulah Mae Chappell, 91, of Sikeston died Friday, Nov. 19, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born on July 5, 1908, in Waverly, Tenn., the daughter of David Lonzo and Lena Mae Sutton Forrest. She married William "Odie" Chappell on April 26, 1926. He preceded her in death on Jan. 7. 1963...

RAYTOWN -- Louise V. "Beezie" Mansfield, 91, of Raytown died Friday, Nov. 19, 1999, at a Kansas City hospital. She was born Jan. 25, 1908, at Cape Girardeau. She was a member of the Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church and St. Mark's Chapter of the Eastern Star No. 167 of Cape Girardeau...

Anna Katherine Jean Buchanan and Karl Joseph Westrich exchanged vows Sept. 11, 1999, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Milton Ryan performed the double ring ceremony. Flutist was Paul Thompson and pianist was Lenny Kuper, both of Cape Girardeau. Soloist was Rhonda King of Dexter, aunt of the bride. A trio comprised of Sandra Bollinger of Benton, sister of the groom; Kelly Baker and Jackie Huls of Sikeston, also sang...

CHAFFEE -- Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wicker of Chaffee will renew their vows at 2 p.m. Nov. 27 at Chaffee General Baptist Church. The Rev. Joe Payne will perform the ceremony.The couple has been married 25 years.Mrs. Wicker is the former Anna Seyer, daughter of the late Pete and Cora Seyer of Chaffee. Wicker is the son of Marcella Elledge of Chaffee, and the late Virgil Wicker of Granite City, Ill.The couple has four children and five grandchildren...

JACKSON -- The Gingerbread House in Savannah, Ga., was the setting Oct. 8, 1999, for the wedding of Melanie Barnes-Touchton and Wilson Paul Wunderlich. John G. Anderson performed the double ring ceremony. Music was provided by Chance Williams of Savannah...

SCOTT CITY -- Sara Rebecca Coomer and Will L. Rhodes Jr. exchanged vows Oct. 23, 1999, at the Oasis Hall in Allenville. The Rev. Rennie Phillips performed the double ring ceremony. Robert and Barbara Coomer of Scott City are parents of the bride. The groom is the son of Willard "Pewee" Rhodes of Scott City...

The Old Pine Log Church in Ste. Genevieve County was the setting Sept. 17, 1999, for the private candlelight wedding of Shannon Leigh Kennon and Derek Bryan Knight. The Rev. Edward DeSpain performed the double ring ceremony. Flutist was Tracy Lohmeier, sister of the groom...

DEXTER -- Cortney Wagner and Kendal Heuer were married June 5, 1999, at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Joel Whiteside performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Robin Bullock of Mt. Vernon, Ill. The groom is the son of Lynn Hassell of Dexter and Ken and Malinda Heuer of Springfield...

PERRYVILLE -- Tara Valleroy and Samir Shah were married July 24, 1999, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Kevin Fausz performed the double ring ceremony. A varyatra, an Indian groom's procession, preceded the ceremony. Organist was Christy Shinn. Soloists were Leah and Hiedi Fisher and Aaron Valleroy, brother of the bride. Liturgist was Jennifer Cole. Presenting the offertory gifts were Mike and Vickie Webb. Vickie is godmother of the bride...

A staircase off the laundry room leads to the recreation room over the two-car garage. The cozy den makes a great space for a study, TV room or extra bedroom. Plenty of storage space is available in this kitchen's oak cupboards, and a built-in desk is also available. You can step out onto the patio from the sliding glass doors...