Stories from Tuesday, May 16, 2000

The little boat chugged out of the harbor and into the sound. The small wake gurgled behind. All around, the water was strangely still. "Slick ca'm," said Grandpa under his breath. The lighthouse lit the way. Delia wondered if she were dreaming again. But the terrible dream felt real this time. She took a deep breath of the briny air...

A helper at Save-A-Lot I'd like to thank Raymond Wulfers, a worker at Save-A-Lot in Cape Girardeau. He's always so nice to everybody. He helps people with their groceries and always has a smile for everyone. I'd also like to thank the store, who allows him to be of help...

One day last week, Rebecca Mattes of Cape Girardeau was stocking the shelves at Catherine's Cupboard, a free food distribution program at St. Vincent de Paul Parish that assists area food banks and individuals. She was wearing a sticker: "Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today."...

Three months after 19-year-old Traci Taylor's struggle against leukemia ended, some teen-agers who knew her and some who didn't have decided to give a benefit concert to help her parents pay off her medical bills and make Traci's last wish come true...

JACKSON -- When fifth-grader Katie Matthews handed out thank-you cards she had made for the special teachers she had at West Lane Elementary School, she was rewarded. " It put big smiles on the teachers' faces to know they were appreciated," said Katie, a student in Joanna Sievers' class. "It also made me feel good inside because I knew I did something good."...

A boundary shift between Franklin and Barbara Blanchard elementary schools that is expected to alleviate enrollment inequities at the two schools was unanimously approved by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education Monday night. Superintendent Dr. Dan Steska and assistant superintendent Cathy Evans have held a number of meetings with parents since last month, when the proposal was presented to the school board as an informational report. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Vandalism has become such a problem in city parks that the portable-toilet contractor is threatening to take his johns and go home, the park director said. Adding to nearly $15,000 in annual damages suffered by Perryville parks, ripped shingles, broken windows and a portable toilet almost destroyed by arson have driven up expenses a few thousand dollars in only the past two weeks...

What began as a small seed with plenty of hope for a regional evangelism crusade has become deeply rooted and is spreading. More than 300 people are involved in planning a Celebration 2000 crusade with Dr. Ralph Bell, who has worked as an associate evangelist with Billy Graham Crusades for many years...

A burglary over the weekend at Alma Schrader Elementary School ended in a silver lining when two anonymous donors gave the school the approximate amount that was stolen. The donors presented the school $500 Monday afternoon to offset the loss, said principal Frank Ellis...

The Other Half and I have far different ideas on vehicle cleanliness. His car is always washed, vacuumed and dusted. I can't remember the last time I saw so much as a straw wrapper on the floor. My car is more of a rolling trash can -- sort of a transportation system for fast-food wrappers and junk mail. Passengers routinely have to push the pile of trash in the back seat over to one side so they can get in...

Unsure of who your city council representative is? Check Cape Girardeau's Web site and find out. The city has developed a map of the six wards and major streets. The map can be seen by visiting the Web site at www.showme.net/capecity/depts/council/wards.htm...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Two Bootheel Democrats are actively seeking the top two leadership posts in the Missouri House of Representatives. Rep. Denny Merideth III of Caruthersville hopes to be the next speaker of the House while Rep. Phillip Britt of Kennett is going for the chamber's No. 2 job, speaker pro tem. Both men are unopposed for re-election this year...

FRUITLAND -- A construction crew plans to remove the old Interstate 55 northbound bridge at Fruitland during evening hours this week. The removal was scheduled to start Monday night and be completed within three days, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said...

ANNA-JONESBORO, Ill. -- Tony Calabrese organized the first Barnstorming Union County bus tour last fall after reading in the New York Times that 1,000 barns had been torn down the year before in Iowa alone. "I thought, there's got to be some way to protect these barns," said Calabrese, who is both the Union County Chamber of Commerce president and owner of a bed and breakfast with a barn...

JACKSON -- Saying his clients "don't want to delay action," an attorney for landowners seeking commercial rezoning for their property along East Main Street said Monday his clients reluctantly will agree to a partial rezoning as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission...

Costs continue to creep higher to operate the city's public transit system, but prices for taxi coupons will remain steady in the coming year. The Cape Girardeau City Council held a public hearing Monday night and adopted a resolution requesting $170,920 in funding assistance from the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department for its taxi-coupon program...

The pairings are now set for the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament that will be played Thursday through Saturday at Capaha Field. Regular-season champion Eastern Kentucky will join host Southeast Missouri State University, Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay, Murray State and Eastern Illinois in the six-team event that is being played in Cape Girardeau for the third straight year...

CHAFFEE -- Scott City was one out away from advancing in the Class 2A, District 2 tournament. Only the out of doom didn't come in the seventh. It came in the second. After retiring the first two batters of the second inning, Scott City ace Bill Posey was cruising. But a pair of walks and two infield hits doomed the fifth-seeded Rams as No. 4 Kelly went on a two-out rally and scored four runs as the Hawks advanced to the semifinals with a 5-2 win over the Rams...

One of Jackson coach Sam Sides' oft-repeated laments has been about his team's lack of timely hitting. For one game, at least, his Indians came through. Jackson staged a late-inning rally with six runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull out an 11-6 victory over Poplar Bluff in the first round of the 4A, District 1 baseball tournament at Cape Central's Tiger Field...

SEDALIA -- After the first round of the Class 2A state golf tournament at the par-72 Sedalia Country Club, Notre Dame found itself in 11th place out of 16 teams with a team score of 357 Monday. Tim Buerck and Nick Martin led the Bulldogs with rounds of 83 and 84, respectively, on the par-70 course. Lucas Klein shot a 94 and Derek Welter rounded out Notre Dame's scoring with a 96...

ANAPOLIS -- Leopold freshman Josh Van de Ven pitched a no-hitter as the top-seeded Wildcats opened Class 1A, District 3 play with an 11-1, five-inning victory over No. 8 seed Meadow Heights. Van de Ven struck out 10 batters and walked two as Leopold (9-6) moved into today's semifinals against No. 4 Lesterville, which survived a wild 15-14 game against No. 5 Viburnum...

Cape Central has announced its summer camp schedule. The school is holding 15 camps of different sorts, beginning June 5 and running through July 27. Participants of the camps will receive a camp T-shirt and will be covered by basic camp insurance. Questions should be directed to the athletic director's office at 335-8467...

Funeral for Wray Harrison Whitener of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1 p.m. today at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Gary Belcher will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park. Friends may call at the chapel after 10 a.m. Whitener, 85, died Sunday, May 14, 2000, at Fountainbleau Lodge...

Southeast Missouri State University will hold camps in a variety of sports this summer. Southeast coaches in the various sports, along with some of their athletes, will be the instructors for their respective camps. Participants of the camps will receive a camp T-shirt and will be covered by basic camp insurance, along with other camp features...

Even international champions can have problems with that infamous No. 13. When Rebecca Cook of Delta competed at the state competition of the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest in Jefferson City, her 13th free throw attempt proved to be her only miss. But she's not complaining, she made her other 24 attempts in winning the state title...

MARBLE HILL -- Lola Finn, 77, of Marble Hill died Monday, May 15, 2000, at the family home. She was born Nov. 24, 1922, at Scopus, daughter of Jesse Albert and Emma Lou Limbaugh Angle. Finn was retired from Paramount Hat Co. She was a member of Lutesville General Baptist Church...

Freida Trickey, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 15, 2000, at Beverly Health and Rehab. Arrangements are incomplete at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel.

SIKESTON -- George Wilson Maness, 60, of Sikeston died Monday, May 15, 2000, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 7, 1939, in Pemiscot County, son of Bruce and Mary Benton Maness. He and Margaret Woods were married July 13, 1974...

ORAN -- Funeral for Rodger L. Williams of Oran will be held at 2 p.m. today at Rainey Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. David Light will officiate. Burial will be in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Williams, 50, died Saturday, May 13, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Lela Blanche Stone, 90, of Sikeston died Monday, May 15, 2000, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 2, 1910, at Gordonville, daughter of Henry C. and Francis Elizabeth Sweet Clayton. She first married Thomas V. Denton, who preceded her in death. She then married Byrd Shelby, who preceded her in death. She later married James Stone, who also preceded her in death...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Bertha Robertson, 85, of Jonesboro died Sunday, May 14, 2000, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born Dec. 18, 1914, in Claremont, Okla., daughter of Andrew and Amelia Crissip Hileman. She and Charles Robertson were married May 11, 1938. He died Sept. 23, 1971...

ANNA, Ill. -- Wilbur R. Emery, 81, of Anna died Sunday, May 14, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born March 12, 1919, in Pomona, son of John and Dora Williams Emery. He and Ruth McCann were married May 18, 1946, in Jonesboro...

JACKSON -- Freddie W. Stoffregen, 69, passed away Monday, May 15, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call today from 5-8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2000, at the funeral home. Interment will be in Russell Heights Cemetery. Jerry Culbertson and Gerald Cowan will officiate...

BENTON -- Funeral Mass for Luvina H. Hennemann of Benton will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Denis Catholic Church. The Rev. Normand Varone will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hennemann, 81, died Sunday, May 14, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER -- Eddie H. Elledge, 67, of Dexter died Monday, May 15, 2000, at his home. He was born Sept. 26, 1932, at Wappapello, son of Postle Paul and Ada Hodgeson Elledge. He and Gertrude McDaniel were married Nov. 11, 1957, in Hernando, Miss. Elledge formerly lived in the Wappapello and Puxico areas, moving to Dexter in 1956. He was retired from Stites Concrete. He was a member of Second General Baptist Church...

Daughter to Tom Richard and Jill Annelle Chrusciel of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, 2000. Name, Abigail Faith. Weight, 7 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Mrs. Chrusciel is the former Jill Jester, daughter of Harry Jester and Barbara Jester of Mt. Juliet, Tenn. She is employed at Design Alliance Inc. Chrusciel is the son of Richard Chrusciel and Charlene Chrusciel of Bolingbrook, Ill. He is employed at Midwest Sterilization Corp...

Roundabouts -- otherwise known as traffic circles -- have become quite a buzzword among highway designers and traffic-control planners. To hear these folks talk, roundabouts generate the same reverence and awe that surely must have accompanied the development of asphalt paving, stop signs and the first automated stoplight...

To the editor: I was both shocked and appalled to read in the May 9 Southeast Missourian of the inexcusable behavior of the National Guard sergeant from Fulton. I am referring to her public remark that she would not take orders from a superior officer simply because he was black...