Community briefs 2/5/04

Friends of St. Francis Honor Outgoing President

The Friends of Saint Francis honored outgoing Board President, Jim Govro at a lunchoen held recently.

Current Friends of St. Francis president Janet Esicar, left, presented Govro, center, with a plaque for his years of dedications and service to the mission of the organization. Standing, right, is William H. Kiehl executive director of the foundation and chief fund raising executive.

Toastmasters International to meet Tuesday in Cape

Hi-Noon Toastmasters Club is planning to meet at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Christ, 328 West End Blvd., Cape Girardeau. Table topics are discussed followed by an evaluation of the speaker. Through regular meetings and speaking opportunities, Toastmasters International helps individuals achieve their full potential and overcome the stress of becoming a leader. For more information call Dr. Bill Meyer, president, at 334-3130.

Locals participating in Gateway Farm Toy Show

The 23rd annual Gateway Farm Toy Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Holiday Inn North on Lindbergh Street in St. Louis (near the airport). Members of the Gateway Toy Club who reside locally will participate in selling farm toys, dolls, trucks, and Nascar memorabilia, plus New Holland toys. There will also be a model and display contest from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The club, which has existed since at least 1987, donates proceeds from sales to St. Judes Children Hospital and distributes toys locally at Christmas and various times during the year. Also featured at the show will be a farm toy auction. For more information, call Jerry Davis at (800) 649-4556.

'Heart Smart' poster ceremony scheduled

Awards for winning entries in the 14th annual "Heart Smart" poster contest for children ages 4 to 14 will be presented at 2 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Sponsored by Southeast's Regional Heart Center, the contest encourages children to illustrate ways all ages can take care of their hearts. Families and friends of the award winners, as well as the general public, are invited. Refreshments will be served. Winning posters will be displayed for several weeks at the hospital and on the hospital Web site. For more information, call 651-5533.

Southeast welcoming prospective students

Show Me Day is open to all prospective students and their parents beginning at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The event is designed to give students a good look at the Southeast college experience. Information from academic and career choice options to financial aid, residence life, and student activities will be available. Information for students wishing to transfer from another campus or who would like to learn about internship and experiential learning opportunities associated with all majors at Southeast will be available as well as campus tours. To register, call 651-2590.

Jazz Ensemble to perform at Central Junior High

At 7 p.m. March 6, the Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble, a group of 18 professional musicians whose repertoire ranges from big band jazz to bebop, swing, and modern jazz, will be performing a free concert at the Central Junior High School auditorium. Free tickets are available at the Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau.

New Vision to sponsor charity art show

From 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, New Vision Counseling will hold a charity art show at 619 Broadview featuring guest artist Marty Riley and other local artists. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to New Vision Counseling. Call 334-3486 for more information.

Special Olympics topic of next SADI program

The next guest appearing on the Semo Alliance for Disability Independence TV program "Independently Speaking" will be Penny Williams. As the director of Southeast Area Special Olympics and facility manager of the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau, Williams will speak on the topic of Special Olympics. The program airs at 5:30 a.m. Sunday on WDKA-TV Channel 49 (Channel 17 on cable) and at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Feb. 24.

Reunion for USS Cascade planned for August

A Navy ship reunion for the USS Cascade AD-16 will be held at the Red Lion Hotel in San Diego Calif., from August 8 to 15. Interested parties should contact Lyle "Preacher" Burchette, P.O. Box 566, Hollister, Mo. 65673, (417) 334-5627; or Bob Croghan, 7827 Cassia Court, St. Louis, Mo. 63123, (314) 843-6615 or e-mail bobsr@croghancpa.com.

Newcomers awaiting name change, still meeting

By next month all votes will be compiled and a new name for the Newcomers Club will be announced. Activities for this month include a Lunch Bunch meeting at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Broussards; Coffee at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 20 at Grace Cafe (RSVP Connie Vardaro at 334-7674); Book Club at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Up for discussion is "First Mothers" by Beverly Angelo (RSVP Patti Lessman at 335-4246).

-- From staff reports