Community briefs 4/19/07

Coalition for Peace and Justice to meet today

The Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice will meet at 7 p.m. today at Grace Cafe in Cape Girardeau.

Library Week events to be held at Cape library

Two events to celebrate National Library Week will be held at the Cape Girardeau Public Library: a 7 p.m. presentation and book signing by Morley Swingle on his latest book, "Scoundrels to the Hoosegow," tonight and a Scholastic Book Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Proceeds will be used to purchase book incentives for the summer reading clubs.

New Madrid pageant to be held Saturday

The New Madrid spring queen 2007 pageant will be held at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the New Madrid Community Center on Mill Street. Registration will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. For more information, call Mary at (573) 471-3120.

50th anniversary of Scope Club celebrated

All past Scope Club, GFWC members and the public are invited to attend the 50th anniversary celebration at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The club sponsors three sophomores from area schools to attend the Sophomore Pilgimage in Jefferson City, Mo., supports Girls Town in Kingdom City, Mo., and donates time and money to the Red House Interpretive Center project.

Celebrate Earth Day by donating old cell phones

Verizon Wireless is recruiting donations of no-longer-used wireless handsets and batteries, in any condition for the company's national recycling HopeLine program. Besides properly disposing phones in an environmentally sound way, the program refurbishes them for resale and reuse. Phone donations have resulted in nearly $1.3 million in cash grants and more than 16,000 HopeLine phones with airtime and other features to domestic violence organizations and shelters. Spent cell phone rechargeable batteries are recycled to help conserve the earth's natural resources and prevent the batteries from entering landfills. The batteries and phones are accepted year-round, not just in celebration of Earth Day, which is Sunday.

Bunko fund-raiser to benefit St. Jude Hospital

The first Bunko fund-raiser, sponsored by Kappa Kappa Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Heartland Banquet Hall, 4000 East Jackson Blvd. in Jackson. Admission includes snacks and door prizes. There will be a 50/50 drawing. All proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Space is limited. Call Alice at 334-8327 or Deanna at 334-3505 for reservations.

SEMO Alliance seeks donations for yard sale

The SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence Inc. will hold its annual yard sale in June, rain or shine. They are currently seeking donations of small appliances, household items and clean, wearable clothing to sell. The proceeds will benefit people with disabilities who cannot afford assistive devices that Medicaid/Medicare does not cover and subsidize transportation costs for SADI's shuttle service. For more information, call Kim at 651-6464. Monetary donations may be mailed to SADI, 121 S. Broadview Plaza, Suite 12, Cape Girardeau.

Group seeks volunteers to knit, crochet, quilt

Stitches from the Heart, a not-for-profit, nationwide, charitable organization, donates knitted and crocheted hats, booties, sweaters, blankets and quilts to hospitals and charities throughout the United States for distribution to infants who leave the hospital with little or nothing to wear. Donated yarn is also needed. Patterns are available. Call Kathy Silverton at (866) 472-6903 or e-mail StitchFromHeart@aol.com for more information.

Historian to lecture at the Show Me Center

Dr. John Mack Faragher, professor of American history and head of the Howard R. Lamar Center for the Studies of Frontiers and Borders at Yale University, will present the Riddle Distinguished History lecture "A New Look at Violence in the Old West" at 7 p.m. April 26 at the Show Me Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

-- From staff reports