Community digest 12/16/02

Woelk named college homecoming queen

Christian Woelk, daughter of Mike and Trish Woelk of Cape Girardeau, was recently named homecoming queen at the College of the Ozarks Homecoming pageant. Woelk is a 1997 graduate of Eagle Ridge Christian School.

Through voting, students of the college narrowed down a list of more than 40 girls selected by various clubs and organizations on campus to 20. Three judges selected the event's top 10 contestants, top five contestants and homecoming queen from those 20 girls.

To participate in this event, candidates wrote essays and short speeches. They also attended etiquette classes, personal presentation seminars and interviews.

Community Caring Council to meet Friday

The Community Caring Council will meet at 7:30 a.m. Friday at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, at 804 N. Cape Rock Drive in Cape Girardeau. The featured program this month will be Tammy Gwaltney, director of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence. The NASV is at 63 Doctors' Park in Cape Girardeau and provides support and services for sexually assaulted residents of Southeast Missouri.

The Community Caring Council meets on the third Friday of every month to bring together interested community agencies and individuals throughout Cape Girardeau County. The public is invited.

Octagon Optimist Club sends Christmas cheer

The Jackson Octagon Optimist Club recently collected and shipped clothing, toys and other items to the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation for Christmas. About 247 pounds were collected in one week. Eleven boxes were shipped Wednesday.

Pine Ridge, in South Dakota, is one of the poorest Indian reservations in the nation. The boxes were sent to three groups that will see they reach the people that need them -- the Sioux YMCA, the Pine Ridge Porcupine Day School and the Helping Hands of Wounded Knee.

The Jackson Octagon Optimist Club is open to kids in grades 6 through 12. The group works on a variety of community projects throughout the year. Members have been wrapping presents for the Humane Society and recently helped restore the Indian statue in Jackson. The club meets at 6 p.m. on Monday nights at New McKendree Church in Jackson.

Home-schooling parents invited to attend meeting

Home-schooling parents are invited to attend the monthly meeting of the Mississippi Valley Home Educators from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Salvation Army gym in Cape Girardeau. The topic will be Christmas. Students are invited to bring a craft, a show-and-tell project or a paper to share with the group.

Call 339-8754 for more information.

Cape senior center to hold bake sale, bazaar

The Cape Girardeau Senior Center is holding a bake sale and bazaar at 9 a.m. Thursday and a Christmas party at 10 a.m. Thursday. All kinds of baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, as well as many craft items will be available.

The senior center is at 921 N. Clark St. Call the center at 335-1352 for more information.

AARP 55 Alive driving course set for this week

An AARP 55 Alive Safety Driving Course will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Masonic Temple Building, at 2307 Broadway. Participants must attend both sessions to pass the course and receive a certificate.

Robert W. Harper and Larry Jackson will serve as instructors. Cost of the class is $10. Attendants may sign up in advance or on-site. Some insurance companies offer a discount to drivers who have taken this course. Call Harper at 243-2396 for more information.

Library to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah

The holidays are a perfect time to share tales, according to staff members at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. All ages are welcome to visit the library at 7 p.m. Tuesday to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa with a cup of cocoa and a selection of favorite holiday stories, old and new.

Bring the whole family and be reintroduced to characters who help make the season bright. Then stick around for some brand new holiday adventures that are sure to be become holiday classics. Each participant will get a craft to take and make at home.

Call 334-5279 or stop by 711 N. Clark for more information.

-- From staff reports