`STARS' TURN OUT FOR LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST

The stars were out Sunday afternoon at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau. About 30 people competed in a celebrity look-alike contest at center court.

The contest drew entries ranging from spinach-eating cartoon character, Popeye, a television chef, Mr. Food. Other favorites were Marilyn Monroe and country music stars Alan Jackson and Reba McEntire.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the contest, which was sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation and Wehrenberg Theatres.

The winners will be announced Nov. 16 at Southeast Showcase, a foundation fund raiser for Southeast Missouri Hospital. The theme is "Showcase Goes Hollywood."

"We wanted a real star but they are expensive, so we decided to try a contest in the area," said J. Charles Stotz, executive director.

One of the more popular celebrities in the contest was Marcia Clark. Jan Halter of Cape Girardeau, who competed as Clark, wore a navy blue suit complete with a "Remember Nicole" button and carried a brief case.

"I work in a restaurant and people have been telling me for the last two or three months," Halter said, adding that while visiting in Nashville, she was also told of her resemblance to the prosecutor made famous by the O.J. Simpson trial.

"I thought it would be fun, but I had to go and find a picture of her," she said, adding that she only watched the closing arguments of the trial.

Kim DeHart is reminded almost daily about her likeness to country artist Trisha Yearwood.

"It's been going on since she first came out with her first song, `She's In Love With The Boy," said DeHart of Sikeston.

In fact, people at Opryland stopped her for an autograph and didn't believe she really wasn't Yearwood.

"They said anybody could get a fake ID," she said, adding that she signed the autograph.

Even her 18-month-old daughter thinks she looks like Yearwood. She identifies pictures of Yearwood as `Mama', DeHart said.

It took Sue Buckenmyer some time to realize her son Dan looked like James Belushi. After seeing a movie with Belushi, she noticed the resemblance.

"He's just my son," she said. "But now I can see it and he's got the sense of humor to go with it."

Three winners will be chosen Nov. 16 at the Show-Me-Center. Sunday's finalists include Halter, DeHart and Buckenmyer, along with Gary Petzoldt as Alan Jackson; Richard Williams as Popeye; Terry Tuschhoff as Steve Martin; Jennifer Martin as Marilyn Monroe; Scott McClanahan as Joan Crawford; Paul Dowling as Mr. Food and David Cheek as Al Borland.