Stories from Wednesday, October 23, 1991

Tara Koosak, a fifth grade student at Alma Schrader School and author of a book called "School-Biz Is," recent participated in the third annual Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tenn. As part of the festival, several dozen authors, illustrators, storytellers and songwriters visited area schools. Koosak was a guest speaker at three schools...

Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft urged students at Alma Schrader School Tuesday to "make a deal" with him and their parents to study hard to get the most out of their educational opportunities. "When you go home tonight, I hope you will tell your parents that you made a deal with the governor today that you're going to work hard in school," Ashcroft told a group of third-grade students...

Condemnation and demolition of the old St. Francis hospital building and Marquette Hotel in Cape Girardeau could cost the city more than $600,000, according to estimates solicited by City Manager J. Ronald Fischer. But the city manager told the City Council Monday that a new, city dangerous-buildings law could defray some of the demolition expense for the dilapidated buildings...

Most of the talk about Proposition B has focused on what it would do for education. But a part of the measure deals with job development and training. Of the new revenue that would be provided by Proposition B tax increases, 1.4 percent would be earmarked for the Job Development and Training Trust Account...

(Fourth in a series) Proposition B's three-eighths-cent sales tax provision would unfairly burden the poor and add to the "tax overload" on middle-income earners, opponents maintain. They also question a part of the measure dealing with job training and business tax credits, and the fact that none20of the money would go for the state's mental-health and social services...

JACKSON -- Missouri inmates who file frivolous state lawsuits are being targeted with countersuits to discourage the activity, says state Attorney General William L. Webster. Speaking at a noon luncheon Tuesday before the Jackson Rotary Club, Webster said the suits, filed by his office, have had a very "therapeutic" effect. In Moberly, he said, his office filed a countersuit, got a judgment, and within two weeks inmates had dismissed over 200 lawsuits...

SANDY SHANDY Occupation: Secretary, nell Holcomb School The best part of my job is: "The nice people I work with and cute things kids do and say at school." What do you do in your spare time? "Play in the handbell choir and sing in the choir at Grace Methodist Church."...

SCOTT CITY -- A letter sent to all Scott City employees warning them against "undermining of city officials and policies" is a violation of the right to free speech, according to a municipal worker. The letter, distributed earlier this month, has many employees in an uproar, City Collector Aleene Warden told the City Council Monday...

For the first time in over six years, motorists soon will be able to cross Juden Creek on East Cape Rock Drive near Highway 177. A new, one-lane bridge over the creek, which runs near Twin Trees Park, is scheduled to open sometime next week, a spokesman for the Cape Girardeau city engineer's office said Tuesday...

CHAFFEE -- Wanda Mae Newcomer, 56, of Chaffee, died at 7:46 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at the Memorial Medical Center and Cancer Institute in Tulsa, Okla. She was born Sept. 21, 1935 in Chaffee, daughter of the late Ernest White and Mildred Brown White, who survives of Chaffee...

SCOTT CITY -- Eldon Greer, 78, of San Benito, Texas, formerly of Scott City, died Sunday, Oct. 20, 1991, in San Benito. He was born in December 1912, at Commerce, son of Ancell and Freda Koch Greer. Greer was an agent with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division of the U.S. Treasury. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II...

MARBLE HILL -- Palma L. Evans, 71, of Marble Hill, died Monday, Oct. 21, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Jan. 27, 1920, at Arbor, daughter of Charles and Gertrude Morris McClain. She and Loftis Evans were marmried Dec. 14, 1936. He died Aug. 11, 1988...

JACKSON -- Maude Bess, 87, formerly of Jackson Route 1, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at Cedargate Nursing Home in Poplar Bluff. She was born Oct. 2, 1904, at Millersville, daughter of Alexander and Rhoda Jane Wills Cramer. She married Hobson Bess Nov. 2, 1924, who died June 26, 1985...

Malby Raymond Gordon, 93, of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. He was born Dec. 25, 1987, in Anna, Ill., son of John C. and Rosella Barringer Gordon. He and Helen Beatrice Wood were married May 31, 1927, in Carbondale, Ill. She died April 15, 1990...

Matthew Todd Osborne, 25, 2808 Hilldale, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Nov. 22, 1965, son of Don E. and Barbara Hodge Osborne. He was a 1987 graduate of Parkview State School. Osborne had worked at VIP Industries four years. He was a member of First Baptist Church, and lifetime member of Love Department Sunday School Class...

BLOOMFIELD -- Vern Scism, 75, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 25, 1916, at Bloomfield, daughter of Elbert H. and Vivian Parmenter Eaker. Scism was the first woman to be hired by the State of Missouri Auditor's Office as a county auditor in 1949...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Roberta Coleman, 85, of Elco, died Monday, Oct. 21, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born April 23, 1906, at McClure, daughter of Thomas and Annie Sorrels Cantrell. She married Miles Coleman May 5, 1926. He died March 9, 1962...

Irene Thilenius, 78, of Waldport, Ore., died Sunday, Oct. 20, 1991, at Pacific Community Hospital in Newport, Ore. She was born March 1, 1913, at Egypt Mills, daughter of Gottlieb and Mary Steinhoff Baker. She married Herbert Thilenius July 3, 1939, in Wichita, Kan...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Funeral service for Terrell Lynn "Terry" Shockley of Eddyville, Ky., formerly of Olive Branch, was held Sunday at Dunns Mortuary in Eddyville. The Rev. Harold Hatfield officiated, with burial in Rolling Hills Cemetery at Eddyville...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Mary Margaret Yates, 83, of Paducah, Ky., died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1991, at Charleston Manor in Charleston, Mo. She was born Dec. 23, 1907, in Henderson, Ky., daughter of Henry and Mary Emma Fluhr Claycomb. She married Spyrus N. Yates, who died June 21, 1968. She was formerly of Cairo and Miller City, and member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church here...

Let me tell you about my experience with the tomahawk chop. It starts, as so many controversies do, with a gross misconception and Jane Fonda. I was in Atlanta visiting friends this summer. The St. Louis Cardinals were also visiting, wrapping up a weekend series with the Braves. Fulton County Stadium is located beside Interstate 75, right on the way to my house, more or less. What did it matter if I got home a few hours late?...

The spirit of entrepreneurship appears to be thriving in Cape Girardeau. But the local Chamber of Commerce doesn't want to take any chances. That's why the chamber has teamed up with Southeast Missouri State University to study small business activity. The research team is weighing the need for a business incubator here. Team members are midway through an eight-week study...

Anne Bradshaw is a Cape Girardeau resident. She served as a regent at Southeast Missouri State University from 1983 to 1990. Nov. 5th will mark an important date in the history of Missouri. That's when voters across the state will be asked to cast their ballot for the future of our schools...

Dear Editor: I appreciate very much the opportunity offered to churches by the Southeast Missourian to supply material for the "Church of the Week" column on Fridays. I have gladly submitted articles for this page and gladly read the messages from my colleagues...

Dear Editor: Your coverage of the Grim Reaper campaign last week was another fine example of the cooperation that exists between the Southeast Missourian and Southeast Missouri State University. The Grim Reaper has ushered in Alcohol Awareness Week for the past several years and your staff has made "it" newsworthy and informative each year...

Nine Notre Dame students have been selected to participate in the 1991-92 All-District Choir. Students selected are Rhonda Trankler, Tracy Gragg, Sally Iten, Amy Higgins, Bess Irlbeck, Adam Cox, Matt Strohmeyer, Jeff Augustine and Ben Glaus. The All-District Choir, under the direction of Stephen Michelson of Murray State University, will present a concert Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Cape Girardeau Central High School Auditorium...

While Americans watched the hearing on Judge Clarence Thomas vs. Anita Hill last week before the United States Senate, they were unaware they were witnessing a chapter being written in the country's history. The sexual harassment hearing regarding a nominee to the Supreme Court was the first of its kind in the history of the country...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. Dry weather has helped Missouri farmers bring in cotton well ahead of the average pace. The Missouri Agricultural Statistics Office said Monday that the cotton harvest was more than 80 percent completed, about 12 days ahead of last year and a week ahead of average...

The supply of qualified agriculture teachers has fallen short of the demand, according to data collected in a national survey. In 1990, U.S. schools had 628 openings for new ag teachers, but fewer than 400 new graduates were looking for jobs, said James W. Legacy, professor of agricultural education at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The survey was done by Dale Oliver of the Division of Vocational and Technical Education at Virginia Tech...

The American Red Cross community blood drive will be held Oct. 30 from 2-7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. The drive is sponsored by the Eagle's Auxiliary and the River City BPW Club. The goal is set for 130 units of blood. In addition, a blood drive will be held at the Advance Elementary School Oct. 30 from 2-7 p.m. The school is located at Highway 91 and School Street in Advance...

Two Southeast Missouri State University student organizations will trick or treat Halloween night to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. About 60 members of Gamma Sigma Sigma and Circle K clubs will be dressed in costumes and knocking on doors asking for donations throughout the city from 6-7:30 p.m...

VIP Industries will host the Missouri Association for Sheltered Workshop Managers meeting Thursday and Friday at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The Missouri Association for Sheltered Workshop Managers is comprised of 88 sheltered workshops in the state of Missouri...

Greg Kuntz, a senior at Notre Dame High School, has been named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. About 35,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being honored for their performance on the 1990 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1 million program entrants...

Jason McBride has been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. To earn the highest award in Scouting, McBride earned 26 merit badges and devoted more than 40 hours completing a service project. McBride planned and placed a flagpole and memorial plaque in memory of Col. Louis Unfer at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau...