Stories from Tuesday, October 27, 1992

City officials Monday broke ground on a project to begin replacement of antiquated sewers on Cape Girardeau's south side. The project is part of a two-year, $800,000 community development program in the College-Jefferson neighborhood. The program includes a $570,000 grant to rehabilitate about 60 housing units in the neighborhood and $230,000 for the sewer improvements...

ST. LOUIS - Fear and concern about the nation's economic condition is the main reason for Gov. Bill Clinton's continued surge in presidential election election polls, U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley said Saturday. "That is so far and away the number one issue on peoples minds that nothing else is close," said Bradley, in a telephone interview from St. Louis where he was campaigning for the Clinton-Gore ticket...

The editor of "Lyme Disease Update" will be the guest speaker when the Lyme Disease Self-Help Support Group meets tonight. Charlene Glover will discuss her work with the publication and her experiences as a Lyme Disease patient. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

DELTA -- The Delta R-V Junior-Senior High School will hold Parent-Teacher conferences Thursday from 4-7 p.m. These conferences will be held in the high school gym. School will be dismissed on Friday. "We in the Delta R-V School District feel these conferences are a vital part of education," said Paul Kitchen, high school principal. "This is a great opportunity for parents to get to know their son or daughter's teachers and for the teachers to meet parents."...

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City's Community Teachers Association will host spaghetti supper on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. It will be co-sponsored by the Future Teachers of America. Proceeds will be used for a school scholarship. The meal will be held before the homecoming game...

JACKSON - Two lifelong Cape Girardeau County residents, with backgrounds in farming and business, are making their first tries for public office this year by trying to claim the first district seat on the county commission. Both Larry Bock, who lives near Gordonville, and George Cox, who lives near Delta, have been waging an aggressive campaign of meeting the people for several months. Both are hoping they can convince voters of their desire to represent and serve them...

JACKSON - Five months of meetings bore fruit Monday as representatives of five entities approved a set of by-laws for a joint industrial development organization. The organization will be established as a not-for-profit corporation and is a cooperative venture of the cities of Cape Girardeau, Jackson, and Scott City, Cape Girardeau County, and the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. It will be known as the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association...

JACKSON -- Candidates from three political races in the area Monday squared off at a forum sponsored by the Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau. About 50 people attended the event, which was held at the American Legion Hall in Jackson. Although the forum lacked the confrontational aspects of a full-blown debate, the candidates made their differences on issues apparent...

Having won a battle to get increased highway funding for Missouri, U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond pledged Monday that in a new term he would fight to prevent raids on those funds and see that major arterial routes in the state are designated as part of the National Highway System...

No one has been more identified with the cause of American liberalism during the past 30 years than former U.S. Sen. George McGovern. Who better, then, to predict that the coming election may signal the ascendancy of liberal ideology in the 1990s and beyond...

The celebration that will recognize Cape Girardeau's 200th birthday is officially under way and downtown Cape Girardeau is doing its part to support the year-long, bicentennial observance. "We have received six bicentennial banners to be placed in downtown locations," said Evelyn Boardman. ...

The fifth coolest summer in 47 years in Cape Girardeau proved to be a real cost saver for electric customers of Union Electric Co. And UE customers may get another break early next year, if a proposed reduction in electric rates is approved. The utility reported its third quarter (July-September) operating revenues suffered from a five percent drop in kilowatt-hour sales because of the cool summer weather...

BENTON -- Oma Diamond, 69, of Benton, died Monday, Oct. 26, 1992, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Benton.

Parents Without Partners, Cape SEMO Chapter 519, is sponsoring a Halloween Dance Saturday. The dance will be held at the VFW Hall in Cape Girardeau from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Brice's Variety will provide music for the evening. Admission is $5 per person. Costumes will be judged and prizes awarded...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Larry Yeargain, 1902 Northbridge, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, 1992. Name, Caleb Andrew. Weight, 9 pounds 2 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. Yeargain is the former Vicki Hitt, daughter of Horace and Frances Hitt, Cape Girardeau Route 2. She is a registered nurse at St. Francis Medical Center. Yeargain is a children's service worker with Division of Family Services. He is the son of Jim and Betty Yeargain of Farmington...

NEW HAMBURG -- Funeral mass for Alexander Anthony Burger Jr. of New Hamburg will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. The Rev. Amel Shibley will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home at Benton is in charge of arrangements...

DEXTER -- Cline Jerred Owensby, 70, of Dexter, died Sunday, Oct. 25, 1992, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born May 22, 1922, at Oran, son of Tom and Cora Robinson Owensby. He and Mary Catherine Dill were married Jan. 4, 1944. Owensby was employed at General Motors 30 years, moving to Dexter 12 years ago. He was a member of First General Baptist Church here, was a Sunday School teacher, and was active at Dexter Nutrition Center. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II...

Bernice Fitzpatrick, 76, 1509 Jane, died Sunday, Oct. 25, 1992, at St. John's Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 28, 1916, at New Madrid, daughter of Thomas and Ada Bratton Rickard. She married Marvin Fitzpatrick July 18, 1937, at Chaffee. They lived in Norristown, Pa., from 1937 until moving to Granite City, Ill., in 1942, and then to Cape Girardeau in 1976. She was a member of First Christian Church...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Gary Allen of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home. The Rev. A.B. Ledbetter will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park Cemetery. Allen, 38, died Saturday, Oct. 24, 1992, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

PERRYVILLE -- Gilbert J. Hager, 87, of Perryville, died Monday, Oct. 26, 1992, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Nov. 6, 1904, in Perry County, son of George Arsan and Mary L. Brewer Hager. He first married Anna V. Moore, who died May 7, 1984. He later married Flossie Howard Laster Jan. 18, 1986...

JACKSON -- Flora E. Wendel, 89, Jackson Route 2, died Saturday, Oct. 24, 1992, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Nov. 30, 1902, near Old Appleton, daughter of John and Liz Bingenheimer Kasten. She and Benjamin Wendel were married Oct. 24, 1925...

Fred J. Borchelt, 84, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Monday, Oct. 26, 1992, at St. Luke's Hospital there. He was born June 12, 1908, at Egypt Mills, son of Fred J. and Minnie Neilding Borchelt. He and Lillian Miller were married Aug. 19, 1930, in Anna, Ill. She died Aug. 30, 1972...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Robert Zanone, 66, of Hooper, Utah, formerly of Cairo, died Sunday, Oct. 25, 1992, in Hooper. Survivors include his wife, Mary; four sons; two daughters; two sisters, Pat Beeler of Metropolis, and Hortense Sullivan of Mounds. Private burial will be held later at Calvary Cemetery in Villa Ridge...

Palmer H. Bode, 73, of Oglesby, Ill., died Saturday, Oct. 24, 1992, at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru, Ill. He was born April 13, 1919, at Egypt Mills, son of Herman and Flora Hanebrink Bode. He and Shirley Denton were married Oct. 1, 1940, at Blytheville, Ark...

URBANDALE, Ill. -- Ronnie L. Grace, 28, of Urbandale, died Sunday, Oct. 25, 1992, in a car accident near Cairo. He was born July 2, 1964, in East Prairie, Mo., son of Warden Lee and Janice Simmons Grace. Grace was a security guard at Louisiana Dock Co. in Cairo, and attended the Pentecostal Church...

To the editor: Even though I lack the eloquence of some, I still felt compelled to communicate my feelings to you on a very important community issue. My topic of concern is the proposition regarding the ward system of representation which will appear on the ballot on Nov. 2...

The American electorate is a rather capricious beast during this unusual political year. Given recent history and the general mood concerning government, however, one thing seems clear: Americans aren't anxious to pay more taxes. On Nov. 3, Missourians will consider a couple of ballot measures that will make it easier for certain tax increases to be imposed. This prospect doesn't enthuse us, nor do we think it will most taxpayers. We urge Missourians to vote down Amendments 1 and 10...

John Blue is a retired editor of the Southeast Missourian newspaper, and remains active in civic affairs. Up to this point, except for those who have put the overture on the ballot, there has been practically no public discussion about the zone (ward) proposal before Cape Girardeau voters on Nov. 3...

To the Editor: President Bush has been making an issue lately of Bill Clinton's character. Due to the controversy of the issue and Clinton's apparent weakness in this area, the Guv has cleverly side-stepped the charges. But character is a central issue in this election and not merely a departure from real political concerns...

Lawrence Godfrey helped lead the petition to place city zone representation on the ballot in Cape Girardeau. He is a resident of Cape Girardeau and works at Horizon Screen Printing. He has been a candidate for City Council in the past. The United States of America is the mightiest modern nation that man has created. This nation was founded on the highest principles thatmen of "good" will and common sense have been able to put into practice to this date...

Just look outside, Southern Missourians are right now laying the foundation for the future. Successes in the past year alone bode very well for our region economically and could have direct spin-offs to improve the quality of life for most folks in our region...