Stories from Sunday, September 26, 1993

Marie Smith, 88, of Cape Girardeau, died at Cape LaCroix Nursing Home Saturday, Sept. 25, 1993. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete at this time.

To the Editor: We would like to assist Dr. Michael Wulfers in his attempt to grasp the business aspects of the riverboat proposition. Obviously, judging from his Letter to the Editor on Wednesday, he could use some help. Dr. Wulfers' inept interpretation of the facts is certainly excusable as an honest mistake, in that he is a physician, not a businessman...

Sometimes, a view from afar hits home convincingly. We take note, then, of an article that appeared a few weeks ago in the "American Survey" section of The Economist, a London-based publication. From across an ocean and half a continent, an observation is offered about education in Missouri that rings more true than anything being said in this state. ...

The elections in Poland and the turmoil in Russia puncture the notion of a painless conversion from Communism to democracy and the free market. Poland was considered to be the classic and most hopeful case. With 80 percent of the farm land already in private hands, with its strong Catholic, anti-Communist tradition, with its longstanding desire to be part of the West and escape Russian domination, Poland would be the place where democracy and capitalism would flourish...

A Cape Girardeau attorney, Charles Franklin, will be awarded the honorary title of Senior Counsellor of The Missouri Bar during the 114th Annual Meeting of the organization Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in St. Louis. The presentation will be made at a special luncheon on Thursday, Sept. ...

To the Editor: Here we go again! As I open my newspaper the Yes Group is avidly campaigning, claiming riverboat gambling will bring jobs and income to our city. I do not possess the eloquent speech nor "big city" mannerisms of the Boyd Group, however, as a mother with young children being raised in our fair city, and as a community-minded citizen, I would like to simply raise a few concerns...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A "Take Pride in America" outing will be held at Granny's Park, between Poplar Bluff and Lake Wappapelo, next Sunday. The "All-American Salute" will be sponsored by the Chaonia Volunteer Fire Department, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to help homeless and indigent veterans...

A session on how to recognize and cope with the emotional impact of flooding and its aftermath will be held Monday at St. Francis Medical Center. The session, which begins at 7 p.m. in the hospital education department's Conference Room A and B, is sponsored by the Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association of Southeast Missouri and the Community Counseling Center. It is endorsed by the Community Caring Council...

SIKESTON -- Florence Lee Colleman, 68, of Sikeston, formerly of Bell City, died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1993, at her residence. She was born March 15, 1925, at Hermandale, Mo., daughter of Will and Nancy Alexander Davis. She was a member of the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Bell City...

SIKESTON -- Dr. Mark D. Sever, 47, of Sikeston, died Friday, Sept. 24, 1993, at DePaul Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 3, 1946, at Huntsville, Mo., son of Dr. Benjamin O. and Jewell Hicken Sever. Sever graduated from Dexter High School in 1964. He received his bachelor's degree in health sciences from Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo., in 1968...

JACKSON -- Marion Virginia Nagel, 76, of Jackson, died Saturday, Sept. 25, 1993, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 1, 1917, at Chaffee, daughter of Charles Henry and Flora Ethel Morrow Mason. She married Wilbert Nagel, March 15, 1942. He died May 12, 1992...

OAK RIDGE - James W. Kesterson, 84, of Oak Ridge, died Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1993 at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 11, 1908, the son of Franklin M. and Ellen Smith Kesterson. He farmed all his life in the Oak Ridge community, served in the Army during World War II, was a Boy Scout leader for 10 years, and a member of the First Baptist Church at Oak Ridge...

OLD APPLETON - Rosemary Fowler, 57, of Old Appleton, died Friday, Sept. 24, at the family home. She was born April 6, 1936, in Venice, Ill., to Ollie and Bertha Huffman Kittel. On Aug. 23, 1950, she married Thomas Fowler at Lake City, Ark. He survives, along with three sons, Albert F. Fowler of St. Ann, Thomas E. Fowler of St. Louis, Charles W. Fowler of Jackson; three daughters, Freda R. Fowler of St. Peters, Rita L. Perr of Perryville, and Cathrine J. Greaser of Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL -- Comfort Ruth Yount Barrett, 81, of Sherwood, Ark., died Friday, Sept. 24, 1993, at North Little Rock, Ark. She was born May 14, 1912, at Marble Hill, daughter of the Rev. Lee and Sadie Jones Yount. She married John Barrett. He died March 13, 1972...

SIKESTON -- Elmer "Boots" Watkins, 71, of Morley, died Saturday, Sept. 25, 1993, at his residence. He was born Dec. 23, 1921, at Marked Tree, Ark., son of Daniel Webster and Lucie Bell Watkins. He married Marie Graham. Watkins was a retired farmer. Survivors include his wife; five sons, Bill Watkins of Nashville, Tenn., David Watkins, Danny Watkins, Elmer C. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral mass for John A. "Boo" Fischer III of Cairo was held Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. The Rev. Jerome Fortenberry officiated, with burial in Calvary Cemetery at Villa Ridge. Barkett Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements...

McCLURE, Ill. Lester Ray Johnson, 56, formerly of McClure, Ill., died Friday, Sept. 24, 1993, at R.T. Jones Hospital in Canton, Ga. He was born Feb. 9, 1937, in Alexander County, Ill., son of Lester Raymond and Naomi Louis Randol Johnson. He married Joann Daily in 1955 in Cape Girardeau. She died in 1966...

Cape Girardeau's elementary school districts will be changing regardless of the results of the October ballot. "Redistricting is inevitable for us," said Superintendent Neyland Clark. "A new building will make it much easier for us to do it." Clark said if a 51-cent tax increase is approved Oct. 5, construction of a new middle school and addition to Jefferson Elementary School should be complete in 1995. "We would use that construction time to study this thing," he said...

Col. George E. "Bud" Day, who spent 67 months as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and is the most decorated officer since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, urged local veterans Saturday night to keep pressure on politicians for a strong defense. "We need to have a unified voice and we need to be heard," said Day at a reception hosted by the Cape County Joint Veterans Council. ...

The National Weather Service has good news for those weary of the rain, high water and warm temperatures. On Saturday, the weather service lowered by a half foot Monday's predicted flood crest on the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau. In addition, forecasters said the stalled frontal system that's dumped more than five inches of rain at the Cape Girardeau airport since Thursday will finally move out of the region later tonight, just ahead of a strong push of cold high pressure from Canada...

The bell has sounded on the second round for Cape Girardeau public schools' building program. This time around, the project has been scaled back by half and the state has changed the way it finances schools. On Oct. 5, voters in the district are being asked to decide on a 51-cent tax increase to build a new middle school and an addition to Jefferson Elementary School...

The senior vice president of Boyd Gaming Corp. said Friday night that his company's commitment to invest $38.5 million in downtown Cape Girardeau to develop a riverboat gaming entertainment complex still stands. "The commitment we made in June still stands. We very much want to be a part of this community and want to make an investment for a premiere riverboat gaming operation," Jim Hippler told a crowd of people attending a rally to formally kick off the campaign to win local approval...

A "battle of the bands" and a nationally acclaimed comedian will headline Youth Expo `93, Oct. 28-30, on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Abbey Crites, one of the expo organizers, said the event is an occasion for young people to have a good time while learning about the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse...

The first annual Christmas Parade of Lights will inaugurate the holiday season in Cape Girardeau this year. Bart Simpson will serve as one of the parade marshals. The parade, sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association and KBSI, will be held Nov. 28...

All plans are on "go" for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Industrial Appreciation Dinner, to be held at the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus Oct. 7. Carl E. Hurley, often described as "America's Funniest Professor," will be the featured speaker at the banquet...

Bonnie Majors of Cape Girardeau won the bonus prize in the Southeast Missourian's YELL for Newspapers campaign. People who purchased a YELL edition had a chance to win the portable, radio cassette, programmable CD player by answering four questions located in four different advertisements in the publication...

Unless it falls in the night, I think I hear the first acorn of the season falling on the top of Bob's metal-roofed shed. It is an invitation to adjust the ears a bit to pick up the sounds of autumn. The acorn sounds are tentative at first, such as, "Oops, I didn't meant to let go so soon," but then they get more assertive and numerous as if the old tree is shaking itself to get rid of this year's attire and make plans for the new, which won't take place until next spring. ...

Politicians, bureaucrats and banking officials say the penny has become obsolete and should be done away with. Their reason is singular: "What will it buy?" It's a good question. What will a penny, nickel, dime, or quarter -- small change -- still buy these days?...