Stories from Saturday, September 10, 1994

To the editor: This is a response to the Aug. 22 editorial, "Disparate views on racial equality based on perceptions." I will applaud the writer on the manner in which the first part of the editorial dealt with the role played by personal demographics in helping to influence our perceptions regarding various issues. ...

The Rev. Benjamin Hooks' speech at last month's River Heritage Regional Black Family Reunion will be rebroadcast Sunday on cable Channel 5, the local public access channel. The presentation will air at 6 p.m. The taped speech and question-and-answer session lasts an hour and 11 minutes...

Southern Living garden specialist Bill Slack will be in Cape Girardeau today. Slack, an authority on home landscape and garden design, will conduct three shows on lawn care during the Southern Living/Lowe's Lawn & Garden Seminar at the store, 3440 Lowe's Drive...

CHESTER, Ill. -- Motorists near Chester will know they are in Popeye country when they approach this small southern Illinois community this weekend. Three 50-foot helium balloons depicting Popeye, Olive Oyl and Swee' Pea, three of the primary Popeye cartoon characters, will be be featured during the annual Popeye Picnic, which started Friday and continues today and Sunday...

The seventh annual Women's Distance Festival sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital's Fitness and Wellness Center will be held today at 8 a.m. The event is expected to draw more than 200 participants and will begin near the rose garden at Capaha Park. Events include a 1-mile walk, a 3.1-mile walk and a 3.1-mile run...

St. Francis Medical Center has initiated a community wellness campaign called "Feel Good!" designed to promote preventative health through increased public awareness of health issues. St. Francis President John Fidler said the 10-month campaign will focus on exercise, smoking cessation, weight control, drug and alcohol awareness, stress management, proper nutrition and regular medical checkups...

Advanced practice nursing will be the topic of a seminar Monday sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital and Southeast Missouri State University. The program will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Center at the university. Keynote speaker is Patricia S.A. Sparacino, a clinical nurse specialist in cardiovascular surgery and associate clinical professor at The Medical Center at the University of California-San Francisco...

The Regional Cancer Care Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital and the American Cancer Society will sponsor the sixth annual Cancer Update Thursday. Seminar topics include therapeutic touch therapy, the assessment and management of pain, and quality-of-life issues in cancer survivorship...

Counting the pollen and mold spores that torment allergy sufferers is a morning ritual for Nona Chapman. First thing each day she climbs to the roof of Magill Hall of Science to collect the previous day's sample. She takes the collection home to study under a microscope, determining pollen and mold in dirt and then counting the allergens...

Excitement fills the air. The funnel cakes are cooking, the animals are arriving and the carnival lights are illuminating Arena Park. Today marks the start of the 139th SEMO District Fair. This treasured tradition keeps us coming back for more. The secret can be found in a family atmosphere and plenty of activities for all ages...

The Regional Commerce and Growth Association hopes to see a boost in membership and finances as a result of the decision of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce to join the RCGA. Walt Wildman, who heads the RCGA, said the organization's revenue has consistently fallen short of its annual $100,000 operating budget...

No deals were made in the decisions of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Commerce and Growth Association to join forces, officials said Friday. Walt Wildman's decision to resign as executive director of the RCGA effective Sept. 30 played no part in the matter, officials said...

SCOTT CITY -- The city will continue to operate its own Enhanced 911 emergency telephone system even if Scott County voters in November approve a similar system for the entire county. Scott County commissioners Thursday approved the arrangement following a meeting with Scott City officials at the courthouse in Benton...

Today 4-H and Youth Horse Show, 12 noon, grandstand $12 bands for Astro Amusements, 5-11 p.m. Information on Admission Sunday gate opens at 11 a.m. Monday gate opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday 1-9:30 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Admission for adults and children over age 12, $2...

Sunshine from the Cayman Islands and a thorough understanding of people have done wonders for Sonny Lewis' once-broken heart. The 34-year-old veteran of the carnival's guessing game booth doesn't mind telling anyone who will listen just how therapeutic and successful the combination has become...

President Clinton twice this week exhorted Americans to help reverse this nation's moral decline. His words ring hollow. They remind me of an overweight, unathletic boozer yelling instructions at Sterling Sharpe -- the Green Bay Packer receiver who broke his own NFL single-season record and caught 116 passes last year -- on how to catch a football...

Missouri Highway Patrol Superintendent Fred Mills has been seeing a lot of retirements lately. This month alone the department has had 70 officers retire, with collective service of 1,300 years. Col. Mills was in Cape Girardeau Friday night for a dinner honoring Sgt. Benny Hinton, who holds 29 of those years of service. As Mills made note of the large number of retiring officers, he was quick to point out that the department was not going to miss the quantity as much as the quality...

Cape Girardeau businessman Jim Drury spent $34,630 just before the Aug. 2 primary to purchase statewide radio and newspaper advertisements opposing Amendment 4, a $250 million bond issue narrowly approved by voters. Bonds will be used to pay for new correctional institutions and buildings on college campuses...

A campaign headquarters to cover operations in a 10-county area from Perry County south, was opened in Cape Girardeau Friday by the Missouri Democratic Coordinated Campaign. The headquarters, 119 Independence Street, will also serve as the campaign office for the Cape Girardeau County Democratic Central Committee...

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson took issue Friday with a Southeast Missourian article on pensions and benefits for members of Congress and said it was "misleading." "It is not a highly factual article," said Emerson. The article was written by Jack Stapleton of Kennett, a statewide political columnist. ...

Winners have been named in the Southeast Missourian's Color Your Way to the SEMO District Fair coloring contest. Winning the 4-6 year old category were Jessica Ruch, 4, of Jackson and Jesse Ribble, 6, of Cape Girardeau. Winning the 7-9 year old category were Melody Emerson, 8, of Oran and Rebecca Cook, 9, of Chaffee...

Cape Girardeau developer David Gerlach has purchased a 33-acre commercial tract of land along Broadview in Cape Girardeau. The land extends from the Central Hardware building to the American Superstores lot. The property was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in September of 1992. The previous owner was Cape Centre Development...

SCOTT CITY -- Herbert Russell Smith, 67, of Scott City, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 1994, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Jan. 13, 1927, at Illmo, son of John Henry and Mary Elizabeth Lynn Smith. He first married Frances Jean Kent Dec. 25, 1945. She died Aug. 2, 1990. He later married Mary Ann Wachter Weisenborn May 18, 1991, at Scott City...

SIKESTON -- Ben St. Onge, 92, of Sikeston, died Friday, Sept. 9, 1994, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Oct. 25, 1901, at Gumbo, son of Charles and Frances Paubel St. Onge. He and Ollie Mundy were married June 22, 1930. St. Onge was previously owner/operator of Ben's Auto Repair. He was a member of Musicians Local 2-197, Masonic Lodge 416, Moolah Temple, and Scottish Rite...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Cynthia Erlene Heil of East Prairie will be held at 2 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel here. Harold Norton, David Dowdy and Lannie Younger will officiate, with burial in Dogwood Cemetery near here. Heil, 92, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 1994, at East Prairie Nursing Center...

JACKSON -- Funeral mass for Norman D. Hughes of Jackson will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cairo, Ill. The Rev. Jerome Fortenberry will officiate, with burial in Calvary Cemetery at Villa Ridge, Ill. Friends may call after 4 p.m. today at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The rosary will be recited at 7:30...

CHARLESTON -- William Chalmers Palmer, 67, of Charleston, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 1994, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born April 14, 1927, in Louisville, Miss., son of Clinton L. and Phalor L. Jernigan. He and Peggy Rosamond were married April 16, 1949...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral mass for Reginald Lynn "Reggie" Robinson of Perryville will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Highland. The Rev. Robert Brockland will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Young and Sons Funeral Home from 6:30-10:30 a.m...

PARMA -- Gay Ramsey, 56, of Parma, died Friday, Sept. 9, 1994, at her home, following a lengthy illness. She was born at Bernie, daughter of George and Dellie Boone Murphy. Survivors include her husband, Randall Ramsey; two sons, Daryl Ramsey of Portageville, Richard Ramsey of New York, N.Y.; a daughter, Carol Creason of Parma; her mother of Dexter; three brothers, Bobby Murphy of Jefferson City, Noel Murphy of Bernie, Don Murphy of Chicago; four sisters, Pauline Kifer and Wanda Hughes of Bernie, Joyce Dunn of St. ...

COMMERCE -- James P. Jackson, 64, of Commerce, died Friday, Sept. 9, 1994, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home at Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

VANDUSER -- Frank Ward, 87, of Vanduser, died Friday, Sept. 9, 1994, at Sikeston Health Care. He was born March 16, 1907, in rural Sikeston, son of Perry and Dona Myers Ward. He married Elzora Myers, who died in 1964. Ward attended Vanduser Baptist Church, and served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II...

Son to William and Susan Harper, Sikeston Route 3, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1994. Name, Ryan William. Weight, 8 pounds 8 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Harper is the former Susan Culver, daughter of Louis and Lois Culver of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at K-mart in Sikeston. Harper is employed by Triangle Farms in Sikeston, and is the son of Leland and Dean Harper of Bertrand...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Bryce Robert Fisher of Marion, Ill., will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Liley Funeral Chapel here. The Revs. Verlee Eaker, Cecil Parrish and Eldo Eaker will officiate. Entombment will be in the family mausoleum at Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery near Marble Hill...

The High points winner for last week's Power Points football picking contest was Jason Sperling. Sperling, of Cape Girardeau, scored 98 points out of a possible 120. A member of Sperling's household finished a close second with 97 points. The statewide winner was James Macella of Elkland, Mo. He scored 111 points, and won $500...