Stories from Thursday, September 26, 1996

To the editor: Now why should I bask computers? Perhaps I am envious, but then I am not in competition with computers. Yet I am. They challenge certain things which I have found dear and valuable. Computers dazzle us but have not always delivered. Somebody tells me that on the cybernet or someplace I can get a million recipes for bread. ...

Even after 11 No. 1 songs, Randy Phillips of Phillips, Craig & Dean, is still surprised that radio stations play his songs. But the audiences have been turning up their radios since "Turn Up the Radio," first hit the airwaves in 1992. Now the group has released its newest album, "Trust."...

Madeline Giselman, left, Judy Robinson and Nancy Wilson, members of the Quilt Show committee, looked over one of the many entries in the show. The flowers are in bloom and everything should be coming up roses during a weekend quilt show sponsored by the River Heritage Quilter's Guild...

I BELIEVE, as Councilman Tom Neumeyer does, that campaign signs, no matter from what party, shouldn't be next to the curb or between the curb and sidewalk. Mr. Neumeyer suggested that the signs should be at least 10 feet from the curb and from that distance they could be seen OK and not look as bad as if they were next to the street. ...

Cape Girardeau County's commissioners have submitted to the county's delegation in the Missouri General Assembly their legislative priorities for the session that will begin next January. Forwarded to Sen. Peter Kinder and Reps. Mary Kasten and David Schwab last week were these eight proposals:...

The Missouri Constitution mandates that the General Assembly convene each September for two days "to consider those measures passed by the General Assembly but vetoed by the Governor." Each year, these sessions seem to accomplish little, as lawmakers of vetoed bills are disinclined even to bring up their bills for an attempted veto override...

To the editor: Can you tell the difference between the Republican and Democratic parties? Both seem to be preaching about the same problems. In fact, it seems that the race is to be the first to be for or against some issue that the American people have already made their desires known about. Welfare reform is a good example. With so little distinction between the parties, how is one to know how to vote?...

To the editor: I watched the TV movie, "She Cried No." It struck a chord with me. It was about a college freshman who was a victim of acquaintance rape during her first week of school. The problem does exist. I took several things from the movie. One, women have to be careful to protect themselves. ...

To the editor: All the unions in the United States are after higher wages for their members. They have powerful leaders to negotiate for them. But the little minimum-wage earner has no one to turn to. Yes, the person who wrote the letter to the editor Sept. 21 was right on when he said raise the minimum wage $2 to $4 more. It will build a stronger America, because it raises the standard of living...

Keeping classrooms safe and motivating students to attend school will be discussed tonight during the Region 13 meeting of the Missouri School Boards Association. More than 30 school districts will be represented when school board members from Southeast Missouri gather at Nell Holcomb School at 7:30 p.m...

Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield is in the process of hiring employees for the new claims and customer-service office. "Everything is running ahead of schedule, and we expect to be in our new building by mid-December," said Fred Brussee, president and chief operating officer of Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield, which announced in July that it was moving part of its service operations to Cape Girardeau...

Their politics are different. But government administrators throughout the world deal with similar nuts-and-bolts matters from managing personnel to purchasing practices. Educators and public administrators from throughout the globe will attend the International Conference on Administrative Sciences Oct. 8-12 in Beijing, China...

One of the most abused words in the English language is the pronoun "them," originally intended to serve as a noun, or the object of a verb or preposition. On the assumption that children emulate their parents from birth, we believe parents who refer to their offspring as "them kids" are likely to have a son who tells his teacher she's "as pretty as them flowers on her desk." This son should go into politics, where grammar is considered less important than finesse...

Thousands of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. customers in parts of three counties -- Pemiscot, Dunklin and New Madrid -- were without telephone service for four hours Wednesday morning. "We had a computer software malfunction," said Jackie Himmelberg of Southwestern Bell Telephone's St. Louis office. "A switch was down affecting service over a wide Southeast Missouri area."...

Southeast Missouri State University's Common Hour is anything but common practice for most students. Few students attend the Wednesday noon-time events. The Common Hour was started this fall to reach out to students, faculty and staff. Since the start of the fall semester in late August, there have been four Common Hour events: The first two -- a back-to-school pep rally and a political debate -- each drew about 250 people...

Mayor Al Spradling III said today's dedication of Lexington Avenue and North Sprigg streets will be brief. Nobody wants to get run over. At 3 p.m., rain or shine, Spradling and other city officials will gather where the roads intersect. After a few comments are made and the ribbon is cut, traffic will be welcomed...

Kittens meow helplessly and the roar of barking dogs thunders through the kennel at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri whenever visitors enter the room. The sounds are intense because there are more animals at the kennel than usual. About 2,100 animals have been taken in at the shelter since June, which equals about 500 a month. The normal range is about 375 animals per month...

Son to Bradley Scott Leimbach and Leslie Lynn Moss of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, 1996. Name, Christian Hunter. Weight, 8 pounds 8 ounces. First child. Ms. Leimbach is the daughter of Kenneth and Leah Price of Bowling Green, Ky., and Pam Lohmann of Cape Girardeau. ...

Lorene Drury, 96, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1996, at her home. She was born Oct. 16, 1899, in Erin, Tenn., daughter of John Robert and Lola Martha White Marable. Drury worked at her family's Russell Hotel, and also taught fourth grade at Eugene Field School 10 years. ...

ADVANCE -- Robert Joseph VanGennip, 79, of Advance died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1996, at his home. He was born Aug. 23, 1917, at Dongola, Mo., son of John and Nellie Maude Sample VanGennip. He and Mildred E. Null were married Sept. 16, 1939. VanGennip was a farmer and had been a bus driver for Advance School District. He was a member of Ladd Chapel General Baptist Church...

ESSEX -- Wilma J. Alberson, 64, of Essex died Tuesday, Sept. 24, 1996, at Doctors' Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was born April 23, 1932, in Gray Ridge, daughter of Elmer and Bessie Purcell Sanders. She married Buddy Alberson. Alberson had lived at Gray Ridge and Essex all her life...