Stories from Wednesday, September 10, 1997

To the editor: In the Sept. 4 paper I was pleased to read a well-written, front-page article which chronicled the founding of Holy Family Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau in 1940. The article gave the church's founder well-deserved praise. However, two other people very much a part of the planning and building of the church were my parents, Joseph and Pauline Seyer. ...

To the editor: I must interpret Governor Carnahan's open letter published in the Sunday Southeast Missourian as indicative of a desperate man. It seems clear that Mr. Carnahan can sense that the majority of Missouri's people oppose his veto of our Legislature's law to ban partial-birth abortions...

The Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau has quietly served a significant role in the region. Each year, the center provides refuge for about 200 women and their children who are escaping domestic abuse. The shelter is extending new outreach services to Scott County, including transportation and assistance with protection from abuse. That's good news for these women in need. Scott County represents the second largest client base for the center...

Today ... to many who only read the headlines or hear the one-liners ... things are too often NOT what they appear to be ... but what some say they are. For example ... if achieved as projected ... the first tax cut in 16 years since the REAGAN $1.45 TRILLION tax cut in 1981 (which helped to revive the economy from the CARTER recession years) is only $94 BILLION over five years in a multitrillion-dollar economy. ...

WELL, I'M for one disappointed with this newspaper because on the front page Sept. 3. It says, "Talk of politics clouds prison site." Peter Kinder says he doesn't believe that his stance of overriding Mel Carnahan's abortion veto would create any problems with a prison site in Charleston, and as spokesman for Carnahan says they're separate and should be kept separate. ...

The form of participation changed somewhat in the United Way's Days of Caring this year, but helping member agencies remained the primary focus of the event. Deena Fischer of the Area Wide United Way said corporate downsizing, financial considerations, and inopportune scheduling might have kept people in the office this year during Days of Caring. However, she said, several businesses scheduled in-house events to help United Way agencies...

The Four Seasons Audubon Society of Southeast Missouri will hold its first fall meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Missouri Department of Conservation building in Cape Girardeau County Park. President Bill Eddleman will present the program on "Collecting and Storing Seeds of Native Plants."...

There was enough primping and grooming going on at the SEMO District Fair Tuesday to put even the busiest beauty parlor to shame. Hands were kept busy washing, brushing and blow-drying animals in preparation for various competitions scheduled through the rest of the week. ...

The Nina is still "discovering" new ports. The replica of Christopher Columbus' favorite of three ships that sailed westward from Spain in August 1492, will dock in Cape Girardeau Tuesday. The original Nina is the only one of the three ships that returned to her home port of Palos, Spain, after three trips to the New World under the guidance of Columbus...

Headlights shining through Tuesday's early morning fog spotlighted volunteers on street corners hawking YELL newspapers. "The community was covered," said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the Area Wide United Way. "Everywhere I went people were having fun. That's the reason we get them to come back year after year at 6 in the morning."...

Who needs skill and concentration when you've got slot machines? Here's another one from the deep, dark confessions vault. I've gambled. More than once. No, I'm not spending every Thursday standing before anonymous strangers going, "My name is Heidi, and I've got a bad case of slot-machine elbow." But I recently enjoyed a trip to Biloxi, Miss., which is the Gulf Coast's somewhat weak replica of Las Vegas...

Winners of the SEMO District Fair's Baby Girl Contest held Tuesday: Age 3 to 6 months: First: Bethany Nicole Grant, daughter of Michael and Anita Grant, 857 August, Jackson. Second: Julian Soto, daughter of Lois and Tony Soto, 104B County Road 375, Whitewater...

The Missouri attorney general's office is offering tentative support to county sheriff's departments withholding the names of certain sex offenders from their public lists. A law that went into effect Aug. 28 requires that the names, addresses and convictions of those on the list be available to the public on request. Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties hesitated to release the lists while some discrepancies in the law were clarified...

The Southeast Missourian asked, "What do you like to do at the SEMO District Fair?" Marilyn Kneir: "I usually spend a lot of time going through the livestock exhibits. Some of my family members will have livestock there. I'm going to enter a sourdough bread in the open class at the fair this year."...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Education looked to the district's future Tuesday when members approved a construction bid and began the process of devising a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Board members approved the low bid of $3,678,000 submitted by Penzel Construction Company Inc. for the construction of South Elementary School. Total construction costs for the building, including funds set aside for contingencies is $4,034,215...

This column was inspired or perpetrated partly by the increasing popularity of going on cruises. Not only as an inexpensive way to spend a vacation, but also for educational, business, or recreational purposes. Actually, I was searching for a new buzz word and still researching the multiple meanings of words in general, and the word "cruise" kept appearing over the air and in newspapers and magazines of every stripe. ...

New Route J is open for traffic. "We still have a few things to do -- shoulder work and seeding," said Randy Hitt, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation. "But traffic is moving." A section of Route J had to be relocated at the Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. plant north of Cape Girardeau to make way for a $350 million plant expansion...

This is our "Show Me Bowl" week as Southeast Missouri State prepares for a tough Illinois State team that will come to Houck Stadium Saturday night. Why the Show Me Bowl? Obviously to eliminate any skepticism about the ability of our squad since our 24-6 win over Lambuth on Aug. 30 to open the season...

Finesse and strategy were not primary concerns when Cape Girardeau Central's soccer team hosted Notre Dame Tuesday at Lou Muegge Field. "The name of the game today was long, hard shots," said Central coach Tom Doyle. Unfortunately for Doyle, his Tigers continued to fire blanks, while Notre Dame's Zach Miller tied the match in the first half on a deep shot and then won it in the second with another rocket...

JACKSON -- Austin Peay's John Swigart claimed medalist honors and helped the Governor's to a nine-shot victory Tuesday in the Drury Intercollegiate tournament at Bent Creek. Swigart shot a 1-under-par 71 in the second round to finish with a two-day total of 140, four shots ahead of runner-up J.R. Cronkie of Murray State...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team suffered a five-game setback at the hands of host Southern Illinois Tuesday night. The Otahkians, in dropping their third straight match to fall to 4-4, were defeated 15-10, 12-15, 15-6, 5-15, 15-13 by the Salukis (3-4)...

GOREVILLE, Ill. -- Jackson romped to its fourth straight victory Tuesday, improving to 6-5. Pitcher Beth Becker allowed no earned runs to get the win. Offensively, Jackson slammed 18 hits. Megan Kuntze had a huge game with three hits, including a home run, and five RBIs...

BERNIE -- Notre Dame High's volleyball team gave three-time defending state champion Bernie quite a battle Tuesday before falling just short. Bernie, which won the Class 2A title last year after winning 1A crowns the previous two seasons, squeezed out a 13-15, 16-14, 15-8 win on its home court...

Funeral service and entombment for James Brant of Lakewood, Colo., was held Aug. 16, 1997, at Mt. Olive Mausoleum and Cemetery in Denver, Colo. Brant, 81, died Wednesday, Aug. 13, 1997, at St. John's Hospice Home in Lakewood. He was born March 16, 1916, at Ancell, son of Ivan D. and Clara E. Diebold Brant. He and Beulah Welker were married Aug. 15, 1936...

ORAN -- Funeral Mass for Andrew "Nunnie" Miller, Oran Route 1, will be held at 10 a.m. today at Guardian Angel Catholic Church. The Rev. Lewis Hejna will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Oran is in charge of arrangements...

SCOTT CITY -- Dorothy M. Mitchell Berbling, 38, of Scott City died Monday, Sept. 8, 1997, in a car/school bus accident near Olive Branch, Ill. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

MARBLE HILL -- Graveside service for Norman F. Stallings of Delhi, Calif., has been changed to 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery. The Rev. Fred Ritter will officiate. Friends may call at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill from 9-10 a.m. Thursday...

WYATT -- Thatus Aluther Smith, 90, died Monday, Sept. 8, 1997, at his home. He was born Jan. 16, 1907, in Belmont, Mo., the son of Miles and Hallie Nevel Smith. On Sept. 24, 1938, he married Bedella Walker. He retired from farming. He belonged to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Henson, Mo...

CHARLESTON -- Mossie Johnson, 96, of Charleston died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997, at Charleston Manor. She was born Sept. 20, 1900, in Mississippi County, daughter of Charles M. and Annie Laura Bogard Skyles. She and Harry J. Johnson were married March 21, 1919. He died April 19, 1966...

PERRYVILLE -- George F. Kaiser, 84, of Perryville died Monday, Sept. 8, 1997, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born June 6, 1913, at Patton, son of Fritz and Minnie Yamnitz Kaiser. He and Ruth M. Rhodes were married Nov. 30, 1946. Kaiser had worked in a shoe factory. He was a member of St. Vincent's Catholic Church...

CHAFFEE -- Robert "Bob" Kerley, 64, of Chaffee died Monday, Sept. 8, 1997, at his home. He was born Feb. 3, 1933, at Mesler, son of Ray Elbert and Pearl Simmons Kerley. He was the stepson of Lloyd Etherton. He and Bernadean Arnold were married Aug. 17, 1957...

Charles E. Johnson, 67, of Charleston, died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997, at his home. He was born July 15, 1930, in Iuka, Miss. the son of Charles and Clementine Ausbrooks Johnson. On April 20, 1954, he married Ruby Murray. He was a retired farmer and lived in Missouri for more than 55 years...

SCOTT CITY -- Mary Lucille Berry, 82, of Scott City died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Ronnie and Carol Voshage of Jackson, St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, 7:10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, 1997. Name, Aaron Michael. Weight, 7 pounds 3 ounces. Third son. Mrs. Voshage is the daughter of E.G. Schaaf of Perryville. Voshage is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Voshage of Jackson and the late Violet Voshage. He is employed at Procter & Gamble...

Southeast Missouri State University will accept nominations until Oct. 15 for recipients of a university honorary doctoral degree and Southeast's Vandiver Show Me State award. The degree and award will be presented at spring commencement exercises next May...

The city of Cape Girardeau is taking two property owners to court for failing to meet deadlines for making their properties habitable. In separate actions, the city attorney issued summonses Monday to Charles Garmon of Cairo, Ill., for a property at 136 S. Henderson and Dennis Singleton of 628 Olive St. for a property at 603 Walnut...

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has received an $83,827 grant to provide continued funding for the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) regional office at Southeast Missouri State University. MAP is among the professional development opportunities created by Senate Bill 380. ...