Stories from Wednesday, December 17, 1997

To the editor: On the topic of the proposed ordinance concerning possession of cigarettes by minors, I know where I stand. There is a saying, "With age comes experience." But I question its validity. I know that society is setting the trend and politicians are jumping on the bandwagon by advancing prohibition to a certain degree against smoking, especially among minors -- but while wagging their fingers with one hand and then carefully discarding ashes from a lit cigarette with the other hand...

For the first time the Cape Girardeau area is participating in the nationwide program Toys For Tots, thanks to the local Marine Corps recruiting office and Real Rock 99.3 radio station. The Toys For Tots program celebrates its 50th year this year and is organized across the country by the Marines Corps Reserve...

NEW HAMBURG -- It has been more than 150 years since the first Christmas, but members of the St. Lawrence parish are celebrating their sesquicentennial with a live nativity scene. The nativity scene will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the church, along Route A in New Hamburg...

West Park Mall's Center Court is getting a facelift. The fountain area of the mall, with its amphitheater seating, has been an icon at the mall for 15 years, serving as a stage for talent contests, fashion shows, musical shows and a few auctions. A half-dozen years ago a crew from the ABC television show "America's Funniest People" used Center Court during a search for local talent...

With only eight days left before Christmas, the Cape Girardeau Salvation Army reported Tuesday that the annual Tree of Lights campaign is running way behind last year's effort. Captain Robert Gauthier of the Salvation Army said Tuesday that only $97,000 has been collected this year as compared to $107,788 collected last year at this time...

I WAS reading in the Missourian about the two street sweepers cleaning Broadway and Main Streets at 8 a.m. Why not clean around 6 or 7 a.m. when there isn't much traffic? There's no big deal, is there? WHEN THEY gave out the awards on the home decoration, everybody missed the house on Ricardo Drive. It certainly deserves an award...

TRIAL LAWYERS to receive deserved attention: The Association of Trial Lawyers of America's political action committee has contributed $4.5 million to congressional candidates since 1995. Ninety percent of those funds have gone to Democrats. In addition, the ATL urges its members to contribute as individuals to candidates, usually liberals...

Organizers are seeking a building for a community resource center on Cape Girardeau's South Side. The goal is to establish one-stop convenience for individuals seeking government, recreation and education services. The Family Resource Center grew out of an effort by the Community Caring Council to consolidate services for families...

They don't build bridges like they used to. And that's probably good. Cape Girardeau's narrow Mississippi Bridge long ago outlived its usefulness. But building a new one will take more than four years and a whopping $90 million. That's a far cry from the 17 months and $1.6 million it took to build the original Cape bridge in the 1920s...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- A new island appeared in the Ohio River at Metropolis Tuesday. Players Casino Island Paradise landing, which features a Polynesian theme, completed a six-hour trek from Paducah, Ky., Sunday, and was settled in at the foot of Ferry Street Tuesday...

Perry County public school officials said they were happy but not content with their performance on district report cards last year. Superintendents Richard Hoffman of Altenburg public schools and Dr. Rex Miller of the Perryville school district said their students met or exceeded state median mastery scores on the Missouri Mastery Achievement Test (MMAT) last year. But just meeting the state average isn't good enough anymore, they said...

Cape Girardeau County government's budget for general operations in 1998 is expected to grow 3 percent, to nearly $8.38 million, while income next year will increase an anticipated 7 percent, to $9.036 million. The figures are contained in a 1998 county budget proposal prepared by Cape Girardeau County Auditor Weldon Macke...

Recommendations of a legislative committee charged with developing equitable spending for desegregation savings from St. Louis and Kansas City schools aren't embraced by two Southeast Missouri school administrators. School superintendents Dr. Howard Jones of Jackson and Dr. Dan Tallent of Cape Girardeau said they are less than pleased with a recommendation by the Joint Interim Committee on School Desegregation and Finance Issues that would benefit at-risk students in St. Louis and Kansas City...

Cape Girardeau's police chief is worried about what could happen if one Cape Girardeau bar retains its liquor license. Chief Rick Hetzel said that since July policemen have been called too many times to Peppy's Sports Bar, 823 S. Kingshighway, for offenses that include underage possession of alcohol, a shooting incident, a reported rape and five assaults, including some involving the bar's bouncers...

They looked so sad, their little faces pressed against the window. Christmas in Florida just isn't the same. Oh, everyone tries to be festive: They wrap lights around the bases of palm trees, send holiday greeting cards with pictures of ice-skating children and even use that canned snow on their windows. But let's face it: Norman Rockwell didn't sell many beach scenes in December...

Tonight will mark the start of Week Five of SEMissourian.com's Beanie Baby giveway, and it may prove the contest's most popular week yet. Beginning at 5 p.m., online visitors can register for two sought-after holiday Beanies: the 1997 Holiday Teddy and Snowball the snowman...

The web staff of the Southeast Missourian will offer two beginning Internet classes in January. Registration is now under way. The first class will be offered on Monday, Jan. 12 from 7-9 p.m. in Dempster Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The university is a co-sponsor of the community training...

It's plain to see why Harold Schott has such a fondness for the game of golf in general and Kimbeland Country Club in particular. When Schott aced the 150-yard, No. 6 hole at Kimbeland last Friday, it was the Cape Girardeau resident's seventh career hole-in-one -- six of them having come at the Jackson golf course...

Last week was not a good week for our basketball team in the won-loss column, but we did make progress and that is encouraging. We had two losses, playing our worst game of the year in an 81-62 loss at Southern Illinois on Thursday and playing probably our best game in a 65-64 loss at Missouri on Saturday...

Poise is not usually a defining characteristic of a young, inexperienced team. But Cape Girardeau Central High's girls basketball team seems to be able to find composure at the end of games against quality opponents. That's why the Lady Tigers are 5-1 and in the semifinals of the HealthSouth Holiday Classic...

Some have said that seeding done before the season is far from scientific. Nevertheless, the favored teams all prevailed Tuesday in the first round of the second annual HealthSouth Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament at the Show Me Center. In three blowouts, No. 1 Poplar Bluff dominated No. 8 Kelly 73-26; No. 2 Jackson handled No. 7 Scott City 58-31; and No. 3 Notre Dame beat No. 6 Scott County Central 83-54...

OAK RIDGE -- Scott City High's boys basketball team continued its torrid early-season start by routing host Oak Ridge 98-51 Tuesday night. Twelve players scored for the Rams, who improved to 6-0. Jon Beck led the way with 21 points, followed by Tim Lowery with 20, Ryan Weatherspoon with 13 and Luke Sample with 11...

Notre Dame forward Zack Miller has been named honorable mention all-state in Missouri Class 1A-3A soccer. Miller, a junior, scored 20 goals and recorded nine assists for the Bulldogs this past season.

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Linda L. Robinson, 64, of Carbondale died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at Carbondale Health Care. She was born July 26, 1933, in Jonesboro, daughter of Wallace "Jack" and Juanita Casey Casper. She and Robert Eugene Robinson were married June 6, 1956, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He died in May 1967...

MARBLE HILL -- Hellen P. Gobble, 82, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at Bond Nursing Center. Morgan Funeral Home in Advance is in charge of arrangements.

OAK RIDGE -- Wilma Mae Bennett, 73, of Oak Ridge died Monday, Dec. 15, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 4, 1924, in DuQuoin, Ill., daughter of Hiley and Margaret "Oliver" Hodge. Bennett was a member of First Baptist Church...

Funeral service for Clifford J. Beguelin of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lawrence, Kan. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence. Friends may call at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday...

Maxine McIntyre, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Nov. 29, 1925, at Jackson, daughter of Otto and Annie Oldham Goehman. She and Herman McIntyre were married Dec. 23, 1941. The McIntyres lived near Sikeston a number of years and worked for the E.P. Coleman Farms. They moved to Cape Girardeau in 1959 from Jackson...

Son to Matthew Todd and Jennifer Lynn Monroe of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:52 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1997. Name, Jordan Matthew. Weight, 8 pounds 6 ounces. Mrs. Monroe is the former Jennifer Moore, daughter of Peggy Moore of Chaffee and Danny and Carolyn Brown of Scott City. She is employed at Blimpie Subs and Salads in Jackson. Monroe is the son of Frank and Linda Monroe of Jackson. He is employed at ARI in Jackson...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral service for G.V. "Shorty" Schwepker of Cahokia, Ill., will be held at 10 a.m. today at Braun Colonial Funeral Home in Cahokia. The Revs. Mike Harrison and James Pettigrew will officiate. Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Lightner Cemetery in Scott City...

PERRYVILLE -- Wallace F. Weiss, 86, of Perryville died Monday, Dec. 15, 1997, in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 28, 1911, in Perry County, son of Louis Charles and Mary Helen Behrle Weiss. He and Iola Frances Brown were married May 20, 1940. Weiss retired as a sole trimmer at International Shoe Co. He also operated a radio and television sales and repair service, and was a maintenance worker at Perry County Memorial Hospital...

JACKSON -- Funeral service for Kenneth D. Hager of Jackson will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. The Revs. O. David Griffin and Scott Lohse will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today, and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until service time...

The City of Jackson and Holigan Homes are going to let the courts decide whether the builder's model home violates city ordinances. The city has filed suit for a preliminary injunction that would stop Holigan Homes from operating a model home in a residential district without a special use permit. The company has counter sued the city, seeking an order forcing Jackson to grant the special use permit for the model home...

1 The Southeast Missourian asked students at Jackson Middle School, "Would you like to be Tiger Woods?" Jason Kell: "No. I would like to be Michael Jordan. They say he is the best basketball player ever. He's really famous. Tiger Woods is too, but I don't like golf."...