Stories from Thursday, December 18, 1997

To the editor: In China he is called Christmas Old Man. In the United Kingdom he is known as Father Christmas. People in Russia use the name Grandfather Frost. And in the United States he is dubbed Santa Claus. Many view this jolly old man who sports a large belly and snow-white beard as the very personification of Christmas. But it is also common knowledge that Santa Claus is a myth...

An old-fashioned barn dance will be held from 7:30-10 p.m. Friday in the Dance Studio of the Parker Building on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Joe Surdyk of Carbondale will call, and Max and Ann Drake will perform old-time tunes on guitar and fiddle...

"It was Christmas Eve. The Stahlbaum family was gathered around a tall Christmas tree that was beautifully decorated with glowing candles, candied apples, and sugar almonds. The children, Fritz and Marie, were playing with their new presents when a strange little man with long white hair and a black patch over one eye entered the room."...

On Christmas Eve, a young girl named Marie receives a nutcracker from her godfather, who tells a strange tale about a handsome young boy who was turned into an ugly nutcracker by the mouse queen. The princess whose hand was promised rejects him because of his unattractive looks...

A high-ranking Turkish official and his wife, whose son is attending Southeast Missouri State University, recently visited the Cape Girardeau campus. Memduh Oguz, the governor of the Kocaeli Province in Izmit, and his wife, Canan, visited their son, Guven Oguz, a student in Southeast's intensive English program...

PERRYVILLE -- The Mississippi River National Bike Trail won't be off the beaten path in Perry County. State Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville, said Wednesday that the trail through the county will be relocated from highways H and C to Highway 61. Naeger said the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Division of Tourism agreed to the change after receiving petitions from 600 people opposed to designating highways H and C as the bicycle route...

BENTON -- The Scott County R-4 (Kelly) Board of Education has appointed Don Abner superintendent. Board members selected Abner during a meeting Tuesday night. Abner, currently superintendent of Bell City schools, has worked in that district 17 years, 10 as superintendent...

I SEE where the Santa Train came into Cape Girardeau at 9 p.m. or later. This is the second year in a row that it has been so late. Why can they not start the train at Cape or have it come when the kids are out of school? My kids have to be in bed by 8:30 or 8:45 or they a real bear to get out of bed the next day. They heard all their friends talking about going, but we couldn't make it because it's so late. So please, try to think about the kids that have to go to bed next year...

Southeast Missourians and the Minnesota Ballet will take a look at each other for the first time during the performances of "Nutcracker" today through Sunday at Academic Auditorium. These are the first Southeast Missouri performances ever by the Duluth-based company, which primarily tours regionally but has also performed in El Salvador...

To the editor: Here is just a little poem about Christmas. A Christmas Thought It's a great holiday season, And though our hearts are warm With all the excitement, glitter and charm, Thank God for his son, Jesus, Who was the greatest gift Because he was heaven born...

To the editor: Thanks so much for the Nov. 7 publishing of my letter regarding global warming. I have to admit Alan Journet stimulated my thinking with his response. I was disappointed that he chose a sort of personal ad hominem attack on my opinion (as well as Mr. ...

Proponents of Interstate 66 were back before the Cape Girardeau County Commission earlier this month, seeking money and support for the effort to bring an east-west highway through the county. This time, they came away with support but no cash. "We have said many times," said Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones, "that we are very much in favor of a good road from Paducah to Cape and Cape to Van Buren. The financial part -- we'll consider that too... ."...

Concluding that tuition has risen faster than the cost of educating students, a national panel recommended recently that colleges curb expenses and make more information available on costs and student aid. The National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education, agreeing on recommendations to Congress and the White House, also questioned guaranteed tenure for faculty and urged a mandatory retirement policy...

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau's advisory commission wants to appoint a committee to study "further involvement" of the Chamber of Commerce in CVB operations. The mayor and the chamber's executive director said they aren't really sure what the decision means. It followed a lot of discussion...

District report cards are issued to inform patrons and to guide administrators as they plan for the future. But for three Scott County school superintendents, the district report card is also an in-depth synopsis of a district they had no association with during the year reviewed...

Requests for proposals for an efficiency study on a proposed affiliation between Cape Girardeau's two hospitals will go out soon, says one hospital administrator. James Sexton, president and chief executive officer of St. Francis Medical Center, said the study should be under way by mid-January...

State Sen. Peter Kinder may run for state auditor next year. The Cape Girardeau Republican said Wednesday he has been considering running for auditor since incumbent Margaret Kelly announced in mid-September that she won't seek re-election. Kelly has served as state auditor since being appointed by then-Gov. Christopher "Kit" Bond to the post in 1984. She won elections in 1986, 1990 and 1994...

Dec. 18, 1997 Dear family and friends, Christmas 1997 finds various members of the household in need of therapy and yet anticipating the whims of a new year. Lucy and DC attended obedience school together in the summer. Though a diploma was conferred, neither seems particularly more obedient. Lucy does our bidding if she wants to and if bribed. DC obeys the law...

The Area Wide United Way fund-raising campaign topped 97 percent of its goal and appears headed to 100 percent of the $550,000 goal. Jackie Griffith, the 1997 campaign chairman, said that $533,500 has been raised. "We have our fingers crossed," Griffith said Wednesday. "We may be able to reach our goal before the end of the year."...

For the first 33 minutes of Wednesday night's basketball game at Cape Central, Tiger senior Chris Bergerson wasn't having one of his better games. But in the final minute of the Tigers' 53-47 victory over Farmington, the 6-foot-5 forward was dominating...

It's finals week at Southeast Missouri State University and the basketball Indians hope to pass their last pre-Christmas test on the court tonight. The Indians (4-4) and Division II Truman State (4-3) from Kirksville will square off in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center...

Last week in a lackluster loss to Cape Central, Notre Dame High coach Jerry Grim endured the worst of games. His Lady Bulldogs looked nothing like the team that finished second in Class 2A last season. On Wednesday Grim enjoyed the best of games -- a victory over Jackson, the No. 4-ranked Class 4A team. And the Lady Bulldogs looked like a team that could play with any in the state -- regardless of classification...

Kermit "Moose" Meystedt is elated with the sparkling gym floor at Cape Girardeau Central High School's Tiger Field House that he helped get installed in 1993. Now, almost five years later, Meystedt is hoping to close out the chapter regarding his involvement in the Cape Central Gym Floor Fund...

Jon Beck School: Scott City Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Position: Shooting guard Coach: Derek McCord Week report: In two games last week, Beck scored 79 points as the Rams won two contest and improved to 5-0. Most notably, Beck set two school records by drilling 16 of 25 3-pointers and scoring 59 points in a 126-46 home-win over Egyptian High out of Tamms, Ill. The 3-point total is believed to be a Missouri state record...

JACKSON -- Helped by five forfeits, Jackson upped its dual record to 2-0 this season with a 64-16 victory over North County Wednesday night. The win was Jackson 48th consecutive dual victory. Jackson's Eric Rhodes (119), Lance Schlick (125), Cory Jaco (152) and Dustin Baker (171) all won by pins...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Funeral service for Kenny Dee Mundell of Wichita, Kan., was held Dec. 6 at Old Mission Mortuary in Wichita. Burial was in Wichita Park Cemetery. Mundell, 89, died Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997. He was born Oct. 26, 1908, in Rosston, Okla., son of Ross C. and Nettie Mundell. He married the former Jewell Sams...

DEXTER -- Eula Burkhart, 85, of Dexter died Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born April 12, 1912, at Morley, daughter of Albert and Mable Ramsey Lay. She first married Ernest Arnold April 22, 1935. He died in 1972. She later married George Burkhart July 6, 1974, at Dexter. He died Aug. 29, 1985...

BENTON -- Funeral service for Vergie Jean Taylor of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. today at Unity Baptist Church. The Rev. Dale Huff will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Benton is in charge of arrangements...

BESSVILLE -- Gerald W. Robins, 54, of Delta, Colo., died Saturday, Dec. 13, 1997, in an automobile accident near Delta. He was born April 23, 1943, at Bessville, son of the Rev. Quinton and Mabel Fulton Robins. Robins was a graduate of St. Louis Police Academy. He served with the St. Louis Police Department three years, was city marshal at Lutesville seven years, and was with Bollinger County Sheriff's Department three years...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Hellen "Pauline" Gobble of Marble Hill will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance. The Revs. Frank Shanks and Bob Porter will officiate, with burial in Berrong Cemetery at Gipsy. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4:30-8 p.m today...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Elijah Arthur Gibbs, 87, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Survivors include his wife, Lorena of Jonesboro; two sons, Norman Gibbs of Cobden, David Gibbs of Bluffton, S.C.; six daughters, Pat Johnson of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Delores Yates of Herrin, Sue Eudy of Jonesboro, Lois Crites of Jackson, Mo., Linda Koch of Cape Girardeau, and Venita Lingle of Anna...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Charles "Chuck" Kinney, 59, of McClure died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at Town and Country, Mo. Survivors include four sons, Mark Kenney of St. Louis, Jeffery, Derek and Jason Kenney of Chicago; a daughter, Cheryl Kenney of Chicago; and three grandsons...

JACKSON -- Reba Reed Myers, 79, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 22, 1918, at Grassy, daughter of Joseph and Effie Mitchell Rea. She and Lester Reed were married in 1935 in Bollinger County. He died in 1982...

PERRYVILLE -- Vallie E. Allen, 63, of St. Louis died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at St. Louis University Medical Center. He was born April 20, 1934, at Cedar Fork, son of Lawrence and Juanita Favier Allen. Allen retired from General Motors in Wentzville. He also had owned and operated Vallie Rose Restaurant in St. Louis. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...

DEXTER -- Pearl Clark, 94, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997, at the home of a daughter in Lakewood, Colo. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Dexter is in charge of arrangements.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Frances Downs Kirkham, 68, of Corpus Christi, Texas, died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1997, at Lynn Haven Nursing Center in Corpus Christi. Barkett Funeral Home at Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

Son to James Daniel and Angela Kaye Sifford, 1454 Themis, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:43 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, 1997. Name, Zachary Owen. Weight, 8 pounds 13 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Sifford is the former Angela Brewer, daughter of Janis Brewer of Cape Girardeau. She is employed by Crabtree-Harmon Bus Co. Sifford is the son of Mike and Faye Garrett of Cape Girardeau. He is employed at Service Four Equipment...

OAK RIDGE -- Funeral service for Wilma Mae Bennett of Oak Ridge will be held at 11 a.m. today at First Baptist Church. The Rev. Sedgewick will officiate, with burial in Goshen Cemetery. McCombs Funeral Home at Jackson is in charge of arrangements. Friends may call at the church from 9 a.m. until service time...