Stories from Sunday, June 14, 1998

To the editor: I have noticed how strange the weather pattern has been, and I wonder if this could be a sign that the end is near. I have listened to the news reporting about how too good to be true the economy is. Does this mean we are on the brink of a sudden stock-market crash?...

They're lining up for Jackson's summer school program. The number enrolled in the Jackson summer school program has increased once again. In the grades K-8 the number has risen from 463 in 1997 to 625 this year. At the high school, the numbers rose from a little more than 200 in 1997 to 300 this year...

The fourth Miles for Meals Walk-A-Thon held May 16 at the Jackson City Park netted more than $6,700 for the Jackson Senior Center in pledges. Prizes were awarded to walkers and volunteers. Illa Niswonger received a special award in honor of her collecting the most money from individual sponsors. Gilbert Leimer and Lester Maevers also received a special award for collecting the most money from corporate sponsors...

The Young Doers 4-H Club have had a very busy Spring and Winter. Projects offered by the club this year include Visual Arts (crafts), Breads, Crochet, Photography, Foods, Woodworking, Vegetable Gardening, Aerospace, Geology, Home Environment, Clothing, Bowling, and Clover Kids. Along with their meetings, the club offers recreation and/or project workshops. Our new members this year are Jason Meier, Jessica and Corey Drum, & Krista and Nick Heise...

For Americans the Fourth of July means saying happy birthday to our country, patriotism, fireworks, time off from work and time with our friends and family. For Jacksonians the event means all of those things and more. The Fourth of July is a time for Jacksonites to celebrate the time honored tradition of mud volleyball and the 184th birthday of the town to mention a few. And this year will be more special than previous years...

7:30 p.m. Monday City Hall Action items Power and Light Committee -- Consider a bill proposing an ordinance approving a contractual agreement with the Jackson Chamber of Commerce for services provided. -- Consider a bill proposing an ordinance approving a Deferred Compensation Plan for city employees and authorizing the mayor to sign necessary agreements to implement plan...

Special meeting of the Board of Education Cape Girardeau School District Monday, June 13 -- Noon Board of Education Office Action Items: -- Employment of personnel. -- Approval of assurance statements for IDEA. -- Consideration of motion for closed session to consider:...

Derek Fenwick, a 1997 graduate of Notre Dame High School, has been named to the 1997-98 Saint Louis University dean's list. A student must have a grade point average of 3.7 or higher during the semester to make the list. Fenwick, who is studying physical therapy at SLU, is the son of Steve and Nancy Fenwick of Cape Girardeau...

The Business-Industry Political Action Committee has endorsed the re-election of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. BIPAC endorsed Emerson for what it called her "dependable support of business issues." BIPAC guided the flow of almost $10 million to pro-business candidates for Congress from both parties in 1996...

Several local students have been named to the honor roll at Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo. To be named to the Honor Roll, a student must have a grade point average of 3.0 or above for the semester. Those named to the list were Jared Jackson of Bertrand, John Mahnken of Frohna, Jim Versemann of Jackson, Eric Tucker and Ryan Wideman of Perryville and Garett Spinks of Scott City...

It was late September 1864 when the New York City campaign manager wrote his candidate the following message: "Every ward -- here in Manhattan and in Brooklyn -- and every election district is abundantly supplied with 'material aid.'" The candidate, seeking re-election to a second term, was the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who had seen to it that his New York manager had several thousand dollars in "material aid," -- cold cash -- to prevail on election day. ...

In the battle for parental freedom in education, June 10, 1998, will be remembered as breakout day. This was the day that the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of a school choice plan for parents of poor, inner-city children in the failing Milwaukee public school system...

Missouri's two long-running urban desegregation cases -- the two most expensive in American history -- have taken another turn toward what should be their terminal stages. A settlement has already been reached in Kansas City, where the state's obligation to continue funding will end next year. ...

To the editor: "Reno lets Oregon suicide law alone" screams the June 6 headline. Attorney General Janet Reno decided the day before that federal drug agents cannot move against doctors who help terminally ill patients die under Oregon's landmark death-with-dignity law...

25 years ago: 1973 Jackson Jaycees Saturday took 15 youngsters from split homes in Jackson area to Shriners Circus in St. Louis; also, Outstanding Young Sports Award has been presented by Jaycees to Jackson High School senior L.G. Loos; other candidates for award were Mike Litzelfelner and Ron Hecht...

STEPHANIE MEYERS of Scott City recently appeared in one of the Southeast Missourian's "On the street" features. She was asked what she would like to see more of in the Southeast Missourian. At the top of her list was Speak Out. It is for that reason alone that I hereby nominate Ms. Meyers for inclusion on the Cape Girardeau wall of fame...

The issue of family law will undergo quite a change this year following passage of possibly the most comprehensive child support and custody bill in our state in nearly 25 years. A large percentage of calls I receive involve parents expressing concerns with child support payment, or the lack there of, limited visitation, or no contact with the child. ...

Today is Flag Day. It seems like a forgotten holiday to most Americans. Flag Day was once a day when America honored the inspirational, unifying and patriotic effects of our flag. Our flag is more than a piece of cloth, it is the symbol of all that is good in our country...

Remember when dialing the phone didn't take a mathematics degree? I mean first it was just one and the area code plus the number. Then we get this 10-321 thing and now it's 10-10-321. Where does it end? The Jackson USA announces its long distance savings plan!!!...

TRAIL OF TEARS STATE PARK -- Dave Davis remembers hearing as a boy that his great-grandmother, Amanda Nunnelly, was Indian though he sensed other members of his family were reluctant to talk about it. But Davis found himself drawn to the culture, to making pipes and flutes...

The 688 dogs at the A.C. Brase Arena Building Saturday were almost as quiet as mice. These aren't just dogs. They're show dogs, and there's a difference. "They're more disciplined," said Jackie Glastetter, an owner-handler from Cape Girardeau. "They think nothing of seeing another dog."...

The Cape Girardeau Senior Center plans to retire its $300,000 debt with a three year fund-raising campaign. A new campaign begins this week, headed by Jess Hopple and members of the Senior Center Foundation Board. "Cape Girardeau has the most caring, most giving mixture of people," Hopple said. "If you give an explicit idea of what you need, without a lot of gravy on it, I don't know of anything that can't be done."...

Penny Ford's family started collecting box turtles about a month before the big race. On Saturday, the Cape Girardeau woman showed up at Riverfest with a stable of turtles -- one each for her daughter, three nieces and a nephew. The turtles, confined to beds of grass in plastic buckets, peered out from under their shells as race time approached...

Eight great snapshots from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois will have a chance to compete for international honors in the second local KINSA contest. KINSA, Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards, is the world's largest annual amateur-snapshot contest. The contest begins Father's Day, June 21, and runs for six consecutive weeks. The last date for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, July 31...

Let's face it, Cape Girardeau needs a tourist attraction. The town has plenty of those orange, construction barrels that have turned many of the streets into mini Berlin Walls. Clearly, Cape Girardeau has progressed as a city. But orange barrels alone aren't enough to attract tourists, unless we put them all in some tacky, roadside museum...

By all accounts, Southeast Missouri State University basketball standout Bud Eley performed well at the recent NBA pre-draft camp and he very well might have been taken in the second round of the upcoming NBA draft. But that definitely wasn't enough of an enticement to forgo his final season of eligibility. And Eley wisely recognized that...

The comeback magic finally ran out for Cape Girardeau's Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team Saturday night. Hosting the first Capaha Classic Tournament, an eight-team affair featuring two pools, Cape had staged near-miraculous rallies to win its first two tourney games...

ST. LOUIS -- The McDowell Capahas belted four three-run home runs in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday to salvage a split with the St. Louis Printers. The Capahas hit six homers overall in a 15-11 victory. McDowell dropped the opener in eight innings 10-9...

Kelso Kwik-Stop continued its run in the Kelso Klassic Saturday, reaching the semifinals of the winners' bracket with an exciting 4-3 victory over the Springfield Parrots. Kelso was scheduled to play Bonutti Orthopaedics in late-night semifinal action. In the other semifinal, the Tulsa Gray Sox were scheduled to play the Springfield Mountaineers in a matchup of two strong pitching teams...

POPLAR BLUFF -- SEMO Bank Junior Legion swept Poplar Bluff in district play Saturday, winning 9-1 and 8-0. Mark Ostendorf allowed just four hits in the opener while striking out seven. Tommy Wencewicz had four of SEMO Bank's 12 hits. Rick Davis also had three hits and two RBIs...

The Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department will sponsor its 10th annual Youth Triathlon and Kids Half-Miler at Central Municipal Pool Aug. 1. The event, for boys and girls ages 9-18, will begin at 9 a.m. The course will consist of a 200-meter swim (ages 9-12) or a 300-meter swim (ages 13-18), followed by a two-mile bike ride and one-mile run...

CHARLESTON -- Ernie Lee Vines, 49, of Charleston died Friday, June 12, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Dec. 21, 1948, at Darling, Miss., son of Walter and Eliza Nolen Vines. He was employed by the Thurmond Farms in Charleston. He had lived in Mississippi County most of his life. He was an Army veteran...

CAIRO, Ill. -- John Dewey Lowe Sr., 83, of Cairo died Friday, June 12, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 20, 1915, in Hickman, Ky., son of Isaac and Bertha DePriest Lowe. He was an Amoco Oil agent in Cairo for many years before his retirement...

BERNIE -- Hester Josephine Dawson, 78, of Bernie died Friday, June 12, 1998, at her home. She was born Jan. 17, 1920, at Bernie, daughter of John Edward and Anna Margarette Kleffer Horton. She married James Russell Dawson on Nov. 28, 1942, at Dexter. He died Aug. 30, 1993...

Annie May Williams, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 12, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral arrangements are pending at the Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel.

JACKSON -- Paul Q. Short, 84, of Jackson died Friday, June 12, 1998, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 21, 1913, near Jackson, son of Maurice A. and Kathleen Dorcas Short. He married Ruth Markert on Sept. 7, 1938, at Ste. Genevieve. She died on May 30, 1991...

MARBLE HILL -- Helen Matilda Yount, 88, of Marble Hill died Saturday, June 13, 1998, at the family home. She was born on Jan. 29, 1910, at Patton, daughter of Elisha and Nannie Slinkard Green. She married William F. Yount on Sept. 23, 1928. He died May 1, 1984...

BLOOMFIELD -- Don Kendall Ross of Bloomfield died Friday, June 12, 1998, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was 71. He was born July 31, 1926, at Dexter, son of Thomas J. and Margaret Wharry Ross. He married Laura Nan Clodfelter on May 28, 1948. She survives...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- Francis P. "Frank" Whiteside of Ste. Genevieve died Saturday, May 30, 1998, at the Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. He was 79. Funeral was June 2 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Richard Thur officiating. Burial was in Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery...

JACKSON -- Hilda Mae "Gaye" Trimble, 79, of Jackson died Wednesday, June 10, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 18, 1919, at Leemon, daughter of Fred and Bertha Sides Abernathy. She married Dr. John Trimble, who preceded her in death...

Louella Stephens, a former resident of McGhee, died Saturday, June 13, 1998, at the Scenic View Skilled Nursing Center in Herculaneum. She was 85. She was born in Arab Sept. 19, 1912, daughter of Oliver and Emma Roe Charles. She married Fred G. Stephens in Greenville on Aug. 25, 1935. He died Jan. 14, 1988...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Georgia C. Lovell, 76, of McClure died Friday, June 12, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Aug. 5, 1921, at McClure, daughter of Henry L. and Melissa B. Porter Lamb. She married Jasper C. Lovell on Sept. 24, 1943, at Cape Girardeau...

Carol Peters, Cape Girardeau airport anministrative secretary, took notes as Cape Girardeau Airport Manager Bruce Loy explained the need to have the airport restaurant reopened. He feels it would bring in business for other areas of the airport. Herb Annis made a proposal for subdividing a lot at Brookwood and Sherwood to Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commissioners Jim Ramage and Tom Holshouser...

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story. 1970-1980 The sixties were "book-ended" with physical distress for me. My first bout with major surgery came at the beginning of the decade. While bathing, one day, I discovered a lump on one side of my throat. It was a sudden discovery and scary. How had I missed it?...