Stories from Friday, November 27, 1998

To the editor: This letter does not include all of our representatives in Congress, but a substantial majority. The only purpose of government under our system is to protect the citizens' rights which are enumerated in the Constitution. Our Congress is elected for the purpose of carrying out this function. Upon taking office, members of Congress swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. What strange quirk of the human mind prevents voters from holding them to their oath...

To the editor: I enjoyed the article you ran Nov. 23 in the Business section concerning the fun I have had turkey hunting with my children. The piece, however, contained two errors. The article stated that my youngest daughter, Stacy, has been shooting guns since age 2. It is fact that all my children at young ages have had exposure to proper handling of firearms. But age 2? Stacy, at 2 years of age, had a firm handle on potty training, not firearms. I introduced her to shooting when she was 9...

To the editor: If just read the letter from S.L. Hodge. I wonder if Mr. Hodge has read the U.S. Constitution. Our Constitution never prohibited women from voting. Our Constitution never declared women to be second-class citizens. Even though our Constitution never prohibited women from voting, there were years when women were not allowed to vote in this country. ...

To the editor: Why is it that in a world so full of easily accessed information there are so many uninformed people? A recent letter to the editor talking about the ill effects of global warming and a follow-up letter complimenting that writer on his facts illustrate my point. ...

Cape Girardeau's stature as a regional center for shopping, medical care, education and employment continues to grow almost daily. It only take a quick driver around the city to see signs of expansion and new development at virtually every turn. ShopKo is soon slated to fill the West Park Mall space vacated by Venture. And now comes the good news that the mall is planning to build space for a fourth anchor store. The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission gave its approval last week...

Acute bronchitis, inflammation of the passageways for air moving to and from the lungs, may occur in people of any age. If you have ever experienced coughing fits or feel as if you need to breath shallow so as to prevent a nearly uncontrollable coughing spell, you may have had bronchitis. ...

Cape Girardeau residents will have an opportunity to share their views on the proposed River Campus. The city is having a public forum at 6 p.m. Monday at the Osage Community Centre. The River Campus, as most city residents already know, is Southeast Missouri State University's plan to convert the former St. Vincent's Seminary on Morgan Oak overlooking the Mississippi River into a campus for the visual and performing arts...

Leadership Cape, a program developed by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce to groom tomorrow's leaders, is expanding its scope. The program will expand from seven weeks to seven months in 1999. The expanded schedule should provide more opportunities for more interaction and camaraderie among participants, said Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel. ...

D.G. Wilson of Wolf Lake, Ill., had to capture the fowl for his Thanksgiving meal as a child. But now at 100, Wilson doesn't have to work as hard. "When I was growing up, we didn't have turkey for Thanksgiving," Wilson said. "We had chicken." His job was to capture the chickens and chop off their heads. "Now I just eat," he said...

Stephen Gitau has grown accustomed to Thanksgiving. But for his fellow Kenyan and roommate, Willis Ayieko, Thursday was his first experience with the uniquely American holiday. "It's not just a small holiday. Everything is focused on eating," Ayieko said as he and Gitau celebrated Thanksgiving at the Cape Girardeau home of Adelaide and Robert Parsons...

Finding a rhyme for "relish" was just too much of a challenge for a sizable number of kind and generous readers. Sometimes, readers, you do things that are so downright thoughtful, generous and unexpected. Not unexpected in the sense that you are incapable of doing these things. More like unexpected in the sense that we live in a hurly-burly world where finding time to do something good just because it's -- well, good -- is rarely expected...

It's a tale of two offensive philosophies. St. Vincent High of Perryville favors ground delivery. North Platte of Dearborn prefers air mail. The teams, and their contrasting modes of operation, will clash today in the Class 1A state championship football game. Kickoff is set for noon in the Trans World Dome in St. Louis...

PERRYVILLE -- Suzanne Schwartz deposited an offensive rebound with one second left to lift Notre Dame to a 59-58 victory over Farmington Wednesday night in the Perryville Tournament. Notre Dame and Farmington both finished the season-opening tournament with 2-1 records...

SCOTT CITY -- Elmer Dennis Ross, 81, of Scott City, died Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 22, 1917, at Fornfelt, the son of Ernest Jessie and Alma Hillemann Ross. He and Wilma Huter were married on Sept. 7, 1946, at Jackson...

BURFORDVILLE -- Arnell Franklin Godwin, 80, of Burfordville died Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. He was born June 11, 1918, at Jackson, the son of Gayle and Paralee R. Foster Godwin. He and Helen Niswonger were married on Aug. 4, 1940. She preceded him in death on Jan. 21, 1988. He and Geneva Brown Pingel were married June 17, 1989...

SIKESTON -- Marillian Adcock Stafford, 87, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. She was born Sept. 4, 1911, at Portageville, the daughter of John Anderson and Fannie Elizabeth Harrelson Adcock Sr. She and Chester Lee Stafford were married Feb. 11, 1933, at Portageville. He preceded her in death on June 26, 1964...

FROHNA -- Elton C. Weber, 69, of Frohna died Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 29, 1929, in Perry County, the son of Gerhard and Josephine Kassel Weber. He married Evelyn Weber, who preceded him in death in 1983. He and Gladys Meinz Engert were married on June 27, 1987...