Stories from Wednesday, December 16, 1998

Lately I've been thinking about what to give each of you for Christmas. My first idea was to insert a package of garden seed into each paper the day the column is published. After I determined the cost, I decided I needed to go to plan B. I finally got my inspiration the middle of last week...

To the editor: Recently I provided transportation for a victim of multiple sclerosis to the dentist and to Wal-Mart in Cape Girardeau to do some Christmas shopping. I parked in a handicapped space, and Wal-Mart employees graciously helped by getting a mechanized cart for his use...

To the editor: I watched the House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearings on television this past week. I have found it to be very interesting, but I am confused about the meaning of some of the words they are using. For example, I think I know what the word "is" is. I have just about figured out what "alone" means. The word that is giving me the most trouble is "partisan."...

It's official. Dr. Dan Steska will lead the Cape Girardeau School District come July 1. He comes to the district from the Arcadia Valley School District in Ironton. The decision Tuesday follows a deliberate and open selection process undertaken by the Board of Education. ...

I received a mailing from Southeast Missouri State University on NCAA rules compliance for "representatives of athletic interests." In reading the rules I found they applied to me and probably a lot of others who are not aware of it. Without debating the merit of the rules ... I reprint them here for your information...

I'D LIKE to make a comment about the economy of this country. This year alone there are over 200,000 jobs being lost, and these are good jobs with full benefits, savings plans and hospitalization. And all the new jobs are minimum wage with no benefits, and most of them are part-time. The Clinton administration is trying to make us think that this is all right and that these equal out each other. This is another lie...

After reaching their lowest level in Missouri since 1978, gas prices are expected to go back up soon. The least expensive grade of unleaded fuel was priced at 69.9 cents per gallon at Basic Fuel in Jackson Tuesday. The last time gasoline was this cheap, full service pumps were the norm and the average tank of gas cost less than $10...

To the editor: We are writing to express our view about the impeachment of our president. This is what we think, (also many of family and friends): We are totally against impeachment of President Clinton. We all know he made mistakes in his peronal life. We think he has done a good job, and we think censure is probably in order but not impeachment...

This has been a very busy week for the Recipe Swap column. The Pie in The Sky contest and readers sharing their favorites has made for an exciting week of recipe reading. We will be sharing at least one recipe from each person who wrote in, and will try to get all the others in as soon as possible...

A week after Dr. Dan Steska visited Cape Girardeau he was chosen to become the school district's superintendent in July. The school board made the announcement Tuesday afternoon in a press release. Steska will replace Dr. Dan Tallent who will resign June 30 after three years as superintendent...

Cape Girardeau physicians represented by an ad hoc committee of the local medical society say they support hospital merger talks but aren't ready to endorse the plan. The seven-member committee, formed in October, met Tuesday and decided more information and perhaps changes are needed before an endorsement can be given...

U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond wants to cut the regulatory strings on education money and let the nation's school districts decide how to spend federal dollars. To that end, Bond has proposed a "Direct Check for Education" measure. The legislation would:...

We've all got them. They're the friends we expect to arrive an hour after an event begins. The ones who run in applying lipstick or pulling on a suit coat. The ones who have 50 ways to trick themselves into being on time ... all of them unsuccessful...

It is good to know that we will be on top in the Ohio Valley Conference going into 1999. I told the players that if we take care of business one game at a time, we can have everybody else chasing us in the conference race. Only eight games have been played, but we are 3-0 in the OVC for our best start ever and we are 6-2 overall for our best start since going to Division I...

Outside of the state championships -- which he knows a lot about -- Jackson High girls basketball coach Ron Cook believes the HealthSouth Holiday Classic offers about the best competition a tournament possibly could. "It's a really good tournament, almost like a state tournament," said Cook...

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City's boys basketball team jumped out to a 22-point lead in the first quarter and went on to pound Oak Ridge 104-40 Tuesday night. The Rams, who led 66-14 at halftime, improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Scott-Mississippi Conference...

Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan and his staff will hold a camp focusing on pitching, catching and defense Saturday and Sunday at Houck Field House. Ages seven through the eighth grade will work out from 8 a.m.-noon while grades nine through junior college will work out from 1-5 p.m...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball program will hold pitching and hitting camps this winter. The camps are for girls in grades 5 through 12. Session I will be held Jan. 23-24 and Session II will be held Feb. 13-14. Both camps, which will concentrate primarily on pitching and hitting skills, will be held at Houck Field House from 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m. each day...

Kathryn Elizabeth Rood, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 13, 1998, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born April 4, 1909, in Southington, Ohio, daughter of Lester J. and Renna Susan Dungan Hurd. She and Homer Rood were married July 12, 1935...

SIKESTON -- Graveside service for Mary Elcie Williams of Sikeston will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, Ill. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Williams, 76, died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

PUXICO -- Hadley G. Cato, 60, of Puxico died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at his home. He was born July 11, 1938, near Arab, son of Sylvester and Leona Bennett Cato. Cato had lived in the Puxico area all his life. He was retired from International Hat Factory in Dexter...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Robbie Helen Gregory of East Prairie will be held at 11 a.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Fred Girdwood will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Gregory, 83, died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Virginia E. Wright, 79, of Sikeston died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 31, 1919, at Bloomfield, daughter of John and Sylvia Harrell Proffer. She and Lester F. Wright were married May 12, 1944, in Sikeston. He died May 31, 1994...

KELSO -- Funeral Mass for Sister M. Olivia Leible of Wheaton, Ill., will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Francis Sisters House in Wheaton. Burial will be in the cemetery there. Announcement courtesy of Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran. Leible, 93, died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at St. Francis Sisters House...

JACKSON -- Robert E. "Bob" Myer, 66, of Jackson died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 31, 1932, at Jackson, son of Joseph and Josephine Nitsch Myer. He and Dolores Ruesler were married Jan. 18, 1957...

JACKSON -- Goza Masterson Rastl, 74, of Jackson died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 27, 1924, at Burfordville, son of Roy and Azilee Overbeck Rastl. He and Florence Summers were married Dec. 27, 1943, at Benton...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Lorene Goines, 77, of Hillerman, died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1998, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to William E. and LaShay E. Pinkerton of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998. Name, Camron Macy. Weight, 7 pounds 12 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Pinkerton is the former LaShay Davis, daughter of Judy and David Grier of Nashville, Tenn., and Mike Davis of Jackson. She is employed at Southwestern Bell. Pinkerton is the son of Ed and Sharon Pinkerton of Jackson. He is employed at Procter & Gamble...

PERRYVILLE -- Sylvia M. Proctor, 73, of Festus died Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, at St. Anthony's Hospital. She was born Sept. 28, 1925, at Jackson, daughter of Harvey and Viola Boxdorfer Brewer. She and John Proctor were married Oct. 9, 1945. He died Sept. 12, 1992...

DORENA -- Henry Lee "Honey" Williams, 61, of Dorena died unexpectedly Monday, Dec. 14, 1998, while working. He was born April 14, 1937, at Dorena, son of Roy and Nina Ervin Williams. Williams served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Survivors include three sisters, Willistene Williams, Daisy Williams and Wilma Copeland, all of Rockford, Ill.; three brothers, Bobby Williams of Dorena, Joe Williams of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Johnny Williams of Rockford...

The Southeast Missourian asked fourth-graders at West Lane Elementary School about their experience with "low technology" vinyl record albums. Amber Terry: "I have a record player, but we haven't used it for about four years. I have about 10 records, including a Mickey Mouse record."...

JACKSON -- Workers at the bottom and at the top of the City of Jackson's payroll schedule are underpaid, Dr. Steve Cohen says, and raising their salaries will require a "reallocation of funding." Cohen is associated with the Labor Management Advisory Group, a Kansas City consulting firm that has developed a new compensation plan for city employees. The plan was adopted by the Board of Aldermen at Monday night's meeting...

A five-day Beanie Baby raffle that begins Thursday will benefit the Otahki Girl Scout Council horse program. Judith Anne Lang, owner of Judith Anne's at 130 N. Main, hopes to raise enough money -- at least $750 to $1,000 -- to buy at least one horse for the Girl Scouts...

Six Southeast Missouri State University alumni received alumni merit awards at Saturday's winter commencement luncheon at the Show Me Center. The Alumni Association presented the awards. Each Alumni Merit Award is presented by an academic college at Southeast to honor a distinguished alumna or alumnus. The awards have been give since 1958 to graduates or former students of Southeast who have brought distinction to themselves and the university...