Stories from Sunday, April 11, 1999

To the editor: Often times, people have preconceived notions that high school students who are involved in school activities such as cheerleading, sports, choirs and bands have little or no time to take an active part in their church youth activities. Perhaps church youth groups are looked upon as uncool organizations...

Miss Jackson, Christina Heckenkamp, will be available for speaking engagements on May 24, 25, 26 and 27. Heckenkamp is a junior at Truman State University and will represent Jackson at the Miss Missouri Scholarship Pageant this June. She is a sociology major and plans to pursue a masters in education and become a junior high school counselor. Her platform (area of community service) for the Miss Missouri Program is eating disorders -- awareness and education...

25 years ago: 1974 Fire heavily damaged drying room of Ceramo Co. plant early Thursday; damage, which was confined to area of about 70 by 50 feet, likely will result in temporary release of about half of pottery plant's 94 employees, says plant manager E.H. Reisenbichler; blaze was apparently caused by fault in electrical wiring of switch box, which operates huge natural gas-fired drying system...

Last year a poll of teen-agers came up with good news. The New York Times and CBS News polled 13- to 17-year-olds. "Teen-agers today are worldly, shaped by exposure to a culture that has dropped many of its inhibitions." The poll goes on: "In some ways they are as wholesome and devoid of cynicism as the generation that wore saddle shoes. ...

ON THIS political correctness that's going on all over, I'm just about as fed up with this form of thought control as I am with all these hair driers on restroom walls. Political correctness is nothing short of just kind of dumb. For instance, a Native American is supposed to be an American Indian, whose ancestors, after all, came to this land at some point and time. ...

As the St. Louis County returns that crushed Proposition B (right to carry) rolled in late Tuesday night, notwithstanding its victory in 104 counties, a caller to a St. Louis radio station offered a telling point. This caller announced that he couldn't give his name, but said he worked for a certain news media outlet located along Tucker Boulevard in downtown St. Louis. The caller made other statements indicating that he was referring to the vigorously anti-Prop B St. Louis Post-Dispatch...

Missourians have just finished voting on a referendum that was promoted as a crime-prevention measure, but the introduction of Proposition B to this state had less to do with fighting crime than the desire on the part of gun manufacturers to enhance their sale of weapons in the Show-Me State...

So Missouri voters went to the polls in record numbers for an April election and narrowly rejected Proposition B, which would have established the right to carry concealed weapons. A 35 percent turnout of voters -- last year, with no such comparable issue to stimulate interest, the figure was 12 percent -- rejected Prop B by a margin of 52-48 percent. ...

A Missouri Senate bill recently given first-round approval in that chamber would affect taxes paid by landowners. It would let voters decide whether local property tax rates should be determined by nearby developed property. The bills' sponsor, state Sen. Walt Mueller, R-St. Louis County, said the provision would let counties increase their economic development...

Lucas Rouggey, junior Rotarian Brent Schumer, junior Rotarian Nicole Poythress, Third place: Junior High Scherael Bollman, Second place: Junior High Angela Soemo, First place: Junior High Rachel Warren, Third place: Senior High Chara Friese, Second place: Senior High...

Silver Howard competed in the standing long jump Saturday during the Special Olympics as Brandon Beninati judged the event at the Cape Girardeau Central High School track complex. The sun shined, and so did Silver. She grinned throughout the opening ceremonies and as she competed in two events. Her smile became especially bright as she stepped to the right of the tallest podium to accept her first award...

JACKSON -- The heavily traveled intersection at routes 34 and 72, about 1.5 miles west of Jackson, will be changed in hopes of improving safety, the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission reports. The intersection is listed as the top safety concern in the 14-county Southeast district. Approximately 14,000 vehicles travel through the area on a given day. Over 5 million vehicles travel through in a year...

Saturday afternoon Wyn Hirsch and Walter Stone paddled a canoe down Cape LaCroix Creek and mucked through the muddy creek bottoms looking for litter. By the end of the day, the pair had loaded the canoe with one tire, one small swimming pool, a couple of garden stakes and lots of "crud."...

Agnes Bendel was the first to call and sign up for Random Acts of Kindness. She called to report that the wives of residents at the Missouri Veterans Home will thank the staff by bringing homemade goodies for all three shifts, just like last year. Sign-up sheets are already in place, Bendel reported...

Dan Burden talks "the walk." As director of Walkable Communities, Burden encourages cities to travel away from four-lane highways and steer toward walking trails and bike paths instead. Narrower streets and the addition of sidewalks and tree plantings force traffic to travel slower, he says. Smaller scale roads are less expensive to build...

The stock of Southeast Missouri State University basketball standout Bud Eley apparently continues to rise. Eley had a sensational senior season as he helped lead the Indians to their best-ever Ohio Valley Conference and Division I finish this year...

After 3 1/2 years of consistent baseball at Southeast Missouri State University, it was an ordinary ground-ball single past the second baseman that put Kyle Yount in the record books. Yount needed one hit in a doubleheader against Belmont Saturday to surpass former Southeast standout Tom Breuer as the school's all-time leader in career hits...

Kyle Yount established a new Southeast Missouri State University record for most hits in a career on Saturday, but ironically he had the fewest hits of any starter in the Indians' doubleheader sweep over Belmont. Southeast banged out 10 hits in the opener and 14 in the second game as it downed the Bruins 5-4 and 9-4 in a pair of seven-inning games at Capaha Field...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Several Southeast Missouri State University's track and field athletes excelled during the prestigious Sea-Ray Relays that concluded Saturday at the University of Tennessee. On the men's side, Bryan Alfultis won the open shot put with a distance of 53 feet 10 inches and he came back to finish seventh in the invitational shot put at 53-8...

ST. LOUIS -- Led by Ryan Smith, Southeast Missouri State University's golf team turned in a strong performance during the Saint Louis Billiken Invitational that concluded Saturday. Smith and Ball State's Jamie Broce tied for the individual title with scores of 1-over-par 143, but Broce earned the championship by prevailing in a playoff...

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau Central High's track and field teams walked away -- or perhaps ran when the rain began to fall -- laden with medals after the Jackson Invitational Saturday. Upperclassmen from several teams skipped the meet at Jackson Junior High School to take the ACT exam, a circumstance which allowed Central's depth and promising young athletes to come to the fore...

ST. LOUIS -- In a battle of undefeated high school soccer teams, the Cape Girardeau Central Lady Tigers knocked off Rolla 3-0 Saturday at the St. Louis Soccer Park. Central improved to 7-0-1 while Rolla fell to 6-1. "It was a big win for us," said Central coach Tom Doyle. "We need the experience of playing on the turf at the soccer park because that's where the sectionals are always played."...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department is forming 6 on 6 and 4 on 4 sand volleyball leagues. The 6 on 6 league will be played on Mondays beginning June 7. The 4 on 4 league will be held on Tuesdays and begin June 1. Cost per team is $101. Registration deadline is May 21...

The second half of the Tiger youth wrestling camp, open to students in 7th grade and below, will begin Tuesday. The camp will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. through May 6. A tournament will be held on the final day. Cost is $20 and includes a T-shirt...

A meeting will be held for the Cape Giardeau Girls Softball League Thursday at Drury Lodge at 6 p.m. Registration will be held April 17 in West Park Mall (in front of Famous Barr) from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call 334-3043.

Scott City youth baseball/softball will hold its final registration day Thursday at Scott City High School from 4-6 p.m. For more information, contact Phyllis Spinks at 264-3411.

The Murphysboro High School basketball program will sponsor a 3-on-3 tournament April 17 in the school's gym. The four grade divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 and freshman. Entry fee is $35 per team and all participants will receive a T-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to the top three teams in each division. Entry deadline is April 15...

The Southern Missouri Christian School will host both a men's and a women's slow-pitch softball tournament in Poplar Bluff. The men's tournament will be held April 17 at Hillcrest Park. The women's tournament will take place April 24 at Whitely Park...

The Fredericktown Azalea Festival Fun Run will be held May 8. The event, which begins at 8 a.m., will consist of a 5K run and a 1-mile run/walk. Entry fee is $6 in advance and $7 on race day. The first 100 entrants will receive a free T-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division...

The 21st annual Charleston Dogwood-Azalea Run will be held April 18 at 2 p.m. The event will consist of a 5K run, a 1-mile walk and a youth race. Check-in will be held from 12:30-1:50 p.m. Entry fee is $11 before April 11 and $14 thereafter. The fee is $10 each for families of three or more. The first 150 entrants will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt. Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age division...

A men's slow-pitch softball tournament will be held April 17-18 at Benton Ballpark. Entry fee is $90. For more information, call Tony Young (573) 471-8381 or Bruce Scherer (573) 545-3982.

The third annual Fleer Baseball Diamond Skills Competition will be held May 8 from 1-4 p.m. at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex. The event, held by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, is for boys and girls ages 7 to 14. The event, free of charge, consists of batting, throwing, fielding ant running...

SIKESTON -- Beatrice Richards, 82, of Sikeston died Friday, April 9, 1999, at her home. She was born April 22, 1916, at Stantonville, Tenn., daughter of the late John and Daisy Garner Cooksey. On May 18, 1961, she married William Richards in Sikeston. He died Dec. 23, 1998...

SIKESTON -- Elmer Clement Beal, 75, of Sikeston died Thursday, April 8, 1999, at Bertrand Retirement Home following an extended illness. He was born in Sikeston Dec. 20, 1923, son of the late James and Henrietta Bryant Beal. On Dec. 18, 1943, he married Guynell Glover in San Diego, Calif. She died June 28, 1994...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral for Juanita L. McBride of Chaffee will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The Rev. Joe Payne will officiate, with burial in Union Park Cemetery in Chaffee. Friends may call after 4 p.m. today at the funeral chapel...

WYATT -- Juanita Howell Brown, 73, died Saturday, April 10, 1999, at her home. Funeral Mass will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston, with the Rev. Gerald Brown officiating. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery near Charleston...

GLEN ALLEN -- Clara Mae Crader Foster, 81, of Glen Allen died Saturday, April 10, 1999, at her home. She was born July 9, 1917, daughter of James Oliver Crader and Pearl Lincoln Crader. Foster was married to Silvy Foster July 5, 1935, at Marble Hill. He died Sept. 30, 1972...

JACKSON -- H. Duane "Bubba" Whitledge, 50, of Jackson died Saturday, April 10, 1999. He was born March 24, 1949, son of Harry Lee and Norma Lea McKee Whitledge. He and Vicky McClard were married Dec. 23, 1967. She survives. He was a member of First General Baptist Church of Jackson and had been employed in the auto body repair business all his life. ...

Dr. Louis Veneziano is in the minority at his home, which is odd for a right-hander. Veneziano, a psychology professor at Southeast Missouri State University is the only right-handed member of his family. Both his children and his wife are left-handed...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Senior Center will hold the fifth annual Miles for Meals Walk-A-Thon May 15 at the senior center. Rep. David Schwab will be the keynote speaker. Walkers may select from two routes for the walk-a-thon. One route is considerably longer than the other. The routes involve streets adjacent to and around the First Presbyterian Church, the Cape Girardeua County Courthouse, the U.S. Post Office and the old shoe factory building...