Stories from Thursday, May 20, 1999

To the Editor: I attended the concert last Sunday afternoon of the United States Army Ground Forces Band and all I can say is Bravo! I can't remember when I enjoyed anything more. I have been to many concerts over the years but this one ranks among the very best...

The annual membership blitz of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, held last week, once again proved a success. As of the end of the one-day drive, 47 new chamber members had been signed up. These new members join the more than 1,150 members that make the Cape Chamber such a vibrant participant in our community. With this latest success, total membership exceeds 1,230...

For the first time, the Clinton administration last week threatened to veto a bill providing money for the conflict with Yugoslavia, aid for Central America and other items, citing a host of objections. Indications were, however, that such a confrontation might be avoided. ...

During the impeachment ordeal, the Clinton chorus sang in harmony that the president's private life is irrelevant to his public life and is therefore nothing that should concern the body politic. This is just one of many societally destructive lies promulgated by this New Age administration and its minions...

I'M CALLING on a Random Acts of Kindness. The Happy Helpers pantry at Tamms selected six ladies that lived alone with no families living close to them. We took them a Mother's Day card from a special friend and bag of groceries. We got lots of hugs and thanks for all of them. We really felt good after we got that done and we plan on doing that on Father's Day. We plan on finding six fathers that live alone and don't have a family...

The Schultz School production of "Cinderella" is so charming, some of its characterizations so deft you have to keep reminding yourself that these are seventh-graders probably appearing in their first musical. The singing, the acting, the costumes, the props and the set belong in a production by much more experienced students. ...

Sharland Reed plans to spend the next several weeks knocking on doors, meeting people in Cape Girardeau and helping assess exactly what the Family Resource Center needs to do. Reed, executive director of the Family Resource Center, was introduced Wednesday during a press conference at Cape Girardeau City Hall...

About 825 Star Wars fans lined up to be the first to see the newest installment, "The Phantom Menace" in Cape Girardeau. Cape West 14 Cine Manager Kevin Dillon said all four theatres were sold out. "It was exciting," said Dillon. A few individuals began lining up at 10:30 p.m. Monday. They brought a tent and camped out. The majority of patrons began lining up about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The line snowballed as the midnight hour approached...

Power remained out for some AmerenUE customers Wednesday, two days after high winds whipped through Southeast Missouri. The Monday afternoon storm left about 44,000 AmerenUE customers without power in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area to as far south as Oran in Scott County...

May 20, 1999 Dear Patty, You'd think being marooned in a Dairy Queen would be heavenly. It wasn't. Not when a power outage has incapacitated the ice cream and soda machines and through the big plate glass windows you can see trees doing deep knee bends...

Three large trees at Cape Rock Park were toppled during Monday's storms causing considerable damage to the park. The American Legion is making plans to repair the damage and is looking for help. One of the trees landed on two cars parked at the scenic overlook. When a tree was uprooted, it also overturned a concrete pad and bench...

Hundreds of Christians in Southeast Missouri will gather Saturday to march for Jesus. Participants should gather at 9 a.m. at May Greene School for the 10 a.m. march to Common Pleas Courthouse Park. Organizers expect thousands to participate in the annual event. Marches are planned in 525 cities across the United States and in 100 nations around the globe...

If what happened during the regular season is any indication, then the 1999 Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament should be something. The six teams who will begin play at Capaha Field today were separated in the final OVC standings by a mere four games. That should make for quite a wide-open shootout when the tourney kicks off this morning...

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team might not rank as the favorite when the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament begins today in Cape Girardeau. But after the experience the Indians had in hosting the OVC Tournament for the first time ever last year, Southeast coach Mark Hogan certainly has to like his squad's chances...

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee starter Matt Stroup didn't have any problem striking out Notre Dame's batters. But Notre Dame's batters didn't have any trouble hitting Matt Stroup. Notre Dame clobbered Chaffee 10-0 in five innings Wednesday to advance to the Class 2A, District 2 finals where it will play Kelly today at 4 p.m...

CHAFFEE -- For the No. 5 seed in a seven-team tournament, the Woodland Cardinals put up quite a fight against top-seeded Kelly in a semifinal game of the Class 2A, District 2 tournament Wednesday. Woodland (14-4) had the tying run at first base in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but couldn't bring the runner around as the Hawks (19-4) survived with a 5-2 win...

SIKESTON -- Going into the Class 4A District 1 baseball tournament at Sikeston, most coaches felt the five-team field was wide open. The point was proved Wednesday at V.F.W. Stadium where top-seeded Sikeston was knocked off by the fifth-seeded Jackson Indians 9-4...

Nathen King School: Kelly Sport: Track Coach: Bill Davis Week report: King, a senior, advanced to state competition in three events last Saturday after taking the Class 2A, District 1 Championship in the 800 with a personal-best time of 2:00.05 and taking second in the 1,600 with a time of 4:41.1. ...

Dionna Webb School: Cape Central Sport: Track Coach: Lawrence Brookins Week Report: Webb was a three-event champion in last week's Class 4A, District 1 meet at Jackson. The junior took first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.5 seconds, second in the 200 (:25.7) and her long jump of 17 feet, 4 3/4 inches was about 1 1/2 feet longer than the next-closest competitor. She also was a member of Central's 4x100 team which qualified for sectional by taking third place with a time of :52.0...

ADVANCE -- It was back to business in the Missouri Class 1A District 2 tournament. After storms ripped apart the Advance baseball field Monday, first round action resumed Wednesday. The top-seeded host easily took care of the ninth-seed Scott County Central 13-3, while sixth-seed Ste. Genevieve-Valle upset No. 3 Oak Ridge in a 10-8 slugfest...

Vincent Thomas Blaylock, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 4, 1914, in McClure, Ill., the son of Marshall and Lily Rose Vinson Blaylock. He married Margaret Brasher, who preceded him in death in 1989. He later married Norma Foster Ford on May 10, 1996, in Scott City...

ANNA, Ill. -- Delmar Massey, 71, of Anna died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are pending at Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Arthur John Dodson, 71, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, at his home in Jonesboro. He was born July 11, 1927, at Alto Pass, Ill, the son of Martin and Myrtle Parker Dodson. He was a retired welder, a veteran of WWII, a life member of the Carroll P. Foster Post 3455 of the VFW in Anna and a member of the Illinois Sheriff's Association...

Atha Josephine Boothe Thomas was born July 26, 1906 and met her maker on May 9, 1999. She was the oldest daughter of William and Mary Grimes Boothe. She was born on a farm in Lucas County in Pleasant Township. She moved, in 1918, with her parents to a farm south of Chariton. She graduated from Chariton High School in 1925 and started teaching that fall. She taught seven years in Wayne and Lucas Counties...

James H. Bucher, age 79, of Sikeston, Mo. died at this residence at 7:4-0 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, 1999. He was born March 24, 1920 in Cairo, Ill. to the late Eberhard and Rose Brown Bucher. He was educated at St. Joseph Catholic Schools in Cairo, Ill. and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in accounting in 1942...

CHARLESTON -- Funeral for Betty Jean Simmons of Charleston will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston. The Rev. Bill Summers will officiate. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. today...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Ronald Wayne "Ronnell" Carnell of Blytheville, Ark., will be held at 10 a.m. today at Cobb Funeral Chapel in Blytheville. The Revs. Jim Arnold and Mark Haston will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery at Blytheville...

JACKSON -- Clyde F. Reynolds, 82, of Jackson died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Heritage Gardens Nursing Home. He was born June 11, 1916, near Marble Hill, son of Harry and Betty Allen Reynolds. He married Ada Wright, who preceded him in death. He also married Blanche Pierce, who preceded him in death...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Graveside service for Steven Allan Carpenter of Paducah, Ky., will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at U.S. National Cemetery in Mound City. Chaplain Jim Gearhart will officiate. There is no visitation. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements...

WETAUG, Ill. -- Esau Bracken, 71, of Wetaug died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Oct. 30, 1927, in Anna, son of William J. and Dorothy Fisher Bracken. Bracken was a retired mechanic and had worked at Leo Keller's Mill. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Willard L. McCann, 74, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at his home. He was born Jan. 14, 1925, in Cobden, son of Paul Willard and Bertha Messamore McCann. He and Laura Arlene Cavaness were married March 28, 1945, in Paducah, Ky. She died Jan. 1, 1997...

BRAGG CITY -- Funeral for Charles Wade McKenzie of Bragg City will be held at 10 a.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie. Martin Lucas and Michael Cartwright will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery. McKenzie, 44, died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY -- Irvin Wheeler, 92, of Scott City died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 8, 1906, at Quincy, son of Everett A. and Mamie Corbin Wheeler. He and LaJune Standiford were married Dec. 20, 1930...

Rita Derris Vandivort, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 19, 1999, at Chateau Girardeau Health Care Center. She was born Dec. 22, 1917, in Sikeston, daughter of Walter and Lillian Brooks Derris. She and Charles A. Vandivort were married Oct. 20, 1939, in Columbia. He preceded her in death Nov. 23, 1982...

Mary V. Melvin, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at Heartland Care Rehab Center. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Carl E. Masterson, 76, of 1310 Jefferson St. died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born June 21, 1923, the son of Garnell and Rispa Johnson Masterson. He married Betty J. Wood in Cape Girardeau in 1967. She died June 5, 1996...