Stories from Wednesday, December 29, 1999

A friend of mine recently asked me to write about pruning. He said he knew he needed to prune but was unsure of what to do. The why, when, and how to prune is an extensive subject. Therefore I thought I would do a series of articles on pruning, starting with the why of clipping and snipping...

To the editor: This is a letter I sent to the Cape Girardeau postmaster: I am writing this second letter to inform you the postal service here in Cape is the worst I have ever experienced. I'm 35 years old and have lived in Kentucky, Illinois, South Carolina, Oklahoma, California, Florida and Missouri. Some have been city routes, some rural, but 723 William Street in Cape is by far the worst. I have lived here three years this coming February and have had the same problems...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has begun the process of coming up with a plan for a new high school at a price the district can afford. Early indications are that the job at hand may be more difficult than anticipated. And it certainly looks as though the cost of the new high school will be considerably more than originally estimated...

"We're last-century boys, you and I. When we were born, the horse count in this country was higher than the human population. The city was a place you went to buy oats. Today our parents wouldn't be able to understand more than one word out of 10 in a normal conversation. That's how far we've come in just 50 years." -- Edsel Ford...

AS A senior citizen, I too would like to express thanks to the honor society and student council of Jackson High School for a wonderful evening. With this kind of activity, you can't help but admire these kids who have worked hard and gained recognition in their school years. A big thank you also to Sara's mom who coordinated this event. Thank you...

Two St. Louis-based companies met with Cape Girardeau school officials Tuesday and expressed an interest in developing cost estimates to build a new high school. Representatives from Glenn Construction Co. and Wm. B. Ittner Inc. will submit cost and design estimates to the school board next week explaining what they believe it would cost the district to build a functional high school to hold about 1,600 students...

A number of the nation's banks will remain open on New Year's Day but not in Cape Girardeau. A check with all banks in the city revealed that some workers will be at each bank, but they won't be open. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will keep check on all banks to make sure everything is working well, say local bank officials...

Gun sales tend to be increasing nationally, but dealers in Southeast Missouri say it has more to do with hunting and Christmas than Y2K. Anyone who has fears about personal safety in the new millennium is not buying a gun now, said Alan Reiman, owner of Re Armms in Sikeston...

The time line in Sunday's paper was thought-provoking. To think that at the turn of the last millennium the people who lived in this region of Missouri had no idea there were civilizations across the ocean and vice versa. In the last 1,000 years people discovered not only more about our world but about the universe beyond, other planets, stars, solar systems. In the next 1,000 years, perhaps we'll find other inhabited worlds...

An argument led a 17-year-old girl to attack another girl with a small knife on Sunday, Cape Girardeau police said. The 16-year-old victim was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for a cut on the left side of her head, Sgt. Carl Kinnison said...

NEW MADRID -- Twenty-two years in prison likely await Dmitri Bell, who was sentenced Tuesday for his role in a confrontation with Cape Girardeau police last June. Bell, 19, was given a seven-year sentence by Judge Fred Copeland for interferring with arrests, said Ian Sutherland, assistant prosecutor for Cape Girardeau County...

At least this time, the Central High School pool's bubble didn't burst. It was just slashed, Cape Girardeau police said Tuesday. A gash over three feet long was discovered by school personnel Tuesday morning in the north side of the bubble, which has been in place since early December...

I hope everyone is enjoying a happy holiday season. I certainly have enjoyed the holiday that began with a big 65-60 victory at Bradley last Wednesday night. It was great to get a road win over the team picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference. We are getting very close to the start of Ohio Valley Conference play and a win like that should give us confidence going into the OVC schedule. The longer I coach, I see confidence as a bigger and bigger part of winning...

It was supposed to be better than a typical game between No. 2 vs. No. 7 seeds. But Scott City, which entered the Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament with its only non-tournament loss since February of 1997, re-established why it was seeded second in the 55th annual U-High tourney...

Charleston rolled into the semifinals of the Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament -- but not before holding off a spirited challenge from heavy underdog Woodland. The top-seeded Blue Jays, seeking their third straight tourney championship, never could quite deliver the big knockout blow but they were still too much for ninth-seeded Cardinals as they prevailed 66-49 in Tuesday's quarterfinals at the Show Me Center...

Third-seeded Jackson got a bit of a scare early against sixth-seeded Scott County Central, but the Indians got their act together to earn a 80-61 victory Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center...

Advance didn't just advance. It made another statement. The fifth-seeded Hornets improved to 8-0 and remained the only undefeated team in the Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament with a methodical, convincing 78-63 win over fourth-seeded Notre Dame Tuesday night at the Show Me Center...

There was certainly no suspense at the Show Me Center Tuesday during the consolation quarterfinal round of the 55th annual Bank of Missouri University High School Christmas Tournament. All four games were lopsided, with the closest one being 18 points, as four teams moved on in the tourney and four squads were eliminated...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- St. Vincent High's boys basketball team shot 57 percent from the field and eased past St. Pius 75-64 Tuesday night in the first round of the Ste. Genevieve Christmas Tournament. The Indians, who improved their record to 5-1, will play Valle at 7:30 tonight. A win would vault St. Vincent into Thursday night's championship game against host Ste. Genevieve, which has already won its pool...

Kelly High School baseball coach Mike Scott will hold a coach's clinic Jan. 14 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. In addition, a follow-up player clinics will be held the following day: 9 a.m. to noon for grades 3-5 and 1 to 4 p.m. in grades 6-8...

JACKSON -- J.W. Proffer, 73, of Jackson, died Sunday, Dec. 26, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 8, 1926, at Crump, son of Jess and Abby (Proffer) Proffer. Proffer was employed at the International Shoe Co. in Jackson and later was a riverboat deckhand on the Ann King boat. He was veteran of the Korean War, serving in the Navy...

Albert A. Schlegel, 76, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Dec. 26, 1999, at Glendale Heights. He was born Jan. 11, 1923, in Dutchtown, son of Henry A. and Meyhulda Geiser Schlegel. He served in the Navy Seabees during World War II and worked for Voges Standard Service Station in Cape Girardeau for many years. He was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Imogene Hunter, 88, of East Prairie died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at her residence. She was born Nov. 11, 1911, at Charleston, daughter of W.M. and Laura Davis Townsend. She and Hal C. "Buster" Hunter were married April 16, 1938. He died Feb. 16, 1977...

PERRYVILLE -- Ursula M. Bohnenkamp, 94, formerly of Perryville, died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at Swanton Health Care Center in Swanton, Ohio. She was born at Perryville Oct. 5, 1905, daughter of Benjamin and Christine Vessells. She married George R. Bohnenkamp. He died June 1, 1974...

PERRYVILLE -- Zita JoAnn Fassold, 91, of Perryville, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at the Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 19, 1908, at Perry County, daughter of Henry and Katharina Ermer Weibrecht. She married Herbert Fassold April 6, 1931...

PERRYVILLE -- Elda Marie Franklin, 77, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at the Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 10, 1922, in Perry County, daughter of Benjamin and Rosa Zoellner Schott. She and Carl E. "Tooter" Franklin were married Dec. 28, 1946. He died Oct. 31, 1999...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Opal Stokes, 74, of East Prairie, will be at 2 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie with George White officiating. Burial will be in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. She died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

BERNIE -- Robert Lee White Sr., 88, of Bernie died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center at Dexter. He was born May 8, 1911, at Townley, son of James Edward and Ida Florida White. He and Myrtle Juanita Thurston were married May 7, 1932, at Bernie. She died Sept. 8, 1993...

MATTHEWS -- Esther Belle Cornwall, 76, of Matthews died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center at Sikeston. She was born Jan 12, 1923, in Michigan, daughter of Thomas Golden and Cora Allington Easton. She was married to John William Cornwall. He preceded her in death...

Bessie R. Lancaster, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Funeral arrangements are pending at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel.

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Lester Harry Grandstaff, 85, of Mounds died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at the Daystar Care Center at Cairo. Funeral arrangements are pending at the Jones Funeral Home at Villa Ridge.

MARBLE HILL -- Henry D. Hickam, 82, of Doolittle and formerly of Marble Hill, died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at Delmar Gardens at Chesterfield. He was born March 14, 1917, at Lutesville, son of James and Isabelle Eaker Hickam. He and Lillie E. Goforth were married Oct. 11, 1936, at Lutesville. She died April 20, 1997...

CHARLESTON -- Leta Colleen Hargrave, 82, of Charleston, died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at the Bertrand Nursing Home. She was born March 1, 1916, at Livingston, Mont., daughter of Arthur Blinn Converse and Mayme E. Martin Converse. She married Amos W. Hargrave Sept. 2, 1935. He survives...

CHARLESTON -- Arlene Hall, 83, of Charleston died Sunday, Dec. 26, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Jan. 6, 1916, at Inverness, daughter of Pleas and Lillie Harris Starks. She was married to L.G. Hall. He preceded her in death. She was a member of the Grand Avenue Seventh Day Adventist Church...

Son to Kevin and Elizabeth Haskamp of Springfield, Mo., Cox Medical Center South, 3:40 p.m., Monday, Dec. 6, 1999. Name, Levi Harrison. Weight, 8 pounds, 7 ounces. First child. Mrs. Haskamp is the former Elizabeth Mueller, daughter of the Rev. Adam and Margarete Mueller of Cape Girardeau. Haskamp is the son of Leon and Mary Jo Haskamp of Kansas City, Mo. He is employed as a manufacturers' sales representative...

CAIRO, Ill. -- William A. Bauerle, 94, of Cairo died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born July 4, 1905, at Henderson, Ky., son of Henry and Effie Mae Decker Bauerle. Bauerle was an insurance agent for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. before his retirement. He was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, fourth degree Cairo Knights of Columbus Council 1027, Cairo Elks Lodge 651 and Cairo VFW Post 2649...

LICK CREEK, Ill. -- Helen L. Russell, 83, of Lick Creek, Ill., died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born on Jan. 6, 1916, in Delta, Ill., daughter of Alva and Gladys Hummel Cain. She was a member of Mount Hebron Cumberland Presbyterian Church for over 50 years. She raised 34 foster children in addition to her own children...

SCOTT CITY -- Louise Reid, 81, of Scott City died Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Feb. 1, 1918, at Portageville, daughter of Walter Monroe and Mary Lula Hall Laymon. She was married to L.C. Reid. He died Feb. 15, 1986...

JACKSON -- Earl E. Vogelsang, 79, of Jackson died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. Funeral arrangements are pending at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel.

SIKESTON -- Veraline M. Craig, 78, of West Branch, Mich., died Sunday, Dec. 26, 1999, at the West Branch Regional Medical Center. She was born May 20, 1921, at Sikeston, daughter of Charlie and Carrie Bledsoe Petifurd. She and Coba Carmack Craig were married Jan. 19, 1946, at St. Louis. He died Dec. 5, 1974...

PATTON -- Lee Daniel McMichael, 73, of Patton died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1999, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. He was born Oct. 15, 1926, at Hamburg, Mich., son of Harvey and Leah Josephine Moore McMichael. He and Pauline Tallent were married Nov. 3, 1951, at Brighton, Mich...

Making breakfast or brunch a big deal has never been easier. My cooking rule is that "simple ingredients make good food," and nothing says that better than the recipe "Real" Men Brunch Casserole. Patty Shell, proprietor of Patricia's Tea Room in Dexter, Mo., shared this yummy recipe with me...

A new century. Wow! Just in my short lifetime there have been so many things that have come about that I don't understand or even dare to try. The Internet and cyberspace just blow my mind. As I visit with the seniors at the Senior Center, it is mind-boggling what they have experienced in their lifetimes. ...