Stories from Saturday, April 1, 2000

To the editor: The Jackson Board of Education election and the bond issue and operations levy campaign have brought out a large amount of strong feelings about our district. Some of the strong opinions concern issues other than the need for new school buildings and additional operating funds. ...

Concerning presidential politics, can we all agree that conventional wisdom is not as reliable as it used to be? Can we concede that so many rules have been broken in this election cycle and some before that we should rely on more than history to guide our electoral predictions this year?...

When you start a worthwhile project, it's important to see it through to the end. Such is the case with the Cape Girardeau School District's current building program. Voters approved Phase I of the program three years ago. The district kept its word and did the planned projects. It built a new elementary school and renovated three elementary schools and the junior high school. It installed new computer labs in the elementary schools...

The Jackson School District is one of the best in the state, and it's no accident. Time and again voters have supported improvements to the district to the wonder and admiration of other districts across the state. When other schools were grappling with bond-issue failures, Jackson voters gave its district a green light to improve and expand...

To the editor: On April 4 Jackson School District patrons are not voting for or against better schools. We will not be voting for or against educating our children. We are not even voting whether or not the current school board is good or bad. What we will be voting on is one proposed option for expansion and one proposed tax levy Increase of 40 cents...

To the editor: I only know Hillary Schmittzehe by reputation, and it is a good one. He has been providing work for people with various disabilities for more than 10 years. It is not necessary to pay people in a sheltered workshop a living wage. Our taxes are used to help and assist those not able to do everything for themselves. ...

To the editor: With all due respect to the citizens of Jackson who are so concerned about education and multimillion-dollar educational facilities the school district is asking us to approve next week, it seems to me the community has its priorities wrong...

I remember working like a slave many days during my youth. It was the doing of my parents, the Wannabe Martha Stewarts of the '80s. They wanted a vegetable garden and flower beds, and it was my job to help make these miracles happen. My sister, Clarissa, often got off on light duty, if she worked at all. That's because she happened to be allergic to everything she touched, be it grass, firewood or dirt. All of which meant that I was the go-to girl when it came to working outside...

"Oh my ears and whiskers how late it's getting!" -- From "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Spring forward, fall back. Daylight-saving time begins this weekend, which means it's time again to reset your clocks and watches ahead one hour. Don't forget -- or you'll arrive late for your appointments Sunday and Monday...

The future of museums and art galleries lies in part online, says Daniel North, and the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is helping pioneer the movement toward hanging art in cyberspace. North, executive director of the Arts Council, is one of 15 curators of the Smithsonian Institution's first-ever online-only exhibit, "Noted and Notorious."...

Parents of Cape Girardeau school children received a personal reason to support the $18 million bond issue proposal in the mail this week. Postcards featuring nearly every child in kindergarten through ninth grades were sent individually to families by the Continue the Commitment Committee which is soliciting support for the bond issue voters will consider Tuesday...

Traffic accidents Wednesday, Thursday and Friday injured four Marble Hill residents, two of them seriously. Cynthia Bridges, 36, of Marble Hill was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau after the 2:59 p.m. accident Wednesday on Highway 34 in Marble Hill...

SIKESTON -- Gov. Mel Carnahan hosted a forum in Sikeston Friday to discuss ways of boosting economic and community development in the Bootheel. Officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Missouri departments of Economic Development, Agriculture, Elementary and Secondary Education and Transportation gathered for the forum, officially titled the Governor's Roundtable on Economic Development: Building a Prosperous Southeast Missouri, along with state legislatures and area city, county and agency officials.. ...

The Lutheran Home Retirement Center is expanding. "We're adding 62 new residential beds," said Janice Unger, administrator of the facility, located at 2825 Bloomfield Road. The new beds will be located in a new free-standing building on the campus,...

In the Marble Hill municipal election Tuesday, there will be a three-way race for mayor and two people competing for the alderman seat in Ward 1. Ben F. Ellis Jr. is the incumbent mayor. Challenging him are Russell Masterson, who is now Ward 1 alderman, and Jim Johnson...

The bride will wear red, she and the groom will circle a fire seven times and the food will be a mixture of creaminess and spice. Those are some of the elements of an Indian Hindu wedding ceremony, a portrayal of which will highlight next week's International Week at Southeast Missouri State University...

Wilma Stratton knows it often is hard for people to find new ways of expressing their faith. She has struggled with it herself but has found a creative way to do it. She doesn't sing in the choir at West Side Church of God or teach a Sunday school class. Instead, she creates images in stained glass...

As Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team prepares for a three-game non-conference series at Belmont this weekend, individual career milestones continue to fall for the Indians. The Indians (17-5 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) and Bruins (15-16) will square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. single game Saturday...

JACKSON -- Jackson left fielder Nathan Brown proved that run producers don't have to hit the ball out of the park. Brown went 4-for-4 with a walk, six runs batted in, two stolen bases and two runs scored as the Indians improved to 3-1 on the season with a 13-8 home win over Perryville (1-2) on Friday...

Funeral for Elmo H. "Bud" Maevers of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Paul Short will officiate. Burial will be in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery at Egypt Mills. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today...

Daughter to Christal Anne Scheper and Timothy Richard Patton of Marietta, Ga., Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., 12:59 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2000. Name, Hailey Nichole. Weight, 7 pounds 12 ounces. Ms. Scheper is the daughter of Leon and Carron Sander and Mike and Kay Scheper of Scott City. She is employed at Comcast Communications of Marietta. Patton is the son of James and Jean Patton of Roswell, Ga. He is owner of a catering service...

Graveside service for Cecil David Shearer of Chesterfield will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Cape County Memorial Park. The Rev. John Ferguson will officiate. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel from 4-6 p.m. Sunday. Shearer, 90, died Thursday, March 30, 2000, at Brooking Park Nursing Home in Chesterfield...

JACKSON -- Collie "Neal" Hency, 68, of Jackson died Friday, March 31, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 11, 1932, at Vanduser, son of Claudis W. and Lula Mae Estes Hency. He and Shirley Palmer were married July 9, 1955, in Cape Girardeau...

Virginia Cecelia Martin, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 31, 2000, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Nov. 10, 1914, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of George and Anna Bank Hoffer. She and Gebhard Martin were married July 8, 1939, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death...

GLEN ALLEN -- Bobby Joe Lincoln, 61, of Glen Allen died Thursday, March 30, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 23, 1939, in St. Louis, son of Dewey A. and Lela L. Ballard Lincoln. He and Helen C. Brewer were married June 1, 1960...

SIKESTON -- Minnie Bell Sweet, 79, of Sikeston died Thursday, March 30, 2000, at Miner Nursing Center. She was born July 20, 1920, in St. Joe, Ark., daughter of Martin V. and Mary Ruff Dean. She and Oliver Sweet were married Sept. 6, 1961. He died March 5, 1975...

PERRYVILLE -- Graveside service for Harry W. Glauner will be held at 10 a.m. today at Home Cemetery. The Rev. Craig Otto will officiate. Friends may call at Young and Sons Funeral Home from 8:30-9:45 a.m. Glauner, 72, formerly of Wauconda, Ill., died Wednesday, March 29, 2000, at PerryOaks Manor...

PUXICO -- Leo Hendrix, 81, of Puxico died Thursday, March 30, 2000, at his home. He was born July 24, 1918, at Greenbrier, son of Monroe and Fayette Summers Hendrix. He and Irene Barks were married Nov. 7, 1942, in Macon, Ga. Hendrix was a retired construction worker. He lived in California nine years and St. Louis seven years, moving to Puxico in 1965. He was a member of Life Chapel Assembly of God Church...