Stories from Sunday, December 3, 2000

Minutes of the meeting for Nov. 14, 2000. The meeting was called to order by Commander Bill Sullivan. Thirty-eight members were present. The color guard advanced the colors, Chaplain Boyd Summers gave the invocation, members recited the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and Preamble of the American Legion Constitution in unison...

Many voices: Area Girl Scouts from 35 troops combined their voices to bring holiday cheer to spectators. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans Holiday cheer: Scouts were in the Christmas spirit, singing several well-known Christmas songs, under the direction of Mary Jane Fieser. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans...

VNA Hospice of Southeast Missouri celebrated November as National Hospice Month with the theme "The Power of Hospice: Peace, Comfort, Caring." VNA Hospice staff celebrate life everyday of the year in every home they enter. The word "hospice" means "a place of refuge on a long journey." This is a very accurate picture of what the program offers. ...

Four Jackson singers have risen to the top of Missouri's crop. The four Jackson High School choir members were recently elected for all-state choir honors. Seniors Erika Beasley and Layne Beller and juniors Blake Burress and Zach Rice all made the grade this year. Beasley is an alto, Beller a high tenor and Burress and Rice basses...

While the plot premise changes in the sixth annual Ye Olde Madrigal Feaste, the format remains the same. Plenty of singing, dancing, comedy, food and Medieval atmosphere will be on tap Dec. 7-9 when the annual event takes place at the Bavarian Halle near Fruitland. Tickets, at $16.50 apiece, are expected to be gone by early this week. Those still seeking tickets should call 243-9513 or 243-1517 by Monday...

Christmas at the Oliver House, located at 224 East Adams in Jackson, will be open to the public for tours, 1-4:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. A different collectible display will be featured each week, in addition to the regular Christmas decorations. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children...

No teacher of mathematics would deny that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Few Missouri drivers, meanwhile, would claim that Highway 72 "goes" in a straight line. Deviations of straightness aside, Jackson and Rolla, the cities at both ends of the historic Missouri highway, have established a successful math connection...

Jackson will be among the stops for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's mobile office this month. The mobile office will be at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce office from 2-3 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7. It will be at the Marble Hill Library from 12:30-1:30 p.m. On Dec. 11, the office is scheduled to make stops at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton at 8:30 a.m., the Heritage House in Sikeston at 10 a.m., the library in Charleston at noon, the city administration building in East Prairie at 1:30 p.m...

Hemmann home Jackson's Barracudas Swim Team will host this year's Christmas Home Tour today (Dec. 3). The tour will feature four beautiful homes and one church. Participants in the home tour will be invited to visit Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, and the homes of Mike and Sandy Hess at 2710 Palmer Drive, Kim and Howard Hemmann at 401 N. Missouri, Don and Sandy Cook at 2405 Brittany, and Margaret and Daniel Makins at 134 Autumn Ridge...

What do the rock opera, "Tommy," and the fourth-century Christian monk Arsenius have in common? Tommy is the story of a boy who witnessed a terrible crime, and was thereby induced to be blind, deaf, and dumb. He was cured only many years later by a doctor who discovered that his eyes, and ears worked, but there was a short in his system whereby the messages to his brain couldn't get through. By using a mirror as a part of his therapy, Tommy was made "aware."...

When my last birthday came around in October, I was conning myself into believing it wasn't really so bad. "Just picture yourself in your mid-50s," I told myself. You'll think back and say "Gee, I'd give anything to be 35+ again!" (Like Zsa Zsa Gabor, I'm no longer giving my actual age unless threatened with contempt of court!) I'll look back and see this age as being YOUNG...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Community Counseling Center Foundation, 402 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, is holding a Sustaining Membership Drive in its five-county service area. The Community Counseling Center, which covers Perry, Ste. Genevieve, Madison, Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties, is a not-for-profit provider of mental health care. Mental illness is a disease that can affect anyone and can lead to numerous other medical problems...

New officers were installed at a Nov. 2 meeting of the Arnsberg 4-H Club. The club also enrolled new members and held a Halloween party during the meeting, held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. A total of 30 people attended, including 21 members, five leaders and four guests. April Hemmann presided, while Tyler Lappe and Shelby Proctor led songs...

Death is final, but the Internet lives forever. At the new Web site called Tribute Park, loved ones can honor the deceased in perpetuity. Visitors to a site can view photos and video clips, listen to audio recordings, and read newspaper clippings and other biographical material placed there in collaboration between the families and writers at the Internet development company Cyber Impact...

It has been 10 years since the late Iben Browning predicted the New Madrid Fault would catastrophically shift, and there's been nothing but minor wiggles since. The buildings of Cape Girardeau and New Madrid, Mo., are not smoldering ruins. Interstate 55 is not a mangled strip of broken asphalt. The media circus has long since passed, and Southeast Missourians have moved on with their lives. People continue to live and run businesses in the Bootheel. But the threat of a massive quake remains...

It's a holly, jolly Christmas once you erect all those Christmas decorations. But getting them up is anything but jolly. The task seems to get tougher every year. There's a constant need for more outdoor Christmas lights. Every year we buy more lights to add to the ton of lights we already have stockpiled from year to year in our attic...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will pursue all available options to be recognized as an Urbanized Area or its equivalent in the final U.S. Census 2000. Some changes in the definitions of urban areas by the U.S. Census Bureau could be positive for Cape Girardeau County, which could possibly fit into the "Macropolitan Area" definition, which will be available for communities with cores of 50,000 to 999,999 population...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The light snow that fell on the Jackson Christmas parade Saturday afternoon was unique, as far as Randy Breece could recall. In 30 years of Christmas parades, he doesn't recall the first snow ever falling that day. "But it has been colder," he said...

Once the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is completed in 2003, local residents need not fear that a major earthquake will disrupt their trips across the Mississippi River. Illinois will remain accessible to Southeast Missourians because the new bridge has been engineered with earthquakes in mind, say Missouri Department of Transportation designers...

Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team is no doubt reeling a bit after Wednesday's 83-77 loss at Mississippi Valley State. It was definitely a disappointing defeat for the Indians, who were probably favored to win the game and no doubt expected to. But the road is always tough and the Delta Devils simply played better and with more emotion...

The St. Joseph Academy Lady Angels had no prayer against the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The host Lady Bulldogs (6-0) came out of the gate quickly and rolled to a 53-41 win over the Lady Angels, traditionally one of the strongest Class 4A teams in the state. Notre Dame has a 2A rating...

ARNOLD, Mo. -- The Jackson Indians captured the overall team championship at the 10-team Fox Tournament on Saturday. With all 14 team members placing, the Indians scored 218 points to outdistance second-place Fox (198), Northwest (190), Wentzville (188), Seckman (133), Cape Central (130), Belton (113), Hazelwood East (104), Mehlville (80) and Belleville East (74)...

Nina Faye Jaco, 51, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born on Dec. 12, 1948, at Jonesboro, Ark., daughter of Floyd E. and Evelyn J. Thomas Whittaker. She was a member of St. Mark O.E.S. Cape Rock Chapter No 60. and Amaranth...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Antoinette Haman, 66, of Fenton, Mo., died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 3, 1934, at Cape Girardeau, daughter of Uriah Francis and Minnie P. Patrick Farmer. Haman worked from 1983 to 1991 for Blair Industries in Scott City, Mo...

Daughter to David R. and Angela L. Stark of Sikeston, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000. Name, Sydney Elaine. Weight, 7 pounds 13 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Stark is the former Angela Compas, daughter of Charles and Carolyn Lee and Theon and Pat Compas Jr. of Sikeston. She is a licensed practical nurse at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Stark is the son of David and Susie Stark of Sikeston. He is a fabricator with Steward Steel...

William "Gabby" Klein, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at the Missouri Veterans Home. He was born on Oct. 1, 1931, at Columbia, Ill., son of Theodore and Virginia Mueller Klein. He and Dorothy M. Mosbacher were married May 7, 1955, at Columbia...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Johnny W. Marshall Sr., 82, of Sikeston died on Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born on Sept. 2, 1918, at Crowder, Mo., son of Cyrus and Carrie Cobb Marshall. He was a member of the First Assembly of God Church for more than 50 years. He had been a grain ledger for Scott County Milling Co. and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a member of Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114...

Irene Johanna Gumm, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at the Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Nov. 10, 1909, at St. Louis, daughter of Alfred Paul and Charlotte Mildred Seele Wachtler. She and Frank L. Gumm were married Dec. 14, 1935, at Wauwatosa, Wisc. He died Jan. 15, 2000...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- John G. Cockrell, 93, of Bell City, Mo., died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center in Bloomfield, Mo. He was born April 2, 1907, in Tennessee, son of William and Barbara Harrington Cockrell. He and Wilma Wheatley were married June 24, 1935, at Caruthersville, Mo. She died Aug. 21, 1995...

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Toney Levill, 83, of Carterville, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Friday, Dec. 1, 2000, at his home. He was born Dec. 29, 1916, in Alexander County, son of Allen and Sarah Hargis Levill. He worked for many years as a car salesman at Riverside Chevrolet in Cairo...

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Saturday regarding election results in Florida. Here is a sorting through of the legal madness by two expert legal minds. The rule of law The U.S. Constitution provides that the president shall be chosen by electors appointed by the state legislatures. (Article II, Section 1)...

To the editor: Our nation has made great strides since the 1960s in knocking down walls and barriers on account of race, but we still have a long way to go. I have often wondered where we would be if it were not for the courageous leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. ...

WHEN THE television news reporters erroneously projected Al Gore the winner even before Florida's western counties and precinct's polls closed, they jeopardized and compromised the American election. Our media coverage is getting more and more like Hitler's control over Germany's media during World War II: complete government-biased control...

It is without precedent in 225 years of American history. An incumbent vice president who is his party's presidential nominee loses an agonizingly close contest for the White House and stubbornly refuses, nearly four weeks later, to concede. Backed up by Bill Clinton, who incredibly refuses to authorize the normal routine of transition of administrations, Al Gore launches his election contest through numerous lawsuits...

Search the old maps of pre-Columbian Europe, with Latin the language of the scholars, and you'll find the words "Terra Incognita" referring to lands unknown to the then-literate world. It's like that these days in the Missouri Senate. We saw three members elected to higher office, leaving us with three vacancies. ...

Wearing an apron and a red and white Santa hat, Cathy Tenkhoff directed the women who had gathered at Centenary United Methodist Church to counters and cookie sheets so they could begin baking. The women, part of the Rebekah Circle at the church, gathered Monday night to bake nearly 60 dozen cookies that will later be delivered to homebound members of the Cape Girardeau congregation...

WHITEWATER, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. James F. Williams of Whitewater celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a family dinner Nov. 26 at Sharp's in New Madrid, Mo. The couple was married Dec. 2, 1940. They have seven daughters, a son, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Lori Lynn Colyer and Bradley Edward Pender exchanged vows Oct. 28, 2000, in an outdoor setting at the home of the groom. The Rev. Raymond Oxford performed the double ring ceremony. Soloist and keyboardist was Crystal Stacks of Cape Girardeau...

GORDONVILLE, Mo. -- Amy Stevens and Norman Dudley were married June 3, 2000, at Enchanted Gardens in Jackson, Mo. The Rev. Grant Gillard of Jackson performed the double ring ceremony. Soloist was Chris Scherer of Oran, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Brenda Stevens Dodd of Gordonville, and the late Clarence Larry Stevens. The groom is the son of Kevin Dudley of Chaffee, Mo...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Jennifer Leigh Cox and Jason Daniel Holder were married Sept. 23, 2000, at the Assembly of God Church in Scott City. The Rev. Randy Morse performed the double ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Debbie Cox of Scott City and Bryan Cox of St. James, Mo. The groom is the son of Deloris Holder and Mr. and Mrs. Danny Holder of Scott City...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- David and Betty Roth of Altenburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa K. Roth, to Nathan P. Adams of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Karla Adams of St. Mary, Mo., and the late Paul Adams. Roth is a 1996 graduate of Perryville High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in elementary education in May 2001...

Giulio and Jill Venezian of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Aleta Venezian of Arlington, Va., to Robert Samuel Howell. He is the son of David and Shari Howell of State College, Pa. Venezian is a graduate of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa. She is employed by Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C...

Well it is that time of the year again and most people get something special on December the 25th -- even astronomers! Between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. the Midwest will experience the last partial solar eclipse of the millennium. That is right, this is the true last year of the twentieth century as next year will be the first year of the 21st century. We will see about 45 percent of the sun blocked by the moon...

Emily Trump and Derek Ryan Graham were married May 13, 2000, at Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, Mo. Jim Faughn of Paducah, Ky., performed the double ring ceremony. A poem was read by Jeremiah Tatum of Murray, Ky. Parents of the bride are Jim Bequette and Paula Gresham-Bequette of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Wayne and Mabel Graham of Benton, Mo...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Tamy Huber and Christopher H. Jung Jr. were married July 18, 2000, on the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Dudley Hamilton performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jack and Carole Stone of Oak Ridge, Mo. The groom is the son of Dr. Chris Jung Sr. and Beverly Jung of Cape Girardeau...

St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso was the setting for the Aug. 12, 2000, wedding of Kristel Dawn Priest and Aaron Thomas Andrews. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Betty Ressel of Kelso, Mo. Vocalists were Renee Reinagel and Bobby Ressel of Kelso...