Stories from Friday, November 20, 1998

To the editor: Time and time again the Democrats blame the Republicans for our problems and vice versa. The truth of the matter is neither party cares about anything except getting re-elected and sound bites. So why do we keep voting them back in? Was Paul Harvey right? Are we a bunch of lemmings? Webster's dictionary: lemming -- a small rodent of the Arctic resembling a mouse. Peridoically, millions of lemmings move in a mass into the sea and drown...

A fund-raising benefit to help defray medical costs of the Pearla Murphy family will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Jackson Knights of Columbus Hall. Her husband, David E. Murphy, 42, of Jackson, died of leukemia Sept. 5. The family is of Jackson...

Southeast Missouri State University has a new undergraduate program in environmental science. It is the first such program by a public university in Missouri. The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education recently approved the program. Thirty faculty members from 14 academic departments are involved in the environmental program. Dr. Steve Overmann, associate professor of biology, directs the degree program...

Cape Girardeau's annual leaf pick-up program is continuing on schedule. City crews on leaf detail target a different section of the city each week. Starting Monday, crews will work in the area north of William Street to the city limits and east from West End Boulevard to the Mississippi River...

Memory. We'd be lost without it, says Dr. Scott Gibbs. Without the brain's ability to store memories, man would have quickly become extinct, the Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon said. Holding a preserved, human brain in his gloved hands, Gibbs talks almost reverently about it...

In the few short years of casino gambling in this state, the Missouri Gaming Commission has compiled a record that can be described as spotty at best. Included among its most questionable decisions was the one to allow casinos to be built away from the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Earlier this month, Missourians voted to allow the practice which already was a reality, thanks to the gaming commission...

This year the Southeast Missourian is offering charitable organizations an opportunity to get the attention of potential donors. The holiday season and end-of-the-year tax considerations have historically been good motivators for philanthropic giving...

To the editor: The Christmas season often brings cherished memories to a goodly number of people. It does to me each time the season arrives. Thoughts of old enter my mind as I am sure they do for others also. The Salvation Army lists among those treasured thoughts. ...

To the editor: Love of country. Respect and gratitude for the brave military personnel who have defended our precious freedoms. Young people with exceptional talent and who are a source of great pride to our community. Staging of professional quality. Hauntingly beautiful music that raises goose bumps...

The heart is a muscular pump that pumps approximately five quarts of blood per minute through the body to supply it with oxygen and energy. The heart's work is an incessant job, and one that is generally taken for granted until it begins to show signs of failure...

Copyright 1998 Southeast Missourian "Like any landlord, sometimes things get down, and we're trying to get them back up," said Michael Sterling of Community Sweat Equity Housing Corp., a not-for-profit organization begun in Cape Girardeau in 1993. Sterling, the treasurer of CSEH, spoke on Nov. 3, the day that the last four homes purchased by CSEH were scheduled to be sold at public auction on the steps of the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau...

The city of Cape Girardeau hopes to benefit financially from the recent statewide voter approval of Amendment 7. Cape Girardeau County is eligible for up to $368,000 in state funds under the amendment for stormwater control, according to Cape Girardeau estimates...

Three people were injured in separate accidents on area roads Thursday. The first accident occurred on County Road 517 in Scott County when a vehicle driven by Eric Sadler, 21, of Essex ran off the road on a curve and came to rest in a ditch. Sadler was taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston with moderate injuries after the 1:12 a.m. accident...

The cranberry kind, that is. After being mixed with the proper ingredients, the cranberry becomes a noble food. Over the years, as regular readers will recall, I have extolled various foods: noble cinnamon rolls, noble fruitcakes and, of course, noble tomatoes...

Southeast Missouri State University will bring two more athletic director finalists to the campus after it was announced Thursday one of the two finalists to visit this past week withdrew from consideration. Executive vice-president Kenneth Dobbins said Paul Kowalcyzk, associate athletic director at Northwestern University, withdrew his candidacy...

Southeast Missouri State University was not able to win a sixth straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship this year. But the Otahkians are still in the running for perhaps an even bigger prize -- the OVC Tournament title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament...

Coming off a 49-47 loss at Bradley Tuesday night, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians will tonight have what figures to be their final non-conference walkover of the 1998-99 season. Of course, Southeast coach Gary Garner doesn't see it that way. He's saying the same thing about Central Methodist that he said about Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, a Division II team the Indians destroyed 78-35 in their season opener Saturday...

Cape Central's 8th-grade girls basketball team won the third-place game Thursday in the Jackson Tournament. Behind 12 points by Ashley Colon, Central defeated Perryville 22-21.

SIKESTON -- Amil S. Lape, 80, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Dec. 29, 1917, in Advance, son of Cooper and Ida McKenny Lape. He and Joyce Causbie were married March 4, 1939, in Piggott, Ark. Lape was a farmer and had won numerous awards. He was the first farmer to sow wheat by plane in this area. He served on the Parma School Board two terms in the 1950s. Lape was a member of First United Methodist Church...

FROHNA -- Norman A. Lorenz, 83, of Frohna died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 18, 1915, in Perry County, son of Alfred Christian and Ella Alma Doering Lorenz. He and Lorene S. Hoehn were married April 25, 1952...

ANNA, Ill. -- Gilman F. "Buster" Parker, 76, of Anna died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998, at Jackson County Nursing Home in Murphysboro. He was born Jan. 4, 1922, in Anna, son of Arna and Emma Dunn Parker. Parker was a member of First Baptist Church. He was a veteran of World War II...

Margaret W. Spradling of 225 Keller died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at her home. She was 78. She was born April 24, 1920, in Phoenix, Ariz., daughter of Horatio and Aileen Proctor Whyman. She married Albert M. Spradling Jr. on July 9, 1943, in Tyler, Texas. He survives along with two sons, Albert Spradling III of Cape Girardeau and the Rev. Robert W. Spradling of Lee's Summit...

ZALMA -- Paul H. Hart Sr., 76, of Zalma died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. He was born March 9, 1922, in Stoddard County, son of Rubin and Cora Harty. He and Izella Lewis were married Oct. 4, 1942. She died April 6, 1969. He later married Laverne Schrader Dec. 10, 1977...

APPLE CREEK -- Funeral Mass for William Charles "Bill" Buchheit of Apple Creek will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Maurus Catholic Church in Biehle. The Rev. Mark Bozada will officiate, with burial in St. Joseph Church Cemetery at Apple Creek. Friends may call at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville from 6:30-10:30 a.m. The rosary will be recited at 10...

GRASSY -- James Ray Bollinger, 62, of Grassy died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 4, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, son of Florence "Flossie" and Elsie Sheata Bollinger. He and Marjorie James were married April 27, 1958...

SCOTT CITY -- Connie L. Smith, 45, of Scott City died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at her home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

ORAN -- Clara Schram, 84, of Oran died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 2, 1914, at Fornfelt, daughter of Louis and Thersia Fisher Ziegler. She and Albert Schram were married Nov. 23, 1967, at Kelso...

SIKESTON -- Edith A. Wood, 73, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Sept. 3, 1925, in Osceola, Ark., daughter of John and Myrtle Pharris Ahart. She and Charles D. Wood were married April 10, 1943, in Abilene, Texas...

ORAN -- Funeral for Rosalie Cody of Stockton, Calif., was held Oct. 29 in Stockton. Cody, 71, died Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1998, at her home. She was born in Marked Tree, Ark. She lived at Oran 23 years before moving to California. Survivors include her husband, Edward Coty; four children, Leslie Faulkner of Missouri, Larry and Brian McClelland of Stockton, Sue McClelland of Oregon; three brothers, Roy and Leon Graviett of Oran, James Graviett of Stockton; a sister, Betty D'Angelo of San Jose, Calif.; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.. ...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Glenn Christian, 72, of Daleville, Ind., died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at his home. He was formerly of Perks and Mounds. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.

DEXTER -- Glenn Craft, 62, of Dexter died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at his home. He was born May 16, 1936, at Crump, son of Mable Jackson King of Dexter and the late Milford Craft. He and Wilma Stroder were married Sept. 4, 1954, at Crump. He was a retired construction foreman for Union Electric. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Essex and the Whitewater Masonic Lodge...

BLOOMFIELD -- Wilma Virginia Evans, 78, of Bloomfield died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, at her home. She was born April 19, 1920, at Bloomfield, daughter of Frank and Dora Gill Norris. She and Henry Evans were married June 21, 1938. He died Jan. 16, 1978...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral Mass for Leroy Edward Welty of Perryville will be held at 2 p.m. today at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Kevin Fausz officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 9 a.m. until service time. The rosary will be recited at 9...