Stories from Thursday, October 30, 1997

This is a mural painted by Jim Wilson in Alamos, Sonora. This is an untitled portrait by Jim Wilson. When Jim Wilson moved from Philadelphia to Mexico six years ago, he intended to stay only six months. Since then he has learned enough Spanish to serve as an interpreter for the NAFTA meetings, he has started a family and he has become noted in Alamos, Sonora, as a portrait painter and muralist...

Sammy Hagar, the former Van Halen lead singer who's now going solo, will perform Nov. 19 at the Show Me Center. Tickets for the show go on sale Saturday. Hagar's first solo album in 11 years is titled "Marching to Mars" Hagar started his career as the lead singer for Montrose before becoming a solo artist. After a number of platinum albums, he was asked to join Van Halen...

As Halloween approaches, Cape Girardeau is beginning to take on a decidedly creepy air. The time is ripe for ghost stories; for re-telling time-honored classics about witches, vampires and zombies, or even urban myths like the hook-handed man who preys on smooching young couples on darkened lanes...

Cape Girardeau's new city flag could be flying in time for Riverfest. At least that's the date members of Cape Girardeau's Class of 2000 are shooting for. Students and members of the Vision 2000 Community Relations Council met Wednesday night at Central High School to begin reviewing guidelines for the contest to design a city flag...

Brenda Moyers of Scott City believes in lending a helping hand. For 22 years, she has volunteered for countless civic projects. She helped organize Scott City's communitywide effort for Random Acts of Kindness Week in May. Her civic kindness was recognized Monday when she won a Missouri Community Betterment adult leadership award...

When Robbie Ralls called home from California to tell his friends and family he won big on "The Price is Right," no one believed him. Ralls, of Cape Girardeau, had joked before leaving on a 10-day vacation to California that he was going to win the Showcase Showdown on the popular television game show...

Oct. 30, 1997 Dear Leslie, Somehow it seems wrong to wish someone a Happy Halloween. We're supposed to be reveling in our fears. I guess that makes people happy sometimes. DC's stimulant of choice is disaster movies, preferably ones starring forces of nature. She loved "Twister," even though she spends every darkening spring day checking to see if a tornado's bearing down...

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission and other county government offices are celebrating a decade in the Administrative Office Building on Barton Square. An anniversary celebration will be held today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the County Commission chambers...

The '70s will make a comeback for the Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation's annual Southeast Showcase Nov. 13 at the Show Me Center. The event, which lasts from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., will be centered around the "Thursday Night Fever" disco theme. It will feature '70s music and a disco lights show. Guests will sample food and beverages from more than 40 area restaurants and vendors...

The Cape Girardeau County Unit of the American Cancer Society recently elected officers and board members. Officers elected were Janet Esicar, president; Rachel Beam, vice president; and Karen Green, secretary. Newly elected board members are Beam, Kevin Denton and Mindy Denton...

As the first Safe Communities Program in the state, Cape Girardeau's thriving effort is serving not only as a model for other Missouri cities, but also is a national model, thanks in part to a national award the program will receive Nov. 17. In special ceremonies in Washington, D.C., Cape Girardeau's Safe Communities Program will be one of 10 in the nation to win a Champion Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ...

For all the work it does with animals in this area, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri relies mostly on fund-raising events to provide the money it needs throughout the year to operate its shelter in Cape Girardeau. Two of the society's major fund raisers are in the works, and your continuing support will be greatly appreciated...

To the editor: I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Cape Central cross-country team and its coaches for a fine season. On their cross-country shirts for the 1997 season, the team selected the words, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith," which is found in II Timothy 4:7 of the Bible. ...

To the editor: A report released by the Consumer Research Foundation Oct. 1 says "while large corporate consumers of electricity may save big bucks, residential consumers could be left out in the cold by attempts to restructure one of the nation's most critical utility industries." Led by states where the costs are higher than Missouri's, such as California where legislation has already been passed to restructure electric utilities effected Jan. ...

To the editor: Thank you, Jean Bell Mosley, for using your gift of writing to touch the lives of others. I am a 36-year-old mother of two daughters, ages 9 and 5. When I was old enough to appreciate it, my mother introduced me to her prized and well-worn copy of "Mockingbird Piano." I was hooked. ...

Barring a surprise or two, it appears all but certain that the Ohio Valley Conference football championship will be decided on Nov. 22 when Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky square off on the final date of the regular season. Those two teams, picked to finish one-two in the preseason poll based on voting by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, have distinguished themselves as the class of the conference so far...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Murray State is the overwhelming choice to win another Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball championship this season. The Racers, who have captured at least a share of nine of the last 10 OVC regular-season titles and won five of the last eight league tournaments, were revealed as the overwhelming preseason favorite during Wednesday's OVC Media Day at the Nashville Arena...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen wasn't surprised to see his team picked to finish dead last in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. He just hopes the Otahkians will be able to prove all the so-called experts wrong...

The "Notre Dame hop" is no more. Barring a delay at the new Notre Dame High School on Route K, Notre Dame's and Cape Girardeau Central's 1-1 tie on Wednesday was the last match played on the Bulldogs' enigmatic soccer field. The hard, worn out parcel across from New Lorimier Cemetery will be laid to rest as a soccer field, and will produce no more of the unsympathetic bounces, known by some as "Notre Dame hops," that have confounded players...

Volleyball fans looking for a tense, pressure-packed district final were in the wrong place if they came to Notre Dame High for the Class 2A, District 3 title game Wednesday night. The championship match between the host Lady Bulldogs and Woodland Lady Cardinals had all the tension of an old rubberband...

CHAFFEE -- Vincen Le Roy Chase, 76, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1997, at his home. He was born March 19, 1921, in Auburn, Maine, son of Leo Chester and Ethel May Fuller Chase. He and Louise Krouse were married March 29, 1964. Chase had owned and operated Chase House Restaurant in Cape Girardeau. He moved to Chaffee earlier this year from Cape Girardeau. He was a member of First Baptist Church and VFW Post 3127 at Chaffee...

Mildred Hermine Vogelsang, 87, died Wednesday, Oct. 29, 1997, at Cape Girardeau Residential Care Center. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Allie Rebecca Charles, 94, of Ottumwa, Iowa, died Sunday, Oct. 26, 1997, at Vista Woods Care Center in Ottumwa. Charles lived in Cape Girardeau 25 years, moving to Ottumwa in 1994. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

DEXTER -- Harold Junior Barrick, 55, of Overland died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1997, in St. Louis. Watkins Funeral Home at Dexter is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Andrew Lee and April Ann Bond of Bloomfield, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6:33 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, 1997. Name, Austin Michael. Weight, 6 pounds 10 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Bond is the former April Cookemboo, daughter of Thomas Cookemboo of O'Fallon and John and Margie Morse of Puxico. She is a registered nurse at St. Francis Medical Center. Bond is the son of Eldon Bond of St. Louis and Faye of Anna, Ill. He is employed at U.S. Fiberglas...

DEXTER -- Sam Frazier, 84, of Dexter died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1997, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born Aug. 31, 1913, in Eaton, Tenn., son of George and Mary Taylor Frazier. He and Katherine May were married in 1950. She died in 1984. Frazier moved to Gideon in 1951 from Tennessee, and had lived at Dexter since 1977...