Stories from Monday, April 10, 1995

Michellw Walton solders an audio snake assembly. Rapco produces 200 units a week. Rapco employs about 130 people that produce cable products and sell stagecraft lighting equipment and portable rack systems for bands. Many motorists pass by the 107 mile marker along Interstate 55 near Fruitland, look to the west and wonder what Rapco is...

For Rhoda Reeves, screen printing was just another hobby in a long list of arts and crafts pastimes. That was in 1983. How a business that Reeves admits "was never intended to become a full-time business" blossomed from a two-cellar operation to one that now produced as many 2 million T-shirts a year was the topic of conversation recently for Reeves and Nancy Stearms Bercaw, editorial director of Virgo Publishing Inc...

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions in three areas this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available April 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions, about an hour long, are free. Call (314)-335-3312 for appointment...

Charlie Nenninger feels so strongly about the "ultralasting mop holder" he invented, he spent $4,000 for a patent, hopeful he will clean up on the idea later on. "If as many people use this mop as I think, I could be a millionaire one day," Nenninger, a former housekeeping employee in Cape Girardeau, said. "Right now I've only got about 50, but pretty soon I hope to be able to make 100 a day."...

Cape Girardeau firefighters are a bit more noticeable than the average fitness enthusiasts. They come to Universal Physique in a shiny red fire truck, donning navy blue T-shirts with their department's emblem in one corner. They carry scanners from machine to machine, ready to jump off the Stairmaster and into their gear on a moment's notice...

The descendants of those who survived the mid-winter trek of 17,000 Cherokee from their Carolina homeland to a new reservation in Oklahoma live on as the Western Cherokee Nation, and the descendants of those who defiantly remained in the East constitute the Eastern Cherokee Nation...

A donkey-riding Jewish carpenter welcomed into a city 2,000 years ago by people who had strewn palm leaves on the road may not seem an event worthy of commemoration. But to the world's 1.5 billion Christians, Palm Sunday begins a week-long celebration of Jesus Christ's persecution, crucifixion and resurrection as prophesied in the Old Testament...

Saket Rohatgi described cricket with all the enthusiasm of an American baseball fan before the players' strike. He drew a diagram showing the bowler, the batsman and the wickets. He showed off his knee pads, gloves and bat, describing the function of each...

The Southeast Missourian asked kindergarten pupils at Washington School what they knew about the Easter bunny. Isaac Porter: "He hides eggs in the grass so you can run and try to find them." Briana Lynn McDowell: "He gets the eggs out of his hole in the ground. His friends, the other bunnies, help him."...

I WISH to thank the man who came to my rescue on Saturday when my car became disabled on Cape Rock Drive. He left to call AAA and then returned and stayed until the wrecker arrived. It is refreshing to know there are still people who care and are willing to inconvenience themselves for others. In the confusion I failed to get his name, but he knows mine. I would appreciate it if he would call so I could compensate him for his generosity...

When Lara Walz sees evidence of animal neglect and abuse, she realizes information on treatment and behavior has still not reached enough people. "Some people just don't understand what is involved when they take on the responsibility of having a pet," Walz said. "In some cases a child might just want to play with his or her dog when the pet is trying to eat. The child and its parents need to understand the animal's behavior and needs to prevent any kind of mishap."...

Mark Donham is a billboard painter in Brookport, Ill. He is a firm believer that the American court system works. Why? Because Donhan also is president of the Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists. In that capacity, and without benefit of legal representation, he is fighting the proposed cutting of timber in the Shawnee National Forest. So far, he is winning, which means Donham's legal efforts are succeeding where the lawyers for the National Forest Service are failing...

Southeast Missouri will be well-represented when the Operafestival di Roma welcomes its first 65 students this summer. Three students from Southeast Missouri State University, a former student and a member of the university's music faculty will join Louisa Panou-Takahashi, another member of the music faculty who is the festival's artistic director and founder...

To the editor: Recently I have been saddened by the threats and attacks in our own community against the very ideals that have made America great. The Judeo-Christian values upon which our founding fathers created the foundation for this great country are being undermined by intimidation, fear and misinformation...

To the editor: SB 13, sponsored by Sen. John Scott, and HB 106, sponsored by Rep. Pat Dougherty, will make all forms of animal fighting illegal in Missouri, including cockfighting, dogs against bulls, bears, bobcats, hogs and exotic animals. It is imperative that Missouri voters contact their state representatives and senators and urge them to vote for this legislation. ...

To the editor: A truckload of words has been spoken and written about the historic cross in Cape Girardeau. There are a few hecklers who, in their opinion, claim this violates the First Amendment. There has been no state-supported church like England had at the time this amendment was written. To claim the cross violates the First Amendment is reading something into it which is not there...

WHITEWATER -- A Marble Hill man was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau Sunday after losing control of his motorcycle and running into a ditch. Damian Eftink, 20, sustained moderate injuries at about 10:15 a.m. on Route A a mile west of Whitewater...

Funeral Mass for Merlin B. "Red" Schloss will be conducted at St. Mary Cathedral today at 10 a.m. by the Rev. Glenn Eftink. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery. Schloss, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, April 7, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center after collapsing at home while working in his yard...

PULASKI, Ill. -- Verl Dean Bolen, 74, of Pulaski, formerly of rural Cairo, died Saturday, April 8, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 16, 1921, in Johnston City, son of M. Claude and Delcie H. Bolen. He married Lena Butler...

PERRYVILLE -- Dustin J. Blandford, 3 months, of Perryville, died Saturday, April 8, 1995, at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Dec. 30, 1994, in Perryville, the son of Curtis J. and Tamara Bauwens Blandford. Survivors are a sister, Melissa Lankford of Perryville; three brothers, Jerod Lankford and Kyle Blandford and twin brother Devin Blandford, all of Perryville; maternal grandparents, Wayne and Joan Bauwens of Perryville; paternal grandparents, Joe and Lil Blandford of Perryville; maternal great-grandmother, Marie Bauwens of Perryville; maternal great-grandfather, Ray Thayer of Perryville; and paternal great-grandmother, Grace Blandford of Perryville.. ...

Alleen LaPlant Hudson, 88, of 123 N. Sunset died Sunday, April 9, 1995, at Fountain Bleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 15, 1906, in New Madrid County to George and Clara Tanner LaPlant. She married Ralph Hudson in August 1974. He died July 5, 1975...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Daniel Randolph, 86, of Tamms, died Sunday, April 9, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements were incomplete at Jones Funeral Home in Tamms.

Bernard Edward Twesten, 78, of 3120 Independence, died Friday, April 7, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 12, 1916, in Edgemount, Ill., son of William C. and Lena A. Logan Twesten. On Feb. 9, 1947, he married Margaret Simmon in St. Louis...

Donald Purse, 77, 1930 Grandview, formerly of Toledo, Ohio, died Friday, April 7, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He had lived in Cape Girardeau for five months. He was born March 20, 1918, in Seaford, Del., son of Robert E. Lee and Lena Scott Purse. On June 27, 1937, he married Mary Williams in Norwalk, Ohio...

Son to Timothy Layne and Cynthia Lynn Holmes of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:07 p.m. Friday, March 24, 1995. Name, Jacob Layne. Weight, 8 pounds. Second child. first son. Mrs. Holmes is the former Cynthia Denbow, daughter of Darlene Hosmer of Silva and the late Herbert L. Denbow of Lilbourn. She is a social worker with Division of Family Services in Scott County. Holmes is a line technician at Procter & Gamble, and is the son of Roy and Shirley Holmes of Jackson...

Tuesday, April 11 7:30 p.m. Action Items A. Consider bids for capital project. B. Consider a request from the Jackson Rotary Club for admission of a non-resident foreign exchange student for the 1995-96 school year. C. Approve an agreement with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for the installation of traffic signals and school warning lights at the new middle school located on Route D and Broadridge...

BLOOMFIELD -- Thelma Maxine Cook, 61, of Bloomfield, died Saturday, April 8, 1995, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born July 13, 1933, in Clines Island, the daughter of Bill and Agnes Campbell Cook. Cook was a member of the Nazarene Church. She spent most of her life in Bloomfield and worked as a floral designer in Sikeston and Cape Girardeau...

The U.S. Navy put on its best uniforms Saturday for the change of command ceremony held at the Reserve Center, 2530 Maria Louis Lane. Lt. Cmdr. Donald R. Taylor relinquished his command to Cmdr. Larry A. Hamel as the commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Center in Cape Girardeau...

Agenda Monday, April 10 5 p.m. Board of Education conference room 61 N. Clark I. Call to order II. Reading and approval of minutes of last meeting III. Monthly report of the superintendent A. Student recognition B. NEA/CTA C. Other IV. Report of the finance committee...

Laura Walz has assumed new duties with the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri. Walz of Cape Girardeau is new development coordinator at the humane society and will head up a number of programs -- fund-raising, volunteer program coordination, public speaking to schools and organizations...