Stories from Friday, June 4, 2004

On what is usually a routine item for passage, review and approval of expenditures, the Marshall Park Board became engaged in a discussion that raised more questions than answers Wednesday evening. After being presented with a financial report including general items such as year-to-date revenue and expenditures and a breakdown of revenue received by the local parks department during May, board member Jack Harvey questioned why the year-to-date revenue figure for June appeared to be so far short of the 2003 number.. ...

A crew of 45 men retracing the course Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took along the Missouri River two centuries ago will camp in Saline County next week. Many communities, including Glasgow, Brunswick and Waverly are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery by moving their annual festivals to coincide with the travelers' encampment. And in its traditional style, Arrow Rock will have a celebration focusing on education...

With the closing of the school year and the celebration of Memorial Day, summer is officially here. And Indian Foothills Park reflects the season, with activity in most areas. During Wednesday evening's Marshall Park Board meeting, the board heard about work on the park tennis courts and the aquatic center beginning its second season...

"Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin will not be the first performer at the Crossroads Amphitheater in Marshall after all, according to a release from local booking company Full Circle Leisure late Friday morning. The release stated that because of a hectic tour schedule and recent hospital visit, Franklin decided to postpone her show at the Saline County Fairground. It was originally scheduled for Thursday, June 10...

The Salt Fork YMCA opened in its "new" building in Marshall five years ago, a step toward the Y's goals of building stronger communities, families and children. With the grand opening celebration May 27, 1999, and official opening a few days later on June 1, the YMCA as a nonprofit organization was deep in debt from constructing its facility on East Yerby. But the Y leadership set to overcome the $4.2 million deficit month by month, year by year...

Joseph H. Melies, 93, of Marshall, died Friday, June 4, 2004, at Bothwell Regional Hospital in Sedalia. Arrangements are pending at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall.

Betty May Heilman, 76, of rural Marshall, died Thursday, June 3, 2004, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at St. Peter Catholic Church in Marshall. Father Kevin Gormley will officiate. Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ...

Josh Glassmaker tossed three shutout innings and cracked a two-run single as Rinker Materials scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 7-4 decision over Red Cross Pharmacy during Babe Ruth Junior League action Thursday at MHS Field. Meanwhile, across the river, host Brunswick banged out 10 hits -- three during an eight-run fifth frame -- to beat ConAgra, 15-7, before a light failure wiped out the second game of the scheduled twinbill...

Ah, the lovely smell of hypocrisy is in the early summer air. This is one of those weeks where a number of current topics fairly beg to have my two cents' worth. From Jefferson City to the nation's capitol and beyond, there's a cornucopia of newsworthy tidbits, most of them smacking of irony...

Thursday, June 3 BASEBALL MSHSAA Class 1 Championships (Columbia) (3rd Place) Bevier (17-2) 4, Sparta (20-2) 1 (Championship) Archie (18-4) 4, Oran (23-4) 3 MSHSAA Class 2 Championships (Columbia) (3rd Place) East Carter (23-5) 1, Plattsburg (14-7) 0...

Those wanting to learn the basics of tennis will receive the instruction they need from the Marshall Junior Tennis Club this summer at Indian Foothills Park. Three two-week morning sessions will be offered, under the guidance of Missouri Valley College head coach Ryan Carney. The lessons will be offered from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays from June 7-17, June 21 through July 1 and July 12-22...

First Team Pos. Player School Yr. 1B Kevin Henry Avila Jr. 2B Al Estrada Avila Sr. 3B Jesse Robertson William Jewell Jr. SS Ben Blanton William Jewell Jr. IF Sean Lieske Central Methodist Jr. OF Dave Arnold Lindenwood Jr. OF Noah Peery William Jewell Sr...

The majority of the audience for Wednesday evening's Marshall Park Board meeting was there for one item -- finding out about the unfinished skateboard park in Indian Foothills Park. About two dozen skateboarders left with little comment just a few minutes into the meeting after being told there was basically no news to report about the skateboard park...