LOOKING BACK January 14, 2004
By Dixie Terry
Step back in time to January 14, 2004, and take a look at the Goreville Gazette.
State Representative Brandon Phelps is recovering from an eye injury, received on Dec. 30, after a morning hunting outing in Saline County. Phelps had tied down supplies on an all-terrain vehicle, when a bungee cord came free and struck him in the right eye. His hunting companions rushed him to the Harrisburg Medical Center and then he was taken to an Evansville Hospital and then to the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. There, he underwent surgery for a retina detachment. He is recovering and looking forward to the Spring legislative session next week.
GHS basketball coach Jerry Qualls was pictured, preparing to coach his last game, on the Vienna gym floor, before retiring this year, after 30 successful years of coaching, with 20 of those at Goreville.
Notice! Free gun locks, two per household, are available at the Goreville Village Hall.
Cindy Parmley was awarded a plaque as the “Goreville Volunteer of the Year.”
At the village board meeting, Mayor Larry Vaughn swore in Larry Bowns as the new treasurer, replacing Judy Maze, who has retired, Sworn in to replace Bowns as a trustee, was Lavon Johnson.
While enjoying Sunday lunch at Sit-A-Spell Restaurant on Lake of Egypt Road, we heard a strong wind that blew off siding on the building, with a horrific noise, but no severe damage otherwise.
Ballgames continue, with the highlight game of the week being the Goreville win over Vienna, where half of Goreville’s population was seen, the social event of the season. The Vienna Eagles will play the Blackcats on our home floor on Feb. 13. See you there!
I finally said “No more!” after a basketbll game every night of last week, as my favorite husband headed to Shawnee College to watch the Saints play Florissant Valley on Saturday.
The Little Egypt Red Hat Society will meet at Kokopelli Golf Club for lunch and fun on Jan. 21 at 11 am. Ladies over 55 are welcome to don a red hat and join this group. Purple outfits are optional.
Pictured was teacher Kim Sopzcak and a student, Justin Hite, at the Family Reding Night on Nov. 17. Miss Kim was dressed as “Clifford, the Big Red Dog”.
Bon Stone identified last week’s Mystery Photo correctly as Donald (Curly) Francis. Bon was the winner of a pizza from Dad’s Pizza of downtown Goreville.
Donald Francis was born in a home delivery in Johnson County to Almus and Vivian Kelley Francis, on Sept. 21, 1942.
He had five brothers:Aubrey, Vienna; Pete, Steve, Rick, Goreville; and Sam, deceased. He has three sisters: Gussie McNeal, Salem; Dorothy Pfeffer and Jeanine Tripp, Goreville.
Donald, known as Curley, from an early age, attended Goreville Schools.
He has two sons, Chris, Goreville, and Eric, Kentucky, and a daughter, Sammie, Marion.
Curly was married to Rose Ella Harrison on Feb. 26, 1997, in Goreville.
He does farming on the countryside of Goreville.
His hobbies are his horses, cats and dogs.
And so it was, on January 14, 2004, in Goreville and Lake of Egypt.