Waco Tribune-Herald from Waco, Texas • 9

TAKE NOTE The Waco Founder Lions Club is collecting old eyeglasses to send to underdeveloped countries. Glasses can be dropped off at the Lions Den, 1716 N. 42nd St. Call 776-5341. WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD Immunizations for kids available The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, 225 W.

Waco Drive, is offering immunizations for children. Clinics are less busy now, and parents can avoid the late summer rush, officials say. Take your child's current shot record, Social Security number and, if applicable, a current Medicaid or WIC card for immunizations. Immunization clinic hours are from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday; and 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month.

To ask questions, call the health district at 750-5410. MCC summer registration Last-chance registration for Summer II classes at McLennan Community College will be from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the MCC Student Center. In addition to this on-campus registration period, students may register by telephone at 299-8734 or on the Web at www.mclennan.edu.

Both systems will be available from 5 p.m. today through midnight Wednesday. Summer II classes begin Thursday. To ask questions, call 299-8622 or check the Web site. New hours for Red Cross The American Red Cross Blood Center, 4224 Cobbs Drive, has changed its hours for blood collection.

The new center hours are from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.. Mondays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m.

to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To ask questions or to schedule an appointment, call (800) 448-3543. Victoriana Summer Victoriana Summer Two Victoriana Summer Series luncheons will be presented in the next few weeks. I Sharon Smirl will demonstrate the traditional method of producing Venetian plaster for faux finishes July 23 at the Nell Pape Garden Center, 1705 N.

Fifth St. The program begins at 11:30 a.m., with Smirl speaking at noon. Deadline to register is July 19. Cynthia Fendel, an author and historian of Victorian fans, will present an amusing history of Victorians and their hand fans from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug.

8 at Ridgewood Country Club. The program will include a Victorian tea. Reservations are required and must be paid in advance. Cost is $15 for the July 23 luncheon and $25 for the Aug. 8 program with the Victorian tea.

To ask questions or make reservations, call 753-5166. Auditions for 'King and I' The Waco Civic Theatre will have auditions for "The King and directed by John-Michael Marrs, from 7 to 10 tonight and Wednesday. Performance dates are Sept. 6-8, 13-15 and 20-21. Many adult and children's roles are available.

Adults need to prepare a contemporary monologue and song. Children need only to prepare a song. To audition, call 776-1591 to set up an appointment. Senior citizens breakfast The East Waco Senior Center will have a breakfast for senior citizens from 8 to 10 a.m. July 17 at the center, 1809 J.J.

Flewellen Drive. Cost is $2 per person. To ask questions, call Lillian Manning, center manager, at 799-3304 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Waco High class reunion The Waco High School class of 1972 reunion is scheduled from 7 to 11 p.m.

July 19 at 5100 Fort Ave. and begins at 6 p.m. July 20 at Barry's Coffee House, 414 Franklin Ave. To ask questions, call Charlane Smith Thompson at (254) 896-2493 or Debbie Layton Garrett by e-mail at World breast-feeding day The Women Infant and Children Program will have its annual world breastfeeding day from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 1 at the spray park in Cameron Park's Pecan Bottoms area. To ask questions, call 750-8613. Free computer training Free computer training is available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday through Friday at Mission Waco's Computer Training Center, 1313 St. To ask questions, call 753-2100. Local Obituaries 2B PAGE 1B TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2002 I Waco driver dies of gunshot wound Police pursuing leads in 11th murder of year By PAUL MONIES Tribune-Herald staff writer A man who was shot and drove his car into a North Waco house died late Sunday at a local hospital, police said Monday. Rodney Allen Gordon, 27, of Waco was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center at 11:35 p.m. Sunday.

Justice of the Peace Larry Garrett ordered an autopsy at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas. POLICE REPORT Police are pursuing several leads in the murder, but no arrests have been made, said Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson. Officers were called out to an assault at North 17th Street and Herring Avenue about 6:40 p.m. Sunday, Anderson said. As they responded, police discovered that the victim in that assault had crashed his Ford Taurus into the porch of a house at 2508 Lyle Ave.

Witnesses told police that a white SUV pulled alongside the Ford and fired several shots as the vehicles drove westbound on Lyle Avenue, Anderson said. Several neighbors in the 2400 block of Lyle Avenue have said the Ford scraped a van before going through the intersection at North 25th Street. The car went through the front yard of the corner house before striking the concrete steps of the porch at 2508 Lyle Ave. Gordon was unconscious when police and paramedics arrived. He died after surgery at Hillcrest.

officials said. Anderson declined to comment on what type of weapon was used in the shooting or if anything was found in Staff photos Kelly Lemons Head projectionist Roy Shirley splices a reel of the film Changing Lanes onto the larger platter (foreground) that will be used to show the movie at the new Starplex Super Saver 6. And the curtain rises anew Waco Square 6 reopening as Starplex discount theater By CARL HOOVER Tribune-Herald entertainment editor Waco's first multiplex theater returns to life this Friday, the beneficiary of Starplex Cinemas' expansion into the local discount theater market. That's good news for fans of cheap movie tickets. Discount offerings will double this weekend from the six screens of Encore 6, 1105 Wooded Acres Drive, currently the only movie discount theater in town.

The Starplex Super Saver 6, 410 N. Valley Mills Drive in Waco Square Center, will offer secondrun movies for a fraction of first-run prices: $1.50 a person and $1 on Tuesdays or at matinees. The admission is comparable to Encore 6's, which charges $1.50 a person, with two-for-one deals on Tuesday nights and, for students, on Thursdays. Ken Mansfield, general manager of Starplex See MOVIES, Page 3B Girl Scouts have chance to learn merits of history Project to let youths earn badges for researching hometown facts By TYLER EMLER Tribune-Herald staff writer Local Girl Scouts will have the chance to get a merit badge by learning about their hometowns' histories. The Hometown History project, sponsored by Time Warner Cable and the History Channel, will reward Scouts in Central Texas' Bluebonnet Council for researching and creating a presentation on the history of their hometowns.

Knowledge of local history is the place to start when looking to encourage more interest in history among children, said Libby O'Connell, a historian-inresidence for the History Channel. "Every kid lives in a community that has a history," she said. "That kind of ability to see and touch the history around you is only available through local history." Given the benefits an understanding of local history can bring, this project is designed to expose children to the rich histories of their communities, O'Connell said. The presentation topics are oral history, historic architecture or a historic neighborhood. Scouts, individually or in groups, can collect information from See HISTORY, Page 3B the car.

The murder is the 11th in Waco this year. Anyone with information in the case should call Waco police at 750- 7500 or Waco Crimestoppers at 753-4357. Wreck victim dies A Waco man died Monday from injuries suffered in; a weekend accident in Falls County, authorities said. Edward Outley, 69, died early Monday at Hillcrest, said Eddie Wilson, See POLICE, Page 3B Jason Ranton received his master's degree in journalism from Baylor in 1998. BU grad, ex of Lariat deceased Ranton found dead in Plano home, age 32; cause unknown By BRIAN GAAR Tribune-Herald staff writer A memorial service will be held Wednesday for a former Baylor University faculty member and First Baptist Church of Waco organist who died unexpectedly.

Jason Ranton, 32, was found in his Plano apartment Saturday, according to an official at the church where he was employed. Ranton failed to appear for an afternoon wedding in which he was to play the organ, said Mike Casey, director of administration at Christ Church in Plano. He was found on a couch later that evening, Casey said. The cause of death is not known, but Ranton had suffered from diabetes since childhood, friends said. Plano police said they have not yet filed a report.

The news shocked Ranton's friends and colleagues in Waco. "I can tell you that people here were a. combination of stunned and devastated," said Sara Stone, a journalism professor at Baylor. "It was truly sad news. I think we're all having a hard time comprehending it." Ranton had a long history at Baylor he received a bachelor's degree in journalism and See RANTON, Page 3B The old Waco Square 6 Cinemas marquee stands stripped of movie titles and logo, awaiting its reopening Friday as the Starplex Super Saver 6.

The Waco Square 6 closed three years ago. Staff photo Kelly Lemons Worm-eaten Emily Neel, 7, eats a candy worm during snack time Monday at a children's music camp at Highland Baptist Church. The weeklong music camp concludes at 7 Friday with a musical presentation named "Father Knows p.m..