Out of the past 10/12/02

10 years ago: Oct. 12, 1992

Group of Cape Girardeau residents has taken up hobby of bird watching; diamond doves from Australia, green singing finches from Africa and orange-cheek waxbill from Africa are among species housed in special aviary, which has been added to Cape LaCroix Care Center; aviary, designed, built and stocked by Living Design, Inc., of Sioux Falls, S.D., is home to 19 birds - 10 varieties.

Cape Girardeau Board of Education approves balanced budget for 1992-93 school year, and names full-time interim principal for Washington Elementary School; board approves $10.3 million budget, and names Barbara Blanchard Washington school principal.

25 years ago: Oct. 12, 1977

Kenneth G. Mehrle of Cape Girardeau has been elected president-elect of National Association of Retail Druggists; he will become president of organization next year.

Several hundred students, faculty and passersby at Southeast Missouri State University watch through telescopes as moon passes between sun and earth in solar eclipse; eclipse begins at 3:20 in afternoon and ends about 5:10 p.m.; maximum eclipse in Cape Girardeau is 25 percent of sun, explains Milton W. Ueleke, assistant professor of physics at university, whose astronomy class trains several telescopes skyward to observe event.

50 years ago: Oct. 12, 1952

Mission festival is held at Trinity Lutheran Church; guest speaker for morning worship services is the Rev. Frederick M. Schalow, former missionary in China; Schalow is on furlough and with his wife and two sons lives at Missouri Synod Mission House in St. Louis.

Portageville - Fire that broke out late yesterday afternoon virtually ruined First Baptist Church of Portageville; loss is estimated at $75,000; new gas furnace was being installed in church; when gas was turned on to test furnace, it flared up, shooting flames through classroom section of building.

75 years ago: Oct. 12, 1927

Ice box thieves are again active in Cape Girardeau, much to disgust and inconvenience of their victims; Mrs. Joseph Heuschober, 425 N. Frederick, reports that thief rifled ice box on rear porch of her home last night and secured quantity of eggs, lard, milk and bacon; thief also took five bars of soap on top of box; later, same thief apparently visited home of Mrs. Tillie Hanny, 427 N. Frederick, but was frightened away.

Cape Girardeau Civic Music Association presents, for first feature this year, Alfred Wallenstein, cellist, and Glenn Drake, tenor, in concert this evening in auditorium at Teachers College.

- Sharon K. Sanders