Out of the past 11/9/09

25 years ago: Nov. 9, 1984

The 25,302 Cape Girardeau County residents who went to the polls Tuesday represented a record turnout in pure numbers, but as a percentage of registered voters the participation was only the fifth best in the last 10 presidential elections.

A tornado touches down during the night on the David Elfrink farm, just off County Road 458; no one is injured by the twister, although it does destroy a 100-year-old barn and two sheds; the storm also causes power outages in northern Cape Girardeau County.

50 years ago: Nov. 9, 1959

School directors learn that a requested committee from the State Department of Education will spend three days in Cape Girardeau's public schools next week making a survey of curriculum, teachers, building and instructional material.

The Cape Girardeau City Council learns the Cape Special Road District is considering turning over a flat sum of money to the city next year and leaving to councilmen the decision on where and how it should be spent on street projects.

75 years ago: Nov. 9, 1934

Federal Emergency Relief Administration work on county roads, with funds from the November allotment, will next be used on the Delta-Drum road, instead of the Fruitland-Neelys Landing road; the latter work has been delayed.

Frank Laitas, 18, a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Delta, near McClure, Ill., dies at a Cape Girardeau hospital of injuries sustained Wednesday near the camp in a dynamite explosion; Laitis was from Westville, Ill.

100 years ago: Nov. 9, 1909

At last Cape Girardeau will have an opera house; this one drawback to the town will be remedied by the construction of a theater on the property just east of the big bakery in Haarig; Mike Doyle will manage the house.

The shoe-shining parlor that has adorned the lot just west of The Republican Building on Broadway is being moved to the lot adjoining Dr. Grissom's property on the west; it has been a great gathering place for laughing crowds of black boys and girls; in its place, a garage will be built.

-- Sharon K. Sanders