Out of the past 2/21/03

10 years ago: Feb. 21, 1993

Annual Mission Fair is held at First Presbyterian Church at Jackson; speaker for morning worship service is Gwen Myers, associate executive of Synod of Mid America; fair begins at 3 p.m., followed by dinner; mission organizations send representatives to fair to share information and literature regarding their work.

Residents of 120-square-mile area of Cape Girardeau County served by Gordonville Municipal Fire Department are seeking to organize tax-supported district to upgrade their fire-protection service; proposed Gordonville Fire Protection District would be similar to other tax-supported, rural fire districts that have been created in county since 1970s.

25 years ago: Feb. 21, 1978

State Rep. Marvin E. Proffer, D-Jackson, announces he has filed for re-election to ninth term; Proffer represents 155th District, encompassing parts of Cape Girardeau, Scott and Bollinger counties.

Cape Girardeau City Council moved step closer Monday to deciding how it will go into transit operation for city; agreement was reached at special study system to eliminate from consideration subsidized taxi service for elderly and handicapped proposed by Paul W. Stehr.

50 years ago: Feb. 21, 1953

Mail from South arrives few hours late in morning, when Frisco train is detoured over Cotton Belt line due to derailment near Ste. Genevieve; no one is injured in accident; two cars of southbound Frisco freight train are derailed at Rush Tower, 46.8 miles south of St. Louis; it is same train which was involved in 17-car derailment at Cape Rock several weeks ago.

Proposal that Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day and new holiday, Presidents Day, all be celebrated on Mondays, introduced in Legislature this week, would get favorable reception in Cape Girardeau, brief sampling of opinion shows; bill would put Presidents Day on third Monday in February, Memorial Day on last Monday in May, Independence Day on first Monday in July, Thanksgiving Day on fourth Monday in November.

75 years ago: Feb. 21, 1928

Definite steps toward building road between Whitewater and Dutchtown, to give residents of that section of county all-weather highway, are taken at conference of county court at Jackson with residents from Whitewater community and commissioners of Cape Special Road District; it is agreed court will match with appropriation the amount of money raised by residents of Whitewater and vicinity; court also agrees to construct two bridges along road, while road district will contribute $5,000 for the improvement.

George L. Weber and H.L. Lewis announce their candidacies for Cape Girardeau city commissioner jobs, bringing number of hopefuls to 10.

-- Sharon K. Sanders