Out of the past 3/21/04

10 years ago: March 21, 1994

After being turned down in Cape Girardeau on March 8, Lady Luck packed up and moved south; Las Vegas-based gambling company makes $63.2 million, three-phase pitch to Scott City Council to operate at Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority.

Cape Girardeau Board of Education passes resolution to place 37-cent property tax increase on June 7 ballot as first of two-part plan.

25 years ago: March 21, 1979

Proposal by Cape Girardeau Cable TV Inc., to carry signals of two St. Louis network affiliates has won support of city council, but is opposed by Hirsch Broadcasting Co. and WPSD-TV of Paducah.

West Park Mall takes major step forward when city council approves controversial zoning changes to allow mall's development; unanimous vote follows more than three hours of presentations by mall's developers and those opposed to rezoning 70 acres near intersection of Route K and Mount Auburn from R-1 residential zone to C-2 commercial status.

50 years ago: March 21, 1954

Twenty-year perfect Sunday school attendance record at Christian Church is broken when Mary Arnell Farris of Cape Girardeau is unable to interrupt her nursing duties to attend.

Newly chosen board of education of Illmo-Fornfelt Reorganized District No. 1, meeting Saturday to elect officers, issued call for regular school election on April 6 and asked approval of same tax rate as prevailed in Illmo-Fornfelt prior to consolidation.

75 years ago: March 21, 1929

Vigorous fight to prevent Frisco Railroad from abandoning two branch lines in Stoddard and Dunklin counties is to be made; residents of both counties have organized and employed Lee Bagby, traffic adviser of Cape Girardeau, to represent them at hearing before Interstate Commerce Commission and Public Service Commission.

Judge Charles B. Farris, who presides at Federal Court sessions in Cape Girardeau, is being mentioned prominently for place on U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Eighth Circuit.

-- Sharon K. Sanders