Out of the past 4/11/04

10 years ago: April 11, 1994

Cape Girardeau Board of Education approves spending $357,000 to reinstate budget cuts made in 1991, including hiring second assistant principal at Central High School, third band director and restoring Parents as Teachers program.

Members of old Cape Girardeau City Council deal with several minor matters in less than 10 minutes before adjourning and watching as new mayor and three new councilmen are sworn in

25 years ago: April 11, 1979

Solutions to two-sided problem -- declining overall enrollment in Cape Girardeau public schools and enrollment peaks and valleys at individual schools -- are being sought by school board.

Reconstruction work on portion of deteriorating Cape Rock Drive is expected to begin soon despite unsettled easement condemnation suits filed by city against half-dozen property owners along street.

50 years ago: April 11, 1954

The Rev. Wilbert H. Koenig, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, holds annual Palm Sunday confirmation service in morning; those confirmed are Kay Crews, June Davis, Rusby Farrow, Walter Grebing, Mary Haertling, Chester Hengst, Kenneth Hett, Weldon Hilpert, Eugene Huteger, Shirley Hagel, Doris Reisenbichler, Patricia Rudert, Sheila Schaefer, James Finn, Jack Smith, Suzanne Suedekum, Earl Vogelsang, Ronald Werner and Raymond and Daymond Brooks.

Display house built by Dixie Contractors in new Trotter Addition north of Hopper Road is visited by 1,800 people; Thomas L. Meyer is handling real estate transactions for addition.

75 years ago: April 11, 1929

Severe wind, rain and electrical storm, apparently only a portion of disastrous storm that spawned tornadoes in North Arkansas, struck Cape Girardeau and vicinity last night, but reports indicate there was little damage done here.

Free telephone service between Cape Girardeau and McClure, Ill., is inaugurated; 11 telephones are to be connected late today with six-mile line built from Cape Girardeau to McClure by Cape Girardeau Bell Telephone Co.; line was built by way of traffic bridge across Mississippi River.

-- Sharon K. Sanders