Out of the past 4/17/02

10 years ago: April 17, 1992

Groundbreaking ceremony is held at 921 N. Clark for new Cape Girardeau Nutrition Center; construction of new center could begin next month.

Marble Hill - If petition is successful in forcing state audit of Marble Hill treasury, thousands of collars of city money would be wasted, say municipal officials; petition questions use of $700,000 trust donated to city by St. Louis woman between 1988 and 1990 for building city pool.

25 years ago: April 17, 1977

John Ashcroft, Missouri's attorney general, is guest speaker at dedication ceremony at Bethel Assembly of God Church, 1855 Perryville Road; church dedicates new educational facilities, which will be used to house part of Wee Care Child Care Center as well as Bethel Christian School and Sunday School; pastor is the Rev. J.S. Watson.

Jack Wells, well-known Cape Girardeau artist, receives Otto Dingledein Traveling Award during annual Crafts Fair at Arena Building; Wells is third outstanding area artist to receive the distinction; award was begun in 1975, when Dingledein was honored for his work in arts; last year's recipient was Marjorie Suedekum.

50 years ago: April 17, 1952

Brig. Gen. P.A. Feringa, chairman of Mississippi River Commission and chief of Vicksburg Division, Army Engineers, spoke out sharply while here yesterday at proposal to take away from engineers their 128-year-old job of river, harbor and flood-control work and give it to Department of Interior; general's outspoken criticism of plan came at public hearing held by commission aboard Engineers' boat Mississippi at city's wharf.

Park Commissioner J.W. McBride is up in arms over vandalism at Fort D, where earlier this week he found that practically every window pane had been broken, fruit jars smashed against walls and floors, door torn from its hinges and other damage done; he estimates it will take $300 to repair damage done to stone structure.

75 years ago: April 17, 1927

Easter Sunday. Number of churches present cantatas, depicting in song and verse story of Resurrection; cantatas are presented at First Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Church, Centenary Methodist Church and First Baptist Church.

Mississippi River reaches flood stage of 39 feet, new high mark; it is expected to begin to recede slowly in next 48 hours.

Lions Club's Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled for this morning, has been postponed until next Sunday because of extremely wet conditions of Fairground Park and Giboney Park; Lions are congratulating themselves on purchasing candy eggs, instead of hen eggs, for this year's hunt; with hen eggs, it would have been impossible to hold them a week.

- Sharon K. Sanders