Out of the past 4/20/12

25 years ago: April 20, 1987

A recent survey of members conducted by the Chamber of Commerce shows that Girardeans are most concerned with flood control and street improvement.

The Cape Girardeau City Council gives its commitment to extend sewers to the veterans home site as part of an overall sewer-improvement program that could cost an estimated $2.49 million.

50 years ago: April 20, 1962

High school students from Southeast Missouri are helping a science researcher in his quest to understand and prevent deaths from the stings of wasps; pupils are collecting the nests of mud dauber wasps and sending them to Dr. Rodney J. O'Conner, a native of Jackson who now teaches chemistry and researches wasp venom at Montana State College; the young people have gathered 4,000 nests.

State Highway Department survey crews are staking out the route of the new four-lane U.S. 61 through Cape Girardeau as a preliminary measure in the start of work on that project.

75 years ago: April 20, 1937

During Masses yesterday, the Rev. H.F. Schuermann, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, explained to parishioners a proposal to remodel and enlarge the church and school plants to meet the growing needs of the congregation.

The Louis K. Juden American Legion Post, which sponsored the carnival company showing last week at Fairground Park, has finished cleaning and habilitating the grounds; it is now ready for Capahas baseball tryouts, scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

100 years ago: April 20, 1912

The school board held its first meeting last night since the board was reorganized; one of the first things the board did was to raise the salary of superintendent George H. Reavis from $1,380 per annum to $1,600.

Guests at the Riverview Hotel are boasting of the feast they enjoyed last night; frogs were served by the dozens; the meal was served in three shifts, the first being 30 traveling salesmen; they were followed by 60 Normal School students and a number of teachers; the last shift was composed of about 30 members of the Eastern Star chapter, who ate frogs until after midnight.

-- Sharon K. Sanders