Out of the past 5/17/03

10 years ago: May 17, 1993

Cape Girardeau City Council is considering holding special election Aug. 3 on proposed amendments to city charter implementing ward system of electing council members; charter amendments have been recommended by council-appointed committee and include proposed boundaries for six wards.

Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to take "middle man" out of its operation; Robert Hoppmann, chairman of CVB Advisory Committee, has recommended that city take over CVB contract; during meeting of CVB board members, city council and other city officials, Hoppmann says, "We're asking that a separate division be established by the city for the CVB."

25 years ago: May 17, 1978

Gorham, Ill. -- Train crewman is killed and five others injured in rear-end collision of two freight trains near here; dead is Melvin L. Steger, 34, of Scott City, Cotton Belt conductor; northbound Cotton Belt train stops for signal, when it is rammed in rear by Missouri Pacific freight.

Charleston, Mo. -- Four-alarm fire last night and early this morning leaves 500-member congregation of First Baptist Church without church building; passing police officer reported seeing smoke coming from structure about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; one of oldest churches in Charleston, edifice was built in 1910 after church was organized in 1855 as Mount Moriah Baptist Church; original Mount Moriah Baptist Church building burned in 1912.

50 years ago: May 17, 1953

Local congregation of Church of the Nazarene has announced that another of its members, Earl Sams, will enter full-time ministry; Sams, who has been preparing for ministry and has held minister's licenses past year, has been called to be pastor of Church of the Nazarene at West Plains; last August, two men of congregation became full-time pastors, Glenn Hitt going to Ogden, Ill., and Harold Fleshman to Effingham, Ill.

The Rev. C.E. Mount, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, delivers baccalaureate address to 112 members of graduating class of Central High School; the Rev. L.W. Cleland gives invocation and the Rev. Leon Slover, pastor of Maple Avenue Methodist Church, the benediction.

75 years ago: May 17, 1928

Construction work on Hotel Marquette is progressing rapidly, and brickwork on structure should be completed next week, says A.H. Gerhardt, contractor; brickwork has reached above level of roof slab, and much progress is being made on two towers which will rise additional story above roof tile and coping on Broadway front; plans are being worked out for roof garden.

Invitation will be extended to Col. Charles A. Lindbergh to visit Cape Girardeau on occasion of formal dedication of traffic bridge across Mississippi River; from present reports of engineers, bridge should be completed late in August; formal dedicatory exercises are being planned for early in September.

-- Sharon K. Sanders