Out of the past 6/1/03

10 years ago: June 1, 1993

Should 8th District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson decide to seek Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Emerson's chief of staff, Lloyd Smith, says he will give serious consideration to running for Emerson's House seat; Smith, who will turn 42 next month, has been on congressman's staff since March 1981, two months after Emerson took office.

In modern equivalent to gold rush, businesses and individuals are clamoring to capitalize on possibility of riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau; Evelyn Boardman, who was hired by Las Vegas gaming company interested in bringing riverboat to town, says she's received 86 riverboat job applications and fielded more than 50 inquiries regarding availability of property in city's downtown business district.

25 years ago: June 1, 1978

Members of Operating Engineers Local 513 return to work on heavy highway and utility construction projects, ending two-week strike over contract dispute with Missouri Association of General Contractors; it was second time in past year operators left their jobs, unable to reach agreement on new contract to replace one which expired May 1, 1977.

CHAFFEE -- Annexation of about 200 acres of land to south and west of Chaffee will be decided by voters as result of decision by Circuit Judge Flake McHaney at Benton; McHaney ruled favorably on city's suit seeking annexation, which had been filed in January; area to be annexed extends from corner of Highway 77 and Helen avenue south to point which intersects with present corporate limits of Chaffee at Heeb Creek and about quarter mile to west of Highway 77.

50 years ago: June 1, 1953

Oran -- CHARLES W. HORRELL, 20, OF NEAR ORAN, DROWNED YESTERDAY IN DRAINAGE DITCH NO. 1, FOUR MILES NORTHWEST OF TOWN, AS HE AND SEVERAL COMPANIONS WERE SWIMMING AND WADING; HORRELL, WHO WAS JUST LEARNING TO SWIM, WAS WADING IN SHALLOW WATER AND UNEXPECTEDLY STEPPED INTO DEEP HOLE.

PETITIONS ASKING FOR ELECTION TO DETERMINE IF CAPE GIRARDEAU SHOULD ADOPT CITY MANAGER FORM OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ARE RECEIVED BY CITY COUNCIL, BUT ACTION TO PROCLAIM ELECTION IS DEFERRED PENDING CHECK ON SUFFICIENCY OF PETITIONS; STATUTE REQUIRES THAT, IF PETITIONS ARE FOUND IN ORDER, ELECTION MUST BE CALLED WITHIN 60 DAYS FOLLOWING THEIR PRESENTATION TO CITY CLERK; THEY WERE TURNED IN MAY 29.

75 YEARS AGO: JUNE 1, 1928

Hely Stone Co. is supplying United States government with stone for rip-rap work on Mississippi River; company has contract with government and will furnish rock for this work as long as it is required, says Norman L. Hely, manager of firm; rock is being secured from old quarry, which for years was known as the "Blue Hole," but which recently was drained.

Harlan Bartholomew, whose office made city plan for Cape Girardeau and whose associates are doing detailed work for zoning plan, spends day in Cape Girardeau; he had been requested to come here to confer with city officials regarding machinery necessary to make city plan effective; he speaks with mayor and two commissioners, along with several business men, in informal way.

-- Sharon K. Sanders