Out of the past 6/18/11

25 years ago: June 18, 1986

Cape Girardeau's multipurpose building may soon have a name; the board of managers for the building is recommending that the facility now under construction be called The River Heritage Center.

The vice president of M.E. Leming Lumber Co. here, Charles C. "Bud" Leming, is the new president of the Cape Girardeau Lions Club, succeeding Jack L. Mehner; he and other officers will be installed at a diner meeting tomorrow evening.

50 years ago: June 18, 1961

Combined Sunday School and church services are held in the morning at Christ Evangelical and Reformed Church in observation of Children's Day; guest speaker is Professor Richard Scheef of Eden Seminary in St. Louis.

The first air strip in a Missouri state park is formally opened, when fliers from over the area converge on Big Spring State Park at Van Buren to inaugurate use of the new, 2,600-foot sod strip; participating in the fly-in are pilots, their families and friends, from Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, St. Louis, Kennett, Caruthersville and Sikeston, Mo.

75 years ago: June 18, 1936

Girardeans enjoy slightly lower temperatures today, after the mercury soared to the new high mark of 99 degrees for the year here yesterday.

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Although he may accept them later after he has tangled with the Capahas at Cape Girardeau Sunday, Big Jim McLean so far has turned down all offers to get back into professional baseball; McLean, of Marquand, Mo., has had offers from Osceola, Ark., of the Arkansas State League, the Nebraska State League and the Middle Atlantic loop; he is hurling this season for the Fredericktown Boosters.

100 years ago: June 18, 1911

The severe storm of last evening having blown down the grandstand at the ball park, the manager of the Stars decides to call off its contest with the Portageville, Mo., club; the Stars do play the Blues, about 100 spectators sitting about on the ground and on the wreckage of the stands to see the game between the home teams.

At a special meeting of the school board yesterday, Alma Schrader was chosen as principal of the Jefferson School.

-- Sharon K. Sanders