Out of the past 7/16/07

25 years ago: July 16, 1982

Cape Girardeau opera singers Shirley and Czeslaw Zielinski entertain graduating students during Southeast Missouri State University's summer commencement exercises on the terraces east of Academic Hall.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department is looking for a few good men or women to join its ranks; already about 80 applicants for four openings in the department's patrol division have been rejected simply on the basis of their applications; 71 applicants are still being considered for jobs.

50 years ago: July 16, 1957

The Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday rejected a recommendation of the City Planning and Zoning Commission that property along the south side of Broadway from Perry Avenue to U.S. 61 be rezoned from a one-family residential to business and light industry.

The Retail Merchants Association votes use of the $1,000 left over from the bridge celebration fund for signs to be used in announcing the fact that the Mississippi River traffic bridge at Cape Girardeau is now free of tolls.

75 years ago: July 16, 1932

No relief is in sight from the heat wave that grips the Cape Girardeau area; yesterday's high recorded at the Teachers College was 101 degrees, 2 degrees higher than the reading taken the day before.

Leaving Courthouse Park at 8 a.m., a caravan of 27 automobiles starts on a tour through Southeast Missouri to tell of the barbecue and rally the district is tendering Sen. R.L. Dearmont at Bullocks Grove in New Madrid County Thursday; Dearmont is a candidate for governor.

100 years ago: July 16, 1907

A number of prominent Girardeans spoke in support of the Sloan's Creek bridge issue at last night's city council meeting; the council was asked to appropriate $900, to be added to the $1,500 given by the county court, for building the span; the council referred the matter to the ways and means committee.

Herman, Henry and George Weiss, who recently purchased a new thresher, yesterday tested the big machine; starting at 8 a.m. and finishing at 7 p.m., 1,104 bushels of wheat and 336 bushels of oats were threshed out.

-- Sharon K. Sanders