Out of the past 9/4/03

10 years ago: Sept. 4, 1993

Gov. Mel Carnahan said Friday he will call special session of Missouri Legislature, in conjunction with annual veto session, to deal with legislation related to flood recovery; area legislators, who were anticipating the special session call for weeks, were somewhat surprised and quite pleased that governor's plan doesn't include hike in taxes.

Flood of '93 is subsiding, but seep water isn't; Illinois Department of Transportation won one battle with seep water Friday but is still fighting another along stretch of highway between East Cape Girardeau and Gale; Thursday night's storm dumped more than four inches of new water in the area; maneuvering through long lines of traffic, workers hauled rock from stone quarries throughout day Friday to raise Route 146 to level that permits traffic from Mississippi River traffic bridge to travel to Routes 146/3 intersection.

25 years ago: Sept. 4, 1978

Labor Day.

Cape Special Road District is prepared to chip in funds toward paying for Cape Rock Drive paving project, although amount is uncertain; A.C. Brase, road district commissioner, says participation has been discussed, but because of tight finances district cannot participate to any great extend; for proposed 36-foot wide paving of east end of drive, city is considering two figures as property owners' portion of cost.

Recent changes in education program at Nell Holcomb School may have to be scrapped next year because district has been unable to raise money needed to finance them; changes include library, girls athletic program, learning disabilities program and personnel for the program.

50 years ago: Sept. 4, 1953

With opening of new term next week, coordinated cafeteria program will be inaugurated in Cape Girardeau public schools; this means there will no longer be several purchasing agents and menu planners for school cafeterias, but single person, Mrs. R.R. Schade, as supervisor, will plan single noon meal for each school daily and will do buying for all.

Soothing front of cool air, moving in on brisk wind at 5:30 a.m., and accompanied by light rain, breaks 12-day heat wave and brings comfortable temperatures in 60s; mercury drops to 65 degrees as front moves over city, difference of 33 degrees from yesterday's high of 98.

75 years ago: Sept. 4, 1928

Cape Girardeau traffic bridge over Mississippi River, formally dedicated in big celebration Monday afternoon, was closed to traffic late that night; it will open again about Sept. 12; it is announced that surfacing of Illinois approach to bridge is yet to be completed before span can be permanently opened.

Only disappointment of yesterday's festivities was failure of fireworks program to come off; fireworks arrived in Cape Girardeau last Thursday, but expert whose job it was to handle them failed to arrive yesterday.

-- Sharon K. Sanders