Out of the past: Feb. 16

1992

Archbishop Metropolitan Pangratios of the Old Kalendar Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Vasiloupolis (Queens, New York) has announced the establishment of an Eastern Orthodox Apostolate in Cape Girardeau; the Rev. Ken Seifert recently came to Cape Girardeau from New Bedford, Massachusetts, and will serve as administrator of chaplaincy services to Orthodox Christians in area hospitals, correctional facilities, Southeast Missouri State University and Southern Illinois University.

More than 50 vendors from five states participate in the 26th annual Capaha Antique Car Club Swap Meet at the Arena Building.

1967

A barricade is being erected around the old St. Charles Hotel at Main and Themis streets to keep pedestrians a safe distance from the demolition work there; city manager Paul Frederick said he has been concerned with pedestrian safety, noting there is a four-inch bow in the front of the structure.

The Cape Girardeau City Council voted last night to pay off the mortgage on the police station; the city will pay the $20,781.88 balance on the former Grace Methodist Church at the Southwest corner of Sprigg and Independence streets, which it bought in 1959 for $45,000.

1942

A project to rip-rap the banks of the lagoon in Fairground Park has turned out 1,500 flat concrete blocks at the Arena Building; the slabs will be moved to Fairground Park and installed on the low banks; WPA labor is being used to make the revetment blocks and will be used to place them.

A proposed project to remove street car rails from the city streets, using WPA labor, so as to get the scrap metal into the war supplies, is revived during a Cape Girardeau City Council meeting; Mayor Hinkle Statler said the WPA was urged by other government agencies to work out the project; the city could sponsor it without spending money on the job, if it would turn the proceeds from the sale of the steel back into the project.

1917

Charles Stone, health officer and special policeman, said he positively won't get into the race for Cape Girardeau chief of police; many of Stone's friends have asked him to make the race, promising to throw their support to him if he would run.

Fred Groves is accompanying a young aviator, the representative of a large aviation concern at Detroit, around Cape Girardeau as he tries to sell stock in a corporation that is planned to own and conduct a flying school here; at noon there were three names on the subscription list: Fred Groves, A.M. Tinsley and W.H. Harrison.

-- Sharon K. Sanders