Out of the past: Feb. 2

1997

Dr. Bertice Berry gave a sparse crowd insight on living in a racist society during a speech at Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall auditorium last night; Berry spoke to about 100 people on the theme of "Help Somebody," a theme which has tied together all of the activities during the Dr. Martin Luther King celebration on campus; Berry's appearance was the final event in the celebration.

Vincill Specialty Feed has opened in Cape Girardeau; the pet food store, housed in the former one-room, Juden School No. 1 building, 900 W. Cape Rock Drive, offers food and supplies for all pets; the structure was built in 1854, according to the owner of the business, Edwin Smith, who has furnished the building with farm-related antiques.

1972

Cape Girardeau's public school maintenance and custodial workers have voted to join a union -- International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 2, AFL-CIO, based in St. Louis -- as have maintenance employees of the City Street Department; the City Parks Department maintenance men decided Tuesday they didn't want to vote on a union at this time.

A contest for seats on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education develops when Charles E. Weber announces his candidacy for re-election to one of the two three-year seats to be filled at the April 4 election; he will oppose Thomas L. Meyer, also an incumbent, and a new candidate, the Rev. Earl W. Tharp, pastor of Red Star Baptist Church.

1947

Youth Sunday is observed at First Christian Church, with the young people having complete charge of the morning worship service; Wayne Thurman, a student at State College, is the guest speaker; Jack Chapman presides at the service, assisted by Merrill Murray.

Saturday's appeal in the Southeast Missourian newspaper for type AB blood for Ernest Strong Jr., 14, injured Jan. 22 in an automobile accident, brought an overwhelming response; Southeast Hospital received between 75 and 100 telephone calls offering blood, and from that number 15 donors were identified.

1922

A few persons in Southeast Missouri who haven't paid their income taxes for 1920 are being sought by deputy collectors, who have authority to seize and sell any property of the delinquents' to satisfy the amount of income tax assessed against them.

The colored drawing of the proposed memorial park, placed on exhibit in the Public Utilities Co. window around noon yesterday, is attracting a lot of attention; the plans call for a rebuilding of Fairground Park in every way, as well as construction of amphitheater seating for 5,000, a big memorial building and a new ornamental fence around the property.

-- Sharon K. Sanders