Out of the past: Jan. 1

1997

Polar-bear conditions don't materialize for the Cape River Riders Jet Ski Club, but it is still cool sailing as members of the club perform on the Mississippi River downtown; the Ski Freeze, which includes trick skiing on jet ski crafts on the river by more than a dozen riders, including two women, is conducted to raise funds for the PTO of the Parkview State School for the Handicapped in Cape Girardeau; between 125 and 150 spectators crowd the riverfront for the more-than-two-hour show.

Callaway Ann Patterson is born at 12:34 a.m. at Southeast Hospital, the first baby born in Cape Girardeau in 1997; she is the daughter of Charlie and Julie Patterson of Scott City.

1972

Mark Anthony Davis is the first baby born in Cape Girardeau in 1972; he is born -- two weeks overdue -- at 4:35 a.m. to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davis of Route 2, tipping the Southeast Hospital scales at 9 pounds, 2 ounces; he is the sixth child for the couple, and their fourth son.

Traffic fatalities seem to ring out the old year and bring in the new one on Southeast Missouri roads; 1971 ended on an ominous note, when a six-vehicle accident late Friday afternoon west of Cape Girardeau claimed the life of a Jackson woman and injured eight others; 1972 comes in on a fatal note as well, as two other accidents shortly after midnight each claim the life of one person.

1947

A freezing rain which glazes the landscape and roads with a heavy coating of ice all but halts movement of traffic in the afternoon and night, causing numerous minor accident, bringing down some secondary utility and telephone wires in Cape Girardeau, and knocking out two telephone circuits between here and St. Louis and two others to Advance, Missouri; automobiles caught on highways in the freezing drizzle move only with difficulty and highway shoulders are reported lined with vehicles which slid from the icy surface.

Johnny Hunze, one of Cape Girardeau's leading bowlers, rolls his third perfect game at the Playdium alleys; the 300 score comes in the fourth of six games he rolled in a practice session.

1922

Religious advancement in Cape Girardeau has resulted in several congregations outgrowing their locations; the Baptists plan to build a beautiful new edifice, probably on West Broadway, and the Christian Church members recently purchased the property adjoining theirs on the north and will take over the building about Jan. 15 for Sunday school purposes; an addition is also being planned for construction at the east end of St. Mary's Catholic Church, to be used as a sanctuary.

Births in Cape Girardeau during 1921 exceeded the number of deaths by 201, according to official figures ending Dec. 27 and compiled by City Clerk A.P. Behrens; there was a total of 309 children born here during the year, and there were 198 deaths; of those deaths, 47 were of people who were brought to the hospital and died, who were visiting here, or whose bodies were found here; that leaves a total of 151 people of Cape Girardeau city and township who died here; of those deaths, two were known homicides: police officer Willis Martin and Edward Foeste.

-- Sharon K. Sanders