Out of the past: Jan. 2

1997

The room was filled mostly with faces familiar to county government as the winners of November’s county elections took their oaths of office Tuesday; of the seven people sworn in at the Cape Girardeau County Commission chambers by County Clerk Rodney Miller, only one — 2nd District County Commissioner Max Stovall — is a freshman officeholder; the returning incumbents to receive their commissions were 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock, Sheriff John Jordan, Assessor Jerry Reynolds, Treasurer Bill Reynolds, Public Administrator John Ferguson and Coroner John Carpenter.

After 10 years of honorable mentions in the Governor’s Town Treescape Awards competition, Cape Girardeau has won its second Citation of Merit from the Missouri Department of Conservation; this time it was for the 70 trees planted in Washington Park on the northeast side of town; Parks and Recreation Department workers, along with help from the community, managed to transform a former city supply holding lot into a family gathering place.

1972

Cape Federal Savings and Loan Association observes its 90th anniversary in the afternoon with the general public invited to participate in the celebration from 2 to 5 at the home office, 2027 Broadway; gifts and refreshments are given to those attending; the firm was established here in 1882 as the Cape Girardeau Building and Loan Association and operated for many years at 102 N. Main St., now a branch office.

More than 80% of Cape Girardeau taxpayers escaped a penalty by paying their 1971 city taxes before the deadline at midnight Friday; including mail received at the office of city collector, Mrs. Dallas O. Miller, Friday, total tax collections for the year at the end of that day amounted to $495,915.88 — or 80% of the $556,485.30 in taxes due.

1947

The State Highway office at Sikeston, Missouri, with a report of state road conditions at hand, cautions against travel in the wake of general icy conditions over the state; highway crews worked most of the night in some places and throughout the night in others scattering cinders on hills, curves, intersections and bridge floors; they’re working hard again today to overcome hazardous stretches of highways.

D.W. Gilmore of Benton, Missouri, commander-designate of the pending Cape Girardeau Naval Reserve Unit, says a traveling team of recruiters will be here for four days, beginning Jan. 7, to enlist men in the V-6 (inactive) program as a preliminary to transfer to classification 0-1 upon final establishment of the local unit.

1922

W.A. Anderson, proprietor of the Anderson Studios in St. Louis, makers of stage scenery and equipment, is injured in the afternoon on the stage of the New Broadway Theater; he is directing several workers in the hanging of the beautiful velour curtains, when a brick falls from the loft, a distance 20 or 30 feet, striking him a glancing blow on the head; a gash five inches long results and, while he bleeds profusely, he doesn’t lose consciousness.

“The Impresario,” Mozart’s musical comedy classic, is presented live on stage at the New Broadway Theater in the evening by Percy Hemus and his all-star cast; the showing marks the formal opening of the new theater.

­— Sharon K. Sanders