Out of the past: June 24

1998

A proposed package of 19 road and highway improvements for Cape Girardeau County calls for everything from widening a section of Interstate 55 to creating an inner belt from downtown Cape Girardeau to Mount Auburn Road; Jackson Mayor Paul Sander called the package "a 20-plus-year plan" for improving traffic flow throughout the county; the plan was outlined during a public hearing yesterday at Jackson City Hall; local officials call the plan a possible alternative to improvements the state is considering to the Highway 34-72-25 corridor and Highway 34 bypass from Cape Girardeau to Jackson.

Dr. SueAnn Strom, vice president for student affairs at Southeast Missouri State University, has accepted a position as associate vice president for academic and student affairs at Macon State College in Macon, Georgia.

1973

The Rev. O.A. Gerken, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, is honored by his congregation on the 25th anniversary of his ordination and as he and Mrs. Gerken celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary; speaker for the event is the pastor's brother, the Rev. Theodore Gerken of La Grange, Illinois; O.A. Gerken married the former Tracy Jane Schoene of St. Charles, Missouri, two days after he graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis on June 4, 1948.

One of Cape Girardeau's oldest retail clothing stores has changed hands; Ross Young and Sons Clothing Store, 36 N. Main St., has been purchased by Jack Trickey, who will take over the business July 2; the men's clothing business was established by Ross C. Young 50 years ago in a building at 26 N. Main St. and operated it there until eight years ago, when his son, E. Ross Young, purchased it and moved the store to the present location.

1948

Cooperation of the Missouri Pacific Railroad in reducing a smoke and ash nuisance and in repairing Independence Street where tracks of the rail line enter the switch yard has been promised by C.W. Exline of St. Louis, superintendent for the railroad; in compliance with a request by the city, a smaller engine has been put in use here to lessen street traffic; in addition, train personnel have been instructed to let the fire die down and to watch the throttle while in city operation to abate the nuisance caused by large quantities of smoke and fly ash which were emitted by the large engines.

A petition bearing the names of 87 residents of the Rodney Vista suburb has been filed with the city asking removal of a fence recently placed across a road which provided the west entrance to Arena Park; the fence halts traffic through the wooded section of the park and diverts it 100 yards farther south to a new road which has been constructed at the edge of the grove of trees in front of the Arena Building; Park Commissioner Charles Schweer explained the road was fenced off primarily because it diverted a flow of rainwater into the park, and since the fence was installed, a ditch has been cut which allows it to go alongside the road at the edge of the park.

1923

Last Sunday afternoon, the baptistery of First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau was used by the Baptist congregation of Fornfelt; there were about 35 baptisms, and a great company of the Fornfelt church was present; likewise, a large group of Baptists from Jackson use the baptistery here this afternoon, since that congregation is without such convenience because of the wrecking of its building.

The special school election held yesterday at Oak Ridge resulted in a great victory for a bond issue of $18,000 for a new school building; the vote was 129 for the issue to only 27 against it; the plan is to erect a modern brick building near the present frame structure that will accommodate a high school as well as the grades; when it is completed, the old building will be removed.

-- Sharon K. Sanders