Out of the past: June 28

1995

In an effort to promote positive change, a Cape Girardeau organization is taking its message on gangs, drugs and violence to the street; preaching unity and faith in Jesus, the House of Prayer Outreach Mission is holding a week-long revival on Middle Street near the corner of Good Hope Street; the street revival began Monday night, with close to 150 people attending.

PATTON, Mo. -- Tom Parker presented a petition calling for the ouster of Meadow Heights Schools Superintendent Tom Waller at a meeting last night of the Board of Education; the petition was accepted by board members without comment; but after the meeting, the board met in closed session, where it handed Waller a new, three-year contract.

1970

Dr. Francis Daniel, a retired Presbyterian minister from Potosi, Missouri, is serving as interim pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church for the summer; he will be available for counseling and conferences at the church on Saturday mornings and Sunday.

Charles Schlitt has purchased one of the city's oldest dwellings at 334 N. Frederick St., adjacent on the north to the post office, and plans to erect an office building there soon; the dwelling is being razed and the site prepared for a new single-story brick structure; Schlitt, an agent for State Farm Insurance, will have his offices there.

1945

With the Mississippi River quickly receding along Cape Girardeau's riverfront, the work of cleaning up the downtown business section has started; the Frisco Railroad has removed, for the fourth time this year, its auxiliary track on the main line between Broadway and the passenger station; trains are again stopping at that depot rather than the freight station; all of the water has left Main Street south of Independence, and a grader is being used to scrape the muck off the pavement.

Although high river stages and surface flooding, coupled directly with torrential rainfall in May and June, temporarily staggered Southeast Missouri farmers, they are jumping back into their work; planting is being done at an unbelievable rate, with tractors rolling both day and night.

1920

Excavation has begun on the sites for the ward grade school in South Cape Girardeau and on the manual arts addition to Central High School; contractor J.W. Gerhardt, who has charge of the projects, says he can't possibly get the work on the buildings completed by Sept. 1, in time for them to be occupied for classes; a shortage of cement and other building material in general has hampered his ability to begin work.

Not a single "slacker" is to be found among the American Legion men who are working day and night to make a success of the Fifth of July picnic; thousands of visitors are expected to attend the big celebration at Fairground Park; two of the main drawing cards for the day are a baseball game between the Capahas and the Illmo team and a boxing match between Al Nenninger of Cape Girardeau and anyone who will box him.

-- Sharon K. Sanders