Out of the past: March 3

1998

The Cape Girardeau City Council tabled action on a controversial road assessment policy to gather more public input; the council voted last night to hold a public hearing March 16 to give residents a chance to comment on the proposed policy; it outlines how much property owners would be assessed for new roads or widening of residential, commercial and residential-commercial streets designated under the Transportation Trust Fund; the Hopper Road extension project was the center of discussion at last night's meeting.

Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation employees mulched several playgrounds Monday; areas originally covered in pea gravel were cleared so that about 12 inches of wood chips and shredded hardwood mulch could be added; the mulch was added to playgrounds at Capaha, Arena, Indian and Choctaw parks so that the flexible surface would protect against falls off or around playground equipment; the goal is to remove all pea gravel within the next year and phase in mulch in all of the city's 23 parks with playgrounds.

1973

BENTON, Mo. -- Commenting on findings of the Scott County Grand Jury, Presiding Judge Les D. Lankford of the County Court says if night patrolmen from the sheriff's office are needed, it should be accomplished with the present staff and not require the hiring of additional deputies; the grand jury recommended, among other things, the hiring of two additional deputies to patrol the county at night; it said this would aid small towns in better police protection and enable the sheriff's office to respond more quickly to assistance requests.

A race has developed for the two open seats on the Cape Girardeau City Council with the filing of Paul H. Harty Jr., a social studies teacher, as a third candidate; meanwhile, a former social studies teacher, J. Kent Cargle, is the sixth candidate for one of two seats on the Board of Education to be filled at the April 3 election.

1948

Trooper Percy R. Little has been ordered to detached duty at Missouri State Training School for Boys in Boonville and will report there tomorrow; he will relieve Trooper Morley G. Swingle, who has been assigned to duty at the institution since Feb. 1.

Grading begins in the afternoon for a used car sales lot on the Dalton tract of land on Highway 61, located just off the Old Jackson Road, near the F.X. Roth residence and north of the Alvarado; one report is that a St. Louis concern had leased the land and would have "1,000 used cars" on hand for sale.

1923

Clyde D. Harris, vice president and manager of the First National Bank, is the newly elected president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce; E.A. Hart was named first vice president at Friday night's organization meeting, and Charles G. Wilson was re-elected secretary; the chamber will stress three activities this year: the Cape Girardeau Fair, the success of the cotton crop in Cape Girardeau County and better transportation facilities for Cape Girardeau.

The car load of Express cotton seed ordered by Cape Girardeans to be distributed to county farmers who are planning to grow the staple this year arrived yesterday and is being unloaded; the seed will be distributed at the Hirsch store, Sprigg and Good Hope streets; 15 tons of seed were ordered, or enough to plant 900 acres.

-- Sharon K. Sanders