Out of the past: May 16

1990

Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink says the proposed $25 million 1990-91 city budget reflects the strength of the community's retail sales; the proposed budget is an 8.8-percent increase over the current year's $25 million budget; it contains no major departmental changes or revisions over this year's budget.

After failing during a year of negotiations to reach a purchase price, commissioners of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority have voted in executive session to exercise the power of eminent domain to condemn approximately 100 acres of land it now leases from West Lake Quarry; the land is part of a 170-acre tract the port authority signed a lease agreement for in August 1979; since then, port officials have determined that for long-term development of the port site the property should be owned outright.

1965

Dr. Richard S. Brownlee of Columbia, Missouri, the director, secretary and librarian of the State Historical Society of Missouri, gives the address at old Apple Creek Presbyterian Church at Pocahontas following the annual religious service and a basket dinner; conducting the worship service is the Rev. Edward Watson, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Sikeston, Missouri.

Representatives of Cape Girardeau and Jackson tour parks in the Anna, Illinois, area with hopes of incorporating ideas into final plans for a park at the Cape Girardeau County Farm; the group tours Union County Park, Giant City State Park and Devil's Backbone at Grand Tower, Illinois.

1940

A daring, lone gunman robs the Western Union telegraph office at Broadway and Spanish Street of an undetermined amount of money at 10:45 a.m., while dozens of people pass by on Broadway and many more are on busy Main Street, only a block away; he makes good his escape in an automobile belonging to office manager Fred Frenzel.

A site near Dutchtown is now being considered for an airport, and still another will be carefully surveyed before a definite decision is made, says Dr. Rusby Seabaugh of Jackson; two tracts east of Dutchtown, which would be fairly convenient to both Jackson and Cape Girardeau, will be measured sufficiently for the federal airport authorities to determine their merits; the Siemers tract is about 600 acres and the Slagle farm is about 100 acres; how much acreage will be needed for the port depends upon the lay of the land.

1915

Census taker E.P. Ellis completed his enumeration of the school children of Cape Girardeau yesterday; his report to the school board indicates an increase of about 150 children more than last year; the total number is 2,960; of that number, 1,322 are white males and 1,387 white females; among the black children, there are 113 males and 138 females.

A.M. Tinsley, Louis Juden and Giboney Houck were called to Cairo, Illinois, on business yesterday; the notice came so late in the day, it was necessary for them to drive to Commerce, Missouri, where a ferryman took them across the river; Wade Anderson joined them there for the trip.

-- Sharon K. Sanders