Out of the past: Oct. 16

1997

NASA simulator crew leader Kurt Restemeyer returned to Cape Girardeau yesterday to deliver inspirational words and a piece of space history to Central High School students; Restemeyer, a space shuttle simulator crew leader in Houston, Texas, is a 1979 graduate of Central; he returned to the school to present a plaque and replica of a Tiger lapel pin that flew for 16 days on the space shuttle Columbia mission that lifted off on Nov. 19, 1996.

When John Schneider turned 35 years old, he thought he should get "a little more active," so he started training for a triathlon; on Saturday, the former Cape Girardeau resident will race in the premier event for the sport, the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii; Schneider, 39, is the son of John and Loretta Schneider of Cape Girardeau; he lived in Cape Girardeau until 1985, when he moved to North Carolina.

1972

Atty. Gen. John C. Danforth, Republican seeking reelection to a second term, has failed to serve Missourians by making the office administrative rather than issue oriented, his Democratic opponent, State Rep. James E. Spain, D-Bloomfield, charged here yesterday; Spain said the office has "unlimited potential" to serve the public, but Danforth is using it only as a steppingstone to higher office.

Whether preliminary ground work for construction of the Instrument Landing System at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport begins this fall or is delayed until next spring depends upon the weather, says City Manager W.G. Lawley; the City Council wil open bids Wednesday on the preliminary excavating work, which must be completeed before actual installation of the instrumentation that will help guide aircraft into the airport during inclement weather can begin.

1947

Title to the main part of Courthouse Park, proposed as the site for a new post office building, is acquired by the federal government through filing of a formal "declaration of taking" against the ground, a plot measuring 280 by 240 feet; as a token payment, the government delivers a check of $1 into registry of the court, representing compensation for the land.

The festive air which always characterizes the event is in evidence at State College in the morning as teachers from the 23-county area making up the college district converge for the 72nd renewal of the Southeast Missouri Teachers Association convention; the morning session features an address by Cong. Karl E. Mundt of South Dakota; the two-day conclave, replete with speakers, music and information on teaching trends, won't close until after Friday night's football game at Houck Stadium.

1922

James Kantowitz, 50, of St. Louis, a traveling salesman stopping at the St. Charles Hotel, is injured when he is hit by a street car at the intersection of Main and Themis streets shortly after noon; he sustains a probable fracture of the knee, severe lacerations of the legs and body, and a cut on his head from being thrown to the pavement by the impact of the fast-moving car.

Herbert F. Wickham, Main Street patrolman, takes up his duties as acting chief of Cape Girardeau, succeeding the late Jeff Hutson; stern of hearing, yet with a keen sense of humor, Wickham will likely prove popular with the law-abiding element; he is naturally secretive, talks little, but is quick to action; at 5 feet, 8 inches in height, he weighs nearly 200 pounds, mostly bone and muscle; years of experience in the U.S. Army have put him in excellent trim and given him confidence in his ability.

-- Sharon K. Sanders