Out of the past: Oct. 20

1995

Some things may get better with age, but not school buildings; replacing Cape Girardeau's aging elementary schools and constructing new buildings were top priorities at a Vision Planning meeting last night; about 30 people attended the meeting at the Junior High School; it was the sixth community meeting conducted by the Vision Planning Committee.

During his month in the Caribbean, Dr. C. John Ritter will enjoy the white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters, but the trip won't exactly be a vacation; Ritter, a Cape Girardeau physician, and his wife, Marcia, a nurse, will spend most of November at a clinic providing medical care to residents of Barbuda, a tiny island nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the island was battered by Hurricane Luis, and residents are still rebuilding; the Ritters are volunteers with the Doctors to the World program.

1970

If political oratory alone can win elections, the Democrats of Alexander County, Illinois, are a shoo-in in the Nov. 3 elections; joined by a number of party faithful from Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Missouri, they whooped it up last night in a rousing rally at the Purple Crackle Club in East Cape Girardeau; presiding at the event was Rep. Clyde Choate of Anna, majority whip of the Illinois House.

Missouri State Rep. Vernon Bruckerhoff of St. Marys tells The Southeast Missourian newspaper that, after reviewing an audit of Chester, Illinois, toll bridge financial records, he is going to call upon the City of Chester to free the bridge on Jan. 1, 1971.

1945

The 17th annual fall roundup for the Southeast Missouri Area Council of Boy Scouts, staged here yesterday afternoon and night, brought out 1,052 Scouts, Cubs and leaders from 40 troops, 18 Cub packs from 20 communities; those attending the roundup paraded to Houck Field House to see the Cape Girardeau Central High Tigers and the Anna-Jonesboro, Illinois, Community High School Wildcats battle to a 14-14 football tie.

Plans for the Navy Day observance here are being completed by Charles W. Bauerle, Navy Day chairman, and the Navy League chapter; USS LST 175 is expected to arrive here Sunday night from New Orleans and will remain here throughout the week; it will be open for inspection by the public Saturday; the LST is a veteran of the campaign in the Atlantic, including the Normandy invasion.

1920

Policeman Lee Atchison of the Main Street beat has arrested three young students he caught soaping the street car tracks at a point where they turn off Henderson Avenue onto Normal Avenue; street car motormen have been complaining for some time about a crowd of young men and boys congregating in the West End most evenings and placing soap on the tracks, causing the cars to slide on the downgrade; the miscreants are taken before juvenile officer Russell Dearmont, who lectures them, warning them not to repeat the offense and putting them on probation.

The coal situation in Cape Girardeau improves with the arrival of a number of railroad car loads of the needed fuel; it is said West End Fuel Co., received five carloads and Energy Coal Co., seven.

-- Sharon K. Sanders