Out of the past: Oct. 28

1997

A disappointing turnout on the last day of the first-ever City of Roses Festival hasn't discouraged the promoter from planning to stage another festival next year; while the first two nights were big successes, the final night was a different story; only about 1,000 persons paid the $10 admission to a concert featuring such nationally known acts as Memphis' Rufus Thomas and the blues-rock band Tora Tora along with a popular retro-disco band from St. Louis called Dr. Zhivegas; organizers had hoped for an attendance of 2,500.

A publication by the Regional Commerce and Growth Association will offer a wealth of business information on the area; RCGA's "A Blueprint for Progress" directory will contain population demographics, labor statistics, buying information on industrial suppliers and manufacturers, and information on chambers of commerce and their members; the publication, sponsored by the RCGA and chambers of commerce of Southeast Missouri, is expected to be available in early 1998.

1972

The downtown A&P supermarket is closing, but a new food service facility will locate there under the operation of a longtime Cape Girardeau family business that is expanding; J. Ronald Fischer announces he and his wife, Edna Ruth, have leased the large building at 19 N. Spanish St., now occupied by the supermarket, and will begin operating Super Shops Market there in late January.

Speaking to a cheering crowd of Cape Girardeau County Democrats last night, Sen. Stuart Symington, D-Mo., declared Richard M. Nixon "wants to be president of the world"; the veteran senator who once eyed the presidency himself said President Nixon is an expert in the art of political double-talk.

1947

Fire at noon guts the interior of a shop in the J.V. Priest Building at Jackson, occupied by Kamp & Short Radio Service, with damage estimated by Fire Chief Charles F. Steck at $15,000; damage to two apartments on the second floor, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Charles East and Mr. and Mrs. George Priest, is limited to smoke; the building is in the block on Highway 25 immediately south of the post office.

To cost in excess of $115,000, a one-story brick addition will be built to the Farmers & Merchants Bank, Sprigg and Good Hope streets; the present building will undergo a complete renovation; the contract has been let to the Bank Building & Equipment Corp. in St. Louis, which will sublet contracts to local contractors when possible; the addition, which will be a 45-by-49-foot brick structure, will adjoin the present building on the south; among other things, it will house two doubly-reinforced vaults.

1922

A campaign to put a stop to the great number of violations of the traffic ordinances in Cape Girardeau, and to "stamp out carelessness in handling automobiles," is inaugurated by the police department under orders of acting chief H.F. Wickham; "No warnings will be issued, the offender will have to answer to the law," declares the chief.

Teachers College students had a great time at their Halloween party last night; a variety of masked students represented a large number of humorous characters; the best of these was Robert Bass, who took first place for originality and humor; the College Dramatic Club took first place in organization stunts.

-- Sharon K. Sanders