Out of the past: Dec. 17

1995

A living nativity pageant is presented by the Hanover Lutheran Youth Group and Men's Club; it is held on the church parking lot at 2949 Perryville Road and includes a donkey for Mary and camels for the Wise Men; the program also features music, carols and a narration of the Christmas story; refreshments are served in the parish hall.

For the first time in Oak Ridge history, the high school gymnasium has a new hardwood floor; the athletes and coaches are excited about the new addition to the facilities, which was installed in July; the original gym floor was tile; in 1983, a carpet floor was installed to replace the tile; injuries and the cost of maintenance were the deciding factors to install the new floor.

1970

Connie Bilek of Millersville Route 1 is the first to register in Cape Girardeau County under the federal 18-year-old voting act; however, she is one of only a few Southeast Missouri young people between 18 and 21 who have taken advantage of the federal legislation.

The percentage of unemployed in Cape Girardeau County is 3.8% of the work force, substantially under the state's figure of 4.2% and identical 5.8% amounts in St. Louis and Kansas City; Florsheim Shoe Co., with 664 employees, is the largest employer in Cape Girardeau; Charmin Paper Products has 551 and Ralph Edwards Sportswear 275.

1945

True Taylor, superintendent of Southeast Hospital the past two years, is expected to tender his resignation to the board of directors tomorrow night in order to accept the superintendency of Bethesda General Hospital and Associated Charities in St. Louis; Mrs. Taylor, county director of the Social Security Commission, also has submitted her resignation, but will continue her work until a successor is chosen.

After hitting a season's low of 9 degrees yesterday morning, the mercury rebounds with 21 degrees being recorded overnight; another cold wave is developing in the North and is predicted to reach this area Wednesday.

1920

Professor John H. Gehrs, head of the department of agriculture at Teachers College, leaves in the afternoon for Oak Ridge to assist in a community program and to also talk on "Consolidation of Schools"; the school at Oak Ridge, under the direction of principal Earnest Ford and Glen Smith, has been made a second-class high school, with 12 units of approved work.

W.H. Stubblefield Jr., is elected president of the Cape Girardeau County Fair Association for the ensuing year; W.F. Bergmann is chosen vice president, and R.G. Whitelaw is named secretary and treasurer; F.E. McDonald is named superintendent of grounds.

-- Sharon K. Sanders