Out of the past 7/29/03

10 years ago: July 29, 1993

Sandbaggers and flood workers continue to shore up for next week's record 48.5-foot Mississippi River flood crest at Cape Girardeau; river here continues to rise slowly, having fallen 1.6 feet over weekend following breach of Perry County levee near McBride; yesterday's river stage was 45.8 feet.

Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau has new director; Mary Foote Miller, manager of Cape Girardeau Country Club for past eight years, will become new bureau head Aug. 16; bureau, which promotes tourism and conventions in Cape Girardeau area, is now operated as new division of city.

25 years ago: July 29, 1978

Bids will be opened Monday by Southeast Missouri State University for construction of new 400-meter outdoor track; earth work for new track is under way; PCA Landgrading Inc. of Matthews, Mo., began work July 12 at site located off Bertling Street, just west of old Sprigg Street intersection.

Group of volunteer workers continues site preparation for new volunteer fire department-city hall building at Gordonville; volunteers are filling and leveling site on Route OO at intersection with Gordonville School entrance; equipment and fuel have been donated by Allen Thieret Excavating Co.

50 years ago: July 29, 1953

Nine women picketing J. & S. Clothing Co. factory in Jackson are arrested and temporarily placed in jail in morning following disturbance in front of plant; charges of unlawful assembly, peace disturbance and one of common assault will be filed against women, all members of garment union in Cape Girardeau.

Contest of Champions, bringing to Cape Girardeau for competition best drum and bugle corps in United States, will be conducted at Houck Stadium night of Sept. 2; Louis K. Juden Post of American Legion will sponsor event, which is expected to draw spectators from Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, western Kentucky and Tennessee and northeast Arkansas.

75 years ago: July 29, 1928

The Rev. Alphonse Mendenhall, pastor of First Christian Church, preaches in evening at union services at Courthouse Park; his subject is "Conservation of Our Resources."

New smokestack is nearing completion at plant of Missouri Utilities Co.; it will be one of tallest structures of its kind in Southeast Missouri; its altitude will be 205 feet; it will replace present chimney, a 150-foot steel structure; new stack's base will measure 15 1/2 feet in diameter, and it will gradually diminish to outside diameter of 9 feet at top; wall at base is 13 1/2 inches thick, which also diminishes in thickness to 5 inches at top.

-- Sharon K. Sanders