Out of the past 4/8/02

10 years ago: April 8, 1992

Kathy Swan, who emphasized need for better communication between Cape Girardeau Board of Education and community, won election Tuesday to one-year term on board; she defeated Jeff Daniel by nearly 2-1 margin; incumbents Ed Thompson and Lyle Davis won re-election to three-year terms, running unopposed.

Jackson - By margin of 57 percent to 43 percent, Jackson School District voters Tuesday rejected 35-cent increase in district's tax levy; Jackson school officials weren't alone in their inability to convince voters that additional funding was needed; five other area school districts sought tax increases, with two districts, Perry County and Advance, also seeking approval of school bond issues; only Advance voters passed bond issue and 38-cent operating levy hike.

25 years ago: April 8, 1977

Cape Girardeau industrial plant chairman Ralph L. Edwards, has appealed to U.S. Rep. Bill D. Burlison to take steps to help stem tide of imports which he says is closing plants and costing jobs in United States; Edwards is chairman of board of Ralph L. Edwards Sportswear, Inc., which has plants in Cape Girardeau, Puxico and Sikeston; three plants employ about 400 people and manufacture leather jackets.

Like most everything else, prices for Easter treats are up; increase isn't as great as in 1975, when chocolate prices jumped as much as 30 percent, but overall price of filling Easter baskets has gone up estimated 100 percent in past five years.

50 years ago: April 8, 1952

Telephone service is interrupted in Cape Girardeau for time in morning when Western Electric Co. installers placing dial equipment in Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. exchange throw picket line around building; employees of Western Electric are on strike in 43 states; picket line appears shortly before 6 a.m. and continues until 8:15 a.m., when it is withdrawn; shifts of operators due to go on duty at 7 and 8 stay outside, declining to cross line.

Family of Marine M-Sgt. and Mrs. Lawrence W. Stout of Cape Girardeau have three new recruits; healthy triplets, two boys and girl, are born between 5:27 and 5:35 a.m. at St. Francis Hospital; mother and babies are doing fine.

75 years ago: April 8, 1927

Falling two inches overnight, Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau continues to recede slowly with little effect shown, as yet, from heavy rains yesterday; river stage in morning is 36.3 feet.

Missouri Rotarians, closing out their annual two-day conference, hold public meeting in evening at Teachers College auditorium, at which Harry H. Rogers, president of Rotary International and world-wide figure in this work, is principal speaker.

- Sharon K. Sanders