Cape Girardeau History and Photos

April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

1967 Sagamore Ball

This has to rank as one of the three worst queen crownings I ever shot. When two out of three of the main players have their eyes closed and you can’t even SEE the eyes of the third person, then you should hang it up.

The April 10, 1967, Missourian caption under this photo said Mrs. Steven (Janet Brasier) Curtis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Braiser of Robertsville, is pictured as she was crowned Sagamore Queen in festivities Saturday evening at the annual Sagamore Ball held at the Arena Building. Officiating at the coronation was, at left, Miss Sandra DeClue, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas DeClue of Hazelwood. Miss DeClue has been editor this year and last of the Sagamore, college yearbook, in which Mrs. Curtis will be featured. At right is the queen’s escort, her husband.

Convoluted Missourian style

Married women usually didn’t didn’t have first names in The Missourian: they were always Mrs. Steven Curtis, never Janet Curtis. I’m sure it threw the society editor for a loop when she had to figure out what to call a married college woman. Even as a married woman, she was still identified as the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. so-and-so. Notice that her husband didn’t have his lineage traced.

The shot of them approaching the steps is a nicer picture, but I guess you had to have the actual moment of coronation.

Photographer usually tipped off

Someone generally came up to the photographer in advance to let him know who the winner was going to be so we could be in the right place. We had to do it without being obvious. In this case, I wonder if I didn’t get the advance warning. That would be odd, because I shot for both The Sagamore and The Capaha Arrow while I was working at The Missourian.

Women with crowns

April 10, 2013

Girl Scouts and Head Start

I wrote a story for the July 15, 1967 Youth Page about Senior Girl Scouts working with Cape Girardeau’s Head Start program. Here’s the story and some photos that didn’t run. You can click on the photos to make them larger.

This is the caption for the one photo that WAS published: Johnnie Bell enjoys an apple snack under the encouraging smile of Miss Barbara Heye, one of five Senior Girl Scouts working with the Cape Girardeau Head Start program as volunteer teachers assistants. Johnnie is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bell, Pecan Street, and Miss Heye is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Heye, 1651 Perryville Road. There are 176 children enrolled in the federally-financed program designed to prepare young children for regular school experiences.

Girls “dearly love it”

Five Senior Girl Scouts who have been working with Head Start at Jefferson School this summer “dearly love it,” Mrs. Stanley G. Diehl, troop leader, said today.

The Misses Carmen Anderson, Louann Diehl, Barbara Heye, Mary Jane Seay and Susie Fox have been working full time as volunteer teachers assistants.

They are members of Troop 100.

“I really liked it,” commented Miss Seay. “From the first day I enjoyed working with the children.”

The Central High School senior added, “When you first look out and look in this thing, you’d think it wouldn’t work. I think it helps them a lot!”

Miss Fox agreed: “I think it’s great! The kids love it – and I’m having a great time, too.”

Have seen change in youngsters

Most of the girls have noted a change in the youngsters since the program’s start four weeks ago.

“The first week I was here, the kids were kind of shy,” Miss Fox observed. “Now we get along just great.”

“Getting along really well”

Miss Anderson also found this shyness a barrier initially, “but lately we’ve been getting along really well.”

“The children are a lot more forward now,” Miss Seay has found. “The first day they kind of shied away, but they’re more outgoing now and they’re talking more.”

Need note of authority

One thing the girls have learned from their experiences this summer is the psychology of dealing with young children. “You have to be nice to them, but you also have to have a note of authority so they’ll respect you,” Miss Anderson discovered. She found the experience particularly valuable because she hopes to teach at a private camp next summer.

“Great opportunity: for girls

Mrs. Diehl said that working with Head Start has been a “great opportunity” for the girls.

In addition to the five full-time helpers, there are a number of other Girl Scouts who help in the Head Start program.

Miss Anderson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G.L. Anderson, Kage Road; Miss Diehl is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley G. Diehl; Miss Heye is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Heye, 1651 Perryville Road; Miss Seay is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Seay, 1520 Jane;, and Miss Fox is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milford Fox, 415 South Missouri.

Head Start prepares for regular school

Head Start, the official explain, is meant to help some children from moderate income families gain experiences they need to get full value from regular public school programs.

Specifically, the program is “planned primarily to help children who who lacked opportunity and encouragement to develop mentally, physically and socially to the maximum of their potential.”

Ride buses to school

In the morning, the Head Start youngsters are picked up by bus at their homes. After they arrive at school, they are given breakfast to develop group eating habits. [The boy’s name tag reads “Luther Howard – 748 Giboney.]

The half-day sessions alternate play periods with learning and resting periods.

Field trips

Field trips – by bus and by foot – give the the children a chance to see what goes on on a farm, at the airport, at a grocery store. Visits by policemen, firemen and other city officials give them an opportunity to learn about the roles of these community helpers.

About 180 Cape Girardeau children are taking part in Head Start.

April 9, 2013August 1, 2021

Three’s a Crowd

I was scanning the 1970 Athens, Ohio, fair this afternoon and ran across this picture that captures a universal fair experience. I’m sure you could see the same thing at the Southeast Missouri District Fair.

If I remember correctly, I covered about 13 fairs like this in The Athens Messenger’s circulation area. And, that’s not counting the settler’s reunions, centennial celebrations, homecomers and high school parades. When Nancy, my help desk person at The Post, wanted to know if I was going to the South Florida Fair, I told her I had long ago been to all the fairs I hoped to ever see in my lifetime.

[Update: I had originally written these photos were taken at Glouster, but my eagle-eyed friends at the Athens Historical Society said they were of the Athens County Fair. I made the mistake because the first negative sleeve said “Glouster Fire” with the word “Fair” on the line under it. I assumed that I had shot both a fire AND a fair in Glouster. All the subsequent rolls just said “Fair.”

See, I can be wrong in more states than just Missouri.

Photo Gallery of Athens Fair

I was going to run just the one photos, but, what the heck, these were already edited. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the sides of the images to move through the gallery. (You’ll understand, won’t you, if I don’t come along to the fair with you?)

April 7, 2013

Central vs Chaffee Baseball

As usual, I’m confused. The negative sleeve said CHS vs Chaffee 4/29/67, the uniforms say Central and Chaffee and the school in the background looks like Central, but The Missourian’s sport section said Notre Dame was playing Chaffee and Central was playing Oran. So, like the cheating husband who got caught said, “Who are you going to believe me, or your lying eyes?”