Ken Steinhoff, Author at Cape Girardeau History and Photos

August 17, 2011September 18, 2011

Fountain Street Community Garden and Robert Harris

I was riding my bike through South Cape when I spotted the Fountain Street Community Garden not far from Fort D. I had seen it before, but it’s a lot easier to pull your bike up on the sidewalk and go exploring than it is to park your car.

Flowers and food

I’m not someone who is good at identifying plants. I divide the world of green into poison ivy and not poison ivy. I DID recognize tomato plants that didn’t appear to have any tomatoes on them and hordes of okra.

I know what okra is because Daughter-in-Law Sarah was the second Okrafest Queen in the small Central Florida town Apopka. It’s only been in the last couple of years that she’s dispensed with the requirement that we bow and curtsey in her presence.

Robert Harris, a remarkable man

When researching the history of the garden, I ran across a number of stories about Robert Harris, a bus driver with the Cape Girardeau School District and a Master Gardener. The man helped create the Cape Girardeau Community Garden Project beginning with this plot of land. Later, he took over the Red Star Baptist Church garden on North Main Street. The vegetables, one story said, goes to senior citizens or people with health conditions unable to leave their homes. Some of the vegetables, including squash, tomatoes and green beans are left in small bins next to the gardens for anyone who needs them.

Here are just a few of the Missourian stories and editorials about Mr. Harris. I would like to have met him. Comments to stories generally contain at least one disparaging or contentious remark. It’s worth noting that there’s not one negative comment in any of the stories about Mr. Harris. Every one is effusive in praise for this man whose life’s mission is to help others.

June 14, 2005 – Robert Harris and his mother, Bernice, are growing vegetables for the needy on an empty flood but-out lot.
January 16, 2007 – Robert Harris recognized with Dr. C. John Ritter Humanitarian Award
July 8, 2009 – Community gardens fulfill one dream of Cape Girardeau bus driver
March 30, 2011 – Advocate for South Cape sees dream fulfilled with new Shawnee Park Center
April 5, 2011 – Letter to the editor: If Robert could he would have every vacant lot in Cape Girardeau planted with produce waiting for harvest.

August 16, 2011September 18, 2011

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau Construction Update

I was riding my bike north on the new (to me) river trail that ends at Sloan Creek. I could hear construction equipment on the land side of the floodwall, so I welcomed an opportunity to go up a gravel road leading to the top of the levee to take a peek. Here’s what I saw. This is on the north end of the Casino construction zone. (You can click on the photo to make it larger.)

Aerial from April

This is what the area looked like in April. The recent photo was taken just south of the power substation in this picture. You can see the white concrete river trail running along the water’s edge. Where the concrete seawall ends and the earthen levee begins, it jogs to the east. Just beyond it, you can see the gravel access road I went up. The photo was taken on the south end of the gravel area, looking slightly southwest.

Here are other casino area aerial photos taken in April 2011 and November 2010.

August 14, 2011June 30, 2016

Esicar’s Auction Aug. 21

Rumors have become reality. The building that housed Cape Girardeau’s landmark business, Esicar’s, will be sold at auction Aug. 21 at noon. Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller wrote that the three-story building, its contents and the one-acre site it sits on will be sold. Included in the items up for sale is Esicar’s original brass cash register, antique furniture, meat processing equipment, coolers, and a concession trailer.

This will be the end

A business like Esicar’s can survive one owner change, but I gather from comments that I’ve read and heard that the current owner didn’t have the loyal following of the original family.

When it’s sold this time, it’s going to be like the classic story of the man who was offered an axe owned by George Washington. The prospective buyer hefted it and said, “It looks awfully new to have belonged to George Washington.”

“Well, to be honest, it’s had three new handles and two heads since Washington used it.”

I think the Esicar spirit left the building well in advance of the auction. I’m going to predict that an entirely different business will go into the building when it’s all over.

Earlier links

I admit never having been a fan of Esicar’s and was taken to task by my readers. You’d have thought I had said that McDonald’s was better than the Blue Hole.

I speculated that Esicar’s was closed because the store didn’t show any signs of life.

August 14, 2011September 22, 2011

On a Wing and a Prayer

Passengers walking out on the tarmac at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport had to pass this guy – the largest praying mantis I’ve ever encountered. There are a lot of unknowns: I don’t know if he was praying for the passenger walking by or he (she?) was planning on flying out later.

Filing a flight plan

I also don’t know if he (she?) was filing a flight plan with the tower or a Higher Authority.

Cool factoids about the Praying Mantis:

It has been called the perfect predator because of its ability to rotate its head 180 degrees, its eyesight and its quick reflexes.
Insects form the primary diet, but larger species have been known to prey on small scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, fish, and even rodents; they will prey upon any species small enough to successfully capture and devour.
When flying at night, at least some mantises are able to detect the echolocation sounds produced by bats, and when the frequency begins to increase rapidly, indicating an approaching bat, they will stop flying horizontally and begin a descending spiral toward the safety of the ground, often preceded by an aerial loop or spin.
Depending on which study you read, the females will or will not bite the head off the male during or shortly after mating. A lot depends on whether or not she’s hungry and how quickly the male disappears. One report says, “this behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction.” Do we find THAT surprising?
Tens of thousands of egg cases are sold each year to organic gardeners who use the Mantis as a biological pest control.

Moonlight Ramble madness

Crazy Brother Mark convinced me to sign up for a 13-mile Moonlight Ramble bike ride in St. Louis Saturday night. I can handle the 13 miles. I rode a little over 20 this afternoon after almost two months out of the saddle to see if it’s true that you never forget how. The part of my body that sits needs some toughening up, I found.

The problem is that we’ll be heading out at about 1 in the morning to ride the 13 miles, along with about 10,000 other crazy people. I’m used to riding at night and I’m used to being up doing this blog at 2 in the morning. Putting riding and 2 a.m. and 10,000 in the same sentence is the unusual part. I see several naps in my future.

If you don’t see anything posted Sunday morning, that’s why.

UPDATE

Right after I wrote that Friday night, the Internet service provider at the location in Florida that hosts my blogs and email crashed, keeping me from posting this for you to read Saturday morning. That’s why you’re getting this on Sunday. Let’s see how the Moonlight Ramble goes. You might get an update from it, but don’t count on it until later.

Update to the Update

OK, I didn’t make it up to the Moonlight Ramble. My woes with ground transportation are almost as bad as my experiences in the air. Brother Mark is shooting some photos of the ride. I’ll fill you in when his pictures arrive. For now, though, here’s your Saturday morning story on Sunday morning. If you have to penalize me a letter grade for turning it in late, I guess you’ll have to do what you have to do.