Red House project looking for volunteers

And speaking of regional history of interest to many: The Cape Girardeau Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission is moving along at a steady clip on the reconstruction of the Red House Interpretive Center.

The vertical-log center is a reconstruction of Cape Girardeau founder Don Louis Lorimier's trading post, where explorer Meriwether Lewis spent the evening of Nov. 23, 1803.

The interpretive center is being constructed in conjunction with Lewis and Clark bicentennial events across the nation. Work on it will begin May 2, and the local commission has mailed fund-raising letters to businesses and clubs. The commission also is soliciting volunteers to provide labor for the actual construction of the house, which will be located near the floodwall in front of Old St. Vincent's Church.

Commission members already have completed much work on the Red House replica, including the planning and the foundation. Building it will be a great way to bring members of the community together for a common goal.

Those in a position to do so certainly should consider giving their time and other resources to make the project a success.