CAPE GIRARDEAU COULD HAVE FLAG BY RIVERFEST

Cape Girardeau's new city flag could be flying in time for Riverfest.

At least that's the date members of Cape Girardeau's Class of 2000 are shooting for.

Students and members of the Vision 2000 Community Relations Council met Wednesday night at Central High School to begin reviewing guidelines for the contest to design a city flag.

"We've got a lot of finalizing to do," said Katie McLain, a Cape Central student and a member of the guidelines committee.

The organizers will review the entry guidelines, and entry packets for interested artists should be available in December, said Julia Jorgensen, a Central High teacher, and Melvin Gateley, a member of the City Council and Vision 2000.

A tentative schedule calls for designs to be submitted through January.

Plans now tentatively call for seeking designs for two flags: a children's flag to be designed by youngsters 12 and under and flown at local schools, the library and other "kid-friendly" sites; and the official city flag.

Jorgensen called the idea of a children's flag "adorable."

Three student committees have been set up for the contest: One to draw up the guidelines for entries, one to decide how the winning entries will be chosen and a third to publicize the contest and its outcome.

Vision 2000's Community Relations Council will be in charge of looking for sponsors to donate prizes for the winning artists.

Only Cape Girardeau residents will be allowed to submit designs.

"We want this to be an original flag for Cape Girardeans, by Cape Girardeans," Jorgensen said.

Right now organizers want as much feedback on the contest as they can get, said Jennifer Markin, a Notre Dame student and a member of the publicity committee.

"It's pretty much open to whoever's interested and any ideas," she said.

Cape Girardeau author and Southeast Missourian columnist Jean Bell Mosley will write a historical overview of Cape Girardeau to be included in all entry packets, said Gateley. The overview will help give interested artists an idea of significant events in the city's history, which will help them tailor their designs, said Gateley.

William Green, a member of Vision 2000's Community Relations Council, called the contest "absolutely exciting."

"It might be some old bald-headed man who designs it at home on his computer, and you won't even know it until you see the entry on the back," Green told the students.

He said designing the winning entry will guarantee the artist a measure of immortality: The Missouri state flag was conceived and designed by Cape Girardeau's very own Marie Elizabeth Watkins Oliver.

"It's not going to be exactly like the Stars and Stripes of the United States, but it's going to be something special," Green said.

A group of students at Southeast Missouri State University originally suggested holding a contest for a city flag in 1992.

Gateley said Vision 2000 supported the idea at the time, but was busy organizing the city's bicentennial celebration. So the Class of 2000 seemed like a natural choice to lead the contest.