CITY PLANS EVENTS FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK NEXT WEEK

The Cape Girardeau Public Works Department has planned several activities to commemorate National Public Works Week May 17-21.

Emmett Baker, the city's special projects coordinator, said tours of the water plant on East Cape Rock Drive, the recycling center on rear Broadview and the waste-water plant on Third Street can be scheduled with a call to the public works department.

On May 20, city officials will present a slide show and demonstration at Louis J. Schultz School. The program will show the seventh-grade students the activities of the public works department.

Steve Triplett, solid-waste coordinator, said two programs will be presented to the students at 9:20 and 10:06 a.m.

"We're going to put together a slide show, have some literature, and hopefully introduce some new items for city recycling," Triplett said. "We'll also demonstrate new equipment: the new street sweeper and our sewer maintenance camera."

Baker said that on May 21, the public will be invited to an open house from 1:30-4 p.m. at the city's public works building, the water plant and, "if the river is cooperating," the waste-water treatment plant.

"Those buildings will be open for tours Friday afternoon," Baker said. "We'll also have demonstrations set up at the public works building to show people some of our equipment and how it works."

Baker said this is the first year the city has done anything to recognize National Public Works Week.

"This is something where people can become aware of what goes on in public works," he said. "There are several divisions that are very important in this department, and we've taken on another important division with the acquisition of the water system."

"The most everybody hears of us is when there's a problem," Triplett added. "We want to let them know that we're busy with projects other than just when there's a snowstorm or flood or some kind of problem."