CONSTRUCTION OF LEXINGTON MEANS NAME CHANGES FOR CAPE STREETS

Construction of Lexington Avenue means address changes for residents of north Cape Girardeau.

The City Council recently voted to change the name of Melody Lane to Lexington Avenue and change Melody Lane South to Melody Lane.

The name changes started years ago when Melody Lane was a gravel road in the county. A small spur off the road came to be known as Melody Lane South. Both were annexed into the city, along with the homes along them.

When city planners routed the new part of Lexington, the section attached to old Lexington went parallel to the gravel roadbed. The logical choice, said City Planner Kent Bratton, was to rename the new section Lexington Avenue. They also wanted to revise the spur's name, and residents wanted to keep it close to the original.

"Melody Lane South is actually in the north part of town," Bratton said. "So we just took off the `south.'"

The changes become effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday. House numbers on new Lexington and Melody will remain the same.

That is important information to businesses that rely on accurate addresses, but the best reason to know your accurate name and address is for emergency services.

Every time a street name change occurs in Cape Girardeau, 911 system specialist Beckie Figliolo enters it into the system. "When you call an ambulance, you want them to be able to find you," Figliolo said.

Mike Niemeier, 911 addressing technician for Cape Girardeau County, said he has been adding new street names to the system. Each time two or more residences or business buildings are established on a road, it must be named.