CVB sponsorship keeps River Heritage Museum, other sites open longer

When the River Heritage Museum opens its doors for the season, it will be for longer because of sponsorship by the Convention and Visitors Bureau that began Thursday and ends Sept. 14.

Three other downtown attractions — the Red House Interpretive Center, Old St. Vincent's Church and the Glenn House — will also benefit from the sponsorship.

"We'll only be closed on Mondays," said Marge Thompson, director of the River Heritage Museum.

Before, the museum was open only on Fridays and Saturdays. "Thanks to the CVB, the museum will be open four more days a week, a trial period through September," Thompson said. "Hopefully this format, with careful monitoring, will indicate a trend concerning tourist traffic. As director of the museum, I am excited to have this opportunity for more exposure for the public to enjoy our local attractions."

A featured exhibit on renowned local author Jean Bell Mosley, who died in 2003, will start the season at the museum.

Mosley wrote for various publications — 17 newspapers, including the Southeast Missourian, and 81 magazines — for more than 50 years. She also wrote five books. Mosley vignettes flow throughout the museum in between permanent exhibitions about the Missouri state flag, police and fire history and areas dedicated to life on the Mississippi River.

Viney Mosley, Jean Bell Mosley's daughter-in-law, said, "She never used a word processor. Everything was written in longhand and then on a typewriter." Jean Bell Mosley's typewriter and desk, along with other personal items, are part of the exhibit.

The porch swing she loved, a few of the medals she received including a C.S. Lewis Silver Award, a picture of the one-room school where she taught at before her writing career and dresses she wore to receptions where she was honored at make the exhibits come alive.

A fan letter from Mr. J.C. Penney, who was grateful to have access the article "How Rich Can You Be?" via a recording provided by Reader's Digest for the visually impaired, is among the personal correspondence that delves into the Mosley's life.

The CVB's sponsorship is intended to promote the sustainability of the not-for-profit organizations.

"If you're really going to be reaching out, it's paramount that your attractions have an edge," CVB director Chuck Martin said. "It is important for people to come to our community and the attractions be open."

The CVB is reaching out to a market that will alter summer travel plans because of the increase in gas prices. Promoting Cape Girardeau as a great regional destination only one tank of gas away from residents in surrounding states "is a good and timely use of funding when considering gas prices at $3.50 a gallon will more than likely change most people's travel plans," Martin said.

Martin knows that small not-for-profits don't have the resources to be open six days a week. "What we are trying to do is move them up to the next level," he said.

"The money is from an unspent fund, and during the first year will pay $23,000 split between the four attractions from May 1 to mid-September," Martin said. "We are funded by a hotel/motel/restaurant tax. We'll meet at the end of September and look at future funding. If there's little or no success, we will evaluate annually."

Next year it is hoped that the CVB will provide only 75 percent of the funding and not-for-profits will be able to meet the challenge of providing the other 25 percent.

Thompson thinks that obligation can be met if the CVB funding is continued the second year. "We have been paying for two days for a number of years. This is always in our annual budget. We will just have to have a fundraiser or sponsor," she said.

How the not-for-profits spend the money is flexible.

"If they have a board member that wants to serve as a docent to save money, they can do that," Martin said. Part of the agreement is for the not-for-profits to keep track of visitors they have throughout the day and submit the information monthly.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133

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