EXPANDED RECREATION FOR YOUNG, OLD URGED

A citizens committee formed last year to study recreation needs in Cape Girardeau has recommended that more activities and programs be available for the young and the old.

Members of the committee Monday presented their recommendations to the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Sandy Essner, who served on the committee, also said the city needs to improve access to city parks and recreation programs, particularly for south-side residents.

"One of the biggest things we felt was a problem was access to facilities and programs for people in the south end of Cape," Essner said.

Recreation coordinator Penny Wingerter agreed. She said, "If you look at a map of Cape and you look at where all the activities are, it's a long way.

"I used to live in that end of town, and a lot of the programs have moved, and continue to move, further north."

Essner suggested the city consider making programs available in south-side schools during the summer, or transporting residents to activities and facilities in other parts of town.

Debbie Schumer, also a member of the committee, suggested several new programs for children, including:

20A beginning gymnastics or coordination class.

A "mom's morning or day off" program that would enable mothers to drop off children at a recreation program for a couple of hours at a time.

Dual enrollment for activities that would enable parents and children to participate in activities during the same time.

A birthday program in which recreation facilities are rented for special events such as birthdays.

Committee member Glen Wade said the group also recommended additional recreation opportunities for senior citizens and people who are handicapped.

Some of the committee's recommendations include:

20A walking path at one of the city's parks.

Outdoor and indoor areas for card or tournament board games.

A master's softball league for senior citizens.

A par three golf tournament or course.

20Shuffle board facilities.

Low-impact chair or water aerobics classes.

One-day outings, such as trips to ball games, tours of historic sites or shopping trips.

20Dance lessons and indoor and outdoor socializing areas.

Wade said that in the category of therapeutic recreation, the city offers little.

"I really don't know how great the need is, but there's always a certain percentage of the population that's handicapped," he said.

Wade suggested handicapped-accessible fishing peers, playgrounds and "more adaptable recreation classes."

Essner said there also should be at least one nature trail in the city that's wheelchair accessible.

Aside from the recommendations, the committee devised through the efforts of Essner and her husband a computer program to assess what programs and activities are available through the parks and recreation department and private and commercial facilities.

The information may be retrieved from a computer by looking up various categories, such as age group, activity, or facility.

The committee recommended that computers with the data be available in centralized locations in the city, for the convenience of residents.

Wade said an article on the computer program will appear in a forthcoming issue of "Parks and Recreation" magazine.

In other business at Monday's meeting, Bob Hoppmann told board members that the Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to be situated in a new multi-purpose building that will be built as part of a city recreation project.

Hoppmann is the chairman of the CVB Advisory Board. The recreation project, which will include the building at a new park near the intersection of Kingshighway and Mt. Auburn Road and construction of a softball and soccer complex at Shawnee Park, will be funded with excess city tourism funds.