FEW EVENTS SCHEDULED TO RECOGNIZE EARTH DAY

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Unlike last year, few activities are planned to celebrate Earth Day this year.

Last year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, area residents participated in numerous activities, including a parade and festival, a mile run, and a Trail of Tears Litter Drive.

This Saturday listeners of Cape Girardeau radio station Y105 will plant 105 scotch pine trees in Cape Girardeau County Park, the radio station said.

"We have already signed up the 105 people we are looking for," station general manager Mark Huffman said Wednesday. "We'll probably take some more because people may have last-minute change of plans or people who signed up may drop off."

The station can be reached by calling 334-4870.

Huffman said the station had used an on-air campaign over the last couple of weeks to recruit station listeners to plant the trees, which the station purchased from the state. The station wanted to do something in connection with Earth Day, he said, as well as something to involve its listeners.

"Since we're radio, we don't get to see them face-to-face often."

A group of environmental-conscious students at Cape Central High School also have some activities planned for Monday. The activities will be held at the close of classes.

The Student Alliance for a Vital Earth (SAVE) will sponsor guest speaker Jonell McNeely, who is with the environmental section of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said SAVE faculty sponsor Kathy Langenfeld.

Students will also perform skits and erect displays related to environmental issues.

The Earth Day 1990 - Heartland Region organization, the coordinator of last year's events, has nothing planned this year, said Earth Day Co-Coordinator Alan Journet.

"We've been focusing on long-term activities in terms of the nature of our organization. We've been continuing to do things ... but it is simply that we're not focusing on (Earth Day)," he said.

For one, organization members have focused their energy on gaining affiliation with the Sierra Club. Journet said the organization is applying for accreditation with the club to become a Southeast Missouri group within the club's Ozark Chapter of Missouri. Locally, the Earth Day organization will become the Sierra Club's Trail of Tears group.