GROUP CITES NEED FOR MORE SOUTH CAPE INVOLVEMENT

With four months to go before summer, it's time to look for better ways to include residents of South Cape Girardeau in the life of the whole community, the Rev. David Allen said.

Youths are often isolated, lacking transportation to summer programs offered in other parts of the city, Allen said.

This has helped create some of the tensions and stereotypes that exist and was evidenced in last summer's confrontations with police, he said.

Allen's view is shared by Police Chief Rick Hetzel, business leaders and southside residents who have been meeting as part of the Community Leadership Group.

The group is designed to come up with potential solutions and programs to improve neighborhoods and assist police in reducing crime, Hetzel said. Through the meetings, which have taken place monthly since September, issues such as littering, public transportation and police racial sensitivity have been discussed.

By addressing these now, Hetzel believes confrontations like the one that led a crowd of 150 to throw gravel and bricks at police last June might be avoided.

The leadership group is not designed to be the only answer to last summer's conflicts, Hetzel said. A city human-relations commission, which would look into complaints against the city, is still a possibility, he said.

About 40 attended last month's meeting and identified some of the issues for which answers will be sought at the next meeting tonight from 6 to 8 at the Salvation Army.

The most common theme has been a lack of Southside accessible activities for youths. "Really, there's nothing to do in the summer," Allen said.

This contributes to crime and frequent curfew violations in South Cape, he said.

Although Arena Park has good summer programs, the walking distance is a barrier for Southside residents without transportation, said Ted Coalter, who owns two businesses and rental property in the area.

"The Osage Community Centre is diametrically on the other side of town," said Dr. Paul Keyes, head of Southeast Missouri State University's College of Health and Human Services, who has served as a facilitator at meetings.

Although the Civic Center, Salvation Army and soon-to-open Family Resource Center are accessible, they are a few scattered efforts that need more continuity to be effective, Keyes said.

"One thing that has to take place in this is the involvement of the city's parks and recreation department," he said. "They're the professionals."

In Wednesday's meeting Hetzel said some steps of action will be mapped out, leading to implementation through people who are willing to volunteer.

For years many needs of South Cape Girardeau have been pushed aside, said Leola Twiggs, a member of the Community Caring Council and a southside resident. It's a result of negative stereotypes of crime, trash and poverty, she said.

At least with the leadership group, people who have the ability to bring about changes are attending the meetings, she said.

"But there are a few landlords who need to attend, too," Twiggs said.

The Community Leadership Group meets monthly at the Salvation Army at 701 Good Hope St. The next meeting is today from 6 to 8 p.m.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP GROUP

Five Goals for the Community Leadership Group:

*Fill the need for youth and family activities.

*Increase community partnerships with the university, business and police.

*Create employment and educational possibilities.

*Decrease crime.

*Inhance overall communication between groups in Cape Girardeau.