Jackson Community Outreach Board plans effort to welcome new residents

Editor's note: The article has been changed to indicate that 31 new residents have signed up for electrical services in 2010.

The Jackson Community Outreach Board wants to make sure new residents receive an official welcome to its city.

This summer the board plans to launch a program called Jackson Outreach that provides new residents with a church directory, an Inside Jackson magazine, coupons from area businesses and other information about the city. Residents will receive the bag of items when they sign up for electrical services at city hall.

Thirty-one new residents signed up for electrical services in 2010, according to Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr, who believes the program reflects the true spirit of the community.

"I think that because Jackson has such a welcoming attitude that this is just a way of expressing that to brand-new residents that move here," Lohr said.

Board president Sara Turner said members are hoping to assemble 100 bags before school is in session for the 2010-2011 academic year. Businesses can still donate to the program, she said.

"There's just so many people that move into the city of Jackson," she said. "We're trying to reach out our arms and welcome them."

Programs planned

Jackson Outreach is one of several programs the board will sponsor this year.

In April the board, along with the River City Rodders car club, debuted Cruisin' Uptown, a monthly car show that features muscle cars, street rods, antique cars, classic and special-interest cars or trucks and custom motorcycles. The inaugural car show April 10 featured more than 85 cars and drew more than 500 people.

Scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month, the car show will continue through September. Organizers are hoping to improve the sound system quality and providing bathroom access at the Cape Girardeau County administrative building for the May car show.

For the third straight year the board is sponsoring the Jackson Farmers Market, which begins May 18 and continues on the second Tuesday of each week through Sept. 28. The market on Barton Street will not operate during Homecomers on July 27.

New event mulled

Turner said the board may also consider sponsoring a 5K run to benefit the Honor Tour, an all-expense paid trip for World War II veterans to visit Washington, D.C. That event would replace the Been There, Done That exercise program that allowed participants to log the locations they exercised throughout Jackson each week. The program was discontinued because Turner said requiring people to turn in results each week didn't work out as well as organizers had hoped.

In the past the board has sponsored efforts such as posting signs for proper etiquette on city trails, recruitment of volunteers for Parks Day and installing new playground equipment at City Park.

Suggestions to the board can be made by calling Turner at 204-3600 or e-mailing her at slugger_2@hotmail.com. The next board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at the Jackson Fire Station.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent address:

101 Court St., Jackson, MO