MERCHANTS TO OFFER SECOND IN HOLIDAY ORNAMENT SERIES

Summary: The 1997 holiday ornament depicts "The Old Bridge 1927."

The newest downtown Cape Girardeau holiday ornament will have a special meaning for many area residents.

The hand-painted ornament, which will go on sale in downtown stores Nov. 1, features the art of the old Mississippi River Bridge, with a barge passing underneath. The bridge spans the Mississippi River between Cape Girardeau, Mo., and East Cape Girardeau, Ill.

The ornament is the second in a series of souvenir gifts of Cape Girardeau, said Judith Anne Lang, owner of Judith Anne's gift shop and president of the Downtown Merchants Association, which is sponsoring the limited edition ornaments.

"The ornaments are not really so much Christmas as collectible, decorative ornaments," said Lang, who headed the committee to select a theme for the ornament.

"The old bridge will be gone in a few years," added Lang. "This ornament will serve as a reminder of the old bridge, which was in service so many years."

This year's artwork was based on a photograph that appeared in The Southeast Missourian.

The colorful round ornament includes greens, blues and grays.

The custom ornaments were suggested last year because so many people look for something about Cape Girardeau, said Lang.

Proceeds from the ornaments help the Downtown Merchants Association with the annual Downtown Christmas Parade, downtown decorations and other services.

Last year's initial ornament featured the downtown courthouse and clock.

"For people who missed the first ornament last year, we still have a limited number on hand," said Lang.

Something new this year is a stand for the ornaments, said Lang. "The stand is designed for any of the ornaments -- past, present and future."

The "Courthouse and Clock," and "The Old Bridge 1927" are the first two in a series of numbered ornaments, said Lang.

"We'll be looking for other ideas for the future," she said. "We'll consider anything that depicts Cape Girardeau. We want to offer something new and unique every year."

The ornaments are designed by a company -- Hostia Products of Marblehead, Maine -- that creates custom ornaments for a number of different cities and regions. No more than the amount of the original order will be available.