Neighborhood residents push for community center in south Cape

South Cape Girardeau needs a community center that would serve neighborhood children, residents said at a public meeting Thursday.

Some 30 people turned out for the meeting at Shawnee Park Center, hosted by the Authentic Voices neighborhood organization.

A number of city officials attended the meeting, including city manager Scott Meyer and Ward 2 Councilwoman Shelly Moore.

Authentic Voices held what it called a "community-visioning workshop" to kick off the establishment of a Neighborhood Development Initiative program.

City officials have been pushing for establishment of such an initiative in south Cape Girardeau.

Valaree Rutherford takes a selfie with her sister, Vanessa, center, and Koreena Woodson on Thursday during the Authentic Voices community-visioning workshop at the Shawnee Park Center.Laura Simon

The Red Star neighborhood in the northeast part of the community established a neighborhood-development group two years ago.

"It is a citizen-based program. The program is driven by the residents themselves," city planner Ryan Shrimplin said.

Meyer, the city manager, said the program is about "neighborhood self-governance."

Meyer added, "It is not for us to tell you what to do."

Authentic Voices' Valaree Rutherford asked neighborhood residents what improvements they want for their neighborhood. Many said their neighborhood needs a community center.

The Shawnee Park Center provides space for organized basketball, and the surrounding park has softball, baseball and soccer fields that serve organized sports leagues.

But residents said the park provides no place for neighborhood children to hang out and have pickup games.

"My heart is with the youth," Marvin McBride said.

He said the neighborhood needs a community center.

Stafford Moore Jr., son of Councilwoman Moore, said, "We have seen nothing but decline."

He said a community or civic center in the south part of the city could provide a place for children to engage in sports as well as provide academic resources such as computers and tutoring.

Neighborhood residents said children would benefit from having an after-school tutoring program.

Shelly Moore said children need "a safe haven" where they can go after school and stay out of trouble.

Bill Colon said the first step is to find a suitable building to serve as a civic center.

Mary Walker suggested the now-vacant social-services facility on Frederick Street could be converted into a community center.

Walker said the southside needs economic development. The Good Hope Street area once had thriving businesses, including a hardware store and a pharmacy.

"Everything was right there for us," she recalled.

Walker suggested grants be made available to help establish businesses in the neighborhood.

Sarah McBride suggested the neighborhood needs a friendly police presence.

"We need a (police) substation on this side," she said, adding she would like to see police officers "walk the beat" to interact better with residents.

Cape Girardeau police officer Brad Smith said the south part of the city "lost its identity" when the May Greene Elementary School closed and Highway 74 cut through the city.

Authentic Voices' Betty Mosley said the area south of Highway 74 needs its own elementary school.

Lloyd Williams, who heads up the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, suggested opening a farmers market on the city's southside.

"It can be a meeting place," Williams said.

It also would provide an opportunity to teach residents about nutrition and provide them a place to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables, he said.

Residents called for more streetlights and sidewalks to improve neighborhood safety.

Authentic Voices' Melissa Stickel told the audience members they had provided "some very excellent ideas." But she said her group wants more than just talk.

Stickel called on audience members to "make a commitment" to help improve the neighborhood.

At her urging, audience members wrote their names, phone numbers and areas of interest on sticky notes, which were pasted on a banner listing the various suggestions grouped by categories.

Authentic Voices has applied for not-for-profit status, Stickel said after the meeting.

Members of the group said the organization intends to push ahead with efforts to improve the neighborhood.

While there was some disagreement among audience members about what constitutes the geographical boundaries of south Cape Girardeau, the area at its largest would extend from Independence Street to Southern Expressway and West End Boulevard to the Mississippi River.

Others suggested William Street or even Highway 74 should be the northern boundary.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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