PARK BOARD STUDIES CEMETERY VANDALISM

Vandalism at Old Lorimier Cemetery and capital funds improvements for city parks were the topics at the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting at City Hall Monday night.

Dan Muser, city parks and recreation director, said that nothing he has heard about controlling vandalism problems at Old Lorimier Cemetery can be classified as true solutions.

"Putting up a fence is probably the best idea but it's also expensive," said Muser. "Money is really at the forefront of this issue. There's always a solution but it always carries a price tag."

Muser said that the two other cemeteries that the Parks and Recreation Department takes care of experience very minimal vandalism. However, Muser went on to say that a lot of Lorimier's problems stem from its relatively secluded location.

"A year ago this wasn't a problem," said Muser, in reference to the recent vandalism at the cemetery. "If the board would have brought up something about protecting the cemetery last summer, most of us wouldn't have known what to do."

The Historic Preservation Committee, along with some members of the city staff, have been looking into a plan to protect and restore the cemetery, said Muser.

"The cemetery is an important part of the community and the current vandalism at Lorimier is a community problem," said Muser.

The board also debated how the $75,000 budget for capital improvements should be spent this fiscal year.

Much of the debate centered around the rehabilitation of the 16 ball field lights at Arena Park and the rehabilitation of the Capaha Pool bathhouse.

Muser stressed that these two projects were probably the biggest concerns to get completed.

The Arena project, said Muser, would involve replacing the wooden poles the ball field lights are on with steel ones. This would involve fields 10 at 11 at Arena Park; a total of 16 poles will be replaced.

"I thought five years ago that they should have been replaced," said Muser. "They're in such bad shape now that they should be replaced this fall."

The Capaha Pool project will not be elaborate but will repair the roof, fix plumbing, paint walls and bring new lighting to the bathhouse, said Muser.

The board agreed to wait until its next meeting to make decisions. The board also recommended to Muser to find out for its next meeting how much the projects would cost.