PERRYVILLE PARK PLAN UNVEILED

PERRYVILLE -- A new community parks association has been charged with managing the community's newest park.

The newly-formed Perryville Community Parks Association will be overseeing the use and operation of a new approximately 34-acre park made available to the community by the Congregation of the Mission-Midwest Province, commonly known as the Vincentian Order.

The park property is adjacent to the 650-acre property the Vincentians plan to develop.

The good news, John "Skip" Lottes, chairman of the parks association, said is that the new park sits on the St. Mary of the Barrens Seminary picnic grounds, which means the St. Vincent DePaul Parish Picnic is safe.

The formation of the new association and acquisition of the new park was announced Friday at Perryville City Hall.

The new park represents "an exciting opportunity for our community," Lottes said. The Vincentians will retain ownership of the property. The seven-member association will manage the property under a renewable 25-year lease for $1 a year.

The new park will be open for the parish picnic and for other community events as well, Lottes said.

"We are extremely pleased at the generosity of the Congregation to give our community greater access and more opportunities to hold recreation events throughout the year," he said.

The lease agreement requires that at least two events be held annually in the park area.

The Vincentians saw the need for additional park areas in the community and asked community leaders if they would be interested in the property, Lottes said.

State Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville, said the community has "come full circle" on the issue since last year, when it was feared the parish picnic would have to be moved to a new location because of the development planned in the area.

Many of the details of the parks association's duties still need to be worked out, said Naeger, one of the seven association board members.

"There's a lot of questions out there," he said."This is new to all of us. But there's been some real diligence, some real effort put into this, some real leadership."

The association will be responsible for maintaining the existing buildings on the picnic grounds.

Lottes said it is uncertain whether the association will further develop the grounds or try to raise funds for maintaining the property.

He said fees charged to groups wanting to use the property could be put into a "maintenance pool" for the upkeep of the grounds.

"I think we have to decide what direction we are going to go," Lottes said. "The parish has put a lot of money into those buildings. We have to decide how to maintain them and how to use them."

The St. Vincent DePaul Parish Picnic is a longstanding tradition in Perryville, drawing thousands of visitors into town each August.

This year, the picnic will mark its 97th year on the seminary grounds, said Mayor Robert Miget, and people are already planning for the picnic's centennial.

"For almost 100 years, we've cultivated this particular site for our picnic," Lottes said. "I guess we probably would have had to shut it down" if the seminary grounds near the junction of Interstate 55 and Highway 51 were unavailable.

The commission is made up of Lottes, who serves as the designee of State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau; Naeger; Miget; Presiding Commissioner Karl Klaus and three members to be appointed.

In June 1997, the Vincentians announced plans to develop the property surrounding the St. Mary of the Barrens Seminary with golf courses, a hotel, an outlet mall and residential and commercial construction.

The 55-acre seminary itself will remain intact.

The seminary was established in 1818 and closed in 1985. It now serves as a retirement facility for members of the order and houses the Congregation's various works, including the Association of the Miraculous Medal and museums.