Residents envision ways to improve Bollinger County

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- In the course of one Saturday afternoon, a group of about 20 people gathered at Woodland School District in Marble Hill took the first steps to improve and grow Bollinger County.

The University of Missouri Extension Bollinger County helped facilitate the event "Envision Bollinger County" to identify the county's biggest needs to help residents come together and address them.

Tony DeLong, county council coordinator with the university extension, led the meeting. He asked the group to consider the county's purpose and vision.

"That's what this whole thing is geared around," he said. "What do you want this county to look like?"

He asked the group to consider three questions: What are some of the county's greatest attributes? What would residents like to see changed? What could be done to create that change?

To prompt ideas about the county's pros and cons, informational sheets with the most recent census data were handed to the crowd.

One thing DeLong pointed out was projected population growth. The population in 2013 was 12,490. By 2020, it is expected to grow to 12,555. In another 10 years, population was expected to reach 12,805.

"That's not a whole lot of growth in population," he said.

The data showed Bollinger County was ahead of the state average on some items. The percentage of low birth weights -- often used as an indicator of general health -- was better, for example, and its graduation rate or GED attainment rate was higher than the state's numbers.

When it came time to discuss the county's strong points, people were quick to point out what they enjoyed about Bollinger County.

Some said they considered it a positive the county was more rural, with higher-density areas such as Cape Girardeau nearby to fulfill needs not met in the immediate community.

State parks and natural beauty of the county were other benefits, along with pride in the its history.

But the issue of pride also sparked conversation on the county's biggest challenges. Those attending said they would like to encourage people to shop locally more often and would be interested in attracting more businesses.

Others mentioned displeasure at the way they said Bollinger County often is perceived by surrounding counties as a poor or lesser county.

Within the county, some said more steps could be taken to overcome a perceived north-vs.-south division. Marble Hill, the county seat, rests in the middle of the somewhat rectangular county, which stretches from Perry County south to Stoddard County and sits adjacent to Cape Girardeau County.

Poor roads, littering and lack of communication across the county were three of the top issues identified.

The group tossed around suggestions that will be the focus of the next meeting, tentatively scheduled for May.

Better involvement and communication with volunteer groups and the chamber of commerce was an idea many supported.

Several people said when it came to working with those groups, they often had difficulty identifying a contact person with whom they could share ideas or events.

Throughout the course of the meeting, people also said they would like to see a countywide cleanup day happen, preferably around Earth Day, April 22. City and county government officials at the meeting expressed their support for the plan.

Three people stepped up to start a committee for the event, including Karla Kiefer. She lives in the northern part of the county and volunteered to speak with churches and volunteer groups about the Saturday meeting to encourage more attendance at the next one. She believes the county is at a good starting point to work toward improvement.

"I feel like Bollinger County is a great place to live," Kiefer said. "I raised my kids here. I was raised here. ... I would like to see it cleaned up, and not just the roads cleaned up, but the comments cleaned up, too."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Marble Hill, Mo.