River Corridor group seeking to connect with residents

The group formerly known as the River Corridor Task Force has a new name and a redefined mission, but the issues it deals with in the Red Star and South Cape communities are the same.

At the Dec. 8 meeting at the United Way office, a decision was made to change the organization's name to River Corridor Connections.

"Task force implies there is a beginning and end," said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of United Way of Southeast Missouri and a member of the nucleus of the group, along with Stafford Moore and Mike Bowers. "But we've been meeting for two years, and we realize there is not a short-term solution to the problems."

The organizers see River Corridor Connections' mission as a conduit to coordinate the efforts of many smaller social and religious groups working to improve the neighborhoods.

"We wanted to create a place for information to be gathered, disseminated and filtered back out to the community," Jernigan said.

One of the problems River Corridor Connections wants to address is housing. Abandoned dwellings and substandard rental properties are common in the neighborhoods. The group has decided to form a subcommittee to address those problems

Cape Girardeau assistant city manager Heather Brooks wants more involvement at the neighborhood level, calling for a grassroots effort to address the housing problems.

"We need for residents to take ownership of the community again," Brooks said, citing unkempt properties as an example. "The city can only get involved if the situation becomes a nuisance."

If residents communicate with one another and exert positive peer pressure, she said, many problems can be resolved before they get to the point of being nuisances. She said issues regarding parking, noise and crowds gathering in the streets can many times be averted through communication within the neighborhood.

River Corridor Connections will also work to promote activities geared toward families. The group discussed establishing a calendar for family-oriented activities.

For more information on the group or to volunteer, call the United Way office at 334-9634.