SAVING THE SOUTH SIDE

MAP - PROPOSED AREA

Robert Pettit saw the Rev. Wiley Reed walking down the 500 block of Frederick Street on Sunday, waved at him and smiled.

Pettit, who moved back to Cape Girardeau for his retirement after living in Chicago, sees room for improvement in the city's south end. Reed, pastor of the Second Baptist Church at Frederick Street and Jefferson Avenue, is a member of an ad-hoc committee just formed to work on community betterment in the area.

When Pettit's son, Robert Jr., asked his dad if anyone was doing anything to help the neighborhood, the elder Pettit replied, "The Reverend's looking things over."

Councilman Melvin Gateley and Councilman Tom Neumeyer pulled the committee together. The first meeting has been called for 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 18, at City Hall. Gateley wants the committee to take an inventory of the neighborhood's problems, make recommendations and take action.

The area is bounded by West End Boulevard on the west, William Street on the north, the Southern Expressway on the south and the river on the east.

For example, the committee might work on the "removal of abandoned houses and weeds and cars," Gateley said. Gateley said he reported three overgrown lots to the city last week.

Reed didn't have to look far to see what Gateley is talking about. Just half a block south of the church and just north of Pettit's home is a two-story abandoned house. Glenn King, who lives on the other side of the abandoned house, said he's seen rats, snakes and groundhogs emerge from it.

King said he's optimistic about the neighborhood, however.

"It's not like it was two years ago, when you were scared to walk out your door," King said. "There's still improvements to be made."

Two years ago, groups of youths hung out on the street. They would stand right next to his house "cussing and talking loudly at 10 o'clock at night," King said.

Reed said some of those youths were dealing drugs. He said people in the neighborhood met and decided to keep the police informed and keep calling in complaints.

"The police have done a great job," Reed said.

Lt. Tracy Lemonds of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said the neighborhood is generally safe except for a few isolated pockets of trouble.

King agrees, but said the street needs repair and the sidewalk doesn't extend all the way to the end of the block. Reed said too many vacant lots in the neighborhood have high weeds and piles of trash.

Just south of Pettit's house, a contractor has poured the foundation for a new house on a vacant lot. Pettit said he's glad to see the construction, but he wonders why they are building homes in a black neighborhood and "there are no black guys in the construction gang."

Two big changes are coming to the south end. The state of Missouri is cutting it in half with the new Highway 74, and the Cape Girardeau School District will close down May Greene Elementary School after next year.

The school has a large concentration of children from low-income homes. Of its 227 students, 210 or 92.5 percent meet federal guidelines to receive free lunches. District-wide, 28.7 percent of students qualify for free lunches.

Pettit's son, Robert Pettit Jr., still lives in Chicago and wonders if the state will provide a barrier to reduce the noise the highway's traffic will bring.

Gateley said that he wants to hear questions like that one. He wants the committee to come up with issues to address and devise means to address them.

"I'm just trying to get some enthusiasm there," Gateley said. "Get some areas to showcase. We have a lot of nice homes there."

Councilman Tom Neumeyer, who represents the area, is working with Gateley on getting the committee going. Since nearly all the committee members on board so far live outside the area -- they work or own property there -- Neumeyer said he wants to get more residents involved.

"This is an attempt at renewal, Gateley said, "to bring hope to some of the people."