Three to face off in primary for Cape Girardeau's Ward 2

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to reflect a correction of Donald Howard Jr.'s age.

The next four years will determine if Cape Girardeau's DREAM becomes a reality.

The surveys, focus groups and planning that made up the three-year Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri, or DREAM, Initiative process is over. The plans, which include beautifying Broadway and creating a Community Improvement District to raise money, have been adopted as policy by the city.

And on Tuesday, Ward 2, which includes the DREAM Initiative areas, will hold a primary election for Cape Girardeau City Council. The three-way race pits Donald H. Howard Jr., a certified medical technician, against Meg Davis-Proffer, a radio account representative, and Stafford Moore, a human resources/safety leader at Procter & Gamble. The winners will face off to replace council member Charlie Herbst.

The DREAM Initiative targets three areas of Ward 2. Along the Broadway corridor, the focus is on creating a business atmosphere attractive to the university community. In the central downtown, it calls for big attractions -- a Mississippi River aquarium at Main Street and Broadway is one idea. And in the Good Hope-Haarig area near the River Campus, the push is for housing and new development on empty land.

But Ward 2 isn't just downtown. It takes in all the industrial and residential areas south of William Street and east of West End Boulevard. North of William Street, it includes areas east of Henderson Avenue and south of North Street. The Ward 2 council member will represent some of the most expensive investments, as well as some of the poorest people, in the city.

In interviews, the three candidates agreed on a number of points. Each, for example, said the city should regularly inspect rental property to make sure tenants have safe, well-maintained places to live. But each also has a focus they said helped push them into running.

Donald H. Howard Jr.

Howard, 47, is a married father of two who lives on South Ranney Avenue. A regular at council meetings, he sometimes watches without comment but at least once was the focus of discussion.

In April, three of Howard's neighbors complained he was making surveillance recordings of his neighbors. In an interview this week, Howard said he's trying to protect his neighborhood and his family from crime.

"We need to get our neighborhoods back," he said.

As a councilman, Howard said, he would be an advocate for the entire south side of town, not just the downtown. The DREAM Initiative is a good thing, he said, "but we need to let everybody have a piece of that dream, and not just downtown."

The city neglects the south side, Howard said. The building at Fort D, the historic Civil War site, needs a roof, he said. "We spent $371,000 on a bathroom and parking spaces downtown," he said. "How come we can't spend $40,000 or $50,000 from the parks tax to fix up Fort D?"

A new city sewage treatment plant will likely be built in the ward. The cost is estimated to be $72.8 million. As a result, Howard sees higher taxes and higher sewer rates, both of which he opposes.

"I am tired of all the taxes and fees," he said.

But most of all, Howard wants police patrols to be increased, job creation to help the unemployed and recreational opportunities.

"Kids down there have nothing to do," he said.

Meg Davis-Proffer

Davis-Proffer, 31, recently married, is a Cape Girardeau native who has lived on North Lorimier Street for six years. If elected, she said, her focus would be getting businesses to locate downtown and to promote residential living in downtown neighborhoods.

"I want to be involved," she said. "I want to make sure that downtown is going in the direction it needs to go."

For Davis-Proffer, pursuing implementation of the DREAM Initiative master plan will be a top priority over the coming four years. One idea, beautifying Broadway, will begin with inclusion in the next street package of a plan to replace sidewalks and repave the street. But it will need additional support to be completed because the budget for street work won't cover everything.

"You have to do all of it to get the end result," she said.

By the time a new council member is elected from Ward 2, the city will probably have a revamped zoning code. One change would limit new construction downtown to three stories, with a possibility that permission could be granted to build up to five stories.

That limit pleases her. "My personal opinion is that you should build and go with what is already there," she said. "If you looked out and saw a 12-story hotel, that doesn't look like it belongs."

For other parts of the ward, Davis-Proffer said needs include neighborhood programs for youths and making sure information is available for people who need help.

She said she will rely on community networks to help her set goals and priorities.

"I can't be everywhere and attend everything," she said. "I will have contacts for people to help me."

Stafford Moore

Moore, 57, is a married father of three. In addition to his job at Procter & Gamble, Moore is pastor of the House of Prayer and a member of River Corridor Connections, an organization that brings support agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys & Girls Club and others to help youths on the south side.

After years of talking about neighborhood needs, Moore said, he wants to join the council to do more.

"I just feel like it is time for me to step up," he said.

The DREAM Initiative intrigues him, Moore said. A big project for downtown like an aquarium is needed to energize the area. The Mississippi River already attracts large numbers of people, he said.

"Every time I drive downtown, I wonder why there is not more development down there," he said.

But he's not ready to accept that new buildings must be limited in height to three stories. "I like a skyline," he said. "I like grand plans."

Outside downtown, the ward needs business development, especially smaller businesses dotted through neighborhoods, Moore said. Young people need opportunities so they will stay in the south side.

He sees the council member's role as a promoter of pride in neighborhoods, Moore said.

"Hope is always a good thing, a feeling like somebody cares," he said. "I want to see what can be done. I do know it is time to try to make a difference."

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO