VISION 2000 HONORS 14 FOR SERVICE

Recipents of the Vision 2000 Awards of Distinction include, from left, Scott Meyer, Marge Engleman, Carol Sue Reimann, Steve Williams, Mike Edmunds, and Jim Dufek; not present: Julia Jorgensen and Mary Kasten.

Fourteen Cape Girardeans were honored at the ninth Vision 2000 Awards of Distinction breakfast Thursday at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The breakfast is held annually to recognize people who have made contributions to the future of Cape Girardeau. Recipients are selected for helping to further at least one of the organization's 75 goals in its strategic plan for the city.

Vision 2000 was organized in 1987 by a group of Cape Girardeau citizens wanting to develop a comprehensive plan to help the city develop in a number of areas. Planning committees gathered input and identified four areas of improvement: community spirit, planning and zoning, business and industry, and jobs and education.

"It's the people who have volunteered so many years we want to honor and credit," said Mayor Al Spradling III, who delivered words of welcome at the breakfast. "Vision 2000 generates the community spirit and volunteer attitude that makes my job so much easier."

Businesswoman Judy Wilferth, the guest speaker, outlined some of the challenges facing the community, including health and environmental issues, family decline and new-age spiritualism. She gave ideas for successfully meeting them.

Organizations like Vision 2000 will be an essential link in the network of individuals and groups who will be needed to meet such challenges, she said.

Kathy Swan, a Vision 2000 community relations council member, said the organization is not yet considering changing its name when the year 2000 arrives. Instead, members are already searching for ways to complete their original goals and assess the next set of objectives, she said.

"We're already collecting plans from other cities and getting ready," she said. "In the next couple of weeks we'll be talking about goals achieved and making new assignments for coming years."

Recipients of the 1998 Awards of Distinction:

Cape Central High School teacher Julia Jorgensen, for her work with student volunteerism and the Renaissance program; Shelba Branscum, for developing the Educare concept locally; Southeast Missouri State University professor Jim Dufek, for his work with quality programs on the cable access channel; Mike Edmunds with HWI, for his donations to Vision 2000 beautification projects; retired teacher Marge Engleman, for serving as a volunteer at the Convention and Visitors Bureau; Rep. Mary Kasten, for creating the Community Caring Council; and Kim McDowell of the Southeast Missourian, for her efforts to bring the Quality Indicators for Progress report to the Chamber of Commerce.

District engineer Scott Meyer, for providing quality roads and related community projects; author and columnist Jean Bell Mosley, for writing the history of Cape Girardeau and the creation of a flag for Cape Girardeau; Shirley Ramsey, for her service as director of the Community Caring Council; teacher Carol Sue Reimann, for her recognition as the Missouri Teacher of the Year; retiree David Spell, for his work with Vision 2000 beautification projects; Kathy Swan of JCS Tel/Link, for her continued donations to the DARE program; and city housing director Steve Williams, for directing the community block grant program.

Each honoree received a plaque and rose from committee members.