VISION 2000 SEEKS DONORS TO BUILD PATH IN GARDEN

Vision 2000 wants to help you leave your mark on Cape Girardeau.

The community group, founded in 1987, is building a commemorative garden near City Hall to mark the culmination of its efforts and the beginning of Vision 2020. Many of the flowers in the garden already have been planted. All that is missing is a brick path.

Vision 2000's supporters and organizers have been invited to purchase an engraved brick for the path either in a 4-by-8-inch or 8-by-8-inch dimension. The smaller brick is $25 and the larger one $50. Fourteen characters are permitted per line of engraving.

With 200 invitations already having been mailed, engraving orders are starting to come in, said Melvin Gateley, who serves on the Vision 2000 Community Relations Council.

The paths could accommodate up to 1,000 bricks. Vision 2000 hopes for at least 500.

"We want to recognize everyone who had a part in it," said Gateley.

Everyone is invited to purchase a commemorative brick. Call Gateley at 334-1303 or City Hall at 334-1212 for information.

Little by little the garden is coming together, said Gateley, who helped plan the design and plant the flowers. He was a co-founder of Vision 2000 and a former city councilman.

The garden's framework is complete. Jonquils were already planted near the southeast corner of the City Hall lot where the garden is being built. A flagpole and lighting is to be installed soon, as is a sundial.

Most of the work has been done with donations to Vision 2000. The garden "belongs to all the people who are making the city better," Gateley said.

Other events are being planned to mark the transition from Vision 2000 leadership to Vision 2020. Events that include a banquet and parade are being planned for late September and October.

Vision 2000 was founded to help the city improve and plan for future development. The group looked at topics that included community spirit, education, business, industry, jobs, and planning and zoning. Goals and objectives were set for each category.

Annual reports detail the activities of Vision 2000. A cumulative report will be given at the end of the year.

Vision 2020 is soliciting ideas for its strategic plan to help the city develop in the next 20 years. Ideas can be submitted via the city's Web page at www.showme.net/capecity. A link is provided for community development. It lists the goals and draft report of the Vision 2020 strategic plan.