VISION 2020 MEETING TO BE HELD SATURDAY

The success of Vision 2000 has prompted interest in a similar program, Vision 2020, and citizens will have a chance this weekend to voice their opinions on where they would like Cape Girardeau to be in 20 years.

A meeting on Vision 2020 will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Osage Community Center.

Vision 2000 was a comprehensive program to improve community spirit, education, business and industry and planning and development in the city by the year 2000. There were 24 objectives, and 19 of them, such as creating a parents-as-teachers program, have been completed.

Work for the Vision 2000 program began in 1987. As the year 2000 approaches, the goal is to have a plan in place for the year 2020.

Kathy Swan, chairwoman of the 2020 committee, said she hopes to get a response from the community on how they would like to see Cape Girardeau in the year 2020. The way it will work is the people who show up will be divided into groups and will write down ideas for the future. Then all of the ideas will be presented, and each individual will write the five most important ideas to them and submit them to the committee.

She said so far they have presented the idea to about 400 people in various focus groups. So far the areas to be addressed will be tourism, transportation, quality of life, economic development, community involvement and education.

Walter Denton, assistant city manager, said it is important for people to express their views because the plan will be a major part of city policy for the next 20 years.