VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP AREA PARKS

Some picked up trash. Some planted flowers. Some scrubbed the swimming pool at Capaha Park.

Some 500 to 600 volunteers converged on Cape Girardeau's city parks Saturday morning for the 13th annual "Friends of the Parks" event.

Jennifer Nickless, Andrea Daniels and Fran Bening, all members of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at Southeast Missouri State University, were hard at work planting alyssum in Arena Park.

"We have to do the whole thing, so we'll be busy all day," Nickless said.

Volunteers went to work in most of the city's parks, including Capaha, Groves, Cherokee, Washington, Dennis Scivally, Indian, Arena and Fountain parks and the Jaycees Municipal Golf Course.

Most of the volunteers turned out to work at Capaha Park, where nearly 400 had registered by 9:30 a.m.

Bill Davis and his daughters, Katherine, 12, and Claire, 10, were picking up trash in Capaha Park.

"We live in the neighborhood and we use the park from time to time and we're here answering the call," Davis said.

Claire showed off a bag full of trash.

"I've been picking up trash over there," she said, pointing toward the pool, "'cause there's a lot over there."

Heather Brown and Tara Troxell, both members of Gamma Sigma Sigma at Southeast, were helping clean out the swimming pool.

"Maybe we'll get free passes out of this," Brown joked.

"We come every year," Troxell said. "This is my third year."

Delois Jackson, a business major at Southeast, turned out for Americorps to work in the park.

Jackson said her job was to clean out the pool, then help caulk the seals and paint the pool.

"And when we get done with that, we're supposed to paint the bleachers," she said.

Brownie Troop 103 from Franklin School was busy cleaning out a flower bed and planting flowers.

"I'm getting weeds out," said Annabelle Criddle, 7. She said she plays in the park "once in a while."

Annabelle's mother, Janet Criddle, said the parks project was part of the girls' community service work.

"We also want them to develop a sense of pride in their community, being good community helpers. That's what makes a city a nice place to live," Criddle said.

After the flowers bloom, she said, "they can drive by with their parents and they'll be able to say, we did this."

The Missouri Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council donated a cherry tree to be planted in Capaha Park.

The group promotes planting trees in urban and suburban areas, said Rocky Hayes, a member of the advisory council and urban forest for the Missouri Department of Conservation.