FLOODWALL MURAL WILL START TAKING SHAPE IN OCTOBER

Cape Girardeau's "Wall of Fame" mural project is moving along rather nicely. Half of the needed $35,000 -- including enough for future maintenance -- has been collected, and the River Heritage Mural Association plans to start painting the mural in October.

The mural will be on the downtown side of the Mississippi River floodwall between Independence and Merriwether streets. The 500-foot-long, 14-foot-high mural will be the seventh in a planned series of 10 murals around the city.

Much of the success of the projects goes to Tim Blattner, president of the mural association. When he first proposed the idea of painting murals as a way of displaying community pride in its history and its many contributions to the area, state and nation, there were some who pooh-poohed. Now, almost any drive around the city includes a view of one or more of the existing murals, which have become a source of pride in their own right.

As tourism continues to become more important for Cape Girardeau, the murals will be a key factor. The "Wall of Fame" is an attempt to recognize famous Missourians in a way that folks traveling down the interstate will want to turn off and visit for awhile.

A major panel in the floodwall mural will show the Missouri flag, which was designed in 1908 by Marie Oliver right here in Cape Girardeau.

Anyone interested in contributing to this worthwhile project should contact the mural association for further information. Narvol Randol Jr. is the group's finance chairman, and he can be reached at 334-2002.

One way of contributing is the fund a panel in the floodwall mural. All contributions will be listed on a plaque to be installed at the mural.