PROGRESS EDITION VIEWS THE AREA AND ITS PEOPLE

Cape Girardeau is blessed with a great many assets that contribute to its prosperity and that of the region. Some of the assets are God-given, such as the Mississippi River and the great natural beauty of these environs. Others are man-made, like the interstate highway that connects the area to points north and south. Above all, this extended community has the irreplaceable advantage of hard-working, enterprising, generous people. They are the catalysts and the lifeblood of the achievements we see around us.

Today begins publication of the Southeast Missourian's annual Progress Edition. In this edition and on the next two Sundays, the newspaper, as it has done yearly since 1937, will attempt to document the work of the last year and look with anticipation to the coming 12 months. The Progress Edition is both measuring stick and mirror, allowing the region to see how far it has come over a period of time and reflect on its achievements.

Like all parts of the nation, Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois have felt an impact from America's economic downturn. Thanks to a diversified economy, including a base of stable industries, strong retailing, advanced health care facilities, Southeast Missouri State University and a rejuvenated agricultural community, this area is capable of minimizing such shocks and moving ahead.

Add to that mix the productive people of this region. The Progress Edition has taken a different approach in telling its story of achievement this year. Often, this edition has focused on institutions, becoming at times a governmental yearbook. In 1991, the focus has been shifted to concentrate on people who make up those institutions, the people who drive them and the people who are affected by them.

Instead of including a general article on the climate for small businesses, this edition will narrow its scope to individual small businesses, such as a grocery store or restaurant operation that has survived for generations. Instead of a general story on public utilities, stories are being offered about the people who keep gas pipelines and electrical plants in operation. Rather than an overview story about progress made at the university, we will present with this edition stories on non-traditional students and a college program that identifies reading disorders.

Through these slice-of-life perspectives, institutions take a back seat to those they represent and serve; hopefully, we'll learn a bit more about both in the process. The Southeast Missourian is proud of the people it serves and pleased to submit for their attention this Progress Edition as a chronicle of their achievements.