THE PUBLIC MIND: HELPING DOWNTOWN CAPE GIARDEAU, BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM

To the Editor:

~"Riverboat Issue Sinks." That is the headline and this is a quote from a local citizen: "I was concerned it (gambling) was going to ruin downtown. I figured the merchants might pull it (the election) off."

I would like to comment about what might ruin downtown Cape: lack of customers. If one would list businesses downtown, the diversity would be surprising. I can't think of any business that isn't duplicated at the suburban mall. Does the above quoted person use the mall or downtown?

Th~e m~e~r~~c~ha~nts ~~in t~he ~down~town a~rea h~~ave be~~en ta~king risks that the Cape~~~ community will continue to shop with them for years. We are mom and pop businesses, the fiber of America, certainly the fiber of Cape. We are not the franchise, make-America-homogenized, companies. We are proud individual business people that open up small businesses and sweep off front stoops in anticipation of you. We make investments in the old part of town because we want this part of Cape to stay alive.

It's just ducky to walk around downtown and glow about how pretty it is, but don't complain someday if those same sidewalks are littered with glass from vacant buildings. Take a look at Cairo's downtown. It is horrific to see what might happen if downtown areas are not keep viable. How can you help?

Here are some guidelines to keep downtown Cape viable.

1) Eat, shop and use the services in downtown Cape.

2) Bring your vacation guests downtown to see the majestic Mississippi: Despite what some people think, the river is a hook for tourism. I see license plates from all over the U.S. down on Water Street on my daily walks.

3) Be proud of our diverse heritage: take guests to the Glenn House, River Heritage Museum, Old St. Vincent's, Gallery 100, and the University Museum. These facilities cannot stay open without money.

4) Take advantage of fine concerts put on by Community Concerts and the university.

5) Be vigilant in protesting the razing of old buildings, the proof of our heritage.

6) Support some sort of tourism attraction ... if not riverboat gaming, then a project that is designed to develop tourism and a place for cultural events like the St. ~Vincent's Seminary project.

In general, be a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Cape needs to grow so that our children may live here when they are grown. Help keep the entire region viable by allowing growth.

Mary Ann Robertson

Cape Girardeau