PUBLIC PITCHES IN TO KEEP PARKS CLEAN

Homeowners plant flowers, trim shrubs and landscape their yards, but who pampers the city parks when spring weather hits?

The Friends of the Park, of course. About 400 volunteers cleaned up Cape Girardeau's city parks Saturday during the 10th annual Friends of the Park Day.

The event began at 9 a.m. and all work was finished by noon.

"It's like a spring cleaning day for the parks," said Penny Blandford, a recreation coordinator for the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department.

The clean-up day is sponsored by the department. Some of the projects included planting flowers and adding mulch to the grounds at all city parks.

Other projects were specific to the needs of a park like raking the sand volleyball courts at Arena and Washington parks or painting signs and benches.

Volunteers began their day at Capaha Park for registration and work assignments. About 50 left to work in other areas of town. Some people were sent to Cape Rock Park to clean up the fountain area, others went to May Greene Park, Cherokee Park, or other residential parks.

At first the Friends of the Park project focused on Capaha Park since it is the city's largest with a public pool, playground and pond. But the numbers of volunteers grew so much that the project expanded, Blandford said.

Yet, about 300 of the volunteers stayed at Capaha Park to work. Some, like members of Brownie Troop 14 from St. Mary's school, planted flowers near park benches.

The parks department ordered more than 1,000 flowers to be planted Saturday.

Beautifying the environment is also one of the goals of Earth Day, an event that will be celebrated nationwide Monday.

Friends of the Park Day isn't really connected to any Earth Day activities but "it is ironic that it falls at the same time," Blandford said.