In an age of shopping at outlet malls and large discount centers, the business districts of many small towns are nearly extinct.

However, some Southeast Missouri communities are trying to keep their cities beautiful and attractive with the help of community civic groups.

Community Betterment organizations, beautification committees, and area chambers of commerce have taken on the task of making smaller towns more attractive to visitors and businesses.

In Morley, the Community Betterment Club tries to plan semi-annual activities that involve residents.

"We try to do a lot of things in correlation with the city," said club secretary Susan Godwin.

The club's goal is to improve the standard of living in the town, she said.

In the past few years, the group has planned a city-wide Fall Festival and an Easter Egg hunt. It also has donated money to city sports leagues.

Godwin's mother, Olivia Lee, helped get the Morley Community Betterment Club organized.

"I remember the night we met to get it started," said Lee, who was mayor of Morley at the time. "We had a town meeting at the City Hall and the room was full. They thought we were going to raise taxes."

The group didn't raise taxes. Instead it raised funds for community projects and events.

Since its beginnings in 1970, the group worked to get a federal housing grant to purchase and renovate an older building in the city.

Now that building is the home of the Riverside Regional Library and city offices.

Other projects included the purchase of a patrol car for the town marshal, reconstruction of a tennis court and a new pavillion on city grounds.

Elsewhere, the Scott City business district has been active in several betterment projects recently.

"Community Betterment is a group that recognizes everything that everybody does in town," said Scott City Chamber of Commerce President Shirley Young.

The organization began in 1989, under Young's leadership as mayor of Scott City.

Each year the group compiles lists of volunteer activities that are later submitted in scrapbook form to state competition.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development judges the community betterment group projects, and recognizes winners at a ceremony each October.

"Without Community Betterment, all these volunteer things wouldn't receive recognition," Young said.

Without cooperation and volunteers, much of Oran's community activity wouldn't exist.

Businesses in Oran work closely with the Chamber of Commerce and civic groups to provide several community activities throughout the year, said chamber president Leroy Eftink.

The chamber "tries to benefit the community and area by providing positive entertainment for the family," Eftink said.

The organization is in the planning stages of opening a museum at the train depot location.

Eftink hopes the museum will emphasize the city's tourist attractions and local history.