BANNER PLACED ON VETERAN MEMORIAL DRAWS COMPLAING; FRIENDS OF PARK DAY DRAWS 500 WORKERS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- About 400 to 500 people turned out for the sixth annual Friends of the Park Day Saturday, despite the chilly, cloudy weather.

The project, however, did prompt a storm of protest from a Cape Girardeau veteran who was unhappy that a "Friends of the Park" banner, bearing advertising, was strung between two brick pillars that make up part of the Freedom Corner memorial. The memorial stands at the corner of Broadway and West End Boulevard on the edge of Capaha Park.

As a result of the complaint, the banner was removed Saturday morning.

Most of the Friends of the Park activities took place at Capaha Park, where volunteers planted flowers, cleaned up the empty swimming pool, raked up leaves, picked up litter, waxed some playground equipment and even painted some equipment in the "tot lot."

Some work was also done at Cherokee Park, where flowers were planted and playground equipment waxed; and at Dennis Scivally Park, where some picnic tables were repaired, flowers were planted and litter was picked up.

A number of civic groups and Girl Scout troops participated in the cleanup effort.

"I think we had real good participation," said Dan Muser, city Parks and Recreation director.

The event, which is part of the month-long cleanup/fix-up promotion called "Help Cape Shine, lasted from about 8 a.m. to noon.

"We planted hundreds of flowers," said Muser, adding that as many as 1,000 flowers may have been planted.

Several hundred bags of leaves and litter were collected, said Muser. A lot of the leaves came out of the swimming pool and the Rose Garden, he added.

Muser said he and most of the full-time city park staff participated in the community project. "The logistics get fairly involved."

As to the complaint about the banner, Muser said that the banner proclaimed "Friends of the Park Day" and included Pepsi Co. advertising because the soft-drink company paid for the banner.

A similar banner was erected at another corner of the park, at Broadway and Perry, Muser said.

Muser said that similar banners have been erected at Freedom Corner on the day of the cleanup event every year since the event was first held. He said the practice has been to remove the banner as soon as the event is over.

"Basically, the whole idea is not to advertise a product," said Muser. "The idea is to advertise cleaning up the park."

In the six years of the event, Muser said this is the first time that any complaint has been made about the Friends of the Park Day banner.

Part of the cleanup and beautification effort involved the area around the 49-year-old memorial.

Originally erected to honor World War II servicemen and women, it has served since May 1950 as a memorial to Cape County residents who fought and died in America's wars. Plaques have been added to the pillars, listing those who died in World Wars I and II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Muser, himself a Vietnam-era veteran, said the banner was not intended to offend anyone.

The parks director said the veteran complained to him about the banner Saturday morning.

Muser said he decided to remove the banner in an effort to resolve the matter. "Rather than ruin it (the event) for everybody, we just took it down."

He estimated the banner was only up for about an hour before it was taken down.

Muser said he talked to members of the American Legion Auxiliary and several members of the American Legion who participated in the Friends of the Park Day effort at Capaha Park.

"They saw no reason for anybody to be upset about that (banner)," said Muser.

Saturday's complaint was an isolated one as far as Muser is concerned. "We didn't get any complaints except from one person."

But Jack Slaughter, adjutant of the Cape Girardeau American Legion post, voiced concern about the banner when contacted by a Southeast Missourian reporter Saturday afternoon.

Although he didn't make the original complaint, Slaughter said he personally doesn't believe such banners with advertising should be hung from the war-memorial pillars.

"I don't think there should be commercial advertising in that area," said Slaughter. "If we start using commercial advertising on it, it starts losing its significance."

Slaughter said, "Secondly, it just seems to me that it would take away from the emotional feeling that most people have for that corner."

He said he doesn't recall similar banners being erected there in past years for Friends of the Park Day.

"I just think maybe it was a little unthoughtful," he said.

Slaughter said the issue will probably be discussed by the Joint Veterans Council, which comprises representatives of all the local veterans groups.

He conceded that some veterans might not be concerned with the banner issue. "These things are all a matter of personal opinion. I don't find them real offensive, except I just don't think that's a place for advertising."