WEED AND SEED: LOCAL INVOLVEMENT OR UNCLE SAM?

Weed and Seed is the kind of program that sounds good. As outlined for Sikeston residents in July, the program -- the first effort of its kind in a small-town setting -- is aimed at weeding out drug dealers and seeding in social programs that will change neighborhoods and communities into environments that won't tolerate lawlessness.

In just two months, there have been nearly two dozen arrests of suspected dealers and other involved in illegal drug activity. But law enforcement officers concede there are plenty more pushers and dealers ready to step into the illicit marketplace.

As for establishing programs to make Sikeston more drug proof, there has been some activity, mostly more meetings, to look at the possibilities. For example, residents of the beleaguered Sunset neighborhood on the western edge of Sikeston are exploring ways to get more folks into adult education classes. Community-oriented policing and the establishment of a police substation in the Sunset area are under discussion. And an outreach center and creating safe havens for children and adults are being talked about.

The next steps toward more concrete action appear to hinge on a couple of things: Finding and funding the position of a director for the Weed and Seed project, and applying for and receiving federal grants.

As with so many good-intention programs in this country, those seem to be common barriers. It is almost as if, from the outset, the success of such projects depends on hiring someone and finding individuals who can write successful grant applications. In the case of Weed and Seed, grant application assistance is coming from criminal justice students at Southeast Missouri State University.

In all of the meetings so far, one of the main themes has been the need for community involvement in Weed and Seed. It appears residents of the Sunset area and other Sikeston folks are ready and willing to do just that. But if they are waiting for grants and the hiring of a director, most of the edge of what community involvement is all about is already worn off. When and if the federal dollars and the hired help arrive, Weed and Seed will have become just another government program.

Another approach would be for Sikeston residents to recognize the resources that already exist. There are individuals who have the ability to make Weed and Seed work -- and who could volunteer their time. There are organizations in Sikeston that can raise what funding might be needed for many of the Weed and Seed projects, bypassing the need for asking Uncle Sam for more dollars. There are social agencies as well as educational and law enforcement entities that have the wherewithal to give Weed and Seed a push.

If Weed and Seed can build up some momentum, the long-range plan is to extend the program to other communities, including Cape Girardeau, Charleston, Caruthersville and Poplar Bluff. A good way to get these towns involved would be to get folks there to lend Sikeston a hand, both with volunteers and donations from clubs, organizations, churches and individuals.

Weed and Seed has the potential to do what it promised. It would be most unfortunate if the program withers because too much reliance was placed on getting grants and hiring administrators.