September 03, 2004

Media advisory

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, state and Cairo officials will hold a news conference at noon Tuesday, Sept. 7, at Fort Defiance Park in Cairo to distribute and discuss the master plan for "Fort Defiance Park: The Confluence of Freedom." The objective is to create a national tourism attraction based on Civil War history at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The master plan includes six major elements -- including the re-creation of the U.S.S. Cairo ironclad and Fort Defiance -- plus suggestions for later park upgrades and expansion. Speakers will include: Cairo Mayor Paul Ferris; Angela Greenwell, president, Confluence Community Development Corp.; Raymond C. Lenzi, SIUC associate vice chancellor of economic development; Robert H. Swenson, assistant professor of architecture and interior design; Karl Maple, for U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello; Larry Woolard, regional manager, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; state Rep. Brandon Phelps; and state Sen. Gary Forby.

The park is off of U.S. Highway 51, two miles south of Cairo.