From Pladium to D'Ladium: Pool hall celebrating 50 years

I'm not much of a pool shark myself, but those who are may be interested in this item.

D'Ladium, 1127 Broadway, is marking its 50th year in business.

J.R. Beaver, general manager of the establishment for 35 years, said Jerry Priest had a vision to start a pool hall in Cape Girardeau, and on Oct. 15, 1959, Priest opened the Pladium.

Through the years the pool hall went through changes, adding beer in 1968 and mixed drinks in 1972. New management took over Aug. 28, 2004, when the name was changed to D'Ladium.

For anyone who wants to share memories of the pool hall, a celebration at D'Ladium is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 17. Beaver said he's looking forward to visiting with old friends who have frequented the establishment for a half-century.

"People are the most fascinating thing there is," Beaver said. "Everyone has an opinion and you can hear what everyone thinks about something."

For more information about the celebration or the pool hall, call 587-4878 or e-mail jrbeave@yahoo.com. D[']Ladium is open 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Fridays and 1 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturdays.

* Motorcycle dealership closing: American Rebel motorcycles, 839 S. Kingshighway, is closing its doors. A store employee told me the sour economy is mostly to blame for the shutdown, as the business has seen its sales decline in recent months. The date of the closure is unknown.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, through August the dealership sold four new and two used motorcycles. That's quite a difference compared to the entire calendar year of 2008, when American Rebel sold 21 new and seven used motorcycles.

* Day care expanding: A day care with locations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville, Mo., is expanding its newest division. In March, Just Babies, a day care for children up to 2 years old, opened in Cape Girardeau near its sister business for older children, Just Kids. By Nov. 1, Just Babies will open at two locations in Jackson, 608 Rosamund St. and 1327 E. Main St. A waiting list for both locations is being formed. For more information, call 332-0450.

* Brothers opening organic market: A new organic market is coming to downtown Cape Girardeau.

James Thomas and his brother, Shane Parker, hope to open Ganix Market, 238 N. Fountain St., by Nov. 1. They're putting the finishing touches on renovations to the building, which formerly housed an insurance office. Thomas owns the building.

The brothers told me they plan to carry products mostly grown by local farmers, though Ganix Market will offer some conventional products as well.

"With the economy the way it is, I believe it's more important than ever to help out those farmers in this area rather than buying food from those hours away," Thomas said.

Parker recently moved from Los Angeles, where he operated a delivery service for 12 years. He said the prospect of helping his brother in this endeavor enticed him to relocate to Cape Girardeau.

When Ganix Market opens, its hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The phone number will be 335-6326.

* Optometrist moving into former Jackson Chiropractic building: If you've driven past the former Jackson Chiropractic building near Walmart you may have noticed that a new tenant is moving in. Bell Family Eye Care Services has renovated the building at 2954 E. Jackson Blvd.

Owner and optometrist Troy L. Bell, who has an office in Poplar Bluff, Mo., told me he plans to begin working in Jackson by the end of the month. The practice's services include contact lens and diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. They also carry more than 1,000 frames, including designer names such as Coach, Oakley, Nike Flexon, Juicy Couture, Ed Hardy and Cazal.

The practice will accept most vision insurances and will be open Monday through Friday, with mornign and evening hours available. The phone number will be 204-8700.

Bell, who has children and a home in Jackson, spends a considerable amount in the community already. He's hoping to open the office so he can eventually live full-time in Jackson.

"My children are 8 and 10, so I figure I'll be here for at least 10 years," Bell said. "Jackson's a fantastic community, so I hope they'll come and support me."

* New photography studio: Chari Harris has opened a new photography studio. Harris, who co-owns McAlister's Deli in Cape Girardeau, can take family portraits, senior photos, head shots and weddings. One of her photos recently won first place in the Delta fair at Kennett, Mo. She can be contacted at 573-579-0182.

* Ribbon cutting: The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Thursday for Relentless Media. Relentless Media Productions, 113 West Main St., Suite 4 in Jackson, recently moved to the Strickland building in uptown Jackson. The company moved because it needed its own production space to better serve its clients. The business specializes in high definition video production, photography, graphic design and web design.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Brian Blackwell may be reached at 388-3628 or bblackwell@semissourian.com.<I>