Inside the Cape Chamber of Commerce

By Michael Wells

communications director

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce May is membership drive month

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce has hired six-time Go-Getter Award winner Cathi Schlosser as our director of membership development in time to prepare for the annual membership drive in mid-May. Schlosser won the Go-Getter Award each year from 1996-2001. The Go-Getter Award is awarded to the member of the Chamber Ambassadors Committee who scores the most points during the year for bringing in new members, retaining memberships and attending Chamber events.

The Chamber also has a new membership brochure that we hope to place in the hands of many future members. If you know a future member, or if you would like our ambassadors or Cathi Schlosser to tell you about Chamber membership contact the Chamber at 335-3312.Chamber to honor educators

The Chamber is proud to announce this year's Educator of the Year Award recipients. Nancy Bone, science teacher at Cape Central Junior High School; Lawrence Brookins, head varsity football coach at Cape Central High School and art department chairman at Cape Central Junior High School; Mike Cowan, principal at Cape Central Senior High School; Brad Wittenborn, assistant principal and physics teacher at Notre Dame Regional High School -- each won Educator of the Year awards for primary and secondary schools awarded by the Chamber's Education Committee. Kenneth Heischmidt, Ph.D., DBA, won the University Educator of the Year Award, awarded by the University Relations Committee.

We will honor them at the Educator of the Year Awards Banquet on May 1 at Drury Lodge. Contact the Chamber for ticket information. Each educator receives the prestigious Crystal Apple Award, $500 and a commemorative video put together by KBSI Fox 23 and ITVA Southeast Missouri State University Chapter.Shape Up Cape! wins Governor's Award

It's time to shed those winter pounds and do so competitively.

The second annual Shape Up Cape! Program is about to get started. Chamber members and member organizations need to get their Shape Up Cape! teams registered by May 2. The contest begins May 17 and will continue until Sept. 27.

This program recently won the Governor's Fitness and Health Leadership Award. The cost of the program is $20 per team member and a team can consist of as few as two to as many as 10 people. The winner is determined based on the average score. Any member organization can have more than one team participating. Last year's program enjoyed the participation of more than 300 people on more than 30 teams.

Just by participating you are winner because you will be healthier and feel better.Sales tax receipts are up

That's right, the city's monthly sales tax receipts based on collection of a 1 percent sales tax rate have increased 3.93 percent since the fiscal year began in July 2002. March's receipts were the best showing since September 2000. It was the third highest amount since 1999. Only March 2000 and September 2000 were higher amounts.Let me light your bridge

The Community Beautification and Enhancement Committee needs your participation to light the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. There are several ways you can help light the bridge. You can purchase an Eastern Access print for $200 from the Chamber, or you can buy a light. There are 32 big lights for sale for $2,500 and with the purchase of a big light you also get an Eastern Access print for free. There are 108 small lights for $250 each.

Anyone purchasing a light will get their name on a plaque that will be placed on a marker on the Cape Girardeau side of the bridge for posterity. Everyone will know you helped light the dominant feature in the Cape skyline.Yard of the Month under way

That's right, get out there in the yard and get to landscaping or gardening and you may win the prestigious Yard of the Month honor.

Contact the Chamber to see when your yard is eligible to win Yard of the Month. The contest begins in April in Zone 6. In May, we will honor two residences and a business in Zone 7. Contact the Chamber to nominate a friend, a business or yourself.Cost of Living Index

We are still awaiting the results of Cape's first Cost of Living Index, but in the meantime Victoria Rust, our intern, is collecting price data for the second quarter. The information for the first quarter is already being computed by ACCRA, a not-for-profit organization that determines the cost of living index for a community.

We should know the first quarter numbers this June.

Michael Wells is the communications director for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. (335-3312 or mwells@capechamber.com)