STRICTLY BUSINESS: 'MISSISSIPPI QUEEN' HAS 'REAL VALUE'

The "Mississippi Queen," a 400-passenger paddle wheeler that docks along the Mississippi River in downtown Cape Girardeau on occasion, has been rated among the "best cruise options" on the inland waterways.

The "Mississippi Queen," operated by the New Orleans-based Delta Queen Steamboat Co., was declared "Top Value" by Cruise Reports, a newsletter that evaluates cruise lines' performance each year.

The honor was based on the newsletter's "Value Index," which measures cruise quality in 30 categories against the cost per person per day.

The Delta Queen Steamboat Co., a unit of the Chicago-based American Class Voyages, also operates the "Delta Queen" and "American Queen" paddle wheelers along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

The company recently announced plans to expand into deep-sea and Great Lakes overnight cruise markets, with five mid-sized vessels to be built in the United States and operated by a new subsidiary, Delta Queen Coastal Cruise Line.

Last month the company contracted with Atlanta Marine Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., to build its first two seagoing vessels, with an option for a third.

The new mid-sized ships will be 300 feet long and will accommodate 226 passengers.

The first two vessels are expected to enter service in 2001 -- one in the spring and the second in the summer.

The orders for the coast cruise vessels came shortly after ACVC contracted with the Ingalls Shipbuilding firm of Pascagoula, Miss., to build two large U.S. deep-sea cruise ships for operation in the Hawaiian Islands.

The U.S. cruise ships are the first such vessels built in a U.S. shipyard in more than 40 years. The first of the deep-sea vessels is scheduled for delivery in January 2002.

The coastal ships will capitalize on "Delta Queen's" reputation and tradition of showcasing the history, heritage and magnificent scenery that abounds across the country, said Philip Calian, ACVC president.

The coastal cruise vessels will augment ACVC's existing inland water cruise service.

The three inland waterways paddle wheelers are the Mississippi, Delta and American Queens.

The "Mississippi Queen" was commissioned July 25, 1976. She is 382 feet long and 68 feet wide. The "Mississippi Queen," which can accommodate 420 passengers, is a true steamboat, powered by an authentic steam engine. The huge paddlewheel is not just for show; it propels her along the rivers.

The 285-foot-long, 43-foot-tall "Delta Queen" was built in 1926 and spent 19 years in the service of the U.S. Navy before she began steaming the Mississippi River in 1947. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The "Delta Queen" is the smallest of the three paddle wheelers, and can accommodate 188 passengers.

The "American Queen," which was christened June 2, 1995 in New Orleans, is one of the largest boats on the inland waterways -- it's more than 400 feet long, weighs 3,707 tons, and has a capacity for 436 passengers and 200 crew members.

With the push of a button, the Queen's huge, 70-foot stacks, along with the pilothouse, can be lowered to allow the vessel to pass under low bridges.

A photographer once described the queens as the ultimate in riverboats.

"The 'Delta Queen' is an inn," said the photographer, who has been aboard all three vessels. "The 'Mississippi Queen' is a Hilton and the 'American Queen' is a floating New York Crown Plaza."

All three of the Queens, along with another passenger vessel, the "River Explorer," operated by River Barge Excursions, have already visited Cape Girardeau, and all will return this year.

The "River Explorer" was the latest to dock along the river in downtown Cape Girardeau, last week. The "Explorer" is the only hotel barge traveling various inland waterways. Made up of two, 295-foot barges, it is custom-built to include the floating hotel-resort capable of carrying 198 passengers.

All three of the Queens and the Explorer will dock here in August:

The schedule:

Aug. 7 -- Delta Queen, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Aug. 11 -- Mississippi Queen, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 26 -- American Queen, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aug. 29 -- River Explorer, 3 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 17 and 18 -- River Explorer, 1 p.m., to remain overnight, leave at 6 a.m.

Oct. 9 -- Mississippi Queen, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nov. 2 -- River Explorer, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

At 70 percent capacity, the riverboat dockings would result in more than 2,500 visitors to the city during the summer months.

Catching up on business scene

Mobile home center moving

Mobile Home Super Center is moving.

The Cape Girardeau mobile home dealership will relocate to a high-visibility site along Interstate 55, across the interstate from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in the Seven Thirty Industrial Park.

The home center will locate on a four-acre site.

The 730 Commercial area has experienced new building activity recently.

Macke Equipment recently moved into a new facility in the area, and Electrical Contractors Inc. will move into a new building being constructed. Other businesses in the commercial park include Goedecke Supply, Quality Trailers Sales, Falconite Crane Rental and Delta Express.

Tom Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd., handled the latest transaction and is working with other prospects for various sized building sites in the area.

From Kmart to 'Big Kmart'

If you're wondering what all of those tractor-trailer trucks are doing on the Kmart parking lot, they contain new equipment being installed in the Kmart store here.

Kmart stores at three Southeast Missouri sites -- 11 S. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau; 2233 N. Westwood Blvd., Poplar Bluff, and 1110 S. Main, Sikeston, are being converted to the "Big K" formats.

"These Kmart locations are taking steps to become more convenient stores," said Lee Viliborghi, vice president of the Kmart central region. "The conversion of the stores will bring the national total to 1,670 refurbished stores.

Kmart has plans to enter the year 2000 with 90 percent of its stores boasting the Big Kmart designation.

Kmart Corp. has 2,151 Big Kmart and Super Kmart stores.

Kelly Services coming

Kelly Services, formerly the "Kelly Girls," are coming to Cape Girardeau.

Kelly Services, founded more than 50 years ago with two employees, is one of the nation's largest temporary employment agencies and employs both men and women.

But for years after the company was founded by William Russell Kelly to provide employers with office and clerical help, the Kelly Girls Services was more commonly known as just "Kelly Girls."

The name changed to Kelly Services came in 1964 as the company added more types of services.

The company is a member of the Fortune 500 (377th on the list this year) and has more than 1,800 offices in United States and in 16 countries.

The new Kelly Services will be in the Sunset Towers Development on Kingsway Drive. Tom Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd., is handling the transaction.

Another new office for Sunset Towers Office Building includes Whitefall Funding, Inc., a financial company which is locating here. More on that later.

Gambling expansions

Some expansions have been announced on the gambling scene.

The "Casino Queen," which boasts the largest passenger vessel on the inland waterways, is the midst of a two-year, $40 million expansion.

The "Queen" at East St. Louis, Ill., across from the St. Louis Arch, will add a seven-level, 150-room riverfront hotel to its complex, which already includes an RV park that opened recently.

The "Queen" has operated a floating gambling riverboat at the site six years. Only recently, Illinois passed dockside gambling, so the boat won't have to cruise any more.

The Aztar Riverboat Casino at Caruthersville, Mo., recently underwent a million-dollar expansion.

The expansion of the patron boarding area added 200 new gaming positions, and 6,500 square feet of gambling space to the property.

George Stradler is general manager of the Aztar operation.

Corrected store hours

The Furniture Garden at 18 N. Sprigg in Cape Girardeau will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday afternoon.

The store will be closed on Mondays.