Sports training coming to Cape area

With winter fast approaching, many young athletes are packing away their baseball and softball gloves and spikes. However, a new business is opening just outside of Cape Girardeau that specializes in practicing those and other sports on a year-round basis.

Jim Barton has come to Cape Girardeau from West Frankfort, Ill., where he was a successful baseball and softball coach. He is bringing that coaching prowess to the area to open Southern Premier Sports, an athletic training academy at 4740 Highway 74, just off Interstate 55 exit 93. On the indoor turf of that building, Barton will offer a range of training and coaching for all skill levels in baseball, softball and some soccer. He'll start basketball in December.

Barton said he came here because he noticed an explosion of youth sports and saw the need for a training facility that could help serious athletes take their games to the next level.

Along those lines, in addition to private lessons, clinics and camps, Barton will also offer college recruiting services. As a former coach, Barton said he's helped more than 40 girls get onto collegiate softball rosters and that networking with college coaches of the Midwest will help his future pupils get into the college games.

His doors will open Wednesday.

Color Me Beautiful open at Westfield: What's your season? By that I mean, what colors look best on you? If you don't already know, now there's a place where you can find out.

On Oct. 22, three area cosmetic specialists opened Color Me Beautiful Studio in the Famous Barr wing of Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. Karen Vanells and Linda Springs of Scott City and Becky Davidson of Cape Girardeau have a combined 58 years of experience behind the cosmetics counter at J.C. Penney. But when the store shut down that department 18 months ago, the three started selling cosmetics out of their homes. Now their expertise is once again at public disposal at Westfield.

The studio sells Color Me Beautiful Cosmetics, as well as that of Iman and Flori Roberts. It also features scarves, jewelry and candles. But what these ladies specialize in is color analysis.

At the studio they analyze different colors of drapes held against their customer's face to decide which of 12 color categories -- or seasons -- they fit into. Davidson said the idea is to search for the colors that allow one's skin, eyes and hair to harmonize.

Medical group on the move: Three Cape Girardeau physicians are coming together to form a new medical group. Dr. Jeffrey Childers promises it will be a practice like no one in Cape Girardeau has ever seen.

On Jan. 1, Childers, Don Bieser and Phil Tipen will form Mount Auburn Medical Group in temporary quarters at 69 Doctor's Park. That location will house the group for eight to nine months as their permanent office is finished on the third floor of the complex adjacent to the Fitness Plus at Saint Francis Medical Center. Despite the location, Childers emphasized that the doctors will continue serving patients in both hospitals.

The new practice will be a completely paperless office. All records, prescriptions and notes will be entered electronically and kept in an automated database system. Childers said this will eliminate a lot of errors due to misread prescriptions and records. It will also enable the doctors to have access to patient records at any time while they are on call and at home.

Childers said that while all the paperwork will be done on computer, every patient will still deal with a real receptionist and get to see a real doctor.

Tony Rehagen is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Tony Rehagen, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699, e-mail trehagen@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 137.