CAPE BUSTLING WITH VISITORS

Cape Girardeau hotels, restaurants and retail shops Friday enjoyed an increase in business brought on by three major events and a day off from school for area students.

About 4,000 visitors were expected in the city.

More than 1,000 Missouri Elks members have been in town since Thursday for a state convention and to dedicate a new building for Cape Girardeau Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 639.

The Missouri State Teachers' Association's southeast district meeting Thursday and Friday at the Show Me Center was attended by approximately 2,000 teachers and administrators. Many Southeast Missouri school districts, including Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City public schools, dismissed classes Friday to allow teachers to attend the meeting.

Approximately 600 people are in Cape Girardeau for a two-day Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder conference that concludes today at Robert A. Dempster Hall at Southeast Missouri State University.

Every Cape Girardeau motel was full or near capacity by Friday afternoon. It is unusual for the city to have three major events at one time, and every motel was expected to be packed through the weekend.

"We've had an unexpected amount of rooms sold," said a Hampton Inns desk clerk. "It's been very busy here."

The combination of conventioneers and school dismissals meant restaurants did brisk business on Friday. Restaurant managers, including Kevin Coombs of Applebee's, said what is generally a good lunch crowd turned into a "pretty good number of diners" for an extended amount of time Friday.

Groups of 20 or more customers were common, and there was a good mix of people from all three events as well as students, restaurant managers said.

Retail store managers noticed increased traffic, but they said the cold, wet weather could also have had something to do with it. Whether the stores were at West Park Mall, Town Plaza, downtown, or in other city shopping areas, everyone seemed to benefit from all of the visitors.

"We don't know if the increase in traffic is due to the conventions or because the weather's so bad," said Chad Welch, assistant store manager for K's Merchandise. "People don't have anywhere to go, so they generally hit the stores when it gets cold and rainy outside. I'd say there were a lot of variables contributing to the increase in traffic today."

Sgt. Carl Kinnison of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said Friday was pretty much a normal day for the department.

"It helps that the university is on spring break, so it's not as noticeable as it could have been," Kinnison said of the traffic. "The kids aren't a real factor because the rain and cold tend to keep people inside or in stores. It was pretty quiet."