INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT BOARD MEMBER NAMED

JACKSON -- The last original member of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association's Board of Directors was replaced Monday by the Jackson Board of Aldermen.

City Administrator Steve Wilson was chosen to take the city's seat on the association board for a one-year term beginning Jan. 1.

Wilson said he looks forward to working to improve economic development in the area and bring in more jobs.

"It's kind of like fishing," Wilson said. "You know there are a lot of big fish out there. You just have to keep casting until you get one."

All but one of the seven spots on the board, which unifies areawide efforts to recruit new business, have been filled for the 1997 term.

Cape Girardeau's two seats are held by City Councilmen Dr. Melvin Kasten and Richard Eggiman while County Commissioner Larry Bock and Gene Penzel, owner of Penzel Construction Co., represent the county. Harry Rediger, manager of JCPenney in Cape Girardeau, represents the Chamber of Commerce. Scott City has not yet chosen its representative.

Wilson replaces former Jackson city administrator Carl Talley on the board. Talley, the last original member on the board, is the only member so far to serve the maximum of four one-year terms allowed under the group's bylaws.

The Area Industrial Recruitment Association was founded in December 1992. The board of directors' purpose is to provide guidance and set recruitment priorities for the association's two full-time staff.

"As a policy-making board, it provides us with direction on where we want to head with our efforts," Mitch Robinson, executive director of the association, said earlier Monday.

Projects with which the association is involved include bringing D&K Wholesale Drug and the new Blue Cross Blue Shield customer service center into Cape Girardeau. The Blue Cross center is slated to open off of Siemers Drive Dec. 15, and will eventually provide 241 new jobs. The former business will move into quarters off of Rust Drive by the end of the year.

"We do have a lot of other projects in the mill, and several look very promising," Robinson said.

The association, Robinson said, allows the region's communities to more efficiently recruit new employers by putting forth a concerted effort and united front.

"You get more bang for your buck with one group than you do with three or four groups," Robinson said.

In other action at the Jackson Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor Paul Sander discussed a problem which has developed in recent weeks of wreaths, flowers and plants being stolen from graves at Russell Heights Cemetery.

Sander said police patrols of the cemetery will be stepped up, but he asked for help from the public to prevent future thefts and find the culprits.

"If anyone sees anything unusual, contact the police," Sander said. "We will be making a concerted effort to catch those responsible."

The board also announced that the annual Christmas light display at City Park will be turned on by 5 p.m. Saturday. About 50 groups have entered displays this year.