PROJECT REDIRECTORY OFFICIALLY UNDER WAY

Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. officially kicked off its 1994 Project ReDirectory program during a rally for sponsors and other participants held Friday at the downtown Cape Girardeau Pavilion.

Although a goal of 25,000 directories has been set, Craig Felzien, area manager-external affairs for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., said he would like to see 32,000 directories collected.

"This would give us a 50 percent collection rate," said Felzien. A total of 62,755 new directories were distributed to Cape Girardeau businesses and residents last October. "We will be delivering 64,000 directories throughout the Cape Girardeau area starting Monday," Felzien said.

He praised the area for its past recycling efforts.

"We have enjoyed excellent support from area residents during the two previous years of Project ReDirectory," said Felzien.

"We have saved 375 mature trees and avoided using 75 cubic yards of landfill during that time," he added. The figures are based on the collection of 43,000 directories during the past two years.

The city's cooperation with the curbside pickup has been a valuable asset, said Felzien.

"We'll start collecting the directories Monday," said Steve Willis, solid waste coordinator for the city of Cape Girardeau. "We'll pick them up along with newsprint and magazines. The city curbside pickup will continue through Nov. 4.

Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts and schools will compete for prizes during the collecting period.

"We have two categories for schools this year," said Felzien. "We have prizes for schools collecting the most books, and for schools collecting the most books per student."

Prizes range from a $500 cash prize to the school, to $100 shopping sprees and $50 U.S. Savings Bond.

New sponsors for Project ReDirectory this year are the Southeast Missourian newspaper, KFVS TV-12 and KZIM Radio 960. They join Schnucks Markets, J.C. Penney Co., Inc., Boatmen's Bank, Schaper's IGA Foodliner, Domino's Pizza, Southeast Missouri State University, Southeast Missouri Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center and the Cash-Book Journal

Old directories will be collected at several sites in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, including Schnucks, 19 S. Kingshighway; City of Cape Girardeau Recycling Center, 120 N. Broadway; the Student Recreation Center, Southeast Missouri State University Student Recreation Center, 715 New Madrid; all Boatmen's Bank locations in Cape Girardeau; and in Jackson, Schaper's IGA, 528 W. Main; City of Jackson, 416 Florence; and all Boatmen's Bank locations.