TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR CAPE CHAMBER DINNER JAN. 28

There'll be something old and something new at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner, to be held Jan. 28, at the Show Me Center.

Shuffleboard, karaoke and gambling for prizes are planned.

Also planned are the Small Business, the Rush H. Limbaugh and the Go-Getter awards.

Dancing, dinner, chamber business, recognizing retiring board members and introducing new board members are scheduled.

The theme for the first year of the new century will be "Smooth Sailing This Century," and the nautical theme will be incorporated into the annual dinner, said Linda Minner, chamber special projects director.

"What better way to start the new century than with the inaugural cruise of the USS Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce," she said.

Chamber president John Mehner said, "The new century brings some changes for the chamber."

Areas in the Show Me Center will represent parts of a cruise ship, and provide some activity karaoke, dancing, shuffleboard for members. Activities start with a social time at 6:30 p.m., with a buffet dinner at 7 and the awards presentation at 8.

Tickets are available by contacting the chamber at 335-3312.

The chamber, the state's largest for cities of 50,000 people or less, has more than 1,200 members.

New chamber board officers have been elected and will be officially welcomed. Bart Ozbun of Merrill Lynch has been re-elected chairman. Other officers are Donna Burk of Southwestern Bell, vice chairman; Steve Leus of Lone Star Industries, chairman-elect; and Paul Hawkins of Sears, treasurer.

The new Small Business of the Year will be the ninth since the award was established in 1992.

The first Small Business award was presented to Advance Business Systems. The annual award is presented by the chamber's Small Business Committee. Last year, Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation (BART) won the award.

A "big business" award is presented in the fall.

The late Rush Limbaugh, an attorney for more than 75 years, received the first Limbaugh Award. Dennis Marchi, Schnucks manager, was the 1999 winner.