BUILDING, PORT AUTHORITY: LOCAL INDUSTRY TRENDS CONTINUE ON RISE

Home building in Cape Girardeau appears to be on a record pace this year, one of many indicators that the economy is growing.

Home builders cited a number of reasons for the increase in home construction, the most significant of which probably is interest rates in the 7 1/2-to-8 percent range, the lowest in about a decade.

The number of homes being built here this year likely will surpass 1988's 105, considered one of the best years in recent times for home construction here. Just a week ago, 98 building permits for new homes had been issued by the city ranging in costs from $45,000 to $500,000.

That's great news for the region considering that over the past two months new-home construction nationwide was down compared to October and November of last year. But in the Midwest, a 12.1 percent increase in new-home construction was recorded during October and November.

Commercial building also has been at a good pace here this year, and all indications are that the construction industry can look forward to a bright 1994.

While on the topic of construction, the weather certainly hasn't cooperated with completion of Lexington Avenue between Perryville Road and Concord Place. As we reported Dec. 12, Kelley Equipment Co., the general contractor, had hoped it would be completed in six to 12 days. It isn't finished.

Although wet weather has delayed work, one thing on the side of the concrete pourer, Lappe Cement Finishing, has been a lack of freezing weather. City inspectors fear an onslaught of freezing temperatures will further delay completion. Thankfully, cold weather has not arrived, and progress is being made.

The contractors hopefully can get in a few good days before a cold snap sets in. They're pushing the project in hopes of completing it by the end of the year. This section of Lexington is badly needed, and we encourage them to forge ahead so that it can be opened as soon as possible.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority reports that the tonnage of cargo handled by the port through November of this year has more than tripled the amount that was handled during all of 1992. That's a significant increase considering the prolonged Mississippi River flood, which closed down the river for a long time last summer.

Through November, more than 233,000 tons were handled, compared to the 74,000 during all of 1992. Total tonnage has increased each year since 1990; in that year 28,000 tons were handled and in 1991 almost 50,000 tons were handled.

The port can thank the Sikeston Municipal Power Plant and Midwest-Agrichemico for the increase. Barge shipments of petroleum coke began this year to the power plant and Midwest-Agrichemico, one of three tenants of the port, received substantially more agricultural fertilizer.

The port must continue to market its facilities in an effort to attract new industries. The port is in the process of purchasing Union Pacific Railroad's Cape Girardeau branch line railroad tracks, so the port should be served by rail in the not-too-distant future. A highway into the port also is planned.

Rail service and a direct route to the port will help sell the port to industries. More industry will assure that tonnages climb in the years ahead.

Striking miners have finally returned to work after a seven-month strike that affected 17,500 miners in seven states and involved some of the nation's largest coal operators.

In voting Tuesday to ratify a five-year contract, the miners did themselves as well as their families and the coal operators a big favor by returning to work. Strikes, after all, are costly to everyone, particularly when so many workers are involved in an industry as important as the coal industry.

Our hat's off to former labor secretary William J. Usery, who used a variety of negotiation tactics to bring the miners and operators together. Usery said it was one of the most difficult disputes he's seen. And he's seen many: At 69, he's been involved in 1,500 labor disputes as a union representative, as the secretary of labor, and now as a professional mediator.

Cape Girardeau is deep into the holiday spirit judging by all of the decorations and seasonal events taking place.

Take a drive down any street on any night, and the many Christmas displays on homes and businesses grab your attention. Cape County North Park is lit up again with an assortment of seasonal displays. It's well worth a trip to the park at night to see them.

It's that time of year when churches and groups sponsor Christmas plays and musical presentations. It indeed is a joyous time of year, and people obviously are getting involved in the season.