Heard on the Street

OMNIPOTENT?

In what may be the marketing coup of the year, Vector Tobacco Ltd. has launched an advertising campaign touting a less poisonous cigarette not that the company uses the word "poison" in its campaign, you understand. According to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal, the Omni cigarette's slogan is "Reduced Carcinogens. Premium Taste." Vector claims that the chemicals which treat the tobacco including palladium, a metal usually found in catalytic converters in cars combined with a carbon-filled filter, reduce toxic and cancer-causing compounds in the smoke. Notwith-standing the fact that its competitors and anti-smoking proponents say there is no scientific proof to support the reduced-cancer-causing claim, Vector Chief Executive Officer Bennett S. LeBow writes, "We're doing what we have to do to do the right thing."

SOFTBALL COUP

And speaking of coups our favorite word for the day the Springfield-Greene County Park Board registered a coup over San Antonio, Texas, by snagging the 2003 American Softball Association's Class B national tournament for girls age 14 and under. According to Jodie Adams, the Park Board's superintendent of recreation (which would have to be a fun job) there will be 40 to 50 teams and their accompanying fans at the July 28-Aug. 3, 2003, tournament. You go girls!

CELEBRATE NEW WINES

It's a tradition in France at one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November this year that's Nov. 15 in small towns and villages that more than a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau start their journey to the world. This year downtown Springfield, courtesy of the folks who promote center city DDEC.net offers a celebration for the so-called "wine of joy." Three restaurants Mille's, Bijans and Gallery Bistro will provide the perfect backdrop to this event. For a one-time charge of $25, guests can mingle from location to location, enjoying delicious food, chic music and the opportunity to sample the different brands of Beaujolais wine. The celebration runs from 7-10 p.m., but get there early because the appetizers end at 9 p.m.

COMPUTER NERD ALERT

Actually, this is an alert for computer-nerd wannabes. If you are technologically challenged, if your grandson operates the computer more proficiently than thou, if you think you just might want to figure out some of this new-fangled computer stuff, then Springfield-Greene County Library District is willing to help. All you have to do is to register, then show up at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Republic Branch Library, 1264 U.S. Highway 60 East, and you will get an introduction to "CoolCat," the Library's online computer catalog, and InfoLink, the library's collection of hundreds of electronic data- bases. Come on, it's really cool! Register by contacting the library.

THANKS TO THE GIVERS

Making our community a better place to live is a priority for some folks. At a noon luncheon on National Philanthropy Day, Nov. 15, the Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals will celebrate and recognize Ozarks area philanthropists. Lisa Alexander, Cox Healthcare Foundation, will be recognized as the outstanding fundraising executive. Also being recognized will be BKD LLP, the Musgrave Foundation, 417 Magazine, the Junior League of Springfield, Dr. and Mrs. B.G. (Bill) Prater, Drs. Tom and Kimberly Prater, Springfield Trust Company and Monty Montgomery. The event will be held at Highland Springs Country Club.

SLICE OF NICE

Kudos to the board of directors of the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, which recently formed an alliance with the previously foundering Ozarks Council of Camp Fire. "Both of our organizations have a rich heritage of providing services to children," said Johnny Johnson, chairman of the board for the ranch. Julie Thomas, chairman of the board for Camp Fire, added, "Camp Fire and Good Samaritan provide services to children from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Our mission is to help provide children, including at-risk children, with the basic foundations on which to learn, grow and become productive adults, much like the Boys Ranch." Camp Wakahni, Camp Fire's camp for children, which could have ended up on the auction block, will now be used by both agencies. "We (also) will be offering the use of Camp Wakahni to other agencies for day, weekend and week-long camp," said Kevin Killian, the ranch's executive director.