Heard on the Street

YOU GOTTA HAVE ART

June is membership drive month for the Springfield Area Arts Council, according to Pam Anderson, executive director. "As the umbrella organization for our 28-member arts organization, we promote their art activities and events in a variety of ways," she said. SAAC acts as an advocate for the arts on the local, regional, state and national levels, and it recognizes art supporters with the annual Ozzie Award. Along with the city's Vision 20/20 initiative, the arts council has helped to develop a cultural blueprint to aid the growth and development of the area's arts and culture. It also sponsors the annual ArtsFest on Walnut Street as well as First Night Springfield, a non-alcoholic community celebration of New Year's Eve. To renew membership or join, call 417-869-8380.

HIGH IMPACT

Outstanding local companies and the folks who run them will be honored July 26 at the Tower Club as they receive the Springfield Business Journal's 2001 Economic Impact Awards. Three finalists were selected in each of five categories: Construction: Morelock-Ross Builders, MoDoCo and Journagan Construction Co.; Manufacturing: Willow Brook Foods, Litton Interconnect Technologies and Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation; Health care: Cox Health Systems, Access Home Health Agency Inc. and St. Johns Health Systems; Automotive: Don Wessel Oldsmobile-Honda-Suzuki Inc., Team Motorsports, Inc. and Thompson Pontiac-GMC-Cadillac; Advertising & Media: Noble & Associates, Riley Marketing Inc. and KY3 Inc. Also, six individuals have been nominated for SBJ's Achievement in Business Award: Carol Jones, Ralph Manley, Mary Kay Meek, Jane Meyer, Patti Penny and Jack Stack. The award winners will be featured in a four-color glossy magazine-style publications. To attend the banquet call Debra Fickbohm at 417-831-3238.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Business at the Greater Springfield Farmers' Market is in full swing north of Famous-Barr at the Battlefield Mall. Farmers from an 11-county area offer in-state-grown early produce now. Annual and perennial flower starts, herbs and vegetable plants are available for sale to those who want to grow their own, as well. By mid-June the produce should be overflowing. The market opens at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and stays open until the offerings are sold. Starting June 20 and continuing through Aug. 29, the market also will be open on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. until dusk as farmers bring in the fruits and vegetables of their labor. Also, the second annual Harvest of Health will be held 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. July 7 at the site, co-sponsored by St. John's Health System. Seven guest chefs will present healthful and creative meal ideas using some of the farm-fresh produce and meats provided by local growers. The chefs will be Sonja Lallemand of Cafe du Nord, James Clary of Clary's American Grill, Kevin Montgomery of Millie's Cafe, Ken Rigby of J. Parrino's Pasta House and Bar, Doyle Simpson of The Market Place Cafe, Dave of the Caspian and Nicola Gilardi of Gilardi's Ristorante. For more information, Web site is www.springfieldfarmersmkt.com.

UNIONS FIGHT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Members of the Springfield Labor Council will play host June 15 and 16 to a golf tournament at Silo Ridge Golf Course in Bolivar to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The event is a four-person scramble. The cost is $85 per person,$340 per team, which includes lunch. For those who wish to do more than play, hole sponsorships are available for $200. There will be prizes awarded in two flights each day. Shotgun starts will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday. For more information call Danny Hyde at 417-862-7274, Pat Stevens at 417-869-2994 or Silo Ridge at 417-326-7456, ext. 21.

SLICE OF NICE

On June 10, bring your Harley, or any motorcycle, and meet at Springfield Lake for the American Cancer Society's Ride For Life! Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. on the north side of the lake, and the hour-long ride through the Ozarks begins at 12:45 p.m. Riders will return to Springfield Lake to hear the music of the Wiseguys and enjoy a lunch provided by Coyote's Adobe Cafe and Bar. The registration fee is $10 for single riders and $15 for double riders. Collect $50 or more in donations and receive a free commemorative T-shirt plus have the registration fee waived. Make a donation and register to win a ladies' ring from Justice Jewelers or a $500 gift certificate from Easyriders of Springfield. This fund-raiser will benefit the American Cancer Society's lifesaving research and local programs for cancer patients and their families. For more information about Ride For Life, call Karen McDonald or Stacey Schultz at 417-881-4668.