Heard on the Street

ALL ABOARD FOR ALTSTADT

The second annual Altstadt Festival begins at 5 p.m. Oct. 14 at Springfield Brewing Company. "Altstadt" is German for "old town," and Springfield's old town will be the site of the area's largest Oktoberfest celebration, according to a release from DDEC.net. Der Musikanter, a traditional German polka band familiar to attendees of Ernte Fest in Freistatt, will perform brew-house sing-alongs and traditional polka tunes between 5 and 9 p.m. Traditional German fare will be offered buffet-style. Admission is free and the buffet is $4. A pub crawl, featuring 10 downtown night spots, will take place 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The cost is $5.

INSURANCE DAY 2000

Insurance Day 2000 will take place 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the University Plaza Hotel. Activities and events include networking and trade show; addresses by featured speakers Barry Hinson, head basketball coach at Southwest Missouri State University, and Keith Wentzel, Missouri director of insurance, and Tom Kraus, Nixa High School coach and contributor to "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul"; two breakout sessions with a choice of eight programs; a buffet lunch and awards ceremony. The cost of the program is $45. For more information, contact the Management Development Institute at SMSU, 836-5667.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Home-Based Businesses of the Ozarks will hold its next monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Ave. Speaker J. C. Owsley, a member of the University Of Missouri Extension faculty, will speak on the topic "Economic Principles of Value Added." For more information, call 725-4311.

REVIVAL

"Inside Glimpse of Springfield's Reviving Heritage," the eighth annual Springfield Mid-America Singers' Loftwalk, will be held 2-5 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Park Central Square area. Participating lofts are at 323-A South Ave., 107 Park Central East, 301 1/2 Park Central West, 303 1/2 Park Central West, 318 1/2 Park Central West No. 307, 318 1/2 Park Central West No. 308, and 406 W. Walnut. Additional properties on view will be the Calaboose Museum at 409 W. McDaniel and the Design Agency at 333 S. Jefferson, Ste. 200. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

CLASSY

The two-year-long bankruptcy saga of The Classy Dame, an upscale women's clothing store appears to be coming to a close. Judge Arthur Federman Sept. 27 granted the Dame's request for a Chapter 11 reorganization, which will allow the store to remain open and pay its creditors over time. The business, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, is owned and operated by mother and son Bettie and Terry Heitman and has three part-time employees. When The Classy Dame first filed for Chapter 11 in 1998, Terry Heitman said the company's financial trouble was brought on by persistent debts and overall changes in the women's clothing business, including the fact that women are not dressing up as often. He said the store now carries sportswear and has stopped selling shoes, which is helping the business come out of the red. "Last year was our best year. It was our third year in the Brentwood Center, and we had the right merchandise. I think our business will increase even more this fall," Heitman said.