Heard on the Street

REACHING WITH FLOWERSThe U.S. Small Business Administration formed an outreach partnership with the Florists' Transworld Delivery Association to increase opportunities for existing small businesses and start-ups in the retail floral industry. Under the terms of the agreement, SBA will provide program materials for FTDA that will guide owners of small retail floral businesses to SBA programs and services, which include business plan development, financing programs and loan prequalification. The two groups will also commit to providing greater access to federal grant opportunities.

GOT ROOM?

The American International Student Exchange, a nonprofit educational foundation, is seeking families to host high school foreign exchange students during the 2000-01 school year. AISE students come from 25 countries throughout the world to live with American families and to attend American high schools. During their five- to 10-month cultural exchange visit, the students learn about the U.S. government, history and customs, while at the same time teaching host families about their home countries. Interested families can call AISE at 1-800-SIBLING, or go online to www.aise.com.

THE MOST SPRINGFIELDIANS

Our fair city now has the largest population of all U.S. cities that bear the name Springfield, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. Census Bureau. Springfield, Mo., booted Springfield, Mass., from its position as the U.S. Springfield with the highest population. According to the Springfield, Mass., Sunday Republican, the two cities have reversed their standings our population is 156,200; theirs is 144,200. Incidentally, there are 63 cities named Springfield in the United states, and several states have more than one city with that name, such as Georgia, which has nine of them. However, the Sunday Republican reports that as common as the name Springfield is, it's actually ranked No. 33 on the list of most common city names.

TEACHING KNOW-HOW

The Missouri Business Education Association named Patricia Boyd, an office systems technology instructor at Ozarks Technical Community College, Outstanding Business Educator of the Year at the college level. Boyd is now in the running for the Outstanding Business Educator award for Region III of the MBEA.

MOVING EXPENSES

The Ozarks Literacy Council is trying to raise $12,000 to $15,000 to pay for its move to a new location at 410 South St. The move was made necessary after the July 12 flood, which destroyed $5,000 worth of learning materials. The high waters also made its 1129 E. Seminole location uninhabitable. Because the move was unplanned, OLC's budget doesn't include funds needed to pay for moving costs and rent and utilities at the new location. For information on how you can help, call OLC at 886-5499.

CORRECTIONAL SALUTE

Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan has proclaimed the week of Aug. 13-19 to be Correctional Employees Week. A delegation of 12 state employees selected as the Missouri Department of Corrections' Employees of the Month for the previous year attended a formal proclamation ceremony Aug. 4. According to a DOC announcement, there are 10,745 people employed by the corrections department.