Heard on the Street

CHAMBER SEEKS EXCELLENCE

Nominations for the W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year award are being taken by the Springfield Area Chamber of Com-merce until Feb. 19. Judges seek candidates from chamber member businesses with 50 or fewer employees that have demonstrated excellence in company history, business or management philosophy, response to challenges, innovative products or services, and community contributions. The award will be presented May 8 as the centerpiece of a luncheon during Small Business Week. Last year's recipient was Carnahan-White Inc., a fence and security control company. Established in 1992, the award is named for the late dean of the Breech School of Business at Drury University. Strube was an outspoken advocate of small business and founder of the chamber's Small Business Council. Nomination forms are available online at www.springfieldchamber.com or from Sonja Chasteen, chamber business assistance manager.

DRIVER AWARENESS

Driver's education teachers might warn, "Drive like the other guy is out to get you." But in the city, a less fearful approach is being taken. "We need to become the safest, friendliest city we can be," said Earl Newman, assistant Public Works director-traffic engineering, at the Feb. 11 start of the "Drive Friendly; Courtesy is Con-tagious" campaign. Blue signs with white lettering are being set in 60 locations along city and state roadways to remind motorists to be courteous to each other while still driving defensively. The new signs will replace some of the "Respect Red" signs but 45 signs will remain because they've been effective. In the six months after that campaign began May 22, 2001, red-light crashes were reduced by six. But, as Police Lt. Ron Hutcheson stated, "The best thing you can do to reduce your chance of injury in any kind of crash is still to buckle up."

CREATIVE LAND USE

An area previously devastated by flood waters and the land adjacent to it will be home to much needed improvements. The city broke ground Feb. 11 for $1.66 million Fire Station No. 8 at 1405 S. Scenic Ave. "The design for Station No. 1 worked so well that the same design will be used for station No. 8," said Assistant Fire Chief Dan Whisler. Adjacent to the new construction is the site of the former Scenic View Mobile Home Park, which was in a flood plain and floodway area. Inhabitants have been relocated so the land can be transformed by the Springfield-Greene County Parks De-partment for open park space and soccer fields and for Ozark Greenways trails.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

The buffalo is back! That's the word from the Missouri Bison Association at its Web site www.mobisonassoc.org. The association wants to increase bison production in the state, and so it offers quarterly meetings, buffalo auctions and a yearly education conference, slated this month. The bovine, which once was endangered, offers excellent meat. Buffalo graze in fenced pasture, require minimal management and are a long-lived hearty animal, the association's news release stated.

E-MAIL YOUR CONGRESSMAN

It takes about two weeks for mail to reach the U.S. House of Representatives, so Congressman Roy Blunt has advised his constituents to either e-mail, fax or telephone him with time-sensitive information. The delay is caused by the new security procedures. Some correspondence Blunt is just now receiving is more than three months old, he said, because it came after the biological attacks and had to be irradiated as a precaution against biological threats. Con-stituents can e-mail him at blunt@mail.house.gov.

SLICE OF NICE

Cold weather calls for warm chili. Just in time, the North Springfield Betterment Associa-tion will fill bowls and tummies at its 10th annual chili supper, 5:30-8 p.m. Feb. 28. The event will be in the ballroom of the Sheraton Hawthorn Park Hotel at Glenstone and Kearney and admission is $4. All proceeds will go to the association's educational programs such as the Elementary School Attendance Program which motivates children and families at 16 schools to put school attendance at the top of their to-do list. Live mu-sic and whimsy will be provided by Ruell Chappell. A kid's bike will be given away by Coca-Cola. Every half hour a name will be drawn to receive donated gift baskets. Some of the basket goodies include a Branson getaway, kids toys and games and area restaurant dinners. The association has more than 250 individuals and businesses as members. For more information or to donate baskets visit the Web site at www.ns banet.com.