Heard on the Street

HATS OFF TO SPRINGFIELD

Springfield has made the pages of yet another publication: Highlights for Children. Kent L. Brown Jr., Highlights editor, discusses the successful Sky High on Reading program in his July 2000 From the Editor column. He covers everything from the founding of the program by poet, author and community leader David Harrison to the celebration of Springfield kids' reading eight miles of books more than a million and a half volumes with children in surrounding communities reading another four miles of books.

BLUE'S TRAVELER

Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield's BlueCard PPO benefits are now available to members traveling or living outside the United States, according to an Alliance press release. BlueCard holders can access inpatient and outpatient hospital care and physician services outside U.S. borders at no additional cost. "Our BlueCard PPO members need only to show their ID card to the participating hospital or physician and we take care of the rest," said John O'Rourke, chairman, president and CEO of Alliance. Health services may be accessed via BlueCard in Africa, Asia, Australia, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and Western Europe.

FEEDING FRENZY

The Missouri Society of Professional Engineers' Ozark chapter will hold its 60th annual Shrimp Feed at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 3 adjacent to Fantastic Caverns, according to an announcement from chapter President-elect Dan Packard, PE. Tickets$20 in advance or $25 at the gate, and proceeds support the Ozark chapter's scholarship fund, bridge contest, Engineer's Week activities, Ozark Science and Engineering Fair, Mathcounts, career night and K-4 bridge-building program. Tickets are available from Kyle D. Anderson, PE, at 831-8557 (kanderson@cityutil.com), or Packard, at 767-4970 (djpcu80@gte.net).

DAMAGE

The city of Springfield announced July 12 that it is waiving the fee for permits issued to licensed craftsmen providing any reconstruction resulting from that day's flooding. Reconstruction can include such things as replacement of hot water heaters, furnaces and other appliances. To assure public safety, the Department of Building Development Services is offering inspections of all maintenance and repair activities, even those for which no permit is required. To report flood-related damage to a home or business, call the Emergency Operation Center's Damage Control Center at 829-6552, 829-6554 or 829-6556. For more information on flooding-related issues, call the city's Flood Relief Information Hotline at 864-1401.

RUBBER DUCKY, YOU'RE THE ONE

The Greater Ozark Sertoma Club, the Ozark Park Board and the Main Street Program present The Rubber Duck Race at Finley Park July 22. The event is designed to raise funds to establish a youth center in eastern Christian County. The event runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and will include games, food, music and the duck race. According to the Sertoma Club, 12,000 rubber ducks will be set on the Finley for the race and the winning duck's owner will walk away with a fully loaded 17-foot Lowe's bass boat. Second prize is a Polaris 4-by-4 ATV, and many other prizes will be awarded. Ducks are $5 each and can be purchased from Ozark merchants.