Heard On The Street

GOING, GOING. As the Business Journal's deadline loomed, more than 60 acres of Dean Crawford's Branson property was going under the auctioneer's gavel Jan. 29. The parcel included the Thunderbird Inn on the strip, and the Ozark Mountain Amphitheater, the Westwood Inn, a restaurant and a private residence on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. William Bone, president of Alabama-based National Auction Group Inc., said Jan. 26 that as the auction approached, the property had still not attracted the national attention he had hoped for. "I wish I could say we're going to have the jets flying in from around the country," Bone said. Instead, the interest of potential buyers was limited to people in the Springfield and Branson area. "Times like these bring about a new breed of buyer, someone who's affluent and shopping for a deal," he said.

RECORDING STATS. Figures from the Greene County recorder's office are in for activity during 1997. Recorder Linda S. Montgomery reports, based on information from Fidelity Title Agency, that $2.65 billion was loaned on real estate in 1997, up a whopping 56 percent from the $1.17 billion loaned on real estate in 1996. From her own office's records, Montgomery said there were 8,728 warranty deeds filed last year, down 6 percent from 1996, and 15,064 deeds of trust filed, an 8 percent increase from the 13,865 deeds of trust filed in 1996. As a barometer of future building, 106 plats containing 1,780 lots were recorded in 1997, compared to 107 plats with 1,688 lots in 1996. And Greene County was a less matrimonial place in 1997. The recorder's office filed 2,125 marriage licenses, down almost 5 percent from the 2,232 licenses issued in 1996.

ERIN GO BRAGH. The St. Patrick's Day Parade is just around the corner, and its organizers are looking for a few good designs. A design contest for the event's posters and T-shirts is being judged in two categories: entrants who are age 14 and younger, and another category of everyone older than that. A $50 award will go to the winner of each category, along with an additional $50 to the overall winner.The winner's design will also be emblazoned on the parade's posters and T-shirts, samples of which will be given to the winning designer. If you're graphically inclined, and have a bit o' the Irish in you, submit your 12-inch by 18-inch designs before noon Feb. 16. You may drop your entries off at Corner Printing, Harlow's or the Downtown Springfield Association offices at 311 Park Central East. For more information, call Pat Flanigan at 865-6651. The 18th annual parade is March 14. Watch this space for further information on participating in the parade itself.

HOSPITAL STATS. St. John's Health System has released its 1996-97 annual report. There are a plethora of figures presented about the hospital's operation during the 12 months from July 1, 1996, to June 30, 1997. There were 3,496 full-time equivalent employees, with 7.27 million paid hours that resulted in an annual payroll of $114.49 million. Those folks helped the 27,462 inpatient admissions, 53,102 emergency room visitors and 205,164 outpatients who had 2,603 babies, 1,100 open-heart surgeries and 11,509 magnetic resonance imaging procedures, among so many other things. More than 3.53 million prescriptions were filled and 1.45 million meals were served. Also, the hospital recycled 6,267 telephone books, 17 tons of medical records and 59 tons of office paper. More than 6.1 million pounds of laundry was done.

POET'S CORNER. Heard on the Street is stealing some of the Rusty Saber's material. Rusty initiated his second limerick contest in the Jan. 26 issue and an entry was received from Gary Blankenship, innkeeper of the Walnut Street Inn. His verse is time-sensitive and by the time Joe McAdoo's deadline would allow this to be published, the election will be over. Therefore we present guest poet Blankenship's work:

This year we all should go vote

Or together we'll end up the goat

If the hotel tax fails

It takes the wind from our sales

And 'round the town we'll proceed with the moat.

SLICE OF NICE. An informational luncheon regarding the March of Dimes Walk America, the Ozarks' largest fund-raising walk, will be held Feb. 9 at the Mid-America Cancer Center. If you're interested in forming a team, please plan to attend this complimentary luncheon. Call the March of Dimes office, at 889-9397, by Feb. 2 to register. The March of Dimes Walk America will be held April 25. Last year, more than 800 people participated in the walk, which raised more than $75,000 for the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. For more information, call Libby Salisbury at 866-5866.

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