On the Edges

Nixa area chamber plans events

The Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce's fifth annual Fundraising Auction will be held at 5 p.m. Aug. 13 in the cafeteria of Nixa High School, at the northeast corner of the building, at 205 North St. A silent auction will be held 5-6 p.m. and a live auction at 6 p.m. Admission is free, and food will be sold by Java Jolt Cafe and other restaurants.

"Our goal is to raise money for the chamber's operating budget. The auction is probably one of the larger fundraisers of the year," said Retha Clemons, chamber vice president. Auction items include a trip to Mexico, a quilt, a china cabinet, TV, VCR and tickets to Branson shows.

Business-related items include printing services, cell phones, pagers, ads, software programs, and production time for CD, video and radio spots.

Four teams of volunteers competed to gather the greatest value of donated items. About $20,000 worth of items had been donated by July 30, according to Larry Perney, executive director.

Working Women in Nixa will meet at noon Aug. 17 at Empire Bank, 502 W. Mt. Vernon. The program will be a demonstration of collectibles and gift bags by Nixa home interior shops. Lunch for $6 will be provided by Nixa's new Garden Shed Restaurant. Call 725-1545 by Aug. 16 for reservations.

The Aug. 18 general membership meeting of the Nixa chamber will include a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. for new teachers in the Nixa School District. The chamber will provide gift bags to the teachers and inform them of the activities and objectives of the chamber's education committee.

Perney said that more than 60 new Nixa teachers have been invited to the luncheon at Nixa High School.

Dollar General Store to be built

A 10,250 square foot Dollar General Store will be built by Morelock-Ross Builders at the southeast corner of Tracker Road and Highway 160. Although the building permit listed the estimated cost at $250,000, Jamie Sivils, a real estate developer at Morelock-Ross, said that the cost will be closer to $350,000.

The store's estimated completion date is Nov. 1, according to Sivils. The Nixa Dollar General store is owned by Retail Services Group of Bridgeton.

The Nixa store is being developed by Retail Services Group, an agent of Atlantic Financial Group, a Scottsville, Ky., subsidiary of Dollar General.

According to John Greminger of Retail Services Group, the store is a relocation of the existing Dollar General at 421 W. South St.

Building permits, tax revenues rise

Building permits in Ozark year-to-date are running about 10 percent above last year, according to Al Gonzales, code enforcement officer for the city. From January to July 30, 1999, permits were granted for 164 single-family homes. Thirty commercial permits comprised two demolitions, two infills, five additions, 10 new commercial buildings, three new duplexes, one new industrial building, one industrial addition, and six multifamily residences.

Gonzales said that 12-month figures for 1998 totaled 259 single-family homes built in Ozark, 11 multifamily homes, 22 duplexes, 15 new commercial buildings, one church (James River Assembly of God, still under construction), six alterations and nine additions.

The city is currently reviewing plans for a Jiffy Lube, a truck stop, a 16-store shopping center and a Fried Green Tomatoes restaurant, Gonzales said. "There's also a big subdivision looking at us in the face now that's a possibility."

The city of Ozark collected $497,576 in sales tax for the first six months of 1999, according to Alice Edwards at City Hall. This figure represents an increase of $40,014 compared to the $457,562 collected in 1998.