Southwest Missouri News

Branson

No NAIA office for Branson

Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Randy Fiveash said it was disappointing that Branson was removed from the list of five contenders to be the home community for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national office location.

"Having this opportunity slip through our hands is an economic loss for the entire community," Fiveash said in a Sept. 9 news release.

According to the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Steve Baker, chief executive officer of the NAIA, said Branson was taken off the short list mainly because of its inaccessibility to an airport and its inability to provide clarification on the NAIA's association with Branson's proposed convention center.

Branson had proposed that the NAIA's national office, designed to be a campus housing the administrative operations, the Interactive Sports Museum, the Character in Sport conference facility and various championship collegiate sports events, be connected with the planned Branson Convention and Expo Center. The total economic impact was estimated at $70 million over a seven-year period.

In the same news release, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce said that a temporary restraining order, put in place in late July, halted the convention center committee's ability to move forward with a planned capacity utilization study and other details the NAIA required for its decision process.

New shopping center by 2001

HCW LLC, has announced the construction of Vista Plaza, a 39,600-square-foot shopping center, located across from Wal-Mart on West Highway 76 in Branson. Vista Plaza will be a two-level brick, glass and steel building with the main floor targeted for retail, attraction and fast-food restaurant use.

The lower, walk-out level will provide space for office and retail tenants.

The project's architect is Allen Johnson of General Design in Branson and the contractor is Fall Creek Construction of Branson.

Mark Weisz, president of Weisz Commercial Realty, Inc., of Branson, said his company will handle Vista Plaza's leasing assignment.

According to Gary Fultz, director of development for HCW LLC, the shopping center will open by April 1, 2001. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this month.

Postal seminar offered

The fall seminar of the Branson/Lakes Area Postal Customer Council will be held 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Sept. 27 at Branson Daily News in Hollister. Scheduled topics include: "Minimize Your Postage, Maximize Your Discounts"; "Grow Your Business With Mail"; "Mail Piece Design, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and "Branson Demographics & Marketing Trends."

To register or for more information, call the Branson Post Office at 336-4014 or Hollister Post Office at 334-4050.

Networking meeting this week

The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its Noon Networking meeting at 11:30 a.m., Sept. 21 at the Stagedoor Canteen in the Welk Resort Center. The sponsors are Ink Works and Branson's Review Magazine.

New features at SDC

Silver Dollar City's Festival of America runs Sept. 7 through Oct. 28. New this fall is Portraits of America featuring Saturday Evening Post covers and prints by Norman Rockwell. Portraits of America will also present "Heart & Hands: Musical Instrument Makers of America," a pictorial presentation of musical instrument makers of America from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Native American dance will be presented Oct. 18-28 with performances by world champion Native American hoop dancer Jackie Bird from Aurora, S.D. The award-winning American Indian Music and Dance Show from Anadarko, Okla. Quilts of Liberty, Pottery of America, Chefs on Stage, Wings of America and Square Dance Sundays will also be part of the festivities.

Dade County

Recycling grant awarded

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded grants to a Dade County school and town to purchase shredded tire material.

Greenfield Elementary School and the city of Lockwood each received $4,998 to purchase the material as playground cover.

The two entities were among 17 nonprofit organizations that received a total of $84,967 in grants to buy the material to use either for playground cover, or surfacing material for running tracks and walking trails.

The DNR received more than 60 applications for the grants. The funding comes from the 50-cent fee collected from the retail sales of new tires in Missouri.

Joplin

Company expands products

The Joplin-based Federal Power Subsystems Department of Eagle-Picher Technologies LLC, has announced the addition of two AC generators to the company's product line. The 7.5-kilowatt and 22-kilowatt AC generators are designed for residential and small-business standby emergency power.

Hospital directors chosen

New officers have been appointed to the board of directors of Mercy Regional Health Foundation at St. John's Regional Medical Center. Elected to one-year terms are Anthony Greenwood, DDS, Baxter Springs, Kan., chairman; Daniel Stengel, an accountant with Baird, Kurtz & Dobson of Joplin, vice chairman; Claude E. Jardon, trust officer with Firstar Bank of Joplin, treasurer; and Michael R. Kelly, a Neosho accountant, secretary. Reappointed to a three-year term on the board was Charles S. Davis, MD, Galena, Kan.

ISP offers DSL to area

Vectris Communications, a provider of Internet and data networking solutions, recently launched high-speed Digital Subscriber Line and Internet services to 13 cities in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, including Joplin.

Stores acquire part of Kmart

Albertson's Inc., with three Joplin stores, has entered into an agreement with Kmart Corp. to purchase the pharmacy business of the Joplin Kmart store that is closing later this year. The agreement became effective Aug. 25.

Large utility contract won

Aquila Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UtiliCorp United, has been awarded a long-term contract to supply natural gas to members of the American Public Energy Agency (APEA).

According to a press release, under the new contract Aquila will supply 154 billion cubic feet of natural gas over a 12-year period, The estimated value of the gas contract is $550 million.

Company gets Ford deal

FAG Automotive has been given a contract to make a wheel hub unit for the Ford Windstar Van. The contract is for the 2003 MY V229 hub, which replace the WIN-126 hub now being built in Joplin.