By Michael Wells

communications director

Chamber of Commerce

Chamber to appreciate industry

Industry Appreciation Week begins Sept. 29 with the Industry Appreciation Golf Tournament at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. We will find out who wins the Commitment to Excellence Award at the Industry Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 1 at the Show Me Center. This year we will focus on manufacturing and wholesale/distribution firms in the area.

Last year the Cape Girardeau Police and Fire departments won the Commitment to Excellence Award as we focused on the service industry.

The golf tournament will begin with a lunch at 11:30 a.m. at the Cape Girardeau Country Club; a shotgun start at 12:45 p.m. will begin the competition. There will be prizes for first, second and third place for the different flights, which will be determined by the number of entries. There is a 30-team limit for the tournament. It is a four-person scramble. The entry fee is $85 per person. There will be several contests within the scramble with prizes for Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, Longest Putt and of course a prize for a Hole in One on a designated hole.

The insurance company gave us a couple of options to lower our rates so the Hole In One deal is on a par 5 this year and the ball has to go in on the fly.

For more information on Industry Appreciation Week contact the Chamber at 335-3312.

Chamber looks to a busy fall

We've got a busy fall ahead of us. Fall kicks off with the Industry Appreciation Week, but in October we will have our mini-blitz membership drive. Your Chamber is also greatly involved in the upcoming bridge opening.

Don't forget to nominate your favorite teacher for Educator of the Year, you can do so on our Web site at www.capechamber.com. Also, this November it will again be time for Leadership Cape applicants to start filling out applications for the 2004 class.

There are a host of events coming up in Cape Girardeau this fall and rather than inundate you with a long and tedious list, allow me to give you the phone number at the Convention & Visitors Bureau. I like to call them party central. They know everything that is going on and they've got the particulars as well. Give your CVB a call at 335-1631 and they will let you in on all that will be going on in Cape Girardeau.

We are also selling advertisements in our Chamber Membership Directory a little later this year than in past years, so fall will be full throttle at your Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets for opportunity of a 'bridgetime'

Your Chamber of Commerce along with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Cape Girardeau Convention & Visitors Bureau has tickets with a suggested donation of five bucks that will determine the person who gets to demolish the old bridge, after the new bridge is opened. You can get your chance at this at the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Schnucks.

These tickets offer the winner a selection of demolishing the old bridge, being among the first people to cross the new bridge, taking home a piece of the old bridge, taking home a piece of cable, or getting your hands on an Eastern Access bridge print.

We figure this will be a popular item. Just think -- you could be the person who took down the old bridge. So long as you live and even beyond that -- no one can take that away from you. So get out there and get your name on as many of those tickets as possible. We suggest a donation of $5.

Last but not least Congratulations to Haulin' Butt BBQ for their incredible winning performance at the 11th annual Cape BBQ Fest. And thank you to everyone who participated, helped put the event together and those in attendance.

Friday was one of the hottest days of the year during the event and we had more than 3,000 in attendance.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the Teachers Appreciation Business After Hours a success. And thanks to everyone who came together to make this year's Welcome Back Students Picnic another great outdoor event.

Sept. 16 we will have our University Appreciation Business After Hours at the Show Me Center. We look forward to honoring our university educators and staff.

Well, I've said so much, yet did so with such efficiency that I am tempted to edit this line to improve upon that efficiency, but the editor said "Fill it Wells," and so I do. Until next time, later.