Three months ago, I gained a new family member. No it's not a baby - this family member is furry and has four legs. Her name is Gertie and she is a nine month old Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog mix that my mom rescued from the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

Like most puppies, Gertie is full of energy and always trying to play with something. After having her for about a month, my mom decided that it was time to do something. We had been working with her on learning to not jump on us, to sit and stay when told, to leave treats, etc. It seemed that she would listen sometimes, but acted like she had no idea what we were saying at other times.

I knew the perfect solution! Mississippi Mutts, a downtown bakery, bath, and boutique for dogs, had just started offering dog obedience classes a few months prior. Needless to say, my mom called and signed Gertie up right away.

The classes are taught by Becky Dunn, owner of Furry Kid Klubhouse in Desoto, MO. She offers two levels of classes, beginner and advanced, that cost $75 each and include six weeks of one hour training sessions. Over the course of six weeks, the dogs are taught general manners and obedience including how to sit and stay, leave it, come when called, and the proper way to greet a guest.

Gertie successfully completed three of the six classes, but unfortunately had to miss the rest of them because she decided to get into some mouse poisoning (that's a whole other story - but don't worry, she's ok). My mom and I noticed a big difference in her behavior after attending the classes and have plans to take her back to attend the other three soon, so that she can learn more from Becky.

Although I didn't have the chance to observe any classes that Gertie attended, I did have the opportunity last night to hang out with five other furry friends: Casey, Fergie, Rugar, Murphy and Roxy during a beginner class. The pictures below are proof themselves that the dogs had fun during the class and learned so much! It's evident how passionate Becky is about the trainings because she really focuses on individual attention with the dogs. She even limits each class to 8 dogs so that she can have more one-on-one time with them.

The classes began back in August of last year and are normally held back to back every six weeks, except for the advanced classes which are held less often. For more information or to sign up your furry family member, contact Mississippi Mutts at (573)335-MUTT or Furry Kid Klubhouse at (314)808-6935. You can also visit Mississippi Mutts on Facebook and Twitter.

Did you know that the largest silver artbar dealer in the world is in downtown Cape Girardeau? I sure didn’t, and until this week I didn’t know what a silver artbar was either. Mike Sprouse, owner of River City Coins and Jewelry and – the world’s largest artbar dealer – filled me in during a visit to his shop this week. I discovered that silver artbars are rectangular collector’s items made of silver with engraved artwork that were mostly produced in the 60’s and 70’s after the U.S. stopped using silver in coins which in turn caused an increase in silver interest and value.

During my visit to River City Coins & Jewelry, Mike was kind enough to show me around his shop, give me some coin collecting 101 and share his story.

When I walked in the shop, I carried in a trinket-box full of coins. The box, shaped like a heart with “Toni’s Things” painted on top, held coins that I had thrown in since I was 12 that I thought were interesting or that held special sentimental value. Mike said that people walked in on a daily basis with similar stories of coins they thought may or may not be worth something. We poured mine on the counter, and Mike thumbed through foreign coins, smashed souvenir pennies, a few buffalo nickels and a Kennedy half dollar. The verdict? My buffalo nickel was worth 35¢. Everything else was face value or less.

Since I wasn’t expecting any of my coins to be worth much, I wasn’t that disappointed, so we moved on to bigger and better things. I asked Mike about some of his favorite coins, and he pulled out a buffalo nickel with a 3 legged buffalo and a $20 gold coin. The buffalo nickel (sans one leg) was worth anywhere from $500-$1,000! The $20 gold coin was printed in 1924, and was now worth approximately $1,800! Mike explained that the intrinsic worth of the gold in the coin was $1,200, and the numismatic worth (collector’s value) added another $600 of worth to the coin. Many coins have a raw precious metal value (intrinsic) plus a numismatic value determined by how valuable collectors deem the coin. Mike proudly referred to himself as a numismatist - a student or collector of coins.

As I stood at the counter in River City Coins & Jewelry, I was most impressed with Mike’s knowledge of economics, investing and the precious metals market. As he told his story, I learned he had majored in Economics at SEMO and worked in the banking industry for 10 years before deciding to take a chance on his dream job: buying and selling coins and jewelry. He first opened his shop in Cape in 1985 and moved to the current location downtown in 1993. He laughed in disbelief, as I reminded him he was nearing his 30 year anniversary. Mike confessed that he had collected coins all of his life, and I could tell he had a true passion for the trade.

When I left the store, I couldn't help but peek at interesting pieces, and I made two mental notes:

1. Collecting coins is a hobby that is literally worth something. 
2. I really need to add investing in gold to my list of strategies for retirement. 

After all, cashing in a $20 gold coin for $1,800 doesn’t sound too shabby.


Author: Toni Eftink is a Project Manager at Element 74 where she leads custom web projects. She has a huge love for downtown Cape Girardeau and small businesses. You can find her on Google+ and Twitter.

The blog committee wants to share with you the stories of the volunteers that work behind the scenes of Old Town Cape. This series will allow you to get to know our volunteers, find out how they became involved, learn what their interests are, and discover their goals for both downtown and themselves.

Don Greenwood, a local artist, currently serves on the Board of Directors and Design Committee for Old Town Cape. He is a native of New Orleans, LA but currently resides in downtown Cape with his wife, Roseanna. Greenwood became involved with the organization many years ago and was even the President of the Downtown Merchants Association at one point before Old Town Cape was formed. He has always had a passion for downtown and, therefore, has been involved with organizations that relate to promoting and enhancing the area ever since.

As a committee member, he provides information on the history of downtown, an artist's perspective, and knowledge about the murals - all of which are important to Old Town Cape. One of his goals for downtown Cape is to further promote the arts that are present. Thanks to his first cousin, he is very passionate about art and wants the community to know that there is a variety of talent locally.

Outside of his volunteer work for Old Town Cape, Greenwood is a man of man talents, including illustration, engraving, and performing as a musician. He has illustrated books such as, The Saving of Dogtown by James W. Riley Jr., The Loch Ness Adventure by Walter and Mary Hearnes, and Gordonville Grove by Jerry Ford. He has also created designs for national and international greeting card companies including, Hallmark Cards, American Greetings, Buzza Cardosa, and Charmcraft. Throughout his career he has created art for Walt Disney, Hughes Tool, President Reagan, Versace Fashion Design, Wedgewood China, Crane Paper, Crown Foil, and Murata Kimpaku. When he's not working in the art field, you can find him kayaking on one of the many nearby rivers or lakes with a group of his closest friends.

Don credits his success and knowledge to his wife and family. Coming from a large family, he quickly learned how to communicate well and get along with most everyone. He has no words of advice to share, but instead believes that everyone learns something important from those that they surround themselves with.

You can check out some of his work by visiting the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri galleries, or by taking a stroll past one of the directional kiosks downtown. Like many, I bet you didn't know that the little people and animals on these maps are courtesy of Mr. Greenwood!

"I shop for the store like I'd shop for my home," said Susan Hall, owner of Shoppe La La, a furniture and housewares repurposing and resale studio studio located at 437 Broadway.

Lucky for me, Hall and I must "shop for our homes" in a similar fashion. My husband and I decided to make a stop at Shoppe La La one Saturday, on a whim, while making our occasional jaunt to the downtown area's antique and vintage stores. I'd spent nearly two years searching for larger, more eclectic bedside tables to pair with the mass-produced bedroom group we'd purchased after our wedding.

My new tables were nestled in the studio work area of Hall's shop, one of which has been the perfect height and size for holding a can of Old Town Paints and multiple brushes. After decided to purchase the side tables, Hall and I discussed available colors and finishes. I placed a 50 percent deposit on the tables after deciding on the perfect color, finish and completed price of $100. About two weeks later, the tables graced by bedside and are a perfect fit!

"What's unique about us is not only do I have pieces that are prepared, I have pieces that customers can pick unfinished and be a part of that process," Hall said. "Or, if you have something and you need it remade, or made over, you can bring it in and we'll do that, too."

Other than customers special-ordered pieces, Hall takes an artistic approach to choosing other projects for her studio. "They just kind of talk to me. I don't really do a factory assembly line type of painting," she said. "I look at each piece and as I'm cleaning and base coating it, it tells me what it needs to look like. Something just attracts my eye."

Hall will bring chosen items to the studio if the pieces have great lines or a potentially great purpose. A busy bee, customers will almost always find her and her employee working on a new item or three. Projects include everything from a small set of candleholders to large and detailed buffets and sideboards.

"Most people would think they were beyond repair. We took them, and took away and added to, and made them beautiful and useful again. For me, that's probably what sticks out in my mind. We can take pieces that really have been forgotten, whether it's been damaged or is out of style, and give them new life so people can enjoy them for the next 20 or 30 years," said Hall.

Shoppe La La is also a retail location for Old Town Paints, the type of chalk paint Hall uses to create beautiful "new" pieces. Chalk paint is gaining popularity worldwide, thanks to Pinterest, and its durability and ease of use makes it a great product for painting furniture. "I actually used to use a different chalk paint starting out. I decided not to carry that brand, so I went searching for something that I would like," Hall said. "I contacted several companies, had them send me their paint, tried it out, and Old Town Paints won, hands down."

Hall liked that the Old Town Paints brand had a large selection of colors and was relatively inexpensive. "I don't think it should cost a huge amount of money. You really can get quite a few projects out of one quart. And then it was just a really lucky coincidence that it was called 'Old Town Paints' in Old Town Cape," she said.

After being involved in design and repurposing for 20 years, Hall started concentrating on furniture, originally selling out of her home and then from a booth space. Growth landed her back in Old Town Cape. Hall only sees advantage to operating out of the downtown district. "I think there's a great energy down here. I think there are a tremendous amount of creative people down here. I think it's a mindset - even when customers come down, they know they're going to get something that someone created," Hall said.

If you'd like to learn how to create your own works of art with chalk paint, Hall is offering classes at the studio beginning in January 2014. "The first classes are an intro to chalk paint. You can come with absolutely no prior painting skills. Then, throughout the year I'm going to up the ante," she said. The three-hour classes cost $50 and is hosted at Shoppe La La. Entrants should bring their own small project, and Hall will supply the paint, brushes and other supplies. Course space is limited. Email shoppelala@gmail.com or call 573-803-2744 to sign up. A small fee must be paid to hold your spot in class. Upcoming classes include 1 to 4 p.m. on January 21st, 3 to 6 p.m. on January 25th, and 6 to 9 p.m. on January 31st.

Shoppe La La can be found on Facebook, and operating hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

This post is written by guest blogger, Janey Radford, Old Town Cape Development & Resources Coordinator.

Until last year, I considered myself a big supporter of Old Town Cape. I mean, after all, I went to their events. I followed them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I shared their posts, and whenever I ran into staff, I always told them what a good job they were doing. Sound familiar?

Last January, I accepted the position as Development and Resources Coordinator for OTC. In a Main Street world, the two biggest resources are funding and volunteers. Managing these resources take up the better part of most days for me.

While receiving my OTC "education," a new image of "supporting" Old Town Cape began to emerge. I learned how an office staff of two with a couple of student workers managed to pull off so many events successfully every year. They have A LOT of volunteers! From the Board of Directors, the 4 point committees, and event subcommittees, there are over 100 volunteers that carry out the work of downtown revitalization. Almost 60 of those volunteers are involved year round. THAT is how we get things done!

I am not a stranger to the not for profit world, and am used to maximizing resources, leveraging, and always trying to get the most bang for our buck. Even so, I was impressed with what Old Town Cape has accomplished with its limited resources. Many individuals, organizations and businesses invest already, but with almost 4,500 residents and over 300 businesses in downtown alone, there is potential for so much more.

Dedication, hard work, and A LOT of volunteers can only take us so far. Funding is necessary for any not for profit organization. Oh. You didn't know we were a non profit? Those aforementioned resources? VITAL. Making the magic that is downtown takes dollars. And the magic is important. "Downtown is the most visible indicator of community pride" - Missouri Main Street.

Knowing what you know now, do you consider yourself a supporter of Old Town Cape? Want to know what to do about it? Click. Invest. Today. Or call me - it's my job :).