In the small business world, lots of ‘jobs’ make up everyday life for business owners. Not only are these individuals the face of the organization, they also have to clean the floors, balance the check book, keep up with inventory, provide an excellent level of customer service, answer the phones, change the tape in the cash register, do some marketing… We could keep going. While these ‘jobs’ are necessary to keep a business going, some owners take things a step further.

According to Merriam-Webster, a duty is ‘something you must do because it is morally right’. Charlie Bertrand embodies this.

If you head to the Spanish Street area around 8:30-9am, chances are you’ll catch Charlie on the sidewalks and in the street donning his green apron with a broom in hand. As the owner and manager of two downtown businesses for the past 11 years, Spanish Street Mercantile/Cape’s Cream of the Crust and Broadway Market & Loft, as well as being a downtown resident, he understands how important it is to keep the outside of his properties looking as good as the insides.

It takes about 45 minutes to an hour for him to cover his territory, which is more than just in front of his store. He walks up to Broadway, checks out the Broadway and Spanish Street intersection, then heads down the block to make sure Minglewood Brewery’s sidewalk is looking nice. From there he heads back down Spanish St all the way to Independence, takes a short detour up Independence then makes his way back to his establishment.

Why do this? Why spend this much time cleaning up other people’s trash in such a big area? ‘It is my duty as a downtown business owner to do my part in helping make the entire area inviting for visitors,’ commented Charlie. ‘If I do it every morning, it’s not such a big task.’

‘We, as a collective group of downtown business owners, have to pull together on a daily basis to keep our area looking nice.’

Sweeping up empty soda cups and cigarette litter does seem like a ‘dirty job’, but Charlie commented that he actually enjoys this time. ‘I get to talk to everyone, experience the ‘downtown way of life’ and, for the most part, the weather is beautiful.’

While walking along his route, we turned the corner at Broadway and Spanish Streets and it was then that I realized why he does what he does. The sun was painting a gorgeous picture on the water of the Mississippi and our downtown was gleaming with excitement and beauty. Charlie turned to me and said, ‘Do you see that? Old Town Cape is one of the prettiest spots along the entire river and I get to be a part of this.’

Thank you, Charlie, and all the downtown business owners who do their part in helping make our area a beautiful destination for people to live, work and play. We truly are one of the greatest downtowns in the nation!

Thursday evening, February 19, friends, volunteers, board and committee members of Old Town Cape gathered in the Event Center at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau for an evening of fun and to make some well-deserved recognitions. This annual spectacle helps raise awareness of what this organization is all about, highlights some of the downtown happenings of the year prior and looks forward to the excitement of the coming year. At this year’s Annual Dinner, we did just that!

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, one of our main event sponsors, always helps pull together a fantastic event. Dinner started with a lovely beet and mandarin orange salad, which, I learned, is a work of art in itself. Each salad was adorned with cucumber slices in a specific arrangement. When the salads were set, the cucumbers had to be at particular positions in the place setting. Little details like this really make the event over-the-top! After salad came a mouth-watering entrée of beef marsala with crimini mushrooms and crispy sesame chicken with asian pesto. Perfectly manicured carrots adorned each plate and made for a stunning presentation. Last, but certainly not least, individual Chinese takeout boxes were brought out that housed two chocolate covered strawberries, glistening with shimmery gold dust. If you weren’t able to make it, you definitely missed a spectacular dinner!

The Isle does have a beautiful Event Center, but the help of volunteers Teresa Maurer and Sally Suchman, owner of Muriel’s Garden, the space was transformed into an elegant venue. Towering centerpieces of painted branches nestled in eifel tower vases gave each table dramatic personality. The black and silver color scheme kept the palette very clean and professional.  A lighted ice sculpture, generously donated by Mark Dirnberger, owner of Bella Italia, helped give prominence to the stage and awards area. Low lighting and soft dinner music added to the warm ambiance. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting to honor the achievements of some of our most dedicated volunteers.

Speaking of honors, we presented four recognitions during the main program. While our organization is overflowing with talent, dedication and love from some of the best volunteers around, a handful of them stood out for their accomplishments in 2014.

Did you know Old Town Cape sponsors two scholarships? Well, now you know. The primary funding source for both allotments sprouts from the tender loving care that Bill Dunn pours into Old Town Cape’s Scholarship Garden. It seems only fitting to honor the one who helps sustain this offering by renaming the Old Town Cape Scholarship to the Old Town Cape William Dunn Scholarship. Volunteer for us and you never know what kind of recognition you may receive!

If you were as skeptical as we were about the future of the ‘Old Federal Building’ at 339 Broadway, things didn’t look good. They didn’t look good until Janus Development Group swooped in and transformed what was once a white elephant property into a booming hub of commerce and creativity. Since they purchased the building in May 2014, critical structural and cosmetic upgrades have transformed this historic structure into a vibrant opportunity for 13 businesses. Have you heard of Codefi, Cape Girardeau’s first co-working community? They call this building home, along with a group of attorney’s, several photographers, and other specialized retail and professional entities. The excitement these changes have brought to the building are now spilling over and spurring development around the building as well. We couldn’t think of a better fit for the Adaptive Use recognition than Janus Development Group.

When you think of an excellent downtown business, probably an established retail outlet or one of our awesome restaurants comes to mind. While we do have some exceptional businesses that fall under these categories, this year’s Business Excellence Award went to a slightly different recipient. Thomas R. Higgins Accounting, LLC has thrived in downtown for more than 30 years. Tom Higgins, owner, has immersed himself and his business in all things downtown by being involved in several of our organizational committees, staying active in downtown development, his ownership and revitalization of one of downtown’s ‘old buildings’, by offering his business services to a host of area groups and entities, by being one of the first board members of our organization and serving his post for fifteen years. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything Tom and TRH Accounting has contributed to downtown, Old Town Cape and our community. Job well done, sir!

What does it mean to be a visionary? Someone who is dedicated, committed, a leader, someone who helps develop opportunities – what it takes to earn the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award. This individual is someone who is immersed in what they’re passionate about, often leaving a lasting impact on the groups and entities they support – the basis of our Volunteer of the Year Award. For only the second time ever, we have combined these to honor the efforts of one special volunteer, James D. (Jim) Maurer. Jim has been involved with the Discovery Playhouse from the very beginning. He and his wife Teresa are major supporters and organizers of Christmas in Old Town Cape. Jim has served on our Board of Directors and numerous committees for six years. After that, he became Chairman of the Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District steering committee and worked tirelessly for four years establishing the district, services and funding. Jim has embraced what it means to love and nurture our downtown, and we are truly blessed to have him as an advocate and ambassador for our organization.

We welcomed two new board members:
                            
Trae Bertrand – Bertrand Law Firm            Emilie Stephens – Annie-Em’s at Home

The evening was perfect! A great dinner, a great venue, a fantastic group of attendees and some well-deserved recognitions. We are incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic team of supporters and volunteers. 2015 is sure to be fantastic with such dedication and support!

Thank you to our wonderful event sponsors:

     

Question and Answer time with Happy Slapowitz's Toy Bash organizer, Ryan Eftink

What happened in 2001 that caused you to make a commitment to recruiting toys for kids at Christmas?
We wanted to have a Christmas party with our friends. My good friend, Davey, and I decided we’d make it a toy donation party. If you brought a toy to the party you could participate in the beverages and food that was provided, if not we asked for a cash donation. That first year at our house we had close to 100 people stop by… It was time to get a venue!

How did you come up with the name “Happy Slapowitz’s Toy Bash”?
We wanted something that gave tribute to the people that helped keep the event going. All the patrons of Rude Dog pub have always helped from the beginning and never asked for anything in return. That first year Mark and Todd wrote a check at the end of the night and gave cash from their tip jars to help. Another friend of ours, Nathan, brought several bags of toys to the event and one gentleman donates a bike every year. So I talked with my friends and decided to name it the “Happy Slapowitz’s Toy Bash” in honor of the unselfishness of the patrons of Rude Dog and the owners from that first year.  It is a name that means something to those that know it. 

What is your relation to Smokin’ Brothers?
Smokin Brothers is my family’s company. I have always been in charge of cooking the food for the event with help from a couple of friends. I am not into name recognition, and thought that it would help the cause if a business was named rather than a person. Smokin Brothers is a Seasoning, Sauce and Grill Manufacture Company. Double D Supply is the distributor for Smokin’ Brothers products. They provide all the supplies needed to cook from the seasonings, sauces and wood pellets, to, most importantly, the bbq grills used to cook the food.

What can we expect on this year’s menu?
We are cooking for all 8 bars this year. We’re providing pulled pork, BBQ baked beans, cole slaw and baked potato casserole. Food will be served before the bands take stage, from a 6-8pm, on December 11th.  

How do you buy tickets? What does it take to enter? 
The admission is a new unwrapped toy or a $10 cash donation at the door. ‘Bashers’ will receive a wristband to wear, allowing them to get into all locations for that one donation. If you purchased a t-shirt ahead of time, wear that and you’ll get in free.

What else is happening the evening of the 11th to support Toys for Tots
We’re having raffles for each bar that will be drawn at 12:30 at each location. Only 100 tickets will be sold at each bar for $5 apiece. It will be winner takes all. Each bar will have their own raffle box that will be given away, and the tickets can be purchased only at that bar that is giving that raffle away. The raffle boxes are made up of donations from our awesome sponsors. We’ll post on our FB page what each bar will have in their box.

New this year, we have one big prize to be raffled off. For a $20 entry you can win a Smokin Brothers BBQ grill valued at $900. Or, if you manage to make it to all eight venues and get your grill card punched at each location, you can enter for $10. The grill punch cards will be handed out at all venues, but Bel Air Bar and Grill will be where you can enter for the grill only. If you would like to purchase a chance to win the grill but are unable to attend, head over to Smokin Brothers at 1923 N. Kingshighway and enter there until Thursday, December 11th, at noon. We will be giving the grill away the following day on K103.

So you grew from changing the location from your home to Rude Dog to 8 pubs this year-is this correct?
We started in our home the first year and then quickly realized that it was too large of an event to have there. I’m good friends with the owners of Rude Dog Pub (Mark and Todd) and approached them about helping me out and having it at their location. The event changed from a Saturday night to a Thursday night. Also the free drinks went away, but we kept the food and added entertainment.

I have some good friends in several bands who came to help by donating their time. Jeremy Burford and Mike Renick were key contributors that first year at Rude Dog with their music connection.

That first year is when I got my right hand man on the cooking to start helping me, Kieth Seyer (Jr.).  2011 was the first year we added t-shirts and 2 other bars as well: Pour House & The Library. And this year we have committees helping with everything and we are an official 501C3! We also have had several businesses step forward and donate money and products to be given to the raffles.

We can’t wait for this year’s night - December 11th. 8 bars and 10 bands – don’t miss it!

'Like' our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on the latest Toy Bash information.

This post is written by guest blogger, Nicholle Hinkle, Director of Donor Relations at United Way of Southeast Missouri.

A little over three years ago (when my parents became empty-nesters), my dad started mentioning this thing called “craft beer.” I had never really heard of it, so I just assumed it was something that my parents were getting into since they didn’t have me around to entertain them anymore - ha! Little did I know at the time that this “craft beer” thing was actually becoming a new trend and thousands of people across the country were jumping on the bandwagon whether through taste-testing the products or brewing their own. How cool is that?

Well, if you’re a craft beer lover like my dad, you’ll be glad to know that United Way of Southeast Missouri is presenting an opportunity for you to taste-test over 60 craft and locally brewed beers right here in downtown Cape! That’s right – Boos & Microbrews will be held in conjunction with Hop Heads of Southeast Missouri and Bluff City Beer Co. on Saturday, October 25 from 2 to 6pm in the parking lot at Broadway & Main. Tickets are only $30 in advance or $35 the day of and can be purchased at United Way of Southeast Missouri, BOLD Marketing or Hubrew. However, you can also purchase tickets online by clicking here.

Your ticket gets you a tasting cup to sample the beers, a voting slip for your favorite beer, the opportunity to enjoy live music by the Jerry Ford Polka Band, entry into the Halloween costume contest, the chance to win raffle prizes, play games and so much more! Food will also be available for purchase from 2 Sides Grillin’.

As if I haven’t already provided enough good reasons to attend Boos & Microbrews, here are the Top 5 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer:

1 – It’s a hot topic. Like I mentioned, craft beer has become a rapidly growing trend in recent years. Craft beer + you drinking it = part of the cool club.

2 – The ingredients in the home-brewed beer will be fresh, carefully selected and of high quality. Our partners don’t brew anything but the best and these beverages are purely one of a kind and can’t be purchased in the store.

3 – Many people are referring to craft beer as the ‘new wine.’ Through the endless choices of flavors and styles of craft beer, there will always be an option to go with any meal…and 2 Sides Grillin will have plenty of options.

4 – The lager louts and bearded stereotypes have been well and truly quashed by the fresh, young and hip crowd that follows the movements of craft beer. Young fellows in trilbies sip pints with grey-haired strangers, women and men stand side-by-side, cups in hand. Welcome to beer equality.

5 – The people behind the craft beer possess an overwhelming degree of passion and love for what they do. It is brewed by local people, for local people, and often targeting a specific local area. Oh, and doing so will benefit your local United Way.

With the recent decision to bring the annual Fourth of July fireworks display back to downtown Cape Girardeau, we thought it a pertinent time to discuss the beneficial impacts that events such as this have on the downtown area.  

 

The list of events taking place downtown during a given period is lofty, and includes the fireworks display, Tunes at Twilight, First Friday, Parade of Lights, and The River Tales Classic Car Show…among many others. These events have the capacity to draw thousands of people (local and regional) into the Old Town Cape area that might not have otherwise visited. When combined with the areas multitude of retail, dining, and entertainment options, it’s an obvious winning situation for downtown merchants of every variety.

 

A recent study conducted by The Maine Center for Economic Policy examined a cities’ economic impacts when comparing local versus chain stores. The city of Portland, ME that was chosen has a population of just over sixty-six thousand people, which is comparable in nature to the Cape Girardeau and Jackson regional area. They analyzed data collected from 28 locally owned retail businesses, along with corporate filings for a representative national chain. The researchers found,

 

“That every $100 spent at locally owned businesses contributes an additional $58 to the local economy.  By comparison, $100 spent at a chain store in Portland yields just $33 in local economic impact.”

The study concluded,

 

“That if residents of the region were to shift 10 percent of their spending from chains to locally owned businesses, it would generate $127 million in additional local economic activity and 874 new jobs.”

 

Cape Girardeau is obviously not Portland, ME, but even if we were to assume a fraction of the benefits they found, we can come to the conclusion that local spending and events are a winning combination for Cape Girardeau. This is why we as downtown merchants, of every variety, should feel the need to champion events such as our recent fireworks display, while also applauding those who chose to patronize local retailers while in attendance.  Of utmost importance though, is to come to realization that events such as these can come to a close at a moment’s notice without support from the local community. We don’t like to imagine a downtown free from the sounds of an acoustic guitar at Tunes at Twilight, the uproar of a hot rod revving its engine during the car shows, or seeing the first set of Christmas lights parading down Broadway. We certainly hope that everyone in our area feels the same!

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 :).

This post is written by Caitlin Schlichting, Interactive Marketing Specialist & Web Developer for The Bank of Missouri.

As a sponsor for Old Town Cape, we at The Bank of Missouri feel that it is important to support downtown and all that the staff does to revitalize it. We understand that everyone can't give financially, which is why we've come up with a way that you can help us help downtown Cape.

ICBA (Independence Community Bankers of America) is currently hosting a Main Street Holiday photo contest as part of their shop local campaign. They invited community bankers from across the country to submit a photo of the downtown in their community and received hundreds of entries.

The photo that we submitted of downtown Cape was taken by bank associate Chad Johnson and portrays a night time view of Main Street decorated for the holidays with the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in the background - sounds pretty neat, huh? We were thrilled to find out that the photo made it all the way to the Top 5 finalists, but now we need your help in making in #1.

Please vote by liking the photo in the ICBA "Main Street Holidays Top 5 Photo Entries" photo album on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1bURvgl). You have to be sure to open the photo and click "like" underneath the caption for the vote to count. Voting ends at 8 a.m. on Friday, December 20 and the photo with the most "likes" will win $300. If the photo of downtown Cape wins, we will of course donate it to Old Town Cape. So we need your vote to show everyone that Cape Girardeau has the best downtown - hands down!

The Bank of Missouri is proud to support local businesses and is grateful for this opportunity to draw national attention to Old Town Cape. Happy voting!

This post is written by guest blogger, Kyleigh Baliva, manager of Pastimes Antiques and Music Director of Vintage Now Fashion Show.

On Tuesday, October 22, the 4th Annual Vintage Now Fashion Show fundraiser will be held with the proceeds benefiting the local Safe House for Women. Deb Maevers, owner of Pastimes Antiques, is the founder/director of the show and has been showing women how to wear vintage, NOW - by mixing vintage garments with modern pieces. 40 models will walk this year's "Great Gatsby" themed show at the The Venue with two fashion segments: "Just for Fun, Old Sport" and "Jazz Age Glamour." Attendees are welcome to dress up that night and can expect a lot of fringe, sequence and flapper music.

What they might not expect is the special guest speaker, Jacque Waller's sister. With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it's only appropriate that Cheryl Brennecke explain the story "Jacque Waller: A Life Cut Short...A Sister's Story." Even though coverage of this local tragedy has somewhat halted, her memory will be kept alive and shared that night. And hopefully someone in the audience will be inspired to use the Safe House's resources themselves or encourage someone they know to get help that might prevent another tragic event.

The doors will open at 6 p.m. with the runway show starting at 7 p.m. A silent auction will also be held with a variety of items that have been doanted by businesses and organizations in the community. Everyone attending will receive a complimentary drink and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Don't wait until the night of the event to get your tickets! They are available at Pastimes Antiques (45 N. Main) or online at www.vintagenowfashionshow.com. You can keep up with all of the excitement leading up to the event by following the Vintage Now Facebook page. For more information or if you have questions, please call 573-332-8882.

"Can't repeat the past...of course you can!" Well, especially when it comes to VintageNOW fashion.

Have you noticed that downtown Cape has a new "look" to it? I'm not talking about the streetscape, but rather the pink elements and decorations that many business owners are adding to their store for the month of October in support of Pink Up Cape.

Pink Up Cape was launched in 2010 by Saint Francis Medical Center to raise breast cancer awareness in Southeast Missouri. The campaign runs concurrently with Breast Cancer Awareness every October and encourages the community to support the cause by doing just what our downtown businesses are doing - pinking up their spaces!

Laurie Everett of Annie Laurie's Antiques gave Zsa Zsa a pink makeover. She is currently sporting a hot pink wig along with a black and pink leotard, but Laurie mentioned that she will be sporting several different pink outfits throughout the month. Laurie believes that Pink Up Cape is important because we need to come together as a community to care about and support those who can't provide this exam for themselves.

Kyleigh Baliva and her mother Deb Maevers, owners of Pastimes Antiques, also chose to participate by pinking up one of their display windows at the store. According to the two, window displays are a big part of what their store is about and they want to show support for the community through Pink Up Cape. They have partnered with their dealers to display different types of pink merchandise that is for sale.

Other downtown businesses including The Bank of Missouri, Southeast Missourian and rustmedia are also participating with decorations such as flags and ribbons. I expect that more businesses will continue to add to the "look" throughout the month of October, so keep your eye out!

All of the funds raised during Pink Up Cape benefit Dig for Life, a series of fundraisers that educate women in the region about the importance of early breast cancer detection through regular mammography screenings. The fundraiser was started by Cindy Gannon, the Southeast Missouri State University women's volleyball coach, in 2002 after breast cancer claimed her mother's life. Each $100 that is raised provides a free mammogram for a Cape Girardeau woman who cannot afford the important screening. Dig for Life has provided more than 400 free mammograms each year to date.