Employment opportunities; growth in local businesses and new programs can all be found in this week’s viewpoint cloumn.

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

Employment opportunities; growth in local businesses and new programs can all be found in this week’s viewpoint cloumn.

A special one-day employment assistance seminar will be hosted and conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, 120 N. Third St., Ironton, on Thursday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The seminar will assist Tri-State military veterans analyze their work skills, attitudes and military occupational specialties and relate them to the civilian work force. In addition to inventorying and relating work skills to local job markets, veterans will be coached on developing and improving resumes, interviewing strategies, completing employment applications and developing plans to market their knowledge, skills and abilities.

The seminar is free and is open on a space-available basis. To reserve a seat, call 532-8082.

The following positions currently are posted with the OBES Ironton One Stop Employment and Training Center, 120 N. Third St.: credit clerk, mechanics, landscape/lawn care, labor/supervisor, fast food workers, nurse’s aides, physical therapist, registered nurse, security officers, telemarketing, truck drivers, experienced commercial roofers, heating and air-conditioning install/repair, various sales positions, deli clerk, loan processor, various production positions, traveling photographer, fitness coordinator/instructor, delivery truck driver, electrician, industrial cleaning help, gas/diesel mechanic and management trainees.

The Ironton One-Stop office may be reached by calling 532-8082, or you may visit OBES on the Internet at www.obes.org.

The Ironton office of Edward Jones, 117 N. Fourth St., will host three upcoming seminars. All seminars will be held at the office using satellite technology to link local participants with national speakers, said Mark Compston, Ironton investment representative.

The use of trusts in estate planning will be featured Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2-5 p.m., and is targeted toward area CPAs and attorneys.

Among the course topics are living trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts, bypass trusts and generation-skipping trusts.

Participants will be eligible for three CPE hours for CPAs and accountants. CLE credit for attorneys is pending approval in all states and general education requirements.

Enrollment fee is $50, which includes admission for one person and all course materials. Reservations are required.

The second and third segments of a three-part seminar on estate planning will be held at the Ironton Edward Jones office on Monday, Sept. 27, and Monday, Nov. 29.

The Sept. 27 program is entitled "Construction" and is designed for individuals familiar with basic estate-planning terminology and documents but who have not yet implemented a plan. The Nov. 29 program is "Adding the Finishing Touches."

"This three-part program is designed to help investors make informed decisions about estate-planning alternatives," Compston said.

For more information or to reserve a seat at any of the seminars, call 533-2464.

Shawnee State University in Portsmouth is offering a free, 10-week course in river studies. The course, which began Monday, Sept. 13, and will be held each Monday through Nov. 15, is from 5-9 p.m., and will focus on the river as part of the culture and heritage of Southern Ohio and the United States.

Among the topics to be discussed by a variety of lecturers are the river under the stars (planetarium presentation), the river in literature and myth, art of the river, the flood of 1937 (which includes film footage and a conversation with survivors), science and ecology of the river, the river in song, the future of the river and Portsmouth and Southern Ohio as river towns (this session will take place on the river aboard a luxury barge).

For more information on how to register, call 1-740-355-2221.

The Federal Reserve Board has approved the merger of Firstar Corp. and Mercantile Bancorporation. The anticipated closing date is Sept. 17.

In April, Firstar announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Mercantile through an exchange of shares valued at about $10.6 billion.

The transaction will make Firstar the second largest banking franchise in deposits in the Midwest. With corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., Firstar will serve more than 5 million customers through its 1,200 branch locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Arizona and Florida.

The combined company will become the 14-th largest bank holding company in the United States, with assets of about 475 billion, deposits of $59 billion and assets under management of $67 billion.

Mercantile is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo.

American Electric Power (AEP) workers recently tested the company’s Year 2000 contingency plans in preparation for the rollover to Jan. 1.

"Overall, there were no major surprises during the drill," said Michael Knapp, AEP’s transmission security manager. "We identified minor problems and changes that need to be made prior to the rollover, such as some communications problems. Between now and Dec. 31, changes in procedures and processes will be made to eliminate any of the minor problems identified in the drill."

Systems critical for keeping electricity flowing to customers on Jan. 1, 2000, already have been tested and are Y2K-ready.

Two new physicians recently joined the medical staff at King’s Daughters’ Medical Center (KDMC) in Ashland, Ky.

Family practitioner Gary Cremeans II, M.D., will practice at the KDMC clinic in Grayson, Ky. He is a native of Huntington, W.Va., and earned his medical degree from the Marshall University School of Medicine. He also performed his residency there.

John Van Deren III, M.D., has joined the staff as an electrophysiologist, a sub-specialty of cardiology that focuses on heart rhythm disorders. Electrophysiologists evaluate and treat cardiac rhythm disturbances, prescribe medication to help the heart beat normally and, if necessary, perform invasive procedures to treat irregular rhythms.

Electrophysiologists also manage complex pacemaker problems and can treat life-threatening ventricular arythmias.

Van Deren previously practiced with the Lexington Clinic for nine years. His medical degree is from Brown University, Providence, R.I., and he performed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo. Van Deren holds diplomate status from the national Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Internal Medicine, with specialization in cardiovascular diseases and clinical cardiac electrophysiology.

The Longaberger Company recognized Regina Smith as a 1999 National Sales Award winner at its annual convention held in Columbus for generating annual sales of $45,000. Ms. Smith, of Chesapeake, received among other gifts, an exclusive Longaberger Basket with a special brass tag and engraved lid as well as on-stage recognition as one of 618 independent sales associates nationwide achieving this level of sales.

The Longaberger Company also recognized Rosalie Bailes, of Proctorville, and Jeanette Little, of Chesapeake, as 1999 VIP National Sales Award Winners for generating annual sales of more than $35,000. They received an exclusive Longaberger VIP Basket, certificate of achievement, and a VIP Luncheon invitation with members of the Longaberger Family as well as on-stage recognition as one of 2,206 Independent Sales Associates nationwide achieving this level of sales.

The Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce will discuss the Chesapeake Bypass and Ironton-Russell, Ky., bridge project prior to Friday’s member luncheon at the Grandview Inn.

Chamber Transportation Committee chairman Robert Dalton will display maps of the two projects and conduct a "report session" at 11 a.m. to discuss the projects’ issues.

Following Dalton’s presentation, Riki Evans of Anderson Consulting in Cincinnati will present information about the Ohio Works Program.

The web-based program, endorsed by Gov. Bob Taft, is designed to help people look for jobs and employers look for employees. Ohio Works offers participants help with creating a resume and providing information about Lawrence County’s job market, hiring trends, training, salary rates, employee turnover, transportation and childcare.

Reservations for the luncheon meeting can be made by calling the chamber at 377-4550. Cost is $10 per person.

Jennifer Allen is publisher of The Ironton Tribune.