Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa & Convention Center today announced plans to host a series of intimate vintner dinners highlighting wines of Missouri and elegant cuisine prepared by executive chefs from around the state.

The first of the Chateau Vintner Dinners will be held on Friday, January 26, 2007 in the Private Dining Room of the Chateau Grille. Reservations are also being accepted for upcoming Chateau Vintner Dinners on February, 23, 2007 and March 23, 2007. A visiting winemaker and chef from Missouri will host each dinner.

Winemaker Daniel Alcorso from Crown Valley Winery and Executive Chef Drew Poniewaz from Tiger Ridge Restaurant, both in Ste. Genevieve, will serve as guest hosts on January 26th. A dinner reception begins at 6:30p.m. followed by a five-course meal featuring Norton-braised Crown Farm Beef Short Ribs and seared Crown Farm Bison Loin prepared by Chef Drew. Guests will have the opportunity to sample five of Crown Valley's most outstanding wines including the Muscat Canelli 2005, Norton 2005 and Vignoles "Late Harvest" 2005. Reservations are required and guests must be 21 years of age. The price per person is $85.00 pus tax and gratuity. Seating is very limited.

Guests are also invited to attend an afternoon cooking demonstration and sampling with Chef Drew and Chateau Executive Chef Anthony Burke beginning at 2:00p.m., January 26, 2007. This informal and entertaining afternoon with the Chefs will feature samples from Crown Valley Winery. Reservations are required and guests must be 21 years of age. The price per person is $25.00 pus tax and gratuity.

Chateau on the Lake is proud to spotlight Crown Valley and other Missouri wineries to help bring attention to Missouri's professional winemaking industry. "First-time visitors at the Chateau are often very surprised by what they find," said Chateau Vice President and General Manager Stephen Marshall. "When I visited Crown Valley Winery, I had the same reaction. It's a very professional operation in a beautiful rural setting. We wanted to bring a piece of it here for our Vintner Dinner Series so that our residents and visitors could experience the unique pleasure of fine wine together with expertly-prepared gourmet cuisine."

Branson, MO. - The world will turn its attention to Branson this summer when the Emmy award-winning daytime drama As The World Turns comes to town. The CBS daytime drama will tape on location in Branson on June 6th, 7th and 8th. The episodes will air in July.

In the story, young lovers Gwen and Will Munson (Emmy award-winner Jennifer Landon and Jesse Lee Soffer) and their friend Maddie Coleman (Alexandra Chando) will travel to "The Live Music Show Capital of the World" to further Gwen's musical career. Gwen's rival Jade Taylor (Elena Goode) will follow them to Branson to stir up trouble for the trio. In addition to Landon, Soffer, Chando and Goode, 21 production and crew members will travel to Branson to film at various locations. Additional personnel will be hired from the Branson area to assist with the shoot.

"We are very excited about this opportunity," said Christopher Goutman upon making the announcement. "Branson will play a really big part in the story. We want this to be big for both As The World Turns and for Branson."

The cast members will be available for media interviews and autographs on Saturday, June 9 from 10 am until 2 pm at the Grand Country Square.

As The World Turns celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 2, 2006. The show received 12 Daytime Emmy Award nominations in 2006, including Outstanding Daytime Drama Series. Christopher Goutman is Executive Producer and Jean Passanante is Headwriter. A Procter & Gamble Production, As The World Turns is taped in Brooklyn, NY. The show can be seen weekdays on the CBS Television Network. (Check local listings).

The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB is responding to increasing gas prices by offering visitors to Branson a Gas Buster discount card, accepted at dozens of live shows, area attractions, lodging properties, retail shops and restaurants, worth a total of $50 off purchases, as well as a chance to win a grand prize getaway to Branson.

Between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2007, The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB will give a Gas Buster discount card to anyone who presents a valid drivers' license and a minimum of $40 in gas receipts incurred within 48 hours of their arrival at one of the Chamber's two Welcome Centers, located at the intersections of U.S. Highway 65 and Missouri Highway 248, and at Hwy. 65 and Missouri Highway 160 in Branson. Gas Buster card holders are automatically entered to win the grand prize 4-day/3-night vacation for four to Branson, which will be awarded on October 31, 2007.

"By offering the Gas Buster discount card to our visitors, we are letting them know that we value their business. And Branson businesses are willing to work together to defray the cost of gas so our visitors can afford to do all the things they would like to do while they are here," according to Ross Summers, president and CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB. "Most of the visitors that vacation in Branson drive into town. The Gas Buster program will help bring more people, especially more of our regional neighbors coming in for a weekend getaway. Branson's location, within a day's drive of roughly one-third of our country's population, makes us very accessible to families looking for theme parks, outdoor and lakes recreation, along with shopping and world-class entertainment."

Gas Buster discount cards and the list of participating sponsors will only be issued from the two Chamber/CVB Welcome Centers. Business hours are 8am to 5pm, Mondays through Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. The Gas Buster promotion runs from May 1 through Oct. 31, 2007.

See the 2006 Sturgis "˜Best of Show' bike at World's Largest Titanic museum attraction May 18-20, 2007

Custom bike builder Michael Ballew, winner of Metzeler Tires' "Best of Show" Award at the 2006 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, will be on hand at the World's Largest TITANIC Museum Attraction along with four of his award-winning bikes, May 18-20, 2007, during the Branson Motorcycle Rally.

Museum attraction co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn said she wanted to bring Ballew to Branson because, ""¦having him here will add another fun element to the rally and this is our way of welcoming these folks to town," she said.

Ballew's award-winning candy-apple red custom bike, which was featured in April's American Iron Magazine, will be on display daily at the museum attraction starting Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20 along with three other show-stopping bikes. Fans will have an opportunity to take photos of the bikes and meet Ballew, the 32-year-old owner of Ballew's South Central Customs in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The outdoor event is free and open to the public.

The World's Largest TITANIC Museum Attraction is Branson's new landmark tourist destination. The 17,000 square-foot, ship-shaped structure - built half scale to Titanic's original size - towers more than 100 feet above its anchored position on Highway 76. A 90-minute self-guided tour covers 20 galleries on two decks where over 400 priceless artifacts that once belonged to Titanic's passengers or crew are on display. None of the artifacts were retrieved from the ocean's floor. Dramatic lighting, ambient sound, photographs and video accompany a creative mix of music from the period, and hands-on devices give visitors the sensation of being an original passenger on Titanic's 1912 maiden voyage.

Branson's finance director has adjusted his April tourism tax revenue figures downward after he discovered a miscalculation.

Earlier this week, the city released figures showing the tourism tax revenue for April at $1,013,726, a 38 percent increase from April 2006. That would have been the first time tourism tax revenue topped a million dollars in any April. However, a further review by Finance Director Ferris Brown resulted in current collected revenues being $768,484. The new figure is still 5.2 percent ahead of April 2006, and for the 2007 fiscal year, which started in October, tourism tax revenue has increased 12.4 percent over the same time period last year. April 2006 tourism tax revenue was $730,282.

According to Brown, who was hired March 1, he is still learning how the tourism tax collection process works.

In the case of the April tourism tax revenues, Brown said he released the April figures too early before he had the opportunity to conduct the closing procedure that is done each month. The closing procedure takes several days following the end of the month to complete. It was during this closing procedure that Brown said he discovered his error of misreading a journal entry. "In misreading the journal entry, I counted some tax income twice," Brown said.

With temperatures predicted to climb near 90 this week, it's definitely time to get out the sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. Sun Safety Week runs June 3 through 9 and reminds everyone of the importance of protecting skin against the damaging rays of the sun.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), the most common form of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. Experts believe exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays plays a big role in the development of skin cancer. In fact, most skin cancers are caused by unprotected sun exposure in childhood and adolescence, as 80 percent of a person's sun exposure occurs before age 21.

"Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun's UV rays in as little as 15 minutes, yet it can take up to 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure. So skin that looks a little pink today, may be burned by the next morning," said Branson Health Director Linn Smith.

Smith offered these tips to prevent sun damage to skin:
-Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
-Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
-Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
-Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
-Apply sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and that provides both UVA and UVB protection.

"Using sunscreen regularly on children can reduce their risk of skin cancer by almost 78 percent," Smith said. "Apply it at least 30 minutes before going outdoors, even when it's cloudy, and reapply every two hours after going into the water."

While everyone is at risk for skin damage, some people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer, especially those with:
-Lighter natural skin color
-A family history of skin cancer
-A personal history of skin cancer
-Exposure to the sun through work and play
-A history of sunburns early in life
-Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
-Blue or green eyes
-Blonde or red hair
-Certain types and a large number of moles

For more information about sun safety, contact the Branson Health Department at 337-8551 or the Taney County Health Department at 334-4544.

The National Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a health advisory through the Branson Health Department concerning a soft contact lens solution under the brand name ADVANCED MEDICAL OPTICS (AMO) COMPLETE MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution.

According to the CDC, 138 cases of eye infections have been confirmed in persons wearing soft contact lenses who use this product, and some of the cases have been in Missouri.

The CDC recommends that people who wear soft contact lenses and who use ADVANCED MEDICAL OPTICS (AMO) COMPLETE MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution stop using the product immediately and discard all remaining solution, including partially used or unopened bottles. Any current pair of soft lenses that were cleaned and/or stored in the solution should be discarded, as well as the lens storage container.

The CDC also recommends that wearers of soft contacts that have used this particular solution and who have experienced any signs of eye infection, pain, redness, blurred vision, tearing, sensitivity to light, or foreign body sensation get in touch with their eye doctor.