Legoland Egypt?

Saturday's announcement of a new destination shopping and entertainment center on Marion's north side did not mention Legoland, but that was part of the deal in its previous incarnation, and city officials believe it still is.

Up until last Thursday, April 29, Bruce Holland had been pushing the University Town Center development at Glen Carbon, Illinois, in the St. Louis Metro-East area. After opposition to the use of STAR bonds, the local state Rep. Tom Holbrook, dropped legislation that would create the state incentives.

At some point last week Southern Illinois lawmakers state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, and state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, jumped on board. After a rash of meetings with the lawmakers, area mayors and economic development officials, Holland announced plans for the Marion project.

The clock though is ticking. House Speaker Michael Madigan wants to adjourn at the end of this week.

So what's the history on Legoland and the Midwest?

Four years ago Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments Group, announced that his company was "actively engaged" in finding partners and a location for a fifth Legoland theme park. They already operated three in Europe and one in North America at Carlsbad, California.

The Theme Park Insider reported the news on Jan. 19, 2006, under a headlined time frame of "3 to 5 years":

Varney said that the company's goal is to develop its Legoland parks as "mini Disney Worlds," destination resorts attracting visitors over several days, rather than just destinations for local day-trippers. As a result, Varney suggested that Merlin might build new installations of its SeaLife and Dungeon amusements next to Legolands, as well as working with local governments and developers to encourage more tourist development around the parks.

Important for Marion and Southern Illinois is the following quote.

"We have three parks in Europe. Looking to the future, in the blue sky, I could see three parks in North America, too. With a Legoland here in Southern California, it does not take a genius to see the Midwest and the East Coast as potential new sites," Varney said.

.

Merlin Entertainment found its East Coast location at Winter Haven, Florida last year when it acquired the legendary Cypress Gardens site.

In the Midwest, they first looked at Kansas City before targeting the St. Louis region.

In June 2007, the city council at Columbia, Illinois, learned that St. Louis developer G. J. Crewe, which they had been working with since 2004 to develop the Columbia Crossings site, had landed the interest of Merlin to locate a Legoland as part of the proposed 2,000 acre development. Amazingly, the city backed out of the plan.

Skip forward a couple of years with a new developer, Holland, this time, and the idea of a suburban St. Louis Legoland resurfaces at Glen Carbon, Illinois, on the northeast side of the MetroEast.

Holland was able to work with his local lawmakers to get the STAR bonds incentive legislation through the General Assembly in 2009, but Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed the bill with a change that only half of the state sales tax increment could be used rather than all of it.

Plans were to address that this year, but opposition grew from other MetroEast mayors over the retail development which they feared would threatened their own retail areas. That opposition killed the Glen Carbon proposal last week.

While Legoland officials have officially "downplayed" an Illinois location, company officials did approach Quinn last October while he visited Copenhagen to lobby the International Olympic Committee in support of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. For those who don't know, Lego is based in Denmark.

Holland probably didn't mention the park because he was still trying to sell Merlin Entertainment on Southern Illinois. Still the possibilities are tempting for area tourism. Holbrook's legislation provides an idea of the minimum investment on a theme park needed to qualify for the bonds - $100 million. That's an investment we can take to the bank.

On the lighter side, here's something we probably won't see in a Land of Lincoln Legoland.

Quinn Pledges to Reopen Parks, Historic Sites

The newly-installed Gov. Patrick J. Quinn Administration is expected to quickly re-open the 11 state parks and 13 state historic sites shuttered by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

This would include Fort Kaskaskia, Pierre Menard Home, Fort du Chartres, Cahokia Courthouse and the Vandalia Statehouse state historic sites in northwestern part of Southern Illinois.

Quinn made the comments specifically about the parks and in general about the historic sites at a news conference in the Statehouse minutes after he took the oath of office as Illinois' newest governor.

Quinn became governor following the Illinois Senate's 59-0 vote Thursday afternoon to convict Blagojevich for abuse of power during his six years in office. Now a private citizen the former governor still faces criminal prosecution for his alleged actions.

While Quinn would not - and self-admittedly could not - identify the scope of the state's budget deficit without further study, he reiterated earlier pledges to re-open the state parks. Comments by him and other state officials in recent days indicate a budget hole of at least $4 to $5 billion.

At his news conference he pointedly stressed the importance of heritage tourism as a growing industry and the need to make certain these sites, both Lincoln-related as well as others, be open to the public.

As to the leadership of Department of Natural Resources and other staff positions, he said nothing would be announced until next week.

When asked specifically about DNR and it's recently appointed director Kurt Granberg, Quinn once again reiterated earlier comments he's made indicating his belief that a natural resources professional should be in that position. Granberg is a long-time legislator who retired from the Illinois House earlier this month.

Quinn was not asked about the larger funding issues surrounding state parks and historic sites. In Southern Illinois staffing for state parks is down 40 percent in the last five years in Region 5 of DNR.

Throughout the state staffing for the Historic Sites Division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is down 60 percent since 2000. If the recent cuts are restored, staffing levels will still be off 40 percent since the end of the last millennium.

Even if funding could be restored to 2000 levels, that would leave only one IHPA staffer in the 22 counties served by the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office, an area with seven IHPA-owned historic sites.

Voters OK Rend Lake Development

Voters in Franklin and Jefferson Counties gave the Rend Lake Conservancy District a green light today to pursue private sector development on leased conservancy district lands along Rend Lake.

The district approved a request for proposals earlier this year for development along the lake front. Although this was something a part of the original plans for the lake the district's board wanted to make sure the public still support it since it had been nearly 40 years since those original plans were made.

Residents supported the proposals nearly 2 to 1 according to results in the Mount Vernon Register-News.

In Jefferson County, voters answered the advisory question with 7,309 saying yes to development and 3,639 voting against. In Franklin County, 9,813 voters said yes, and 5,559 no, for a total of 17,122 voting in favor and 9,198 against.

Support Still Needed for State Park Funding

I received the following e-mail alert yesterday from our friends at ICCVB. It deals with the funding legislation passed recently for state parks and historic sites (as well as other programs).

After their passage, the Senate forwarded two bills (one to sweep dedicated funds and the other to provide funding to keep open state historic sites and state parks) to the Governor on October 7, 2008. Governor Blagojevich has 60 calendar days to take action on this legislation, would be December 6th, six days after the stated closures of the state parks and historic sites (Novemeber 30).

We have been informed that the Governor has stated he will not sign SB 1103 until he is sure the state can withstand the current economic downturn. The Pantagraph ( Bloomington - Normal area) published a story confirming this information, which you can read by clicking on the following link: http://m1e.net/c?89081502-RDzZxpnTZJBQ2%403700274-A7LOipkAJbA36.

We will continue to fight for restoration of these vital funds and will keep you informed of any updates.

Please take time to call or e-mail the Governor’s office asking him to take quick action to sign this legislation You can send an email to Governor Blagojevich at governor@illinois.gov, or call (312) 814-2121. You can also show your support on this issue by signing an electronic petition at www.saveourstateparks.org.

According to an Associated Press article earlier this week a spokesman for the governor said the reluctance to sign the measure was due to weakening economic conditions which might force additional cuts.

“We are reviewing our revenue forecast to ensure that we will not have to make further cuts,” Guerrero said. “It would be a shame to propose restorations and then have to rescind them if the economic climate worsens.”

Rich Miller of Capitol Fax noted that quote on his blog Monday.

I can’t believe the AP let that one go unchallenged.

So what if the governor restores the cuts and revenue tanks? What does one have to do with the other?

The General Assembly made some very specific cut restorations by using targeted skims from existing money in special state funds.

Even if the overall budget completely tanks, there will be zero impact on the legislative package approved by the General Assembly, because it didn’t rely on any General Revenue Fund money. If GRF goes down, those special funds aren’t reduced.

The problem goes beyond this one bill and the parks and historic sites currently threatened. Both systems are broke. We need a better system.

Morgan Street Overpass Opens

I haven't seen an official announcement, but the new Morgan Street Overpass crossing Interstate 57 near The Hill in Marion is open to traffic.

I've already traveled over it twice today.

Down below construction crews were laying asphalt for the off ramps from the southbound lane of I-57 to Route 13. The ramps should be open later this fall.

Meanwhile Marion's newest McDonalds opened yesterday at the old Court Street location. The owners tore down the 35-year-old original building and replaced it with a new larger structure.

On the west side crews continue to install a new exterior to Burger King and just up Halfway Road halfway to The Hill, Country Inn & Suites continues its progress.

According to the Marion Daily Republican that hotel should be open by November 15, which is the same target date for the new Pirate Pete's restaurant and family fun center locating in the Illinois Centre Mall.

Southern Illinois State Historic Sites Slashed

Southern Illinois may have been spared cuts to its state parks, but no state historic sites south of Interstate 70 will be left opened after Oct. 1.

The Rockford Register-Star provides the full list:

• Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia: The site will close Oct. 1 but will open on a limited basis for special events. It is currently open five days per week, and had 8,414 visitors in 2007.


• Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher: The site will close Oct. 1 but will open on a limited basis for special events. It is currently open five days per week, and had 38,100 visitors in 2007.


• Fort Kaskaskia and Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove: These two sites, including the campground at Fort Kaskaskia, will close Oct. 1. These sites are currently open five days per week, and had 23,086 visitors in 2007.


• Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia: The site will close Oct. 1 but will open on a limited basis for special events. It is currently open five days per week, and had 31,690 visitors in 2007.

Of course, it would be remiss if I didn't point out that there were already seven IHPA-owned historic sites in the region without any staff.

• Old Slave House - Purchased in 2000, never been reopened.


• Shawneetown Bank - State Bank of Illinois built in 1840, purchased by the state in 1946 and never been fully opened to the public.


• Old Rose Hotel - Oldest hotel in the state. First section built in 1812 following the New Madrid Earthquakes. Now operated as a concessionaire-leased bed and breakfast.


• Buel House - Golconda. Maintained and opened occasionally by the Pope County Historical Society.


• Kincaid Mounds - Brookport. Only recently have we had a viewing platform, site interpretation and a parking lot.


• Halfway Tavern - Marion County.


• Lincoln Trail State Memorial - Lawrenceville. Monument honors Lincoln and his family when the moved into Illinois. Luckily the National Park Service which operates the George Rogers Clark Memorial across the Wabash River at Vincennes, Indiana, comes over and mows the grass. It's currently getting a $19,700 facelift.

The only sites left are Cahokia Mounds in the MetroEast which will stay open 5 days a week.

Randolph County has an unemployment rate right now of 8.4 percent last month. It doesn't need to lose another 61,000 visitors-plus that go to these historic sites, two of which pre-date the American Revolution.

Likewise Fayette County too suffers an 8.4 percent unemployment rate and could have greatly benefited from 31,000-plus visitors coming to the state's third capitol building over the next 12 months while the nation celebrates the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Ironically, while most Lincoln sites were spared, this is one that wasn't and Lincoln served as a state representative in Vandalia.

These cuts aren't surprise. We've been warned they were coming all summer.

While this is obviously political, politics aside, the decline in funding and staffing has been an issue for the last three governors.

My only question is when is the state going to start looking at alternatives. Placing chains across a gate isn't a legitimate answer. It's just another problem that needs to be overcome.

Rumored List of State Park Closings Leaked

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Southern Illinois appears to have been spared in the latest round of cutbacks just confirmed for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Jeff Lampe, outdoor writer for the Peoria Journal-Star and Prairie State Outdoors, just posted a list of 11 state parks set to close come November 1 due to cuts.

The list, confirmed with the agency, does not include any in Southern Illinois.

Lampe quotes the agency spokesman as saying 39 workers will be laid off. Those include:

25 site technician II, 4 rangers, 3, site assistant superintendents, 1 office associate (part-time), 3 office coordinators (2 part-time, 1 full-time), 1 site security officer (IFPE union), 1 natural resource coordinator and 1 natural resource specialist.

Previous stories, including one in the Chicago Tribune on August 3, put the targeted number at nine in a story about a $9 million announced cut in the budget of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The move will strain an already stressed system and could lead to the closing of as many as nine parks with low attendance figures, according to a source familiar with the issue.

The source said staff reductions could be fewer than 100 at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which oversees 122 parks and natural areas and has lost 734 staff positions since 2002. Park advocates say the cuts will result in the loss of 163 jobs.

Two New Restaurants Target Marion

Marion is losing one but gaining two new restaurants.

The Southern Illinoisan broke the story Sunday in the business section that long-time steakhouse Ruby Tuesday will be closing when their lease runs out this fall in the Illinois Centre Mall.

Over the last decade or so the chain has focused more on stand-alone eateries, though there is no word yet as to whether they plan to build a new restaurant in Marion.

Their space in the mall won't stay empty for long. Gourmet Chef Jim Halpin, formerly with Kokopelli and the Rend Lake Resort, has been planning his own steakhouse for the site, Halpin's Great American Chop Shop.

Mall Manager Bob Hardy told The Southern a bit about Halpin I did not know.

"He used to cook for Jerry Garcia (the late performer with The Grateful Dead rock group) and has had articles written about his work in Bon Appétit magazine."

Jim contacted me at my job with the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office a couple of months ago for some economic data about the region.

One of the surprising statistics that I found was that Williamson County residents eat out more than in surrounding counties. Maybe it's the large number of restaurants, or it may simple be due to the fact that a higher percent of county residents work and can either better afford to eat out, or don't have the time to cook at home.

The other new restaurant is another I've known about for some time, in part because it's locating about 50 feet behind my desk in the former Phar-Mor anchor store of the Illinois Centre Mall.

Pirate Pete's Family Entertainment Center promises to be a twist between a Chuck E. Cheese and a Dave and Buster's. It includes not only food, but fun, lots of it, in terms of video games and laser tag.

Like Halpin's eatery, this one will be locally owned as well. Sesser native Eugene "Ditto" Basso plans to open by mid-November.

"It's somewhat similar to Chuck E. Cheese's and Dave & Buster's, but not exactly. Our restaurant will be separate from the game room divided by a large saltwater aquarium. Chuck E. Cheese appeals mainly to children 12 and under, while Dave & Buster's is designed more for adults. We're going to try to reach a happy medium with Pirate Pete's. I've already hired a chef consultant out of Philadelphia. I will have meals that a family watching its budget can afford," Basso told the Southern.

Congratulations go out to both men.

Blog Goes Regional

Welcome to the Southern Illinois Tourism Blog, formerly the Williamson County Tourism Blog.

I started the former two years ago before joining the team at Williamson County Tourism. Now that I've moved up from one county to 22, it's time for the name to change as well.

The Board of Directors at the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office (SITDO) hired me as the new executive director of the office in May and I started Memorial Day. SITDO's main website was AdventureIllinois.com, but when I started to work on a new website design I discovered the IllinoisAdventure.com was now available, so I registered it.

There's a blog on it, but my plans are to keep that one targeted towards tourists with events and news. This one will focus more on the tourism industry, with some items posted on both.

Eventually we'll have a separate website for SITDO with more information geared towards the tourism industry here in Southern Illinois which is growing tremendously in some areas.

Region's Beaches Ready for Summer

It's a long way to the beaches in Florida, but Southern Illinois has some great ones right in our back yards.

Some of them like Sandusky Beach at Rend Lake and the public beach at Pounds Hollow Lake in the Shawnee National Forest. Others will open Memorial Day weekend.

Cedar Lake - Poplar Camp Beach (Jackson County) south of Carbondale opens Friday, May 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

State certified lifeguards are on duty during beach open hours. Admission is $2 per person with children under four admitted free. The beach and lake are operated by the City of Carbondale. Passes are available for 10 visits for $15 and 20 visits for $25. Passes are good for the entire esason and can be used by anyone at anytime.

For information on beach closings, call 618-549-8441 or 618-549-5302. Alcoholic beverages, glass containers and fires are prohibited at the beach.

Crab Orchard Lake (Williamson County) - The beach at Crab Orchard Campground will open for the season on May 26. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. There is a lifeguard present. Admission is $2 per person per day. No alcoholic beverages or glass bottles permitted. For more information contact the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge at 618-997-3344.

Lake Glendale (Pope County) - The beach at Lake Glendale opens May 24 with hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Lifeguards are present. Admission is $3.50 for persons 6 and over and $2.50 or persons 5 and under. The admission is for the entire day and swimmers may come and go. No alcohol or glass bottles permitted. The lake and beach is part of the Shawnee National Forest.

The concessionaire at Lake Glendale also offers paddle boat and canoe rentals.

Pounds Hollow Lake (Gallatin County) - This is a free day-use area in the Shawnee National Forest. The beach is open during daylight hours. No lifeguards are provided.

Rend Lake - Sandusky Beach is currently the only beach open at Rend Lake from 8 a.m. to sunset.

No lifeguards are on duty though. Admission is $1 per person up to $4 per vehicle (per day). Children 12 and under are admitted free. No alcohol or glass bottles permitted. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Sam Dale Lake (Wayne County) is part of the Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area that's open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

The swimming area is a buoy-marked area with a large beach area for sun-bathers. No life guards present. Swimmers under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. No alcohol allowed.

Celebrate National Tourism Week at the Pavilion

We're celebrating National Tourism Week this week May 10 through May 18, with an open house, business after-hours event this Thursday afternoon, May 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. here at the Williamson County Pavilion located at 1602 Sioux Drive behind the Illinois Centre Mall in Marion.

From our news release:

"What do wedding receptions, concerts and an AKC dog show have in common? Not only are they forms of tourism, but they’re all events held at the Pavilion this year,” explained Jon Musgrave, executive director of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau, which also manages the Pavilion.

“It’s hard to find such a variety of events in one place,” Events Coordinator Cherri Flinn said. “The Pavilion is a rare commodity with its 54,000 square feet of space and an Expo Hall that can hold 4,000 people.”

This Thursday the public is invited to the Pavilion’s first Business After Hours which is open from 4 to 7 p.m. Guests will be treated to free appetizers, drinks and personal tours of the facility.

Organizers say the event will be a great way to spread the word not only about tourism’s impact on the region but also what is offered at the Pavilion.

“This is an opportunity to let the community come in and see what services we offer,” Williamson County Tourism Marketing Director Nic Skovgaard said. “The Pavilion is unique just from the simple fact we can go from MMA cage fights to a cheerleading competition to a cat and dog show – and sometimes the set up happens overnight.”

Since the Pavilion opened in 2004 it has been host to hundreds of events – business meetings, celebrity fundraising events, proms, outdoor shows and even Mixed Martial Arts cage fighting.

“Tourists spend an incredible amount of money in Southern Illinois. Right at $450 million in 2006 in the 17th southernmost counties from I-64 south,” explained Musgrave. “All that money helped finance a payroll of $95 million and 4,050 jobs. That makes quite an impact.”

In Williamson County the biggest projects over the last few years have been Rent One Park and the Williamson County Pavilion.

The ballpark attracted a quarter million visitors to Marion last year and the Pavilion drew more than 54,000 visitors through its doors spread over 347 bookings.

“Both attendance and bookings were up more than 121 percent last year and the first three months of this year saw another 67 percent increase in attendance,” said Musgrave.

Larger crowds at the Southern Illinois Boat and Fishing Show and the Spring Home Show were two reasons he said, as well as a new gun and knife show.

In terms of lodging, Williamson County has seen new cabins or bed and breakfast inns open or expand in Herrin, Johnston City and Marion with another one soon to open in Hurst. This spring developers of a new Country Inn & Suites broke ground on a new 67-unit hotel below the Hill near Exit 54A. Another hotel and two more major restaurants are expected to follow later this year.

Besides the dog show, other upcoming events at the Pavilion include Drifters in concert also in June, a cat show in July, and the Colgate Country Showdown Illinois State Finals in September.

Herrinfesta Offers Opportunities to Help

The Herrin Civic Center is looking for help during Herrinfesta Italiana and Memorial Day weekend:

If you would like to support the Herrin Civic Center and the HBBA, please contact Ed Schullian at 727-0245 or the Herrin Civic Center at 942-6115. Also, anyone who can donate cakes, pies, cookies or some type of dessert to sell, it would be much appreciated. They can be dropped off at the Civic Center Friday, May 23, 2008 after the prayer breakfast. We appreciate your help and support of the Civic Center and Herrin Festa Italiana.

HerrinFesta Italiana Gearing Up for Later This Month

The HerrinFesta Italiana is a five day festival every Memorial Day week-end that celebrates the heritage of Herrin, a Southern Illinois community. The festival provides a sense of community spirit, as well as a homecoming for former residents and a welcome to thousands of travelers from all over the Midwest. This year the HerrinFesta Italiana dates are Thursday, May 22-Monday, May 26.

One of the largest and best known festivals in the state, the HerrinFesta Italiana has always brought top notch entertainment to the Heartland. The festival has featured such top names as The Dixie Chicks, the year they won Female Country Vocal of the Year. Other Country Stars have also appeared including Herrin's own David Lee Murphy, and Phil Vassar.

Entertainment groups have included everything from Jazz, Blues and Folk to Rock, Funk, Country and Zydeco.

This year is no different as sixteen top musical groups from all over the midwest are scheduled to appear. Thursday night features The Hairbangers Ball a Chicago group doing musical memories from the 80's. Friday night and Saturday night will highlight "Monsters of Rock", Danny Seraphine (formerly with Chicago) and California Transit Authority on Friday and John Waite on Saturday.

Also on Saturday's "Parrot Head" afternoon Doyle Grisham a member of the Jimmy Buffet Band will make a special appearance with the Boat Drunks. Jake Owen is featured on Country Sunday. Jake was nominated for Top Male Vocalist of the Year this year. The festival culminates on Monday night with the popular LoCash cowboys.

Top entertainment is not the only activity at the Festa. There is an authentic Italian food and beverage garden. A wine garden. A clean friendly carnival. An arts and crafts show. A parade, beauty pageant, and children's activities. A live video telecast direct from Italy of Mandolinisti Bustesi a famous Italian orchestra performing seven Italian Operatic selections will be included in Sunday's activities.

This year The Incredible Hulk will make an appearance on Saturday. A Saturday car show features many custom vehicles.

There are also bocce, volleyball, and golf tournaments, road races and special Italian contests. The HerrinFesta Italiana has always included something for the entire family.

For additional information visit the website at www.HerrinFesta.com or call the information hotline at 1-800-IT-FESTA.

Carterville Farmers Market to Start in June

The Farmers Market in Carterville will operate on Friday afternoons this summer beginning June 6 at the First Baptist Church parking lot. Hours are 3 to 6 p.m.

Booth costs for vendors are just $5. Persons interested can contact the Carterville Chamber of Commerce office at 985-6942.

Lodging Election Kicks Off

The spring lodging election for representatives on the Board of Directors of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau kicked off today.

WCTB Board Secretary Judy Attebury and I opened the nominations that came into the office last month. The following were nominated and will appear on the ballot:

• James Baker, manager of America’s Best Inn
  
• Anna Bordenave, co-owner of Oakridge Manor Bed and Breakfast
  
• Barb Lomax, Barb Lomax, manager of Hampton Inn
  
• Ashok Patel, co-owner of America’s Best Inn
  
• Robert Toupal, former owner of Toupal’s Country Inn

Ann Hindman and Greg Triplett were also nominated, but since they are already on the board as lodging representatives and their terms are not up they will not be listed on the ballot.

All lodging facilities in Williamson County who are current on their county bed tax will receive ballots. A check was made this afternoon. Ballots will go into the mail tomorrow morning and are due back in the office by May 27, 2008.

The ballots will be opened during the regular board meeting scheduled for noon on May 28, 2008. The new terms begin at the June meeting.

Two seats are up this year among the seven lodging representatives on the 19-member board. Those two seats are currently filled by Anna Bordenave and Barb Lomax.

Libraries and Museums Offer Gems for Genealogists

With Memorial Day coming up next month and ever warming days, genealogists can now get out for those fun family history research trips.

The Williamson County Historical Society operates a great research library in their Jail Museum at 105 S. Van Buren Street in Marion.

They are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays, as well as open until 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Tours of the museum are given on Thursdays with the last tour starting at 2 p.m.

In Herrin the expanded city library has developed a great local history room under the guidance of retired high school librarian Linda Banks. The library honored her last Sunday by naming the room the after her.

The Herrin City Library is located at 120 N. 13th St., one block east of Park Avenue which is Route 148.

The Frankfort Area Genealogy Society also operates another major local research library in the old Logan School in Frankfort Heights on the east side of West Frankfort at 2000 E. St. Louis St.

It's open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Although located in Franklin County this museum and library includes a lot of information about Williamson County, particularly the north portion the county. Historically, Williamson County was a part of Franklin from 1818 to 1839.

The genealogical collection of the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois is available for researchers at the John A. Logan College library in Carterville.

Other good sites for research include the following:

• Morris Library, SIU-Carbondale
  
• Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Carbondale
  
• Saline County Genealogy Society's Library, Harrisburg City Hall (open weekday mornings)

Bald Knob Cross Meeting Set for Tuesday

A public meeting is set for 7 p.m. tomorrow (April 15) in Alto Pass where an engineer from E.T. Simonds Co. will release a report on the structural integrity of the interior of Bald Knob Cross.

The report will be made during the regular monthly meeting of the Friends of the Cross group.

Last month the Southern Illinoisan quoted the group's president, Bill Vandergraph, passing along the initial reaction of the engineer.

"He says it's considerably worse that what most people say," Vandergraph said, adding that cost estimates and specifics had not yet been given.

The Alto Pass Civic Center is located at 19 Elm Street in Alto Pass.

Bucky Covington Rocks the Pavilion

Rising country music star Bucky Covington proved his idol status last night at his concert in Marion at the Williamson County Pavilion.

Covington performed along with opening act South 70 out of Atlanta.

Tonight Keith Anderson, Chris Young and the Lost Trailers are performing at the Pavilion in their "Raisin' the Bar" tour.

Another night of concerts is scheduled for Friday, April 25, featuring three rising Nashville acts — Smokey Lonesome, Mammoth Jack and Cole Prather.

Tickets can be purchased at Black Diamond Harley-Davidson here in Marion or online using the "Buy Tickets Now" button below.

Public Meeting Set for Rend Lake Issues

Just received this news release this afternoon:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake has announced plans to host a public workshop to discuss the changes that will be implemented in the operation of the Corps of Engineers managed areas at Rend Lake during the 2008 recreation season.

The meeting will be held at the Rend Lake Visitor Center on Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The informational workshop will provide individuals with lake information for the 2008 recreation season and provide the public with the opportunity to ask question of the Corps about area closings and reduced services that will be in effect at Rend Lake.

For more information feel free to contact the Rend Lake Project Office at 618-724-2493.

These meetings are in response to the budget cutbacks and the effects on the upcoming summer recreation season.

Birding Fest Set for Later This Month

The 7th Annual Birding Fest is scheduled later this month on April 25-27, down in the Cache River Basin with guided tours, mini-workshops and a host of other activities throughout the weekend.

A Birding Blitz is scheduled for Friday and programs will take place throughout the weekend at the Cache River Wetlands Center located on Route 37 in southeastern Johnson County.

Activities include guided canoe tours, birding hikes, live bird demonstrations, wildlife photo exhibits and "much more."

For more information check out their website at www.BirdingBlitz.org.

The event is sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Southern Illinois Audubon Society, Friends of the Cache River Watershed, The Nature Conservancy, Shawnee Audubon Society and Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau.

Country Inn & Suites Breaks Ground

Jim Zeller, owner of Zeller Construction and the new Country Inn & Suites coming to Marion this fall broke ground yesterday at the site of the hotel on Halfway Road about halfway between Route 13 and The Hill.

Yours truly was there along with other city officials and members of the Marion Chamber of Commerce.

The heavy rains this spring haven't helped the construction season. Zeller said he's likely to move the opening date until sometime in November for his new three-story 66-room hotel.

The new lodging facility will be located at 1306 N Halfway Rd north of America's Best Inns and south of 17th Street Bar & Grill.

For more on the plans check out this article from the announcement of the hotel back in February.

Update on New Golf Trail Idea

Representatives from the proposed Abraham Lincoln Golf Trail met with pros from the top courses in Southern Illinois yesterday at Rend Lake. The goal was to brief them about the trail idea as well as to secure their buy-in with the program.

The Southern's Karen Binder has more...

"Northern Illinois goes to Alabama, Florida and South Carolina," Granberg said. "If this works we can expand this to become whatever we want it to become. We want to tie in with wine trail, state lodges, restaurants and everything else. This is about economic development."

...The idea is to make the Web site a virtual office for the trail, allowing golfers to make tee times, lodging reservations, learn about other area attractions, see course layouts, check out golf packages and even eye the weather forecast.

Todd Ely, a Springfield economic development consultant, said targeted marketing and advertising, such as billboards and article placement in golf publications, would drive golf traffic to the site.

From the site, "we want to cross-promote everyone," Ely added.

Check out the entire article on the Southern Illinoisan's website.

Update on Rend Lake Water Levels

The latest from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers:

As of 1:00 p.m., Friday, April 4, the current pool elevation at Rend Lake is 411.72 feet NGVD. The lake is expected to crest on Saturday at a level slightly lower than 412.0 feet ngvd.

The Rend Lake dam received approximately 1.49 inches of rain last night which did not substantially raise the level of the lake. All Corps of Engineers campgrounds remain open, however the Honker Point access road has been closed due to high water. Campsites are available in the Shady Rest and Lakeview camping loops within the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. The Rend Lake Resort remains open with accommodations available in the resort, conference center and motel.

Although rainfall totals in the area fell short of predicted amounts, motorists are reminded to use caution when driving in low-lying areas which are still prone to flooding. Rural roadways may have been damaged during the recent heavy rains and may be hazardous to vehicle traffic.

For more information on lake levels go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rend Lake Web site at www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend or call the Rend Lake Project Office at 618-724-2493.

Gem & Mineral Show This Weekend

The Southern Illinois Earth Science Club will hold its free gem and mineral show this weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday here in the Williamson County Pavilion.

Vendors will be showing off include exhibits of minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, gemstones, jewelry and lapidary work.

The Ben E. Clement Museum from our sister city of Marion, Kentucky, will feature minerals from their world-class collection and the Illinois State Geologic Survey will also have maps and guides for sale.

There will be working demonstrations of lapidary skills, arrowhead making, rock painting and related crafts.

A silent auction will also be held, along with numerous chances to win door prizes.

DuQuoin State Fair Goes With Jungle Theme

The Southern Illinoisan is reporting this afternoon that the theme for this year's DuQuoin State Fair will be "It's a Jungle in Here".

The fair will feature a free jungle theme park north of the two permanent homes in the fairgrounds. The theme park will host three structured shows on each day of the fair. Tigers, cougars, monkeys and various types of snakes will also be available for viewing.

The fair will run from Aug. 22 through Sept. 1.

Presidential Golf Trail About to Debut?

We know Bill Clinton likes to golf. Forty years earlier it was Dwight Eisenhower's game that made the news, but I admit I really hadn't thought about the combination of Abraham Lincoln and golf before yesterday when a reporter called me about it.

Turns out this was a case where the reporter knew more than I did. Apparently state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Centralia, has this idea of a seven-course Abraham Lincoln Golf Trail to be modeled and advertised much like the Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, which is to golf trails like the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is to wine trails.

Tessa Culli wrote about it last month in the Mount Vernon Register-News and I missed it.

MT. VERNON — A proposed Southern Illinois golf trail which includes the Rend Lake Golf Course is just the beginning of a bigger plan, according to state Rep. Kurt Granberg.

“It’s hard to market just one course,” Granberg said. “If you want to attract a lot of people, start in the Metro East area, go downstate, hit lodges where you can utilize state lodges and parks. The golf trail is part of a large economic development blueprint for the region. The golf trail is just one part.”

Besides Rend Lake the article notes he is also including Kokopelli Golf Club here in Marion and Stone Creek Golf Club in Makanda definitely in the plan and "would like to add the Gambit Golf Club in Vienna.

In addition to the local golf clubs there are two to four more in the MetroEast and along the I-64 corridor.

There's a meeting next week where Granberg is expected to unveil more details to the golf courses.

What's not known at this time is how this will impact the Southern Illinois Golf Trail.

Tickets On Sale Now for Country Concerts

Tickets are now for sale online at WCPavilion.com for the upcoming Bucky Covington concert on April 9 and the Keith Anderson concert on April 10.

American Idol-finalist Bucky Covington will perform along with special guests South 70 at the Williamson County Pavilion on Wednesday, April 10.

Keith Anderson's "Raisin' the Bar" tour comes to the Pavilion the following day along with Chris Young and The Lost Trailers.

Tickets are general admission and cost $25 per show. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Concerts start at 7 p.m. There is a facility fee for ordering tickets online. Tickets can also be purchased from Black Diamond Harley-Davidson in Marion.

'Foodies' Target of SIU Tourism Project

Monday's Southern highlights another tourism project underway in the region, this time targeting the distinct culinary delights of Southern Illinois.

Carbondale Tourism Director Debbie Moore talks about the project with the Southern's Karen Binder. She's mentioned it before in tourism meetings and quite frankly it sounds delicious!

"What better way to understand an area's culture if it means understanding the food," Moore said. "The natural start for destination dining here is a perfect pairing with Southern Illinois wine and our Southern Illinois dishes. We want food and wine to the primary focus to this initiative."

While culinary tourism development opportunities are as varied as menu choices, Moore said developing partnerships with key food communities, such as restaurants, wineries and food producers, could tap the region's German, Polish, Italian, Hispanic and black historical roots.

Also, the team cited potential for a barbecue trail, promotion of locally grown products, turning farmers' markets into travel attractions, production tours, food safety and hospitality training, tourism business planning and more. Work is already under way on a regional cookbook.

Next step for the team is rolling out its Web site around a Southern Illinois Food, Family and Fun logo against a checkered tablecloth and continuing planning to launch the concept.

"Our hope that this entrepreneurial spirit can be leveraged with state money and we can see this happen," Moore said.

Karen ends her story with Debbie's rhetorical question, "How simple does it sound to serve apple pie made of Southern Illinois apples?"

Yet, it's not that simple. It's getting harder and harder to find locally-produced pies, let alone locally-produced pies filled with locally-grown fruit.

It came up at every tourism town meeting we conducted last year this issue of where tourists can go to get a "true taste" of Southern Illinois.

I call it the rhubarb test. I'm not a big pie eater, but I grew up on my grandmother's rhubarb and occasionally gooseberry pies. To me that's Southern Illinois. That's a distinctive taste that I associate with the region.

It's like knowing where the best barbecue can be found, or knowing that if going to Herrin - the best Italian beef.

Not all tourists stay overnight in the region, but it's almost guaranteed that if they spend just two or three hours here they'll eat at least one meal.

Whatever we can do to make that meal more memorable the better down the road for us.

Another part of Debbie's grant would pay off even more immediately as it would connect local food growers to local restaurants.

Southern Covers Agri-Tourism in Region

The Southern Illinoisan's Karen Binder highlights the region's growing agri-tourism industry in Sunday's business section cover story.

While our ever-growing number of wineries in the region prove to be the best-known combo of agricultural and tourism the story also points out the other sides as well.

There is more to agritourism than wineries. Also at home here is The Haunted Barn south of Marion, Rendleman Orchards Farm Market in Alto Pass and Shumaker Christmas Trees in Olive Branch.

Simply, an agritourism business is any land-based farm or business that is open to the public and offers services or products for sale.

I'm quoted in there as well talking about our hunt clubs focusing on geese and duck hunting as well as the thousands of acres of land in Williamson County alone leased to outfitters for all type of hunting activities.

New Articles Outlines Kid Fishing Opportunities

Don Gasaway just sent me the March outdoors news release for the bureau. It's got a great wrap-up of the local fishing opportunities for kids, especially great places where parents can take their children out for some bank-side fishing.

I've posted the column online at the Williamson County Tourism Bureau's website on the "News" page.

Governor Proposes Steady Tourism Funding

Meetings have kept me from digging through the Gov. Rod Blagojevich's budget address earlier today, but we just received word from our friends in the Illinois Council of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (ICCVB) that state tourism funding proposed for FY09 will be the same level as this year.

Last year the governor proposed keeping funding levels the same as they had been for the previous two years, but the legislature added a 10 percent boost to the funding line items for local and regional tourism line items.

Here in Williamson County our state grant covers about 20 percent of our budget with most of the remaining funding coming for the local two percent bed tax.

Governor Considering Entry Fees for State Parks

Lee Enterprise's Kurt Erickson is reporting that Gov. Rod Blagojevich may push entry fees for state parks in Wednesday's budget address.

Although the final touches are still being made to the governor’s latest spending proposal, officials acknowledge they’ve considered imposing entrance fees at state parks as a way to balance the budget in tough financial times.

Details of what those fees might be were not available Monday and it’s not clear whether they would affect users of all of the state’s more than 100 state parks, forests and natural areas, most of which are located in downstate Illinois.

That may not actually be a bad thing, depending on the details.

Our system of state parks and historic sites are in crisis. Staffing levels at the various sites are at the lowest levels in decades. The Historic Sites Division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency has lost around 40 percent of its staff in the last six or seven years. A number of sites are simply mothballed and barricaded off from the public.

I understand the desire of keeping free admissions so that everyone can participate regardless of income, but it's becoming increasingly clear that free access equals no access when there's no money.

In Southern Illinois in the counties along the Ohio River there are five IHPA sites and absolutely no state employees.

The Department of Natural Resources faces similar struggles with state parks though not as severe.

Like the current proposals from the U.S. Forest Service for fees on the Shawnee National Forest it's not the overall concept that's worrisome, it will be in the details.

I made this argument a decade ago and have repeated it ever since now through three governors: It's ridiculous to take a site such as the Old Slave House (which was once privately operated with admissions) and keep it closed because there's no money for staffing yet while there's enough interest to draw large crowds that would pay to enter the facility.

The same admission price wouldn't work for all sites. A market driven approach based on interest and operating costs much like California's approach should be used. There it costs much more to visit major sites such as the 115-room Hearst Castle ($20 to $30 for adults depending on the tour and the season) than it does to visit the Gold Rush museum at Sutter's Fort historic site ($4 for adults).

In Illinois there could be one price for Lincoln sites in Springfield, or one ticket for parks and sites in other tightly knit areas.

If the governor moves forward with this it's also time to look at merging the Historic Sites Division of IHPA with the Division of Land Management in DNR as well as the state museums into one site-based agency.

This may be brought about due to budgetary constraints, but there's larger problems out there that could be solved at this time if a big picture approach was taken.

Maybe we'll be surprised Wednesday. I just hope the issues of parks and historic sites will finally be addressed.

Country Inns & Suites Coming to Marion

Crews working for Zeller Construction demolished the back wing of America’s Best Inns this morning to make way for a new 66-room Country Inn & Suites hotel set to open later this fall.

"We hope to pour the footings the week after next. I want to be open no later than the middle of October," stated Jim Zeller in a news release this afternoon. He's the owner of the construction company and the new hotel along with his wife Kellie.

Zeller purchased the property located along Halfway Road and immediately south of 17th Street Bar & Grill last fall from the owners of the America’s Best Inns motel. The location will allow motorists easy access from the new interstate interchange now under construction north of Route 13.

The new Marion project will be Zeller's second entry into the hospitality industry. He built the 59-room Fairgrounds Inn in DuQuoin next to the state fairgrounds that opened in June 2006.

"I'm excited about this thing. I’m ready to go," he told me.

The new Country Inn & Suites will include a pool, hot tub, continental breakfast, a small conference room as well as an exercise room.

Corporate officials with the chain approved Zeller’s franchise application today. Zeller’s plans also include a second phase of 40 or more rooms to be built later in 2009 if needed. DART Design of Marion is the architectural firm handling the design. Zeller Construction will oversee the building phase.

With its location in Marion’s original tax increment financing district the $5 million project is eligible for some TIF incentives from the city. An application for a redevelopment agreement with the city has been filed.

The Country Inn & Suites hotel chain is owned by Carlson. According to the company website, it's an international mid-scale lodging chain with more than 380 locations worldwide founded in 1987. Each location features "residential architecture and home-like interior design with highlights that include hardwood flooring, lobby fireplace and front porch."

Today’s announcement of a new Country Inn & Suites hotel brings the number of lodging establishments either open or under development in the county to 28. Based on current plans it appears that there will be a net gain of 18 rooms to the county’s lodging inventory by the time the hotel is open.

By then we should have around 1,285 rooms or cabins available to tourists here in Williamson County. That figure also includes seven additional rooms or cabins added by three other smaller facilities.

The latest figures released by the Illinois Bureau of Tourism last summer showed the economic impact of travelers in Williamson County to be more than $90 million in 2006, up 7.4 percent from 2005. Those expenditures by tourists also added $4.9 million to state coffers and just over $2 million in local tax receipts.

Meanwhile we should also see the opening of another bed and breakfast later this spring in Hurst.

Winegeese Inn, owned by Tom and Sharon Lynch, will include three rooms for tourists. Later the couple will open the adjoining business, Celtic Vineyards, which will be the county’s first modern-era winery.

Other new lodging developments include three additional rooms now under renovation at Mary’s Bed and Breakfast in Herrin which opened last fall with one room, and a new cabin now under construction at Devil’s Kitchen Cabins near Devil’s Kitchen Lake.

Corps Announces Cutbacks at Rend Lake

Federal budget cuts will slash programs and services this year at Rend Lake, according to a news released issued last week.

The cuts are part of a region-wide series of cuts at Rend Lake, Carlyle Lake and Shelbyville Lake in Illinois as well as Mark Twain Lake in Missouri.

The following are impacted areas at Rend Lake:

• The South Marcum campground, as well as the Dale Miller Youth area, will remain closed until October 1, 2008. The South Marcum Boat Ramp and picnic area will be open throughout the entire season.


• The Gun Creek Campground will open 1 April – Nov 23 at a reduced service level for camping opportunities on the east side of Rend Lake.


• The North Marcum Day Use area, which includes the North Marcum Beach, Shelters 7 and 8, and the North Marcum Boat Ramp, will remain closed all year.


• The North Sandusky Picnic area and lake access which includes Shelters 3, 4, and 5 will remain closed until October 1, 2008.


• The North Sandusky campground and boat ramp will be open to the public April 1 thru October 31, 2008 at a reduced service level.


• The South Sandusky Campground will open 1 April at a reduced service level thru Oct. 31st.


• The South Sandusky Beach will open two weeks later in May (open May 15) and Close 2 weeks earlier in September (close Sept 16.) Shelters 1 and 2 at the beach are available for rent throughout this time frame.

From the release:

The Rend Lake Visitor Center’s days of operation will be Saturday and Sunday only, from April 4 – May 18 and August 17 – October 26, 2008. Beginning May 18 and continuing thru August 17 the Visitor Center will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hours of operation will be from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. There will be no Environmental Science Series or Sunset Series of Programs (Saturday educational programs and Saturday evening musical programs) scheduled for the Visitor Center during the 2008 recreation season.

Persons having camping reservations at areas that are impacted by these park closures will be notified by the National Recreation Reservation Service regarding the reservation cancellations and a refund will be issued for fees paid.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Rend Lake is available to aid you in understanding the necessary operational changes and to assist you in finding an alternate area for your event. Contact the Rend Lake Project Office by phone at 618-724-2493 or by email at rendinfo@usace.army.mil. Information concerning facility opening/closing schedules is posted on the Corps of Engineers, Rend Lake web site at www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend.

Thousands Attend Boat & Fishing Show

The 2nd Annual Southern Illinois Boat and Fishing Show was a success this past Super Bowl weekend. Based on our road counters we're estimating attendance at 8,925 which is up from the 7,200 last year.

We had a different mix of boat dealers and vendors this year with demand for space exceeding what we had available. The seminars were well attended and the kids flocked to hear Camo the Clown.

For the first time we had three wineries attending the event - Bella Terra Winery from the Tunnel Hill area, Pheasant Hollow Winery from Rend Lake and Shawnee Winery from Vienna.

The Youth Outdoor Education Foundation and the Williamson County Events Commission produced the event with the help of our show runner Ron Allen who did a great job as always.

We would also like to thank our sponsors Marion Toyota and Budweiser.

The 2009 Southern Illinois Boat and Fishing Show will be held again Friday through Sunday, January 30 to February 1.

Next up for outdoor enthusiasts is the Egyptian Collector's Association's spring Hunting and Trade Show at the Pavilion on March 13-15.

A month later is the brand new Southern Illinois Outdoors Expo scheduled for the second weekend of April on Friday-Sunday, April 11-13. The Williamson County Events Commission is producing the Outdoors Expo. For more information on the Outdoors Expo contact the Williamson County Tourism Bureau at 618-997-3690.

UPDATE: We've decided to hold off on starting a new outdoors show this year, but we're looking at it for 2009.

Joliet Columnist Jealous of Our Weather

Somebody up in the suburbs is jealous of our weather.

Don Gasaway is an outdoor writer who helps us spread the word about Williamson County and Southern Illinois. Someone writing in the Joliet Herald News commented on Don's latest column already talking about spring fishing.

On the heels of the most recent arctic blast, while we're pulling out ice fishing gear and loading snowmobiles onto trailers, southern Illinois outdoor writer Don Gasaway already was thinking about spring.

Cold? What cold? Gasaway already is making plans for spring.

That's okay. As I pointed out in a recent news release it's 9 degrees warmer on average during January in Williamson County compared with Chicago. Plus the wind chill isn't that big an issue like it is near Lake Michigan.

Either way word is getting out about the great opportunities we have here in the Southern Illinois outdoors. It's also a great article, check it out.

Cypress Creek NWR Gains New Leader

Mark Brown, formerly with Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge now drives to work a few miles to the south these days. He's the new refuge manager to Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge along the Cache River.

The Southern's Les Winkeler has the a story.

'My Deadly Valentine' Stikes Pavilion Love Birds

“Bloody Williamson” takes on a whole new meaning this Valentine’s Weekend when the Williamson County Pavilion hosts “My Deadly Valentine” murder mystery dinner theater on Friday, February 15.

Vendettas and valentines may not seem a likely match-up for a romantic dinner but we’ve wanted to host a murder mystery for quite a while. In addition to the dinner and entertainment local lodging operators are offering special room rentals for the weekend.

As part of our promotions we will encourage couples to extend an overnight into a two-day stay. They can check out one of the many wineries in the area on Saturday and stay for some country music at the Southern Illinois Opry Valentine’s Dance Saturday night in the Expo Hall of the Pavilion.

The Random Acts thespian troupe of Ohio will provide the entertainment at the dinner Friday night. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the elegant dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person which includes a catered dinner, glass of wine and the performance. Group table discounts will be offered for tables of eight.

The dinner will also include dinner music and wine tastings from area wineries.

For more information contact the tourism bureau at 618-997-3690.

New Year Brings New Fishing Season

I know it's just the day after Christmas, but it's never too late to start planning those late winter fishing trips to Williamson County as Don Gasaway notes in his latest column sent out this week as a news release.

MARION, Ill. - Groaning through the mists, the bass boat slips away from the ramp and out on to the lake. The driver gives it more throttle and the boat goes up on plane and disappears into the pre-dawn fog. Long after it is gone from sight, one can hear the roar of the big engine carrying the anglers to a meeting with Mr. Largemouth Bass.

Bass fishing in southern Illinois begins to heat up in March. Warming temperatures, tending to average about 10 degrees warmer than the northern part of the state, spark the activity of both fish and angler. Williamson County contains several prime bass lakes. They contain many fish in the 2- to 6-pound class.

Crab Orchard, Little Grassy, Devils Kitchen, and Lake of Egypt all hold good populations of trophy size largemouth bass. Together they provide some 11,200 acres of water available to the angler in search of fishing recreation.

There's more online at www.wctb.org, just click on news.

Maid-Rite Seeks Suitor For Marion Franchise

The Marion Daily reported yesterday that long-time restaurant chain Maid-Rite whose closest restaurant is in Christopher is now seeking franchisees for a new store in Marion.

It's part of the company's aggressive expansion of the established brand that's been around since 1926.

MARION — Maid-Rite, famous for its ground beef sandwiches, has targeted Marion as a priority city to open one of its franchisee-owned sandwich shops.

“In our opinion, a Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe restaurant in Marion would be very successful because of the population size of the city of approximately 17,000 residents, plus with the traffic from Interstate 57, along with your city council’s recent approval for a new major retail distribution center,” said Bradley Burt, President and CEO of Maid-Rite.

“The entire community would enjoy our famous sandwiches, thick Blue Bunny malts and shakes and our homemade pies.”

For more information check out the story.

Herrin Chamber Seeks Fireworks Sponsor

The Herrin Chamber of Commerce is seeking a new entity to produce the "Fireworks in the Park" event next July 4th. The chamber produced it in 2006 and 2007 using donated funds.

Their board has decided not to sponsor the event in 2008 so they're calling on all civic organizations in Herrin to see if another entity would like to take over the sponsorship.

They have $1,357.70 in donated funds to give to that organization if one steps forward. Interested organizations should contact the chamber office at 618-942-5163.

Boat and Fishing Show Returns Feb. 1-3

MARION – The Southern Illinois Boat and Fishing Show sponsored by Marion Toyota will return to the region during the first weekend of February.

The Williamson County Events Commission, in partnership with the Youth Outdoor Education Foundation, will produce the event at the Williamson County Pavilion behind the Illinois Centre Mall in Marion on February 1-3.

“The first show we did last February turned out great with nearly 7,200 people flocking to the event,” said Jon Musgrave, executive director of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau which operates the Pavilion.

“Last year we promised a hard-core boat and fishing show for the sportsmen of Southern Illinois and their families and it’s still going to be a hard-core boat and fishing show this year, just bigger and better,” promised organizer Ron Allen.

“We’re expanding a bit this year. We have some boat dealers from Kentucky coming up. One of the most important things we are proud of is that it will still be free to the public,” Allen added.

The 2nd Annual Southern Illinois Boat & Fishing Show is the only such show south of the St. Louis MetroEast. Hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3.

There will be a $500 cash drawing on Friday night and bluegrass entertainment on Saturday afternoon, in addition to a number of seminars throughout the day.

Interested vendors can contact Allen by phone at 217-787-8862 or 217-725-7602, or by e-mail at allen92@insightbb.com. Interested persons can also contact Musgrave at the Williamson County Tourism Bureau at 618-997-3690 or jmusgrave@wctb.org.

The Youth Outdoor Education Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization, the mission of which is to assist in providing free or low cost programs to educate youth in the safe and responsible use of the outdoors.

The Williamson County Events Commission is a non-profit, charitable organization organized to build and develop the city-owned Williamson County Pavilion conference center and exposition hall.

For more information on the event check out the show’s website at www.BoatAndFishingShow.com.

Is Target Targeting Marion?

The Southern Illinoisan is reporting today that Target is apparently the corporation looking to build a regional distribution center east of Marion southwest of Route 13 and Crabtree School Road.

Last night the Marion City Council annexed the property for the new center after the city engineer Glenn Clarida publicly provided more details about the project.

The property - 149.5 acres - is owned by Marion attorney Ron Osman. On Monday, the council, at Osman's request, annexed his property from the county into the city. That makes the city responsible for infrastructure improvements at the site, including road, water and sewer.

"The site development plan calls for a 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse with a 35-foot ceiling and 253,000-square-foot shipping center with a 24-foot ceiling," Clarida said. "Combined, that's 200,000 square feet larger than the Circuit City distribution center."

To measure it another way. That's more than 35 acres under roof.

Other details revealed included a new entrance off of Route 13 into the new industrial park as well as improvements to Crabtree School Road; plus new water and sewer lines, all totaling around $2.2 million. Clarida and the city expect the state will help on the roadwork and additional grants or low interest loans will likely be made available for the other infrastructure.

The city still isn't releasing the name, but apparently the contact number passed out to the media last night is for Target Communications of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

To give an idea of how active a distribution center might be consider the new one Target is building near Allenwood, Pennsylvania. There the company plans to send "have a truck in or out of the facility every seven minutes each day except Christmas."

According to the company's 2006 Annual Report Target built 113 new stores last year in 36 states, closed some older ones for a net gain of 91. At the time they planned another 100 net new stores each year for the "foreseeable future, potentially doubling" the current store base by 2021.

As to distribution centers they added three in 2006 for a total of 25 and planned to open two more this year. The company had 79 stores in Illinois in 2006. Based in Minnesota the company has been around since incorporating in 1902.

Old Executive Inn May Reopen

The shuttered Executive Inn may reopen in 2008 as a Garden Inn with 100 rooms, but major hurdles remain.

The city has started the process of condemnation and major health and life safety issues remain in the building shut down by the courts after numerous fire code violations.

The owner, Dr. Yuseph Tai, told the Southern Illinoisan last week a $4 million two-phase renovation will begin soon.

"We're starting soon," Tai said of the remodeling effort. "The first phase is to get the building in compliance (with city fire and county health codes) and get 100 rooms open to the public."

Tai said phase one will cost him about $1.2 million. The next step would be to get the additional 100-plus rooms and banquet hall up and running. Total cost is projected at upwards of $4 million.

Tai said his hope is to open next spring possibly in connection with the Hilton Garden Inn chain, but he said he hasn't worked out a deal with the corporation.

Built as the first motel west of the interstate in Marion as well as the largest motel with 200 rooms, the building first housed the Holiday Inn before it first lost its franchise and the owners picked up the Travelodge brand. After losing that national brand it became the Executive Inn.

Perry County Development Still Alive

The Southern Illinoisan is reporting this afternoon that plans for a new Branson-like development in Perry County are still underway despite the lack of formal public progress.

Jacquie Vick, senior vice president for the Glen Carbon-based Toney Watkins Company, said “it’s just a manner of trying to finalize some things” before the company will be able to announce more details of its plan.

Published reports have suggested that the development near Pinckneyville, about 70 miles southeast of St. Louis, would be a recreational theme-park tourism destination featuring music entertainment venues, golf courses and a BMX bike-racing area.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch last the last update on the venture back in September.

Workshop Tonight on Smoke-Free Illinois Act

The Carterville Chamber of Commerce sent out this e-mail today regarding the new law banning smoking in public places that will take affect in a few weeks:

The Smoke-Free Illinois Act will require all workplaces in Illinois to be smoke-free beginning January 1, 2008. You can view the entire act by visiting the Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department website at www.bicountyhealth.org.

A workshop will be held to clarify the law and enforcement issues as well as possible. The Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules is busy developing the specifics of the rules on enforcement and clarifying issues with the law. There is a possibility they will be finalized this month. This workshop will address questions regarding: whom the law affects, signage, enforcement, and cessation resources. The date and time is listed below:

Monday, December 10, 2007 6 – 7 pm John A. Logan College, Room F119

Illinois Department of Public Health is currently developing a website to assist workplaces in complying with the law. There will also be an online complaint system accessible through the website as well as a toll free number for complaints.

The website will also have signage available to download that meets the requirements of the law. The website is www.smoke-freeillinois.gov. The website is currently under construction and will be online soon.

IDOT Puts Route 13 Plans Online

The public apparently likes what it sees when it comes to the Illinois Department of Transportation's plans for Route 13 widening and expansion between Marion and Carterville.

Today's Southern Illinoisan reported feedback from last month's public unveiling of the plans here at the Williamson County Pavilion proved to be mostly positive.

According to IDOT, about 170 people attended and 226 comments were submitted with 115 supporting the project, 38 supporting with suggestions for revisions, 63 opposing the project and 10 who were neutral.

"We were pleased with the overall results from the public meeting," said Carrie Nelson, program development engineer at IDOT.

The biggest complaints came from the Crainville area which would lose their four-way intersection at Main Street and Route 13 (Pioneer Log Cabin restaurant), but would gain a diamond interchange at Wolf Creek Road and Route 13.

The proposal for the highway expansion is also now online at the agency's website.

Part of the website shows the updated 2007 traffic count for Route 13, as well as what it projected by 2025.

Route 13 and Halfway Road, the first stop light west of Interstate 57 sees 38,100 vehicles a day. With a projected 3 percent growth rate, IDOT is projecting 64,800 vehicles on average to be pulling through there in 2025.

Down the road at the next stoplight at Williamson County Parkway where the Pavilion has its sign in front of Steak 'n Shake sees 29,800 vehicles passby each day and is expected to grow to 50,700 daily by 2025.

Father west the traffic count stays pretty steady. Even at the west end of the project at John A. Logan, 28,100 vehicles pass by daily with a 2.5 percent growth coming out to 43,800 vehicles daily by 2025 at Route 13 and Greenbriar Road.

Federal Funding Announced for Scenic Byways

Southern Illinois will receive a good chunk of $2 million in federal funds announced yesterday for scenic byways in the state. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's office released the details Thursday.

According to Durbin's office the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded the following National Scenic Byways Discretionary Grants to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the Ohio River Scenic Byway.

• Pulaski County — $262,561 in funding for the design and construction of an overlook of the Ohio River including parking, a walkway, an overlook platform, landscaping, interpretive signs and directional signs.
  
  
• Cairo — $275,000 in funding for the re-creation and re-construction of Fort Defiance as it existed during the Civil War. Fort Defiance was used by General Grant to lead the great Western Campaign of the Civil War. This funding will be used as part of a $2.6 million park improvement program by the City of Cairo.
  
  
• Southeastern Illinois — $25,000 in funding for the implementation of the Corridor Management Plan which will enable the byway coordinator to coordinate and manage initiatives and projects while developing a marketing plan to promote the byway.

In addition to these projects funds were awarded to the Historic National Road byway which runs through Vandalia and three projects for the Meeting of the Great Rivers Byway in the St. Louis MetroEast area.

Improvements Set for Cairo

Monday's Southeast Missourian had a good story about some of the improvements taking place in Cairo.

CAIRO, Ill. -- This community once envisioned to become a great Midwestern metropolis has suffered from an economic depression for at least half a century. But flickers of life have appeared recently. Biodiesel and coal gasification are two of the industries considering locating in Cairo. There's talk of relocating the airport to make room for other industries.

Another sign of life can be found in attempts to preserve Cairo's history. In a few weeks, construction is scheduled to begin on a design that will rehabilitate and expand the vacant tollhouse next to the Ohio River bridge into a museum that will reflect Cairo's Civil War and transportation history. The $1 million project is being funded through a variety of sources but primarily the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Cairo's history offers tremendous potential for tourism development. It's good to see a new administration in the city working toward that goal.

New Convenience Store Opens Below Hill

The new FiveStar Food Mart convenience store opened yesterday at around 2 p.m. located at the northeast corner of Route 13 (West DeYoung) and Halfway Road just west of Exit 54.

The store is the first Illinois location for Newcomb Oil Co., a Bardstown, Kentucky-based company.

It's also the first of what will hopefully be several new projects on the former site of the old Wolohan Lumber Co. The parent company sold most of its stores and morphed into a real estate development company focusing on its real estate holdings such as the Marion land.

The convenience store is just one of several projects underway on the city's west side.

Big New Industry Targeting Marion

It's not on their website yet, but WJPF News Radio is reporting a large national retailer may be just weeks away from announcing the selection of Marion for a new regional distribution center employing hundreds.

Marion Mayor Robert L. Butler told the station he's not been given the go-ahead to identify the name of the company but added that an announcement could come before the end of the month.

The new plant is a distribution center that could employ between 300 and 400 workers. Marion is already home to the large Circuit City distribution plant.

The Circuit City building is so big it's measured in acres rather than square feet. The new distribution center could very well be on the same scale. If so, that will be good for the hospitality industry. Construction jobs that big often involve specialized workers who come in and stay at area motels.

The new plant would be located east of Marion in a new industrial park on the south side of Route 13. The city council authorized a Phase I archaeological survey on the grounds earlier this summer. Later when U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello announced a multi-million dollar grant to extend a water line from Rend Lake to Marion Butler again commented about the number of jobs this would initiate.

Eagle Tours Registration Begins Dec. 10

Reservations open next week for the Bald Eagle tours at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The tours take place the third and fourth weekends of January and begin at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and last 2.5 hours. The dates are January 19-20 and 26-27.

Reservations open on December 10 and may be made by calling 618-998-5933.

Each Eagle Watch tour begins at the refuge visitors center on Route 148 with a brief overview of the species and what visitors might expect to see on the tour. The tours use the refuge's vans and travel to places where bald eagles have been visited in the past.

Last year, of the six nests on the Refuge, five had at least one chick fledge. The new nest in Crab Orchard Campground was successful and hatched two eaglets. Eagles were seen at the other new nest on the east side of Little Grassy Lake near thedam, but they didn't actually produce any eaglets.

With six nests on the refuge, there should be at last 12 eagles on or near the refuge year round. Immature bald eagles usually remain near their nest for a couple of years after they've hatched, too. Wolf Creek Causeway near the fishing piers is a good places to spot one of the young eagles.

Bald eagles that winter at Crab Orchard NWR spend their summers in the northern United States and Canada feasting on fish. In the midst of the Southern Illinois winter, eagles often feed on sick and injured waterfowl.

According to the refuge's newsletter "Wild Times" every Eagle Watch tour over the last decade has seen at least one bald eagle.

Agritourism Conference Set for January

The Illinois Specialty Crops and Agritourism Conference is set for January 9-12, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza hotel & Convention Center.

Wendesday will be for workshops for specialty crops. There's one on using high tunnels and greenhouses to extend seasons and the other is on growing grapes in Illinois.

Sessions on Thursday and Friday are split into five tracts: Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Agritourism and Cross-Cutting Issues.

I attended this conference last year and it offered a number of good ideas and discussions.

Check out the group's website for more information.

Little Egypt Off-Road Wins State Grant

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources just awarded a $210,000 grant to Little Egypt Off-Road east of Crab Orchard earlier this month. The money comes from the state's Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreational Trails Program.

Little Egypt was one of six sites that will share $1.4 million in grants announced Nov. 9.

The OHV Recreational Trails Program is funded through the title fees on all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles, and through the sale of public access stickers that must be displayed on all off-highway vehicles using grant-assisted facilities. The program provides up to 100 percent reimbursement for approved project costs, which may include land acquisition from willing sellers, construction and maintenance of OHV trails and related facilities, restoration of areas damaged by OHV use, and for education and safety programs.

Local governments, not-for-profit OHV clubs and organizations, businesses and private individuals may apply for grants through the program. Projects are reviewed and recommended for funding by the Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Advisory Board composed of representatives of motorized recreation groups and organizations.

The grant to the Little Egypt Off-Road Motorcycle Club will help the group's 718-acre site south of Route 13 east of Marion.

According to the state's news release the project will include "construction of a shower and bathroom building, a picnic shelter with 20 picnic tables, the purchase of two utility ATVs for trail maintenance/security/rescue operations, the development of 12 additional miles of OHV trails, and funds for advertising the site."

Also in Southern Illinois Williams Hill Pass Association in southern Saline County will use $188,700 for improvements to their 220-acre OHV park on the north side of Williams Hill. There, "funds will be used for improvements to the showers, to widen and upgrade the entrance and site interior road, to install a water line to the welcome center/shower building, and funds for advertising the site."

The next round of grants will be accepted from January 1 to March 1, 2008. For more information check out the IDNR Division of Grant Administration.

Kerasotes to Donate Varsity to Stage Co.

Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole unveiled news this morning at his annual State of the City Address that Kerasotes Theatres will donate the shuttered Varsity Theater for the new home of The Stage Co.

Just yesterday, I spoke with one of the Kerasotes’ brothers, and after several years and more intensely the last several weeks and months, I am proud to announce today that the Varsity Theater will soon be donated to the community and will be available to become the permanent home of The Stage Company and hopefully some other not-for-profit organizations, such as Carbondale Community Arts.

That property will then become the Varsity Arts Center, a community-oriented, visual and performing arts center that will combine the nostalgia and romanticism of the past with the modern conveniences of the present.

Now, there is still much work that needs to be done, to renovate the property and to build proper offices, community rooms and staging areas, but this is a dream come true for many. It is certainly something I am very excited about and it will return the Varsity Theater to an active, integral part of the downtown entertainment atmosphere.

Several people are responsible for making this happen. First, of course, the Kerasotes family and Kerasotes Theaters company should be thanked and thanked again. Also, we should thank Trace Brown and Charlie Brown and Associates for doing a thorough inspection of the property and detailing an appraisal that makes it financially worthwhile for the company to donate it to us. And, without a doubt, all the people that have supported me behind the scenes (pun intended) to work with the property owners to get to this point… that specifically includes people like Blanche and Fred Sloan and Trish and John Guyon, who have all kept hoping and pushing to see something come to fruition. I hope they’re as excited about this as I am.

Congratulations Carbondale, not only will this be a boost for the Stage Co., but also for the Strip along South Illinois Avenue

Las Vegas Flights Cancelled Before Take-Off

Dreams of direct flights from Williamson County Airport to Las Vegas dissipated over the weekend with Friday's announcement that the flights scheduled to start in February would be canceled due to high fuel prices.

The Southern Illinois has more in Friday's article as well as more today in a follow-up.

Friday also marked the final day of air service from Williamson County to Chicago courtesy of Mesa Airlines in Phoenix. Only air service to St. Louis remains. There are two flights a day through Great Lakes Airlines in Cheyenne, Wyo.

"If there is a silver lining, it's that an airline like Allegiant did have interest in us and someone else will again," Kimmel said.

Crab Orchard Refuge Updates

I attended last night's annual meeting of the Friends of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. There are were a number of projects I heard updates about, some were new, some I just knew were in the works.

Here's a summary:

• Bogard Point Fishing Area — While there is already a fishing dock and benches at Bogard Point on the west side of Wolf Creek Road on the north shore of Crab Orchard Lake, the Friends approved a bid last night night to pay for a new 690 feet long walking path to extend from the existing parking lot, as well as five new picnic tables.
  
  
• Bike Trail — The Friends has a committee working on developing bike trails inside the refuge and a surveying class at SIU-Carbondale is helping to do some of the planning work. They are generally looking to develop the first leg from the old northeast entrance of the refuge at Timmons Station Road on Marion's southwest side then following the old railroad grades across the north side of the refuge over to Wolf Creek Road. They are currently working on a grant to help cover the costs of doing this and replacing some of the bridge crossings.
  
  
• Devils Kitchen Campground — The campground at Devil's Kitchen Lake will reopen next year on Memorial Day as a primitive campground. Amenities will include the shower building and plus another 9 or 10 tent camping sites.
  
  
• Turn Lanes on Route 148 — Refuge Manager Dan Frisk told the group that the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Transportation have worked out a plan to provide turn lanes on Route 148 in front of the Visitors Center. As part of the project the intersection of Pigeon Creek Road and Route 148 will be realigned to match the entrance with the visitors center. Construction on this project should begin next summer.

The Friends of Crab Orchard NWR meets the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the refuge Visitors Center at 8588 Route 148 South.

Court Oversight of Shawnee Forest Continues

The Daily Register is reporting that U.S. District Judge J. Phil Gilbert has decided to continue court oversight of the U.S. Forest Service's operations of trails and public guide and outfitter permits.

The Forest Service wanted out from the scrutiny.

Environmentalists and equestrians, usually at odds over forest use issues, joined together in supporting another year of oversight, which Gilbert saw as a positive step. Everyone seems to be working together at the Lusk Creek area — the flashpoint of debate in the case. Any cooperation between environmentalists and horse riders has to be seen as progress, the judge said Tuesday.

I used to cover the judge and the various lawsuits concerning the Shawnee National Forest in the 90s. Gilbert has been hearing those cases for more than a decade and has little patience for squabbling.

Corps Announces Winter Rules for Rend Lake

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is blaming its budget which they say will limit public access to parts of its Rend Lake complex this winter.

The following is from today's news release:

Benton, IL – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake is announcing some changes to the operation of two areas at Rend Lake for the upcoming winter months and the 2008 recreation season.

During the period of 1 December, 2007 thru 3 March, 2008 the Rend Lake Dam Road will no longer be open for public travel. The road will be gated and remain closed throughout the winter months. Access to this road will be made available on 3 March 2008. This closure is due to constrained resources for operating recreation areas at Rend Lake.

The popular “short cut” road which crosses over the Rend Lake dam will be gated to the west at the intersection of the Rend Lake Dam Road and the Rend City Road and to the east, slightly north of the intersection of the Licata and Mine 24 roads. The Sugar Creek parking lot will remain open for access throughout the winter season.

In addition, the South Marcum Recreation area will be open during the period of 15 July, 2008 thru 31 October, 2008. Areas that will be affected by this delayed opening will include South Marcum Boat Ramp, Shelter 9, Dale Miller Youth Area, and all campsites in the South Marcum Campground. No reservations will be taken for sites in the campground or the Dale Miller Youth area for the period of 1 April – 14 July, 2008. Any reservations which have been made prior to this announcement will be rescheduled.

For further information feel free to contact the Rend Lake Project Office at 618-724-2493.

The Southern Illinoisan already has an article available on its Afternoon Edition.