March 2010

March 2010

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March 2010

Letter from the Publisher

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Boy there’s a lot of bad news out there lately. It’s been out there for a while, (well, ok, years). We try to ignore it in our maga-zines, but it is sometimes so much a part of our daily lives that we have to at least refer to it once in a while. After all, we’re all thinking about it. I don’t know who was the first to say, “Can’t we all just get along,” but I bet everyone reading this has at

least thought it in the past year.

It seemed to me as we were putting this issue together, that maybe it’s a little more serious than usual. No, we don’t own a Toyota, but Gary Marx does, and although his story has a happy ending, he did finish it off with, as he says, a little rant of his own.

Last year at this time, Brad Arnold, financial advisor with Wells Fargo in Carbondale, gave us a commentary on the economic con-dition by enlisting the help of amusing but common sense quotes of Will Rogers. We thought the first issue of the new year would be a good time to revisit the subject. Arnold again drew from the wisdom of the past to offer sound advice: Proceed with caution.

True, money is tight right now, and we were reminded of that quite often as we sold the ads for this issue of the magazine. Hearing and seeing the blitz advertising campaigns of gold buyers who come and go through Southern Illinois, we thought maybe we could all use a lesson in the cash for gold market. Rob Bisching, owner of the beautiful Your Jeweler store on Route 13 was generous with his time in clearing up misconceptions about trading a few trinkets for a pocket full of cash.

We love to do stories on people in Southern Illinois who do a job and do it well. When we saw the eye popping murals at the TLC Childcare and Therapy Center on Route 13, our first thoughts were, “Who painted these beautiful murals, and where can we find him to talk to him?” The short answers are Larry Weatherford and his accomplices, and Carbondale. The longer answers are in the story we wrote about him and his business, The Sign Gang. All successful people have a good story, and I’m sure you’ll agree that Weather-ford’s journey to the top of the signing business is a noteworthy one.

Another business that does what they do almost too well, at least for some of us, is Italian Village in Carbondale. Michael and I have loved the place since before we fell in love there over great food and long talks on dreary days in the late Sixties. RE Bridges has been making the same wonderful pizza, along with a full menu of other Italian specialties for 50 years. As they celebrate their half century of service, we celebrate the fact that they are a part of the “good living” we keep talking about.

Speaking of things that have been around for a while, we found the story of the Liberty Statue at the Benton Public Library especially interesting because of the part it plays in the national picture. We hope that telling the story will help spur Lady Liberty on toward being completely refurbished in the very near future.

Our regular columnist, Julie Willis, brings us some comic relief to all this seriousness as she shares a memory about having a vivid imagination, and a big brother who knew how to take advantage of it. I smile every time I picture Julie on New York’s subway, gliding up out of a tunnel just in time to get a wave from King Friday.

Remember the Sixties? Now that was a gentler, simpler time, wasn’t it? Actually I think it may have depended on who and where you were. Once in a while in this business, you just get lucky and a wonderful story lands in your lap. That’s what happened when we received a call from Rev. Bucky Jordan.. The Sixties weren’t all so simple for him, when he answered the call in his heart to join the fight for justice and equality. As you read “One Man’s Memory,” I hope your heart will be lifted. We have made some progress on this “getting along business. “

And, while we work on that and other things, it brings to mind the parting shot of Sherri, as in our freelance columnist, Sherri Murphy. Let’s just call it a cha-cha.

March 2010

PUBLISHERSMichael A. ThomasGail Rissi Thomas

EDITORGail Rissi Thomas

COPY EDITORGenelle Bedokis

Jan Catalina

LAYOUT / GRAPHIC DESIGNMichael A. Thomas

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBrad Arnold

Bucky JordanGary Marx

Sherri MurphyJulie Willis

Dave O’Melia

PHOTOGRAPHYMichael ThomasDave O’Melia

E-MailGoodlifepublications@Gmail.com

PHONE NUMBER(618) 937-2019

SUBSCRIPTIONSGood Living in Southern Illinois is published quarterly. It is avail-able free of charge through our advertisers. It is also available to readers through a subscription of $16 per year for four issues mailed to your address. To subscribe send check and your mailing address to:

Good Life Publications309 East Oak Street

West Frankfort, IL 62896

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Cover Shot: Feature photographer Dave O’Melia captures the winter beauty of a Cardinal in snowy woods.

Volume 3No. 1

March 2010

Departments 6 Gary Marx It’s Time for a Total Recall

20 Julie Willis You May Say I am a Dreamer

32 Brad Arnold Rich Man / Poor Man

44 Sherri Murphy Life is a Cha-Cha

Features10 Mounds National Cemetery

16 One Man’s Memories

22 Saving Lady Liberty

26 The Sign Guy

34 All That Glitters

38 Italian Village Turns 50

March 2010

Ships, Shoes and Sealing Wax by Gary Marx

drive a Schadenfreude.

It’s a 2001 model, which I bought used about five years ago. It has almost 170,000 well-appreciated miles under its drive belt, and it runs smooth. Never had a problem with it. Whenever I hear about some other vehicle that’s been recalled or turns out to be a lemon, my little Schadenfreude gives me joy.

On the street it’s recognized as a Toyota Tacoma. Four-wheel drive, double cab, big tires, it’s black.

Two weeks ago I took it in for an oil change and tire rotation. I was hoping to beat the rush at the ser-vice department, which was about to get slammed from all the recalls.

As you know, Toyota has had a little trouble with the old stop-and-go lately. It recently called back 8

million vehicles because of faulty accelerators and about a week later recalled half a million of its hybrids because of brake problems. My first reaction, after learning that my Tacoma wasn’t affected, was relief, which quickly gave way to sarcasm. Brakes? Who needs brakes? Stopping’s for sissies! If you drive a Schadenfreude, this was a laughing matter. Your prob-lem, not mine.

I

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March 2010

ing salts and I was able to hear him say I didn’t have to pay for any of it. About a year ago, Toyota recog-nized the problem as a design flaw and notified its service technicians to be on the lookout. The bottom line: Toyota was pick-ing up the tab to replace the frame, essentially giving my truck a whole new undercarriage. I’d end up with a better truck. The bad news was that the repair would take about a month — it’s still in the shop as I write this — and in the meantime I’d have to endure driving a 2010 Camry. It’s red, but it’s free so I guess I can live with the indignity. But the other bad news is that my truck has lost its Schadenfreude luster. I know it’ll all be clean and new under there, but my little Ta-coma has been somehow violated. And even though the company is doing what it can to make things right, it has shown its soft under-belly.

I’ve had my faith shaken. Kind of a familiar feeling.

A vehicle’s frame is something we

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Anyway, the service department was about to be covered up by the unfortunates, so I made an appoint-ment to avoid the long lines and the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.

“Good thing you brought it in now,” Randy said. We’re on a first-name basis in the service depart-ment. I’ve been a regular here since I purchased the truck. “We’ll be working 24-hour shifts pretty soon.”

I have always kept my truck on its maintenance schedule, and I believe it’s in good hands here. Whenever I drop off my Tacoma, it’s like I’m handing over one of my children to a trusted pediatri-cian.

So you’ll understand my reac-tion when Randy appeared in the waiting room, where I sat flipping through a copy of Boys Life, and placed a hand on my shoulder. He looked grim. He shook his head.

“We have to talk about your truck,” he said. He looked as if the patient had died on the operating table.

“Wha?” I said.

“You have to look at this.”

“Wha?” I repeated, in case he didn’t understand me.

“It’s bad.”

“Wha?” I drove home the point.

“It needs a new frame.”

The frame.

That’s the part that sort of holds it all together. Everything attaches to

the frame — the motor, the wheels, the body, the whole thing. Without a frame, what you have is a pile of parts on the floor of the garage.

Randy led the way to the mainte-nance shop where my truck was up on the lift. It was there that the mechanic spotted the problem. Rust had eaten away a good portion of the metal, the worst was near the rear right wheel, just where the leaf springs attach.

“If you put any serious torque on the rear end, there’s a good chance this’ll fail,” Randy said, sound-ing like ground control at a shuttle launch. “It’s really not safe to drive.”

How much would the frame re-placement cost?

“This is a $12,000 job,” he said.

“Wha?!” I said. “Wha!!? Waaaaaaaaaah!”

When my brain returned to my skull, Randy put away his smell-

March 2010

shouldn’t have to worry about. It should be like the banking system and our elected officials. Not sub-ject to corrosion and sudden fail-ure. And it should be like our other institutions, too. Unfortunately, it is.

Politicians trade votes for favors and sex; religious leaders abuse power and little boys; corporations take taxpayer buyouts and hand out bonuses; and baseball heroes enhance their performance and lie about it. Who do you trust? We’ve seen plenty of cultural frame failure lately. Our political parties, sports heroes, the country itself and the compa-nies we trade with — they all seek our loyalty. Sometimes we give it to them. And when we do, we feel better. We feel above the others, the losers, Republicans, Democrats, whatever, Cub fans and those who drive lemons. But all of our insti-tutions are subject to corruption and rupture if we don’t hold them accountable.

We should take whatever we’ve bought into and hoist it up on the lift and take a hard look un-derneath. Now that I’ve seen the greasy side of my truck, I know I won’t be riding so high in the seat anymore.

Gary Marx is a former columnist and news editor for The Southern Illinoisan. He’s now

a freelance writer and author, and he works for The Kansas City Star. But no matter where he is, he’ll always be an Illinois boy. Contact him through his Web site: www.marxjournal.com.

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March 2010

Story and Photos byDave O’Melia

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The Illinois State Soldier’s and Sailor’s Monument stands at the center of the cemetery.

March 2010

Southern Illinois played an vital role in the outcome of the great struggle of the

war between the Armies of the Confederacy and the Union forces. The area near Cairo and Mound City, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, was stra-tegically important during the Civil War (1861-1865) as whoever controlled the inland waterways would likely win the war. Mound City was a major center for build-ing and repairing gun boats for the Union war effort, including three of the Eads ironclads. Traces of the marine ways can still be seen along the river in Mound City. Ulysses S. Grant served in southern Illinois prior to becoming commander of the Union army and President. His

desk can be seen at the Customs House in Cairo.

In 1862, The Union navy captured a Confederate river boat being used as a barracks at Island Ten on the Mississippi River. This became the first Union hospital ship, the USN Red Rover. The USN Red Rover shuttled patients from the battle-field to the military hospitals.

A large brick warehouse complex, on the riverfront in Mound City, was refitted in 1861. It became a hospital housing as many as 1,500 casualties. The Sisters of the Holy Cross, an order from Indiana, served at the hospital and aboard the USN Red Rover. In addition to providing care, the Sisters of the

Holy Cross provided baptisms to the dying; they christened the hos-pital St Edwards. A marker at Cen-tral Ave. and Walnut St., in Mound City, commemorates St. Edwards. Many soldiers came to the hospital even before any of the first major battles, victims of camp diseases. During the war, injuries from battlefields in Belmont, Missouri; Fort Donelson and Shiloh resulted in thousands of patients. A smaller hospital was located in Cairo, Il-linois, six miles downstream.

Because of proximity to the hospi-tal and to Mound City, an area one mile from Mound City received its first military burials in 1862. At this time, it was known as the Soldier’s Cemetery. The ten acre

Captain Charles O. Patier of the 6th MO Infantry was a veteran of many Civil War battles and one of the early caretakers of the Na-tional Monument. He also briefly served as mayor of Cario, Illinois.

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site (now the Mound City National Cem-etery) was purchased from the Cairo City and Land Company for $750 by the United States Government. President Lincoln was autho-rized, through a congressional act, to purchase cemetery grounds for those “who shall die in the service of the country.”

At the end of the Civil War, hundreds of soldiers’ remains lay in battlefield and outpost grave sites. Dr. William Burke was hired by the army to gather and relocate them to the National Cemetery. Many of these burials were unknown because the markers had been washed away by high water.

The Mound City National Cemetery honors more than 9,000 veterans, 2,637 of whom are of unknown identity. The unknown grave sites have either round top stones or 6” x 6” vertical stones. Eight of the burials are dated 1861 and are thought to have been victims of a foundry accident in Mound City, 60-70 graves are Confederate prisoners of war. Confederate graves can be identified by the gabled tops of the stones. The cemetery is now comprised of 10.5 acres with a newly acquired 3.6 acres. This newer area will house 1,800 additional burials.

Any visit to this memorial should include a visit to the Victorian style Caretaker’s Lodge, built in 1880 and restored in 1997. At this time it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Within is a museum of donated articles used during various conflicts dating from the Civil War to the present day.

The Illinois state soldier and sailor memorial marks the center of the cemetery. It was con-structed in 1874 for $25,000, by the state of Illinois. A figure of a sailor stands midway up on the north side of the column and a soldier on the south. At the top is a statue of Free-dom, “triumphant in war and peace”. This is the same figure that adorns the top of the U.S. capitol building. Interestingly, the statue at the Mound City National Cemetery wears a Roman helmet while the one in Washington wears a Roman victory cap and Phoenix. The

March 2010

Directions to Mounds National Cemetery: Go South on I-57 to exit 8, Mound City. Go left (east) to Rte 37 and turn right (south). Follow this through Mound City until you see the National Cemetery on the right.

The cemetery is maintained through Jefferson Barracks Na-tional Cemetery in St. Louis.

Hours: The cemetery is open from sunrise to sunset daily. The caretaker’s lodge is open from 8am until noon, Monday through Friday.

The caretaker’s lodge is main-tained by: Mound City National Cemetery Preservation CommissionP.O. Box #45Mound City, Illinois 62963Phone: 1-618-748-9041All donations are deeply ap-preciated

memorial bears the inscrip-tion “Dulce et decorum est propatria mori” (It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country).

You can drive into the cem-etery and around the state memorial. Placards with short poems addressing the military man’s fate are placed along the drive. These are particu-larly poignant. One reads:

“The Muffled Drum’s Sad Roll Has Beat The Soldier’s Last Tattoo. No More On Life’s Parade Shall Meet That Brave and Fallen Few.”

Remember the tremendous gift our veterans have bestowed upon us, with little worldly compensation. Take a trip to the Mound City Na-tional Cemetery in their honor.

The drive is lined with several placards that do honor to the fallen.

Dave O’Melia is a full time professional photographer. He offers portraiture, sports, weddings and wildlife photography and may be reached at regentrider@gmail.com. You will find examples of fine photography at his web address: http://djome.zenfolio. com. Also available are equine and pet photography. His interests include, polo, fox hunting and kayaking.

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March 201016

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It was gruesome, heart breaking, eye opening: that Sunday night news report. I was at home for the weekend

as I had been for several months. Dur-ing the week I lived in the dorm at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and on weekends lived with my wife in the par-sonage of the church where I was pastor. This particular Sunday I decided to stay at home Sunday night and get up on Monday morning and drive the 100 miles in time to make an 8:00 a.m. class. That's why I saw the Sunday night news.It eventually became known as "Bloody Sunday."

While Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Atlanta, a group of 600 marchers, gathered outside of Brown Chapel and set out for Montgomery by way of the Edmund Pet-tus Bridge. Acting on orders from Gover-nor George Wallace, Alabama state troop-ers stood in the pathway and ordered them to turn around. The marchers were met with dogs, billy clubs, water hoses, tear gas and bullwhips. They were trampled by horses. That's what I saw on the news that night in March of 1965.

I was moved to tears. How could this be happening in the United States? I slept little that night. Martin Luther King, Jr. made a televised appeal to the nations clergy to come to Selma on Tuesday to participate in a march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the actions of the police and others on " Bloody Sunday"and to promote the Voting Rights Act.

Hundreds of clergy responded to his call. I heard that call, but I saw no way to answer, "Here am I, send me," were the words that went through my mind, and make it come to pass. That morn-ing, Monday, at a specially called chapel service, the call was given; and a way was made for me to respond. The seminary would send a group to Selma for Tues-day's march. I was going. There were three

students, one professor, and one United Church of Christ pastor from the St. Louis area. We would leave on the long drive as quickly as possible.

But wait; I can't; I have to; I need time; I HAVE TO CALL MY WIFE!

"Hello."

"Hi Hon." she answered. "Why are you calling. You just left a few hours ago."

"I know. Sit down, Pauline. I have some-thing to tell you,” I explained. “You know the tragedy we saw on the news last night, the march that was stopped in Selma, Alabama?"

"Yes."

"I'm going there for the march tomorrow. I'm leaving in a little while; we'11 be driv-ing all night."

There was a long pause. The silence was deafening. Then a quiet sob cut through the silence, followed by a reluctant yet affirming, "All right. Please be careful. I love you. God be with you."

"I love you too, " I responded quietly, as I hung up the phone.

Our contacts in Ala-bama told us that the Alabama state police were stopping out-of-state cars at the border and encouraging the oc-cupants to “turn around and go back up north where you belong.”

We left from the campus in mid-afternoon in a rental car with an Alabama license plate. Our contacts in Alabama told us that the Alabama state police were stopping out-of-state cars at the border and encour-aging the occupants to "turn around and go back up north where you belong." We made it to Selma with no problems. Now what? We had directions to Brown Chapel Church, the gathering place, and the rallying point. I was tired, hungry and scared, but too pumped up to back out now. This is THE place to be. The PLACE to be. The place to BE?

"Come this way, Sir. We have some food and a soft drink for you. Wait here. You'll be directed where to go. Did you bring a clerical collar? If so, put it on. It could save your life."

I had borrowed a shirt and collar from a friend so I put the collar on. Somehow a white tab stuck in a black shirt collar became the shield of a knight's armor. I wasn't wholly convinced, but I was willing to wear the collar as an unspoken symbol of who and what I am: a pastor marching in the name of God to speak out against injustice.

I reached out for some food. A small can of Vienna sausage and crackers and a coke. The thought "Is this a last meal?" went through my mind. I didn't verbalize it. I just said "Thank you" and moved out of the way so others could be served. I found an old log to sit on and waited, and waited, and waited.

Someone started singing,and I joined in with the rest of the group. "We shall overcome." "O Freedom." "We shall over-come." "Precious Lord, take my hand." "We shall overcome." So, our repertoire was limited. The song we knew the best became the most popular. The theme song of the Civil Rights movement.

March 2010

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Of the 15,156 blacks in Dallas County, Alabama only 156 were registered to vote. On January 2, 1965 Reverend King visited Selma and gave a fiery speech. In it he stated: “Today marks the beginning of a determined organized, mobilized campaign to get the right to vote everywhere in Alabama.”

But wait! Dr. King and his lieutenants were now standing on the steps. Dr. King began to speak.

"What's he saying?"

"I can't understand him.” “No, the sound system is just garbling his words."

We understood one phrase, his closing phrase: "Thank you for coming." He dis-appeared back into the church.

The churchyard became a cacophony of activity. I was gently guided to a place in a long line of clergy. We were placed two abreast, and then two little girls were brought over to us and placed alternately between us - that is clergy on street side (me), child, clergy, child. Four abreast in a long line in front and in back of us.

"Hold hands," we were told. "Don't let go!" What a joke. "Don't let go!" Hell, I would have held hands with a gorilla at that point if it would have done any good.And so, the procession began.

We moved as one out on to the street. “The Hebrew people on the move,” I thought, As we moved out of the safety of the churchyard into the street. I looked ahead and saw the street lined with people. Angry people. Irate people, brandishing ball bats, making obscene gestures. I tried to look straight ahead. Don't panic. Hold fast. They won't do you any harm.

And the shouting: “You f ***in' Yankee, go home!"

Nigger lover."

"You call yourself a preacher? "

"This bat's got your name on it, Preacher."

The police were there en-masse, lined up with their billy clubs and the growling dogs. My mind flashed back to "Bloody Sunday" and the toll the police and guardsmen and their dogs took on the marchers. We were scared. I was scared! But we held our heads up high, and hold-ing hands we marched through downtown Selma and toward the bridge. The bridge: that bridge struck fear in my heart like I had never known before or since. This is where the abuse took place. What was going to happen today?

But wait. We were stopped. What's go-ing on up front? It's quiet. Maybe we'll make it this time. No, not this time. Word was passed back: A restrain-ing order had been issued. We were to go no farther. If we did, there would be hell to pay. Dr. King is turning the line around. We headed back to the church.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean, turn around? I didn't make the long trip down here just to turn around. I want to go all the way to Montgomery!"

The line moved across the bridge,

and then made a U-turn going back across the bridge, and then moving on back to the church. As the line reversed, Dr. King shook my hand and said: "Thank you for coming."

Disappointment loomed over the crowd like a dark cloud. We told our new friends goodbye and headed north. The trip back was quiet. We were tired, disappointed, relieved, and sleepy. We took turns driving and sleeping as we made our way back to the campus.

Wow! What an experience! This became the catalyst for my involvement in sub-sequent demonstrations. I've participated in such activities in Atlanta, Terre Haute, Indianapolis, Chicago, New York, Wash-ington D.C. and New Castle, IN.

My trip to Selma was truly a life chang-ing experience for me, with consequences both good and bad. Someone drove by our house and plummeted it with raw eggs. There were a few anonymous letters con-taining very descriptive, vulgar language, and threats, not to kill me, just to do what-ever they could to make my life miserable.

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One year after marching in Selma, Bucky Jordan left Christopher in 1966 for Emery University and is currently retired from active ministry and living in Columbus, Indiana.

Pauline was ridiculed at work and eventually changed jobs because of spoken and unspoken attitudes. My parents received some letters from my relatives expressing concern over my state of mind.

My church was very supportive and expressed a sense of pride that I was their pastor. My parents didn't understand me, but they supported my dedication to what I felt God wanted me to do. My bishop called to commend me for my courage, and asked me to write about my experience. And my beautiful lady, Pauline, and I have have both grown through all my antics over these many years.

Do I regret taking a chance? Not for a second. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

March 2010

BeJeweled by Julie Willis

T his will probably not come as much of a surprise to those

that know me, or even those that vaguely know of me, but just in case you were wondering, I am a bit of a dreamer. Not necessarily a visionary, mind you, but rather one who can spend many a mo-ment in the land of make believe. These dreams are not limited to just the day variety. I am also a vivid dreamer at night, during sleep. For as long as I can remember liv-ing, I remember my dreams. Many are nightmares, some from 35 years ago that I can still recall in startling detail. My stick people saga from when I was four has made me un-able to sit through a Tim Burton movie to this day.

Dream interpretation books and web sites will tell that when going through transition you may dream of losing your teeth, or maybe even your hair. I dream of complete and total nuclear annihilation of

the human race. Trust me when

I say the retelling of these dream human when I say the retelling of these dream retelling of these dreams can bring an other-wise normal mundane dinner party to an awkward silent halt. I often wonder if I am unique in this.

My vivid imagination has always left me particularly gullible and often open to trickery. Even as an adult, as hard as I try to put on an air of realism, I still love to be-lieve urban lore. I really want to believe that the college co-ed was accompanied by three angels when walking down the dark alley, and I wonder if you can actually die by ingesting Pop Rocks with Dr. Pepper. At the end of the day, don’t we all want to believe in the power of glitter? And unicorns? Am I pushing it?

This faith in whimsy was open sea-son for my older brother. We grew up in a blue house on 5th Street. It was an old house with old sounds and older ventilation. It had secret

Angela RoweDDCD

From the First Idea to the Final Touch

closets and a dark basement, all of which made for very vivid dreaming. It also includ-ed an older brother who was very smart – and sometimes bored – and who knew he had a willing victim who would easily fall prey to his shenanigans. There was always the usual flushing of my droopy doll down the toilet, or the cutting up of my Cinderella book because there was a hologram on the cover and he just had to know how it worked. But like any true warrior, like any great nemesis, he knew my weak spot, the one thing that was worth the delayed gratification. He knew how to get into my head, to con-trol my dreams. A seven-year old Svengali. And I was his gullible victim. Here is one of the most memorable examples:

It was a terribly cold January eve-ning on 5th street. It seems like we had recently endured an ice storm, so I am sure cabin fever was at an all time high in the Willis house-hold. I remember being upstairs, in bed, lights out, when I heard him.

“Hey Julie….come here. I gotta

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show you something.”

Knowing I could feasibly get into trouble for getting out of bed (always the pleasing middle child, I hated getting into trouble) I still couldn’t resist what excit-ing thing my older brother might have to show me. I crept into his room. Now, in this room there was a south-facing window and if you turned your head just to the west, there was a single street light, sur-rounded by maple trees. Covered in ice, the branches of those trees framed the light to look like a per-fect nest of sorts.

“It’s back.” He said, his eyes wide.

“What?” I whisper, knowing this can’t be good.

“The Giant Ice Spider,” he said.

Did I say it looked like a nest? Yeah – it actually looked exactly like a GIANT ICE SPIDER WEB!

“Listen. It’s spinning its web!”

No sooner did he say this than we heard a family of squirrels run across the roof with a pitter-patter that could only be a giant arach-nid. I screamed and ran into my room and under my covers. As I heard my brother laughing in the background, my fear of the spi-der was suddenly replaced by the sounds of my father coming up the stairs to see what the commotion

was. Cowering beneath my quilt, I remember the irritated yet calm assurances that I was safe, there were no giant spiders, your brother was just teasing, all the right things to convince a small child not to believe everything she hears.

Sigh. I am still gullible. Even though I live in a tough, gritty city, where skepticism and cynicism are a means of survival, I still escape to the land of make-believe. As I watch the subway rats scurry into to their little caves in the wall I pic-ture a queen rat holding court over the others giving them assignments for the day. I sometimes wish that when the train goes above ground in my neighborhood I will catch a glimpse of King Friday XIII and Lady Elaine Fairchilde waving from their castle as we all head home from our busy days. I still to this day will never try to eat pop rocks and Dr. Pepper. And what to do about the metaphorical ice spi-ders I still encounter on occasion?

I find they are generally taken care of in the Spring thaw.

Originally from West Frankfort, Julie Willis is currently living in New York, New York, where she is an Adjunct Profes-sor in the Depart-ment of Humanities at Hudson County Community College, part-time actress, and part-time waitress.

March 2010

Story By Gail Rissi ThomasPhotos By Michael A. Thomas

For 60 years Benton has had a claim to fame that was probably known to very few people outside the

community. If you happen to have noticed that the small replica of the Statue of Liberty has been absent from the south side of the Benton Public Library, you may be one of the few who know the story of the Little Sister of Liberty and how she got to Southern Illinois.In 1950, the Boy Scouts of Ameri-ca sponsored a project to celebrate their 40th anniversary by promot-ing the placement of 200 small replicas of the Statue of Liberty in communities throughout the United States. The statues, named Little Sisters of Liberty were a project designed to help publicize their anniversary theme, “Strengthen the arm of Liberty” The program was

Natural erosion of the cement seams and vandalism to the radials on Lady Liberty’s crown have taken their toll on the statue.

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SOLID WOOD SINCE 1946

so successful that it was continued through-out 1951.

The copper statues were not provided free of charge, but had to be sponsored or paid for by someone in the community. They were each 8-½ feet tall without a base. Each statue cost $350 plus shipping, no small order as each weighed a hefty 290 pounds. The copper statues, manufactured by Friedley Voshardt Company of Chicago, were all identical, and were purchased by communities in 39 states, with six of them going to Illinois. Of those six, placed in London Mills, Peoria, Warsaw, Oregon, and Waukegan, Benton received the only statue that went to southern Illinois.

Recently, interest in the Little Sisters of Liberty has been revived, as a group known as “SOS” (Save Outdoor Sculptures) is at-tempting to locate the statues that are still remaining across the country. A project of the Heritage Institution and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the hunt is on to find out what has happened to the approximately 200 statues that were placed in community parks, at municipal buildings, and city halls. Nearly 100 of the statues have been ac-

The original plaque on the statue’s pedestal read:

“With the faith and cour-age of their forefathers who made possible the freedom of these United States, the Boy Scouts of America dedicate this replica of the Statue of Liberty as a pledge of ever-lasting fidelity and loyalty. 40th anniversary crusade to strengthen the arm of liberty, 1950”

March 2010

counted for, but unfortunately, the elements or vandals have destroyed many; some have been sold for scrap. But in other cases, the proj-ect has been a catalyst for renova-tion.

Such is the case in Benton, where the Little Sister of Liberty has been removed from the base and moved inside the library lobby. Librarian, Erin Steinsultz, has retrieved the program from the statue's dedica-tion ceremony, and accounts from the Benton Evening News describ-ing the event.

“Over a thousand people attend unveiling ceremony,” the Benton Evening News recorded. Details of obtaining the statue were also recorded. The statue was purchased and given to the city by Mayor and Mrs. Virgil Center, and Stanley McCollum of American Legion Post 280 sponsored erection. The ceremony was a big day in town, with unveiling by Mrs. Center and music by the Benton High School Band and Chorus.

According to Steinsultz, $17,000 is needed to completely renovate the statue and erect it again on a new base outside the library. “The statue has been vandalized a couple of times in the past,” Ste-insultz said. “We have a husband and wife team from California, MO that are going to do the renovation.

They have previously renovated two Liberty statues.”

The drive is underway to raise the money needed for the renovation, with donations ranging from $16 raised by a grade school class to $500 earned from a rummage sale held by the teen advisory board.

“We're going to take this opportu-nity to raise enough money to build the Freedom Plaza which was in the original plan for the library, but had to be put on hold because of a lack of funds. The plan includes a brick pathway with benches, flood-lights and security cameras on the Liberty Statue at all times.”

The fund drive has raised about $5,000 so far. A trivia night is planned at the library on April 17. Anyone wishing to volunteer in fund raising or donate to the project can contact Steinsultz at 438-7511.

In 2008, workers removed the statue from in front of the library to its tempoprary home inside. (photo provided)

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March 2010

Larry Weatherford has been leaving his mark around Southern Illinois for decades

Photo by Michael A. Thomas

Weatherford started his business many years ago with a ‘Dick Blick” sign painting kit which consisted of little more than a fewbrushes and paint.

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March 2010 27

Story by Gail Rissi ThomasPhotos by Michael A. Thomas

Take one step inside the TLC/Therapy Center on Route 13 near Carterville, and you

will feel that you've stepped into a fantasyland. Leaving the black and white world behind, much as Doro-thy did when her house sailed from Kansas to Oz, a visitor will find walls splashed with brilliant colors, mermaids and mythical characters frolicking along the hallways, and delightful images, enough to make a toddler say, “This is where I want to be.”

This dazzling artwork is a credit to Larry Weatherford and The Sign Gang of Carbondale, who have left thousands of examples of their

creative expertise throughout Southern Illinois and the metro

east area. Southern Illinoisans see their work daily: signs giving di-rections, signs advertising products and signs announcing events, from the SIU campus to Miners' Stadium to St. Louis to Paducah, the Sign Gang has left their trademark, each year introducing newer technology to perfect the images they create.Weatherford says that he has been painting about as long as he can remember. “When I was a kid I used to like to draw the letters of the alphabet. I remember watch-ing a neighbor paint pinstripes on a 1950 Olds. That was a really cool car. That just stuck with me. I used to have my paints and brushes in a wooden box. The box would close up where I could sit on it and paint signs for grocery stores and store-fronts. I still have that box.” “I think here is a picture of me in my high school year book, where

Just a few examples of Larry Weatherford and the Sign Gang: (Top to Bottom) SI Foot & Ankle Clinic in Carbondale, The Learning Center on Rt. 13 near Carterville, and the entrance to Foxcoft subdivision south of West Frankfort. (Left:)Weather-ford is standing beneath his first sign at Vic Koenig Chevrolet in Carbondale.

(Photos Provided unless noted otherwise)

March 2010

I'm sitting in an English class look-ing out the window. I was probably watching trucks go by and think-ing, 'I wish I was out there.'” I went to the University of Illinois, but I didn't do well. I came down here to SIU, and that was about the time that Delyte Morris was recruit-ing anyone who was breathing. He must have said, 'Your heart is beating; get in here,” Weatherford laughs. “I did graduate in 1966 and worked in advertising for the Southern Illinoisan for about a year. I would accompany the rep to meet with the customer and sketch the ad as they decided what they wanted.”

“The first real sign design that I did was the Vic Koenig sign that now sits at the back of his lot. We just recently refurbished it for him,” Weatherford added. “I taught 6 years at Collinsville High School, and during that time I completed a graduate degree in special edu-cation at SIU Edwardsville. I'm

afraid I must have still been look-

ing out the window a lot. I was 32 years old and was chairman of the Art Department there, but I quit my job and my wife, Kay and I came back to Southern Illinois.”

“At first I painted houses and

signs. I painted motor homes, like the ones you see with a name and pictures of deer or something like that on them. I didn't really know what I was doing,” Weatherford confessed.

“I was completely self taught. Eventually, I bought an airless spray-

er, and the business began to grow, opening up new opportunities. We've done a lot of work for South-ern Illinois Healthcare. We have signed almost everything you see at the SIH hospitals, inside and out. We painted all the main visuals for

Whimsical forest creatures transform the lobby of the TLC Childcare & Therapy Center into a magical and inviting place. Murals by Weatherford and the Sign Gang adorn several of the walls of the Center.

Even small jobs require teamwork. Weatherford directs Larry Thomason (left) and Sam Betts as they prepare to weatherproof some signage.

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March 2010 29

SIU, everything in the Arena and at McAndrew Stadium. We did the Pepsi signs, all the directional signs. We even painted the Arena floor. You know, it isn't really about painting anymore,” Weatherford says. “Everything is computer gen-erated. It's about a lot more than that. We did the Miners' Stadium. The outside wall at the ballpark has ten 10'X13' signs of ball players. That was more about engineering than anything else. We had to design huge bracketry just to hold it up and then had to design it where it could be continuously tightened up. We never work on one project any-more; it's like six or seven at a time. The Therapy Center with all the fantasy stuff, that was a fun one. Anthony Spinazola was working with us at about that time and he was responsible for a lot of that.”

Weatherford contributes time and talent to SIU, serving as chairman of “Art Over Easy,” a project of the Art and Design Department, which raises matching funds necessary to obtain, grant scholar-ships, and he is currently involved in helping the department put together a show that students will hold in Chicago. He is also on the Board of Direc-tors for the Bucky Fuller Dome. His success and contributions to the university were recognized in 2003 when he was named as one of the Distin-guished Alumni.

His main love is still signing vehicles, especially trucks. “We did the vehicle wrap around for the Auto Credit car,” he pointed out. “We've probably done designs for at least 10 trucks already this year.” But the versatility of his staff and facility have allowed his business to grow with the technol-ogy, successfully completing projects such as the design of huge electronic message centers which are continuously becoming more popular. Materi-als and equipment, such as a large panel printer and 150 ft. rolls of a variety of materials, a truck with a sixty foot reach and a two man basket have brought him a long way from a little wooden box filled with paints and brushes. Those visions created in his head while gazing out the window are now out in the world for all of us to enjoy.

March 2010

Preparation is vital to every project. Weatherford’s work on the TLC Childcare and Therapy center may seem painstakingly labor inten-sive but it ensures that the finished product will be accurate in scale and color.

The main room of the center was painted with an ocean scene on all four walls. “It is like you are inside a giant fishtank,” says Weatherford, who credits Anthony Spinazola with the lion’s share of the work.

Since the Center deals with many children who have learning disabi-lites, the artwork serves more than just a decorative purpose at times.

“We had one little girl who didn’t speak much,” said directory Tommi Robb. “She was fascinated with the little fish (see lower right panel) with it’s head poking out of the water. Her therapist used that fish over the course of several weeks to get her to open up and develop her vocabulary.”

Every Project Starts with a Concept

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March 2010 31

March 2010

ast year at this time, we answered the question, “Is the sky falling in on the economy?” With the help of Will Rogers, we discovered it was not. This year, we’ll take a look at where we are now with the help of some famous leaders from our past.

Is the rally in the markets over?

No one can say absolutely, but leading economic indicators show it’s probably not over. However, the second phase of a market rebound historically tends to be more volatile, but with an upward trend. This looks like the phase we are in now. Proceed with caution, however… As a nation we have borrowed too much for too long and it will likely take a number of years for things to become more “normal” again.

This can be accomplished sooner, in my opinion, if the role of the government is more limited (or at least doesn’t grow) and taxes are cut (or at least are not raised). As Ronald Reagan said, “Man is not free unless government is limited” and “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.”

Winston Churchill added, “There is no such thing as a good tax.”

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March 2010 33

Limiting both government and taxes fosters an environment where innovation and job creation can flourish.

Reagan also believed “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.”

Churchill agreed: “Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.”

The times are more uncertain today… aren’t they?

In some ways, yes. But every generation has had plenty to worry about -- the more things change, the more they stay the same. Thomas Jefferson said, “I predict

future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Reagan put it aptly when he said, “There are no great limits to growth, because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.”

Remember, don’t make decisions based on “fear” or “greed”. Also, remember these words from Winston Churchill: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

There’s so much information today… how do I know who to listen to?

There is an information overload today; don’t get caught up in it. Be careful and follow a plan within your comfort zone. Don’t forget to diversify globally to spread out your risk and review your plan regularly. Knowing who to listen to can be difficult. Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify” and “You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.” I believe there is no substitute for hard work to put yourself in a position for success. Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Also, give thought to the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Final thoughts…

Some final words to ponder, beginning with Ronald Reagan: “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” From Abraham Lincoln: “You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.”

These final words come from Benjamin Franklin and are a lesson to all of us: “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.”

Brad ArnoldFinancial AdvisorVice President-Investment OfficerWachovia Securities1401 Financial ParkCarbondale, IL618-457-8145 Past performance is not indicative of future results. The accuracy and completeness of this article are not guaranteed. The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Wachovia Securities/Wachovia Securities Financial Network or its affili-ates. The material is distributed solely for information purposes and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Wachovia Securities is the trade name used by two separate registered broker-dealers: Wachovia Securities, LLC, and Wachovia Securities Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company.

Graphic by Michael A. Thomas

March 2010

With Gold Prices at an all Time HighIs It Time To Cash In On Today’s Gold Rush?

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March 2010 35

By Gail Rissi Thomas

It seems we hear it from all sides these days. From the car radio on the way home from work, from the TV commer-

cials, especially during the news, and from huge ads in the paper, all telling us about the opportunity. Top dollar: Sell you gold now. Gold prices are at an all time high. $1.000 an ounce, the radio screams at us.

Well everyone is just a little short of cash these days, but before you head off to the nearest hotel lobby that’s hosting a visiting gold buyer with your high school class ring and Grandpa’s watch fob in your pocket, understand the process. This may be a good time to sell some gold for cash, but personally, we’ve been confused by the hype and thought maybe we could all use a little straight talk from some-one who knows the business.

Rob Bisching, owner of Your Jeweler on Route 13 near Cart-erville, has been in the jewelry business for 25 years. “I’ve always bought and sold gold,” he says. “For about the past 50 years there has been a lot more interest in yel-low gold. That’s the kind of jewelry

that everyone wanted; that’s what they bought, and that’s what is out there now for people to sell off. Now, people find themselves in the situation of needing cash, and they’re hearing a lot about selling their gold. I get about five inquiries a day about selling gold““Although it’s true that gold reached an all time high late last year, over $1,000 an ounce, it has

varied widely since then, up and down from day to day. People who aren’t familiar with the process may not realize that when we’re talking about gold jewelry we’re not talking about 24 carat gold. Gold is alloyed with other metals like small amounts of nickel or titanium in order to be used to make jewelry. Pure gold would be too soft and scratch and bend easily. So if you have an 18 carat gold ring, it’s only going to consist of 75% pure gold. A piece of jewelry that is 12 carat gold will only have 50% gold in it. That percent of the piece that is pure gold is the part that comes under the

current “price of gold.”

“In the mid-Seventies, gold was selling for about $160 an ounce,” Bisching explained. “Some people are able to sell gold pieces of jewelry now and get more for the gold metal in them than what they may have paid for the original fine jewelry when it was new. I really

Rob Bisching, owner of Your Jeweler, says due to the high price of gold he has seen an increase in the number of people interested in selling old gold jewelry but cautions customers that the price they receive depends on carat content of each piece and daily gold prices.

March 2010

hate to see people come in and try to sell heirloom jewelry or any-thing that has sentimental meaning to them for the value of the gold. We have a consignment case in the store, and if someone is in a posi-tion that they can be patient, we encourage them to try letting us sell it on consignment first. They will probably get a little more for it and may feel better about it. Some jewelry is outdated, of course, and not longer functional as jewelry.”

“It’s also hard to sell wedding/en-gagement ring sets, because brides don’t usually want a used wedding ring. Sometimes people will end up having us take out the diamonds and reset them in white gold, which is more in style now.”

The other thing that many people fail to think about, according to

Bisching, is that the price of gold as we hear about it is the price that the processor pays for the gold.

“I have to sell the gold too,” he said. “We send it off to the proces-sor every week or two. I have to make something on it, and he has to make money off it too, so I can’t pay $1,000 an ounce or whatever it is that you are hearing gold is worth today, but no one else is doing that either. Generally, you can figure that a retailer will probably be able to pay 60% to 80% of the current value

of the weight that is actu-ally 24 carat gold.”

“We’re al-ways happy to have people bring in their jew-elry and talk to them about it. We can tell them what it’s worth, and they can always wait to decide what they want to do.”

The Inter-net is full of deals and information for the con-

sumer who wants to turn gold into cash. Consumer Reports Money Blog is only one trusted source that explains the process much the same way Bisching does. But they emphasize one point which they say is the most important advice to follow.

“When Consumer Reports Money Adviser compared what one of the traveling TV companies offered for a gold band a couple of years ago with what a local jeweler and an on-line gold buyer would pay, the TV company paid a much lower price. Instead, take your gold to a reputable jeweler in your area for an appraisal. Note the carat of the metal, and ask the jeweler to tell you the weight in pennyweights or troy ounces.”

The detailed and lengthy report makes many points, but the advice from the consumer expert that stands out is to deal with an estab-lished and reputable source, under-stand how the system works and what to expect and finally, don’t be afraid to shop around.”

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By Gail Rissi ThomasPhotos By MIchael A. Thomas

If you were an SIU stu-dent in 1960 and had the late night hungries for a pizza, you only had two

choices. You could get one from Pizza King, now known as PK's, or you could go to Italian Village on Washington Street. Well Car-bondale has changed a lot in the past 50 years. PK’s, actually the first pizza place in town, opening five years before Italian Village, is still a bar on South Illinois Avenue, popular among students. . Italian Village? Go ahead and call in your order. It's still there, same place, and even with all the competition these days, they're still a favorite, selling some of the most popular Italian food in Carbondale. They will celebrate their 50th anniver-sary this September.

R.E. Bridges, IV's owner, came back to Carbondale in about 1960, but his roots are deep in the com-munity. Local historians recog-nize his great grandfather, David Harmon Brush, as the founder of Carbondale, and Bridges' family has contributed to the building of the community.

“My mother was the first home-coming queen at SIU in 1925,” Bridges says. “My grandfather owned a general store in Makanda. My father owned this building at 405 South Washington where he had a small grocery store, Bridges Food Market.”

“I had been out in California, in the bay area, San Jose,” Bridges continues his story. “I was work-ing for the father of a friend of

39

March 2010

mine making pizza. Well all the small grocery stores were going out of business when the chain stores started coming into town, so I suggested to my dad that we open a pizza restaurant. And that's what we did; it was the first self serve restaurant in Southern Illinois. Customers were to come up to the counter to place their order: we only had seats for 23 people.”

Bridges recalls that at first the self-serve idea was the most diffi-cult thing he was trying to sell. “I remember the first customer com-ing in,” he laughs, 'He sat down, and I told him that he would have to come up to the counter to place his order. He gave me a four-letter word and said, 'When I go out to eat, I expect to be waited on,' and

he turned around and walked out. I guess it worried me a little bit, but I stuck to it.” Italian Village is still self-service today.

However, Bridges has seen many changes in his restau-rant in the past fifty years “We used to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he says. “Things were getting out of hand. Late at night, we would get the drunks. It seemed like most people who wanted to go out to eat were here before 10PM. So I said, 'That's it.' We stopped the 24/7 schedule in the 80s, and we lock the doors at 10 o'clock now.”

“When we started out we used to sell a small pizza for one dollar. Now we sell one for $8.00.

We were so busy at times that on Sundays people would line up all the way out the door down to Col-

“When we started out we used to sell a small pizza for one dollar. Now we sell one for $8.00. ” --R.E. Bridges--

I.V.’s had one of the first salad bars in the area. Designed to look like an Italian Gondola, it was built by Jack Winchester, a well-known hair dresser from Carbondale, now deceased. The homemade french dressing is so popular it is bottled and sold.

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March 2010

lege Street. We would sell them as fast as we could make them.” The recipes, for the sweet, slightly spicy sauce, and specialty dishes such as lasagna are all Bridges own recipes. The pizza crust is made just the same way it has been for 50 years.

“The guy I worked for in California gave me the recipe and I changed it a little to suit myself.” There has recently been a change in the frozen pizzas that customers take home to cook at their convenience. “We had used a prepared crust for a long time, but I never felt it was good enough. We use our own crusts for that now and it's much better.”

Some of the most popular items in the restaurant, however, are things that have been added through the years.

“We added the salad bar in the 70's,” Bridges says. “We had just a condiment bar for a long time.” The wood crafted salad bar, shaped to look like a gondola, was built by Jack Winchester, a well-known Carbondale hairdresser who is now deceased.

“We didn't have a liquor license for a long time,” Bridges continued. “But we did have a license that al-lowed people to bring in their own beer or wine to have with their dinner. When we got the liquor license, we added The Loft. The Loft was intended to be an upstairs bar, above the second floor of the restaurant, but it just never re-ally seemed to catch on,” Bridges explained, “so we just let people use it when they need a private room for a group. It seats about 40 people.”

“Our ice cream is one of our most popular items,” he says proudly. “It's much better than a lot of complimen-tary soft serves in other restaurants. It's 4 percent but-terfat: people love it. Before we had ice cream, we used to have Italian Ice. We also used to have peanut butter and jelly pizzas for the kids,” he recalls. “We stopped doing that. I don't even know why; we just dropped it.”

Just as many people return to Italian Village for the food, many return for the memories of college

days. There are downstairs and upstairs diners, and for a first time diner who stops by because he has asked someone, “Where can I get a good pizza?” the décor that has been added by the customers may be surprising to say the least. Over the years, the knotty pine walls, the

R.E. stands with his long-time friend, Clyde. “I used to keep him outside, but now he is inside. We’ve had a lot of heart-to-heart talks.”

R.E. learned the pizza business in San Jose California. The recipes have remained basically the same since 1960 when I.V.’s opened.

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March 2010

tables, even the booths and wall hangings have been covered with graffiti. Somehow it became cus-tomary and acceptable to many to leave their calling card, scrawled in marker or whatever they had available.

“I don't really know how it got started,” Bridges says. “Someone just started it, and we could never stop it. It's gone on for years.” The fact that painted walls and rest-room walls are clean and empty of names is no accident.

“When someone writes on a clean painted wall, the next morning, Patrick is right behind them paint-ing over it. That's about all we can do.”

There are other details in the Ital-ian Village décor that are uniquely their own. A bust of a man wear-ing sunglasses and looking char-acteristically Italian sets on the corner of the counter wearing a number of paper bibs.

“Oh this is Clyde; he's our bib holder,” Bridges introduces us. “Clyde used to sit outside, and I'd go out every so often and have a beer and talk to him for a while. One day I decided that he didn't need to be out there in all kinds of weather with birds pooping on him, and since then he's been inside with us.”

One outdoor Italian Village feature that is a Carbondale landmark is a tower with a platform at the top, where several dining mannequins are seated at a table, supposedly enjoying a pizza.

“I built the tower in about '75,” Bridges says. “I don't know why. I guess I had a little extra money, so I thought I'd build a tower for mannequins. I thought it would draw the attention of the kids. But the damn kids shot arrows at them, beat them with ball bats and finally stole them. I gave up on it for awhile,” he adds. “I don't know. One day I just decided to put them back. I think it's funny because the little kids want to go up there and eat with those people. One day when a guy was up there working on it, a little boy said, 'Hey Daddy, there's a live one up there. Let's go eat up there with them'”

From his Village on Washington Street, Bridges has watched Car-bondale change and witnessed the coming and going of competitors in the pizza business.

“There was Shakeys, Village Inn, Papa Cs -- I can't remember half of them.” From 1968 to 1970, he branched out to open the Jackson Bench in Murphysboro, just south-east of the courthouse. “I started

out with steaks and seafood,” he recalls. “Then people started say-ing, why don't you sell pizza? So I sold pizza there for a while. Every-one said it didn't taste the same as it does here. Well, it was the same pizza, but not the same ovens. I gave it up after a while.”

“I still have a wonderful clientele, but it's more families now from the whole area. SIU is a town in itself with everything they need right on campus. Oh, the kids still go to the strip or the University Mall, but they really live on fast food. The wineries have affected things some too. People go out on weekends to the wineries. It's a restaurant, but it's a place to go and spend the day. We have our own wine now,” he says showing off a wine with an Italian Village label made by Alto Vineyards.

This summer, there will be some major changes at Italian Village. In honor of their 50th anniversary, Bridges will be adding an outdoor dining area with a small bar, paral-lel to Washington Street. The tables will be covered with a canopy with overhead lights and fans.

“Most of the people that come here have been coming back for years, Bridges says. “They bring their kids and now those kids bring their kids. I still keep my hand in, but I don't jump in with both feet like I used to. I'm 73, I was retired for a while, but what would I do if I was really retired? Go to Florida and walk the beach? Fish? Drink beer? I can't do that all day. This gives me something to do when I want to do something.”

“It survived the May 8th storm,” R.E. says of his landmark tower. “But now it leans a bit. I guess Car-bondale has their own leaning tower of Pizza,” he quipped.

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March 2010

Taking a step backward after taking one step forward is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha!

The above quote is from Robert Brault as he describes an optimist.

Optimism seems to be universal on New Year’s Day.Well, at least for a day, anyway. We can pretend that we will approach the New Year with an iron will as we declare resolutions, goals, plans and dreams. We become visionaries.... and it feels good.

There is just something about a blank page that brings out the

creativity in all of us. The “What ifs?” actually grab our hearts and allow us all to dream a little dream, if only for a moment.

Who knows what 2010 has in store for all of us? Might we actually lose that extra weight we’ve been trying to hide? Could we land the dream job or get that promotion or become a fitness guru? Is it possible that the bad habit we’ve been trying to break for a decade may actually see its final demise?

We all know there can be no “perfect year”, it will be filled with good and bad, heartache and joy,

but we still hope against hope for the year to beat all others.We dare to dream. Well, most of us do.

The frightening part of actually dreaming, or resolving to make changes is that deep down, we still remember our track records.... we know we will likely be unable to fulfill these dreams, hopes, resolutions as we have in year’s past, so it keeps many of us from making a resolution, dreaming that dream or reaching for a goal we may be unable to attain.

The first day we sneak a cookie, or a cigarette, or take a step backward instead of toward our goals, we often give up the effort altogether, treating the step backwards as a disaster, rather than turning it into a dance step. Just one step in a series that keep us on our toes!

Let the blank page of the New Year inspire your creativity once again. Allow the newness to inspire new dance steps in a forward moving direction. Don’t ever allow a step backwards to cause you to give up. Never. Ever. It’s all a part of the dance.

I’ve got my dancing shoes on (a gorgeous pair of red stilettos) to usher in the New Year. I’m ready. I can hear the music playing in the background; I can feel it in my bones. I will dance like no one is looking (or at least my dancing make them so tired they will eventually look away...or join me!)

Come on- it’s a CHA-CHA! Will you join me in 2010?

Life’s A Cha-ChaBy Sherri Murphy

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March 2010 45

March 201046

March 2010 47

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at the Following Locations:Aaron M. Hopkins, Attorney ................... pg. 37Baldwin Piano ....................................... pg. 19BFJ Interiors ....................................... pg. 25Cache Creek Animal Resuce ................... pg. 15Coleman-Rhoads Furniture ..................pg. 23Cooks Portable Warehouse ............ Back Cover Corner Gourmet ...................................pg. 8Decorating Den .................................... pg. 20Dr. Dale Brock, Optometrist ................... pg. 45Dr. Seb Pagano, Dentist ...................... pg. 2Dr. Stephen Ponton Foot Clinic........... pg. 47Dr. Seb Pagano, DMD ........................... pg. 41East Main Market ....................... .... pg. 9Etcetera ................................................. pg. 18Gandy’s Auto Body ............................... pg. 21Giant City Lodge ............................... pg. 21Grandma Helen’s Restaurant .............. pg. 2Herron Chiropractic ............................. pg. 25IBEW.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg.25Image Graphics .................................... pg. 46Jackson Pools & Spas ............................ pg. 36JenRuss Glass Design............................. pg. 13Martin’s Catering ................................. pg. 25McDonald’s ...........................................pg. 2Mike Riva, Attorney .............................. pg. 14Murphy’s Law..... ................................. pg. 45My Favorite Toys ................................. pg. 45Neighborhood Co-Op ............................ pg. 29Ohio River Senic Byway ..................... pg. 15Paul Lawrence Insurance...................... pg. 45Prairie Living at Chautauqua................. pg. 24Ramey Insurance ................................ pg. 43Rend Lake Seamless Guttering ............ pg. 46Rowena Art Gallery ................................ pg. 35Shelter Insurance .................................... pg. 35Sisters Three ........................................... pg. 37Smart Body Rx ...................................... pg. 7Southern Illinois Bank ............................. pg. 13Southern Illinois Surgical Appliance ...... pg. 8Springtacular ...................................... pg. 47Stotlar Herrin Lumber ......................... pg. 46Teamsters ............................................... pg. 25The Glass Haunt .... .................................. pg. 43Tom’s Place ............................................. pg. 23Week’s Chevrolet ................................. pg. 43Wells Big & Tall Menswear .....................pg. 2West Frankfort Aquatics Center ............ pg. 29Your Jeweler .......................................... pg. 19

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