Village-Aires Concert Outstanding

      Editor: Dave Uphoff
The musical concert performed by the Village-Aires Saturday night was very enjoyable and very professionally done. While I am not a music critic I know what I like. The Village-Aires sang a variety of songs including show tunes, country, popular, and my favorite - 50's rock and roll.

While all the singing was great I thought the the Doo-Wop songs sung by the men were outstanding and I especially thought that Jay Hurd did a fantastic job of singing falsetto in those sets. Who would have thought that a group of middle age white singers from Minonk could sound like a group of young black singers from the 50's? Also veteran singer Jim Meyer sounded amazingly like the 1940's crooner Dick Haymes when he sang "Over the Rainbow".

The Minonk community should be proud of this group of local singers who have entertained us over the years. The fact that the Village-Aires have been entertaining for forty years is not only a testimony to their dedication and their love of music but also reveals that they are providing a service that is much needed and appreciated in our community.

Before radio and television, most entertainment was held locally either through traveling minstrel and stage shows or through locally staged plays. Plays were held years ago in the Pickard Building on East Fifth Street, the Schlitz Opera House which burned down in 1934 and was located at the northwest corner of Sixth and Chestnut, and the Grand Opera House which was located on the third floor above the Country Florist building but has long been removed.

The Village-Aires have resurrected the past by enabling our community to enjoy local entertainment at a very reasonable cost. They are a self-supporting group and do not pay themselves anything from the proceeds of their concerts. They deserve the community's support. Hopefully, they will continue entertaining the Minonk community for another forty years.

Farm programs and feeding the poor

Every once in awhile I run across an article that is very insightful and illuminating. Once such article was given to me by my niece Elizabeth Courtney from Old Greenwich, CT. The article explains how the government's farm program results in unhealthy eating habits by the poor. The article explains the paradox in which the greatest percentage of people who are overweight are those who are poor. The article also suggests that our immigration problem with Mexico may also be a result of our farm program.

Since we live in the nation's bread basket, this article should be of special interest to not only the farmers but to we the consumer. I urge everyone to read the article. I know it has given me new insight into what we need to do to solve some of our nation's problems.

Click here to see the article.
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April 30, 2007