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June 21, 2004 |
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About Town Dave Uphoff |
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Post sesquicentennial comments
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I have received a lot of feedback on Minonk's sesquicentennial celebration. Almost everyone felt that the celebration was
very successful and helped to bring the community together in so many ways. I met former Minonk
residents that I haven't seen in over 40 years. They all enjoyed reminiscing about growing up
in Minonk. I certainly hope that our youth of today enjoys growing up in Minonk as much as us older
folks did, but I doubt it.
When I was a youth, there seemed to be more places to hang out. At least 3 restaurants were open at night for young people to meet. The bank corner was always crowded with guys shooting the breeze or watching the cars go by. The American Legion building on South Chestnut would sponsor Saturday night dances for teenagers. Girls would walk from downtown to the Homestead Restaurant on North Chestnut and guys would drive by in their cars and whistle. Of course, all this occured before television became a nightly ritual and before the internet and computer games. People do not seem to congregate like they used to. There were plenty of old Minonk photographs and memorabilia on display during the sesquicentennial. Nancy Reiter put on a fantastic display at the old Fire Station on West Fifth Street. However, it was very noticeable to me the lack of young people who attended these sesquicentennial exhibits. Then I realized that when I was young, I also did not pay much attention to history and was not much interested in the past. It seems that our interest in the past and in our heritage becomes stronger as we become older. Perhaps it is that young people are looking forward to the future while the older people reflect on the past. That is too bad because if young people were made more aware of their community's history, they make take more pride in the community and become active in community affairs. I think it might be a good idea to even offer a short course in the history of a community in our schools just to give young people a sense of the past that may encourage them to become part of the community's future. |
Rave reviews were received for the Jim Markum Swing Band that performed last Sunday at the
Westside Park pavilion dedication. People are wanting to know if we can get them back again
for a performance. I suggest that the City of Minonk consider hiring a band to perform at the
Westside Park pavilion once a month. The pavilion is an excellent venue for a band concert. Spectators
can rest in the shade of the many trees in the park. The beautiful new pavilion makes a perfect
backdrop for a wonderful afternoon in the park. To complete the program, concessions can be sold from the serving counter
at the pavilion. I think it is a great way to get people out to mingle again.
Someone suggested to me that the City of Minonk should attempt to restore the original facades of the buildings in downtown Minonk. This person marveled at the wonderful architecture of the buildings from photos taken over 100 years ago. This is something I have advocated for some time. The sesquicentennial celebration reminded everyone how beautiful downtown Minonk was years ago. The carnival proved to be much improved over recent carnivals. However, one person told me that he thought that the carnival was out of place for a sesquicentennial celebration and detracted from the purpose of the celebration. That may be true. However, I noticed that all of the young people who did not attend the exhibits of old Minonk were at the carnival and the beer tent. In other words, they paid the bills. |
