Those communities that have a plan to offset these trends will survive, the others will die on the vine. Minonk will grow if it can attract new residents and new businesses. That is a simple fact. What is not so simple is how to attract them.

To attract new residents, Minonk must be a pleasant, affordable place to live. I believe that Minonk's residential area is already desirable. This is due in part to the fact that most people who live here take pride in their homes and most homes are maintained properly. Secondly, Minonk has a lot of older, well designed and well built homes that appeals to people who want homes with character.

The downtown area of Minonk, however, is not commensurate with the quality of the homes in the city. The improvement of the downtown area needs to be the top priority for the city.

I believe the city needs to appoint a citizens restoration committee whose major function is to restore downtown Minonk. The reasons for this type of committee are many. The committee can be single focused on restoration and will not have to be deterred by other city issues that require the actions of the city council members. Unlike the city council, the committee will have the luxury of being proactive rather than reactive. Secondly, there are several individuals in this community who have an interest and an expertise in the restoration of the downtown area. These same individuals, however, do not want to get involved in city politics or run for election. Nevertheless, their skills should be utilized. That does not mean that members of the committee would have an answer for every problem. But they could consult with experts in restoration.

One of the most important functions of the committee would be to develop tourism. Last week I vacationed out west. There were many towns in the west who had seen their better days as the mines shut down one by one. Most of these towns survived by restoring their old buildings and using their history as a tourist attraction. Minonk can do the same thing to some degree. We already blew a big chance to retain the mining influence in our town by letting the Jumbo north of town be destroyed. But we still have the old coal mine slagpile 1/2 mile north of the city that we could use as a reminder of our mining history. Converting one of the unused buildings downtown into a mining and agricultural museum would attract tourists if done right. Perhaps state funds can help finance such a museum.

Minonk already has access to thousands of people who stop at the Shell Truck Stop each week at the I-39 intersection. Why not tap this source of visitors to come to downtown Minonk to view a museum of the coal mines and farms from years ago? Sure, it's not like going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but it sure beats looking at the reptile gardens that dot the landscape out west.

There is not much to stop and see between Rockford and Bloomington on I-39. A mining and agricultural museum in Minonk may be a nice little break for those weary travelers who become numb from the endless miles of cornfields as they head south on I-39. These same travelers will probably stop at the new antique mall being developed in the old Kent Lumber building and they might just stop for food at one of Minonk's restaurants. And these thoroughly modern suburbanites might just really appreciate our restored 19th century buildings and brick streets.

Minonk must adopt a vision for the future if it is to continue to grow. The best way to do this is to appoint a committee of focused and qualified residents who will be able to devote their time and energy to restoring downtown Minonk with an eye for attracting tourists.