Attendance this year was helped by the good weather. The normally hot and muggy July days were replaced with relatively cool and less humid conditions. The fireworks display on Wednesday evening were spectactular and would match any show put on by much bigger communities.

The Fourth of July celebration has traditionally been Minonk's showpiece just like Labor Day is when Toluca has their festivities and El Paso has their corn festival. Every July people head to Minonk to celebrate the Fourth. Because of this it is important that Minonk put on its best possible show since it is our opportunity to look good.

When I was a kid the Fourth of July celebration was held in Minonk's Westside Park. People would bring their picnic lunches and eat on a blanket spread on the ground. There also would be band concert in the bandstand that has since been torn down.

It was an exciting day for a young boy since in those days we could light firecrackers and cherry bombs with impunity. Sometimes we would put a firecracker under a tin can and see how far up it would fly when the firecracker went off. One of the more exciting fireworks was the roman candle. You would stick this thing in the ground and light it and it would shoot up in the sky like a comet.

Other less violent activities involved sparklers and lighting the snakes that would leave a black coil of ash on the sidewalk.

The other thing that I associate with the Fourth of July is lightning bugs or fire flies. The insects seem to be at their peak during that time period. We would catch the bugs in a fruit jar and leave them in the bedroom over night to see if they were still lit in the morning. Most often they were dead by morning.

I feel good that MinonkTalk was able to provide inspiration. I feel even better that there are new residents of Minonk who want to get involved in the community. In fact, as you read the list of volunteers for the Fourth of July celebration you will notice that there are quite a few non-natives. In fact, I feel that one of Minonk's strong points is the attitude of new residents that have moved here. Perhaps, they are more likely to appreciate the good points of Minonk than lifelong residents who have taken our city for granted. The new residents probably appreciate the fine houses at reasonable prices, the quaint brick streets and beautiful old churches and the victorian buildings downtown, and the fine school system in a crime free environment.

Cathy McKay, the Chairperson of this year's Fourth of July committee, is asking for volunteers to help plan and run next year's Fourth of July celebration. I urge you to contact Cathy at 309-432-2605 and see what you can do to help. Let's make next year's celebration even better. Remember, the Fourth of July is Minonk's time to show itself off. Let's prove to the other communities in the area that Minonk is still the best place to live.

Listed below are the volunteers who helped with this year's Fourth of July celebration. Next time you see them, let them know how much you appreciate their efforts in continuing Minonk's traditional Fourth of July celebration.

Cathy McKay, Joe and Joyce Limbaugh, Mary and Robbie Rients, Marla and John Weber, Mike and Diane May, Billie McCormick, Sean and Christine Cunningham, Jason and Marisa Buchanan, Jack Klendworth, Russell and Lanna Ruestman, Scott and Sonja Ruestman, Bruce Tjaden, Dave Punzica, Bob Hartzler, Kim and Pat McGuane

Finally, I would like to thank the Minonk Businessmen's Association for putting on the "Western Days" celebration held downtown on June 15. It was entertaining and brought people out to congregate together in a festive environment. These events are good for the community spirit and I hope that similar events will continue to be held.