A really bad intersection was the north intersection of Route 116 and old Route 51 two miles south of Minonk. Cars heading west on Route 116 could not see the Route 51 intersection since it lay below the grade of the Illinois Central railroad tracks and was only about 100 feet beyond the railroad tracks. Cars would shoot across Route 51 unaware that there was a stop sign.

Before 1964 Route 51 went through Minonk. Traffic from the north had to encounter a hairpin turn a mile west of Minonk that went east and then south through Minonk. Many cars failed to negotiate that curve and many smashed into trees that were in the rest area immediately south of the curve. I remember when I was a kid I could hear cars screeching around that curve in the middle of the night.

The country roads around Minonk are also dangerous to navigate, especially in the summer when the corn is high. Most farmers trim the corn back at the corners to give oncoming traffic greater visibility. Still there have been many accidents in the country. I would guess that the accident rate per passenger mile on these country roads are much greater than that of the interstate highways.

Several accidents have occured when two cars that are both in the center of the road collide at the crest of a hill. It is very deceiving to drive in this part of the country because the land is flat but does have gentle dips and hills in the road. You can be driving down the road and be unaware that an approaching car may be a 1/4 of a mile away but is hidden by the little dip in the road.

Country roads are also dangerous because they are narrow and have no shoulders. If you go off the road you can lose control real quick. But the real reason that I feel the country roads are dangerous is because of the way people drive on them. I live on the southeast corner of an intersection in the country on a farm that is over 120 years old. When the fields are clear cars coming from the east will look to the south about a 1/4 mile before they get to the intersection to see if anyone is coming from the south. If they don't see a car they shoot across the intersection without even slowing down unaware that someone could be pulling out of the lane on the west side of my property and heading north to the intersection. My parents almost got hit by a car who pulled this stunt many years ago.

Clayton township put a four way stop sign at my intersection a few years ago to keep drivers from shooting across the intersection. They may as well have put up a Burma Shave sign. Cars routinely run the stop signs from both directions. Many cars don't even bother to slow down. It really burns me up that people can be so irresponsible. In fact, when the stop signs were put up someone told me that he no longer uses the road that goes by my house because he doesn't want to stop for the stop sign.

About ten years ago a young boy was killed about 3 miles west of my house by a neighbor who ran a stop sign. I don't want to see this happen at my corner. I know some of the people who run the stop sign at my corner. I wonder if they realize how fast their life could change someday if they continue this reckless driving. I do drive slightly above the speed limit but I never run stop signs. I don't understand the mindset of those who do.

Unfortunately, I don't see any resolution to the bad driving in the country. It is hard to change people's habits. All we can do is to encourage young people to adopt good driving habits. I urge everyone to drive with caution in the countryside. Especially, with the harvest season upon us as there will be farm machinery and grain trucks on the road. It is better to arrive late than to not arrive at all.

Back in school

The school system is the heartbeat of a small community like Minonk. Many social and athletic events involve the school system. We welcome school's return in the same manner as we welcome the return of the robin in the spring and the first snowfall. Its return is part of the tempo of life in our community.

It is especially heartwarming to know that Fieldcrest will field a marching band this year after an absence of several years. Here's hoping that the band program will regain its former excellence.