 Route 66 experience hub at Postville ParkLadd presented
copy of one of many color panels that are being created for Route 66
locations in Logan County. One would serve as a directory for the
Route 66 Experience Hub to be located at Postville Park. The
completed panel is a "you are here" showing the entire state of
Illinois and Route 66 passing through it. (See
illustration.)
The panel will have photos and descriptions of points of interest
along the entire route through Illinois, with a large red arrow
indicating Lincoln as the "you are here" site.
Ladd said this is the first panel to be completed, and other
panels on the Experience Hub will be specific to Lincoln and Logan
County.
He noted the project is a little behind schedule, but he still
believes the hub will be ready for installation within the next two
months, just in time for warm weather.
Improvements made at the world's largest covered wagon
The world's largest covered wagon has a new, more durable cover
this year. Ladd said a new cover for the wagon had been purchased
and installed and that it is holding up nicely.
He noted the previous cover had been ripped apart by high winds,
but the new one is made of a more durable tarp-like material and has
stood up against the high winds this winter very well.
In addition, he noted there is now nighttime lighting on the
wagon.
He said this is a move to make the wagon something visitors will
want to see at night, and it will hopefully encourage those who want
to do that to stay over at a local motel.
He noted the wayside signage that went up at the wagon site last
year and says it looks very nice.
Ladd also noted that in polls taken among the businesses in the
vicinity of the wagon, it has been estimated the wagon gets an
average of 100 to 150 visits per day.
Route 66 Garage Sale to become a Lincoln-only townwide sale
For the past five years there has been a Route 66 Garage Sale
that included several communities along Route 66 in Logan County.
However, it appears this year the annual event will go to the
wayside with something new taking its place.
Ladd said in general, events such as this have a lifespan of
about five years, so the summertime event has run its course in
Logan County.
Instead, Ladd is proposing a Lincoln-only townwide garage sale.
He reminded the city the annual sale was never a tourism project,
but rather it was part of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation. Because
that organization is smaller, the larger sale was something they
really didn't have the manpower to pull off. He said trimming the
event down to Lincoln only would be much more manageable.
As he discussed this, Mayor Keith Snyder reminded Ladd there is
now electricity in Melrose Park as well as Postville Park. He said
there is no water at Melrose, but Tracy Jackson, the city street
department superintendent, added that water could be put into
Melrose with little problem.
Ladd said he did still want to use the parks, making them open
for organizations that want to hold fundraiser sales.
He said the townwide sales would be May 11 and 12.
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Route 66 Motor Tour returns for second year in a row
The statewide Route 66 Association last year had their annual
motor tour dinner in Lincoln. Ladd reported the group wants to once
again this year have their annual dinner at Lincoln College.
Snyder commented on this, saying last year he had attended the
dinner, and it had been a very enjoyable time he would recommend to
anyone. He said he enjoyed hearing about Route 66 from a group that
is so interested and involved in it.
Sports commission to hand out welcome bags at this weekend's
tournament
This weekend the Lincoln Junior High School will host a
basketball tournament that will bring in kids and their families
from all around the region.
Games for third- through eighth-grade teams will be played in a
wide variety of locations throughout Lincoln.
Ladd said this year the Logan County Sports Commission in
partnership with the tourism bureau will be on hand at the games,
handing out welcome bags from Lincoln and Logan County.
Ladd said he couldn't take any credit of this project as the one
behind it all was Kent Froebe, Lincoln Junior High principal and a
member of the sports commission.
The annual event draws hundreds of visitors to Lincoln as folks
come in from Athens, Metamora, Morton, Pekin, Peoria, Washington and
beyond.
To see bracket information for boys' and girls' teams and game
locations, visit
http://www.lincolnjhs.com/pages/
TournamentBrackets.html.
Ladd said plans are being made in Atlanta for four softball
tournaments this year, and another four are being planned at the
Lincoln Park District, which should also attract out-of-town
visitors.
Tourism board ready to approve master plan
The Logan County Board is expected to vote on and approve the
Logan County Master Plan this week.
Ladd said if they do so, that will open the door for the tourism
board to also vote their approval of the plan at their meeting on
Feb. 28.
Tourism to celebrate 25 years
The tourism bureau has been an active part of Lincoln and Logan
County for 25 years this April. Ladd said this year the annual
tourism breakfast will take place at the American Legion on the
bureau's anniversary date, April 20.
Railsplitters sponsor an old-fashioned barn dance
Finally, Ladd said he wanted to encourage everyone to come out to
the park district center on Primm Road this weekend and enjoy an
old-fashioned barn dance sponsored by the Logan Railsplitting
Association.
Admission fees to the dance will go to support the association as
they plan for their annual festival in September.
[By NILA SMITH]
Past related article
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