Logan County bustled with energy this weekend         

Organizers already preparing for next year's Route 66 Garage Sale

[June 11, 2007]  What a terrific weekend to be in Logan County. There was the three-day Atlanta Spring Festival with ample amounts of hot dogs, carnival rides, eats and musical entertainment. There was Broadwell's sesquicentennial celebration with state Sen. Larry Bomke and state Rep. Rich Brauer in attendance and Ernie Edwards' birthday tribute and a 50-pound birthday cake and many other activities.

Moderate temperatures and mild breezes undoubtedly helped make the weekend events and the first Route 66 Garage Sale a success.

Geoff Ladd of Abraham Lincoln Tourism of Logan County said, "This is a success story for participants, the families that held garage sales, area restaurants and businesses. Everyone, including the vendors, did well." Vendor surveys indicated they were happy.

There was an overall economic impact on the communities, Ladd said. McDonald's reported that business was substantially up.

While it was meant to be a fundraiser for Saving The Mill, the organizers are happy that it looks as though they may break even. It did bring attention to The Mill, Ladd said. Also, it was a good event to involve Lincoln and other communities in the county.

Possible changes for next year might be to start on Friday and tune it down on Sunday, Ladd said.

Mill update

The big stumbling block for restoration of The Mill has been removed. Finding a contractor for asbestos abatement at an affordable rate has been difficult, and the last one pulled out before the starting when he secured a better-paying job.

A like-business owner of the Arcade on Route 66 in Springfield came to the rescue. That business owner also owns Parkland Environmental Group and has just finished removing the asbestos from The Mill.

This clears the way for demolition of a portion of the building. That is about to start, Ladd said.

Helpful in The Mill's restoration progress has been the loan from the Regions Bank.

Ladd said that a variety of really nice postcards created by Classic Craft are available for purchase at the tourism office.

Also, as another fundraiser, Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire is doing a special pen-and-ink that will either be available as a postcard or poster.

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