SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
COMMUNITY LEADERS
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The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) is published daily for $178 per year at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. The Southern Illinoisan is owned by Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa.
Supporting our own, welcoming those who are new BY KEVIN D. FROST FOR THE SOUTHERN
The Herrin Chamber of Commerce has been dedicated to the economic growth of the Herrin area for decades. Attracting new business and industry to the Herrin area has been and will continue to be our primary mission. However, as our world changes, it is time to broaden our mission to further serve our existing members. Our Economic Development Committee does an exceptional job of bringing new business to our community. The Chamber will continue to work diligently to bring new businesses to the Herrin area. 17 new businesses have joined our community within the last 12 months and more ribbon cuttings are planned on new businesses every week. While economic development in our area is as important as ever, in these difficult economic times it has become equally important to maintain and support the businesses that are already a part of our community. Moving forward through 2011 the Chamber is expanding its member benefits to include additional assistance for its membership. With a greater
• Bob Williams , publisher bob.williams@ thesouthern.com
• To subscribe: Call 618-351-5000 from Carbondale, Murphysboro and DeSoto; 618-997-3356, option 2 from Williamson County; or 800-228-0429, option 2, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• To place a display ad: Call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 618-529-5454, option 6; from Williamson County, 618-997-3356; or toll free: 800-228-0429, option 6.
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emphasis on the support of and the promotion of our existing businesses, we can further expand the economic opportunities in the Herrin area. With greater networking opportunities, more experienced members may be able to offer guidance and encouragement to newer members on some of the pitfalls and opportunities of small business ownership. Newer members may offer advice to energize the more senior members in the areas of marketing and social networking. Currently, Chamber members enjoy regular luncheon meetings where such exchanges are possible. We intend to foster this forum of business leaders coming together for the betterment of our community as a whole. Our goal is to make Chamber membership essential for any successful business in Herrin and the surrounding area. Additionally, members enjoy a regular newsletter, discounted advertisement options and access to other members. One of our member businesses is recognized each week as our “Spotlight” business of the week. Chamber members also receive regular email updates about what is happening within the Chamber
and around the community. Friday Friendly Reminders update members via e-mail on everything from the Herrin High School football game to the latest fundraiser happening in the area, thus making the Chamber a “hub” around which community activities STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN occur. Kevin Frost has always been highly active in We are committed to community support in Herrin. the growth and prosperity of Herrin, uniqueness of our community not only economically, but also its while recognizing the general well-being and responsibility Festa has to be a community spirit. We are looking good neighbor. to expand our Healthy Herrin The city of Herrin has suffered program, which will set Herrin through a number of challenges in apart as an example of a recent years. It is a testament to community working together to our resilience that USA Today has promote a healthy lifestyle. recognized Herrin for its response The Herrin Chamber will to these challenges. We live in a continue to partner with different world today than we did HerrinFesta Italiana to showcase even a few short years ago. The our community and celebrate our Herrin Chamber of Commerce is heritage. Few communities can adapting to those challenges and boast of a community festival leading the way as Herrin adapts organized and run by hundreds of and thrives in this new volunteers that has achieved the environment. success and recognition of HerrinFesta Italiana. The KEVIN FROST is the incoming Chamber will continue to use president of the Herrin Chamber of Festa to demonstrate the Commerce.
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
Herrin: A town that ‘won’t quit’ — and for good reason BY LIZ LIVELY FOR THE SOUTHERN
After our recent article in the USA Today, “After plant’s closure, town takes care of itself,” people throughout the country learned about our beautiful city and its “Won’t quit” attitude. People outside of Herrin began to find out what it means to Lively be a Herrinite. People learned we have pride, we don’t give up, we support each other, and we do whatever it takes to take care of our own. We realized that our business community was much like our citizens. While many of our neighbors have empty storefronts in their towns, Herrin has continued to have a vibrant downtown with vendors, service providers and offices occupying buildings all the way up and down Park Avenue into and through Energy to Illinois 13. Through the hard work of Herrin business owners and leaders, we have remained a vital community. At times, people may wonder, what makes a Herrin business, a Herrin business? The answers can be found when you do business in our beautiful city. One characteristic that creates a Herrin business is quality. When doing business with John Helleny of Helleny Furniture, you know you are purchasing a piece of quality furniture from people who will still be in business when you are ready for your next piece. When your Grandfather clock needs service, you know Gary Will from Gary’s Clock Shop
will come to your house and tend to your clock with the quality workmanship you can expect from a Herrin business. The next characteristic that makes a Herrin business a Herrin business is exceptional customer service. When you visit Louie’s P&R for your favorite lunch meat sandwich or your steaks for the night, chances are, Tony Gualdoni knows your name and makes you feel right at home. He takes the time to listen to just how you like your steaks cut. While you are there, you might find yourself in a conversation about the Herrin Tigers football game or about the upcoming basketball season. Either way, you leave with a smile on your face because you have just received exceptional customer service. A third characteristic that makes a Herrin business a Herrin business is the ability to work with other people and businesses to make great things happen. HerrinFesta Italiana is a perfect example of the amazing things that happen when Herrin businesses and people work together. The collaboration between the Herrin School District and our local community colleges and Southern Illinois University are examples of the connections in our community that are made through the hard work of Herrinites and our businesses. The Herrin Chamber of Commerce encourages people from inside and outside our region to visit us and have the experience of what makes Herrin, Herrin. LIZ LIVELY is executive director of the Herrin Chamber of Commerce.
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
The Brewer Foundation does a lot of work for children and adults in need.
A ‘Foundation’ for education: Brewer legacy helps students in need BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
Herrin and Marion high school students who want to attend college but fret about financial handicaps to do so, have a friend in downtown Herrin. It’s the Robert N. Brewer Family Foundation, which is in an American Institute of Architects award-winning building at the corner of Park Avenue and Cherry Street next to the railroad tracks. “This has been a fun journey, and the best part is that it still continues,” said Marie DeLaney, foundation secretary and treasurer. The foundation was established in 2001 upon the death of Robert Brewer, a 1942 graduate of Herrin Township High School, who in 1968, founded America’s Best Inn and, ultimately, built a chain of motels and suite properties. He also established the Brewer Management and Construction Company. His last business venture before beginning the foundation was launching Encore Development Company that provided housing for seniors in independent living
communities. DeLaney who began working for Brewer in 1980, said he was thorough up to the end of his life, making plans for the foundation. Today, his son, R. Denver Brewer, is foundation president. “While he (Robert Brewer) was unable to attend college, he was committed to assisting young people who, like him, find it necessary to work during high school and college. He sincerely wanted to give a helping hand, but not a handout,” DeLaney said. Since the foundation’s beginning in 2001 shortly after Brewer’s death, 389 students from Herrin and Marion high schools have received nearly $3.2 million dollars in scholarship money at $4,000 per year. Student numbers are divided almost evenly with 181 students coming from Herrin High and 208 from Marion High. Selection boards composed of three members including Laney review applications each year and base their selections on criteria centering on the potential scholar recipient’s desire for more education. That is accomplished by looking beyond grades —
students must have a cumulative C or better — and looking at class attendance records and conducting interviews. Students showing interest to attend technical/trade schools are selected also for scholarships, DeLaney said. The responses from students who have graduated and are commemorated with an 8-by-10, self-portrait photograph that line the hallways of the foundation’s building are phenomenal. “I follow up on them. We try to get continuing correspondence,” DeLaney said. Students are invited to drop in at the foundation like a second home. Many do. And the foundation hosts a huge kid’s Christmas party every holiday season. “There is such a magnitude of people who have been touched by this scholarship program. It’s an incredible experience to answer a phone call from one of them or answer the front door to see them standing there,” DeLaney said. scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 3
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
When it comes to volunteers, Peter Bondioli and Kevin Frost say ‘Can do!’ BY D.W. NORRIS THE SOUTHERN
There’s something special about Herrin. Volunteering is the spirit of the town, and Peter Bondioli and Kevin Frost are examples of why things get done in Herrin. Whether it is fundraising efforts for Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s grade school or working to secure the town one of the top bocce facilities in the Midwest, Bondioli and Frost are two in a large group of residents working to make this town of almost 12,000 a better place to live. A sense of responsibility is the lifeblood which courses through Herrin, and it starts early in life. Frost and his sister, Sara Bondioli, are past winners of Herrin the Herrin Chamber of Commerce’s Young Citizen of the Year award. “I think, when you grow up in a community like Herrin, you recognize at a fairly young age that it’s just understood that part of what you do is give back to the community,” Frost said. “And, most of the people I know who grew up and stayed around the community do that to some capacity, so I don’t know that Dad or I are particularly unique in that; it’s just the way Herrin is.” Bondioli and Frost ticked off several names of fellow citizens who have been or are essential to helping Herrin improve. “The first name that comes to my mind is certainly (the late) Robert Ferrari,” Bondioli said. “But gosh, there are so many names.” “I was going to say, I can think of a bunch,” Frost said. “(The late) P.J. Cerniglia.” “Actually, I thought of P.J.’s name,” Bondioli said. “There
was a gentleman that’s deceased now, Eugene Moroni. He was the guy at the first Herrinfesta that decided there had to be bocce. ... (The late) Ed Quaglia, former mayor, he had a very good vision for what Herrin could be, I think. Ed Goodwin, at the Bank of Herrin. Ed and Bob Ferrari would get in the car and drive around Herrin and they’d identify projects that needed to be done. And then, Ed Goodwin would go and talk to Julia Bruce, at the Harrison Bruce Foundation, and they’d decide what they were going to do and they would put it into action. That’s how the coal miner’s memorial got started. … They made things happen. … Richard Pisoni does so many things for people and businesses in this community and wants nothing in return. It’s just person after person. … The Zwick family. … It becomes a tradition, really.” Bondioli attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, now Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as a youth. He lived in Carbondale while attending Southern Illinois University, earning a degree in 1972, and for a few years after graduating. Bondioli lived in Marion until about 1981, at which point he returned to Herrin. “What brought me back to Herrin was the Catholic grade school because when Kevin’s mother (Mary) and I got married, it was very important that Kevin went to school there,” Bondioli said. “That was really what brought us, from a residential standpoint, back to the community. About 10 years later, I brought the business back because it made sense to be here, to have my office in Herrin, rather than elsewhere, because it gave me the
Page 4 Thursday, October 28, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Kevin Frost (left) and Peter Bondioli have always been highly active in community support in Herrin. The two were responsible for helping create the Herrin Bocce Club, which helped raise the money to build the HerrinFesta Italiana Bocce Complex.
opportunity to tend to different family needs, parents and stuff that were eventually going to need help, and they did. I’ve just been very happy being in downtown Herrin.” The Bondioli family’s connection to the school has paid dividends for both. The school is also a source of community pride, and folks in Herrin have generously donated to it.
“One of the things I was particularly proud of, and I want to stress I was part of a group that, in 1985, started forming a foundation for the Catholic grade school,” Bondioli said. “We actually got that formed in 1986, and I probably spent about 15 years as president of that foundation before it was time to go.” Bondioli has served on the Herrin Chamber of Commerce
as a board member and past president. Frost will be the Chamber’s president in 2011 and was a past president of the John A. Logan College Foundation. Bondioli and Frost are members of the Herrin Bocce Club, the non-profit organization which runs the city’s acclaimed bocce courts. The complex is used for many charitable events and has helped groups raise more than $100,000. “My dad had the vision of what that place could become and he was able to impart that on a number of people who thought enough of it to donate some fairly large amounts of money to maintain it as the finest bocce facility in the Midwest,” Frost said of Bondioli. Herrin’s citizens also donate countless hours to the Herrin Hospital, Bondioli said. And, of course, there is Herrinfesta Italiana, one of the largest events in Southern Illinois. “There’s not many communities that could put together a volunteer organization big enough and dedicated enough to put together a five-day community festival the way Herrin does with Herrinfesta Italiana with nearly all volunteer labor,” Frost said. Whether its providing at-risk youth a place to learn job skills or simply giving time to numerous charitable and civic causes, the citizens of Herrin, like Bondioli and Frost, are dedicated to making their town a better place. “One of the things that’s unique about Herrin is, if there’s a job that needs to be done, somebody just seems to step up and do it,” Frost said.
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ATTRACTIONS
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
Herrin Bowl Where strikes are a very good thing BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Herrin Bowl is alcohol-free, making it very family-friendly.
Herrin Bowl is a family affair, literally, as it has served as a foundation stone for the Tim LaBotte family and today is one of few public sites where parents can feel comfortable if their children patronize the business. “We try to run a clean and healthy operation. When people come in here, they will see a family member behind the counter. I try to do most of my business here in town with the small entrepreneurial spirit,”
said Tim LaBotte who began bowling here as kid in 1972. LaBotte met his wife-to-be, Crystal, at Herrin Bowl and eventually proposed to her within its confines. One of their granddaughters took her first steps in Herrin Bowl. A couple got wedded in the bowling alley. The preacher who united their vows was a Herrin Bowl regular, LaBotte said. It’s not unusual to see parents drop their kids off at Herrin Bowl and leave them for the afternoon. “We’ve gained the trust of the community. Our customers are
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also our friends. It’s more iconic for us as family. It’s more iconic for Herrin that we have been here for so long,” LaBotte said. The longtime icon nearly ceased in August 2002 when Herrin Bowl was totally decimated in an accidental fire during an expansion phase.
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN Local bowlers mourned its loss. The LaBottes who purchased the business in 1998 were able to collect enough insurance and restructure its loan with a gracious Bank of Herrin to rebuild the alley in the original location and open it exactly a year to the day fire destroyed it. The new alley with 16 lanes is about 1,600 square feet larger than its predecessor and offers a large game room. The original vertical neon sign still greets motorists off Illinois 148. Another challenge the LaBottes have successfully overcome is keeping a steady business in a day and age when most families and young people have a plethora of entertainment options at home. “That has been a difficult thing with being in the videogame age and of course the financial aspect of a dwindling economy,” LaBotte said. But, Herrin Bowl has offered several incentives to attract people including bowling leagues. Go to Herrin Bowl on Saturday afternoon and one will see a packed house with bowlers of all ages competing in league play, LaBotte said. Another huge positive impact that has kept younger people coming through the door is Herrin High School offering bowling as a varsity sport, LaBotte said. “What’s great about bowling is you don’t need to be 7 foot 12 inches tall and weigh 300 pounds. Anyone can have fun doing it, and it’s great exercise,” LaBotte said. scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
Coming up
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Herrin all-state bowler Kristy Gualdoni practices at Herrin Bowl.
Fish fry: 4-6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, Herrin United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 300 S. 17th St. Meal with drink and dessert; carry outs available. Tix: $7 adults; $4 children. Flu shots: 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Nov. 6, Logan Primary Services, Herrin. Addus HealthCare will provide flu shots. $25. 618-997-6565. Flu shots: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 20, Logan Primary Services, Herrin. Addus HealthCare will provide flu shots. $25. 618-997-6565. The Haunting of Chittyville School: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 28 and 31; 7-11 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30; Chittyville Road, Herrin; adults, $12; children, 10 and under, $8; not recommended for under 10; 618-988-9131. Barbershop Harmony Show: By the Little Egypt Chorus, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday Oct. 30, Herrin Civic Center; songs by the chorus and The Pitch Catchers, Touch Of Old and Classic Intervals;$10-$15; 618-833-3228. or www.harmonize.com/littleegyptchorus/ 10show.html.
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The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 7
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
HerrinFesta Italiana is one of the city’s most important events BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
It takes a lot of effort from volunteers and HerrinFesta Italiana officials to market the weeklong festival entering its 21st year. “We market a little differently than a lot of events,” said Jim Gentile, festival executive director Jim Gentile. “At one time, we marketed the entertainers, and Gentile that was it. Now, in addition to the entertainment, we market ourselves. We want to bring as much attention to Southern Illinois as possible.” Gentile said HerrinFesta gets corporate sponsors to
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Paxton Griffith of West Frankfort and his partner Abbi Mayfield react to winning the Class A category at the 7th Annual HerrinFesta Italiana Talent Contest on May 26 at the Herrin Civic Center.
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THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Savannah Burton laughs while she and her fellow ‘Grape Stompers’, Jessica Perkins (right) and Jessica Moore, mash grapes with their feet to squeeze out as much juice as they can in 90 seconds during the annual grape stomp at the 2005 HerrinFesta Italiana.
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN help in its marketing effort each year. In addition to donating money to help pay overhead for particular events, sponsors join also in the marketing efforts. One corporate sponsor volunteered to pay for and put up large posters advertising HerrinFesta at strategic locations in 2010. In addition to keeping its strong ties with local media, the marketing effort extends to St. Louis, Chicago, Evansville and Cape Girardeau. “We’re really out there,” Gentile said. “We go out personally and visit with each of these outlets. I do a lot of one-on-one visits. We’re sponsor driven. We have three dozen events, and most of those events do not make money.” What has aided in the marketing effort is some of the events taking on a life of their own with more popularity and interest each year. One of those is the annual beauty pageant, which unofficially kicks off the festival, Gentile said. “Our events over the years, such as the beauty pageant and talent contests held early in the week, have become larger with more participants and audience members than we’ve ever imagined,” Gentile said. What has greatly aided in getting the word out about HerrinFesta and getting more visitors here is computer technology. The availability of online ticket purchases over the festival website for the first time in 2010 helped boost ticket sales for the entertainment shows featuring Nashville star Luke Bryan and the renowned 38 Special. “I feel like this feature enhanced people’s ability
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Aaron Steele, 14, of Herrin looks up as he tries to finish his plate of pasta during the pasta eating contest.
to purchase tickets,” said Cris Trapani, HerrinFesta Committee president. Some marketing surveys shows that people, particularly young people show a tendency to purchase entertainment and similar events in advance and pay with a credit card, Trapani said. “We knew we were headed in the right direction when we looked at the first tickets purchased online, and it was from a couple in Springfield,” Trapani said. Another method of selling tickets in advance utilized for the first time was discounted prices when buying tickets at one of the corporate sponsor outlets. Trapani said the method was successfully utilized with Black Diamond HarleyDavidson of Marion whose founders, Rodney Cabaness and Shad Zimbro were the festival’s corporate honorees this year. The HerrinFesta website is getting 3
HERRINFESTA 2011 HerrinFesta Italiana will be May 23-30 in downtown Herrin. Live outdoor entertainment events begin Thursday, 5-10 p.m. and Friday 5-11:30 p.m. Weekend hours are from noon to 11:30 p.m. Monday Memorial Day hours are from noon to 9 p.m. For more information, go to www.herrinfesta.com or call the Herrin Chamber of Com-merce at 618-942-5163.
million hits annually. There are about 3,000 Facebook friends linked to HerrinFesta. “We’re getting really good response from these avenues,” Gentile said. HerrinFesta organizers and volunteers are working on adding a new event this year — a bags tournament, where participants toss sacks of corn, Gentile said. scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
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The doughboy statue along North Park Avenue in Herrin stands as a tribute to those that fought in World War I.
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
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Spc. Jacob Martin (left) and PFC Garrett Lukens of the Marion National Guard unit raise a flag during ceremonies for an open house at the Herrin Civic Center.
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The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 11
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
PREP SPORTS
1
2
Herrin High athletics has resurgence of success BY JOHN D. HOMAN FOR THE SOUTHERN
In the 1950s and for years thereafter, Herrin was known as a basketball town as the Tigers captured five regional championships and the school’s only state title (1957) during the decade. The 1957 team, led by Earl Lee, was loaded with talent, including All-American John Tidwell, who went on to star at Michigan. There were other standouts, as well, including Ivan Jefferson, Gene Turni, Willie Williams and Richard Box. The Tigers defeated Collinsville in the finale and were escorted with a caravan of cars from Champaign to Herrin. Residents throughout Southern Illinois, who listened to the game on the radio, stood outside their homes and cheered madly as the motorcade passed through their communities. It was a simpler time back then. Athletes were revered. Half the town would turn out for a game on Friday night. Going to watch a basketball game then was an event. As basketball’s popularity began to wane in the late sixties, a young, energetic exHerrin alum
jumpstarted the school’s football program. Paul Restivo, with the backing of athletic director Dick Henley, came up with the necessary capital to lure new assistant coaches (Chuck Koerner and Bruce Jilek), purchase new equipment and uniforms and applied a fresh coat of paint where needed to reshape attitudes. That strategy, combined with some amazing young talent, resulted in an abundance of success on the gridiron. The Tigers would eventually roll up a 27game win streak (‘71 through ‘73) with Restivo at the helm and Rodney Jones and Chuck Foster carrying the pigskin as the Orange and Black collected three consecutive South Seven Conference championships. At that time, there was no playoff system in effect, but Herrin was consistently ranked No. 1 in Southern Illinois and among the top 20 teams in the state regardless of enrollment. The Tigers weren’t too shabby on the hardwood either as Gary Rafe, Bill Green, Mike Newbold, Joe Hosman and Randy Lively put together the school’s only unbeaten
record within the South Seven Conference (‘72-’73). Longtime Herrin sports broadcaster Mike Murphy, who also played on those early 1970s Herrin teams, said what made that era special was a winning persona that emanated from the elementary schools and carried over to the junior high and high school. “You can credit a lot of that success in basketball to Mike Sortal. He was a taskmaster of fundamentals at the junior high. We knew how to play the game by the time we got to high school,” Murphy said. “And we expected to win in football, too. And that’s a credit to Paul Restivo, Bruce Jilek and Chuk Koerner. In more recent years, I thoroughly enjoyed calling the 2002 state championship game in basketball and then the semifinals in football in 2004 when Herrin lost to Lombard Montini. Those were talented teams.” Murphy said what shouldn’t be dismissed is improved facilities. “From the new Harrison-Bruce Sports Complex to a renovated basketball gym, there has been a wonderful resurgence in support of athletics. Those are
Page 12 Thursday, October 28, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
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ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERN AND THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTOS
1. Abby Horn of Herrin avoids Meredith Brown of Carterville during Herrin's 40-32 championship win at the Class 2A Regional Girls Basketball Tournament on Feb. 11 in Murphysboro. 2. DeMarlo Harris of Herrin yells after sacking Marion quarterback Brett Bradley Friday, Oct. 22 in Herrin. 3. Troy Stuckey carries the ball for Herrin during a game with Marion Friday, Oct. 22 in Herrin. 4. Marshall Anderson of Herrin anchors the first place 4x100 relay team Monday, April 5 at the Herrin Invitational. 5. Carterville's Samuel Dalton tries to get the ball away while being defended by Herrin's Bobby Mannie (right) and DeMarlo Harris during the Tigers' win over the Lions on Tuesday, Feb. 2 in Carterville.
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN Turning out for heroes: The 1957 basketball team
HHS STATE CHAMPIONS
ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERN
1957 boys’ basketball team 2007 boys’ track team 2008 boys’ track team 2010 boys’ track team All-Americans John Tidwell, boys’ basketball (‘57) Eric Thompson, boys’ track (‘07) Zach Riley, boys’ track (‘10) All-Time Leading Scorers in Basketball Heather Elders (1,810) 1999-2003 Gene Turni (1,656) 19571960
Antuan Davis (6) and Zeb Williams come off the field during the Oct. 22 game with Marion.
two of the finest high school facilities in all of Southern Illinois. Any player would be excited and proud to call that home and I am proud to broadcast the games there.” In the 1980s, girls’ sports came of age at the prep level in Illinois and nobody in the region played softball any better than Herrin. Under Jilek, Herrin ran the table that decade, claiming 10 conference and regional titles, five sectional titles and five state tournament appearances. Jilek would go on to win over 500 games for the Tigers before retiring as teacher and moving on to John A. Logan College, where he continues to coach softball today at the age of 74. Softball continued to rule the roost in Herrin in the 1990s with only sporadic success on the boys’ side. But in 2002, the basketball team, under the direction of Mike Mooneyham, advanced to the state title game before
dropping a nail-biter to Pleasant Plains. Mike Gavic, Brian Algee and Brad Walker drove that team to heights not seen since the 1950s. Meanwhile, the football team had a nice run of success under head coach John Helmick. Led by arguably the school’s best all-around football player ever in Kyle Walker, the Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the Class 4A playoffs in 2004. A couple of years later, something special was brewing in track and field. Never known as a power in the spring sport, Herrin ascended to the top of the heap under head coach Chad Lakatos with a firstplace finish at State in both 2007 and 2008 as led by All-American high jumper Eric Thompson and Tommy Taylor. Lakatos then accepted a job to coach in Edwardsville and Rob Long picked up where his predecessor left off, guiding the Tigers to another state title this past spring with help from AllAmerican high jumper
Zach Riley. There have been myriad other successes in athletics at Herrin in recent years. The wrestling team, led by Kelsey Lewis, competed at state in both 2007 and 2010 and look to repeat that feat again this year. The boys’ bowling team under Mark May has made five appearances at the state meet with sectional championships in both 2006 and 2009. The girls’ bowling team made state appearances in both 2006 and 2008. The girls’ basketball team, coached previously by Newbold, notched the most wins in school history last winter with 29. Moreover, during a fiveyear time period, the Tigers won a stunning 204 games with three conference titles and four regional titles. The volleyball team won a sectional championship in 2007 and six regional titles in the last decade. Coach Keith Warren’s baseball squad has had its share of success, too, with an Elite 8 finish in 2009
and four regional titles in the last six years. Not to be overlooked is the dance team, now counted as an IHSA sport. The Tigerettes qualified for state five times in the last seven years and the Flag Team, now known as Silks, won the state championship this past spring. “I am very proud of our overall achievement in athletics the last few years, both on the male and female side,” said Mooneyham, now the school’s athletic director. “We have made great strides. I feel that no matter what the sport, coaches have the responsibility of raising their program to a competitive level. And we have seen that here at Herrin.” Mooneyham said success breeds success. And the Tigers have enjoyed more than their share of outstanding athletes. “It also takes great facilities and great support from the administration to be a winner and we definitely have that.”
BY LES WINKELER THE SOUTHERN
Welcoming home a state championship team with a parade through town is a time-honored tradition in Southern Illinois, a tradition that undoubtedly began in 1918 when Centralia High School became the first local team to win the state championship. Herrin fans turned out in droves for a citywide celebration when their beloved Tigers claimed the state basketball championship in 1957. “I went halfway to Zeigler to meet them coming in,” said Virgil Lukens, a lifelong Herrin resident. “They had a long line of people coming in. They went to the gym with the fire trucks. “Everybody was going crazy because we beat Collinsville. That was about like beating Marion.” The victory celebration had fans lining the roads into Herrin, the streets of the town and the gymnasium itself. “They had a line of cars, it seemed to me it was from Johnston City to Herrin,” said Paul Restivo, who played on the 1952-53 team. “I remember the team coming into town on fire trucks on the Old Johnston City Road. The mood in the community was togetherness. All the businesses and everyone were out celebrating that championship. It was a boost to the community, knowing the team was the best.” The Tigers finished 31-2 that season. The starting lineup included John Tidwell, Richard Box, Ivan
Jefferson, Jim Gualdoni and Willie Williams. Reserves were Kenneth Finney, Steve Heard, John Hendricks, Bart Lindsey and Jerry Miller. Tidwell was team’s leading scorer in the state tournament, averaging 17.5 points per game. Box, Jefferson and Gualdoni all averaged in double figures during the tournament. Herrin basketball had been building momentum for several years prior to the championship run. “That was by far the pinnacle of athletics in Herrin,” said Mike Sortal, longtime junior high coach. “Prior to 1957, Herrin was on a roll anyway. Itchy Jones and his gang had already graduated. The enthusiasm for basketball began when Itchy was a freshman, about 1952. That was the beginning of the days when the gym was packed for every game.” The championship united that community like nothing had previously, or since that time. “Everybody kind of had their chest stuck out a little bit,” Lukens said. “It’s just one of those things that you just seldom have a chance to experience.” “Those were great days,” Sortal said. “I just think about the enthusiasm. I would say it lasted quite a while. I’d say for several weeks, maybe for a couple more years really.” Restivo agreed with Sortal that the championship was the pinnacle of athletic success in Herrin. — Story originally published in The Southern Illinoisan. les.winkeler@thesouthern.com 618-351-5088
The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 13
NOTABLES
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN Herrin’s ‘Itchy’ Jones was a standout player and coach BY JOHN D. HOMAN FOR THE SOUTHERN
Going on 73 years old, Richard “Itchy” Jones is the picture of health. He could easily pass for a man 10 to 15 years his junior as he runs more than two miles each day and has kept his weight at a microscopic 156. Retired now for five years as baseball coach at University of Illinois and living in Champaign with his wife, Sue, Jones now lets his competitive juices flow on the golf course rather than the ball diamond. One of the most decorated baseball SIU MEDIA SERVICES coaches in NCAA history, Herrin’s Itchy Jones served as head coach for Jones ranks 13th on the NCAA Division I wins list the baseball Salukis from 1970 to 1990.
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with a 1,240-752-6 record. Jones led the Illini to a Big Ten Conference championship in 2005 — his 39th and last year as coach. He was rewarded with his second Big Ten Coach of the Year award after the season. His best season with the Illini came in 1998, when they had a record of 42-21 and won the first, regularseason Big Ten championship for Illinois in 35 years. The Illini were selected to the NCAA Tournament that season, where they fell to topseeded Florida in the South Regional title game, two outs short of qualifying for the school’s first College World Series. Southern Illinoisans are much more familiar with Jones’ body of work at SIUC. In 21 seasons with the Dawgs, he compiled a stunning 738-345-5 record or .681 win percentage. That included 10 NCAA tournament appearances and three trips to the College World Series. In 1971, his second year with the program, he led the Salukis to within one game of the national championship, finishing second. SIU placed third both in 1974 and 1977. In his last season as a Saluki (1990), Jones led the Dawgs to a 49-14 record and sixth Missouri Valley Conference championship in 14 seasons and advanced to the NCAA Regional as the No. 2 seed. SIU lost in the regional title match. Jones was also quite an athlete himself in his younger days. He was SIU’s baseball MVP as a freshman in 1957 and earned All-Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference honors three times as a middle infielder. He was a good enough college player to be drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and played in their minor league system. Before that, he was a standout performer at Herrin High School. Ironically, Jones was more known for his basketball prowess at Herrin. “I was playing on the sophomore team as a freshman and remember head coach Lee Cabutti calling me into his office. I didn’t think I had been playing all that well and thought he was going to send me back down to the freshman team. Instead, he said he wanted me to run the point for the varsity,” Jones said. “That was a big surprise. My dad (‘Jiggs’), who was a custodian at the junior high, was introduced to Coach Cabutti by my junior high coach, Mike Sortal. My dad told Coach Cabutti to put me back on the freshman team where I belonged. I’ll never forget that.” Jones was such a talented ballhandler for the Tigers that his number was later retired. “I enjoyed all four years I played. We had some really good teams,” Jones said. “Of course, the game that stands out the most in my mind was my senior year in 1956 when we played Pinckneyville in the super-sectional. John Tidwell made two free throws for us with no time on the clock to force an overtime, but we lost in double overtime.” The next year (’57), Herrin would go on to win the state championship. And Jones would go on
to play both basketball and baseball at SIUC. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1961 and master’s in ’65. He began his coaching career as the assistant basketball coach at Jacksonville High School in ’61 and took over as baseball coach five years later in ’66. He returned to Carbondale in ’68 as an assistant to Saluki coach Joe Lutz and was named coach when Lutz left in ’70. Jones said he feels privileged to have enjoyed a long and successful career in baseball. He attributes much of that success to the parenting provided by his mother (Rosine) and father, as well as the mentoring he received from his junior high and high school coaches. “My days growing up in Herrin were the prime days of my life,” he said. “Because of the way I was brought up, I have always done my best to leave a positive impression with people.” Jones has also had to deal with adversity. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. Fortunately, he suffers no ill effects of the disease today. “It can happen to men, too. I advise all men to get checked if they have any concerns whatsoever.” The Joneses have two grown children, Michael and Susan. Michael works in finance with UPS, while Susan is a federal marshal. They also have two grandsons, Richard Caleb and Micah Joseph. — Some information for this article was retrieved from the University of Illinois Fighting Illini website.
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
Herrin still scores high with top college basketball coach Steve Fisher BY JOHN D. HOMAN FOR THE SOUTHERN
Steve Fisher has many reasons to thank Bill Frieder. It was Frieder who gave Fisher, a Herrin native, the opportunity to work with him as assistant basketball coach at Michigan in the early 1980s. And it was Frieder, whose decision to accept a coaching job at Arizona State before Michigan’s 1989 season concluded, put Fisher in the right place at the right time for then-athletic director Bo Schembechler. Schembechler declared he wanted a Michigan man to coach the Wolverines the rest of that season and that
Frieder was no longer that man. That’s when the revered ex-football coach turned to Fisher and asked him if he could coach the team. Fisher said he could. And the rest, as they say, is history. Fisher went on to lead the Wolverines to a national championship that spring with a little help — OK, a lot of help — from Glen Rice. A week after the title game, Schembechler removed the interim head coaching tag from Fisher and made him the school’s permanent head coach. Two years later, armed with one of the most impressive freshman classes ever in Chris
Webber, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King and Juwan Howard, Michigan and its “Fab Five” made it back to the championship game, this time losing to North Carolina. Fisher eventually lost his job at Michigan but landed on his feet, spending one year as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings of the NBA before his selection as head coach at San Diego State University. “I’m now in my 12th year here,” Fisher said. “We won 25 games last season and went 16-1 at home. We won a schoolrecord 26 games the year before, are picked to win the conference and figure to be ranked in the Top 25 in the
preseason this year.” Basketball is definitely back on the map at the university. “I couldn’t have walked into a better situation when I came here in March of 1999,” Fisher said. “We hadn’t had a winning season in 20 years and were drawing about 1,000 a game. There was nowhere to go but up. Now, look where we’re at. We’re averaging more than 9,000 fans a game now. The community has really embraced us.” At 65, Fisher says he maintains a zest for coaching. “If you can bring enthusiasm and passion to your job, you have a better chance at success
and a lengthy career,” he said. “What’s not to like about San Diego State? We are the second-most applied to school in the country, and San Diego has consistently been voted as America’s finest city.” Fisher may have become a famous college basketball coach, but he has never forgotten his Herrin roots. “I have nothing but fond memories of my time growing up in Herrin,” he said. “I remember going to the state tournament in 1957 as a kid to watch the Tigers play in Champaign. And when we won, I was like a kid in a candy store. I remember those Herrin players
cutting down the nets after they won the championship.” Fisher learned how to play the game from his father, Howard, who coached the Saint Mary’s Catholic School team in Herrin. But when he reached junior high age, his father pulled him out of the parochial school and shipped him to South Side Junior High to play for the master in Mike Sortal. “Coach Sortal had such a big impact on me. He and my dad became the best of friends. Coach Sortal was such an innovator. He was definitely ahead of his time.” When Fisher reached high school, he had yet
Herrin City Officials Marlene Simpson City Clerk
Victor M. Ritter, Mayor
Mark Brown City Treasurer
Elizabeth Issler Ernie Gwaltney Aldermen Ward 1
Marilyn Orso Aldermen Ward 3
Deon McGuire Robert Craig Aldermen Ward 2
Bill Sizemore Marilyn Ruppel Aldermen Ward 4
Stu Ridings Police Chief
Tom Somers Public Works Director
Mike Cerutti Codes Inspector
300 N. Park Ave., Herrin, IL 62948 942-6 6166 • Fax: 942-2 2296
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Herrin native Steve Fisher coaches the San Diego State Aztecs against UNLV Feb. 13. The Aztecs beat the Runnin' Rebels to claim the Mountain West title.
another outstanding coach to learn from in Glen Whittenberg. “I remember that our sophomore team went undefeated and that I hurt my knee my senior year and missed half the season. We made it to the Supersectional that year (1962-63 season) and lost to Metropolis on a controversial call. We were so close to going to Champaign and being one of the first teams to ever play in their new gym – Assembly Hall. “What was amazing was who we beat to the get to the Supersectional. We beat a great Benton team coached by Rich Herrin and an even better Belleville West team.” Upon graduation, Fisher attended Illinois
State University. He first played on the freshman team and only started two games with the varsity as a junior. “Our crowning achievement was making it to the Final Four in Division II my senior year,” he said. “We beat North Dakota State led by Phil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers head coach) and then ironically beat San Diego State before losing to Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) and Kentucky Wesleyan.” Steve and his wife, Angie, have two grown sons. Mark is on the San Diego State staff as an assistant coach. Jay recently graduated from USC film school. Fisher said he stays in
contact with his brothers — John and George — in Herrin. They also have a sister, Maria, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “I get back home way too infrequently,” Fisher said. “George does a good job of keeping me abreast of what all Herrin is doing in sports, and I cheer proudly. The couple times a year I do make it back home, I always make a point to get to the Polar Whip and visit my good friend and former classmate, Ron Nesler.” Fisher said he can’t imagine the day he walks away from the game of basketball. “I’ve known since I was 15 that I wanted to coach basketball,” he said. “I guess the key is that I never viewed it as work.”
Elite Auto Sales, serving the area for over thirteen years, has two dealerships conveniently located on Route 13 at the Carterville crossroads and in Herrin/Energy just off Route 13, north on Route 148 across from Hucks. Elite Auto Sales began in 1987 in Carterville and was soon expanded, doubling in size to provide needed space for over 80 vehicles on display . In order to serve the area more effectively an additional location was opened off Route 13 in Marion in January 2000. Earlier this year owner , Steve James, decided to purchase property in the Herrin/Ener gy area and move the Marion dealership to the new location. After ten years the leased Marion location had become outdated and offered little room for expansion, so purchasing the Herrin/Energy property seemed like the logical decision to meet Elite's goal of being able to offer their customers additional services and vehicle selection in a more comfortable/modern setting. Elite Auto Sales offers financing with some of the best interest rates available. Also, unique to Elite, is what Steve refers to as the "For The People Credit Programs" which is a customized financing plan making vehicle ownership available to almost everyone. W ith vehicles priced from $4,000 to $1,000,000 there's sure to be a vehicle that meets your needs.
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The volume of business Elite Auto Sales generates allows them special access to a wide range of banks and credit unions to meet most everyone's financial needs. Elite Auto Sales is not your ordinary car dealership. Steve James, the Dealer for the People, has been in the automobile business for over 35 years. Steve personally hand selects all the vehicles, which has earned the dealership a reputation for having the finest automobiles in the area. Steve realizes you don't need to lure customers with bogus prices that inflate the moment you step into the dealership. Elite's customers consider them a trusted adviser, helping them through their purchase decision. Stop in and see the "Dealer for the People" at Elite Auto Sales or call 618-997-8391. See Steve James, Owner.
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The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 17
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
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For Appointments call 988-1877 Page 18 Thursday, October 28, 2010 The Southern Illinoisan
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
A participant in the Robert A. Ferarri Corporate Bocce Tournament tosses one of his team's red balls down the court Friday, May 28 at HerrinFesta Italiana.
‘Boh-chay’ No matter how you say it, bocce scores big with people of all ages, backgrounds BY D.W. NORRIS THE SOUTHERN
For years, golf has been the go-to outdoor activity for corporate events or community fundraisers, but maybe it’s time to give bocce a try. Bocce has been growing in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. The game can be played with drink in
hand and is perfectly tailored for co-ed groups of any age. “You’ll see kids out here 3 years old, 4 years old,” said Herrin’s Jim Helleny, owner of Jim’s Mobile Offices in Marion. “If they can throw the ball down the court, they’ll be playing.” Nobody has to sit out or miss an event because
they don’t have equipment or are unsure of the rules. The game is easy to play, but tough to master. “In bocce, you can be ages 5 to 95, able-bodied or disabled — anybody can play,” said Kevin Frost, a partner in the Herrin investment firm Bondioli-Frost and Associates.
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN Frost, also the assistant HerrinFesta bocce chairman, said special needs groups from Franklin and Williamson counties have booked the The Herrin Bocce Club complex for events and had no problem picking up the game. “I’d put them up against anybody who plays,” Frost said. Twenty-four corporate teams of four or five players each competed at the HerrinFesta Italiana corporate bocce tournament during Memorial Day weekend. The roofs of Herrin Bocce Club complex, one of the finest in the Midwest, protected hundreds of participants from the afternoon sun. “They’re all under cover, so even if it rains, unlike golf, where you have to quit, we have the facilities to play in the rain,” Helleny said. “They’ve taken as many as 32 teams. You’re talking about 160 players. You can actually handle more people here than with golf. And, the interaction is fantastic.” Bocce players aren’t separated by hundreds of yards of green expanse, which lends itself to camaraderie. “It’s a great networking place because, unlike a golf tournament where you spend five or six hours with the same guys, here you spend five or six hours walking around and meeting people,” Frost said. Monday night is Family Night at the complex, league play occurs Tuesday nights and the bar league is Thursday nights. — Reprinted from the summer issue of Life and Style in Southern Illinois magazine
Bocce at a glance Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller ball (called the pallina). The game can be played with two, four or eight players. The purpose of the game is to get your bocce balls as close as possible to the pallina, which is the target and the smallest of the balls. Divide the bocce balls evenly between the number of players. At random, choose a player to throw the pallina, which is the STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN target and the smallest Bocce official Jon Maleski of the balls. points out that the green After the pallina is thrown, the same player ball is ‘in’ or closest to the will throw his first bocce polena during a match. ball. After the first player has thrown his first bocce ball, he is considered “inside” because his ball is closer to the pallina than any of the competitors’ balls. All other players are considered “outside.” Whenever a player is considered “inside,” he will forfeit his turn throwing bocce balls. All “outside” players will take turns throwing their bocce balls until one of theirs gets closer to the pallina than the “inside” player. After all players have thrown their bocce balls, the player who is “inside” will be awarded points. One point will be awarded to this player for every ball that is closer to the pallina than his closest competitor’s ball. After the points are awarded, the frame is completed. A game is won when a player reaches 13 points. Play as many frames as necessary until a player reaches this point level.
The Herrin Bocce Club complex What: Four covered courts, restroom facilities (handicapped accessible) and vending areas. The courts are constructed of a crushed brick surface over a gravel base with integrated drainage system. Lights: Auto-system provides lights for night-time play. For special events: Available for rental for corporate outings, political and charity fundraisers, family reunions and similar events. When: When no club events or rental events are scheduled, the courts are available for anyone to use free of charge. The club asks only that you treat the property with respect and clean up after yourself. Where: The complex is in the 300 block of West Walnut Street in Herrin
It’s Showtime!
Don’t miss these exciting events at the Herrin Civic Center For tickets call us at 942-61115 Mike Niehaus, Magician & Ventriloquist is from St. Louis, MO. He has traveled around the United States performing shows for children and family audiences.
November 6, 2010 at 2PM Red Skelton Remembered: This show is for the entire family to enjoy good clean comedy without being embarrassed or belittled
February 25,& 26th, 2011 at 8PM “Evening in the Round” Grammy Award Winner Linda Davis, co singer of (Does He Love You) special Guest Lang Scott Comedy Songwriter Bille Whyte.
March 12th, 2011 at 7:30PM Solo Pianist Paul Higdon He performed last summer as pianist for Worlds Apart, a unique Italian-American project. He has played numerous orchestras
April 17th, 2011 at 2PM TAKE A CLASS: The second City Workshop + Two Act Performance. Date TBA. Watch for more details! 350 Seating Capacity for Receptions/Banquess. Can be divided for meetings and smaller events Auditorium for rent also - up to 350 capacity
101 S. 16th St • Herrin • 942-6115 • rinciv@hotmail.com The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 28, 2010 Page 19
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Herrin High School students Allissa Johnson (center) and her friend Ali Pinkard (right) cross the wooden bridge over the pond at Herrin City Park.
Chris Fernandez (right), 10, of West Frankfort reacts to a game of pinball he is playing against Aaron Twist, 11, of West Frankfort during the first day of the 4th Annual Heartland Pinball & Arcade Show at the Herrin Civic Center.
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
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‘Why not Herrin?’ That’s the goal of Civic Center Director Carl Ortale BY ADAM TESTA THE SOUTHERN
Only two performers have laid claim to every major entertainment award: an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy, a Tony, an Obie and a Pulitzer Prize. Attracting an entertainer of such stature seems like a daunting task, but the leadership of Herrin Civic Center knows never to count even the smallest dog out of the fight. And Executive Director Carl Ortale proved the benefit of mentality when he booked Marvin Hamlisch for an appearance at the venue. “We have a ‘Why not Herrin’ attitude. I don’t know how else to put it,” Ortale said. “My passport’s got quite a few stamps on it, but if a guy like Marvin Hamlisch can leave his vacation in Italy to come play in Herrin on the Fourth of July, why not Herrin?” And Hamlisch is only one of numerous distinguished guests to grace the stage of the Civic Center. With a full schedule of upcoming events and appearances, that list will only continue to grow. Upcoming guests include Grammy Award winner Linda Davis, who sang “Does He Love You” with Reba McEntire, and performers from Chicago’s Second City comedy club, who will also run a workshop for area schools. These appearances, along with the center’s past track record, help add to the venue’s claims of being as good as any other in Southern Illinois. With
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STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Mary Wood of West Frankfort (middle) asks for some cranberries to be added to her plate while getting assistance from volunteers Grant Mills of Carterville (left) and Sandy Edwards (right) during the 20th Annual Mayor Ed Quaglia Memorial Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 26, 2009 at the Herrin Civic Center.
its 341-seat auditorium known as “the biggest little room in the Midwest,” the center is prepared to meet any challenge. “We’ve been known to get just about anything there — from state-ofthe-art audio-visual equipment to a worldclass stage with lighting and sound; everything from world-class concerts to baby showers,” Ortale said. But the center’s success largely comes from the support it receives from outside organizations, almost a sort of tribute to its beginnings as a statefunded venture. In the late 1980s, the state Legislature used a surplus of funding from horse racing revenues to launch authorities in three cities — Springfield, Quincy and Herrin — to operate these types of facilities.
The Herrin Exposition Auditorium Building and Office Authority was the result, and in 1988, it opened the Civic Center on donated land. In the 20-plus years since, the local community has stepped up and adopted the venue and its leadership as a core part of the city and its lifestyle. “Every town has its ups and downs,” Ortale said. “The fact that the state chose Herrin to locate one of the three authorities within its boundaries was one of the smartest things the state of Illinois has ever done. Regardless of its ups and downs, the folks of Herrin will come together for Herrin, and world-class performers and heads of state recognize this, and that’s why they come.” adam.testa@thesouthern.com 618-351-5031
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SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
A church and a community stand strong in a shared faith BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
Go to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in central Herrin and get ready for a generational history and a multicultural exposure to one of the town’s bedrocks. “The story develops itself as you walk around the block,” said Monsignor Kenneth
Schaefer, the church’s eighth pastor since its founding in 1900. In a chapel directly behind the main altar and tabernacle, a small table sits that was used when the first masses were said in Herrin in city hall in 1898. The main crucifix has embedded chunks of area mine coal. There are drums from Uganda that arrived here from Our Lady of Mount
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church was built in 1924 in an Iltalian Renaissance Romanesque style.
Carmel’s sister parish in that country. The
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Stations of the Cross are from the original St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of Belleville. The carpet underneath the main altar is from Iran. There is also a hand-woven Afghanistan rug that a parishioner who was stationed there during his military time, returned with at the request of Monsignor Schaefer. “The church tends to be a collection of art,” Schaefer said. “Each generation adds something.” And it’s been many family generations since the Italian Renaissance Romanesque style church was built in 1924. “It was a pretty formidable group of people. And many of the Italians were from the same town (Cuggioni) when they settled here. They had the most influence in the congregation,” Schaefer said. An east addition, built in 2005 at $2.5 million raised by the parish,
provides space for baptisms and a social area for congregation members to meet after mass which numbers three on the weekend including a Saturday night service for the 900 households that belong to the parish. The church sanctuary is a mainstay, but a power source for Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s success and steadiness through the years has been its school that will celebrate its centennial anniversary next school year. “You might say we’re in the kid business. We are sharing the Catholic tradition with this generation growing up,” Schaefer said. The school has an enrollment of 311 children from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade with 99 percent of the enrollment coming from Williamson County and 80 percent from Herrin alone. Aided by the purchase of a nearby former
Southern Illinois beer distributorship in 2001 and remodeled to provide seven classrooms and a multi-purpose room, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School is the fifth largest Catholic school in Southern Illinois. It operates on a $1.2 million budget and employs 45 people, a significant contribution to the region and town of Herrin, Schaefer said. “Why would people do all this?” Schaefer asks about the rich tradition of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and its school that’s endured for generations from the generous contributions of its dedicated parishioners. “The number of people involved with our faith community has remained steady through the years. This has been on-going story of people who are Catechists at heart,” Schaefer said. scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
SPOTLIGHT ON HERRIN
A visit to Herrin Library is growing in size and goals will send you Italian films connect home happy! BY ADAM TESTA THE SOUTHERN
A 1958 referendum granted the necessary $150,000 for the construction of a permanent facility for the Herrin City Library, which had moved between city hall and a house at 14th and Harrison since its establishment in 1912. Nearly 45 years later, in 2002, a $1.25 million partnership between private donors, the city and the Illinois State Library allowed for the facility to be expanded, more than doubling its size. The growth in physical size through the decades has been accompanied by an expansion of services and use at the public outlet. Director Michael Keepper said the library serves as more than a resource for finding books and magazines; it’s an integral part of life and learning for the community. “We’re what you might call the access point for continuing education,” he said. “People never stop learning, even if they’re not going to school.” And one of the library’s challenges has been to keep up with the times and trends of that learning experience. The advent of the Internet as an every-day tool and the creation of digital publishing formats have led to the library adjusting its thinking and product offering. Five computers are available for library patrons to use for Internet access and other basic computer applications, and the library’s website allows cardholders to download digital copies of books to be read on home computers or handheld reading devices. “We’ve tried to cater to the reading interests of the whole community, from pre-school to senior citizens,” Keepper said. “There are still lots of people that prefer to have a paperback or a hardback book to read, but yes, the digital age is changing things.” As another way to cater to the community, the library hosts a number of special events through the year. Pre-school story times are offered periodically, and a kids’ summer reading program attracts about 250 children each time. There’s also programming for adults, including an upcoming
library with its residents A special showing of at least three films at the Herrin City Library will blend the city’s Italian heritage with a cultural experience from the Mediterranean county. The library will start the film series with a showing of “La Destinazione (The Destination)” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. The film, directed by Piero Sanna and starring actor Roberto Magnani, tells the story of a young police officer working the streets of the Sardinian city of Coloras and hunting an assassin. “It just kind of connects the Italian culture with the people here,” sand Sandra Colombo, a Herrin resident active in preserving Italian heritage. In connection with the screening, the library is displaying a Sardinian mask used in the town of Mamoiada during the Carnivale season, a celebration depicted in the movie. Along with the mask is a series of photographs by Angelo Mereu, who worked as a set designer for the film, that show the natural beauty and customs of the region. At least two more films will be screened as part of the series. Library Director Michael Keepper said one of them will be coordinated in conjunction with the annual HerrinFesta event in May and the other would likely be shown next summer. The films are being provided by the Italian Film Festival of St. Louis. “It’s just another way to celebrate the Italian heritage in Herrin,” Keepper said. —Adam Testa
Italian film series. While more than half the city’s population is registered for a library card, the organization has a much wider reach. Modern technologies have allowed the library leadership to share books and other materials with libraries across the country. “There aren’t many states we haven’t borrowed from or loaned to from our collection,” Keepper said. adam.testa@thesouthern.com 618-351-5031
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