Dear Du Quoin: Mayor Rex Duncan's Column
What a beautiful Southern Illinois day it was a couple of weeks ago! There I was, standing on the bank of a lake at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds casting a fishing line in the water, not really caring if I caught anything or not. The sun was out. Bicyclists were peddling about. Walkers and joggers padded past. Ducks and geese drifted lazily with the breeze without a care in the world.
Between casts I had to stop and reflect on what the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds means to our community and, as I sidestepped some lakeside litter, how much we take this gem for granted. Surely somewhere in this great land there's another community about the size of Du Quoin that has a similarly pastoral setting within its city limits but I haven't seen it.
The Fairgrounds and its relationship to the city, people, and history of Du Quoin are quite unique and inextricable. Without the Fairgrounds, Du Quoin becomes another unremarkable town along Route 51. Without Du Quoin the Fairgrounds is another old strip mine that by now is privately owned and perhaps subdivided. It is the Fairgrounds, though, that makes Du Quoin - and therefore us - unique. In nature there is the term "symbiosis", meaning two entities each benefitting from the presence of the other. The relationship between Du Quoin and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds is truly symbiotic.
Many Du Quoin natives learned to drive on the roads at the Fairgrounds. I caught my first bass at the Fairgrounds with my grandfather, Loren Davis. I can still show you the spot. For nearly a century the Fairgrounds has been our own little state park that we gladly share with others. Remember the troubling disorientation that was experienced when, at least for a few weeks, the Fairgrounds was closed to the public in the 70's?
The businesses in Du Quoin profit from the Du Quoin State Fair and, particularly in recent years, all of the year round activities that Fairgrounds management has been able to attract to our community. I'm still amazed that we have no hotel space in town during January weekends when the Southern Illinois Center fills with softball games. In January! The Fairgrounds is an asset year round.
Not terribly long ago it had the fair and nothing else. Except for 10 days out of the year the Fairgrounds was idle and more of a pretty park than a Midwest attraction, maintained magnificently by the Hayes family. No more! It is now a state-owned year-round revenue generator that finishes each year close to being in the black. There aren't many state operations that can claim to operate at or nearly at a profit! I hope that at some point Fairgrounds management can swing an economic impact study. Such a study would demonstrate the remarkable profitability of the Fairgrounds to the region and to Du Quoin.
Unfortunately, we are human and as we all know, familiarity breeds contempt. It's the same with the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. What used to be pristine, well maintained, and respected is now looking a little worse for the wear and we who should be grateful aren't helping matters.
I'm always astonished and saddened at the amount of litter I see strewn at the Fairgrounds. I can't imagine that people who purport to love fishing would throw their empty bait and drink containers on the grounds. The ruts cut in to the soft grounds where cars are driven off the roads to get closer to fishing and picnic spots simply destroy the beauty of the place. I hope visitors to our community don't see what I think I see - a community growing increasingly callous to something rare and precious.
You can be a powerful force for positive change with a minimal effort. There are some really simple steps you can take to assume community ownership of the Fairgrounds and our guests. With some simple proactive steps you can contribute to making the Fairgrounds a real tourist destination. Here are some of my ideas:
1. When you see someone at the store, a restaurant, or at church who is visiting the Fairgrounds, welcome them. Ask if they are finding everything they need, or if there is some way you can be of assistance. Let them know that you appreciate their organization's selection of Du Quoin for their event. Friendly greetings, assistance, and appreciation cost nothing, but pay big dividends for the future. Guest hospitality is everyone's business in Du Quoin.
2. Volunteer with our great Tourism Committee. These folks work tirelessly to attract visitors to our community and can surely use your help. Be a part of a fun, rewarding community committee.
3. Clean up after yourself and others. I've started taking a small trash bag with me when I go to the Fairgrounds. As I walk along the shoreline I pick up trash along the way. I worry that we've become overly reliant on Boot Camp inmates to keep the grounds cleaned up. I appreciate what they do, but we have to take responsibility for our own messes. Help with the clean-up of the Fairgrounds.
4. Consider adopting a piece of the Fairgrounds. Perhaps DQSF management might consider an adoption program modeled after the Adopt-A-Highway program at the state level. I'll bet the Fairgrounds managers would welcome such a program, especially if it included the opportunity to plant trees and flowers. Regardless, there's nothing that says your family or organization couldn't tackle a one-block clean-up a couple of times a year.
5. Respect the grounds. Stay on the roads. Avoid driving right up to lakes and picnic areas. If you see some knuckleheads out cutting ruts in the grounds, report them to the police. Law enforcement is a 9-1-1 call away.
The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds is an essential part of our commerce, our entertainment, and our homes, completely central to the Du Quoin experience. I hope you'll join me in treating the Fairgrounds, and the thousands who visit it each year, with respect and appreciation. Let's make visitors to town glad they came and looking forward to their next visit.