Dear Du Quoin: Reflections, thanks and best wishes at Christmas
Christmas in Du Quoin has always been a special time of the year. The colorful lights and decorations, the Christmas carols, and festive atmosphere are unique, fun, and exciting. The Holiday Lights Fair at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds makes this a yuletide destination for thousands, thanks to a mountain of hard work by our absolutely top-notch Tourism Commission and dedicated volunteers.
I watched The Polar Express, just to get me in the spirit of helping run the train at the Holiday Lights Fair. I've watched more movie versions of A Christmas Carol than I care to count, with Scrooge played by Reginald Owen, Alistair Sim, Patrick Stewart, and even Bill Murray. I missed A Charlie Brown Christmas because of the Thursday City Council meeting. Rats!
A lot has changed since Christmas 2012 for me and for Du Quoin. A year ago John Rednour was our mayor and my friend and mentor. Now, our entire community has lost a good friend and great mayor, but will enjoy the gifts of his service to Du Quoin for years to come. Please keep Wanda and their family in your thoughts and prayers. A friend of mine who also knew John recently lamented that some obscure financial report was late. I told her "Don't cry over something that won't cry over you." Thank you, John!
The old Downtown Du Quoin sidewalks were rolled up and new ones laid down. The equally loved and hated Bradford Pear trees came down, replaced by European Columnar Hornbeams. A street overlay project lies ahead in the spring that will cap off an attractive downtown facelift that should restore our business district to its former status as Du Quoin's commercial hub.
After 99 years in Du Quoin, Kroger abruptly pulled up stakes and closed their store in March. Last week's announcement heralds the arrival of Du Quoin's Bottom Dollar Cost Plus, a new, full-service grocery store owned by southern Illinoisans Tom and Beverly Schmutz, fine people with a track record of success in their other locations. I said at the time Krogers left that I was confident a worthy replacement would follow. I couldn't be more pleased that Tom and Beverly have chosen to open their newest location in Du Quoin.
I'm very proud of the hard work and public service of the employees of the City of Du Quoin. In a world of change their dedicated public service is one of the constants of our community. They start their work days at 7:30 in the morning and come up for air at 4:30, keeping Du Quoin running smoothly in the meantime. Day in and day out you may not see it happen, but I've worked directly with them and constantly admire them, especially when the going gets tough. Ever courteous and respectful, I've seen city employees graciously nod and smile when an irate customer swears at them when told exceptions can't be made for this or that.
We all sleep better at night knowing that the men and women of the Du Quoin Police and Fire Departments are ready, trained, and equipped to come to our aid. No other community I know of has an ESDA as strong as Du Quoin's. Our public works employees worked themselves to exhaustion trying to keep up with the ice and snow recently.
City jobs are good jobs with good benefits, but they aren't easy jobs and they aren't for everyone. Crawl down in to a muddy trench of icy water filled from a burst main in 10 degree weather at 3 in the morning. Stick your head in an open sewage lift station to figure out why the pumps aren't working. Fight through and arrest a drug-impaired suspect who injures fellow officers, then treat that suspect with professionalism. It takes special people to do these jobs well.
Our city employees understand clearly the difference between mere employment and true public service, the latter a far higher calling. That commitment to our community is a gift that keeps on giving year-round for the people of Du Quoin. City employees have a unique sense of duty that compels them to go the extra mile to help their fellow citizens. My sincere thanks to our excellent city employees for their service.
On behalf of Commissioners Kathy West, Josh Downs, Yvonne Morris, and Donnie Kunkel, please accept our very best wishes for a joyous Christmas of peace and happiness in this community where charity and love, in the end, prevail. Good things await us all in 2014.