Blocking Off Main Street for Heritage Days Gets Mixed Review
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Du Quoin's third annual Heritage Days weekend is schedule for Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, 2009. Members of the Du Quoin Main Street board felt the program could better serve downtown retail merchants by moving the entire event from Keyes Park to downtown Du Quoin.
That plan included blocking off parts of East and West Main Street and a handful of side streets to allow for the carnival and craft and flea market vendors, food concessions and events.
Executive Director Peggy Van Schyndel said her motives were pure and felt that the well-traveled event would add foot traffic for downtown stores. The comments the Main Street program got were largely positive.
On Monday, the Du Quoin City Council was on the threshold of approving the two-day street closure on Main Street from Washington Walnut Streets to facilitate Heritage Days. But, council members said there was a hint of uncertainty among a handful of downtowners about whether the foot traffic would offset the closure. The request was tabled and the council will take up he question again at its March 23 meeting.
The council meeting lasted only nine minutes with commissioner Rex Duncan--suffering from strep throat--chiming in by telephone.
In other action, the council:
Approved the roadblock application submitted by the American Legion Riders' for March 14th
Approved Resolution 2009-R-03-01: a resolution authorizing Mayor John Rednour to execute all documents related to a Delta Regional Authority grant application. The application seeks up to $90,000 in federal funding to offset local costs of $700,000 of construction of new roadways in the Du Quoin Industrial Park.
Approved a mutual aid agreement between the City of Du Quoin and the Village of Dowell Police Departments. The cooperative agreement builds the relationship between the City of Du Quoin and the Village of Dowell with respect to law enforcement. Essentially, the agreement says that if Du Quoin officers need assistance, Dowell will be there. If Dowell needs assistance, the City of Du Quoin will be there.
With regret, the Du Quoin City Council accepted the retirement resignation of Phil Brandenburg effective 4 p.m. December 30, 2009.
Brandenburg was the city's first fully Class I certified wastewater plant superintendent and has served the city well. His work to help bring the city's new wastewater treatment plant to fruition will be the subject of one of he stories in this year's 2009 Progress Edition.
The City of Du Quoin has at least two wastewater plant employees who have Class II certifications. The city will look at its options on completely certified one of those staff members or seeking someone already certified.