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Editorials

  • Take in this year's Grande Leve

    During the period that Vandalia served as Illinois capital, Abraham Lincoln and others who walked these streets couldnt just buy a quilt or a basket. They had to make them.

    The people of Vandalia, back in the 1830s, didnt have a radio or television for entertainment. They had only bands that performed the popular music of that period.

    Illinois earliest residents didnt have restaurants that served fast food or family meals. They had to cook their meals over a fire.

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  • Merchants must save parking for customers

    Sometimes, you wonder why a municipality keeps a law on the books that it doesnt enforce. Vandalia Alderman Jerry Swarm does, too.

    At Mondays meeting of the Vandalia City Council, Swarm said it bothers him that some downtown merchants use parking spaces that would be better used by their customers. It upsets him so much that he asked to get rid of the ordinance that limits parking along Gallatin Street downtown to two hours.

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  • Support Relay for Life

    Each year, the people of Fayette County display an unbelieveable degree of generosity as they support the local Relay for Life.

    The annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society features teams of walkers from throughout the county, raising money to support the fight against cancer.

    Starting at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday and continuing throughout the night, those walkers will be circling the track at Vandalia Community High School.

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  • St. Elmo does great job of honoring veterans

    When it comes to paying tribute to the men and women who have served this country in the armed forces, both in war and time of peace, the community of St. Elmo has gone all out.

    The committee that raised the necessary funds and saw the town's Veterans' Memorial through to completion presented the finished product to an extremely large crowd during the American Legion Post's Memorial Day program on Monday afternoon.

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  • Congratulations to state champs!

    Four girls from Vandalia Community High School have done something no other girls from their school have ever done.

    The 4 by 400 relay team of Paige Dodson, Kris Stunkel, Kayla Houston and Ashley Durbin brought home a state championship the first in the history of the girls track program. And they did it in convincing style beating the competition by about 1.5 seconds and eclipsing their own school record (set in the prelims on Friday) by nearly three seconds.

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  • On Monday, remember our vets

    On Monday, our nation will pause to remember.

    Well recall the freedoms we often take for granted.

    Well remember the men and women who have sacrificed to keep us free.

    Well reflect on our responsibilities as citizens.

    But will we really fully appreciate the importance of Memorial Day? Probably not. For the majority of us, sacrificing for our country is still an abstract concept one to which we have no direct personal connection.

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  • Process needed to study prisons

    With the announcement early last week that the Blagojevich administration wants to close the maximum-security prison in Pontiac, the disruptive process that gripped Vandalia several years ago has now enveloped Pontiac.

    As was the case when the governor released his plan to shutter the Vandalia Correctional Center, the Pontiac area is faced with a daunting economic blow if hundreds of jobs evaporate.

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  • Wall vandalism is unacceptable

    As noted in two letters to the editor, printed elsewhere on this page, the Veterans Wall at the Crawford-Hale American Legion Home in Vandalia has been the target of vandals recently.

    Though no form of vandalism makes sense, this one is especially disturbing. In a time when patriotism runs high and our society honors the sacrifices of our men and women who have served or are serving in the military, it's baffling that anyone would feel the need to deface a monument such as the wall.

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  • Make good choices on prom night

    Prom night is one of the most anticipated and most feared nights of the year.

    So many wonderful memories to make. So many activities to share. Yet, so many dangers.

    The camp you fall into generally depends on whether youre a student or a parent. Students look forward to an extravagant adult-like event dressing up, going out for a nice meal, attending a dance. Parents are left at home, hoping and praying for the safe return of their child.

    Thankfully, there are people in our community who are committed to making this special evening both memorable and safe.

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  • Second Chance possible by the work of many

    Some individuals or groups wait for a government handout for their particular cause; others just go out and put in hours of hard work to get the job done. The volunteers of Second Chance Animal Rescue definitely fit into the latter category.

    About four years ago, Lynn Brown saw the need for an animal rescue shelter. She quickly got others to join in on the cause.

    On Saturday, Second Chance saw its goal realized, as the members of that group welcomed the public to its new rescue shelter and boarding house.

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