CITY BEAT: IT’S BEEN 60 YEARS SINCE IT ALL STARTED IN ROOM 538 IN THE STANDARD OFFICE BUILDING

   

 

 

       My “Viewpoint” on page 3 of this week’s print and online editions of the Decatur Tribune is a focus on July 15, 1964, and what happened on that day in Room 538 of the Standard Office Building in downtown Decatur.
     There wasn’t anyone robbed or murdered in that room on that day, or any other day, or anything that bad.
     It’s a date that I remember for a very personal reason — that’s the day that I started the business that publishes this newspaper each week.
     Actually, I became editor and publisher of the Decatur Tribune when my business purchased it in 1969 — a little over 5 years after starting my publishing business in 1964.
     I’d like to say that I was only 5 years old when I started this business but I wasn’t quite that young.
     As pointed out in my “Viewpoint” column, I was a young man with a wife and our first child, who had resigned a position in public relations next to the campus of the University of Illinois, to follow my dream of entrepreneurship in a way that would positively impact a community and provide an avenue to witness my faith in God.
Although starting out with no financial resources, or local business contacts, and plenty of naysayers, I realized my American Dream in Decatur and Central Illinois — and it started in Room 538, 60 years ago this coming Monday.

     • THERE IS is so much to reflect on after 60 years (and counting) at the helm of a publishing business.
I’ve had the opportunity to interview U. S. Presidents and First Ladies, governors, and countless other politicians, entertainers and average citizens — and a few people who were incarcerated at the time of the interviews.
     I’ve seen the good, bad and ugly sides of people — and I still believe there’s a tremendous amount of good in our community and nation.
     Hopefully, I can use some of the material I’ve accumulated in some “looking back” features in future editions.
I really will enjoy, when I get the time, digging out the old photos I shot and the recordings I made (both audio and video) from decades ago.

     • THANKS BANKS — Over the past decades, when money was needed to keep the doors of this business open, I was never turned down for a loan by any bank in Decatur and I had plenty of loans for many years just to keep publishing.
Over the decades, I had loans at Citizens National Bank, First National Bank, Millikin National Bank, Northtown Bank and Soy Capital Bank — sometimes all at the same time!
     I would always go the bank with my best suit and tie (I only had two back then) and sit at the desk of the loan officer and explain why I needed the money — and often, it was just to keep the business going and to meet payroll.
They believed in me — a young man just getting started — and they continued to believe in me over the decades that I asked for business loans.
     That’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved the business community in Decatur.
     This community has fertile soil for starting and growing a business.
     By the way, it took many years to stabilize this business, and a lot of borrowing, but I paid back every penny of every loan with interest.
     Their faith in me meant a lot.

     • OBSERVATION — I don’t know why this seems a little odd to me, but, now that the July 4th Celebration is over, I cannot help but wonder why it is illegal to sell fireworks in Illinois, but not illegal to set them off!
     It seems to me that setting them off would be more dangerous than selling them.
     After all, I don’t think anyone ever lost a body part in the act of purchasing fireworks.

     • UNPAID TOLL? I received a text message on my cellphone a few days ago from Illinois Tollway stating: “Our records indicate that your vehicle has an unpaid toll invoice. To avoid additional charges of $78.90, please settle your balance of $7.59 at (.com address given).
     Apparently, several other residents have received the same message with the same balance due.
Thank goodness it is a scam!
     Since I haven’t been on a tollway recently, I thought my infamous-possessed car “Christine” had been heading to Chicago without me!

     • KROGER STORE DEMOLITION — There wasn’t much left of the former Kroger Store in Fairview Plaza last week when Steve Huss shot this aerial photo. Hopefully, the building will be replaced with a new structure and tenant.

     • NOT AGAIN! — Postage is going up again on July 14!!!!
     On July 14, stamps for regular letters move from 68 to 73 cents, a 7.3% bump. Marketing mail is going up 7.8%. Postcards go up from 53 to 56 cents. In-county Periodical mail goes up 9.9%. Large volume packages known as Parcel Select go up 25%, while standard Ground Advantage packages have no price change.
     The USPS lost $6.5 billion in 2023, during a year when it raised postage prices in both January and July. It raised prices in January of 2024 and is now raising prices again in July. USPS expects to lose money again in 2024, due to inflation costs and reduced mail volume.
     Let’s face it, the USPS continues to lose money because they are losing customers — because they continue to raise rates and drive many of their customers (like newspapers) out of business!
     It is like they are trying to kill off local newspapers!
     More frequent price increases (two per year) are part of USPS’ 10-year plan for what they call “financial stability”.
Postage on newspapers, like the Decatur Tribune, has increased 47% since 2021!
     Believe me, that’s a huge chunk of money for newspapers like this one with thousands and thousands of annual subscriptions from readers who receive their newspaper edition in the mail 52 times each year!
     National Newspaper Association chair John Galer, who publishes the Journal-News in Hillsboro, said: “The model of continuing to raise rates while providing intensely bad service is becoming increasingly problematic for newspapers and our readers in the country.”
     Although the Decatur Tribune has both print and online editions, the print edition is by far the most popular way readers like to receive this newspaper — and that’s through the mail!

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co. every Thursday morning at 7:00 to discuss the people, events and policies that shape our community and nation. That’s something that we’ve been doing for over 21 years.

     FOR LOTS MORE stories and more “City Beat” and editorial comments, SUBSCRIBE to the print or online editions of the Decatur Tribune by using the “Subscribe” prompt at the top of this page.  You will find many stories and columns about Decatur and Central Illinois each week. The print edition is $50 for 52 issues (one year) and the online edition is $30 for one year.  The combo rate (both print and online editions) is $65 per year.  You can also subscribe to the print edition via USPS by sending $50 to: Decatur Tribune, P. O. Box 1490, Decatur, Illinois 62525-1490.