CITY BEAT: DECATUR SCHOOLS’ STUDENT JUNE CHRISTY BECAME POPULAR ENTERTAINER

     Decatur has been home to a lot of famous people over the years, and Shirley Luster (June Christy) was one of the most famous.
     She was born in Springfield on Nov. 20, 1925, nearly a century ago, but the family moved to Decatur when she was three years old and she attended local schools and graduated from Decatur High School in 1943.
She also attended Roosevelt Junior High School, where I attended years later and her fame was still present in that school when I was a student there.
     As this week’s “Scrapbook’ feature on pages 4 and 5 of the print and online editions, indicates that only two years after graduating from Decatur High School she was singing with a popular big band and making a recording called “Tampico” that was selling over a million copies.
     As a solo artist she recorded 18 albums which focused on the modernist jazz band sound.

During the 1950s and 1960s Christy appeared on television on such shows as “The Steve Allen Show” and was a popular guest.
     June Christy’s popularity was mostly before my time and I never had the opportunity to meet her — but she was a very famous person in the entertainment field — with deep Decatur roots.

     • LAST WEEK’S “Viewpoint” column about senior citizen discrimination in our state in forcing seniors to undergo a road driving test in order to renew their driver’s license brought a lot of response.
     I found one email response particularly interesting.
     I know the writer. She lives in a small community not far from Decatur, but I won’t reveal her name or the community where she lives because she has to take the driver’s test again next year.
     She wrote: “Last year when I took my driver’s test, and I consider myself a safe driver, I got yelled at for driving 35 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone. As soon as you drive out of the 45 miles per hour zone, it’s a 20 miles per hour school zone and it’s a sudden drop.
     “She said to me……. ‘when that sign says drive 45 miles an hour……you drive it!’
     “I did well the rest of the time I drove with the Wicked Witch of the West and upon returning she said, ‘I could fail you for not following the 45 miles per hour sign.’
     “She didn’t but I was upset to think anyone could be so unkind to a senior citizen.
     “Upon returning to where we live, I can’t tell you how many people who live here had the same woman with the same results.
     “I now understand they have gotten rid of the person because of complaints about her attitude. I hope the rumor is true.
     “When I go next year, I hope to have a kind, understating person testing me like I’ve had in past years.”
     I don’t know which driver’s license facility the person who sent me the email had her driver’s test but such rude treatment of a senior citizen, or any citizen, should not be tolerated.
     I took my mandatory vision and road test at the Secretary of State’s facility on North Woodford in Decatur and the person who administered my test couldn’t have been nicer.
     I’ve mentioned before in this column what an amazing job Illinois Secretary Of State Alexi Giannoulias has made in streamlining and upgrading his office.
     It has never been easier to deal with vehicle license or driver’s license renewal — except, of course, if you are a senior citizen wanting to renew your driver’s li-cense.
     This state’s senior citizens are forced to take a road test at a driver’s license facility every two years and, as they get older, every one year, to keep their license.
     Statistics show that senior citizens are among the safest drivers on the road and Illinois is the only state in the nation that discriminates against senior drivers with spotless driving records with the road test.
Illinois House Bill 4431, if passed, will eliminate discrimination against senior drivers.
     Our elected officials in the Illinois General Assembly should take a step forward so this state can stop discrimination against senior drivers and help Alexi Giannoulias make the Secretary of State’s office even more efficient and senior citizen friendly.

     • EARLY VOTING — Early voting for the Nov. 5th General Election starts next Thursday, Sept. 26th, at 151 West Wood Street in Decatur.
     I haven’t been to the remodeled facility within eyesight of my newspaper office, but I’m looking forward to experience its modern, accommodating look when I walk over to vote a week or two before the election. (I don’t like to vote too early because something may happen that would impact my choices.)
     Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner and his staff continue to do an amazing job in making the voting process easy.
     A full schedule of early voting dates and times can be found on page 7 of this week’s print and online editions.

     • CRICKETS — While I am on the subject of elections, there is almost absolute silence when it comes to potential candidates for Decatur City Council.
     Three of the seats, which are currently held by Ed Culp, David Horn and Chuck Kuhle, are up for election.
Culp and Horn will run for re-election. Kuhle will not.
     As incumbents, Culp and Horn will be hard to beat, but there should be a race for that vacated third seat.
     As I’m writing this week’s column, I’ve heard from no one interested in running.
     Hopefully, that will change soon because nominating petitions are to be filed in the office of the City Clerk from 8:00 a.m., Monday, October 21, 2024, through 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 28, 2024.
     Filing begins just a little over a month from now!!
     Petitions for persons interested in running for one of the three seats up for election in 2025 are available in the office of the City Clerk, located on the 3rd floor of the Decatur Civic Center, 1 Gary K. Anderson Plaza or on the City’s website at the following link: www.decaturil.gov/161/City-Clerk.
     Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 424-2708 for more information.

     • SAY WHAT?!!! Gary Larson sent me an email stating: “I know you mention frequently how serious a problem people blatantly speeding and running red lights has become over the years.
     “Well just wait until Jan 1st. That is when a bill to give drivers three free passes on traffic violations goes into effect.
     “Want to drive 100 mph down Main street? Go ahead.
     “Want to run a red light with a police car sitting next to you? Go ahead.
     “And you still have an option for your next free pass.”
     As crazy as that sounds Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 277 on Aug. 9, 2024, which was passed in the Illinois General Assembly that will allow traffic violators to get three unpaid traffic tickets per year before they have their license suspended.
     Just when I think that legislators can’t pass bills that are any crazier…this happens!
     Drive carefully. Thanks to idiotic legislation the roads are less safe!

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co., every Thursday morning at 7:00 to discuss the issues impacting our community.

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