CITY BEAT: WSOY COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE RETURNS TO SUPPORT LOCAL PANTRIES FACING GROWING CRISIS

     The return of the WSOY Community Food Drive will happen on Friday, October 3rd, 2025, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Airport Plaza Kroger on Rt. 36 (1818 Airport Plaza, Decatur).
     As indicated in an article on page 7 of this week’s print and online editions, about this year’s food drive: “Macon County food pantries have faced   unprecedented challenges this year. The expiration of a $1.2 million USDA grant—which allowed Macon County pantries to purchase fresh items like meat, dairy, and produce from local farms—has created a significant gap in access to nutritious food. In addition, rising food prices and federal cuts to safety net programs have left pantries scrambling to meet rising demand. Many of our local food pantries are seeing an increase in families with young children and senior citizens as well as families seeking assistance for the first time.”
     One of the reasons I’ve been so supportive of the WSOY Community Food Drive over the years is that it really helps define what Decatur and the communities of Central Illinois have always been about — helping those who need help.
This year, the need to help fellow residents who need assistance is great.
     As long time friend and co-founder of the WSOY Community Food Drive, Brian Byers stated: “We are on the edge of a real crisis. Food pantries are telling us they’re seeing more need than ever before—and they have fewer resources to meet it. This isn’t a community that allows a child to go to bed hungry. This community steps up. We take care of each other. And that’s exactly what this food drive is about.”
     Brian is right: the need is great but so is the giving heart of this community in responding to need.  If you want to learn more and donate go to the WSOY Community Food Drive ad on the right side of the front page.

     • WE’RE NUMBER 1!!! Don’t start applauding just yet because the State of Illinois has beat out all of the other states to achieve number one status!
     Here’s why we are now number 1 — after languishing in the number 2 spot for awhile…
     According to the Illinois Policy Institute: “After years of ranking No. 2 to New Jersey, the latest data shows Illinois-ans paid the highest property taxes in the nation during 2023. Worst, Illinoisans also pay steep income and sales taxes.
“Illinois homeowners paid an average effective property tax rate of 1.83%, the highest in the nation. On a median-priced home of $250,500, that amounts to $4,584 per year. Neighboring states had significantly lower rates, making the idea of finding a home outside of Illinois appealing.
     “Property taxes are based on the idea that the people paying benefit from the services the taxes go to fund. Yet nearly 3-in-5 Illinoisans feel as if the value of public services they receive is not worth their high property taxes.”
     This may be the “Land of Lincoln” but I’m not sure Abraham Lincoln could afford to live here these days.
     Property taxes in our state have risen to an insane level!
     That’s why I keep hearing from some readers of this newspaper that, as soon as they retire, they will notify me of their change of address which will be in another state!
     They claim it is just too expensive to live in Illinois and they are tired of paying such high taxes for the “privilege” of owning a home in this state!
     For many homeowners, the biggest single expense they have for the year is the property tax bill — so they can continue to live in the house they have already paid for over the years! That’s crazy!!!!

     • OUCH! I was walking through Central Park last week, and looking across the park towards the Citizens Building when I suddenly took a blow to my forehead!
     It about knocked me out!!!
     I didn’t notice that the background steel stage awning had been tilted down more than usual and I had walked straight into the end of one of the steel crossbeams!
     It about knocked me stilly, or in my case, sillier!
     When I got back to the office I noticed a big bump on my forehead so I took some ice, wrapped it in a towel, and held it against the bump for awhile.
     Fortunately, the bump went down after a short time and I didn’t have any visible signs of taking the hit!
     I did notice, after I hit my head, that someone had placed a white rag at the end of one of the crossbeams to warn people that it was low and be careful.
     Unfortunately, that warning flag was not near where I hit my head so I didn’t see it.
     Anyhooo, be aware if you are walking through Central Park of that black steel backdrop — unless, of course, you want people to call you “knothead”!
     So, did the hit in the forehead knock any sense into my head?
     What do you think? (Don’t answer that.)

     • THIS COMING weekend was usually Decatur Celebration weekend for years before the annual street festival ended its long downtown run.
     Actually, as hot as it was last weekend, that was more like Decatur Celebration weather!
     According to early weather reports I read for this coming weekend, the weather would be great if the Decatur Celebration was still alive.
     I remember some of those sweltering weekends with the high temperatures and the heat radiating off of the asphalt streets.
Whenever I see, or hear, weather forecasters telling us how high the “feels like” temperature is going to be, I wonder if any of today’s “feels like” temperatures compared to those hot temperatures during the Decatur Celebration when the concrete and asphalt under our feet felt like 160 degrees!!!!

     • OPENING — The Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce is going to hold a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 1, as part of the grand opening of Spread N Buns located on North Park Street across from Central Park.
     Spread N Buns, which is located in Subway’s former location on North Park St. in previous years, features a handcrafted menu of unique soups, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and freshly squeezed orange juice. They are serving up breakfast and lunch 7 days a week from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
     Before moving to our present location in the Millikin Court Building 15 years ago, this newspaper was located next door to the Subway building for many years.
     It’s good to have the new business close by in the downtown area.

     • OLD DOWNTOWN — Last week’s “Viewpoint” column which listed all of the businesses that were in the downtown area in 1961 attracted a lot of attention.
     Here’s two of many comments:
     Jim Kramer wrote: “Omitted from 215 N. Main St.: George Kreker pianos and Thompson-Kramer Music (1960-1979). Spin Shop was in the front.”
     Chris Brodnicki, General Manager of the Decatur Civic Center, sent me an email which read, in part: “Hey Paul – Regarding the July 23 edition… “My family lived at 1541 N. Church Street (one of the few houses that is still standing today), so we did most of our business in downtown and I remember many of the businesses on the list…”

     • AVAILABLE —The 2026 Candidate’s Guide is now available for download on the Macon County Website maconcounty.illinois.gov. Links for all required forms are available in the guide. Candidates are strongly advised to obtain legal counsel regarding their legal qualifications for office, the proper method for completing the petition forms with respect to the office, the qualifications of signers and circulators, and other information.
     Candidates who plan to run in the 2026 General Primary Election can begin circulating petitions August 5, 2025.
     Candidates for local office will file their nominating petitions in the Macon County Clerk’s Office located in the Macon County Office Building room 104. Petition filing for established parties in the 2026 General Primary Election begins October 27, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. and ends on November 3, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
     The County Clerk’s Office will no longer notarize any candidate forms. The Clerk’s Office cannot give advice on how to complete the forms or the legal qualifications for office.

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co. every Thursday morning at 7:00 for the “City Hall Insider”. I always enjoy our conversations about the news.

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