CITY BEAT: REMEMBER DECATUR’S ALHAMBRA THEATER AND THE ROY ROGERS FAN CLUB?

     My “Scrapbook’ feature in the June 24th edition of the Decatur Tribune was about two of Decatur’s theaters that disappeared into local history years ago — The Alhambra and The Varsity.
     A lot of memories are generated when articles about Decatur’s theater history are published in this newspaper.
     One particular memory I enjoyed reading this time was from Randy Van Alstine who wrote: “Morning Paul. I just received my Tribune yesterday here in Florida. Loved the story about the Varsity and Alhambra theaters. I spent many Saturdays dressed up in my cowboy outfit at the Roy Rogers Club watching movies for 25 cents when I was about 10 or 11.
     “I have an Alhambra story…

     Check out Randy’s unique story and the Alhambra’s Daytona Beach connection that surprised him years ago in this week’s City Beat in the print and online editions of the Decatur Tribune…plus another item about the Roy Rogers Fan Club — and Roy Rogers coming to Decatur.

 

     • FOLLOW-UP — As a follow-up to my editorial at the top of page 3 in this week’s print and online copies of the Decatur Tribune, regarding renewing my driver’s license at the DMV, I was walking into the downtown post office the other day when a gentleman with a backpack, who was shooting photos of the front of the post office building, stopped me as I was on the sidewalk and said “Congratulations!”
     I probably looked a little puzzled about what he was congratulating me for, when he continued…”on renewing your driver’s license!”
     “How did you know?” I asked.
     “I was behind you when you were renewing your license,” he replied.
     “Did you get your license renewed?” I asked.
     “I was getting a Real ID,” he answered.
     He told me his name and we shook hands and went our separate ways.
     Decatur, in many ways on most days, seems like a small community where there’s not much that happens in my life that people aren’t stopping me and talking about it — even a stranger who was at the DMV who congratulated me in front of the downtown post office for getting my driver’s license renewed.

     • WHERE? We have been getting a tremendous amount of feedback from our readers regarding when they receive each edition of the Tribune and, upon checking, some of the routes the USPS uses to deliver the paper are beyond belief!
Last week’s winner was a new subscriber in Wisconsin who wasn’t getting his paper.
     Upon checking postal routing information used in the mailing, it was discovered that his editions of the Tribune, after they left Decatur’s control, were first sent to Spokane, Washington, before being returned to Wisconsin for delivery!!!!
     I about fell out of my chair when I received that news!!! (I may have to start wearing a seat belt and shoulder harness if I receive any more delivery news like that!)

     • PARK BOARD — The Decatur Park Board of Commissioners is welcoming the submission of applications for the unexpired term of Commissioner Bob Brilley II who passed away earlier this month. The unexpired term has approximately eight months remaining and ends with the election cycle of April 2027.
     Check out page 16 of today’s edition for more information.

     • BACK TO SCHOOL? Here we are just past the middle of July and I’ve been getting a lot of “Back To School” information about preparing students to return to the classroom!
     Is it just me, or has this summer moved too quickly? It seems like the time between the end of school and the start of school is a few weeks!

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

     • FOR 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.