Mayor’s Row…….by Ned Mitchell
The old First Baptist Church next to city park became the latest victim of the wrecker’s ball over the weekend. There is always a certain amount of sadness to see these old buildings go. The M & B Market, Martin Hatchery, Huie Studebaker Garage, Shelton’s Feed Store, Butler’s Hardware, Rozenski’s Grocery, Lackey’s Grocery, Klein’s Grocery, several service stations and many old houses no longer dot the landscape of Sesser. These structures, like all of our residents have played a part in our history for the past 100 years. Each one of them has been woven into the fabric of Sesser and taking on an almost human form, they have lived their life and now they are gone.
It is especially sentimental, or even sad if you will, to see a church go by the wayside. In my lifetime I have witnessed the demolition of the Methodist Church, St. Mary Catholic Church, First Christian Church, and now First Baptist Church. Fortunately all four churches rebuilt and are thriving today in modern buildings. Still it becomes our duty to remember and document these buildings and their history. Churches are places of solitude, places of joy at weddings, christenings, baptisms, changed lives, and at the same time places of sadness as we have to say goodbye to a family member or friend. Even though I was not a member of the First Baptist Church my emotions ran high as I passed within a block of the demolition. Thinking what this church has meant to Sesser through the years gives all of us the opportunity to reflect on our own lives and that of our individual families. Churches are just buildings some say, and that is true, but they also have meaning to each of us as we remember the impact they have on our daily lives.
The First Baptist Church in Sesser was first started on June 6, 1906 and organized by Labon Estes. The church first held services upstairs in a building on Main Street and was admitted to the Franklin Baptist Association in 1906. The construction of the church next to city park was also started in 1906 and completed in 1907. Sesser schools were first started in the First Baptist Church in 1907 for the fall term. This church, as all buildings in Sesser used oil burning lamps for light until 1911 when electricity came to Sesser and changed everyone’s lives. The church was remodeled and expanded in 1943 and again in 1952 and later brick was installed on the exterior walls. We do have pictures of this and other old buildings and houses so that future generations will have the history and story of what we are doing in Sesser today.
Now that I through being sentimental, I will say that Sesser has become the leader in demolition of houses and buildings that have fallen into a state of disrepair to the extent they are no longer useful. Sure, it would be nice to preserve old buildings and houses, but the cost is prohibitive and when they reach a certain point they must be demolished for the general benefit of all of our residents. We hear the compliments from residents of other cities in Franklin County about our aggressive approach to dilapidated buildings. That is not to say we are done for we have much work to do in this area but the past year has been one of the most aggressive campaigns we have ever had. We’re not trying to be difficult, we are trying hard to make Sesser look better and slowly but surely we will get that job done. We thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Has the reformer/unreformer governor in our great state stumbled on to a great idea or is this a campaign ploy for headlines only? I’m talking about the new insurance program proposed by the governor to see to it that all kids in Illinois have medical, dental, pharmacy, and vision care. I agree this program needs to exist and I can see at city hall exactly what the cost of insuring families is doing to our budget. On the surface this appears to be one of the better ideas to come out of this administration and I hold on to the hope that this program will be set up properly and one that will be of actual benefit to the families of Illinois. That said, I have reservations about all the press conferences involving this concept for it appears like a typical campaign bologna sandwich coming out of Chicago. After all, we elected the governor, we pay him, it is his job to put forth such programs. We don’t need posters, brochures, fly around stops, commercials and such. If it is a workable concept, get to work and put it in place. I am sure if the program succeeds, credit due will be justly given to those involved. Of course the question begs to be asked, who is going to pay for this? We all know the answer to that question. And is this a time to expand a medical program when the state is almost 2 billion dollars in arrears to current medical providers? Doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other medical providers are months behind in being paid by the state. Will these same providers agree to take on new patients when they have not been paid in a timely fashion in the past? All of these questions will need answers and the upcoming veto session will be the place for the debate to be held and all questions hopefully answered. It is my hope that this idea will get a full debate and not be one that is brought up and voted on without any thought process. Those who have uninsured kids in this state have been aware of this problem for a long time. It is amusing that the reformer/unreformer must have woken up suddenly and coughed up this idea. I mean, where has this guy been for the last three years? This problem did not just come about last week, it has been around for decades. All the polls show that health care is a priority among voters and I am sure that is why we have seen other kid care, prescription, and flu shot schemes that have all been failures by this administration. I only hope we are not being played again for this idea. It would be so refreshing to see a politician sometime in the future come up with an idea such as this one, quietly go about putting it together, get it up and running, make sure it works, and then tell us about it. Even do it after an election and not just before the upcoming one. What a novel idea. As the experts say the devil is in the details and only time and many press conferences will tell what the true story is here. If it truly provides health care to kids in need and benefits the family structure in Illinois, it will be a huge success and one that those involved at that point in time can take credit for. I truly hope it works for us.
We attended the fall picnic of the Franklin County Historic Preservation Society at the old jail house in Benton last week. About 50 people came out for an outdoor meal with a covered dish and I have to say that President Bob Rea and his board of directors did a great job in putting this together. The evening was a casual one, allowing new friends to be made, a great meal cooked on the grill by Frank Savka, some new historical facts and a tour of the Jail Museum. We enjoyed the time spent and appreciate all the work this group does to preserve our history and to tell our story to those interested.
It is with sadness that I note the passing of Benton resident Sue Stotlar. I first came to know Sue in the early 1970’s when I worked at the Benton Evening News. To those who did not know her, the artist that she was comes to mind first. To those who did know her, she was a mother, wife, grandmother, business woman and special friend to many. Sure, her artistic work will be around for decades to come as she was truly a great artist, but her real claim to fame is the wonderful person she was to so many. I have not seen or talked to Sue for a long time, but the impression that I have of her as a mother, wife, grandmother and friend to many is how I will remember Sue. We were not close friends by any means, but my limited involvement in early newspaper life saw our paths crossed a few times and she made a lasting impression on me that I still remember as though it were yesterday even though that was 35 years ago.
If you need us, give us a call at 625-3611, 625-5322, or 625-5788 or write to me at nedmitchell@verizon.net or www.sesser.org . I look forward to hearing from you!
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