Mayor’s Row…..by Ned Mitchell

          The cell phone rang out Saturday morning at 10:30 just as I had entered the Vintage Unique store on Sesser’s Main Street to do some last minute Mother’s Day shopping.  Glancing around looking for that just right and unique gift I fielded the call from Gov. Pat Quinn’s office.  On the other end of the conversation was old friend Carolyn Hodge Brown and she immediately asked if Sesser had been hit by the storm during the night and if we needed any help.  Brown grew up in the Carmi area and she knows our needs as well as anyone.  It was good to hear her voice, the concern she had, and to know that Gov. Quinn was offering to help.

          I could not help but think of the times that we have had violent storms during my 31 year stint as Mayor and nobody but nobody bothered to call and inquire if we needed anything.  I explained to Brown that Sesser and actually most of the northern parts of Franklin County had been spared the wrath of Mother Nature this time and that I appreciated the Governor and his staff offering a helping hand.  If you missed meeting Gov. Quinn in Sesser recently you missed an opportunity.  The new Pat Quinn is the same as the old Pat Quinn and to those of us who value public service we can appreciate that in an elected official.  What you see is what you get!

          Speaking of the storms that hit I have some comments about that too.  The evening of the storm the Mitchell family headed to Benton to visit mom.  After the visit we decided to head out to Rural King and Wal Mart.  That was a huge mistake!  Traffic was slow moving even as we came in from the north behind the Benton airport.  Rural King was not bad although I noticed a lot of people in the store which seemed strange at that hour.  Venturing over to Wal-Mart our first clue should have been the fact that the parking lot was full but we thought as fine tuned as that operation is it would be no problem.

          Once in the store we latched on to one of the few remaining carts and set out to pick up about 4 items.  An hour later we discovered that Wal-Mart was sold out of ice, batteries, candles, lamp oil, even potato salad for some strange reason.  As we stood in line for what seemed like forever we discovered that folks from all points south that were out of food, shelter, and necessary items had all came to Benton to shop as it was about the only store open in the area.

          To say that it was nearly a riot is the understatement of the day.  People were making obscene gestures in the parking lot trying to park and get in the store.  Folks were racing through the aisles looking for lamp oil and candles.  Forget about buying a “D” battery anywhere in the area!  So my simple observation is that if we ever have an experience like 9/11 in New York, I don’t think we are ready for it in any shape, form, or fashion.  That includes me as once I got home and discovered that not a one of my dozen or so flashlights would work!

          Sesser has a unique opportunity coming up June 2 at the Rent One Ballpark which is home to the Southern Illinois Miner’s baseball team.  Our area Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with the Miner’s to sponsor a Sesser Day at the ballpark.  The festivities will include a lot of Sesser folks and our town will be showcased that night.  We have a lot of involvement from the community and we have sold over 500 advance tickets.  The Sesser Chamber will get one half the proceeds of the ticket sales so it is an opportunity for us to raise some much needed cash as well as introduce Sesser to some folks who may not know much about us.  There will even be a surprise throwing out of the first pitch.  I am told that the person with that honor claims to have had a 92 MPH fast ball in a previous life!  We’ll see if this is still the case!  If you would like to attend and support Sesser contact any chamber member.

          Things are starting to take off full blast in Sesser as we are ending up the season for the Opera House Company as they prepare to do their last show of the season.  The Company will perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s H. M. S. Pinafore on June 4th, 5th, and 6th at 7:00 pm and on Sunday the 7th at 2:00 pm.  This is a really funny show that will appeal to not only Gilbert and Sullivan fans but the general public as well.  It features a full orchestra in the Opera House pit and will find performers from all over Southern Illinois.  We continue to attract performers from new parts of Southern Illinois as well as welcome back veteran performers from previous shows.

          Even though the performers are working on their lines and musicians on their music, there is still plenty to do in the theater.  We are always looking for volunteers to help with costumes, make up, and set construction so if you have a particular interest let us know.

          We are saddened to report the passing of Sesserite Lorene Vaughn.  Lorene was a former neighbor when I lived on the West side of town.  She was a fixture at Blake Burton’s Café for many years and was a good neighbor.  She went to work, adored her family, and kept to herself, never complaining about the difficulties she had in life.  We can learn a lot about life from folks right next door sometimes if we take the time to look around.  Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Lorene.