Rambling through central Illinois, pondering flying cars.
Work hard and good things will happen has always struck me as a good motto. The longer I live, the more I wonder if it’s true. Still, it has been nice to hear tributes to Reid Larson, who on Dec. 2 will retire after working hard and running Reid’s Mobil in Kickapoo since 1977. In an email, Reid’s customer Charles Bush praised Larson as “a throwback to the previous days of ‘service stations’” and wrote “he might drive you home after dropping off the car for service and return it to your driveway when the work was done.” I see similar behaviors from other local garages – one of many nice things about small towns, where customer service still matters.
I almost fell out of my chair reading that the Elmwood school district responded to an increase in equalized assessed value by cutting the tax rate. While the cut is fairly small, the symbolism is not. Reducing taxes resonates with a sizable segment of the population – particularly when there’s no reduction in services (although that is going to be necessary very soon for much of our state). Because the EAV is increasing for Elmwood, the schools are not out anything by shaving 1.4 cents off the tax rate. I wonder if other districts, many also seeing an EAV increase, will follow suit? … Elmwood’s Morrison & Mary Wiley Library is open for pick-up services only. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 1-5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays (starting Dec. 5) 10 am, to noon. Call to let librarians know the items you want at (309) 742-2431. … Got free time at work? Visit covid-dashboard.fsm.northwestern.edu to check COVID-19 trends by Illinois zip code. As you do, ask yourself, why on Nov. 6 did the state start counting “probable cases” along with “actual cases” – a decision that has no doubt increased positivity rates?
This is how weekends go. Pack as much as possible into Saturday and Sunday. Live life. Plant trees. Hunt. Fish. Go to sports events. Go to mass. Eat meals with family. Smile. Laugh. Savor. Then, full of life, head to the office and mourn the dead. Sunday is obit night and, for me, most obituaries strike a chord. By the end of Sunday, after a few glasses of Jim Beam, I head into Monday grouchy and lamenting the loss of friends I barely knew, but suddenly miss. We are so mortal. Every Sunday makes it more clear. Such is life in the obit department. … Parting shot: Where would you rather live? In a community that announces, periodically, that it has cut taxes? Or in a community that announces every year that taxes are increasing? I really believe there is a positive public relations spin to be put on tax breaks for residents. It’s a shame too few politicians agree.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
