Rambling through central Illinois, amazed at how much misery February can pack into its few days.
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There is reason for optimism as this week draws to an end, bitterly cold though it was and full of political upheavals that have some smiling and others grimacing.
In this ode to hope, we start with ex-Hanna City Mayor Fred Winterroth, whose dogged 20-year pursuit of a 25-mile rails-to-trails conversion is still alive.
“The only thing I can verify is that I have not given up on it,” Winterroth said Tuesday. “The communities and government agencies are not involved anymore. If it were to be done, it would be more of a private-donation-type situation.”
Unconfirmed word on the street is that a private donor has emerged to foot the bill for a purchase of the abandoned rail corridor that runs form Bellevue, past Hanna City and Farmington and into Fulton County. Efforts to use government funding to create a hiking and biking trail on the former railway bed ended in 2022, when bureaucratic obstacles proved too large to overcome.
A private donor could be a better solution, though a sticking point is whether Union Pacific will sell the former railway.
“We have reached out to the railroad … and at this time they have not even returned our calls,” Winterroth said. “But I still think it is a very viable project and would be a great asset to all of our communities if we could get it finished.”
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More hope comes from the extended weather report, which shows a weakening of winter’s grasp. Yes, hope is a dangerous thing, as Red noted in Shawshank State Prison. But at no time is hope better rewarded than in the inevitablity of spring. … Consider also, the Cubs and Cardinals are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, the Bears new coach has not yet proven indadequate and the glory of March Madness still awaits. … Plus, the fine folks at Kelly Seed in Peoria report that costs of grass seed are down significantly. This is the year to reseed your lawn.
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You need more cause for hope? Acorns emerged from their slumber in the refrigerator and now rest on a bed of moist peat moss in our office window. A few came out with roots already formed. Most looked no different than when they went into cold storage last fall. Ahh, but given just 24 hours in our south-facing windows, those drab acorns and chestnuts started hatching, with new roots emerging daily. More will sprout over the weeks ahead, filling pots with tiny saplings that – once transplanted – will most likely be devoured by deer and rabbits. That’s a worry for another time. Today the miracle of germination is what matters. Let the hourly checking and rechecking of nuts commence. … Our acorn stash this year was much smaller than usual, though still larger than some in the family anticipated. Running a refrigerator all winter just to hatch nuts seems excessive, some family members claim. “What are we to do?” I ask. We can’t turn our backs on the generosity of readers who last fall brought us pecans, hickories, chestnuts and oaks. Instead we thank those readers, as does Ameren. … Parting shot: What gesture is more hopeful than that of Mary Case of Elmwood, who Tuesday was wearing shorts under a Farmers State Bank sign flashing a temperature reading of 3 degrees. Here’s hoping Mary knows more than Punxsutawney Phil, the bucktoothed rodent who called for six more weeks of winter.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
