Evergreen Cemetery tour to return this year
<span>CHESTER -- The Evergreen Cemetery Comes Alive event will return this year as the Chester Tourism Commission unanimously voted to bring back the program during its meeting on Wednesday.</span>
<span>The event is a guided walking tour of the cemetery with actors portraying people from Chester's past who are interned in the cemetery. As an added bonus, a self-guided walking tour can be taken concurrent with the guided tour.</span>
<span>"I think it was fabulous, but I don't think we advertised it right," said Commission Chairwoman Sandra Starr.</span>
<span>A total of 13 characters were featured during the 2014 version, including Shadrach Bond (Illinois' first governor), Dora "Olive" Paskel (Model for Thimble Theatre character Olive Oyl) and Col. Richard B. Servant (Chester's first mayor).</span>
<span>Each actor, who was dressed in period attire, gave a short speech to tour groups on who they were and what their historical connection to Chester was. A date of October 18 was tentatively set for this year's version, with a time to be announced.</span>
<span>"It's hard to pick a date and avoid everything else," said Commission member Betty Wagner.</span>
<span>Event Coordinator Lauren Rinne said she has been contacted by Jane Kruse on behalf of the Friends of Steeleville Public Library, which is looking at conducting a similarly-themed event in Steeleville.</span>
<span>"They are postponing choosing their dates until we set ours," Rinne said.</span>
<span>Starr also reported on the progress the Commission and Chester Public Library Administrator Tammy Grah have made on the project to host a traveling exhibit as part of the Illinois Humanities Council's Museum on Main Street program.</span>
<span>The exhibit is "Water: Resource for Life" and applications to host the six-week exhibit are due April 17. The Commission approved examining the joint venture with the library at its February meeting.</span>
<span>According to the Illinois Humanities Council's website, if Chester is selected as one of the six hosts sites, the city would be part of a tour of the exhibit that would begin in late May 2016 and run through mid-March 2017.</span>
<span>"If the grant is given to us, we'll go ahead and go for it," Starr said. "Chester seems to be a natural with us on the Mississippi (River)."</span>
<span>The next meeting between the Commission and library representatives is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. Starr also said the hosting application states the Illinois Humanities Council pays for all costs except shipping the displays.</span>
<span>"We don't know if that's a truckload or what that will cost," she said.</span>
<span>In other action, the Commission set two dates for events at the Cohen Home - May 31 and December 13. The December event will take the place of the annual Christmas Dinner and was said to be a "festive-type event."</span>
<span>Chester Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Linda Sympson, who is a member of the Commission, said her subcommittee is checking with City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover regarding the possibility of a one-day liquor license.</span>
<span>"As a city commission, it is not allowed to sell alcohol," she said, later suggesting that Benson's Wine Bar could sponsor the events and then give a donation back to the Commission.</span>
<span>In other Commission news, it was announced that Shakespeare in the Park will return to Cole Memorial Park in May. An exact date has not yet been released.</span>
<span>"Over 100 people attended last year," Sympson said.</span>
<span>Treasurer Linda Rader reported the Commission did not have any bills last month. Its account balance remains at $6,880.40 with $143.44 in petty cash.</span>
<span>The next meeting of the Chester Tourism Commission is scheduled for April 15 at 10:30 a.m. It is open to the public.</span>
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