Tourism Commission discusses cemetery tour
<span>On the heels of the successful Evergreen Cemetery Comes Alive tour, the Chester Tourism Commission met at Chester City Hall last Wednesday to discuss the event and other items on its monthly agenda.</span>
<span>"Everybody I've talked to has had positive things to say," said Event Coordinator Lauren Rinne during the meeting. "I've had people come up to me and say they can't wait to take it again."</span>
<span>The commission is discussing whether to make the cemetery tour an every-other-year event, or do it annually. Some type of fall event would replace the tour on the years it would not take place.</span>
<span>Other options discussed including expanding the event to an actual "tour" by having it at different cemeteries every year. No official action was taken.</span>
<span>This year's tour featured 18 actors portraying people buried at Evergreen Cemetery, including Chester's first mayor (Col. Richard B. Servant), the first governor of Illinois (Shadrach Bond), Illinois' first Secretary of State (Elias Kent Kane) and other significant persons.</span>
<span>"I think everybody did a good job," Rinne said.</span>
<span>Rinne said the tour drew 111 visitors, nearly double last year's inaugural event, and raised $564.80 toward renovations of the Stone Cottage.</span>
<span>The commissioners voted to place a "thank you" advertisement in the Herald Tribune, not to exceed $100, thanking the actors for their time. Individual thank you notes will also be sent out.</span>
<span>Chester Recreation Director Patti Carter gave an update on the riverboat tours, which are done for the season.</span>
<span>"We're looking for people to volunteer to help us out," she said. "We were struggling this last time and we need a backup plan."</span>
<span>Carter said Shore Excursions of America, which operates as the exclusive shore excursions department of the American Queen Steamboat Company, has asked for a meeting with local officials to review tour procedures.</span>
<span>"We all have to be on the same page and that page has to agree with Shore Excursions," Carter said.</span>
<span>Carter also reported on the Christmas Walk, scheduled for Dec. 4-6 with the theme of "It's a Charlie Brown Christmas." She said there are plans for a Santa House at Cole Memorial Park and some money has been donated toward Christmas lighting.</span>
<span>Commission Secretary Brenda Owen reported Christmas decorations have been purchased for the Stone Cottage and extra tiles from the recent Randolph County Museum roof project have been stored in the building's basement for the time being.</span>
<span>Rinne mentioned that Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) members are going to repaint the porch at the Pierre Menard Home and the topic of the commission contributing to projects outside city limits was again discussed.</span>
<span>Carter said discussions with Chester City Council members have given her the impression that the council would prefer the commission focus on Chester sites.</span>
<span>"I'd say we get serious about the National Historic Registry," Owen said. "We have at least 20 properties that have been preliminarily approved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.</span>
<span>"That will bring people to Chester because people would want to see them."</span>
<span>The commission later discussed conducting some sort of event on the riverfront and asking the Chester Beautification Commission for assistance.</span>
Roundup
<span>The Commission's Treasurer Report showed a balance of $7,169.95 in the bank, with $128.88 in petty cash.</span>
<span>The next meeting of the Chester Tourism Commission is scheduled for Nov. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall. It is open to the public.</span>
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