A Dark Day for the Menard Home

It’s turning into another dark day in Illinois. According to an early story out in the State Journal Register http://www.sj-r.com/news/x599200598/Quinns-budget-has-income-tax-increase-employee-furloughs . Our new Governor who had promised to reopen the parks and historic sites as one of his first acts as governor has found himself, and the state of Illinois in a much larger financial crisis than had been anticipated. With that said the State of the State Address will offer our beloved Menard Home no hope of reopening anytime in the next year, simply because there is no money to run the site or any of the sites that were closed last November. It is disheartening that promises were made and we’ve been holding on to hope all of these months, only to find out that we were once again placed on the back burner.

One good bit of information that will come out of the State of the State Address is the fact the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is being done away with and the historic sites will once again become part of the Department of Natural Resources. The historic sites will be managed and taken care of much better under DNR than the bureaucracy that existed in IHPA.

While all of this might sound like a death nel for the Menard Home we are choosing to look at it merely as an opportunity. An opportunity to work harder with DNR and their people and to bring the Menard Home back to its former glory. That does not mean that we are letting Governor Quinn off the hook. By no means is he going to get off scott free in this. He made us a promise and we expect him to keep his promise. Please feel free to call him, email him or write a letter to him. You will find his address in the left hand column of this Blog. We have to keep the pressure up so that he knows we aren’t going to go away or that we will go quietly into the night.

Tomorrow is the State of the State Address

Tomorrow Governor Quinn will give the State of the State Address and we are hoping to hear something positive out of his speech. Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer or two tonight that somehow Governor Quinn will find a way to reopen the Pierre Menard Home.

Save Illinois History Benefit

1st Annual Benefit Auction

To help Support the French Colonial District of Southern Illinois
* March 14th- Doors open at 6:00, Silent Auction begins at 6:30.
* The Bullpen, 101 N. VanBuren, New Athens, IL 62264 (618)475-8050
* $15 tickets in advance, $20 tickets at the door.
* The Silent Auction will include- Trips, Gifts, Theme-Baskets, Collectibles, & Accoutrements.
* Gun Raffle
* Live Music throughout the evening with special guest-
Invicta Recording Artists-The Rockhills-www.therockhills.com
* Snacks, Draft Beer, and Wine providedAll proceeds go toward Save Illinois History. This non-profit organization was established to raise funds to reopen and sustain The Pierre Menard Home, Cahokia Courthouse, Fort de Chartres, Fort Kaskaskia.