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Voice of The Southern: Ups and Downs

Posted: Friday, August 26, 2011 1:00 am

Thumbs up ... let the prep rivalries resume! Today marks the beginning of high school football season. This time of year brings excitement to schools across the region. But it goes deeper than schools. Football pride is something that emanates throughout the individual towns those schools represent. Storefronts are painted, bank signage cheers for the home team, and Friday nights are more like holidays where you get together with your friends and family. So get ready to ring your cowbells and stomp on the bleachers - it's football season!

Thumbs down ... Doesn't the law mean anything? We're tired of area bars and municipalities that do not enforce Illinois' anti-smoking laws. Second-hand smoke is a known carcinogen, and to submit non-smokers to the toxic fumes is both unfair and against the law. While police officers certainly have better things to do than ticket smokers, municipalities could certainly make abiding by the smoking ban part of the conditions of maintaining a liquor license. All city officials would have to do is occasionally stop in a bar or restaurant. It's a pretty safe bet most businesses would abide by the law.

Thumbs down ... It's a doggone shame state budget cuts for education may cut music and art classes in our schools. Cairo Unit School District 1 recently chose to deal with the shortfall with cuts to music, art and elective programs in their elementary and high school. Along with cuts to programs, 10 staff positions were eliminated, according to Superintendent Leotis Swopes. Other districts, such as Marion Unit 2, began the school year millions of dollars in the red. Their finance committee is in the process of reviewing their tentative budget line-by-line looking for items the district might have to do without. Swopes said typically elective programs such as art and music are the first to go when budgets get tight, but those who feel the pain wonder why the ample budgets for school sports aren't touched. Studies have shown artistic and musical ability can be linked to a student's performance in other fields. Depriving Southern Illinois children of art and music programs takes away from their potential development - leaving some kids forever stuck at the starting gate of an unexplored road.

Thumbs up ... Get ready for the world beat! We congratulate the Southern Illinois West African Drum Ensemble and all those who worked to bring two masters of African music to Southern Illinois. Bolokada Conde and Morikeba Kouyate are not only master musicians, but cultural ambassadors. The music they play and stories they tell relay African traditions that date back centuries. The musicians themselves are direct descendents of the founders of important African traditions. Conde's family created the djembe drum, an instrument that is often the workhorse of any drum circle. Kouyate's ancestors have preserved African histories by performing stories orally and on the kora (African harp) since the 13th century. The shows began Thursday with a performance at Hangar 9 in Carbondale, continue Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Yellow Moon Café in Cobden and conclude Sunday with performances at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Fellowship in Carbondale.

Thumbs up ... How 'bout them Miners? Congratulations to the Southern Illinois Miners for clinching their third playoff spot in five years Tuesday night. Not only did the Miners clinch, but they did it in exciting fashion, scoring five runs in the bottom of the ninth. In addition to being good corporate citizens, the Miners have brought quality entertainment to Southern Illinois. Oh, and by the way, the local ball club took the field at Rent One Park Thursday in search of a 12th consecutive home victory. Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all.

Thumbs up ... People familiar with the Grand Ole Opry or the Southern Illinois music scene rightly saluted the long career and many achievements of Billy Grammer, the Benton native who passed away recently. Grammer was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and had a top-10 hit record in the late 1950s with "Gotta Travel On." Grammer, 85, died in his rural Sesser home, but left behind a music legacy that stretches over a half century. He was a regular on "The Jimmy Dean Show" in the 1960s and the manufacturer of the vintage "Grammer guitar," known for its quality craftsmanship and sound. Well done Billy! We were lucky you called Southern Illinois home.

Thumbs down ... Why does this legislative abuse continue? We are referring, of course, to the freewheeling awarding of college scholarships by Illinois legislators. We're not against sending young people to college in exceptional circumstances, need or merit-related. But this program has huge flaws. First, the state simply transfers the costs of the scholarships directly onto the schools. That's not fair. Second, the program has been abused. Just this week, news came out that the Illinois State Board of Education has notified the FBI about college scholarships awarded by a Chicago-area lawmaker under suspicious circumstances. On this one, we agree with Gov. Pat Quinn: Let's scrap the program and let's find a wiser way to help deserving young people.

Thumb's up ... Get ready for deep-fried Twinkies, pork-chop-on-a-stick, taffy, corn dogs, great barbecue and perhaps a cold brew. Today marks the opening of the Du Quoin State Fair. In addition to having one of the best grandstand lineups in recent memory (Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Josh Turner) the fair always provides a steady stream of entertainment at a great price. The fair has a huge impact our region economically. Let's hope for good weather straight until Labor Day night, when the fair closes its annual run.