About Feeling Grateful

(Fieldon, IL) Mark Angel holds the only thing he found that was usable the morning after his home burned on November 13, 2012 in rural Jersey county Illinois.  The CD with kindergarten images of his son who is now in fifth grade was found in a case and covered with water and debris.  The gloves and jacket he is wearing are borrowed as everything the family owned was destroyed in the fire that kept restarting and kept the local volunteer fire department busy most of the night.

I live in a very rural part of southern Illinois.  It's a great place to live in many ways except that some of the things many take for granted by living in a metropolitan area are lacking in the rural parts of this country.  Fire protection is an issue.  Not only is fire protection an issue, but access to water so that a fire can be extinguished is an issue as well.

While out shopping for new basketball shoes for his son, Mark Angel received a call that his house was fully engulfed in flames.  Someone driving by the house saw the fire and called it in to the authorities, but the result was a total loss of everything the family owned.  If you have never seen what a house fire is capable of, no words, photos or videos can fully describe the aftermath.

It's really no different that what hurricane Sandy did to many along the eastern US coast several weeks ago except that everything is either melted or burned beyond recognition, not washed away.

(Fieldon, IL)  Homeowner Mark Angel talks to an Illinois State Fire Marshal investigator as two of the volunteer firefighters that responded the the fire that destroyed his home the evening before look on. 

With Thanksgiving upon us, we all need to be grateful.  Mark was grateful to at least have one CD of photos of his son. Considering he lives less than one mile from me, I know I have many reasons to feel grateful.

Last Picture Show - The Sequel

What once wasn't.. now is again!

The Stadium Theater in Jerseyville IL is reopening after being closed by AMC.  After a huge public outcry, AMC negotiated a reasonable sale price to the new owner and after many renovations is open for business again.

(Jerseyville, IL) The once shuttered Stadium Theater is now reopen after extensive renovations.  The theater was closed by AMC last year and after a huge public outcry and show of commnuity support it was purchased and renovated by a local independent theater chain operator.

(Jerseyville, IL) Stadium Theater owner Steve Dougherty stands in the doorway of his newly renovated facility during an open house held to show off the renovations the night be fore the theater officially opens.  The theater has been upgraded to digital projection, surround sound and 3-D capability.

Opening night photos coming soon.

http://www.thestadiumtheatre.com/

The Rural Landscape

(Greene County, IL) An abandoned farmhouse that was once occupied by generations of farmers now sits in disrepair awaiting whatever vandalism comes its way.  Someone has removed the toilet and left it on what was one the front porch as trees start to overtake the structure.  There are no remaining glass panes anywhere to be found and the doors have all been removed or damaged.

If you escape suburbia and drive through the countryside,  you see the hard evidence of what is happening to much of rural America.  Once vibrant small towns are struggling to maintain themselves or have disappeared completely.  In the general vicinity where this image was made there are many named locations on maps that do not have any structures remaining.