Bicentennial East St. Louis Heritage Festival logo

East St. Louis Heritage Festival to focus on state bicentennial

The East St. Louis Heritage Festival — a free, family-friendly event “that will look back at the rich history of the city with an eye toward the future”  —  is set for Aug. 26, noon to 5 p.m., at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, according to a joint announcement from the City of East St. Louis, Governor’s Office of the Illinois Bicentennial and Ameren Illinois.

Though part of the statewide bicentennial celebration for first Illinois Constitution, signed in Kaskaskia, the festival will spotlight both East St. Louis history —through a series of exhibits seldom featured at a public event — and a showcase of proposals for redevelopment of the city, according to Charlotte Ottley, Heritage Festival coordinator.

Renderings of various projects proposed by developers around the city will be on display with Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks providing additional information.

In addition to exhibits, the festival will offer live entertainment with a tribute to Miles Davis by the Bosman Twins, demonstrations, photo booth, marketplace vendors, a Children’s Village, “Church Row” hosted by Sparkman’s Magazine, and a “Champions Corner,” hosted by Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

An interactive “Legacy Wall” will allow past and present East St. Louis residents to trace where their families have moved throughout, according to sponsor I AM EST Magazine. The NAACP will offer a “political soapbox.” with the.

A “Health Unit” will be offered by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis in conjunction with BJC HealthCare/Belleville Memorial Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

An “East St. Louis Love Legacy Exhibit,” by East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene B. Redmond, will provide an interactive ensemble of collages, murals, mosaics, quilts, pillows, newspapers, magazines, album covers, book covers, photographs, narrative timelines, superimpositions, sculptures, paintings and other memorabilia.

Organizers hope the festival will provide a sort of homecoming for the city.

“When people from East St. Louis meet any place in the world an instant bond is formed based on familiar memories,” notes Mayor Jackson-Hicks. “The conversation begins with ‘where do you live or go to church?’ Once East St. Louis is the answer the love pours out with laughter and hugs. The next question is ‘what’s your family name?’ After that the bond is formed and the memories flow. We know the festival will rekindle many fond memories.”

Ameren Illinois is the presenting sponsor for the event.

Illinois became the 21st state in the union on Dec. 3, 1818. Additional information on bicentennial events can be found at Illinois200.com, by following Illinois 200 on Facebook and Twitter, or by using the hashtag #IllinoisProud.

Delta Dental donates to SIU School of Dental Medicine

The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation has given $1 million to the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) to annually serve hundreds of additional southern Illinois children.

“Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation believe every Illinois child deserves a healthy smile and good oral health,” said Bernie Glossy, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. “Oral health is integral to overall health, and it’s staggering how many children in Illinois have untreated tooth decay, especially when you consider it’s largely preventable.”

The goal is to significantly decrease the wait time for patient treatment by creating state-of-the-art ambulatory centers focused on children’s oral health needs. The centers will feature procedure rooms specifically designed for children with innovative equipment such as cone beam CT, a special kind of X-ray, and new sedation suites.

“This gift will enable us to treat some of the most vulnerable patients in our state,” said SIU SDM Dean Bruce Rotter, DMD. “The support of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation will help us more effectively manage the treatment of the hundreds of patients seen through the Special Needs Dental Care Program each year. With the new ambulatory center and this new ability to administer general anesthesia to treat pediatric patients with complex dental care needs, we will be able to significantly expand our overall capacity and provide better care to these children.”

According to the recent statewide oral health assessment report “Oral Health in Illinois,” poor oral health is one of the most pressing, unmet health care issues facing Illinois children today.

The report found that one-third of Illinois children in rural areas have untreated tooth decay, and that Illinois children living in poverty are five times more likely to have fair or poor oral health.

Bicentennial radio series premiers in Alton

Illinois Humanities is inviting residents of Alton and surrounding communities to a free live taping of “Illinois Turns 200,” a bicentennial podcast series, on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the National Great Rivers Museum, 2 Locks and Dam Way.

“Illinois Turns 200” looks at the past, present, and potential futures of seven Illinois communities that arose along rivers, railroads, and significant roads and tells their stories through live interviews, dramatic readings, archival material, and musical performances.

The seven-part series is going be available for broadcast to National Public Radio affiliates across Illinois and on the internet for downloading.

The Alton program will be first in series.

The program will feature Dr. Charlie Blake recounting the capture of a bull shark in the Mississippi in 1937; Brad Winn on one of the earliest civilizations in North America; Sara McGibany and Alex St. Cin on Lighthouse Sounds and the revitalization of Downtown Alton; Liz Burns and Greg Cash on the very first soybean planted in Illinois; and J. Eric Robinson and Charlotte Johnson on how greater knowledge of the history of the Underground Railroad and the Rocky Fork settlement could help shape the region’s future.

Chris Vallillo, Dennis Stroughmatt, and Brenda Lancaster will perform music capturing the culture of Alton. Actor Randy Duncan, as Abraham Lincoln, will offer thoughts on the city.

Refreshments are provided after the program.

“Illinois Turns 200” represents a partnership among Illinois Humanities, the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, Lewis and Clark Community College, National Great Rivers Museum, and Alton Main Street. The podcast series is supported by State Farm Insurance and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

King Bridge to close for one year on Aug. 27

All four lanes of the Martin Luther King Bridge will be closed for one-year, starting Aug. 27, according to The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The King Bridge is being closed to allow demolition and replacement of a small span on a road connecting the bridge with Interstate 55/64 in East St. Louis.

The work will also require the closing of southbound/westbound I-55/64 during four as yet unspecified weekends over the next 12 months, as well as and some nighttime lane shutdowns, according to IDOT.

–Metro East News Briefs–