Threshermen’s opening event reaching to its past

The 25th Threshermen’s Bluegrass Festival opens Thursday in Pontiac. (WJBC file photo)

By Cynthia Grau

PONTIAC – The 25th annual Threshermen’s Bluegrass Festival begins with an open mic night Thursday, and as announced last year, this may be its last year if nobody steps forward to take over.

Emcee Mark Osmand said knowing this year was probably going to be its last year, they decided to reach back to the early years of the event.

“We wanted to find how many of the original bands that were here that first year that we could get back,” Osmand said. “We were able to get three.”

For times, bands and other information, visit the calendar of events at pontiacchamber.org.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…