County set to ring in milestone year
Bells ranging from church bells to small ceramic and metal cow bells will clang, clack and chime in unison across Monroe County to announce the start of Bicentennial observances taking place on Jan. 1.
The county is hosting a special “Ringing in the New Year” celebration at noon on New Year’s Day. The bell-ringings will be the first of many events taking place all year long to remember the county’s history and heritage on the 200th anniversary of its founding.
Bicentennial co-chairs Dennis Knobloch and Mike Kovarik are both urging county residents to come early to facilitate parking and to get ready, saying 11:30 a.m. should be the planned arrival time at all seven locations.
Residents are also invited to bring family-significant bells, and a modest number of ceramic and metal cow bells will be on hand for early arrivals.
“Ringing in the New Year” celebrations will be conducted at precisely noon, at the following locations, in addition to ringings by churches across the county:
• Waterloo — at the courthouse bandstand.
• Columbia — at City Hall, with refreshments at Miller-Fiege House to follow.
• Hecker — at Hecker Community Center, with refreshments to follow.
• Maeystown — at the intersection of Mill and Main streets, with refreshments to follow at Corner George Inn, plus more ringing at the nearby creek for the Polar Bear Plunge.
• Valmeyer — at Village Hall, with refreshments to follow.
• Fults — at St. John’s Church.
• Renault — at Freeda’s Tavern.
An official Bicentennial poster will be at each location for everyone to sign as part of a recording of history. The posters will be added to items to go into a post-Bicentennial time capsule. So show up, ring loudly and be part of history!
New information about Bicentennial events appears almost daily on Facebook at: Monroe County, Illinois Bicentennial 1816-2016.
A “Bicentennial Birthday Bash” takes place Saturday, Jan. 16, at Hecker Community Center. The event runs from 5 p.m. to midnight and will feature music from the Waterloo German Band and Butch’s Polka Kings.
