Thursday July 7, 2016 Vol. 4, No. 19
The Weekly Post “We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion”
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Serving the fine communities of Brimfield, Dahinda, Duncan, Edwards, Elmwood, Farmington, Kickapoo, Laura, Monica, Oak Hill, Princeville, Williamsfield and Yates City
New Internet provider makes pitch to Brimfield
also helms the Adams communications companies, which started BRIMFIELD – If you’re interwith Adams Telephone Cooperaested in high-speed Internet, look tive in 1952, and serves the area for a survey in the mail this week. around Quincy.) After hearing from a local comAt present, 14 smaller communipany which is extending ties are part of its netfiber connections from work and MidCentury Inside communities from Altona has divided the relaFarmington’s to Yates City, the Brimtively-large town of Cancity council field Village Board figton into smaller approved a ured you might like to “fiberhoods.” Since exloan for its weigh in. tending fiber service is streetscaping “I would encourage you project. Page 9. expensive – an estimated to proceed,” president $250,000 to $500,000 for Dan Fishel told MidCentury Com- Brimfield – the company checks munications CEO Jim Broemmer for potential customers via survey. Jr. at Tuesday’s meeting. “but it’s “To justify putting that in, we’ve the board’s decision.” got to have enough interest,” The more trustees heard, the Broemmer said. more intrigued they became. Glancing through a fact sheet, Broemmer said MidCentury trustee and small business owner plans to expand its communicaPaul Dye had a question: Is Midtions network in this region. (He Continued on Page 7
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POP OF THE MORNING
By TERRY BIBO For The Weekly Post
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Mitch Bowman has found enjoyment in his Pop of the Morning popcorn business, operated out of his Oak Run home. Photos by Bill Knight.
Popping up pleasure
Oak Run man finds popcorn business is ‘fun’ By BILL KNIGHT
DAHINDA — There’s an old saying, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,” and Mitch Bowman is proof. The 61-year-old Oak Run resident tried the traditional career path, once working for 11 years at Walgreen’s in Galesburg, where he learned about customer service in retail. “Customers can beat you to death,” he says. “It’s a grind. They can wear you out.” Customers – or maybe a lack of them – wore out the store Bowman enjoyed patronizing. “I always loved the Karmelkorn Shoppe in Sandburg Mall,” he says. “When they went out of business, I really missed them. Then about three years ago my wife and I were on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and we noticed people lined up at Garrett Popcorn Shop. “She bought some popcorn there and I got intrigued with the idea of doing popcorn because Galesburg didn’t have a popcorn shop any more, and I thought, ‘I can do this. There’s a market for it, even though it’s not huge.’ And I needed to find a fun thing to do.” For The Weekly Post
The view of Monday’s fireworks in Elmwood from atop a downtown building was not completely clear, but did offer some unique backdrops for the Ag-Land FS elevators in town. Photo by Jeff Lampe. More Independence Day pictures, Page 12.
Now, in a wooded lot on the north side of Oak Run, where the Bowmans have lived since 1999, he hand-pops popcorn, hand-makes different flavors, and handdelivers various quantities to customers throughout west-central Illinois. It’s the Pop of the Morning Popcorn Shop. Bowman is as upbeat as the caricature of a popcorn box on his packages, which smiles as he tips his cap. “I have all kinds of cheeses,” he says of Continued on Page 2