Our Association has received the somber news that our dear friend - and a dear friend of Route 66 - Lenore Weiss, passed away this morning.

We received the following notification via Kathy Miller today which we now share:

This message is to inform all who knew and loved Lenore Weiss that she passed away on February 22, 2010. Her battle with cancer is now over.

Breaking News!

Our thanks to Kathy Miller for the following announcement...

The Riviera Roadhouse in Gardner, IL will reopen for business this weekend (December 12 and 13, 2009).  Everyone's favorite waitress Becky who has been serving you for 26 years will be on staff.  Managing and cooking the Riviera is the same cook for the last 29 years. 
 
They will be open New Year's Ever serving thier famous BBQ Ribs, make your reservation soon!

Submitted by Kathy Miller

Nominations into the Route 66 Hall of Fame will be accepted for consideration between January 1 and February 28, 2010. Nominations post marked after the deadline date shall be held for consideration in the following year.

To qualify for election into the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 while it was an official United States highway in the State of Illinois. (1927/ 1977)

The Hall of Fame is located in Pontiac, IL at the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame Museum. The Hall of Fame Museum is one the most visited attractions on all of Route 66 in Illinois with visitors from all over the world.

The Hall of Fame honors those people and businesses whose careers or experiences along the road helped give it such special flavor in this state. Its 80 plus members include truck drivers, waitresses, farmers, police officers, many mom-and-pop businesses, a ballroom, a movie palace, a drive in theater and the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

The committee invites anyone to submit a nomination. It must include a fact-based essay about the nominee’s contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 while it was an official United States highway in the State (1927/ 1977). Photos, news clips and other memorabilia are welcome to accompany the essay but are not required. A panel of historians and Hall of Fame members will judge all nominations.

Please submit nominations and all accompanying materials to:

The Route 66 Association of Illinois, Attn: Hall of Fame Committee
110 West Howard Street
Pontiac, IL 61724.

Nominations may be also sent by e-mail to Kathleen708@hotmail.com Please put Hall of Fame in the subject line of the e-mail. All photo attachments must be JPG files and all nomination submissions should be in Microsoft Word documents.

All nominations and accompanying materials submitted will become the property of the Route 66 Association of Illinois and will not be returned. They may be used in advertisements and/or publications and included into the Hall of Fame Museum. The Hall of Fame induction celebration honoring new and existing members will take place on June 12, 2010 in Carlinville, IL at the Annual Hall of Fame Banquet, as part of the Association’s “We are Family” Annual Motor Tour.

Bob Waldmire's Last Art Show - Springfield, IL

Sunday, November 22, 2009

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Cozy Dog Drive In
2935 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL

"Come as you are. Leave different."

Our Lady of the Highways 50th Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Our Lady of the Highways Shrine
West Frontage Road (Old Route 66)
Raymond, IL

2:30 PM Rosary
3:00 PM Mass
4:00 PM Rededication of the Shrine with a light meal to follow

Route 66 Association of Illinois member Emily Stork has created a Facebook page with information about the celebration. She invites everyone to attend this special event.

Click here to visit Emily's Facebook page detailing the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Our Lady of the Highways Shrine.

It is with a sense of great pride and thankfulness that we announce our Route 66 Association of Illinois 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees!

Here is the list of those people and places we honor this year for their contributions to the Mother Road:

The Crossroads Diner, Mt. Olive

Location

Located along Historic Route 66 in the panhandle of Montgomery County, Illinois, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Highways has watched over travelers along the Mother Road and Interstate 55 since the late 1950's. While much of the pavement of Route 66 has been returned to the fields of rural Central Illinois, the Shrine remains as a testament to the weary traveler and Mother Mary's guidance and protection over the highway and her travelers.

The Carrara Marble Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes from Italy was originally constructed as a high school project. It is inscribed "Mary, Loving Mother of Jesus, Protect us on the Highway". Also along the road from this site is a trail of Burma Shave type signs of the Hail Mary.

Location

Ernie Edwards and his wife, Fran, owned and operated the Pig Hip Restaurant until 1994. Unfortunately, The Pig Hip burned down in 2007.

Each year a new group of Route 66 Superstars are considered for induction into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame.

Nominations received after the submission deadline each year will be considered for induction next year, as will nominations reviewed this year but not chosen.

Nominate that special someone you know who has significantly contributed to the character and history of Route 66 in Illinois while it was an official US Highway between 1926 and 1977.

Please submit nominations and related documentation to:

Route 66 Association of Illinois
Attn: Hall of Fame Committee
110 Howard St.
Pontiac, Il 61764

Nominations to the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of fame are being accepted for consideration January 1 through February 28, 2009.