The Annual Officers and Board Members election will take place at the Fall 2020 General meeting, Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 1:00 PM.

Meeting Location:
The Pontiac City Hall Annex
115 W. Howard
Pontiac, IL. 61714

The following Officers and Board Members will be voted on to serve the 2020-2022 term:

Officers:
Vice-President and Treasurer (two-year terms)
County Board Members:
Dupage, Grundy, Livingston, Madison, McLean, and Sangamon (two-year terms)
Two At-Large Board Members (two-year terms)
The following County Board Members will be voted on to serve the vacant 2019-2021 term:
Macoupin, Montgomery, and St. Clair (to complete vacancies – one-year terms)

To be eligible to vote, you must be recorded as dues paid in full in the association records by August 19, 2020 as described in ARTICLE III: Membership and Dues section G. VOTING: of the Association By-Laws.

ARTICLE III:
G. VOTING
Persons may choose membership in more than one category but shall be permitted one vote per matter. In case of Family memberships, those family members EACH RECEIVE one vote per matter. Each family member must be present to cast their individual vote, maximum of two votes per Family membership.

To be eligible to vote, each voting member new and renewing must have their dues recorded as paid in full in the association records by the membership chairman one-month prior to elections.

Your donation to our Association helps support our efforts to preserve, promote, educate and enjoy Route 66 in Illinois. We are an all-volunteer organization; 100% of donations are allocated to preservation efforts along the Mother Road in Illinois (never to administrative or housekeeping expenses). We thank you for your generous donation toward maintaining our nostalgic slice of Americana.

Please click below to be directed to PayPal where you can make a donation whether you have a PayPal account or not (you may pay by credit card).

We are saddened to report the loss of a dear friend of the Association.

Martin Joseph Bilecki Sr., 86, of Morris, passed away Monday, June 29, 2020 in LaSalle County, Illinois. He was born July 4, 1933 in Chicago, IL, the son of the late Albert and Marie (Rzepnicki) Bilecki. Marty proudly served his country as a Military Policeman with the United States Army, stationed in Germany from 1953-55. He married Geraldine Miller on May 19, 1957. After his honorable discharge from the Army, he became a police officer with the Chicago Police Department in 1957, retiring from CPD in 1986. He then went on to serve as Chief of Police in the Silver Lake, Wisconsin Police Department in 1986, retiring in 1991. Martin was a long-time member and President of the Polish American Police Association (PAPA). He was an avid lover of 50’s music, classic cars and Route 66. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine; children: Mary Ellen (Jim) Naumczik, Margaret (Steve) Pawlowski, Michael (Joanne) Bilecki; grandchildren: Jeremy and Emily Bilecki. He was a loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Martin is preceded in death by his parents; son, Martin J. Bilecki, Jr.; siblings: Alphonse (Joan) Bilecki, Retired CPD; Sr. Lydia Bilecki, SSJ, and Jean (Ronald) Fiala. Private services will be held for Marty with military honors held outside the funeral home. He will be laid to rest next to his son at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, IL. A Celebration of Marty’s Life will be held at a later date. As Marty would say “Keep Kruzin.” When considering memorial contributions, Marty was a proud supporter of Honor Flight Chicago, 9701 W. Higgins, Suite 310, Rosemont, IL 60018. An online guestbook has been made for the family, where you may sign the guestbook, share memories and photographs. You can access this by visiting the website at www.ucdaviscallahan.com. Arrangements have been entrusted with U.C. Davis-Callahan Funeral Home, 301 W. Washington Street, Morris, IL.

Attention Route 66 Association of Illinois members! We’re sorry to inform you that there’s a delay in the mailing out of the Spring 2020 issue of our members-only newsletter, The 66 News. We know you’ve been expecting it to arrive in your mailbox any day now, so we wanted to let you know that it will be later this time. We’re in contact with the Post Office to track down the problem and hopefully it will be resolved soon. In the meantime, we’d like to extend a friendly long distance wave and say we hope you and yours are remaining safe and healthy.

We are currently experiencing a life altering event – something that we have no control over. We are told to “stay in place” and if we do go out, to keep at least 6 feet of space from the next person. Paper towels and toilet paper are difficult to find, and big Plexiglas shields are on the registers at. grocery stores if you do venture out. More people have died of this virus as of March 31st, in the United States, then died on 9/11.

Many of us were told by our employers that our jobs were being closed for the duration, restaurants closed, town halls/village centers closed, because of a virus.  It’s scary and its unknown – and the one thing that everyone can do to help control it is social distancing.

Due to the State “stay in place” mandate and the posted Federal guidelines, we are cancelling the April 19th Quarterly meeting in Litchfield. We ask our members to stay home and stay safe.The Red Carpet Corridor event, with the communities from Joliet to Towanda, scheduled for May 2nd, has been cancelled due to current “shelter in place” mandates and concern for public safety. The entire event has been moved to May 1st, 2021.

We are cancelling the 2020 Motor Tour. Our Board has worked very hard to put together a great tour with some new places to go and another great Hall of Fame Banquet in Lincoln at the American Legion, food by Chef Wentland.  We are moving the entire tour to 2021 – the 2nd weekend of June – June 11th, 12th, and 13th. We will celebrate our 30th Motor Tour at that time – starting South and heading North utilizing everything we had planned for this year. With the current health situation in our country, and an extended “shelter in place” order we feel that although 80% of the Motor Tour is in your own car on the road, the 20% of community events/activities could be dangerous. If even one person got sick on the Motor Tour it’s not just one – the exposure will be there and we value our members too much to put them at risk. So we ask that this year you stay home but make sure you mark your 2021 calendar for the 30th Annual Motor Tour. We had such a great time last year we booked the American Legion hall and caterer, Chef Wentland, for the next 2 years so we are assured a venue and lots of great food.

In the meantime, take care of yourself and your family and friends.

Someday we’ll look back at this and remember those that gave their all in hospitals all over the country taking care of others who couldn’t take care of themselves. We’ll tell stories of hospital tents at McCormack Place where the Car Shows usually were, about restaurants being closed and of toilet paper and paper towels as being impossible to find. We’ll chat again, 6 feet apart, and think nothing of it.

We invite you to put on your calendar our Route 66 Association of Illinois Annual Picnic, August 16th from 11:30 a.m. to ???  The Association will supply meat, pop, water, and please bring something to share. It’s at the Sugar Grove Preserve in Shirley, Illinois, and it is in a covered pavilion.

This was a tough decision made by the entire Board of Directors for all our safety. 

When the health threat subsides, please remember to support the 91 communities along Route 66. Take a Sunday Drive, order take-out, fill up your tank with gas, while cruising with your windows down – face masks optional. Stay well, be careful.

Cathie Stevanovich, President

Route 66 Association of Illinois 

Available soon for purchase!

Never in 15 years has this been replica produced!

Aluminum 12″ x 18″ Historic Illinois Route 66 Sign.

American, Union made.

Pricing and shipping to be announced.

Baby, it’s cold outside! It’s dark early and cold and everything is gray and I can’t believe this year just flew by! So much to be thankful and grateful for, so many people helping out and giving their time and energy to our Association and to the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum.

There is construction everywhere – it’s long been Illinois fifth season – you know, Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall and Construction. Everywhere there are road crews fixing, changing or repairing. Sos much commotion and change that we’re incorporating it into our 2020 Motor Tour. Our 30th annual Motor Tour: “Life is a Highway.”

We are traveling south to north, the tour will include a double cross of the Chain of Rocks Bridge and then we’ll be traveling far and wide as we head north. Our overnight will be in Lincoln with Chef Wendtland providing amazing food and we’ve pre-booked the American Legion Hall again as it was such a perfect venue last year. Mark your calendars now – the second full weekend of June, the 12th, 13th and 14th.

It wasn’t that long ago that many of us gathered in the old fire station in Pontiac in December, 2003 and held a simple ceremony to start the Route 66 Hall off Fame and Museum. We huddled together on that snowy day to christen our future home. We opened to the public officially in June, 2004 and 15 years later we’re going strong. The Road itself has provided us with additions to our displays and we are proud to provide a wonderful museum where everyone is welcome to come and see the past, present and future of Route 66. The tourism season is slowing down for a little while although we’ve had many Illinois families visit the museum, incorporating the visit with a family reunion, sports tournament or staycation. We are now open winter hours (10:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M.

Many businesses along the road are closing – and new ones opening. We have seen over the last 10 years more Route 66 communities utilizing their Route 66roots to add to their local history. We will be seeing a big change in some of the smaller communities. Pontiac will be the home to a huge car-only gas station with over 70 gas pumps, and Atlanta is working on developing a major truck stop off I-55. Elwood continues to be the home of the world’s largest inland port which means endless truck traffic. Joliet recently annexed more land where more warehouses will be built. Although they are building a diamond-style exit off I-80 with a major new truck stop before the exit to Chicago Road (IL53/Hwy 66), the truck traffic is still pretty intimidating to many Roadies as they start their adventures coming out of Joliet. It wasn’t that long ago when talk/meetings concerning the Illiana toll road were being held and discussions about how aa new toll road would benefit/impact all the communities in its path. I attended many meetings regarding the effects on towns, cemeteries, ancient burial grounds, current businesses, family farms, all that lay in the path of this progressive road. It’s just a story in the past now, and communities are looking for new ways to maintain their character yet expand their financial base.

As 2019 winds to a close, I want to thank all those who gave their time, energy, membership or support that enabled our Association to finish the year strong. Our award-winning Preservation Committee continues to provide advice and help where we can throughout the state. It’s one of the few crews where laughter and getting your hands dirty is a big part of why our preservation projects are so successful. We know the trick is maintenance, maintenance, maintenance, but we have such a great time doing it. We work for food and it doesn’t get better than saving a piece of history for tomorrow and somewhere there’s fabulous sandwiches or chicken dinners and homemade desserts of lots of conversation.

We look forward to spring – the preservation work days, the Red Carpet Corridor (first weekend in May) and then on to the 300+ car shows and festivals up and down the road. For now we’ll have to hunker down and conserve our energy for cold winter mornings and snowy nights. Time for the family traditions and New Year resolutions. Time to be grateful for all those that were an important part of our lives and the stories of the Mother Road, and time to enjoy and share the stories of those we still can. A big thank you to Mayor Bob Russell for all his Route 66 hands-on “mayoring” in Pontiac and we wish him well in his retirement. Another thank you to Bill Kelly from the Route 66 Scenic Byway who recently retired. Bill will remain active on our Road Ahead initiative so we are happy he’s not completely leaving his 66 roots as he moves out east to start his retirement.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Route 66 Association of Illinois, I extend to you our warmest and sincerest wishes for a safe, happy, healthy holiday season. If you get a little cabin fever, get out and support the small businesses along the road.

Looking forward to an interesting 2020 with you!

Cathie Stevanovich, President
Route 66 Association of Illinois

On our Association’s Facebook page, we recently asked folks to share their favorite Illinois Route 66 places in 2019. We received lots of photos in response, so we thought we’d share them here. Enjoy this slideshow of favorites from this last year!