Ted Brooker of England will mark his 66th birthday by driving Route 66 next month in a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and raise funds for a local hospice, reported the Derbyshire Times. "I've had a great life so far and thought it would be a waste to do something as fun as this and not generate some … Continue reading Briton driving Route 66 to raise funds for hospice
New “Route 66: Ten Years Later” trailer
A new trailer has just been posted for the "Route 66: Ten Years Later" documentary by Tim Steil and Jim Luning. The big premiere will be at the Portage Theater in Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9.
City, historical society fight over building
The City of Claremore, Okla., and the Rogers County Historical Society are in a spat over the use of a recently vacated building, reported the Claremore Daily Progress. The city wants the former Fire Administration Building at 121 N. Weenonah Ave. to be used as the new space for Department of Public Safety driver's licensing … Continue reading City, historical society fight over building
Bushyhead rodeo event moving away from Route 66
The Bushyhead Pasture Roping and Barrel Race, long presided over by rodeo legend Clem McSpadden, is moving away from the Route 66 hamlet of Bushyhead, Okla., to Bristow, Okla., and away from the Mother Road, reported the Pryor (Okla.) Daily Times. The longtime event on Route 66 between Chelsea and Claremore, Okla., went on a … Continue reading Bushyhead rodeo event moving away from Route 66
Funding application for replacing Mojave bridges sent today
San Bernardino County is filing an application today with the U.S. Department of Transportation for a grant to rebuild several dozen wooden trestle bridges in California's Mojave Desert. The Daily Press in Victorville reported yesterday that the county was applying for a $52 million grant to replace 130 of those bridges. But the Redlands Daily … Continue reading Funding application for replacing Mojave bridges sent today
Family feud
The Arizona Republic published a fascinating but ultimately sad story about family members' fight over the Gilbert Ortega Sr. estate. Ortega began his silver and turquoise empire as a Route 66 in Lupton, Ariz., by selling American Indian trinkets during the 1960s. That eventually grew to an estimated $40 million enterprise, with jewelry and Indian … Continue reading Family feud
Meet the man behind The Mill’s restoration
The Lincoln Courier posted an article about John Sutton, project manager behind the restoration of The Mill restaurant on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill. Sutton was just named the Courier's Citizen of the Month. He is currently devoting his time and efforts to restoring the inside of the historic Mill restaurant that was known for … Continue reading Meet the man behind The Mill’s restoration
Ohio man plans 2,500-mile bicycle ride
Jamey Mixson of South Euclid, Ohio, soon will start a bicycle ride across the country to raise awareness about illiteracy and childhood obesity, reported the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Mixson will start Saturday from Cleveland and will end his journey in Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach, Calif. He's planning on picking up Route 66 in St. … Continue reading Ohio man plans 2,500-mile bicycle ride
Looks like they’ll make it
The Associated Press caught up to the participants in the 2010 Route 66 Microcar Rally in Odell, Ill. Since Odell is less than 100 miles from the group's goal of making it to Chicago, from Santa Monica, it looks like those folks will get there. But not without some difficulty:
Obscure compared to what?
A report today from the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit group that advocates free-market solutions, recommended that the State of Illinois abolish its Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Heartland Institute says the deficit-wracked state would save millions of dollars by abolishing the agency (although the group doesn't specify how much savings would be generated … Continue reading Obscure compared to what?