President Joe Biden announced his intent today to appoint 12 people to the Route 66 Centennial Commission. The list contains several people that many in the Route 66 community would know well. Here they are, with short descriptions of each individual, though more extensive biographies can be found in the White House announcement: Caroline Beteta, … Continue reading President Biden to appoint 12 people to Route 66 Centennial Commission
Tag: Bill Thomas
New Route 66 National Historic Trail bill introduced in Congress
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) on Friday introduced the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, with U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) as the co-sponsor. The bill is so new, it hadn't yet been added to the database of the Congress' bill-search website as of Friday evening. The Route … Continue reading New Route 66 National Historic Trail bill introduced in Congress
Soon-to-reopen Palms Grill Cafe hosts upcoming “60 Minutes” interview
The Palms Grill Cafe in downtown Atlanta, Illinois, which is scheduled to reopen next month, hosted an interview for an upcoming 12-minute segment on CBS-TV's long-running and popular "60 Minutes" news show. The Bloomington Pantagraph broke the story about acclaimed Illinois sportswriter and Atlanta native Dave Kindred talking about his new book, "Leave Out the … Continue reading Soon-to-reopen Palms Grill Cafe hosts upcoming “60 Minutes” interview
Oklahoma Route 66 Association prods senator to reintroduce National Historic Trail bill
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is prodding a U.S. senator to reintroduce a bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. Rhys Martin, president of the association, sent out an email to members this week to contact U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and urge him to reintroduce a bill similar to Senate Bill … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Association prods senator to reintroduce National Historic Trail bill
Route 66 Historical Trail bill won’t be reintroduced until after Supreme Court case
A lawsuit awaiting a decision in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is delaying the reintroduction of a bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, according to a newsletter sent Thursday from the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership's chairman. Bill Thomas, partnership chairman, stated the Supreme Court probably won't rule on … Continue reading Route 66 Historical Trail bill won’t be reintroduced until after Supreme Court case
New Mexico Route 66 Association wades into, then retreats from sign-preservation issue
The New Mexico Route 66 Association on Sept. 5 posted a statement about the thorny issue of historic neon signs disappearing along the highway, particularly in New Mexico, then deleted the post days later. The post, which I'd monitored to read the responses, generated more than 150 comments at last count and plenty of dissatisfaction … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Association wades into, then retreats from sign-preservation issue
Williams city council opposes Route 66 Trail proposal; trail advocate responds
The city council of Williams, Arizona, recently passed a resolution that opposed congressional legislation that would designate Route 66 as a national historic trail. It's not surprising a municipality eventually would oppose House Bill 801 months after it was introduced -- almost no congressional measure will earn unanimous support. But it's a bit surprising the … Continue reading Williams city council opposes Route 66 Trail proposal; trail advocate responds
House subcommittee to consider Route 66 Trail bill Wednesday
The Natural Resources subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday is scheduled to consider the bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. According to a story from E&E News (subscription required), the subcommittee will consider the bill introduced months ago by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.). The hearing will be at … Continue reading House subcommittee to consider Route 66 Trail bill Wednesday
Tips for Route 66 tourism success
The Macoupin County Enquirer-Democrat published a comprehensive report about two experts giving a presentation in Gillespie, Illinois, about how to parlay Route 66 into tourism dollars. The experts were Bill Kelly, executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, and Bill Thomas, economic development director for Logan County, tourism booster for Atlanta, Illinois, and chairman … Continue reading Tips for Route 66 tourism success