Topic: Stinky Staley's ?

One of the most undeniable memories of Decatur for me is the smell produced from the Staley corn processing plant! When the wind is just right, the odor can travel for miles! I swear many times commuting from Champaign, you could start to smell it from the Cisco exit which is about 12-15 miles away! Or the mornings when you wake in the summertime having left the windows open all night and that smell would be the first awareness of the day!
Staley's was bought out a few years ago but in my mind it will always be Staley's!

Any other thoughts about Stinky Staley's?

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog site that I hope will be a meeting place for folks from Decatur, Illinois to talk about their life growing up there or life now. I also want to provide a platform for folks to thoughfully and maturely discuss problems regarding my hometown.

3 years ago I posted a video of pictures of Decatur that slide show as my song "My Decatur My Hometown" plays in the background. What has amazed me is that I have received positive comments from former and current Decaturites all over the world! The video has been viewed over 12,280 times!

Unfortunately I also received TWICE as many negative comments that were mostly profane or so negative that I felt it necessary to delete those comments. I recently got a comment that the person believed the video should be deleted from YouTube because it wasn't REALISTIC. I heard all the comments that Decatur has too much crime, drugs, no longer safe - all the same generalities with no specifics and usually punctuated by profanity.

Why did I write the song and make the video?
Simply because for me growing up in Decatur from 1955 to 1979 it was the BEST place to grow up in!! My sister and parents continued to live there. Mom and Dad have passed away now but my sister is still there and loves it! I know and have many friends who still live there and love it!!

Does Decatur have problems? YES!
But the thing is - to some degree EVERY place has problems!

So if Decatur has problems is it helpful to gripe and complain? I wanted my video/song to make Decatur PROUD again - to look around at what is positive NOW and build on that! If folks think something is a problem, get invovled and fix the problem!

So here is the deal - I WELCOME all comments here BUT I ask that if you feel the need to be negative, back up your negativity with SOLUTIONS! Ok?

But mostly, let's share memories, laughs thoughts dreams or suggestions about how Decatur can move forward in the 21st century!

The video is also available at www.youtube.com/arnybarn and the song is available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

So again WELCOME to my blog for "MY DECATUR MY HOMETOWN"!
Dave Colvin