Saturday, March 30, 2013

An open letter to Bloomington/Normal, Illinois

Dear Bloomington/Normal,

The radio program Vic and Sade ran from 1932-1946.  There were over 3000 programs (no one seems to know the exact number, but certainly over 3000.)  The show was written by one man and one man only - your own Paul Rhymer - who has been compared to writers such as Mark Twain, James Thurber, Charles Dickens and O'Henry.

The local Bloomington paper and the McClean County Museum are obviously interested in the city and county's history and has taken it at heart to showcase as many articles, photos and items as they can to highlight the rich history of the Central Illinois area.

I have scanned the Pantagragh (newspaper) and museum website diligently.  And between the two I find ONE item about Vic and Sade and that article in the paper also mentions Rhymer, the only time he's mentioned in either.

The two are oblivious to the historical benefits and significance the show has for each of them.  They surely have no idea how often "McClean County" and other places worth mentioning are highlighted on the show.

Vic and Sade is a treasure to behold, not simply for it's listening beauty and the laughs that ensue, but for the avenue of insight into the Bloomington/Normal area.  Yes, I know the show is fiction and many of the details of the area are fictional on the show, but many are not.  And it doesn't take a slide rule to figure out that Paul Rhymer used different names for some places as they were businesses.

I do not live in Illinois, nor do I have a stake in the Museum, newspaper nor do I desire to profit financially from Vic and Sade nor from my research about the subject.  I am a simple, diligent researcher who enjoys using a lot of his time persuing the radio show and its contents.  So, Bloomington/Normal, if you are reading this, let me assure you, my Vic and Sade websites (all of them) can benefit you.

Vic and Sade is gone from the map.  You can barely find anything about them as it is.  Do you really want to keep burying this treasure so that in the future, no one will be able to find it?

Please think about it. 

Sincerely,
Jimbo Mason

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