Chatbug Karen

In yesterday’s paper, I read where the circus is going to have their show in the regular circus building. If you haven’t read my posts on this subject, I will enlighten you. Our town is the circus capital of the world and we celebrate with a festival each year. The building next to our circus building caught fire and burned to the ground. They shared a wall. The circus building has been condemned as unsafe. The circus was left in a limbo until insurance companies could come to a resolution. On Wednesday the adjusters met and the circus board proposed buying the shared wall, plus an additional 10 feet of easement to enable repairs for the event. The owners of the furniture store agreed with the sale and now the repairs can begin. There is not enough time to make a new wall but the safety commission has approved a temporary fix. The show shall go on.

I am so pleased that our town has chosen to honor a person from our town who truly deserves to be honored. Lloyd Hill, who happened to deliver both of my babies, was a doctor with a big heart. He was so concerned with the health system and that everyone should be able to receive care. He retired once because the bureaucracy became so frustrating to him. He could not stand to be retired though and was, once again, available to doctor those in need. He also was a big part of our circus festival each year.

Dr. Hill was killed in a car accident last year. He is missed so much. To honor his memory, a mural now decorates the west wall of a large building in our town. Now we can see Doc Sprock, the character that Dr. Hill dressed as every year during the circus festival. This will be the first year that we will not have the pleasure of seeing Doc Sprock directing the circus band. It will be hard but we will need to keep in mind that he wanted us all to enjoy the circus festival. That will have to sustain us.

A few weeks ago I told how our town is the circus capital of the world and how our local kids are very involved in the circus. They begin training in March and have their big performance in July each year. If you were not aware of the ages of the kids, you would swear these were professionals performing the acts. The circus is a big deal here.

Three weeks ago, a furniture store that shared a common wall with the circus building caught on fire and burned to the ground. The wall supporting the circus’s wall was destroyed and left the building in need of repair. The repair cannot be finished in time to have the performances there in July. Funds are being raised to rent a tent for three weeks. The fee is $30,000. There will also be expenses involved for renting porta pots and transportation costs to get the performers where they need to be for the show. At the present time, the kids are practicing at different locations around town. The total cost to make things come together in this new location is estimated at $60,000.

Over 100 kids have become involved in a mission. The kids who are involved in the circus this year are not willing to give up the production this year. They have taken it upon themselves to contact Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover. They are hoping his crew will come in and get our circus building into shape. After a fire next door, the building was condemned. These kids have been practicing circus acts since March. They work hard as do their parents who drive them to each practice. Each year, thousands of visitors come to our town to attend the circus. Our circus parade is one of the largest in the state of Indiana. It is a big deal. I will keep you posted on whether Ty or the Extreme Makeover show contacts the circus corporation.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the kids in our town gain so much from their circus experience. The muscle growth is major as they get so much exercise while training for each act. They also learn patience and determination. Dedication is the key word when it comes to our town’s circus. Many who have attended our circus have been amazed at the professionalism of all aspects involved in our local circus. Our tight wire troop has won twice in competition held in Monte Carlo each year.

I may have talked before about our town’s circus heritage. Many of the old circuses would come here and winter their animals in the huge barns near the river. Several families stayed in the area and have since passed on whilst leaving their legacy. Our amateur circus is amazing. Kids from all ages begin training in March each year. They try out for acts and are chosen for their talent and skill at each act. It is a rigorous schedule but many parents endure the endless trips to the circus building each night because it is worth the effort. Being involved in the circus teaches many life lessons.

A sad thing happened over the weekend. A furniture store, that was located next to the circus building, caught fire and burned to the ground. The circus building wall located next to the burned building was damaged extensively. The building has been condemned. This is devastating news to our town.