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THE WAYNE KING ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK is currently organizing to attain
a not-for-profit, IRS 501 (C) (3) status with a mission to organize dances and contract dance bands in towns from Dubuque
to Davenport. A broader, long-term mission of the new not-for-profit corporation will be to network together decent,
family-oriented entertainment, performing and visual arts in Illinois and Iowa counties along the palisades of the Mississippi
River from Dubuque to Davenport so that events can be scheduled, packaged and marketed to Chicago Land and beyond.
Urge your town, county, school, park boards, organizations and business leaders to communicate and jointly adopt this
unified theme with THE WAYNE KING ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Encourage mayors and other locally elected citizens
on both sides of the Mississippi River to communicate meet and plan together as allowed by law. Acting together
to create a unified 1900-1960 theme of live entertainment, performing and visuals arts will attract much
more investment to our towns than if we act independently with no theme. It can give our towns
a much better chance to survive the competitive global economy of the 21st century.
During the 20th century, Americans and foreign tourists spent much
vacation time and money to experience the pioneering, American Wild West as it existed from 1830 to 1900. An equal fascination
with live American, Mid-Western entertainment as it existed from 1900 to 1960 can be created if properly scheduled, packaged
and marketed.
Our towns possess a remarkable history of musicians, town bands, society
bands, American Legion bands, dance bands, dancehalls, ballrooms, and theatres where live plays and vaudeville acts kept orchestras
busy from 1900 to 1960.
There were many families and individuals who organized and built what was
once our own great American past time of community and entertainment. In 1924, Reverend Bremicker was honored for
his three Savanna Boys Bands. Including the Senior band, there were 400 (four hundred) bandsmen marching in parades and
playing concerts from Dubuque to Davenport including live broadcasts over a new invention known as WOC radio. Some of Reverend
Bremicker's boys continued their musical careers professionally into the 1970s.
Our towns prospered and grew from
about 1870 to 1930. Our main streets and housing stock attest to this. Our towns have gradually declined since about 1930,
with the exception of Dubuque, Galena, Clinton and the Quad Cities. Since 1970, Carroll County has shrunk from 23,000 to 16,000
residents.
Many of us who are at least forty years of age possess some understanding of living in small towns before home
computers, centralized public education, super stores, centralization and globalization of farming, industry, warehousing,
commerce, transportation and debt-driven consumption. For better and worse, Mid-Western living was much simpler and slower
before 1960. The complexity of living in the 21st century will increase stillmore, causing many to seek-out the simpler community
and cultural events of living in towns like ours as they were from 1900 to 1960. Our children and grandchildren can profit
from this.
The WWI, WWII setting of the closed Savanna Proving Grounds suits our 1900-1960 theme well with its Mississippi
River and rail access. The internal rail system of the former Savanna Proving Grounds makes light-rail (1900-1960 vintage)
viable to move customers from hotels to theatres, dancehalls, riverboat casinos and restaurants. Several large buildings at
the Grounds could serve well as dancehalls before capital could be invested to build elegant ballrooms.
Use your own
imagination to fine-tune this vision for our beloved hometowns along the Mississippi. We can create, control and tend growth
for our own interests. Can you imagine Galena's 1923 Royal Palais Ballroom being rebuilt to an even more grandiose form to
compliment that great city's 19th century architecture.
Reverend Bremicker, "The Music Man," relocated from Dubuque
to Savanna on November 1, 1919. "On September 5th, 1921 he organized the First Boys' Band of Savanna...The organizer thought
the musical vein in Savanna had been only scraped." It's time to scrape that vein again from Dubuque to Davenport including
the "City of Promise," Savanna and the Hometown of Wayne King the Waltz King. Many have often wondered how Savanna could
ever achieve the motto "City of Promise." Honor your native son who earned the love of millions through good melodious
music but who loved all genres of music that were decent and good for all generations of mankind.
Our communities will face many economic and political challenges during the 21st century. A theme built on decent, live
entertainment and life in our towns from 1900 to 1960 will help us prosper, protect our liberty and property.
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