ANNUAL HOMECOMERS RUNS THIS WEEK AT JACKSON

JACKSON -- It takes a world war to stop Jackson Homecomers.

The annual street carnival, which begins Tuesday night and runs through Saturday, is easily the town's largest event. Streets around the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse are closed off and filled with food stands and rides; people plan their vacations around Homecomers.

Started by Jackson merchants in 1908, it was postponed for only two reasons: World Wars I and II.

"They couldn't get sugar for soda pop and various things," Homecomers co-chairman Bill Poe said. "At least that's the reason they told me."

Following World War II, American Legion Post 158 took over sponsorship of Homecomers, and the event continued ever since. Poe, 69, began helping out in 1953. He chaired the event several years. Now a widower, he said his wife claimed he couldn't think about anything else.

No wonder. It is a big event for two people -- Poe and co-chairman Tom Sperling -- to plan successfully. They have several committees to help out, but Poe and Sperling are the troubleshooters.

This year they will patrol the grounds from Tuesday through Saturday, making sure events are running smoothly and looking to solve disputes between the carnival company and locals.

Both Poe and Sperling have stories to tell about those disputes. Poe's favorite is one about a carnival company that wanted a new contract with exclusive rights to sell corndogs. The American Legion commander signed the contract, unaware of its implications.

Trouble was, Popp's A&W Corndogs thought it had exclusive rights to sell the treats.

"Popp came unglued," Poe said. "He had bought $600 worth of wieners. Our attorney and his attorney went at it for three days, then I finally went to the carnival people, got down on my knees and said I'd do whatever it took to let Popp sell corndogs."

Some problems were a little harder to solve. Sperling remembers a time when a truck involved in the carnival set-up got away and crashed into what now is Kevin Sawyer's insurance agency.

"There are things that come up every year," Sperling said, "but this carnival is the most professional one I've had the privilege of dealing with. They don't tolerate any monkey business from their employees."

United Expositions of De Soto, owned by Joe and Shirley Sutton, has contracted for Homecomers for the past several years.

There's no way to track how many people attend Homecomers each year because admission is free. Poe said estimates range from 5,000 to 10,000. All he knows is people crowd into uptown Jackson every night for food, rides and entertainment. Even rain doesn't keep them away long.

It is a chance for people who haven't seen each other to get reacquainted and an opportunity for Jackson residents to get to know their neighbors.

And that is worth all the troubleshooting, Sperling says.

HOMECOMERS EVENTS

Tuesday

7 p.m. -- Jackson Municipal Band

8 p.m. -- Mayor's address

8:15 p.m. -- Talent show, featuring dancers ages 1-12

Entertainment -- Coyote Creek

Wednesday

8 p.m. -- Talent show, featuring various performers ages 6-12 and 13-21

Entertainment -- Coyote Creek

Thursday

8 p.m. -- Talent show, featuring dancers ages 6-12 and 13-21

Entertainment -- Triple Play

Friday

8 p.m. -- Talent show finals, all ages.

Entertainment -- Country Torch

Saturday

7:30 p.m. -- Jackson Homecomers Queen Pageant

Entertainment -- Country Torch