BENTON SAYS `HOWDY' TO ITS NEIGHBORS

BENTON --After a visit to the Neighbor Days celebration here, you can't say this town of 575 residents isn't friendly.

Geneva Dirnberger earned $5 just for speaking to her neighbor.

"I thought I'd better shake his hand and say `Howdy, neighbor," she said, while working at the food stand sponsored by the St. Denis Catholic Church.

Greeting her neighbors is customary for Dirnberger, who has won the prize before.

When she won a few years ago, she also knew the person awarding the prizes.

"I was sitting beside him for a long time and thought I'd better say hi," she said. "And he said, `It's about time.'"

The Benton Chamber of Commerce has been sponsoring the "Howdy, neighbor" contest at Neighbor Days celebrations for at least 25 years.

The tradition began after World War II when the Neighbor Days were rejuvenated. The community festival was canceled during the war years.

Chamber of Commerce member Glenn Bollinger, who has been coming to Neighbor Days for 40 years, said the chamber usually chooses someone from the crowd to award the prize.

Neighbor Days was started as a way to build community relationships, said chamber member Charles Klueppel, adding that the "Howdy, neighbor" contest is just an incentive for residents to build that relationship.

"Neighbor Days is truly what it means," he said. "The idea is to have a good get-together."

And, Benton and Scott County residents alike met their neighbors at the city park this weekend. Chamber members expected a crowd of about 4,000 people before the event concluded Saturday.

The two-day event began Friday evening with carnival rides and a Little Mr. and Miss Neighbor Days contest. Some of the activities Saturday included a sky-diving demonstration, craft displays, carnival rides, children's games and a greased-pig chase and greased-pole climb.

About 75 people participated in the water balloon and egg tosses. Klueppel, who plans the games, said the tosses often draw the biggest crowds during the day, but the talent show and queen contests are popular night events.

The Benton Chamber of Commerce, area churches, clubs and organizations sponsor the Neighbor Days celebration.