CAIRO, ILL., EFFORT GIVEN BOOST

CAIRO, Ill. Operation Enterprise, Cairo's community improvement campaign, has received a $500 grant from Central Illinois Public Service Co.

"The funds will be used to help renovate the structure which will house Cairo's Toll House Restaurant," said Richard Poston, head of the improvement effort.

"CIPS is happy to help Cairo in its development effort and Richard Poston in his revitalization work in Cairo," said Michael A. Chell, economic development representative of CIPS.

The proposed Toll House Restaurant is at the entrance of Fort Defiance State Park here. The brick structure was used as a toll collection point for Ohio River bridge traffic at one time and was used more recently by the Illinois State Police as a sub-station.

Poston, a retired professor of community development at Southern Illinois University, said the renovations could be complete by December.

"The location is ideal for a restaurant," said Poston. "It's located between the Ohio River bridge, which crosses into Kentucky, and the Mississippi River bridge, which leads into Missouri."

The building was constructed in 1938.

"We have a 40-year lease on the building," said Poston.

The lease obtained by Operation Enterprise from the Illinois Department of Conservation, which owns the building, includes the building and Fort Defiance State Park, which figures in the overall Cairo development plan.

Operation Enterprise earlier received two other grants, one for $40,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the other from a source that wants to remain anonymous.

Operation Enterprise plans to use profits from the restaurant to help in other Cairo restoration projects.

"This will be the only business that I know of whose profits will go into the development of the town," said Poston, who came out of retirement four years ago to help in the revitalization of Cairo. "Every cent of earnings above actual operating costs will go into the development fund for Cairo."