JACKSON READIES FOR FESTIVAL; OFFICIALS HOPING WEATHER WILL HOLD

The 85th edition of the Jackson Homecomers festival begins tonight at 7, when Mayor Carlton Meyer officially opens the four-day event heralding the end of summer.

"We're all ready to go," said Tom Sperling, co-chairman of the Jackson American Legion Homecomers' Committee. "We started setting up Monday, and will have everything completed by this afternoon."

The National Weather Service says temperatures by sunset today will drop into the lower 70s, with partly cloudy skies. No rain is predicted.

More importantly, the weather service says the oppressive heat and humidity of the past several days should ease.

There is a chance of thunderstorms redeveloping on Wednesday, but the weather service says the rest of the week should be mostly dry, with partly cloudy skies. Highs each day will be in the 80s, and lows will be in the low to mid-60s.

Sperling said if it rains, it won't seriously affect Homecomers.

"We don't have muddy fields or tracks," he said. "When the rain stops, the pavement and sidewalks dry off and everybody comes back out."

In addition to already scheduled nightly entertainment, Sperling said a country western dance club from Marble Hill will provide entertainment and a demonstration Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Kevin Sawyer, past president of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and a member of the chamber's board of directors, said Homecomers in an economic boost for the community. Restaurants, gasoline stations, motels and retail stores benefit from the hundreds of people who come to Jackson each August for Homecomers.

"We've never done an actual study on the exact dollar-value impact of Homecomers on the local economy of Jackson," he said. "But based on discussions I've had with retail merchants, it is significant."

Sawyer acknowledged some uptown businesses complain they lose business during Homecomers, but he said most of the businesses on the two-block area of South High and on West Main near the courthouse square have rear entrances situated near parking lots.

Sawyer said the parking lots are easily accessible and will remain open to uptown customers during daytime shopping hours during Homecomers week.

"Customers that patronize the stores on South High and Main Street should remember most of these stores have back entrances and plenty of parking in the rear of the building," he said. "There is no reason why they can't shop in the uptown area during Homecomers."

Sawyer said he's unsure how far visitors travel to attend Homecomers each year.

"We do know a lot of people who have moved away from Jackson, come back for Homecomers to visit family, relatives or friends," he said. "Since it's so close to the start of school, many people schedule a final vacation trip around Homecomers. It makes a nice little vacation before the start of school."