Chamber employee doles out information

By Evelyn Gander
Staff Writer

Information -- more in demand than lemonade, even if the Brass Band Festival's weekend turns muggy.

For lemonade, festival-goers may take paths to nearby food booths. For information, they can make their way to the Chamber of Commerce offices where Charlene Johnson will be ready to help.

Two of the most asked questions, Johnson recently recalled, are about ticket prices (No tickets are needed for the free-of-charge event.) and available food.

But perhaps more important is the question many people don't think of: What about lawn chairs?

``I tell people (that the chairs may be necessary for them) and a lot of people haven't even thought of that.''

She noted, ``And, of course, we get calls all year about the (Festival's) dates.''

Pointing out that many Wisconsin and Ohio residents attend the event that may draw as many as 40,000, Johnson recalled it was hard to keep track of the numbers in the Festival's second year.

Noting that there were more than 100 calls (during one day), Johnson said, ``But we didn't even count the visitors (to the Chamber's office), there were so many.''

Visitors praise the city for how clean it is, she said.

```Beautiful, too. But it's such a clean community,'''she recalled their saying.

Of those who help make the Festival a success, the 44-year Danville resident emphasized, ``Many people are amazed that there is no charge for attending the festival and ask how a small town like Danville can afford to put on such a class act for free. I tell them that they could look the world over and wouldn't find a town with more community-spirited people.''