After months of preparation, countless meetings and phone calls, and lots of plain old hard work, the moment has arrived for TrentonFest organizers. The two-day festival, in its second year of existence, will kick off Friday afternoon, when food stands open at 4:30 p.m.

Friday Attractions

The carnival rides will crank up at 6 p.m. and run until 11 p.m., and one of the famed Budweiser Clydesdales will be in the park from 6 to 8 p.m. Photo opporunities with the brawny equine will be available, but visitors are asked to bring their own cameras.

Polka Choice will entertain the crowd from 7 to 9 p.m., and the feature entertainment, Soulard Blues Band, will take the stage at 9 p.m.

The Clinton County Men's Slow Pitch softball tournament will be on-going throughout the weekend, with games beginning Friday evening as well.

Saturday Attractions

The festivities kick off early Saturday morning when the Trenton Nut House Club begins breakfast service at 7:30 a.m., along with registration for the 5K Run/Walk and 1K Walk, which begins at 8 a.m.

Registration for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Bike Ride to the Lake will also start first thing Saturday morning, with the ride taking off from Trenton Park at 8:30 a.m. Three routes are offered, a 62-mile trek to Carlyle Lake and back; a shorter 50-mile route to Carlyle Lake; and a family ride of 12 miles to Sportsman's Lake north of Trenton and back. The shorter ride leaves the park at 9 a.m.

Registration for the TrentonFest motorcycle poker run will start at 8:30, and the ride leaves at 11:30 a.m.

Saturday action in the Clinton County men's softball league tournament will start at noon, and the carnival rides will begin operation at 1 p.m.

Rides will be closed from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow attention to be focused on the 5:30 p.m. parade.

Although organizers had re-booked a return engagement for one of last year's most popular attractions, the remote control NASCAR race track, the vendor pulled out of the commitment about a week ago.

It has been replaced by a Karate Demonstration that will last from 1 to 3 p.m. in the south pavilion at the park.

Petite Miss TrentonFest, Little Miss TrentonFest, and Junior Miss Trenton Fest will be crowned during a ceremony starting at 3 p.m. in the park, a departure from last year's schedule, when the pageant was held after the parade.

The parade lineup will be on South Main Street and travels across Broadway to Third Street before turning east toward the park. This year's parade will feature an appearance by St. Louis Cardinals mascot FredbirdÆ for the kids to enjoy, and by Rams cheerleaders for the men (bachelors only) to admire. The cheerleaders will also help sell 50-50 tickets for a special Saturday drawing.

Carnival rides will start operating again at 7 p.m. and music on the park grounds will be provided by some of the parade bands.

Nudge is the featured music act for Saturday evening, and they'll start performing at 8 p.m.

Winners of the silent auction that will be ongoing throughout the celebration will be announced at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and there will be two $250 winners drawn at 10 p.m. in the Citizens for Trenton Early Bird sweepstakes.

The men's softball tournament will button up the weekend on Sunday, when the championship game starts at 1 p.m.

Other attractions to draw visitors to the TrentonFest include food stands, wine and beer gardens, hooligan/poker stands, and the silent auction.

-1907-

Born to Sid Sullins and wife, a girl, Sunday.

Geo McDonald sustained a severe bruise on the index finger of his right hand while at work Friday at the south mine. The injury was caused by falling coal.

John White and son attended the Breese fair Thursday.

Ferdinand David, a former and well known Trenton resident, died at the home of his daughter in St. Louis Sunday, aged 69 years.

A car load of people from New Baden will visit the Belleville Firemen's Field Day Meet Sunday.

-1917-

John Ostermann, who has been employed inthe harness department at the Brefeld Hardware Company the past several months, resigned his position last week.

Last Friday evening as Orville Kaufman was on his way home from town, the team of horses he was driving became frightened when the neckyoke came loose while going down a hill just north of town and ran away.

The farmers basket picnic at Trenton Park was only fairly well attended Monday on account of the inclement weather, but those who were present enjoyed the occasion.

-1927-

Ralph Quitmeyer of Trenton was fatally injured in a serious automobile accident on the Trenton-New Baden road Sunday night.

John Emig, a well known farmer living northeast of this city, received a severe fracture of his right leg last Saturday when he was kicked by a horse while driving a manure spreader in his field.

Carl Mann and family returned home Tuesday from a week's visit with relatives at Salisbury, Missouri.

Herbert Ellsworth Ryan died September 4, aged 40.

Farm Bureau will give away a car of limestone at the county fair.

-1937-

Loraine Seger and his Bear Cat Band will furnish music for a platform dance at Oscar Weil's, five miles northwest of Trenton, Sunday night. Admission 25 cents. Everybody welcome.

Addie L. Louden of this city, primary teacher in East St. Louis, and Elmer G. Erlinger, mine examiner, of Belleville, were married Thursday at the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis.

The Trenton WPA Library exists for the sole purpose of assisting you to develop an interest in reading and enrich your life.

-1947-

St. Francis of Assisi Church in Aviston was the scene of a beautiful wedding Saturday morning, when Miss Henriette Rakers became the bride of Mr. Joseph Mondt.

A birthday party was held Wednesday, September 3 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zahn for their son, Bobby, who celebrated his second birthday.

Trenton pounded the old apple for 20 hits Sunday to nose out Beckemeyer 10 to 9 in 10 innings.

Daniel Parker, Carlyle barber, was appointed chief deputy sheriff of Clinton County by Sheriff Alvin Kramer.

-1957-

St. Mary Church was the scene of the wedding September 2 of Miss Lou Ann Duing and Donald J. Venhaus.

Joseph Kehrer, 69, retired New Memphis farmer, died Saturday afternoon at the home of his son, two miles southeast of New Baden, where he had been residing.

Two women were injured Friday evening on Route 50 east of Trenton when their cars crashed head on.

On Labor Day nine Trenton girls left by chartered bus for Donaldson, Indiana to continue their studies at Villa Maria conducted by the Sister of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.

-1967-

Marine Private Duane V. Kalmer was graduated from eight weeks of recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego.

Mrs. Clarence Gruender Jr. was graduated from the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis.

New Baden upset the dope bucket by nosing out Germantown 2 to 1 in the playoffs of the Clinton County Baseball League.

New Wesclin superintendent Frank H. Clare and his family have arrived in the area.

Mr. and Mrs. Pete Schumacher thank the Trenton firemen for their prompt action in extinguishing a fire in their barn last week.

-1977-

Mrs. Marie Billhartz of New Baden died Thursday, September 1 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville.

A daughter, Jacqueline Ann, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Goodin on Tuesday, August 30.

Trenton soundly trounced Breese 19 to 1 behind the seven-hit pitching of Kurt Klein in Clinton County Baseball League action.

Wesclin defeated St. Paul in the first cross country meet of the year. Wesclin runners Ron Peterson, Bret Gruender, Len Strubhart, and Don Thole finished second through fifth places. St. Paul's Mark Capelle finished first.

-1987-

Mater Dei is represented by three girls--Barb Perkes, Shelly Ethridge, and Stacy Friederich--on the Eastern Illinois University basketball team.

Carolyn Sue Weihe and Todd Anthony Welz were married June 13 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Centralia.

Trenton swept the Clinton County League playoffs in two straight by downing Breese. Tim Rakers fanned eight, and Dan Ritzheimer hit a solo homer for Trenton.

Toni Weaver, daughter of Homer and Sally Weaver of New Baden, will play volleyball this season for the Kaskaskia Blue Angels.

-1997-

Trenton's city council approved a $63,000 lighting project for the park. Trenton's Chamber of Commerce will foot the bill for half the project cost.

The Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 7983 donated a new POW/MIA flag to the Trenton Police Department. Auxiliary president Bernadette Detmer and POW/MIA chairperson Elaine Choma presented the flag to Trenton police chief Tim Harris.

Paul and Shirley Sims celebrated their 50th anniversary August 24.

Shannon Leigh Hall of Trenton is engaged to Wayne T. Wesselmann of Trenton.

Sylvia A. Haas, 77, of Trenton, died Saturday, August 25, 2007 at St. Joseph Hospital in Breese. She was born Oct 6, 1929 in Aviston, daughter of Raymond and Veronica, nee Middeke, Ketterer, and they both preceded her in death. Other precedents included brothers-in-law Robert Thole and Charles Haas; and sisters-in-law Irene Bray and Marie Hobbs. She married Nelson Haas April 18, 1950 at St. Francis Church, Aviston, and he survives in Trenton. Also surviving are a son, Dennis (Sherri) Haas of South Amana, Iowa; a granddaughter, Stacy Haas; and a sister Florence Thole of Aviston. Mrs. Haas was the former owner of Kettererís Tavern in Trenton. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Clinton County Tavern Association, and the Trenton Senior Citizens. The funeral was this morning (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. from St. Mary Church, Fr. James Daugherty officiating. Interment St. Mary Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Mary Church or Trenton Senior Center and will be received through Moss Funeral Home.

Condolences to mossfuneralhome.com

Mary Alice "Mimi" Kuhn, 61, died August 21, 2007 at her home in Salem, South Carolina. She was a former resident of Lebanon. Surviving are her husband Harold Kuhn; sons Martin Kuhn and Christopher (Jennifer) Kuhn; and grandson Max.

Memorials may be made to any Hospice Group.

Edward H. Thoele, 82, of Germantown, died Sunday, August 26, 2007 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville. He was born April 14, 1925 in Germantown, son of Joseph and Elizabeth, nee Nordhaus, Thoele, and they both preceded him in death. Other precedents included his stepfather, Bernard Spihlmann; a brother, Alvin Thoele; and a sister, Olivia Thoele; stepbrothers Ray, Leo, Bernard, Rich, and Clarence Spihlmann; a step-sister, Millie Heimann; brothers- and sisters-in-law. He married Mary Jane Kohrmann April 29, 1953 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Germantown, and she survives at home. Also surviving are his children, Ken (Gina) Thoele of Johnson City, Tennessee; Sue (Dave) Wuebbels of Germantown; Jim (Myra) Thoele of Breese; and Eileen Thoele of Germantown; a brother, Walter Thoele of New Baden; sisters Mary (Arnold) Heimann and Bernice (Corny) Kniepmann, all of Germantown; stepsisters Marie Albers of Breese, Henrietta (Abby) Albers of Germantown, and Dorothy Wiemann of Maryville; six grandchildren, five great grandchildren, in-laws, other relatives, and friends. Mr. Thoele was a retired laborer from Carpenters Locals 397 in Granite City and 581 in Carlyle. He was a meber of St. Boniface Catholic Church, and Germantown American Legion Post 325. He was an Army veteran of World War II. The funeral was this morning from St. Boniface Church. Interment St. Boniface Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Germantown First Responders or the donorís choice, and will be accepted through Moss Funeral Home in Germantown.

Condolences to mossfuneralhome.com

John J. "Johnny" Winkler, 82, of Germantown, died Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese. He was born March 23, 1925 in Germantown, son of John C. and Clara T., nee Brueggemann, Winkler, and they both preceded him in death. Siblings, nieces, nephews, other friends and relatives survive. Interment St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery.

For complete obituary and Condolences, hempenfuneralhome.com

Leona T. Huelsmann, 89, of St. Rose, died Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at St. Joseph Hospital in Breese. She was born December 31, 1917 in St. Rose, daughter of Anton and Rose, nee Schrage, Huelsmann, and they both preceded her in death. Sisters, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends survive. Interment St. Rose Cemetery.

For complete obituary and Condolences: hempenfuneralhome.com

Joyce M. Zurliene, 49, of Albers, died Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born June 22, 1958 in Clarksville, Tennessee, daughter of Wilson Taylor and Rose, nee Usselmann, Kraft. Her father survives in Albers, and her mother survives in Breese. She married Duane Zurliene December 22, 1990 in Camden, Missouri, and he survives in Albers. Siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends also survive. Interment St. Bernard Cemetery, Albers.

For complete obituary and Condolences, mossfuneralhome.com