More in this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/07/terri-ryburn-are-you-receiving-two-pensions/
By: Diane Benjamin
Since I don’t follow the Normal Council meetings anymore, I don’t know the answer to that one.
I do know her name is still on the windows according to this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-07-04/b-n-tourism-group-gets-state-grant-for-route-66-renovations-at-spragues-in-normal
I also know the place received another $150,000 grant from the State, your money that Normal considers free bucks.
Accordinging to the article:
The historic former gas station will get two functional garage doors and a concrete pad behind the building for programming next year.
“It’s a beautiful location. It’s heavily used in the marketing efforts internationally for Illinois,” Dietmeier said. “With this $150,000, we’re using it for a lot of the aesthetic work to maintain the facility and really the attractiveness of the site that we have experienced ever since it reopened in the last 10 years.”
Does Dietmeier know visitors on Route 66 have to go out of their way to get there since the connections to the original road was cut off years ago?
Does Terri still only pay $120 a year to live there? Does the Town of Normal still pay the property taxes when they are supposed to be paid by the renter? https://blnnews.com/2023/05/15/nobody-elected-in-normal-will-care-but-do-you/
Is her store going to be open the entire year for the 100th anniversary or Route 66? Or, is Ryburn going to close during the winter?
Some of the past stories the voters in Normal ignored:
According to this 2020 story, Normal had invested $410,000 in the building: https://blnnews.com/2022/12/19/normals-other-four-tifs/
The Normal taxpayers have paid other expenses since including tens of thousands in property taxes. It isn’t worth my time to get a total since the majority of voters obviously don’t care. For those that do, the fleece continues while there is nothing you can do about it.
I drive past the gas station pretty regularly…
It always appears to be closed.
And I never see anyone there.
Yep, never see any cars there and it was closed once when I pulled in to check out the store. I was wondering if it was still in business.