A visit to sweet home Lerna, Illinois

LERNA — Rob Ratliff knows a few things about the small town he's spent most of his life in, beginning in 1979.

Ratliff, who now serves as Fire Chief at Lincoln Fire Protection District Station No. 2 in Lerna, said while he was growing up everyone knew everyone in Lerna, whether they were kids or parents. The kids played baseball until it was too cold and then switched to football, Ratliff said.

“We knew where everybody lived, so we'd say “hey, baseball game at 2 o'clock at the school,”” he said. “That's what we did.”

Ratliff grew up in a large family, one of seven kids. When he wanted to hang out with friends, he didn't call them -- he went to their house. And the kids rode bikes instead of sitting inside. Ratliff said that togetherness is still important in Lerna, and those who move away still have strong bonds to the community; one girl asked to host her wedding at the fire station and will do so this December, Ratliff said.

About two years ago a tornado swept through the area, hitting areas including Lerna and Charleston, and the community responded immediately, Ratliff said.

“The fire department organized cleanup, but we had a lot of people that got involved,” he said. “Four-wheelers, people donated pickup trucks, tractors. You don't get that in town, in a bigger town.”

Ratliff said he knew he wanted to be firefighter ever since he was young. He was invited to join Lincoln Fire Protection District and the service got in his blood -- he joined Mattoon Fire but was eventually persuaded to become chief in Lerna, he said.

Firefighter Mike Schaljo has also spent plenty of years in the area, beginning in 1968. Schaljo said he also always wanted to be a fireman and enjoys helping the community. The town's size makes it easy for residents to look out for each others' well-being, he said.

“I live a block behind my mother,” Schaljo said. “(If) Rob drives by her house and sees something different there, he'll stop and make a check on her.”

In fact, citizens keep an eye on the elderly population in general, Ratliff said.

“I have a couple that just live across from me and they're getting up in their age,” he said. “It's nothing for me to go over and talk to them. They'll call me -- if their power goes out, I'll grab their generator and fire it up for them.”

LFPD assigns 25 volunteers to each of its three stations, as well as 10 to 15 volunteers to the Dive Team, based out of Lerna. The organization is always looking for volunteers; anyone interested can contact Ratliff at 217-259-3351 or any LFPD volunteer. Organizers then meet at the end of the month to hold interviews, Ratliff said.

Lerna's caffeinated claim to fame

Just up the street from the LFPD station, hidden behind some trees, lies Thompson Welding. And while owner Ivan Thompson and his business have been stalwarts in the community for more than 40 years, it's the machines right out front of his shop that draw in the tourists.

Thompson has what may be the world's fastest pop machines.

The title isn't really official, but it may be Facebook official; the machines have a dedicated page. Thompson said he acquired the machines through his wife's work with companies such as Donnelley's.

“It seems as though the college kids put us on the map,” Thompson said. “They were coming over and talking about it, and they were the ones that dubbed it as the fastest pop machine.”

Thompson purchased a building in Lerna in the early ‘70s and moved into his current building, right next door, in 1983, although he continues to own both buildings, he said. Thompson had one machine when he came to town in the ‘70s and acquired the second after setting up shop in his new building.

Thompson estimates the working machine brings in about $30-$40 a weekend; the older machine is out-of-order and will accept money but won't vend, he said.

Thompson said he has seen businesses come and go over the years in Lerna; from his memory he created a list of more than 50, including older businesses that re-opened under different owners, he said. But through it all, at least one machine has kept running, dropping sodas instantly for those willing to plug it with 75 cents.

“It's been quite a machine for us, quite an attraction,” he said.