Downstate town still throwing party

GLEN CARBON -- A southwestern Illinois village says it isn't going to play Scrooge with its holiday party at a time when the sagging U.S. economy has many rethinking such galas to be frugal.

Glen Carbon's board on Wednesday unanimously signed off on staging its annual holiday party with a scaled-down $3,000 price tag.

Board member Ron Slemer says it would be a "bah humbug" not to have the catered event with a rented hall, disc jockey and drinks.

Village President Robert Jackstadt calls the party an appreciative gesture to volunteers who he says "put in a lot of hard hours, get named in lawsuits and get yelled at."

Jackstadt notes that the village is more than $96,000 ahead of budget in sales taxes this year.