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The Mississippi River levels should fall drastically in the next few days and a couple Grafton business owners couldn’t be more pleased about it.
The two women – Kim Baalman-Eberlin and her good friend Sharon Harrison – want the rest of the region and world to know Grafton is open to business. Baalman-Eberlin is the owner of The Whole Scoop and Sharon Harrison owns Harrison’s Antiques next door with her husband, Steve.
Everything except the Hawg Pit in Grafton is open and accessible for business, the two women said.
Baalman-Eberlin started The Whole Scoop in April 2011 and has encountered some water issues in town since, but she says because of changes in the community most of the businesses are accessible during most flood-related conditions.
“We would like to start a campaign to take the word flood out of Grafton,” she said. “We really don’t flood, we just have high water. We only have one business closed right now. It is important to note when IDOT says Route 100 is closed, that doesn’t mean Grafton is closed.”
The Whole Scoop owner said Steve Kasten, owner of the Hawg Pit, has a good escape plan to close and remove items from his business when the water rises.
Sharon Harrison owns an extensively decorated store with Harrison’s Antiques. Her front yard has a perfect garden and is well manicured. She moved to Grafton in 2001 with her husband.
Harrison pointed out that during all the high water conditions this year, Raging Rivers in Grafton has remained open.
“You can go through detours to get to Pere Marquette,” Sharon Harrison said.
Mississippi River levels are drastically falling in Grafton. This afternoon they were at 24.08 at 2 p.m. and are projected to be 21.8 feet at 7 p.m. Friday. Flood stage at Grafton is 18 feet.
Illinois Department of Transportation reported earlier in the week Illinois Route 100 had been temporarily closed at the intersection with Route 3. The only part of town where there is water on the highway is west of the intersection of Main and Church in Grafton. There is a slight detour there, but vehicles can get around town.
Both Harrison and Baalman-Eberlin know they are on higher ground in Grafton and don’t normally face high water worries, but they support the Hawg Pit and others who are more surrounded with water. The two women said they want every business in Grafton to be successful.
“We need to let people know we are alive and we have the red carpet rolled out for them,” both women said collectively. “We don’t want tourists to forget us.”
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