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An
exotic getaway
Elegant
new bed-and-breakfast
in downtown Lincoln
[DEC.
20, 2000] Yesterday
morning, Mayor Ritter and members of the Chamber of Commerce
gathered with owners John and Jason Steffens in front of their new
Eckert’s Suites — a bed-and-breakfast — for a ribbon-cutting.
You may already recognize the Steffens brothers; they own Eckert’s
Inc., Fine Furnishings and Fine Dining, and Grapes and Grounds at
121-123 S. Sangamon.
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Eventually,
there will be four suites available in the bed-and-breakfast, each
with a different theme. At the present, only the Arabian room is
finished. The next room will have a medieval theme and is scheduled
to be finished by the fall of 2001. The other two themes are unknown
at this time.
John
and Jason Steffens are transforming old apartments into formal
accommodations. So far they have done all the labor themselves and
plan to finish the rest of the rooms in the same manner. This is why
the second room will not be available until the fall of 2001. In
restoring and decorating the room, Jason Steffens said, "We
wanted the rooms to look classy, not cutesy." Two
characteristics which add to the room’s ambience are original wood
floors and a pressed tin ceiling.
The
hallway and Arabian room look very professional. The entrance to the
suites is just down from Grapes and Grounds. At the top of the
stairs, guests step into a Victorian hallway. A wood-paneled
fireplace is the focus of the hallway, and antique pictures and
photographs hang on the wall. The first room is decorated in deep
plum, beige and dark wood. The bathroom has a Jacuzzi tub and
rain-shower shower head. The main area has a plush couch, Oriental
carpets and decorations, television, a breakfast table for two, a
microwave and a small refrigerator. The bedroom is lined in 150
yards of beige fabric, to simulate an Arabian tent. A covered basket
serves as a nightstand.
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The
medieval suite will have a queen-sized bed, bearskin rug, suits of
armor and other decorations to fit the theme. It will also have a
breakfast table, microwave, refrigerator and television. The
Steffenses plan to install a Jacuzzi tub and rain-shower shower head
as well.
Yesterday
morning’s ribbon-cutting was just a formality, because the Arabian
room has already been used seven times in the past month. This is
encouraging to members of the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor. At
the ribbon-cutting several members mentioned that a
bed-and-breakfast will flourish in the town of Lincoln. Eckert’s
Suites is only a stone’s throw from the Lincoln Depot. John and
Jason Steffens hope that the proximity of Eckert’s to the railroad
and its unique décor will attract business travelers — either
alone or with their spouses.
If
you are interested in reserving the Arabian room for either pleasure
or business, call Eckert’s Suites at 732-6102.
[Jean
Ann Carnley]
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Do
you hear what I hear?
Businesses
join together to provide
holiday shopping tunes around the square
[DEC.
15, 2000] Christmas
carols were ringing through downtown Lincoln Thursday evening
after installation of the new sound system on top of the Logan
County Courthouse. The project was a Main Street
Lincoln and Logan County Board partnership, with a major
donation from P&M Communications.
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Wendy
Bell, Main Street Lincoln program manager, brought the idea to Dick
Logan, Logan County Board chairman, after discussion at a Mornings
on Main monthly meeting. "Carols have played off
the courthouse for years in Edgar County, where I grew
up," said Bell. "It was always one of my favorite
parts of the holiday season."
Logan
thought it was a great idea and suggested contacting Bob Metz from
P&M Communications. Metz contacted the Edgar County
Courthouse for specifics on their system and then joined Logan and
Bell on the courthouse roof about 10 days ago to discuss the
possibilities.
Installation
of the equipment on a snowy and slippery roof was done
Thursday afternoon, and the strains of "Do you hear what I
hear?" could be heard before 4 p.m.
P&M
Communications generously gave almost $1,500 worth of
equipment, while the county paid for the labor.
The
music is set on a timer and will play from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
daily. The player randomly selects songs from six different
compact discs, so repetition will be kept to a minimum.
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The
CD player is wired to four speakers, two on the southwest corner and
two on the northeast corner of the roof. The speakers are
attached to brackets specially built by Don Bode. Metz noted
that Bode's work made the installation much easier.
Bell
and Metz walked around the square to check the music level, stopping
in shops to be certain it wasn't a distraction. Metz
explained, "Not all compact discs are recorded at the same
level, so some songs are going to be louder than others no matter
what you do."
General
reaction from shoppers on the street was very positive; all agreed
that the music added to the festivity of the season.
Bell
remarked, "Downtown Lincoln is our shopping mall, and every
mall I know is climate-controlled and has music. We may not be
able to control the climate, but we can have our music!"
[Main
Street Lincoln news release]
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