LDN - Today's Top Stories

Lincoln Daily News: easier to navigate, easier to read

[MARCH 15, 2000] In keeping up with our increased readership, Lincoln Daily News has made some improvements to the site. It is now easier to navigate. Every article in the entire paper is accessible from every page. Just scroll down to the bottom of every page and see the index, which lists the title of every section. After reading an article you can click on the next column of choice and you will quickly jump to that page. This will enable YOU to choose what you read.

Choosing to go back to the front page is now easier than ever too. Simply click on the Lincoln Daily News logo located on the top left of every screen. It says "back to front" and it will take you there.

The Lincoln Daily News has been online now for nearly seven weeks. We have continued our commitment from the beginning: to research and report the news and commentary from our community in a truthful and straightforward manner. There are many exciting things happening in our towns in and around Logan County. As the days and weeks and months go by, we strive to maintain the things you have come to expect from LDN.

So, let us know what you think. How are we doing? We are here for our readers. If you have story ideas or know of anything that is up and coming in your town, let us know. If you want to let us know about the improvements made on the site email us. ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com

[LDN]

Sheriff’s deputies go high tech

[MARCH 15, 2000] Felons intending to commit a crime in Logan County should be forewarned that their criminal records are as close as the touch of a computer key. The two Logan County K-9 sheriff’s deputies will soon be receiving the latest in police technology. Thanks to $16,500 in drug forfeiture monies provided by Logan County State’s Attorney Bill Workman, the two K-9 units will have touch-screen laptops that will be mobile with the police unit. These computers will give officers instant access to anyone’s criminal record information.

The new system will reduce the need for much of the radio communications between the officer and police dispatch, because the officer will have that information available through the high-tech unit in their own patrol vehicle.

“Because of the successful drug asset forfeitures, I am able to provide the funding for this enhancement to the law enforcement community. It is through their hard work and dedication to the war on drugs that these funds were confiscated in the first place,” Bill Workman said. The money comes from cash and other assets that have been seized from drug dealers. Workman explained that when money is seized from drug offenders in the course of their prosecution, his office conducts a forfeiture proceeding. The cash or assets that are forfeited to the state become the property of law enforcement to be used to assist in the prosecution of drug offenses.

In the past Workman has used these funds to update the computerization of the state’s attorney’s office, equip the prosecutors with up-to-date technology and assist in the overall prosecution of drug cases. “Due to the success of our drug prosecutions and seizures the last three years, we are able to not only meet the needs of our own office, but apply some of the funds to law enforcement directly. I feel it is a positive and productive use of these funds to put some of it back into the local community to fight drug crimes,” Workman said.

Sheriff Tony Solomon expressed his appreciation to State’s Attorney Bill Workman for his willingness to share funding out of his drug forfeiture account. “The Logan County Sheriff’s Department will benefit by Bill Workman’s assistance and support of our agency. This technology will allow officers to access critical information immediately, and substantially increase our ability to protect and serve the public,” Sheriff Solomon said.

[LDN]

The ABCs of B & B's

Chamber to hold bed and breakfast workshop

[MARCH 14, 2000] Could a bed and breakfast—or perhaps more than one—be in Logan County’s future once again? It’s a possibility that the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Lincoln are encouraging interested persons to explore. The two groups are sponsoring a Bed and Breakfast Start-up Workshop on March 30 from 8 a.m. to noon at Eckert’s, 123 S. Sangamon St. in Lincoln.

The workshop will provide insights from experienced B & B operators and patrons, along with information about zoning, health department regulations, business plans, financing and marketing techniques. A $10 registration fee will cover the cost of materials and breakfast. Anyone interested may call the Chamber at 735-2385 for more information.

Representatives of several area organizations said they believe the Lincoln area offers opportunities for those wanting to start such a home-based business.

"Currently, Logan County does not have a ‘home-style’ place to stay," says Bobbi Abbott, Chamber director. She says that more and more travelers are looking for such accommodations for both weekend getaways and business trips. They find the advantages of staying at a B & B include the opportunity to mingle with other guests and to learn more about the area from their hosts, along with less traffic congestion, more amenities and sometimes lower rates than traditional accommodations.

"I get calls from all over from people wanting to know if there is a B & B here," says Thressia Usherwood, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Tourist Bureau of Logan County. "I think B & B’s could become very successful here. People love them."

Usherwood thinks that as the Looking for Lincoln project gains momentum, more and more tourists will be coming into the area. The Looking for Lincoln project, funded by a state of Illinois Heritage Tourism grant, will identify important Lincoln sites and publish a guidebook so that tourists can follow a "trail" of places important in the history of our 16th president.

"There is a wealth of Abraham Lincoln history here," Usherwood said. Sites in Logan County that will be listed in the guidebook include the Postville Courthouse, the Mount Pulaski Courthouse and the Lincoln College Museum of Lincoln memorabilia. She also noted that Lincoln is a popular stop for the Illinois Route 66 Association, which will be holding its Hall of Fame banquet here this year.

According to Abbott, studies show that B & B patrons often spend more time and money in the community than those who stop in off-the-highway motels. She notes that unique restaurants, antique malls and specialty shops are of particular interest to people who stay in B & B’s. "We have many small, local businesses that can benefit from B & B tourism. The Chamber and Main Street will help market our local businesses to these patrons."

Wendy Bell, Main Street Lincoln program manager, also supports the workshop. "There are marketing opportunities through Amtrak and Main Street that do not exist in other areas. A bed and breakfast would complete the package of good food, interesting shops, and a unique place to stay."

The March 30 workshop is designed to offer "information and inspiration," Abbott said. "There is absolutely no obligation. We’re hoping this forum will appeal to anyone with a curious to a serious interest in this type of home-based business.

"We presently have two persons with serious interest. We’d like to attract a few more. Clusters of bed and breakfasts tend to draw more tourists than a single offering," Abbot continued.

"The operators will eventually be able to put together attractive packages featuring unique travel experiences—riding the train, bicycling, or driving Route 66," she said.

[Joan Crabb]

A not so sweet fruit

[MARCH 9, 2000] The brown fruit of the sweet gum tree is creating problems for local homeowners. The sweet gum tree is a tall, stately tree that grows throughout most of the United States, with Central Illinois being at the northernmost perimeter of its region. Its fruit is a brownish spiny ball that remains on the tree throughout the winter. This fruit plugs up drains, continuously litters yards and is a big nuisance, says Don Osborne, street superintendent of Lincoln. “The city’s policy has been not to remove trees unless they are dead, diseased, dying or dangerous,” he continued.

There is no chemical control currently labeled in Illinois for preventing the formation of sweet gum balls. There are a few compounds available that will cause some abortion but it is costly, hard to apply and again not registered for use in Illinois. For those residents who are adamant about removing their sweet gum tree, there may be a remedy.

An Illinois group of old-house enthusiasts says the only control to prevent sweet gum balls from forming is a chain saw used at ground level. The city of Lincoln may now agree. Osborne mentioned, "We don’t want to get to the point where residents are just removing trees." But due to the number of complaints received from residents with sweet gum trees on their property, the city’s forestry committee has made a recommendation to the city council to try to alleviate this problem for residents.

Osborne said, "If the recommendation is approved, residents would have to first obtain a free permit from city hall and agree to bear the full cost for the tree removal. They would also have to pledge to replant a tree in the same or surrounding area. The exception to replanting would be if the tree would have a negative impact, such as on utilities, blocking the view at an intersection or some other legitimate reason for not replanting. The city of Lincoln has a list of prohibited and acceptable trees that can be used to replenish the trees that may be cut down. Tree replacements can be picked from this list such as oaks, several varieties of maples and others."

The sweet gum tree produces a gummy compound called stroax that is used in making perfumes, adhesives and salves. Sweet gum wood is fairly hard and heavy. It is often used to make veneer, cabinets, boats, toys, boxes, fuel and other products. The leaves are star-shaped, with a pleasant fragrance when crushed. The bark is deeply furrowed into narrow scaly ridges; hence another common name, the alligator tree.

The sweet gum tree is a common broadleaf tree, a good shade tree, and amongst the most brilliant in autumn. Native Americans and early pioneers chewed the hardened clumps of sap that exuded from the bark of the tree when cut. They used it for medicinal purposes, as chewing gum and with some tree varieties as a breath freshener.

Local lore says a Lincoln naturalist who obtained the trees as seedlings brought the sweet gum trees to Lincoln in the early to late 1960s. He then gave them to the city of Lincoln to plant.

[Kym Ammons-Scott]

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