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Seeing Springfield with
the first lady of Arkansas

By Lynn Spellman

[MAY 21, 2001]  On Wednesday, May 9, I had the pleasure of a whirlwind tour of Springfield sites with Janet Huckabee, first lady of Arkansas. A fun time, it was also a lesson in how effectively a title can open doors.

Huckabee was the featured speaker at the annual meeting of the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association. Since last August, when she chose a triple-wide house made by Champion Homes of Indiana as a temporary residence during restoration of the Arkansas governor’s mansion, she has become an enthusiastic spokesperson for the industry.

After Huckabee’s luncheon speech, association chairman Roger Huddleston assigned Lucy Anderson and Dianne DeRosa, both of Springfield, and I the delightful task of taking her "wherever she wants to go." We were a party of six in the DeRosas’ Lincoln. Dick DeRosa, Dianne and Lucy sat in the front, and in the back were Janet Huckabee, I and Dustin, whom we were told to introduce as "an Arkansas state trooper."

Our first stop was the statehouse. Dianne had some trouble unfastening her seat belt, and Huckabee ran around the car calling, "I can help." Inside, IMHA Executive Director Chris Kratzer guided us through the rotunda, the Senate legislative chamber and a meeting room with a hearing in session. We met Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, in his office. Then an aide to Gov. George Ryan escorted us to the governor’s office. Though Ryan was in Chicago, as we admired the richly decorated office we were joined by former Gov. James Thompson, who stepped out from a meeting to chat with us.

As we exited the governor’s outer office, Huckabee noticed an arm cover had fallen off the chair by the door and stooped to replace it. We then hurried to our car and drove to the Lincoln Home, with Lucy on her cell phone making arrangements. "The first lady of Arkansas is in town," she said. "She’ll be at your facility in five minutes and would like a tour." Meanwhile, the high-energy Huckabee was on her own cell phone, checking on the status of a $2 million grant application. It turned out she had received only $1 million. "That’s pretty good," she said, "except that I know who got the other million."

Classes of grade-school children waiting for tours watched as we immediately entered the Lincoln Home. Our guide was especially skillful at presenting the house from Mary Todd Lincoln’s point of view, and Janet Huckabee was liberal with her thanks, as she had been at the governor’s office. Our tour continued to the Dean House, where we examined models of the Lincoln house in its various stages of expansion.

 

[to top of second column in this commentary]

Then it was on to the Old State Capitol. In the car I learned that both Gov. Mike Huckabee and his wife had grown up in Hope, Ark., and knew Terry and Mickey Becherer, formerly of Lincoln.

Again we were met by an excellent guide who led us between school classes. We moved quickly through the offices and legislative chambers but not so quickly as to miss learning the origin of the term "red tape." In Lincoln’s day legal documents were folded and placed in file drawers about 4 inches square on the end. When a drawer was full, the documents were tied together in bundles using flat red fabric tape because it did not cut as string did. So a person looking for a specific document often had to go through a lot of red tape.

After thanking our guide we considered a quick pass through Oak Ridge Cemetery to see Lincoln’s tomb, but it was 4 p.m. and the first lady had to be ready by 5:15 to hostess a reception at the Illinois executive mansion. Even she, with her ability to pack a great deal into a few minutes, acknowledged that there wasn’t time. We had made our tour in about two hours, evidence of how much you can accomplish when all the doors are open.

Janet Huckabee, first lady of Arkansas, has the energy level to take advantage of the opportunities available to her. At 8 p.m. she planned to drive to St. Louis, fly to Little Rock, sleep briefly and be ready to fly to Texarkana, Ark., for a full schedule of appointments the next day.

[Lynn Spellman]


Our money should go down our drain

By Mike Fak

[JUNE 14, 2001]  Someone needs to ask this question. So, what the heck, I will.

With the city of Lincoln facing a $10 million price tag on upgrading our sewer system for the next half century, why is it that we have been left out in the cold in regard to Illinois FIRST funds?

There. I asked the question, and the roof above my desk hasn’t fallen in on me. I feel the question is a valid one and deserves not only to be asked but answered as well.

 

The city of Lincoln’s need for financial help to rebuild an archaic sewer system seems to fall appropriately under the governor’s own definition of what Illinois FIRST’s stated objectives are. They seem more than valid when one notes FIRST funds of $50,000 going to the Cook County Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce. Asking for monies for sewers seems appropriate when one sees $1 million being sent to the DuPage County Board for architectural and design fees on their county building. That must be one heck of a building, don’t you think?

I could give you literally hundreds of instances of FIRST money going up north that don’t seem to fit any specific category of infrastructure, save the fact they are going to the districts of the statehouse’s heavy hitters. I could give you hundreds of examples of financial largesse that seem to fit only the category of pork barrels for friends of the governor, but hey, this piece is supposed to be about the sewers in Lincoln, so allow me to get back on track.

Throughout the Illinois FIRST website, an individual will find hundreds of grants for sewer and water upgrades buried among others to obscure enterprises that in my opinion are by no stretch of the imagination "dire needs."

I know all of you hate term papers, so, to make this short, I will list just a few of the more monumental expenditures given to communities having the same sewer problems as Lincoln.

 

 

 

[to top of second column in this commentary]

  • Arlington Heights — $1 million for sewer upgrade
  • Warrenville — $500,000 for sewer work
  • Downers Grove — $500,000 for sewers
  • Wheaton — $2.5 million for new sewers
  • Evanston — $8 million for sewer upgrade
  • Bridgeview — $2.5 million for additional sewers
  • MWRDGC — $35.5 million for new sewer system.

I have pages more, but that should be enough.

Yes, I know you are already asking what the MWRDGC is all about. I had to go into another website to find out the initials stand for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Illinois FIRST didn’t explain it any better than the abbreviation. You would think that an entity that receives nearly $40 million for sewers would deserve at least a moment’s time and effort to have its name completely typed out on the website. Perhaps with so many grants going to so many communities, organizations and just plain oinkers in the state, it seems someone just didn’t find it important to explain this receptor of funds to mere mortals such as we.

Another question you might have is, "Have we asked for Illinois FIRST assistance?" I have reliable information that we have. The question raised then must be, "Why have we been turned down?" Which leads to another question: "Are we reapplying or asking why we are being turned down?" I believe the taxpayers of Lincoln deserve at least to be told why we are footing this bill on our own.

 

There are too many questions. To date there have been no answers forthcoming from anyone in the know. Even if the answers are not what we want to hear, I believe the people of Lincoln deserve to be informed. We deserve to have our tax money go down our drain, not someone else’s.

[Mike Fak]

 

Reply (not for publication) to Mike Fak:

mfldn@lincolndailynews.com

Reply as a letter to the editor:

ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com 


Welcome to the em space, a staff writer's commentary section with observations about life experiences in Logan County and beyond. Enjoy your visit.

- Mary Krallmann


A missing category for Father’s Day

I don’t send Father’s Day cards anymore. Once in a while I look at a few to see if there are any with messages that fit my thoughts.

I don’t buy gifts for the occasion either. A can of nuts used to be a standard idea in our family. Film was also a good choice. The last Father’s Day gift from me must have been blank cassettes for a tape recorder. I found a letter with thanks for that.

Recently I did check an Internet site that advertised possible Father’s Day gifts. They were arranged for several categories of dads. I could easily have skipped over the "Caddy Daddy" and "Grandpa" listings without looking. My dad didn’t play golf, and I don’t know if he ever imagined becoming a grandfather. Marrying later in life as he did, he was happy to have a family and see his children grow to adulthood.

I don’t think he ever spent large amounts of money on clothes, so "Sharp Dresser" doesn’t sound like the type. As a professional, he did try to be well-groomed and neatly dressed. He always liked to comb his hair. I can easily picture him at home in a shirt, tie and overalls, reflecting both his educational background and a farm boy’s heart.

Except for visiting the Rockies twice, he wasn’t a "Mountain Man." He did like to walk on the trails in parks. For him, stops like that along the way were definitely the more appealing part of any journey, but no special equipment was required. He had rain gear stowed away in the car in case of need.

He watched television some, including sports, but "Couch Coach" wouldn’t be the right label, especially since a couch was not his usual place at any time. When he napped, it was on the floor. When he was watching a broadcast, more than likely he’d be moving around, doing exercises or going from room to room.

Many items advertised for a "Gourmet Guy" don’t match my notion of Father’s Day gifts either, partly because grilling wasn’t on the menu at home. Dad did most of his cooking during his bachelor days, with refresher courses when he went away to summer school in later years. He did like to eat ice cream, but I don’t remember that he indicated an interest in having a machine to make it. He was the official person to fix Sunday night popcorn, however. If we got a new popper, it was natural for him to buy it, since the update depended on whether he had further plans to rejuvenate the older model one more time.

"Do-It-Yourselfer" and "Gadget Nut," especially the former, come closer to his style. The trouble is that the person who fixes things is the one who knows best what he needs, and if he wants a certain tool or manual, it won’t always wait for Father’s Day. Besides, much of a do-it-yourselfer’s equipment is priced well beyond a modest gift budget, especially when father’s birthday arrives only about a month after Father’s Day.

In the final analysis, I think of a father much more as a giver than as a receiver in any category. Besides helping to provide the material necessities of life, a father gives intangible essentials beyond price in categories such as his example, his love, his guidance. For that I give thanks to the Father of us all.

Fourteen years after my dad’s final Father’s Day, I can look around in my living quarters and continue to receive his gifts on both symbolic and practical levels. Taped inside a cabinet door, a message on the label from one of his popcorn crops wishes me "A happy-snappy, hoppy-poppy birthday" all year-round. When I need a small hammer or saw, a screwdriver or a pair of pliers, his are there for my use. At the bottom of a desk drawer, a scrap of paper with his handwriting lists five things to do every day. Similarly, letters that remain are full of biblical applications, advice from other books that influenced his life, encouragement, playful humor and simple reports of everyday living.

The last e-mail message I have on file from him ended this way:

"Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise — think on these things."

GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN.

Love, Dad

[Mary Krallmann

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Where They Stand

Where They Stand is a commentary section that poses a question about a specific issue in the community. Informed individuals present their position with facts, opinions or insights on the issue. The following commentaries have been printed, unedited, in their entirety, as they were received. If you have further comment on the issue, please send an e-mail message, complete with your name, address and telephone number to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.


District vs. at large

April 3 ballot proposition:  "Shall Logan County be divided into districts equal in population for the purpose of electing County Board members to serve on the Logan County Board commencing in the year 2002?"

YES!

 

In January of this year, citizens throughout Logan County circulated petitions to place this issue on the ballot. That effort was successful with more than 10% of registered voters signing within a two-week period (2569 total/2000 needed). The referendum has been certified by the Logan County Clerk and will be on the April 3rd ballot throughout the county. The citizens were successful and will be able to voice their opinion on this matter for the first time in 30 years!

Illinois law states that every ten years each county in Illinois with a township form of government shall determine whether board members shall be elected "at large" from the county or by county board "districts".

A "YES" vote on this issue will indicate that residents of Logan County want to have their County Board members representing all areas of the county. Each district must be divided equally in population and will guarantee that all areas are represented! The present "at large" system allows for all 13 County Board members to be elected from one area, while the remainder of the county could end up with no one. In fact, the east side of our county (from Mt. Pulaski to Atlanta) does not have representation at the present time! All of the counties surrounding Logan are in districts. Menard recently changed from "at large" to "districts" with an overwhelming vote. The greater majority of counties in Illinois are in districts and have been for several years. We are not the only county with this issue on the ballot. Bureau County recently passed a referendum to go to single member districts. Champaign County has a similar question, as does Adams County.

Remember that this question asks how the make-up of the County Board should be for the next ten years. Under a district system the voter is more likely to know the person they are voting for. This is your opportunity to voice your opinion and let your county governing body know how you feel. If the referendum produces a result in FAVOR of district representation, then measures will be introduced on the floor of the Logan County Board to accomplish that goal.

—Rodney J. White

 

 

(Rodney White is a member of the Logan County Board.)

NO!

 

It’s rather interesting and enlightening to note the places of residence of people appointed to the Logan County Board to fill terms of members who have died, moved away, or resigned.

Mr. Robert "Bud" Behrends was appointed to the Logan County Board March 18, 1975, to finish out the term of Robert E. Downing, and Lloyd Hellman was appointed November 15, 1994, to finish out Robert "Bud" Behrends term on the board. Mr. Behrends grew up in the Hartsburg area, and spent most of his life in Lincoln, and Mr. Hellman, who replaced "Bud" has spent most of his life in the rural Emden area. Mr. Downing was a rural Beason farmer.

The emphasis on appointments was the type of person needed to effectively function on the board; not where they resided. A Beason resident (Mr. Downing) was replaced by a Hartsburg/Lincoln resident (Mr. Behrends), who was replaced by Mr. Hellman, an Emden resident.

The above appointments don’t look like "district" representation. It looks like desire on the part of the replacements and their ability to effectively function on the Logan County Board.

Mark H. Werth resigned from the board December 31, 1988. L. Buckles was appointed to replace Mr. Werth, February 20, 1989. Both were from rural areas -- Mr. Werth, rural area north of Mt. Pulaski, and Mr. Buckles, rural area south of Mt. Pulaski.

Mr. Earl Madigan, who lived southeast of Lincoln, was replaced by Dwight Zimmerman, who farmed for years just east of San Jose and later lived in Lincoln. That certainly wasn’t a "district" appointment. That was an appointment based on the desire of the person to serve and his ability to serve.

Mr. Edward L. Spellman, resigned from the board March 18, 1976, and Mr. Don Smith was appointed to take his place. both came from Lincoln, Both were successful business people and served well on the board.

Mr. Robert Welch died in office November 18, 1998. He was a resident of rural Beason. Mr. Roger Bock of rural Williamsville was appointed to replace him. Again, not a "district" appointment, but one based on desire and ability.

To my knowledge, no proponent of the district plan for electing members of the Logan County Board has ever submitted a plan, so my question is: If the at large system of electing county board members is not flawed, why fix it?

If the system is working well and the members are getting the work of county government done, why change?

Will a district election plan, which apparently is only floating around in the minds of a few people and has not been committed to paper, better serve all the people of all the county?? I think not!!!

—Dick Hurley

 

(Dick Hurley is a former member of the Logan County Board.)


By the Numbers

Motor fuel taxes paid in August 2000

Local figures are as follows:

Logan County = $44,078.23

(Counties receive an allocation on the basis of motor vehicle registration fees, with the exception of Cook County, which has a percentage allocation set by law.)

Townships and road districts = $90,973.85

(Townships and road districts are allocated an amount computed on the basis of mileage in their jurisdiction.)

City of Lincoln = $38,003.84

(Cities receive an allocation based on population.)

[Source: Economic Development report]


Population estimates in Logan County
30,798 Total population, 1990
15,380 Rural population - 49.9%, 1990
15,418 Urban population - 50.1%, 1990
2,875 Projected births, 1990-1998
2,736 Projected deaths, 1990-1998
3,143 Persons below poverty level - 11.8 %
258 Average marriages per year
135 Average deaths per year

Alexis Asher


Logan County high schools: 1960-2000
1962 Middletown High School consolidated with New Holland
1972 Atlanta High School became part of Olympia School District
1975 Elkhart High School consolidated with Mount Pulaski
1979 Latham High School became Warrensburg-Latham
1988 New Holland-Middletown High School consolidated with Lincoln Community High School
1989 San Jose High School consolidated with Illini Central (Mason City)

Alexis Asher


Lincoln High School history

1859

Lincoln School District

5

School buildings in 1859

1

"Grammar school" in 1859

1

High school teacher, Mr. January, in 1859

1870-71

Central School opened

1898

High school building started

1900

High school dedicated, Jan. 5

$20,000

Cost of new high school

1920

Election authorized community high school District #404

1958

Dedication of new Lincoln Community High School, 1000 Primm Road, in auditorium, on Nov. 9

Alexis Asher


Lincoln/Logan County numbers
(2000)
5 Wards in Lincoln
17 Townships in Logan County
29 Officers in Lincoln City Police Department
20 Officers in Logan County Police Department
22 Firemen in the Lincoln City Fire Department
16 Rural Fire Departments in County
13 Members of Logan County Board
10 Members of Lincoln City Council
3 Colleges in Lincoln
44,850 Volumes in Lincoln Public Library
40,000 Volumes in Lincoln College Library
126,000 Volumes in Lincoln Christian College Library

How We Stack Up


This feature of the Lincoln Daily News compares Lincoln and Logan County to similar cities and counties on a variety of issues in a succinct manner, using charts and graphs for illustration.

Racial makeup of selected Illinois counties

 



What's Up With That?

        
[Road construction is taking place up and down Woodlawn Road.]

          

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