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Beth Davis wins
Republican mayoral primary

[FEB. 28, 2001] With only a couple of precincts to go, Lincoln City Council members and others who were at the regular council meeting joined the small crowd in the Logan County Courthouse around 8 p.m. The mood was pleasant and exhilarating. Various groups of supporters milled around together, awaiting the final outcome.

When the night was over, the numbers told the story. The voters had chosen Beth Davis to be the Republican candidate in the upcoming mayoral race five weeks from now.

In last week’s LDN primary poll, Davis received 49 percent of the polled responses. In the election, she received 44 percent of the final tally, winning with a comfortable lead.

Interviewed by Jim Ash and Mike Fak from LincOn-TV Channel 15, smiling Beth Davis accepted their congratulations and vowed to fulfill her campaign promises if elected to the office.

In a statement to Lincoln Daily News, Davis said, "I am very pleased at the voter turnout. There were five good candidates, and they selected one. I am very pleased. I hope to do as good or better than the current mayor. I’ll work on bringing more jobs into the city and county. I’ll try to be a very good servant for the city of Lincoln. That is what I pledge to do."

[to top of second column in this article]

Mayor Joan Ritter was also interviewed by Ash and Fak, and conceded the election graciously to Davis, whom she praised as a good candidate. She also had kind words for the other three candidates and thanked them by name for their participation in the race. Ritter praised her supporters, especially those who had closely supported her in this race and during her four-year mayoral term. She thanked her husband, and concluded by saying that she looked forward to some rest after 20 years of serving the city as mayor and as an alderman.

Jason Harlow congratulated the winner of the race. He sent a letter to the LDN editor, and you can read it by clicking here.

Five weeks from now, Beth Davis will face the Democratic candidate, Kenneth Gray, in a runoff for the office of mayor of Lincoln. Until then, her campaign signs will remain up and her supporters will remain active to persuade voters to bring her to office.

[Jim Youngquist]

Excellent voter turnout for primary

[FEB. 28, 2001] For weeks before the primary, some people around Lincoln were saying that there wasn’t going to be any surprise at all about the results of the election. But good weather and five candidates vying for the same office brought voters out in record numbers for the Republican mayoral primary yesterday, surprising many.

Of 10,003 registered voters in Lincoln, 3,009 made their way to the polling places on Tuesday to register their choice.

City Clerk Juanita Josserand remarked that it was the largest voter turnout for a mayoral contest in her memory. Josserand said that having five candidates competing for the same office overcame the usual voter apathy and brought out such a large number of voters to support their candidate. "Everybody’s always unhappy about something," she said. "This election brought the voters out to support the candidate they think can fix things."

[to top of second column in this article]

Temperatures in the low to mid-40s and a little sunshine also contributed to the turnout. The recent minor snow quickly melted off and allowed Lincoln citizens access to the polling places.

At the end of the day, the votes were tallied and the candidates received the following number of votes:

Jason Harlow, 5 percent, with 145 votes;

Don Fults, 9 percent, with 278 votes;

Stephen Mesner, 10 percent, with 310 votes;

Joan Ritter, 32 percent, with 967 votes;

and Beth Davis declared the winner with 1,309 votes, which was 44 percent of the total votes cast.

[Jim Youngquist]

City to adopt bed-and-breakfast code

[FEB. 28, 2001] To help encourage bed-and-breakfast businesses in the city, the Lincoln City Council is reviewing a proposed new ordinance. Alderman Glenn Shelton, chairman of the ordinance committee, said at Tuesday evening’s work session that because of increasing interest in this potential new business, he would like to see the bed-and-breakfast ordinance drafted and passed as soon as possible.

Shelton recently met with the city’s one bed-and-breakfast owner, Larry Steffens, and three other potential owners, and reported that people considering starting such a business need some guidelines.

The proposed ordinance, presented by City Attorney Jonathan Wright, would apply to bed and breakfasts in residential areas only. "In commercial areas it’s pretty clear what needs to be done, but there is not much guidance for these businesses in residential areas," he told the council.

The Illinois legislature has approved a bed-and-breakfast act, and the city code will adopt many of its standards, Wright said.

Owners would get permits through the city code enforcement office, and they would have food operations certified by the Logan County Health Department, according to the proposed code. A fire escape map must be posted on the door of each sleeping room; hallways and stairways must be adequately lighted, including exit signs and emergency lighting; furnaces must have one-hour-rated fire doors; and smoke detectors should be hard-wired and interconnected. Owners would also have to give proof of liability insurance.

The proposed code also recommends one off-street parking place for each sleeping room in a residential B and B, as well as a parking space for the owner of the establishment.

The council must still decide how long a B-and-B permit would be in force and what fees, if any, would be charged to the owner.

Les Last, code enforcement officer, said he thought the off-street parking provision would be a problem for B-and-B operators who have four or five sleeping rooms. Alderman Steve Fuhrer agreed.

Alderman Patrick Madigan suggested there might be a designated smoking room with a separate smoke alarm, since interconnected smoke alarms might wake people needlessly. Shelton noted that most potential owners were not going to permit smoking.

The ordinance committee agreed to meet at 6 p.m. next Monday, before the regular council meeting, to iron out the details.

[to top of second column in this article]

The request by Action Rental and Furniture Center, 519 Broadway, to change the direction of traffic in the alley running from Pulaski to Broadway to allow for a drive-up payment window got another hearing at Tuesday’s meeting.

Traffic is presently one-way northbound in alleys from Clinton through Pekin streets. Action Rental has asked that the traffic flow be changed to southbound in the block from Broadway to Pulaski, so customers can make their payments at a drive-up window from the passenger side of a car. According the firm’s president, Henry Baird, the success of Sorrento’s Restaurant, next door to the firm, has made parking difficult for customers who make regular payments on their furniture contracts.

Aldermen discussed the possibility of allowing two-way traffic in the alley, although Street Superintendent Donnie Osborne said he was not sure there was room for two vehicles, because of utility poles and outside stairways.

Police Chief Richard Ludolph recommended that if the Pulaski/Broadway alley becomes two way, the alley from Pulaski to Clinton streets should also allow two-way traffic. The matter will be on the agenda for the next regular meeting.

Fire Chief Ken Ebelherr reported that bids on a new truck will be in by Friday and be opened on March 13. He also told the council that an $100 million federal grant, the Firefighters Investment and Response Enhancement Act, will soon become available for the current year. Fire departments may apply for funds in six categories: training, purchase of vehicles, equipment, personal protection equipment, fire prevention, and wellness and fitness. In most categories, a grant will require a 10 percent local match.

Because of an early deadline, Ebelherr said he would like to apply as soon as possible. The council agreed to leave it up the fire department to determine what they most need and what they can realistically ask for this year. Next year, Ebelherr said, the grant is expected to rise to $300 million, and the fire department will have more time to consider what they should apply for.

In an adjourned regular meeting before the work session, the council approved a three-year lease with Darrell and Sarah Benner of Broadwell to farm the 40 acres the city owns on West Kickapoo Street for cash rent of $4,000 per year. The Benners recently purchased land adjacent to the city’s acreage from Welsh Agribusiness, which had previously farmed the city land.

[Joan Crabb]

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Domestic Abuse and Violence
Task Force is awarded a grant

[FEB. 26, 2001] The Healthy Communities Partnership Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force has been selected as the recipient of the Health Services Administration Rural Health Outreach Mini-Grant.

Funds are being provided to expand awareness of domestic abuse and violence in Logan County through educational programs. Task force members include representatives from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Logan County Health Department, Sojourn Shelter, the Logan County States Attorney’s Office and Logan Mason Mental Health. This program will be implemented in mid spring of this year.

Your tax dollars at work

[FEB. 24, 2001] Logan County Paramedics Association recently purchased a new Medtech ambulance for $92,000 from the county ambulance tax levy. The paramedics have about 3,000 calls per year, and three units (ambulances) are available 24 hours a day for your emergency calls.

[Steve Siltman, Logan County Paramedic associate manager, checks out the new vehicle.]

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