A decade of service

[MARCH 12, 2001]  Richard Sumrall takes justified pride in building additions, increased circulation figures and expansion of non-print materials during his tenure as director of Lincoln Public Library.

An open house Sunday, March 11, at the library celebrated Sumrall’s 10 years of service to the Lincoln community. "He's the best librarian we've ever had," said trustee Eileen Morris. "He's good with people and very civic-minded."

During Sumrall's tenure circulation has increased from about 72,000 items per year in 1991 to nearly 112,000 in 2000. Non-print formats now include books on tape, videos, CD-ROMs for adults and children, and electronic and online databases. Installation of a wireless system for computers has increased efficiency and saved taxpayers’ money, he reported.

Sumrall’s philosophy of library service is three-pronged. "The library should be the first resource for any person in the community, whether it be for ready reference or for lifelong learning," he said. Second, it should be "the preschooler’s door to learning and reading." And third, it should provide a fun place for readers who enjoy popular materials.

A hands-on administrator, Sumrall works in reference and at the circulation desk in addition to his administrative duties. Working on the floor enables him to keep in touch with patrons and to understand working conditions of the staff, he said.

During Sumrall’s tenure the library has experienced major changes in institutional autonomy, facilities and collection.

Soon after his arrival trustees and staff worked with Lincoln city government to pass a referendum that transformed the city library into a public library district. As a result, trustees are now elected instead of appointed by the mayor, making the library more directly responsible to voters.

In March 1995 the Annex officially opened. The collection and services had outgrown the Carnegie building, Sumrall said. The Annex approximately doubled available space and made possible two more rooms for public meetings, one in the Annex and the Donna Pegram Meeting Room in the former children’s library. The Pegram Room accommodates 110 people and has a kitchen for serving refreshments.

Also in 1995 a handicapped entrance was added at the rear of the Carnegie building. Subsequently, extensive work restored the turn-of-the-century elegance of the building, including repair and replacement of period tiling in the entrance, new lighting, carpeting and paint. In addition, the stained glass dome was cleaned, repaired and lighted.

[Richard Sumrall]

[Sumrall shows tie clasp to his mother.]

Sumrall arrived when many projects were in the planning stage, said Carol Frantz, vice president of the board of trustees, and his efficiency and knowledge made the work go smoothly. "He made the board's job easy," agreed President Bill Vinyard.

In building the collection, Sumrall has concentrated on nonfiction for adults and children in order to make the library "more than just a repository for pop fiction." He has added reference works as well as individual titles.

While the local library has grown, so has the Rolling Prairie Library System with which it is affiliated. Sumrall recalls when Lincoln Public Library was the only Lincoln library cataloged by Rolling Prairie. Now the collections of Lincoln College, Lincoln Community High School and Lincoln Elementary District No. 27 are listed in the Rolling Prairie database. Lincoln Christian College is on another statewide database linked to Rolling Prairie’s.

With the addition of Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) computers, library patrons can learn not only whether the local collection has an item and where it is but also similar information for any title in the approximately 120 libraries in the system. Altogether, the catalog contains over a million listings.

Besides its Rolling Prairie affiliation, Lincoln Public Library holds institutional membership in the American Library Association and Illinois Library Association.

Sumrall’s professional responsibilities include coordinating the programs and services overseen by three department supervisors: Sue Rehtmeyer in adult services, Deb De Jarnette in circulation services and Pat Schlough in youth services. In addition, he is in charge of collection development for adults and works closely with Schlough on the children’s collection. He also assists reference librarian Caroline Kiest.

Reference questions run the gamut of information and require familiarity with many research tools. Among questions fielded are the meaning of the MGM motto ars gratia artis (art for art’s sake), Lincoln’s longitude and latitude (89 degrees, 22’ W, 30" and 40 degrees, 9’ N, 47"), and the original symbol for Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes (Tony the Tiger, Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant and Newt the Gnu, with only Tony the Tiger surviving after one year).

Raised in Mobile, Ala., Richard Sumrall is the son of Laverne and the late Henry R. Sumrall. His mother and family friend Odell Siebert attended the open house. He has one brother, David.

In 1976 Sumrall began working at Mobile Public Library while studying history at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in 1980 he was promoted to full time in the special collections department. In 1985 he became assistant archivist for the City of Mobile Municipal Archives Department. He earned his Master of Library Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

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When he moved to Lincoln in March 1991, Sumrall said his only adjustment problem was to the size of the city. By comparison, Mobile is twice as large as Springfield. From the start he felt at home with the people. "People here in central Illinois are more Southern than they are Northern," he said, quickly adding that the statement was intended as a compliment. He said he feels lucky to have come here: "I consider being hired here one of the luckiest breaks of my life. I have thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy living in Lincoln and working at this library."

Noting that American libraries are locally driven, Sumrall said that collections need to be strong on issues of local interest. He reports being "absolutely panic-stricken" when he first saw Lincoln’s collection on the Civil War because in Mobile he fielded questions on that era every day. He soon learned that the Civil War is not as hot a topic in Lincoln.

Here Sumrall said he selects many materials on agricultural issues such as pesticides and ground water. He believes Lincoln has an excellent collection of Abraham Lincoln biographies and aims to buy "any book that covers any aspect of Lincoln’s life." He also emphasized the local history and genealogy collection, including materials on surrounding counties, especially early Sangamon County because Logan County was formed from Sangamon.

Because community values are important in selecting library materials, the board of trustees suggested soon after Sumrall arrived that he get involved in community activities. He quickly became active in the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club. In the chamber he serves on the Government/Education and Technology committees. He co-chairs the Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee and this year serves on the Logan County Health Department’s Healthy Families Task Force.

Sumrall is a member of Risky Business investment club. He enjoys exploring both Kickapoo Creek Park and Edward Madigan State Park. Although his reading interests fluctuate between fiction and nonfiction, for the last few years he has concentrated on nonfiction — especially history, science and nature.

Libraries will never be outdated, Sumrall said, because of the educational resources they provide. He noted that people can become overwhelmed by technology, so the library staff is trained in its use. A frequent comment from patrons is, "I went on the Internet, and there’s nothing there." However, staff members can often find the needed information quickly using such resources as the 18 databases of the Illinois State Library’s First Search system.

Working in a library requires a combination of people skills and technical expertise. Sumrall said he looks for ability to deal effectively with the public, computer familiarity, understanding of the Dewey Decimal classification system, and ability to use indices and tables of contents to locate information.

[President Bill Vineyard and trustee Eileen Morris.]

[The crowd watches a presentation by Bill Vineyard.]

[Nell Toomey, widow of longtime board member Roy Toomey, and Carol Frantz, board vice president.]

Although Sumrall has occasionally received objections to content in books and magazines, he says Lincoln is an "incredibly tolerant community" in which people may disagree with some selections but still respect others’ right to read as a personal choice. While he believes that no one has a right to say what others should read, Sumrall’s personal guidelines for selection include consideration of community standards.

Lincoln Public Library has encountered enough problems with overdue books that Sumrall has called on the state’s attorney’s services. Library materials are taxpayers’ property, and the library loses several thousand dollars a year in cost of materials and processing. The problem, he said, is not the materials that are returned late but those that are not returned at all. Therefore late fines are lenient: a seven-day grace period, a nickel a day per item with a $2.50 cap and cancellation of fines for special circumstances.

Sumrall said the library does not have a problem with vandalism and therefore needs no security system. The low photocopy charge of 10 cents per page makes theft of single pages less appealing, he said.

Any patron problems caused by dividing the collection between the Carnegie building and the Annex were short-lived. According to Sumrall, once users adjusted to what was where they found their comfort zone either in the more popular and noisier Annex or in the Carnegie’s quiet haven for reading and study.

In the future Sumrall expects to "continue to expand the marriage of print and non-print materials." He will investigate hand-held electronic readers and downloading capacity for electronic books. In fact, Lincoln Public Library has already participated in Stephen King’s e-book project, paying $1 per chapter to download the book, then binding the six chapters in a volume for patron use.

Besides embracing technological changes, Sumrall plans to continue to respond to social issues with new materials and services. He says he looks forward to another decade in Lincoln as successful as the first.

[Lynn Spellman]

[MARCH 12, 2001]  Sunday, March 11, was a big day for the town of Hartsburg. Over 300 people attended the 100th anniversary of the Hartsburg Bank.

 The bank served lunch at the Hartsburg Legion Hall, and at 2:30 p.m. there was a "Looking Forward to the Future" ceremony at the bank. Bernard E. Behrends and Jeanne (Van Gerpen) Pokorski, descendants of Berend R. Behrends and Claus Van Gerpen, were introduced to the guests. Bernard and Jeanne then introduced the other family members who attended the ceremony.

Before 1901 Berend R. Behrends was a successful farmer near Hartsburg, and Claus Van Gerpen was the owner of C. Van Gerpen General Merchandise Store. On March 11, 1901, they entered into a partnership agreement to establish a private banking enterprise called Bank of Hartsburg. The bank began with $10,000 capital stock and each partner owning an equal share. Berend Behrends served as president, and Claus Van Gerpen was vice president. Claus' son Daniel was named cashier. The bank was originally on the north end of Van Gerpen General Merchandise, a one-story brick building.

In 1913 Berend Behrends died, and the remaining partners purchased his share, according to the provisions of the partnership agreement. The bank prospered, and Daniel Van Gerpen, son of Claus, remained an integral part of the bank for over 49 years. Klaas Behrends, son of Berend, was a director of the bank for 47 years.

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The Bank of Hartsburg remained privately owned until 1913, when it became a state-chartered bank. Claus and Daniel Van Gerpen and Klaas Behrends applied for the charter and were given permission to sell $30,000 of capital stock in 300 shares of $100 each. The shares were sold to 30 individuals in the Hartsburg Community. The bank was renamed Hartsburg State Bank.

[A view of C. Van Gerpen General Merchandise Store and Hartsburg State Bank before the bank moved to its present location in 1927. Dr. Butler, Claus Van Gerpen and Dan Smith stand left to right in front of the store. Posing outside the bank, left to right, are Henry Van Gerpen, Addie Van Gerpen Bruns, Dan Van Gerpen and two unidentified men.]

The first board of directors of Hartsburg State Bank was composed of Claus Van Gerpen, president; James H. Butler, vice president; Daniel Van Gerpen, cashier; David G. Gilchrist; and Klaas Behrends.

Today, Bernard E. Behrends, grandson of Berend R. Behrends, serves as chief executive officer of the bank. John Russell is president; Paul Leesman, vice president; Brenda Hieronymus, cashier; Barbara Imming, assistant cashier; and Connie Sherwood, teller.

[Kathleen McCullough]

[MARCH 10, 2001]  Team Express is having their grand opening and open house today. The business, located at 411 Pulaski St., kicked off the day with a ribbon-cutting. There will be door prizes and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

Team Express is a subsidiary of Team Electronics Super Store, Decatur, and features retail cellular service for homes and businesses. The business is an authorized agent for Cingular Wireless, Dish network, satellite systems, Arch paging and Heartland paging. They also stock accessories and Nokia, Motorola and Erickson cell phones.

Manager Leigh Horner and assistant manager Mandy Cook, both of Lincoln, have eight years combined experience in cellular. While the store opened in October, they wanted to get the business established before declaring their grand opening. They have been busy setting up the store and becoming familiar with the company in order to be ready to serve their customers well.

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They are open six days a week and by appointment on Sundays.

Cook enthusiastically says, "We are happy to be providing Cingular wireless service to Logan County. We want current or prospective customers to call us at (217) 732-8962 with any questions about service they have."

[Jan Youngquist]

[MARCH 9, 2001]  Thanks to the concern of a Lincoln postman, a Lincoln woman—we will call her Susie, not her real name—is recovering in the hospital. Steve Jones has been delivering Susie’s mail for about six months. He observed that every day she collects her mail, and most days she has some to go out as well. She’s an avid communicator.

Last Friday, Jones noticed that Thursday’s mail was in the mailbox, no new letters were set out, the newspaper was in the yard, and the car was in the driveway. He rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Although he thought the situation looked abnormal, he supposed Susie had gone out of town with friends or family.

[Steve Jones recognized that things did not look right
at the home of one of his regular customers
and notified police.]

On Saturday, Steve Jones returned to Susie’s house to deliver mail, and the scene was unchanged. He considered calling the police at the end of his shift—about a half hour—but it slipped his mind. After returning home for the day, Jones and his wife took a walk. He relayed the story to his wife, and she suggested calling the police. Because he did not want to cause unnecessary alarm, Jones returned once more to Susie’s house, at about 5 p.m. Seeing that nothing had changed, Jones notified police.

When police came to investigate they found that Susie was home. She had fallen and couldn’t get up. She was taken to Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital where she was admitted and treated for injuries and dehydration.

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Jones called the hospital Sunday morning and learned that his patron was recovering in the ICU. She was able to receive visitors. Not having ever actually met her before, other than by phone, and not wanting to intrude, Jones was tentative as he went up to see her. When he arrived he found her surrounded by family, chatting and in lively spirits. She quickly put Jones at ease as he listened and watched her with her family.

She sang unending praises for all of her past and present postal carriers, saying she had really good mailmen. Jones fondly recalls how she recounted all her past carriers: "She named each one and the time that they served."

Jones has been a carrier here for three years. He has almost 12 years in with the U.S. Post Office. He transferred here from Grand Rapids, Mich., so that he and his wife could be closer to her home: Havana.

It is different here than it was in the larger city, but "they keep me just as busy," quips Jones. Life in general is slower, easier going. "It's different surroundings here. People are more personable. Things move a little slower, and you get to talk to people more here."

This should be a good lesson to all of us about how fortunate we are to live where we have the time to pay attention and appreciate the people we encounter each day.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

and  [Jan Youngquist]

[MARCH 9, 2001]  The Lincoln Public Library's trustees and staff will host a public celebration of the 10th anniversary of Richard Sumrall's service as the library's director. The public is invited to the open house, which will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 11, at the Carnegie building at 725 Pekin St.

Richard Sumrall was appointed director of the Lincoln Public Library on Dec. 2, 1991. The library's historic Carnegie building has received major renovations during Sumrall's years as director, and the library's annex on Broadway Street opened March 14, 1995. Recently, a Scully Room was established to hold items relative to the county's early agricultural history.

During Sumrall's years as director, the annual circulation has increased from 79,191 items to 110,442 items. The audio collection has been doubled, and a CD-ROM collection added. The genealogy resources have been dramatically increased, and a classic video collection has been inaugurated.

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The Lincoln Public Library is a technology leader in the Midwest, with wireless communication and public-access computers. The library's children's program attracts thousands of youngsters each year to summer programs, storytelling and a host of other special events. This year the library has added an adult program coordinator to develop book clubs, readings and other adult activities.

In addition to his service at the library, Sumrall has been a constant contributor to community life as a member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of Kiwanis and a participant in many community events.

[News release]

[MARCH 9, 2001]  Should county zoning regulations be changed from the current five-acre parcel to one or two acres in order to build a house, is a question that was placed on the April agenda for the Planning and Zoning Committee of the Logan County Board.

Dave Hepler, chairman of the committee that met Wednesday evening, said that the board should revisit the ordinance and get input from everyone in order to evaluate the current policy.

There has been a certain amount of farm acreage that would be better suited to residential use. Road construction such as that of 155 south of Lincoln has divided farmland and made access to some land impractical. These sections of land are no longer as desirable as farmland. It is recognized that with interest rates down there may be potential homeowners who would benefit from the zoning change. It would be much easier for someone to buy one or two acres to build on than five acres.

"Anyone who has a position on the topic should put it in writing and send it to the County Zoning Office so that all aspects can be covered and discussed," Hepler said.

People can also attend the April meeting and voice their opinions on the subject.

Other board members in attendance at the committee meeting were Rod White and Jim Griffin, who also voiced opinions concerning the current zoning regulations.

Harold Juett, zoning officer, told committee members that the current position was passed by the County Board in late 1996 after 18 months of planning and research.

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In other business, the committee passed, for board approval, a request by Turris Coal mine to change the zoning from agricultural to M3 in order to allow the company to build an above-ground conveyor belt from the Elkhart overpass to their mine.

Roger Dennison, representing Turris, said that it would take approximately nine months to obtain a permit from the state following approval from various state agencies and public hearings.

"We are regulated by state agencies that require compliance with pollution laws as well as guidelines from the Department of Natural Resources. Even with the best timetable," Dennison said, "it would be four years before the conveyor would be in operation,"

A public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, at the Hurlbut Township office.

[Fuzz Werth]

[MARCH 8, 2001]  There was a rumor about a threat called into the school yesterday morning. It was just that, a rumor.

However, in the afternoon a student did make a threat against someone at the high school. That student was then in violation of his parole and was taken into custody by police and returned to Juvenile Department of Corrections.

In light of the recent incident in California and past situations in other schools across the country, the Lincoln police are taking pre-emptive precautions. "We are concerned for the safety of our students," says Lincoln Police Chief Richard Ludolph.

There are officers meeting with LCHS staff and faculty this morning, in addition to assemblies for students. There were also a couple of officers stationed there as a police presence.

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Students are especially vulnerable to persecution and intimidating circumstances. These pressures can lead up to their acting out in violence.

Chief Ludolph points out, "We need to start sticking up for those that are picked on. Words hurt other people. In almost every one of the school violence situations across the country, the student had been picked on."

"We're concerned for everyone’s safety," Chief Ludolph declares. If you hear someone make a threat, do not worry about whether they may be joking or not, report it! Tell a teacher, staff member, adult, or call the police. The police, state’s attorney and other trained professionals will handle it.

[Jan Youngquist]

[MARCH 6, 2001]  The city zoning committee met last night to discuss a new proposed ordinance concerning bed and breakfasts in the residential districts of Lincoln. Aside from a few points on the language of the ordinance, committee members discussed both fire safety and parking clauses at length.

Fire Chief Ebelherr and fireman Tim Aper were present to clarify the issues surrounding the fire code provisions in the ordinance. The committee clarified language on the requirement of lighted exit signs and inserted a clause requiring that the businesses submit floor plans to the fire department. The provisions in the code do not go beyond what they would ask a homeowner to do but take into consideration the safety of the general public. As Alderman Glenn Shelton said at the meeting, "This requires more responsibility to the general public…but we don’t want it to become an obstacle to the businesses."

A second issue which the committee considered at length was a clause requiring that one off-street parking spot per unit be provided by the bed and breakfast. City residential building code already stipulates that parking spots cannot be located in the front yard. Upon inspection of a few proposed sites in Lincoln, the committee found that this requirement could be somewhat difficult for some new bed and breakfasts to meet. Against the advice of city code enforcement officer Les Last, the clause was removed from the ordinance.

The committee decided on a $30 annual license fee. They also decided on a required annual life-safety inspection that would be provided at no cost. The ordinance was then tabled. The ordinance will be discussed with the whole council on March 13 and will be voted upon at the March 19 council meeting.

[Trisha Youngquist]

[MARCH 6, 2001]  Tuesday evening’s Lincoln City Council meeting was short but included two petitions of note. Action Rental and Furniture Center, 519 Broadway, petitioned to have the direction of traffic changed in the alley between Broadway and Pulaski streets. Mayor Joan Ritter petitioned to have March 2001 designated as Red Cross Month.

Action Rental has had issues with customer parking recently with the addition of Sorrento’s Pizzeria next door to their business. To better accommodate their customers, they have added a drive-up window on the alley side of their business. In order for customers to make payments from the driver’s side window, Action Rental petitioned to have the direction of traffic switched from one-way northbound to two-way traffic. Many of the aldermen inspected the situation and found no problems. The petition was unanimously approved by the board members.

Mayor Joan Ritter petitioned to have March 2001 declared Red Cross Month in order to recognize the importance and achievements of the Red Cross. This petition was also unanimously approved by the board members.

[Trisha Youngquist]

[MARCH 6, 2001]  The rent, or lack of rent, on the 3.5 acres of farm ground at the Logan County Airport was again discussed by the County Board's Airport/Farm Committee Monday night.

According to board records, Don Otte, who farms the parcel, hasn't made payments from 1996 to present. The committee decided to send Otte a letter requesting payment, with a reply deadline of 30 days.

Members also discussed letting someone else farm it, or other ground management proposals could be explored.

In other action, the members voted to take half of the 2,000 bushels of beans and half of the 4,000 bushels of corn along with 647 bushels of beans stored at the county farm and put them up for sale for the next 30 days.

The motion, made by Lloyd Hellman, would offer the corn at $2.05 per bushel and the beans at $4.50 per bushel.

Replacement of the mowers was also discussed. Rod White will follow up to see if the county can buy any surplus from the State Highway Department.

[Fuzz Werth]

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