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Lincoln Daily News

(217)732-7443

ldn@lincolndailynews.com


attorneys

 

John R. Gehlbach
Law Office

529 Pulaski St.

(217) 735-4311

jrglaw@ccaonline.com


books/educational

 

Prairie Years

121 N. Kickapoo

(217) 732-9216


computer service

 

CCA

601 Keokuk St.

(217) 735-2677

cca@ccaonline.com


employment

 

Illinois Employment
and Training Center

120 S. McLean St.

(217) 735-5441

ietc@abelink.com


food & ice cream

 

Gleason's Dairy Bar

110 Clinton St.

(217) 732-3187


gifts

 

The Mustard Moon

1314 5th St.

(217) 735-1093

www.themustardmoon.com


insurance

 

Moriearty Insurance
Agency, Inc.

218 8th St.

(217) 732-7341

miai@ccaonline.com


internet services

 

CCAonline

601 Keokuk St.

(217) 735-2677

webmaster@ccaonline.com


massage

 

All About You

408 Pulaski St.

(217) 735-4700


pizza

 

Stuffed-Aria Pizza

102 5th Street

(217) 732-3100


printer/printing

 

Key Printing

Tom Seggelke

(217) 732-9879

key@keyprinting.net


real estate

 

Alexander & Co.
Real Estate

410 Pulaski St.

(217) 732-8353

sonnie@ccaonline.com

 

Diane Schriber
Realty

610 N. Logan

(217) 735-2550

schriber@ccaonline.com

 

Werth & Associates

1203 Woodlawn Rd.

(217) 735-3411

werthrealty@abelink.com


restaurants

 

Blue Dog Inn

111 S. Sangamon St.

(217) 735-1743

www.bluedoginn.com


sewing

 

The Sewing Place

503 Woodlawn Rd.

(217) 732-7930


New business specializes
in customer service

[MARCH 19, 2002]  A new title company has set up shop in Lincoln. Tri-County Land Title opened on March 4 at 606 Keokuk, next door to Graue Pharmacy. An open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony are planned for Thursday, March 21, at 3 p.m.

Owner Anna Rains of Canton said the business specializes in customer service. "We’ll go above and beyond to get the closing," including an after-hours or weekend closing when the customer’s schedule requires it, she said.

 

 [Owner Anna Rains, office manager Michelle Fahey;  photo by Bob Frank]

 

Rains said she has been in the title business for eight or nine years. Tri-County Land Title is headquartered in Canton with branches in Springfield, Bloomington, Havana, Hanna City, Champaign and now Lincoln. The original three counties served, referred to in the company name, were Sangamon, Cass and Schyler. Now Tri-County does business in about 50 counties through the middle of the state, according to Rains.

Of the branches, Springfield and Lincoln are staffed full time and the others part time. Local hours are 8-5 Monday through Friday and by appointment. The phone number is 735-9880.

The Lincoln office will be operated by Michelle Fahey, the firm’s accountant. In addition, she will continue to spend a couple of days a month in Canton doing accounting. Rains herself expects to be in Lincoln several days a week for the next few months. After that she plans to be here at least weekly.

Rains said a strength of the business is that she has "worn both the realtor’s and the lender’s shoes." She has been a real estate broker for 19 years with experience in Jacksonville and Beardstown. She also worked as a loan originator in a mortgage brokerage firm for one year. Ten years ago she obtained her paralegal certification.

Rains plans to visit office meetings of local real estate agencies and to join the Logan County Board of Realtors. She said she has previously been involved with boards of Realtors on both the state and local levels. In Lincoln she has already dealt with several Realtors, and a bank with which she has done business has a branch here. These were factors in her decision to locate in Lincoln.

Services offered by Tri-County Land Title include title searches, escrow closings, construction escrows and help policies. Rains explained that a help policy is a cheaper title policy used for second mortgages.

In Illinois, Rains said, mortgage brokers are required to close with a title company; some banks also choose to do so. Besides clearing the title to the property, the title company collects money for the loan from the bank and the down payment and closing fee from the customer and disburses all funds.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

In construction escrows the title company handles disbursements to the builder, first verifying the bill with the customer. Tri-County Land Title also conducts a second update search on the property. Rains said the construction escrow service benefits both the bank and the customer. The bank is spared the extensive paperwork with each draw and also avoids liability because the signing of a lien waiver means a mechanic’s lien cannot be filed. The customer is protected from difficulties involving the contractor.

Tri-County Land Title’s motto is "Customer service is our specialty." Rains said she offers after hours and weekend closings with notice because many customers’ work schedules do not allow them to be present during normal business hours. "We try to be real flexible," she said, "working with realtors and lenders as a team. Then the customer is happy, and we all look good."

Canton is the firm’s production site, and all typing is done there. Rains said an increasing amount of work is done online. Whereas lenders used to send document packages by overnight delivery, now they often use e-mail.

As with any business, there are some typical problems. In title searches, Rains said, "forgery is the biggest thing we run into." She therefore asks for a driver’s license or other identification from both borrower and seller. She also occasionally encounters encroachments, when construction on one person’s property crosses the line onto a neighbor’s.

At times Rains sees old titles in which the legal description includes landmarks no longer present, such as a chicken coop or apple tree. In such cases the lender typically has the land resurveyed.

Another problem occurs when parents put their children’s names on a title and later want to borrow money against it. If the children are under 18, they cannot sign for a loan. In such a case a legal guardian must be assigned, a complication the parents may not have foreseen.

Fahey, office manager in Lincoln, has been with the firm for six months. She is currently taking the basic course offered by the American Land Title Association. Rains and other members of the staff have also studied through the association.

Fahey, who resides in Havana, lived in Lincoln from 1990 to 1994 while her husband attended Lincoln Christian Seminary. The Faheys intend to stay in Havana until their eldest son, now a sophomore, finishes high school. After that the family may move to Lincoln.

At present the Tri-County Land Title office is sparsely furnished because some furniture arrived damaged and had to be returned. Rains hopes the replacements will be in place by March 21 for the open house.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]


When you feel stress
you need All About You

[MARCH 18, 2002]  Christmas bills have just subsided. Tax time is here. Wouldn’t it be nice to just relax?

Well, you are in luck. For about six months now, residents of Logan County have been visiting Beth Gohl and Sandy Slack over at All About You for everything from shoulder rubs to full oil massages. Services also include reflexology, which utilizes pressure points on the feet to stimulate or relax different parts of the body, and raindrop therapy, in which nine essential oils are dripped onto the back and massaged in.

All About You had their ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 27, but they have been open since Aug. 6. According to Gohl, business has been good. "We’re able to pay our bills, so we’re happy with that."

Gohl and Slack use and sell products from the Young Living Essential Oils line. Young Living uses all natural ingredients; no chemicals are used even when growing the plants. Products include soaps, shampoos, lotions and vitamins.

  

[to top of second column in this article]

Their prices are rather reasonable. A simple massage (such as a shoulder or back rub) is $1 per minute for up to 20 minutes. A 30-minute massage is $25; a full hour massage is $40. Reflexology is $35 for 30 minutes or $50 for an hour. Raindrop therapy is $60.

All About You is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Appointments are preferred for most therapy, but walk-ins can be accepted if the masseuses are free. Appointments are necessary for after-hours massages.

So, as taxes and bills weigh you down, there is a place you can go to relax, or maybe you want to order some relaxation as a gift for someone you know could use it.

All About You is a new business in the area. They are located downtown at 408 Pulaski St., Lincoln; (217) 735-4700.

[Gina Sennett]


City is asked for $1.1 million
for commercial park

[MARCH 14, 2002]  Lincoln has been asked to come up with $1.1 million as its share of the $3.5 million cost of improving a proposed industrial and commercial park, the city council learned at its work session March 12.

All of the city’s $1.1 million share is slated for various sewer improvements, including running a line to the proposed 63.5-acre site at Business 55 and Kruger Road, near the north Interstate 55 interchange.

Purchase of the property, a cost of $678,000, and other improvements adding up to $816,950 are projected as the county’s share. These include road improvements, electricity, landscaping and engineering.

Local utility companies and a private developer would cover the rest of the cost, which includes putting up a speculative building at a cost of about $1.3 million. A private developer, Tamkin of Los Angeles, Calif., has already made an offer to construct the building, but no contract has yet been signed, Smith said. The building would be a shell adaptable to many different uses.

Andrew Hamilton of Financial Solutions, a Springfield firm, who is serving as a consultant to the Lincoln and Logan Economic Development Council, presented the proposal to the council and gave a brief overview. The document, titled "Lincoln Commerce Park Development Project," includes background, site maps, projections for development and debt repayment, local fund analysis, demographic data and a section on qualifications of Hamilton and his firm.

Hamilton suggested the city develop the nine-lot project in phases to reduce the initial cost. The city could pay off the $1.1 million debt by 2008 if a building could be sold every year, he said. "It could very well be an investment that could pay out in a short time."

Mark Smith, economic development director, told the council he was not asking for a decision immediately. "Take it [the projection] home, read it and digest it," he said.

Hamilton will attend the council’s work session on March 26 to answer questions about the proposal and possibly follow up with information about funding sources, Smith said. No suggestions for funding were included in the proposal given to council members Tuesday.

The Economic Development Council has been working on the project for the past two years, Smith said. It was first presented to the public in October of last year.

The proposal shows that the population of Logan County has been decreasing since 1970, and, according to Smith, the county’s job and income growth lag far behind those of other counties in Illinois — so far behind that he described it as "negative growth."

The Commerce Park development was proposed to attract small manufacturing or distribution companies that would provide well-paying jobs, expand the local employment base, keep young people in the community, and expand and broaden the tax base, Smith said.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

At the October meeting, he said the developed park could bring in a total of $321 million in wages to employees and as much as $561,000 in property tax revenue yearly.

Finding ways to fund the project, however, could be a difficult proposition. The city is already facing a financial crunch, according to Alderman Steve Fuhrer, chairman of the council’s finance committee. Unusually low interest rates mean the city is not getting much income from its investments, and the recession means fewer dollars from sales taxes. At a recent meeting, Alderman Glenn Shelton noted that the city has spent about $446,000 more than it has taken in this fiscal year.

Although the council did not enter into any discussion of the plan on Tuesday, Fuhrer expressed hope that the project would be "a doable thing." Noting the possibility of many job losses at Lincoln Developmental Center, he said, "I’ve seen Lincoln regress. I think this is the way of the future. I think if we could have done this 20 years ago, we would have been better off. If we don’t take that chance now, it could be worse."

The EDC will be presenting its plan to the Logan County Board this week.

In other business, Jan Schumacher, vice president of Main Street Lincoln, told the council the group is close to choosing a candidate for director of the program. The 15 applicants have been narrowed down to two, she said. Past Main Street Lincoln director Wendy Bell was offered and accepted a position with the Illinois Main Street program in Springfield. She began working there earlier this year.

Philip Dehner of A.G. Edwards told the council that the 1,065 shares of Principal Financial Group the city recently received were a result of de-mutualization of the company. Formerly the company was owned by its policyholders; it is now owned by stockholders. The city held insurance policies on some employees through the company.

The shares are worth about $25 each, Dehner said, and after paying the cost of selling the shares the city will have an extra $25,000.

City Attorney Bill Bates said that in his opinion it is not legal for the city to buy or hold stocks, so the shares should be sold.

Before the meeting, the public grounds and buildings and ordinance and zoning committees heard from Ray Shinkle, representing Chicago firms Insite and Voicestream, who want to put up a 190-foot cell phone tower just off Connolley Road between Hicks Gas and Verizon Towers. The firm already has a tower in Atlanta and is considering another in Elkhart. Regional Planner Phil Mahler said the tower would bring income of $500 a month to the city.

[Joan Crabb]

 


U-Scan

Kroger adds new convenience technology

[FEB. 26, 2002]  Have you ever stood in a long line at a grocery store, watching the cashier scan item after item, repetitively? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I could do this, and faster too!" as the groceries trickle across the scanner? Well, now’s your chance!

Since 1987, The Kroger Co. has been slowly introducing its U-Scan checkout systems to Kroger and affiliate stores across the nation. And as of Valentine’s Day, these machines have come to Lincoln.

So what is a U-Scan? It is a checkout stand where you are the cashier. The large, modern-looking machines house a combination bar-code scanner and scale just like the normal counters. You unload your groceries, one at a time, scan them and place them in the bags provided.

[Kroger customer uses the U-Scan.

Photo by Bob Frank.]

The bags sit on a larger scale which measures the total weight of your bagged items. The computer knows how much every item in the store is supposed to weigh. If this weight does not match the weight of your purchased items as recorded in the computer, the cashier on duty is called to come and assist you.

This is both for your safety and for the safety of the store. If you place in your bag an item that you have not purchased, there is added weight. If you double-scan an item by accident and put only the one item in your bag, then there is less weight. Either way, a cashier is called to inspect your purchase.

The "carousel system" used by Lincoln’s Kroger allows for a very large purchase because it includes both a large, rotating, circular scale with eight bag stands (giving it its name) and a smaller rectangular scale for placing filled bags.

A computer screen above the scanner gives you instructions and tells you what items you have scanned and your total purchase price.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

 

When you complete your purchase, there are all of the normal options for paying for your groceries. A credit-debit card machine just like those at the normal counters is available for those payments. A bill reader and a coin reader are available for cash purchases. The bill reader will read any denomination of bill through $20 (larger denominations can be changed with the cashier on duty). If you would like to pay with a check, you proceed to the cashier’s booth at the end of the row and give him or her your check.

Sounds simple, right?

But what about all those little things that cashiers do? What about coupons, the Kroger card? What about alcohol and cigarettes? Who takes care of those?

Well, before you begin your purchase, the computer asks you if you have a Kroger card. Then you scan it, just like the cashiers do. At the end of your purchase, it asks for any coupons, and you scan those too. There is a slot below the scanner for coupons to be dropped in. When you scan alcohol or cigarettes, the cashier is called to check your identification.

As for all those other little things that cashiers do, such as smile or wish you a good day… well, human cashiers won’t ever go out of style. According to Annette Hinman, store manager of Lincoln’s Kroger store, U-Scans will never replace humans. She recognizes that some people like the human contact and "touch" that cashiers provide, and that some people like the efficiency and liberation of the U-Scans. She wants her patrons to have the choice between "full service" and "self-serve."

In fact, the two U-Scans that the store now has take up the same area as one checkout counter. And one person oversees both U-Scans, watching for any way he or she can help. So the U-Scan is not completely without human contact. You are not completely "on your own."

According to the manager, response to these machines has been very good. She said that people seem to be having fun learning to use them. And, as with all new technology, she has seen some children teaching their parents to use them.

So the next time you shop and Kroger, just try the U-Scans. You should find them easy, convenient and downright fun!

[Gina Sennett]


Announcements

Guzzardo to chair LCCS
capital campaign committee

[MARCH 9, 2002]  Lincoln Christian College and Seminary has named John Guzzardo chairperson for the LCCS capital campaign committee for Lincoln and Logan County.

The goal for the committee is $300,000. A gift of $100,000 has already been received and committed to the renovation of the Earl C Hargrove Auditorium.

Gary Edwards, vice president of stewardship development for Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, says he is thrilled to have Guzzardo as a part of the capital campaign team. "John Guzzardo is an integral part of the history of LCCS and the community," he says.

 

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

 

LCCS launched its capital campaign, "Same Foundation…New Generation," a little more than one year ago. To date, LCCS has reached more than $3 million of its $5 million goal. The money raised will be committed toward the following initiatives:

•  Campus improvements

•  Academic program enrichment

•  Academic program endowment

•  Scholarship endowment

•  Special projects

LCCS has been an active part of the Lincoln community since 1944. The seminary is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

[LCCS news release]


Venus takes on investing

[MARCH 5, 2002]  The Lincoln A.G. Edwards & Sons is presenting a seminar on April 11 and 13.

Seminar information

Women cannot ignore certain facts when planning for their financial futures. For example, 90 percent of women will become wholly responsible for their finances sometime during their lifetimes.*

You’ll discover ways to help you:

•  Plan for successful financial future.

•  Reduce your taxes.

•  Increase your investment income potential.

•  Build for your retirement.

•  Build a "rainy day" fund.

•  Accumulate money for a child or grandchild’s education.

*Source: Investment Company Institute

Speaker

Bridget Schneider, financial consultant with A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

Dates

•  Thursday, April 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

•  Saturday, April 13, 9-10 a.m.

Location

Heartland Community College

620 Broadway St.

Lincoln, IL 62656

R.S.V.P.

(217) 732-3877 or (800) 596-0014

Contact person

Brittney Van Fossan or Nina Westen


AES/CILCO presents check to LCCS

[MARCH 4, 2002]  John Dreusicke, account manager for AES/CILCO, recently presented the energy company’s annual contribution to Lincoln Christian College and Seminary. Gary Edwards, vice president of stewardship development for LCCS, accepted the $3,000 gift. AES/CILCO has been a generous supporter of LCCS for nearly 20 years.

"AES/CILCO is proud to play an active role in the communities we serve, supporting education, the arts and family activities," Dreusicke said.

Edwards says that annual giving plays a crucial role in the success of LCCS. "Gifts such as these provide money to help LCCS continue to offer exceptional education, implement new programs and meet the daily needs of our institution," he explains. "LCCS has benefited greatly from the many generous contributions from AES/CILCO and other loyal supporters in the Lincoln community."

[LCCS news release]

 


[John Dreusicke (left) of CILCO shakes hands
with Gary Edwards of LCCS.]
[Photo provided by LCCS]


The Chamber Report

The chamber of commerce is a catalyst for community progress, bringing business and professional people together to work for the common good of Lincoln and Logan County.

Bobbi Abbott, Executive Director

Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce

303 S. Kickapoo St.

Lincoln, IL 62656

(217) 735-2385

chamber@lincolnillinois.com
www.lincolnillinois.com


Honors & Awards


Main Street Corner News

Main Street Lincoln officers elected

[FEB. 13, 2002]  New officers for Main Street Lincoln were elected at the organization’s annual dinner this week. Community activist Jan Schumacher was elected president. David Lanterman, co-owner of Beans and Such, was elected vice president. Susie Fuhrer, owner of Blue Dog Inn, was re-elected treasurer. All three are longtime Main Street volunteers.

Fuhrer also was re-elected to a three-year term on the board, as was Jon Steffens, vice president of Eckerts Inc., who just completed his term as president. Tim McCormick, vice president of Farmers State Bank in Emden, and Jeannie Xamis, owner of Serendipity

Stitches, were also elected to three-year terms.

At the dinner, outgoing board member Paul Gleason was recognized for his contributions to Main Street.

Main Street Lincoln is in its eighth year of economic development and historic preservation of the Courthouse Square Historic District in downtown Lincoln. The group is always looking for volunteers for its new and ongoing projects.

[Main Street Lincoln news release]

Main Street Lincoln

303 S. Kickapoo

Lincoln, IL 62656

Phone: (217) 732-2929

Fax: (217) 735-9205

E-mail: manager@mainstreetlincoln.com

 

Job Hunt

Lincolndailynews.com makes it easy to look for a job in the Logan County area.


Logan County Health Department has an opening for a Director of Nursing. To qualify for this position you must be a Registered Nurse with a baccalaureate degree, have at least three years of management experience in a health-related organization and be a licensed driver. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, overall direction of home health and public health services, using independent judgment to assure work meets department and program standards, ability to participate in public relations and community activities directly affecting home health and public health. Qualified applicants will have the ability to establish, implement and evaluate goals and objectives for services to promote the standards of quality and contribute to the total organization. The health department has excellent working hours and benefits. Salary will be commensurate with experience. If you are interested in this position, please send a resume to Lloyd L. Evans, Administrator, P.O. Box 508, Lincoln, IL 62656-0508. EOE


The Logan County Health Department is accepting applications for a full-time home health nurse. This 37½ hour per week position is for a registered nurse with at least two years of recent nursing experience. Candidate must be able to work independently and have excellent communication skills. Benefits include paid vacation and sick time, pension plan, group health insurance and 13 paid holidays. Work hours are between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This position has no beeper or on-call requirement, but does include some scheduled weekend work. If interested, complete an application at Logan County Health Department, 109 Third Street, P.O. Box 508, Lincoln, IL 62656-0508. No phone calls please. EOE


Staff Assisted Independent Living, Inc. is an agency dedicated to providing CILA services to adults with developmental disabilities. We are currently looking to fill the position of QMRP. A successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field, and have at least one year experience working with people with developmental disabilities. Please send resume and letter of interest to S.A.I.L., Inc., ATTN: Allyson Kueker, Executive Director, P.O. Box 407, Beardstown, IL 62618.


Staff Assisted Independent Living, Inc. is accepting applications for DSPs in our Mason City and Havana homes. You will be working in a homelike setting with six individuals. Must have high school diploma or GED and a valid drivers license. Training will be provided on the job. For an application, write to S.A.I.L., Inc., P.O. Box 407, Beardstown, IL 62618, or call (217) 323-3126.


Employers
, you can list available jobs by e-mailing
ldn@lincolndailynews.com. Each job listing costs $10 the first week, $20 for eight days to one month. There is a limit of 75 words per announcement.


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