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Invention Mysteries TM
Self-syndicated weekly newspaper column

Necessity is NOT always
the mother of invention

By Paul Niemann

[APRIL 3, 2003]  Who is Emmy Noether, you ask? She's the woman who devised the mathematical principle called Noether's theorem, which helped form the basis of quantum physics. Einstein formulated his general theory of relativity based upon her calculations.

Ladies, you're going to love this article … and guys, in this article you might learn a thing or two about the fairer sex as well. We'll take a look at the importance of female inventors, including the ways in which they're different from male inventors and how they're similar.

First, consider these lopsided statistics about women inventors:

--In 1890, less than 1 percent of U.S. patents were issued to women.

--There have been over 300 recipients of the Nobel Prize in the sciences in its 102-year history (one award is presented annually each for chemistry, physics and medicine). Only 10 recipients -- about 3 percent -- have been women. Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in physics.

--In 2002, only 15 percent of the 100,000 utility patents issued to independent inventors that year were issued to women.

This last stat reflects a dramatic improvement over the last hundred years. This is based partially on the fact that during parts of the 1800s, women were not allowed to own property -- including patents -- once they got married. There were other factors that contributed to this disparity as well. Fewer women than men went to college in the 1800s and early 1900s, and women, to this day, face the stereotype that they are not inventors, even though this is constantly being proven to not be true.

There is no evidence to suggest that men are better inventors than women. In fact, just the opposite may be true, as women have a higher percentage of SUCCESSFUL patents than men do. By success, I mean that the patent produced a profit for the inventor. Why is this?

One possible reason, according to Joanne Hayes-Rines, who has been the editor of Inventors' Digest magazine since 1987, is that women tend to be better at marketing their inventions and in working with others. "Women inventors succeed more at getting their products to market because they're more practical, they define the need better, and they package it better than men. They see the big picture better," says Hayes-Rines.

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Whether you agree or disagree with her, there aren't too many people who have more experience working with inventors than Hayes-Rines, as she has made herself into an expert on the subject of inventions. It's hard to tell who in her family knows more about inventions, because her husband, Bob Rines, is a successful patent attorney and inventor himself. He founded the Franklin Pierce Law Center and is a noted expert on the mystery of the Loch Ness monster. He's well-known for developing the sonar that led to the creation of the technology used in sonograms and the technology that was used to discover the Titanic and to hunt for Nessie.

One thing that female inventors have in common with male inventors is that they both create solutions to problems. Having worked with inventors for the past five years myself, I've noticed that people tend to invent products in the industries in which they work -- their areas of expertise. Among women, nurses invent products that help them provide better care for their patients, stay-at-home moms invent products that help them raise their kids better, and female hair stylists tend to invent products that pertain to hair. Among men, mechanics invent new tools, carpenters invent new construction-related products, and coaches invent new products to help their athletes perform better.

Albert Einstein was impressed with the contributions made by women inventors, and I think you should be impressed, too.

In next week's column, we showcase three well-known products that you might not know were invented by women.

[Paul Niemann]

Paul Niemann is a contributing author to Inventors' Digest magazine, and he also runs MarketLaunchers.com, helping people in the marketing of their new product ideas. He can be reached at niemann7@aol.com.

Last week's column in LDN: "We might have lost World War II if not for this little-known 'invention'"

Local organizations support
city and county tax increases

[MARCH 28, 2003]  Expressing a commitment to the future of Lincoln and Logan County, local organizations have announced their endorsement of two tax measures on the April 1 ballot.

The Logan County Farm Bureau, the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce and the Logan County Regional Planning Commission support the Logan County economic development tax. They also favor the one-half percent increase (from 6.25 percent to 6.75 percent) in the Lincoln sales tax for infrastructure improvements to benefit economic development.

"Lincoln and Logan County need new jobs which can be created by business expansion and the attraction of new businesses," said Jim Drew, Logan County Farm Bureau Executive Director. "These jobs are necessary for many residents, including farm families who often find that family members need to bring in income from non-farm jobs," he said.

According to Dale Voyles, chairman of Logan County Board, "The economic development tax will be used for salaries and promoting economic development."

"If we don't bring in new business to share the tax burden, it will rest on the shoulders of the residents," said Bob Pharis, Farm Bureau board member. "The one thing we know for sure, if Lincoln and Logan County does not encourage growth and new business, taxes for all residents will increase to cover increased cost of services needed."

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"These taxes are an investment in the future of our community," said Bobbi Abbott, executive director of the chamber. "They will provide the means to expand opportunities for growth."

"A 'yes' vote for the city of Lincoln sales tax increase will assist our city in accomplishing much-needed infrastructure projects which won't be realized anytime soon if the tax increase is not approved," said Mayor Beth Davis.

"Logan County communities will be paying tribute to the past 150 years with sesquicentennial celebrations," said Abbott. "At the same time, we need to focus on our future by voting 'yes' to the tax proposals on April 1."

[Sponsored by the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce and the Logan County Farm Bureau in support of a Lincoln and Logan County tax increase]

New and used book store
opens on square

[MARCH 27, 2003]  Now & Then Books, which stocks a mix of new and used paperbacks and hardbacks, is open for business at 107 S. Kickapoo, next door to The Treasure Chest in the Griesheim Building.

"I guess you have to love reading first of all," said co-owner Venetia Shaffer in explaining why her family went into the book-selling business. "Half the fun is buying the books to put in the store."

With husband Paul and son Philip, Shaffer opened the business on Feb. 17. She and Philip run it during the week. Paul, who has been a consultant for State Farm Insurance almost two years, works with Venetia on weekends. Daughter Sarah, 14, a high school freshman, completes the family. Eventually, plans are for Philip to run the store almost exclusively.

Hours for Now & Then Books are 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. A hand-lettered sign in the window reads, "If the light's on, come on in." Other notices promote instructional books for spring projects and "Coming soon: Handmade hemp bracelets/chokers. Made to order."

The store currently stocks approximately 8,000 books arranged by subject matter and sometimes by format. Children's books are in the front of the store. Other sections feature history, horror, fiction, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, romance, humor, psychology/sociology, action, Westerns, crafts and New Age. A few music CDs are also in stock. Because of shelf size, larger books are placed in special sections or on top of shelving units. A former changing room at the rear of the store houses hardback fiction.

New books comprise about 10 percent of the current stock. Venetia Shaffer said she plans to increase that percentage. "I'm finding they're the ones that are going out the door," she explained.

The majority of paperbacks and many of the hardbacks are offered at half price. It all depends on what the Shaffers have to pay. They buy from a variety of sources, such as wholesalers and auctions. "Anyplace that sells books," Venetia Shaffer commented. "If we can get them at a reasonable price, we buy them." She said she has accepted a few books on consignment and would consider more.

The Shaffers' first stock came from wholesalers in Oregon and Maryland. At that time they bought books by the pallet but sometimes found they had half a dozen copies of the same title. Now they hand pick to fill particular slots and avoid duplicates.

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[Photos by Lynn Spellman]
Venetia Shaffer

The Shaffers entered the book business about 10 years ago in Bedford, Pa. At that time they were operating a bakery-delicatessen. Paul Shaffer got the idea of stocking books along a long hall that led to the bathroom. Eventually, the books sold better than the food, so the family closed the bakery-deli and opened a bookstore.

After about three years in the book business in Pennsylvania, the Shaffers moved to Brown Deer, Wis., near Milwaukee, and put their books in storage. When Paul moved to Illinois to work for State Farm, they started to look for a place in the area to live, checking out Bloomington, Normal and nearby towns. Venetia said as soon as she saw Lincoln's courthouse square, she was a goner. "I fell in love with the town," she exclaimed. "I don't know why, but this reminds me of Mayberry."

Philip Shaffer graduated from high school in Wisconsin in 2002, Sarah began at Lincoln Community High School in the fall, and in January Venetia quit her job in Wisconsin and moved permanently to Lincoln, glad to be done with the four-hour commute. In January also the family rented 107 S. Kickapoo from Harris & Harris and began moving in stock. It took a month and a half to get set up.

The biggest sellers so far have been small activity books for children, put out by Dover. These go for $1 apiece or five for $4. Instructional books have also sold well. Venetia Shaffer said several types of books are particular targets on buying trips. For example, craft books are a specialty, and she is looking for more cookbooks. The family is also working on the history collection but finds the books difficult to come by. "Mystery is my husband's baby," Shaffer added, and he has amassed quite a number.

Not all the 8,000 books in the store are on display. Duplicates and some older volumes are warehoused at the back.

All the Shaffers are book lovers, and that is a major motivation for opening a bookstore. Another is meeting people. Venetia Shaffer said that she enjoys talking with customers and meeting new people in the community.

[Lynn Spellman]

Eagle continues open for business

[MARCH 19, 2003]  Rumors that the Eagle store in Lincoln may be closing are completely untrue, according to a company vice president.

Pat Flatley, vice president of information technology, said in a telephone interview that the "tons of rumors" are false. "We're not closing; we're not closing the chain," he emphasized.

"I get calls and e-mails all day long from customers, who are happy to hear that we are not closing," Flatley continued. He said Eagle employees are among those who have spread the rumors, and the company has requested that they discontinue doing so.

Without supplying any statistics, Flatley said he believes Lincoln sales have been affected by the rumors. Customers who believe the grocery store is already closed go elsewhere to shop. However, he said he was in the Lincoln store on Saturday, and Lincoln manager Barb Pollock reported that sales are beginning to recover.

[Lynn Spellman]

Lincoln and Logan County
bucking the trends

Economic growth slow but steady

[MARCH 14, 2003]  Over the course of the last 18 months many people have been quite concerned about the economy in Logan County. With the closing of the Lincoln Developmental Center and a couple of retail businesses going under, the rumors began to swirl. However, not all the news is bad news. In fact, a case may be made that Lincoln is not only bucking those negative local trends, but also bucking those depressing national trends as well. Unemployment rates that are climbing, taxes being raised and not much talk about any economic prosperity may have you wondering: How could Lincoln be curbing those indicators?

But a closer look at what is actually happening in Lincoln and the surrounding area seems to indicate that reports of our demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Take Precision Products for example. Bob Jones is reporting that PP has actually added 22 new jobs just during the month of February, not exactly your growth month. And Ed Block over at Saint-Gobain Containers is reporting the creation of 12 new positions at their plant. Main Street Lincoln Director Cindy McLaughlin has cited at least six individuals who have applied for grants to start new businesses in the Courthouse Square Historic District. Several other local businesses plan to expand or add jobs in the near future. Bill Campbell and Charlie Lee over at the IGA grocery store are planning a 5,000-square-foot addition as soon as possible.

The growth is not just limited to our city's borders, as business seems to be doing well in the county too. Mark Hughes over at Inland Tool in Mount Pulaski has just added a new shift. That has meant the establishment of 10 new jobs. In Atlanta, nine of the 10 houses built on the golf course have been sold, while two new ones are currently under construction. In addition, three new ones are scheduled to begin construction in the spring.

We're sure that the math majors and the bean counters will be quick to remind us all that these reports will not make up for the loss of the LDC. While that may be true, you have to start somewhere. We commend these businesses for their vision and foresight during perilous times. We're sure those decisions must have been easier when the stock market was flying along at record levels.

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Keep in mind that the companies mentioned here are only the ones who have agreed to go public with their plans and additions. There are others with deals pending who don't want publicity until deals are done and contracts are signed. We suspect that there are several people wanting to relocate, remodel and or increase the size of their businesses, judging by the wealth of calls we're getting. We also believe that some people want to come to Logan County to set up shop. We are predicting that as the weather warms we will be bombarded with requests for even more economic development projects in our community and in our area.

And why wouldn't that be so? We have maintained for years that Logan County may be one of the best kept secrets in the state, if not the nation. For the second year in a row, Illinois was chosen as the No. 1 state for economic development in the country! Couple that with the tourist boom we're expected to see in the years ahead, and things might not be nearly as gloomy as the doom, gloom and naysayers would have you believe. At least these recent reports seem to indicate that Logan County may be bucking the trends!

[Jeff Mayfield, economic development director]

• Is this the right time to go into business?
  [Click here for article by Jim Youngquist.]

Announcements

Honors & Awards

Local financial adviser honored

[APRIL 3, 2003]  James D. Leisinger, CFP™, a senior financial adviser with American Express in Lincoln, has been selected for the company’s Premier Club for his outstanding service to clients in protection planning.

The Premier Club recognizes American Express financial advisers who have consistently provided balance for their clients through high-quality investment and protection planning advice to clients within their practice. Leisinger is being recognized for his service in the 2002 calendar year. He has been an adviser with American Express for 20 years.

His American Express office is located in the Griesheim Building, 101½ S. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln.

The Chamber Report

Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce

Bobbi Abbott, Executive Director

303 S. Kickapoo St.

Lincoln, IL 62656

(217) 735-2385

chamber@lincolnillinois.com
www.lincolnillinois.com

Main Street Corner News

Main Street Lincoln

Cindy McLaughlin, Program Manager

303 S. Kickapoo

Lincoln, IL 62656

Phone: (217) 732-2929

Fax: (217) 735-9205

E-mail: manager@mainstreetlincoln.com

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