|
January
Battle
continues to save LDC
Gov. George Ryan announced that the
Lincoln Developmental Center would either be closed or downsized to
a point where it could "pass federal inspection." The Illinois
Department of Human Services, which operates facilities for the
developmentally disabled, was asked to come up with a plan and put
it on the governor's desk by Jan. 31. Advocates for
community-integrated living arrangements continued to urge the
governor to close the facility, while parents and family members of LDC residents lobbied for it to remain open.
Early in January, the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit
in Logan County Circuit Court to keep Gov. Ryan from closing LDC.
The suit asserted that because the Illinois General Assembly
appropriated funding for LDC for the entire fiscal year, the
facility could not be closed until June 30, when the budget expired.
AFSCME also said the state would have to get a permit from the
Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board before it could legally
shut down LDC.
In Springfield, state Sen. Larry Bomke
and a crowd of Lincoln Developmental Center supporters addressed a
joint meeting of the House Disabled and Mental Health and Patient
Abuse committees. Bomke, R-Springfield, spoke about the need to keep
LDC open, citing not only the economic benefits to Lincoln, but also
the requests from parents and families to keep it open.
In mid-January a rally in support of
Lincoln Developmental Center was held at the Lincoln Community High
School auditorium, which was nearly filled with LDC supporters,
including parents of residents. Eighteen speakers, including union
officials, business leaders and politicians took the podium amid a
wave of red "We Support LDC" signs. The speakers' remarks were met
with cheers and, on many occasions, standing ovations.
State Sen. Larry Bomke, state Reps. Gwenn
Klingler, Dan Brady, Jonathan Wright and Bill Mitchell, along with
Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis and Logan County Board Chairman Dick Logan
stated their support. Democratic candidate for governor Paul Vallas
said that if he were elected governor he would solve the problems at
LDC and keep the institution open. AFSCME Council 31 Director Henry
Bayer said that over 9,000 signatures were already on petitions,
with more petitions still to be collected.
Colleges
make news
Both Lincoln College and Lincoln
Christian College made news in January.
Lincoln College received a $1 million
Illinois FIRST grant to help build the Lincoln Center, an athletic
and convocation facility that will include a greatly expanded
Lincoln College Museum.
Lincoln Christian College was chosen
from 75 other schools to host the 2003 and 2004 NCCAA Division II
national volleyball championship. The tournament is expected to
bring nearly 1,000 people and 10 volleyball teams from across the
United States into the Lincoln community.
At the beginning of the new year, LincOn
TV, which had served the Lincoln area by creating community-interest
television programming, became LogOn Productions, Inc., a
not-for-profit agency also dedicated to community programming. The
company continued broadcasting locally over cable Channel 15, owned
by Insight Communications.
Other January news
On Jan. 4, the American Legion building
at 1740 Fifth St. went up in flames. The Lincoln Fire Department
answered the call at about 6:30 a.m. and had the blaze under control
at 10 a.m. Early reports say it was a grease fire.
The Lincoln Sewage Treatment Plant was
chosen to receive the 2001 George W. Burke Safety Award. Plant
manager Grant Eaton said this is an unusual honor, awarded to only
one person or group in the state of Illinois per year. Presentation
of the Burke Safety Award will be made in the spring.
Gene Burwell announced that he was
selling his 22 retail units of Burwell Oil Service Inc., to Thornton
Oil Corp. of Louisville, Ky. Thornton Oil is one of the 500 largest
privately held firms in the United States. The transaction is
expected to occur March 1.
The Lincoln Police Department announced
they are accepting applications for the 2002-2003 class of the
Citizen Police Academy. The 10-week class gives participants an
opportunity to learn about the police department and its daily
operations.
The Lincoln Community High School
speech team placed second at the speech tournament in Heyworth Jan.
12. Carrie Schreiber and Ed Jodlowski coached the team, which was
getting geared up for the state debate tournament.
In January Logan County completed
another phase of beefing up its security when an X-ray machine was
installed at the Logan County Courthouse.
The Rural Health van, sometimes called
"the corn bus" because of the mural painted on the outside, is here
to stay, Dayle Eldredge, Healthy Communities Partnership
coordinator, announced at the fifth annual report to the
communities. The federal grant has been finalized and HCP may now
keep the van, she said. She also announced a new Senior Issues Task
Force, which brings five task forces under the umbrella of HCP.
In the first ceremony of its kind in
the state, Lincoln area resident Iona Boyd received the Purple Heart
medal awarded to her first husband, Pvt. Paul W. Kodatt, a medic who
was killed in the Philippines during World War II. Illinois
Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka presented the medal and also gave Boyd
other contents of the abandoned safe deposit box where the medal was
found. The medal presentation was part of the Illinois treasurer's
Operation Search and Restore, which locates owners of medals found
in abandoned safe deposit boxes.
Sports
In sports, Lincoln's Brian Cook led
Illinois to a win over Iowa in a nationally televised Big Ten
basketball game. Illinois jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead as Cook
started the game with an alley-oop dunk and completed the run with a
3-point basket. Cook finished with 21 points and Illinois finished
with an 11-point victory.
The LCC volleyball team won the
national championship in 1998 under the direction of two-time NCCAA
Coach of the Year Kevin Crawford. Crawford, Angels' coach for 12
seasons, led the team to six national tournaments and to the Final
Four four times.
This year also marks the 50th
anniversary of Lincoln Christian Seminary. The seminary was
established in 1952 and today has grown to more than 300 students,
who are instructed by 11 full-time faculty members and 20 adjunct
faculty. LCS graduates serve in 38 countries and across the United
States.
February
Fight to
save LDC goes on
Three area Republican representatives
urged Gov. George Ryan to keep Lincoln Developmental Center open.
After meeting with House Republican Leader Lee Daniels and
discussing the issue, Reps. Gwenn Klingler of Springfield, Bill
Mitchell of Forsyth and Jonathan Wright of Lincoln joined in writing
a letter to the governor strongly expressing their conviction that
the center should not be closed.
Gov. Ryan announced on Feb. 4 that LDC
will remain open but will be downsized to 100 residents who will be
moved to new small group homes on the campus. The plan will require
moving 159 residents from LDC to other care settings in order to
meet the new resident population target. Since last fall, 132 LDC
residents have been moved or are in the process of moving to other
care settings in Illinois. Ryan also announced plans to continue the
development of small group homes on the LDC campus. The current
state budget contains $2.5 million to construct four small group
homes, to be ready next year, that will house 10 residents each. In
addition, Ryan ordered DHS to develop long-range plans for the
construction of six more small group homes on the LDC campus.
On Feb. 22 the Department of Human
Services took the first step toward laying off a total of 372
employees, by sending out layoff notices. Workers to be laid off
must be given a 60-day notice.
On Feb. 25, Judge Donald Behle of the
Logan County Circuit Court ruled that one count of the suit brought
by AFSCME to prevent Gov. Ryan from closing LDC would be heard, that
the governor and the Illinois Department of Human Services must get
a permit from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board before
moving any more residents from LDC. Another count, that the governor
did not have a right to close LDC before June 30 because the
legislature had already appropriated money to fund it, was
dismissed.
Economic Development Director Mark
Smith put together some numbers to show the economic impact of Gov.
George Ryan's latest proposal to cut the number of residents and
staff at LDC, Lincoln's largest employer. A few months ago, the
facility had about 370 residents and 700 workers. With 700
employees, LDC had a payroll of $28 million in 2001. Under the
newest proposal, with 200 employees, the payroll will shrink to $8.4
million. Factoring in the rollover effects of the $28 million
payroll, the area has had a $112 million economic benefit from a
staff of 700. The rollover effect, Smith explains, is the impact of
the money as it circulates in the community. With a payroll of only
$8.4 million, the rollover effect shrinks to $34.6 million, a total
loss in economic benefits of $78.4 million.
[to top of second column
in this article]
|
School
news
Lincoln Community High School speech
team placed first in the regional speech tournament at
Chatham-Glenwood High School on Saturday, Feb. 2. Receiving first
place awards were Callie Davison, dramatic interpretation; Tim Fak,
extemporaneous speaking; Betsy Buttell, humorous interpretation;
Carly McLean, oratorical declamation and original oratory; Eric
Agostino, prose reading and verse reading; Abigail Sasse, radio
speaking; Ty Sank, special occasion speaking; and Stanton
Schumacher, Jerrod Marten, Jamie Eckert, Collin Voyles, Adam Voyles,
Amanda Perry, Katie Muck, Tom Swanson, Brady Gerdts and Brandon
Davis, performance in the round.
LCHS hosted the sectional speech
tournament on Saturday, Feb. 9, and the local team placed fourth.
"There is no doubt that our season has been extremely successful,"
said Ed Jodlowski. He and Carrie Schreiber coach the team. "At the
beginning of the year we set the goal to send seven entries to
state. Eight is a dream come true," he said. LCHS students who
qualified for the state tournament on Feb. 15 and 16 at Downers
Grove South High School are Eric Agostino, first place in prose
reading and third pace in verse reading; Carly McLean, second place
in oratorical declamation; Abrigail Sasse, second place in radio
speaking; Ty Sank, third place in special occasion speaking; Doug
Rohrer and Julie Wood, third place in dramatic duet acting; Betsy
Buttell; third place in humorous interpretation; and Beau Hanger and
Kasey Pepperell, third place in humorous duet acting.
Competing at the state level, in
Downers Grove, LCHS students also placed. Eric Agostino won eighth
place in prose reading; Doug Rohrer and Julie Wood took 10th place
in dramatic duet acting; Carly McLean took 15th place in oratorical
declamation; Abrigail Sasse took 17th place in radio speaking; Beau
Hanger and Kasey Pepperell took 19th place in humorous duet acting;
Betsy Buttell took 19th place, humorous interpretation; Ty Sank took
19th place, special occasion speaking; and Eric Agostino took 19th
place, verse reading.
The Chester-East Lincoln Mathcounts
team took first place at the regional competition, which was at
Millikin in Decatur on Saturday, Feb. 9. Nine area schools were
represented at the competition. The team from Johns Hill school
finished second. This was a reversal of the results last year, when
Johns Hill finished first and C-EL took second. The C-EL team
members are Alison Kessinger, Kevin Huelskoetter, Troy Tolan and
Aaron Meyrick. The C-EL team finished first in the overall standings
and will advance to the state Mathcounts competition in Chicago on
March 9.
Lincoln
faces budget crunch
The city of Lincoln has already spent
more money than it has taken in during the current fiscal year and
will be looking at a pared-down budget for next year, several
aldermen said at Monday evening's city council meeting. The
financial crunch has come because revenues are down and interest
rates are so low the city is getting a lot less income from its
investments that it usually does, according to Steve Fuhrer, the
council's finance chairman. The city has spent $446,000 more than it
has taken in during the year, aldermen learned.
Although some city officials may
believe no racial profiling occurs in Lincoln, that statement is not
accurate, according to Alderman Glenn Shelton, minister of the
Second Baptist Church and the first African-American to serve on the
city council. "There is a problem in this community," Shelton said
at the Feb. 4 evening meeting of the council. The problem, he said,
is that some African-Americans feel they are not being treated
equally or with respect by police and other agencies, firemen, EMTs,
and hospital personnel.
The Lincoln City Council unanimously
approved an ordinance and a resolution to borrow up to $12 million
from the Water Pollution Control Loan program. The city must upgrade
the sewer plant to meet IEPA requirements. To assure the IEPA that
the city can repay the loan, the city has raised sewer rates in a
two-step program. As of Jan. 1, 2002, rates for residential users
went from $11 per month to $14, and rates for commercial, industrial
and institutional users have also risen. The second tier of rate
increases, to go into effect 18 months later, would raise rates for
all users again, bringing residential rates to $16.39.
The city of Lincoln is $37,000 in the
hole because of people who aren't paying their sewer bills. City
Clerk Juanita Josserand said that 30 certified letters had gone out
to property owners behind on sewer bills, but 28 of them came back
because the owners refused to sign for them. Eaton said the next
step is to give these delinquents one more notice, then dig up the
sewer line and disconnect them.
Other February news
On the air less than a year, Classic
Rock 96.3, WMNW in Atlanta, is changing its name to FIX 96. The name
change begins Feb. 11, when the station unveils its new local
morning show and an evening open line for sports. Besides classic
rock, the station broadcasts area high school football and
basketball games, special events such as the Logan County Fair and
balloon fest, local news, and sports. Ash said the new "Morning FIX"
will run from 7 to 10 a.m. weekdays. He plans to have surprise
guests, trivia games, prizes and more. The new open-line sports show
will run Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. and will be hosted by local sports
personalities Jeff Mayfield and Greg Taylor. Both men write sports
news and features for Lincoln Daily News.
An open house was set for Sunday, March
3, from 3 to 5 p.m., to feature the new Dr. John Logan County
Building and the many newly refurbished offices in the Logan County
Courthouse. During the open house, refreshments will be served in
the courthouse rotunda.
Lincoln Christian College and Seminary
held the dedication ceremony for the new Laughlin Center at 10 a.m.,
Saturday, Feb. 23. Olympic medalist Jean Driscoll was the guest
speaker. The new athletic facility includes a 30,000-square-foot
gymnasium that features seating for 1,000 people, training and
locker rooms, office space, and a weight room and athletic
equipment, as well as additional parking and landscaping. Some 1,200
to 1,300 people showed up to celebrate and dedicate the building.
Lincoln dentist and award-winning poet
Lee Gurga has been appointed editor of Modern Haiku, which is the
oldest journal of English-language haiku and considered the most
important publication of and about haiku outside of Japan. Founded
in 1969 in Los Angeles, Calif., Modern Haiku has been edited by
Robert Spiess of Madison, Wis., since 1978. Gurga has been assistant
editor for the past four years.
A Lincoln resident was killed Feb. 20
in an automobile accident two miles west of Lincoln. A vehicle an
unlicensed 15-year-old was driving struck a utility pole in the 800
block of 1575th Street, also known as Fifth Street Road. Chief
Deputy John Garlits said the vehicle was westbound when the driver
lost control and struck the pole. The impact caused electrical wires
to fall. Joseph Boughan, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene at
11:25 p.m.
Sports
news
The Illinois State Redbirds rode an
impressive run just before halftime last night en route to a 60-51
defeat of the Bradley Braves. Lincoln's Gregg Alexander was not his
usual self on the offensive end, but defensively he continued his
stellar play. Coach Tom Richardson said, "Gregg was not out of this
game at all. Just because he wasn't hitting his shots ... he still
stays focused. He never lets one aspect of his game affect another.
He's a tough kid." In fact, Alexander helped Redbird defenders limit
the Peorians to four-of-22 shooting from the arc. The Redbirds moved
to 11-12 on the year, 7-4 in the MVC, and had a rare sweep of the
Braves for the first time since 1998.
Brian Cook
scored Illinois' first 12 points at Ann Arbor, Mich. Illinois had
not won a game on the road in the Big Ten yet this year. Cook led
the way with 19 points and nine rebounds, helping the Illini control
the boards 38-31. He also contributed zero turnovers on a night when
Illinois committed only eight. In a recent Illini win, a 69-67
cliffhanger over the always-tough-on-Illinois Purdue Boilermakers,
Cook put up an Illini game-high 16 points, pulled down six rebounds
and blocked three shots while altering several others.
(To be
continued)
[Joan Crabb]
|
