LDN - Organizations

Panel tells impact of drunk driving

“Drunk driving is not an accident. It is 100 percent avoidable. My daughter was killed by a drunk driver,” George Murphy of Jacksonville told a group of about 40 Tuesday night at a Victim Impact Panel at the Lincoln Recreation Center.

The panel of four, all members of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), told their stories, three from the point of view of victims and one from the other side of the issue, the experience of a young man convicted of drunk driving.

They also told those present, especially the dozen young people, not to drink and drive, and urged them to let their state and local representatives know how they feel about drunk drivers being allowed on the road. The panel was sponsored by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Task Force of the Healthy Communities Partnership of Logan County in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month and Victims Rights Week, April 9 through 15.

“Don’t think it can’t happen to you,” Murphy told the audience. His daughter, Kellie, died on July 4, 1984, after being struck by a drunk driver.

Kellie and her husband and 14-month-old son had gone out for a bicycle ride. The young mother had gotten off her bicycle to attend to her son when the “town drunk” came around a corner and ran over her as she was standing by the side of the road. The driver didn’t stop.

“He didn’t know he had hit a human being,” Murphy said.

In the emergency room, Murphy was thinking of the time 12 years ago when his daughter had ridden her bicycle into a car and sustained a broken leg. He was expecting to hear the same kind of news. When the family priest walked in, he learned that his daughter was dead.

He spoke of his frustration trying to sue the tavern that sold the driver liquor when he was already drunk. An appellate court ruled that his daughter’s life was of no monetary value under the dram shop law because she was not a wage earner. Thirteen years later, he said, a bill named for his daughter, the Kellie Wheatley Bill, changed the law so that even if the deceased person did not earn a paycheck, the family could sue for damages.

Murphy, the only paid staff member of MADD on the panel, whose job is to help victims through the criminal justice system, told the audience that drunk drivers kill 44 persons per day.

“When I see a drunk driver, I dial 911. I want you to do the same. I want you to take the keys away from your friends if they have been drinking and want to drive. We are not opposed to those of you who are of age consuming alcohol, we just don’t want you to do it and drive.”

“I will never have grandchildren,” Cheryl Beard of Rochester told the group. On March 7, 1990, she and her husband had breakfast with their 17-year-old son Jeff, their only child. That evening they were called to a Springfield hospital emergency room because they were told their son had “totaled” his car.

A chaplain was waiting for them at the hospital, and they learned that their son had serious injuries. He died before they could see him. Only the next day, when she read the newspaper, did Beard learn that another car had been involved.

“The driver ran a stop sign and hit Jeff. Because he was drunk, his reaction time was slower. He said he never saw the stop sign or Jeff’s car. If his reaction time had been faster by even one second, he might not have killed my son.”

She remembers what she thought when she and her husband went to the funeral home to pick out their son’s coffin. “You think of all the things you buy for your children. Now the only thing left to buy him was a coffin.”

Jim Jones of Middletown, a convicted drunk driver, told the group he started drinking when he was 14 years old and thought it was “real cool. Nothing bad ever happened.”

When he was 17 he was picked up for having beer in his car and lost his license for 30 days. “It should have been longer,” he said.

When he was 21 he thought, “It’s okay to stop at a bar and have some drinks, because nothing bad happens.” Then he woke up three days later in a Springfield hospital. The doctors told him he was lucky to be alive.

He is now 28 and has not driven since that time. “I’m glad I was taken off the road. I very easily could have killed somebody. When you’re drinking, you don’t think at all.”

Because he can’t drive, he said, he has a “low-paying job,” but he does not feel he is ready yet to reapply for a driver’s license.

Steve Zimmerman of Mason City was hit by a drunken driver and lived to tell about it, but he has lost his trucking business, suffered a great deal of pain, still walks with a cane and faces at least another three surgeries.

“On May 29 last year we came to Lincoln High School for my niece’s graduation. On the way home a driver came around a curve in the road at 85 or 90 miles an hour and hit our van. It took two or three hours to get me out.”

He said it was the fourth time the driver who hit him had been arrested for drunk driving. “I thought, ‘What is this guy doing on the road? Why isn’t he in jail?’”

He said he believed the police, the state’s attorney of Logan County and the judge who gave the man the maximum sentence did a good job, but he pointed out that the 12-year sentence would probably be reduced to six, or possibly less.

“If a man gets six years, every day he serves of good time he gets a day off. That’s the way it works in Illinois. Then, because the Safe Neighborhoods act was recently overturned in that rigmarole about gun control, this guy can appeal the sentence and may serve only three years. I’m real aggravated at everybody.”

Still, he says, he can forgive the driver who hit him.

The driver wrote him a letter of apology, which Zimmerman read to the audience. “I’m writing to tell you I’m really sorry. I’ve been wanting to do this ever since the day of the wreck. I know that saying I’m sorry won’t take away the pain and suffering. I’m sorry you and your family had to pay for my mistake.”

“At first, I thought this guy was looking for some kind of reprieve,” Zimmerman said, “but right now if I could walk up to the man I would probably forgive him.

“This is a two-sided tragedy,” he added. “Nobody wins. The driver, even if he walks away, still has to live with it.”

In closing, Zimmerman told the audience that every year 1,600,000 people are arrested for drunk driving. “How many are on the road that are not arrested? If you’re not scared when you get on the road of meeting a drunk driver, you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

Kristi Simpson, chairperson of the education subcommittee of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Task Force, said that some of the young people who attended the meeting were students at Lincoln Junior High School earning extra credit for writing a paper about the experience. At least one other person attended because of a court order. Lincoln Police Chief Rich Ludolph and two officers also attended, “to hear the panel and support the program,” Chief Ludolph said.

[Joan Crabb]

MS “Walk for Life” raises $10,000

Sunday, April 9, more than 100 people came together for a common cause—to raise awareness and money for multiple sclerosis research. Lincoln’s first “Walk for Life,” sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, took place at Kickapoo Creek Park, raising approximately $10,000 through pledges and donations.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, causing interruptions in the electrical impulses sent from the brain to other areas of the body. According to the NMSS, one out of 1000 people are diagnosed each year. Currently there is no cure for MS; however, treatments are being used to slow the progression of the disease.

The Lincoln committee for the MS walk was comprised of Brenda Centers, Jim and Nancy Ireland, Gene and Toni McDonald, and Jeanne Handlin. Committee member Toni McDonald says the reason she wants to raise awareness about MS is because it touches so many lives, including her 39-year-old son, Rob. “When someone in your family has a disease, you want to help them,” she explains, adding, “We need to raise money for research for a cure or better treatment.”

McDonald says she appreciates the many walkers, sponsors and volunteers that contributed to the event’s success. “They were very valuable,” she says. And, due to its success, the Lincoln committee is planning another Walk for Life next year. For more information, call the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at 1-800-344-4867.

Health department presents "Goodwill" and "Partnership" awards

Last week, the Logan County Health Department celebrated Public Health Week. In honor of Public Health Week, the health department presents awards to individuals, organizations or businesses that have promoted the mission of the Logan County Health Department in the continuation or advancement of its services or programs. The recipients have supported the health department by collaborating with or assisting with existing or new programs, projects or services.

The "Goodwill Award" is a certificate that is presented to an individual, organization or business. This year, two certificates were awarded. Kristin Simpson of Logan Mason Mental Health and Officer Rich Montcalm of the Lincoln Police Department received certificates for their continued support of public health and the mission of the Logan County Health Department. The "Partnership Award" was presented to Logan County ESDA and the Department of Human Services for their collaboration with Logan County Health Department on projects and programs throughout the past year.

Police auction of recovered bicycles

The Lincoln Police Department will have an auction of recovered bicycles Saturday, April 15, at 9 a.m. at the corner of Kickapoo and Pekin streets.

The recovered bicycles to be sold range from children's to adults', BMX to mountain bikes. The bicycles are in various conditions and include most brands. The city of Lincoln will assume no liability once the bike is purchased. The auction is cash only and all property is to be removed the day of the sale.

To claim a bicycle that you believe is yours, you must have a report on file or have the serial numbers before the auction begins. Once the bike is sold, you cannot claim it.

For more information, contact Chief Ludolph at the police department, 732-2151.

Special thanks to George Leverton for his auctioneering service.

Lincoln area YMCA events

Tickets are available now for the fourth annual Charter Dinner with a silent and live auction. The event will take place on Saturday, April 15, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Maple Club. Auction catalogues are also available if you would like a preview of the offerings. Call Sarah or Angie at 735-3915 for more information.

"School’s Out Fun Days" will be held from Friday, April 14, through Monday, April 24, from 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District Sports Complex. There are theme days, guest speakers and many special activities planned. Call 735-3915 for more information or to request a registration form.

Relay for life, ready to run

Teams forming for next week’s event

The Logan County Unit of the American Cancer Society cordially invites you to its third annual Relay for Life. This event celebrates the lives of those who have survived cancer and honors the memories of those who have not. Relay for Life kicks off Friday, April 14, at 8 p.m. Teams are encouraged to come out, set up camp and enjoy the evening activities.

Cancer survivors kick off Saturday’s activities at 9 a.m., as they will lead teams in a continuous walk around the track at Lincoln Recreation Center indoor complex.

At approximately 1 p.m., luminaries lining the walking path will be lit in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of those who have lost their battle with the disease. Once all luminaries are glowing, a special ceremony will be held recognizing each person remembered. Luminaries may be purchased for $10 prior to and at the event.

For more information, please contact Mary Ellen Martin at 732-3349, Kathy Blaum at 732-9372 or the American Cancer Society office at 1-800-252-5202.

[LDN]

Main Street gears up for campaign drive

Main Street Lincoln's Partnership Campaign is underway now through April 15th. Designated by Illinois Main Street in 1994, Main Street Lincoln uses the four-point approach of Economic Restructuring, Promotion, Organization, and Design, established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Accomplishments of Lincoln Main Street include the tolling of the courthouse clock, the Taste of Lincoln, historic street lights, downtown holiday decorations, the mural on the Neal Tire Building, Summer Concert Series, Lincoln's official Christmas ornament, Business Nexus, Festival of Trees, new business workshops, Historic Preservation Week, and the LCHS Prom Grand March, as well as many other activities.

Main Street Lincoln has an aggressive work plan for 2000. Restoration of the Scully Park fountain, completion of the Shay Parking Plaza and restoration of the Indian maiden statue are at the top of the list in the Design area. Four quarterly business seminars will be offered as well as the Nexus, an intercept survey updated, newsletter developed and Historic Walking Tour planned. Special events include the Taste of Lincoln, Harvest Fest, Summer Concert Series, Historic Preservation Week, a Flag Day Ceremony and the Festival of Trees.

A not-for-profit corporation, Main Street Lincoln relies on private funding to accomplish its goals. It does not receive any direct revenue from the state, county or city. There is no special tax to generate income, and the city and county's contributions are specific sponsorships on a reimbursement basis.

Anyone interested in Lincoln's downtown area can become a partner in Main Street Lincoln. Business Partnerships are $99 and families are half the amount. Partnerships are tax deductible and should be sent to: Main Street Lincoln, 303 South Kickapoo, Lincoln, IL 62656. For questions or further information, contact: Wendy Bell, program manager, at 732-2929.

[LDN]

Ready for the real world

Lincoln Rotary seeking to recognize working youth

Logan County youth who have started their own businesses, or who achieve above and beyond what their employers expect, are now eligible to compete for a new award recognizing their hard work. The "Ready for the Real World Award" has been initiated by the Lincoln Rotary Club to encourage more young people to demonstrate high work ethics or to use their creativity to seek out new business opportunities. There is a $250 cash award to accompany recognition by the Lincoln Rotary Club.

Any Logan County employer or organization may nominate Logan County youth who have reached the age of 18 by June 1. Nominees can either work for a Logan County business, volunteer for a Logan County organization, or have started their own business. Nominees should be youth who are responsible, focused on excellence and truly enjoy their work. Academic or athletic ability will not be a consideration in selecting a winner.

Nomination forms are available from the Logan County Extension office, the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce, or by contacting Lincoln Rotary Club Director of Vocational Service Bob Jeckel at 735-5372. Direct supervisors of the nominee are highly encouraged to include a letter of recommendation along with the nomination form. Nominations are due by Friday, April 14, to Bob Jeckel, 1536 Pulaski Street, Lincoln, IL 62656.

The Lincoln Rotary Club is an organization of local business persons and professionals who stress service above self.

[LDN]

Jolly Seniors group plans April 25 meeting

The Jolly Seniors group from Lincoln Christian Church invites those 55-plus to attend our monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 25, at 10 a.m. You will experience a warm fellowship with people who care for one another, an enjoyable time filled with great food, fun, interesting programs and a spiritual lift to encourage you in your life. This month’s Easter program will feature Rick Roy on the keyboard and singing. Dean Hill will lead our devotion. We will also enjoy a turkey dinner, catered by Guzzardo’s. Suggested cost for the meal is $4. For free transportation, please contact the church office at 732-7618. The meeting will be held at the church Fellowship Center, 205 N. Hamilton St.test

American Red Cross classes announced

The American Red Cross is offering the following classes at the Logan County Red Cross office, 125 S. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln.

Community first aid and safety challenges: April 22, May 20, June 24.
Community first aid and safety classes: April 17 and 18, May 17 and 18, June 26 and 27.
Community first aid and safety instructor class: June 6, 7 and 8.
CPR for professional rescuer: May 3 and 4.

To make reservations or for more information, interested persons may call 217-732-2134 any weekday between 12 noon and 4 p.m.

National Honor Society seeks donations for Plant-A-Tree Project

The National Honor Society of Lincoln Community High School has scheduled their annual Earth Day projects for April 26 and 28. On April 26, NHS students will help first graders plant memorial trees and teach the children how to plant their own trees. On April 28, several high school groups will plant trees along the interstate entrances to Lincoln and along Lincoln Parkway in front of the Logan County Fairgrounds and Lincoln Developmental Center. The National Honor Society invites businesses and organizations to donate funds to help the NHS, the bio-chemistry ecology class and the landscaping class purchase the trees.

If you are interested in helping on one of the planting days, the NHS would appreciate your enthusiasm and expertise to help them organize or plant. If you would like to see the visible results of the students’ work, you can check the locations on the southern cloverleaf entrance to Lincoln and in front of the fairgrounds and LDC.

The NHS thanks the community for all the continued support of this project.

Donations, with checks payable to Plant-A-Tree Project, may be sent to the National Honor Society, Attn: Judy Dopp and Laura Horton, 1000 Primm Road, Lincoln, IL 62656.

Civil War ball and band performance set for Memorial Day weekend

The Mason City Historical Society is bringing the Civil War to Mason City on Memorial Day weekend. Living history events in the city parks will include an educational, entertaining appearance by the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band on Saturday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the tourist park pavilion. The band is an authentic reenactment of the actual Civil War era band that was mustered at State Normal University in 1861. The band members wear reproductions of the original wool uniforms worn by the Union Army, and each member plays music of the era on period instruments dating as early as 1848. A Civil War military ball will be the main feature during their performance. Children as well as adults will dance to the Virginia reel, broom dance and other musical steps of that era. The public is invited to this full-family affair for an evening of dancing or just plain listening. Those in attendance are encouraged, but not required, to wear attire of the Civil War period. Proceeds from this military ball and band performance fundraiser will go to the restoration of Mason City's Soldiers Monument erected in 1867 in Memorial Park. Events are sponsored in cooperation with the local historical society, churches, school, clubs and organizations, as well as parks and city government.

Heritage In Flight museum

The Heritage In Flight Museum at the Logan County Airport is open every weekend from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is open during the week by special arrangement by calling 732-3333. The museum contains historical aviation exhibits from as far back as World War I. Donations to the museum have come from Logan County residents who served in the flying branches of the United States military and from military and civilian sources throughout the U.S. Heritage In Flight holds its regular meetings on the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. in the commons room of the airport terminal building. We are always interested in new members who have an interest in helping to maintain the museum and the important and fascinating historical records that it contains. The Heritage In Flight Museum is a non-profit organization.

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