[AUG. 8, 2000]  It’s a simple principle. Lights discourage crime and encourage neighborhood interaction.

If you support safe neighborhoods without incidence of drugs, violence or property destruction, then turn on your porch light tonight for Logan County’s celebration of National Night Out.

[Rich Montcalm provides an update of local criminal activities and offers crime prevention tips during a recent Ninth Street neighborhood carnival.]

The 20^th National Night Out was actually last week. But because of the Logan County Fair, the Lincoln Police Department thought that the event might have more community participation if the date were changed.

Not only does the Lincoln Police Department encourage homeowners to light up their properties, they want the citizens of Lincoln to discourage crime each and every day by organizing into neighborhood watch groups.

It was a goal of former LPD Chief Ron Robbins to begin actively forming neighborhood watches in Lincoln five years ago. Today, approximately 500 Lincoln residents are being reached through these efforts.

[Officer Montcalm encourages Ninth Street kids to check out the cool controls of a squad car.]

"A lot of homeowners don’t want to get involved in neighborhood watch programs until something bad happens," laments Officer Rich Montcalm, director of the community policing program. "But if they would start organizing earlier, it would be much easier on us."

Montcalm says that when neighborhoods organize, the police get more reports of criminal activities that they previously were not aware of. As a result, more arrests of speeders, vandals and drug dealers have been made.

Ninth Street is one example of a neighborhood that started a watch program five years ago after drug dealing activities at a local residence got out of hand. Paula Gramley, who writes the newsletter for Ninth Street Neighborhood Watch, says that with help from the LPD, neighbors started reporting all suspicious activity. Now the specific problem has significantly diminished.

Gramley says one of the fringe benefits of the Ninth Street Neighborhood Watch was to encourage a friendlier street. "Neighbors talk to each other informally, and we look out for each other more," she says.

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[Officer Montcalm and his nephew, Matt Montcalm, use the neighborhood watch trailer to lure neighbors together with fresh hot dogs and cold Coca-Cola]

Yet another benefit is to have the LPD come cook for neighborhood watch meetings.

Three years ago, the LPD stepped up their efforts to be visible in the community with the initiation of the Neighborhood Watch trailer. Officer Montcalm and Mike Workman fire up the grill to cook hot dogs and pass out Coca-Cola products for watch meetings and other community events. Montcalm estimates that he cooks 100 to 200 hotdogs each time the Neighborhood Watch trailer makes a community appearance.

"The trailer helps to get people out and about," says Montcalm. "It is helping people become more comfortable around police, especially the kids who are learning to respect us."

Neighborhood watch groups promote friendships among neighbors and fun for everyone.

Independence Day for the residents involved in the Starkey Acres Neighborhood Watch usually means participating in a fun-filled parade. Kids ride their bikes for prizes and different homes host food and prize drawings. This year, the Lincoln Fire Department brought their ladder truck out to join in the fun.

Tonight, Starkey Acres neighbors will celebrate Logan County Night Out with a bluegrass band. And, Ninth Street neighbors will come together with a progressive dinner. Others will show their support by turning on front porch lights.

Current participants in Lincoln’s Neighborhood Watch program include: Ninth Street, Starkey Acres, Decatur Street, North Ottawa Street, 11^th Street, 21^st and Riggs streets, and North Sherman Street.

Even if a neighborhood watch program is not currently available in your area, Officer Montcalm encourages everyone to get out and meet their neighbors and watch out for one another. That practice has already helped in a number of Lincoln neighborhoods. After all, Montcalm says it stands to reason that "we are safer with a dozen sets of eyes rather than just one."

[Marty Ahrends]

Victory 2000 train makes longer than anticipated stop in Lincoln

[AUG. 7, 2000]  Crowds started forming around the Lincoln Depot more than three hours before the Victory 2000 train carrying the Bush-Cheney Campaign entourage rolled into town. Despite the stifling heat and humidity, presidential candidate George W. Bush delivered a rousing speech to an eager crowd of 2,000 Republican supporters from across Central Illinois.

Click here to see pictures from the Bush campaign speech.

It was indeed a long wait. The Bush-Cheney campaign train was scheduled to arrive in Lincoln around 3:30 p.m. But it was 4:40 p.m. before the train of shiny rail cars pulled into town for a longer than expected stop.

The original plans called for the Victory 2000 train to merely slow down as it rolled through Lincoln. Friday afternoon, local party officials received word that there would be a stop, and they made sure that Lincoln put on a good show.

The New Wine School Band played a medley of rousing rally tunes to warm up the already sweltering crowd.

About an hour before the train arrived, the local Republican elite emerged from the air-conditioned Restaurant at the Depot. State Rep. John Turner, R-Atlanta, reminded the crowd of the Bush agenda and the importance of electing Republicans into office this November. He spoke on the inclusiveness of the Republican Party, what Clinton has done to the armed forces, the solvency of Social Security. He said that Bush has a lot of new and innovative ideas and that "help is on the way," a phrase that echoed throughout the Republican convention. He also thanked U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, for getting the presidential and vice-presidential nominees to make a stop in Lincoln.

State Sen. Robert Madigan, R-Lincoln, noted that Secretary of Defense Cheney already had some ties to Lincoln, since he had served in the Reagan cabinet with the senator’s brother, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Madigan.

Lincoln Mayor Joan Ritter presented the keys to the city of Lincoln to Rep. LaHood to present to Gov. Bush on the train trip from Lincoln to Springfield.

A train loaded with Bush campaign officials, press and secret service preceded the Victory 2000 train by about 20 minutes. Soon the crowd was equipped with a bounty of rally signs, stickers, pom-poms and American flags.

Local rally organizers made sure the Bush stop was picture perfect. Key spectators that included Hispanics, disabled persons and cute children were ushered to the front lines.

When the train finally did arrive, the Republican nominees could say nothing wrong to the crowd of enthusiastic supporters.

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Vice-presidential nominee Dick Cheney kicked off the show with some brief comments. Gov. Bush followed by telling the Lincoln crowd that he picked Cheney as his running mate because he wanted someone he could get along with. He also referred to Cheney’s wife, Lynne, saying that he (Secretary Cheney) married well.

Gov. Bush spoke about key issues such as national surplus and what should be done with the people’s money. He said the government should "give it to the people."

He expressed his concern for the strength of the country and the importance of agriculture, stressing issues dealing with ethanol use. He said that he wanted to get rid of the tax debt for farmers. He stated all this while holding up a T-shirt with the word ethanol boldly printed on it.

Bush went on to say he is in favor of elimination of the marriage tax penalty. He added that President Clinton had the opportunity to pass a bill that would have gotten rid of the marriage tax, but he vetoed it instead. Bush said this shows who is really for families.

Bush next made statements about improving America’s schools. The presidential nominee said he believes that every child should be educated, but it should be done at the local level. "All of you should be making your own decisions as to how your children should be educated," he said. "I don’t want to be the federal superintendent of schools," he noted.

He then ended his speech by challenging his party to stay on course.

A few in the crowd made their own signs in support of the candidates and their platform. One small boy held high a sign that read "Restore my daddy’s pride in the military." This caught Gov. Bush’s attention as he referenced his plan to rebuild the military power of the United States.

Before pulling out of downtown Lincoln, Bush took time to hold a local baby and greeted Lincoln’s own Abraham Lincoln, Charlie Ott, asking him if he was still voting absentee. That prompted a chuckle from the crowd gathered for this historic event in downtown Lincoln.

[LDN]

New mayor of Elkhart announced

[AUG. 5, 2000]  Helen Dayle Eldredge has been named the new mayor of Elkhart, filling the unexpired term of former mayor Terry Moore.  She was chosen to fill the post by village trustees on July 26.  The vacancy occurred because of Moore’s recent conviction of aggravated battery, stemming from an incident Dec. 11, 1999, between Moore, his son Tyler, and Joe Bayless of Elkhart.  Illinois law mandates that a municipal official convicted of a felony cannot continue to hold elected office. 

Eldredge has lived in Elkhart for the past nine years and has been a village trustee for about a year.  She formerly lived in Springfield.  She is Coordinator of the Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP), a Logan County umbrella organization that  coordinates the work of a number of community service agencies, and is director of the Rural Health Partnership, one of the HCP’s task forces.

Eldredge has experience in dealing with state and federal governments, having been a lobbyist for the Illinois Farmers Union and an agricultural resource person for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.  She was one of the first female lobbyists in Washington, D. C., in the late 1960s and early 1970s, working for the Illinois Farmers Union and the American Agricultural Movement.  She was also national treasurer of the American Agricultural Movement.

She worked for the Illinois Health Care Association for five years as the assistant director of government relations and as their convention planner.  She also worked for a textile firm that supplies nursing homes and hospitals.

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She came to Lincoln in 1998 as director of the newly-formed Rural Health Partnership.  She became a member of the initial planning committee that founded the HCP and was named coordinator in 1999.

Her goals as mayor of Elkhart include continuing to work on modernizing and expanding the village water system, for which the village recently received a state grant.  She also wants to bring new businesses and new families into town.  Long-term goals include upgrading streets and studying sewer projects. 

“I’m looking forward to serving as mayor and working with my fine board of trustees,” she said.  “Together we are going to continue to work to keep this a healthy village and a place where families enjoy living.”

Former mayor Moore’s unexpired term will run until the end of April 2001.  If he appeals the conviction and the conviction is overturned before his term expires, he can resume his position as mayor and Eldredge will become a trustee again.  

Eldredge said she would consider running for a full term as mayor if Moore does not return.