"I Choose You"

A little magic in the air

[JAN. 29, 2000] A crowd of children, filling the showroom of Graue Inc., waited with their parents late Friday afternoon for the arrival of the tall, mostly yellow Pokémon character Pikachu. 
   But there was something unusual in the air.  The children, ranging from toddlers to teens, were waiting patiently.  There were none of the usual childish sounds or usual anxious childish actions happening in this crowd—only a slight murmur of anticipation.  It was as if they were all focused and behaving perfectly. 

   When at last it was announced that Pikachu had arrived, a complete hush fell over the crowd.  As Pikachu came through the doors, the children quietly came forward and enveloped him.  Helpers immediately cleared a path so Pikachu could move to the center of the showroom and once there, the children again moved in to surround him.  There was no pushing, no shoving, and no other acting out.  It seemed as though they were held in awe of this cartoon superstar.  Their goal, it seemed, was to get as close as they could to touch Pikachu.

WBTV, Channel 23 from Decatur arranged for the Pokémon character to appear in Central Illinois. Graue Inc. sponsored Pikachu's appearance in Lincoln.  Pikachu was at Graue Inc. from 4:30-7:30 pm. Door prizes were given out every 10 minutes.

[Staff.]       

Gas Prices Push the Limit

[JAN. 28, 2000]  If you have been to the gas pump lately, you probably have noticed the recent jump in gasoline prices. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed recently to extend an agreement to cut crude oil production, resulting in a dramatic cost increase across the nation. Originally, the agreement was slated to end in March of 2000, but will now remain in effect until the end of the year.

In Lincoln, the average price of gasoline stands at approximately $1.40 per gallon. According to Curt Burwell, Secretary/ Treasurer of Burwell Oil Company, this price is a reflection of a multitude of factors, including state and federal tax, as well as the price of crude oil, which determine the final price. Burwell explains that the price of crude oil, which hit a nine-year high last week, can easily fluctuate on a daily basis. In addition to the crude oil price, he adds, "most people don’t know the amount of tax included" in the final cost.

Burwell also states that the federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents. This tax is in addition to a combined state tax of 20.1 cents and the 6.25 percent sales tax. This means customers pay more than 40 cents per gallon in taxes.

However, this price jump is not isolated to this area alone. Ileana Blake, spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, says this price increase "affects us all." She explains that this recent price increase illustrates the sensitivity of this particular market. "Any kind of major announcement or world event will affect prices at the pump," she says. "There are plentiful supplies, [however gasoline] is still a precious resource."

Ms. Blake adds, however, that the recent increase has not left customers in the cold when it comes to driving. "People don’t drastically change plans based on the price of gasoline since we depend on driving so much," she explains.

George Mullen from Illico, the company that operates the local Apollo Mart station, said that there was an initial sticker shock when gas prices shot up. People held back from buying gasoline at first, but later returned to the pumps in a normal fashion. “People need to go places, and so they need the gas.”

[JAN. 27, 2000]  No time to search through pages of type for the bits of local news that are of interest to you? Want your parents in Rockford to read about their grandkids in Lincoln? Looking for a complete season schedule for your local sports team? Just go to www.lincolndailynews.com and you will find news, sports, features and commentary from Logan County. And in this interactive medium, you will become a part of sharing the stories of your community.

“This is an exciting new way to keep people informed,” says Natalie Jeckel, the publication’s managing editor. A Hartsburg native, who now lives in Lincoln, Jeckel studied writing at Lincoln College and Millikin University before joining the Lincoln Daily News last month. “I love this county and the people who live here. The Lincoln Daily News is devoted to telling the stories of our county, and I am delighted to be on the ground floor of this venture. I have learned that the good people of this area are hungry for publications that give voice to their human strivings, their accomplishments, and their shared experiences. We will do our best to earn the loyalty of our readers.”

The website was designed by Ryan Seggelke with assistance from Tyler Havlin. The pair has been putting in long days for the past several weeks, preparing for today’s premier issue. “I think an honest and optimistic voice can be a real asset to a community,” says Seggelke. “I may be idealistic, but I believe the Lincoln Daily News can contribute positively to the way we all live in Logan County.” Havlin adds, “LDN has so much flexibility since it isn’t limited by page size. We can use full color on all of our pictures and ads. In addition, we have the ability to update our content at any time during the day. And, we don’t have to cut down trees to produce our publication. The news is available free to anyone in Logan County, or in the world for that matter, who wants to log on to www.lincolndailynews.com.”

Mary Krallmann, LDN’s copy editor and writer, has 23 years of experience in newspaper journalism, and thinks an Internet-based, daily publication is the wave of the future. Another member of the staff is Katherine Heller, a graduate of Youngstown State University in Ohio. She will write feature stories and cover breaking news for LDN. “Lincoln is a lot like my hometown in Ohio, except there are no hills here. I have worked with newspapers in Ohio, and I am excited about the advantages of the Internet as a medium. I look forward to learning more about this community while covering the activities in Logan County.”

Lincoln Daily News will draw upon the talents of the community, featuring a variety of writers, photographers, and people with opinions to share. In addition to each day’s news stories, LDN will cover Logan County sports, weather, feature stories and reviews, commentary, and full reporting of the activities of Logan County organizations and businesses.

[Natalie Jeckel-ed.]