The postponement will give attorneys the opportunity to submit any case law that might apply to the present situation. The earliest Judge Coogan could review the case would be July 17, according to a spokesperson for the judge’s office.

Eckert’s/Steffens, Inc. already hold a Class C liquor license for their restaurant. This license allows them to sell liquor in an establishment in which 60 percent or more of the sales are food. Their lawsuit contends that Grapes and Grounds "is an expansion of its business to an adjacent and connected space at 125 S. Sangamon," and should be covered by the Class C license the corporation already holds.

Eckert’s/Steffens Inc. filed a lawsuit against Mayor Joan Ritter in April asking the court to order the city of Lincoln liquor commissioner, which is the mayor, to issue a liquor license transfer. This transfer would amend the liquor license "that is issued to Eckert’s/Steffens Inc., at 121 and 123 South Sangamon Street, to include 125 South Sangamon Street," the location of the Grapes and Grounds shop. The shop sells wines, desserts and gourmet coffees.

The city contends that Eckert’s/Steffens Inc. must apply for a new license to sell wine at Grapes and Grounds and has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. In a letter to Mr. Larry Steffens of Eckert’s Restaurant, City Attorney Jonathan C. Wright stated:

"A liquor license is not valid for any other location apart from that listed in the liquor license application. More importantly, the liquor license is also limited to a specific license function . . . a restaurant liquor license can only be issued to an entity performing the function of a restaurant as defined in the City Code. A separate business function requires a separate license. In this case, Grapes and Grounds is not performing the function of a restaurant. Rather, it is performing the function of a wine cellar. As a result, a wine cellar liquor license must be obtained for this business."

Wright also said in his letter that "the community has benefited from your efforts in revitalizing a portion of the downtown area. However, it is important that we abide by the requirements of the City Code. If we were to make one exception to the rule, there would be others who would desire similar treatment."

According to Jason Steffens, treasurer of Eckert’s/Steffens Inc., the corporation "is a multi-divisional holding company. That means we have different divisions in one company, but we are all one business, with one federal employee identification number."

The Grapes and Grounds shop, he says, was intended to provide overflow seating for the restaurant and to showcase the foods and wines used in the restaurant. He said he believes the city liquor code allows for expansion of a business. At present, bottled wine cannot be sold in the Grapes and Grounds shop and must be sold in the restaurant, which he says is losing money for the business.

"If the building is considered one building, with all divisions located under one roof, and if the insurance company considers us one building, the fire department considers us one building, and the health department considers us one restaurant, and if we use the same kitchen and the same rest rooms, and if the wine shop is considered overflow seating for the restaurant, we do not understand how the mayor can say this is a different business entity," he said.

According to Mayor Ritter, there is still a package liquor license which the corporation could purchase that would allow them to sell wine at Grapes and Grounds. This license costs $1,000, and the Class C license the corporation already holds costs $1,250.

"As mayor my decision has been made in good faith and I believe it is correct," Ritter said. "Fairness, not favoritism, necessitates for the Steffenses to be appropriately licensed as other Lincoln businesses are."

Both Mayor Ritter and City Attorney Wright have said they believe the city of Lincoln’s liquor license ordinance needs to be reviewed, and the city council is presently studying the license ordinances of several other communities.

[Joan Crabb]

The commendations came from state officials representing the Capstone project and the keynote speaker, after the audience heard presentations from various Task Force leaders working with HCP.

Dr. David Williams, director of the Regional Institute for Community Policing, told the audience that the Capstone project was initiated two years ago to identify issues that were problems in the community and help find solutions. Lincoln was one of five Illinois communities in the project.

[Ron Sillings and Kristi Simpson , co-chairs of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Task Force, examine some of the items in the task force's display board on view at the Healthy Communities meeting.]

"Lincoln is a good community. It needed our help less than many others," Williams said. "We didn’t see the kinds of problems we usually come up against. Many were already being addressed; there was a good effort here by Healthy Communities Partnership. We shouldn’t reinvent the wheel. We should take people already involved and basically carry on what Healthy Communities is doing."

Keynote speaker Mark Schmidt, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, who spoke on the benefits of collaboration, commended the leadership in Lincoln. "I come away inspired. I hear of great things happening in Logan County. It can be a model for other communities in the state."

Those who attended the meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall heard leaders of HCP’s various task forces give progress reports on the past six months’ activities.

Becky Sank of the Logan County Department of Human Services reported on projects of the Healthy Families Task Force. A job fair helped 20 high school juniors and seniors learn how to apply for a job. The Baby Think It Over project, which she hopes to expand, teaches youngsters the realities of parenthood by giving them a computerized "baby" which must be taken care of. Parent Education at Lincoln Community High School worked with 12 teen mothers and two teen fathers. Sank said she would like to see family education in the schools starting in the lower grades, teaching good morals, good manners, a work ethic and self-esteem.

[Among the 13 young people who will attend the Illinois Teen Institute at Wesleyan University in Bloomington are, left to right, Cara Brewer, Chris Allen, Elizabeth Carmitchel, Samantha Hudelson, Stephie Humble, Kyle Jackson, Dustin Knollenberg, Cara Slack 
and Bradley Stoll.]

Kristi Simpson of Logan-Mason Mental Health, co-chairman of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Task Force (ATOD), reported that a recent sting operation found only one of 14 businesses selling tobacco to a minor. She reported on ATOD’s victim impact panel, in which the audience hears the effect of drunk driving on a family who has lost a member or a person who has been injured. She said she is working with law enforcement agencies and the courts to make it mandatory for drivers who are involved in alcohol-related accidents to attend these panels. She also noted that two methamphetamine workshops helped to educate the community about the newest street drug.

She introduced some of the 13 young people from the Lincoln area who will be attending the Illinois Teen Institute, a week-long camp held at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. These teens will learn how to be peer leaders in preventing substance abuse, conflict resolution, anger management and sex education. They are Chris Allen, Laura Baker, Cara Brewer, Jamie Cavett, Eliabeth Carmitchel, Linsey Dirks, Samantha Hudelson, Stephie Humble, Kyle Jackson, Dustin Knollenberg, Cara Slack, Amanda Snyder and Bradley Stoll.

Ron Silling, co-chair of ATOD, said he would like to set up workshops to inform the community about another new drug, ecstasy, which has already caused deaths in the Chicago area. He also plans to set up dances at the Lincoln YMCA and post-prom activities for all Logan County schools to provide young people with "drug-free fun."

Marcia Dowling of the Logan County Health Department reported that there are now 10 completely smoke-free restaurants in Lincoln: Oasis at the Garden, Vintage Fare, Eckert’s Fine Dining, Burger King, Java Junction, Subway, Lunch Express, Taco Bell, Sorrento’s and Gleason’s Dairy Bar. The Logan County Health Department has also received a grant of $30,000 for the coming year for Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities. The money, from the tobacco settlement, will be used for education.

Tina Merchant spoke about the newest task force, the Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force. Merchant, a domestic abuse survivor, said more people need to be involved helping victims and showing offenders that there is zero tolerance for domestic abuse. She reported that Curtis Sutterfield and Police Officer Diana Short will be taking a 40-hour training course to become advocates for abuse victims. She also praised the Lincoln Police Department, which she said "has been more than wonderful to me."

Dayle Eldredge, coordinator of HCP, reported on the mobile health van that visits rural communities in Logan county. The van provides 750 services per month, the most common being blood pressure screenings, vaccinations, flu shots, and school and sports physicals. She noted that HCP is setting up an endowment fund to keep the van on the road, as the grant which funded its operation runs out this year. Seed money of $1 million has already been raised by a grant from the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation, but at least $3 million is needed.

[Becky Sank of the Department of Human Services and Marcia Dowling of the Logan County Health Department examine the computerized doll used in the Baby Think It Over program sponsored by the Healthy Families Task Force.]

She noted that a grant of $45,569 from the Illinois Department of Public Health will be renewed again this year. The grant has made it possible for the mobile unit to go to Greenview; has expanded the ATOD program to all junior high school classes, either public or parochial schools, who want to participate; and made possible a prostate cancer screening on the health van.

Dr. Christine Todd, who has been medical director of the Rural Health Partnership, has accepted a position as an instructor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and will retire. Dr. Marcia Hauter will become the new medical director for the program.

Schmidt, the keynote speaker, defined "collaboration" as "when vision and mission are shared by everyone." In the Lincoln community, he said, collaboration is well developed.

[Joan Crabb]