District 27 opens the doors of Central School and LJHS for public tours

[NOV. 4, 2000]  I went on a tour of Central School and LJHS last night as a purely curious newcomer to Lincoln. I left as an alarmed citizen.

I too attended a grade school and high school that looked very much like Lincoln's two schools on the outside. And from the outside, both schools look reasonably sound. But when I ventured through the door, it was easy for me to understand why something must be done.

Those in my tour group came to the special open house for various reasons. Some to reminisce about their days at Central School or the old high school, others to show their children who attend other area schools just how lucky they are.

Mrs. Jody Borberly first led our group out to a boiler room built three years after the Civil War that housed a boiler installed four years prior to the start of World War II. According to Mrs. Borberly, each time that workers come to do repair on the boiler they fear they will run into something that cannot be repaired. In its current state, the boiler is leaving some classrooms out in the cold while others are steaming hot. The registers in each room can be very dangerous for small hands and are very noisy.

On the way up to the third floor I noticed how bowed the steps had become and wondered how many people had taken some serious spills as they ran up and down the staircase. Our group soon found that the pine hardwood classroom floors were seriously warped as well. So much so that a golf ball sent rolling across the room would snake in twenty directions before it found the lowest point. Teachers adjust to the uneven floors by placing shims under heavy bookcases and desks.

Over the years, there have been a lot of stopgap measures taken at Central School -- suspended ceilings to cover up the falling plaster and termite damage, radon pumps in the cafeteria and kindergarten rooms, partial walls blocking ends of hallways to make more classrooms.

It quickly become obvious to me that Central School's problem was not only its dilapidated condition, but also rather the lack of space available for all the new programs that must now be offered by a school. The counselor's "office" is actually at the end of a busy third floor hall. The need for ready access to the fire escape prevents the construction of some kind of dividing wall. So, Central School students who reveal their problems to a counselor do so at the risk of revealing themselves to anyone walking down echoing halls.

Students who get sick while at school must do so in the dark hall between the school secretary, the principal and Mrs. Ellen Dobihal's second grade classroom.

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Things are dark everywhere in Central School. This is especially true in the kindergartner's bathroom, where little kids must use completely unlit and cramped stalls. "You know good and well that the two prisons in town have better bathrooms than this," remarked fellow tour member Debbie Kastendick.

Kastendick expressed similar feelings about the gym where students eat their lunch. "This place looks like a prison, except these conditions would never be allowed there because it would be a violation of prisoner's rights."

Teachers have learned to cope despite all the challenges, doing their best to keep the rooms cheery and happy. But a sagging structure, outdated electrical systems, extreme fluctuations in temperature, mold on the walls and asbestos on the pipes all make educating the future leaders of Lincoln a great challenge.

Although appearing a bit sturdier than Central School, the Lincoln Junior High School building also presents some challenges to educators.

Imagine trying to maintain security in a building with a maze of little makeshift rooms and dark spaces under stairwells where students and others could easily escape attention. Split-level foyers make it virtually impossible for the office to monitor who is coming in and out of the building.

"It's terribly run down," says Norma Schroeder who attended high school in the building and graduated in 1945. "It just doesn't seem as clean as it needs to be."

The faculty and student body has done what they can to spruce up the halls and classrooms, adding bright colors of paint and posters to the walls. Despite their best efforts, students still eat their lunch in a tiny cafeteria that resembles a bomb shelter, and they dress for gym in dimly-lit, cave-like locker rooms.

There are some very nice old features in the building that could and should be preserved. The classic wood-framed blackboards and bulletin boards, along with some built-in cabinets in the former home-economics classrooms, could provide lots of wonderful character to an updated middle school building.

Thank you, District 27, for opening your doors to let the public better understand what challenges you must deal with each and every day.

[Marty Ahrends]

[NOV. 3, 2000]  This coming Tuesday, Nov. 7, Lincoln voters will be given the opportunity to affirm or negate the District 27 school board’s proposal to pursue building two new schools. The proposal on the ballot is as follows:

The public is invited for a close-up inspection of the schools this evening. Teachers and administration will be leading tours of Central and Lincoln Junior High School from 4 to 6 p.m. today.

[NOV. 2, 2000]  On Tuesday, Joni Castleman, coordinator for Services in the Neighborhood for Seniors (SINS), visited Lincoln’s Oasis Center to explain Medicare 2000 and answer questions. This was the last in a series of three informational sessions presented at the Oasis.

[click here for Part 1]

After explaining Medicare services and requirements, Castleman went on to discuss filing for benefits. One question is very crucial when discussing filing for benefits: Does the doctor accept assignment? A doctor who accepts assignment agrees to charge only what Medicare considers a reasonable price. This doctor will file a claim directly with Medicare — usually without charging the patient that day. The cost will not be more than Medicare allows. Once an individual pays the $100 deductible, Medicare will pay 80 percent of the bill, and the patient pays 20 percent. Ninety percent of the doctors in Illinois accept assignment. If a doctor does not accept assignment, ask about making an exception. Doctors are allowed to accept assignment on an individual basis.

Doctors who do not accept assignment, or Medicare’s set price, may charge a patient 15 percent more than Medicare’s accepted price, thanks to legislation in 1992. Before that, doctors could charge any amount they chose. Doctors who do not accept assignment are still obligated to file patients’ claims, although the doctor’s office will probably ask for the payment that day. In this case Medicare reimburses the patient.

Some seniors complain that Medicare does not reimburse them quickly enough. Medicare disperses a refund within 31 days of receiving the claim, but a doctor’s office may wait up to 12 months to file the claim.

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Castleman had some good news about the "Explanation of Benefits" sheets that people receive after every doctor visit or procedure. In August, Medicare began sending out monthly "Summary Notices" of this information, to reduce paperwork. So those medical bill files that patients keep should not be as thick as before.

At the end of the presentation, Castleman handed out a "Medication Profile" and "Medicare Claims Ledger." These are two ways to summarize your medicines and bills. She reiterated what Jim White urged last week: Keep an accurate list of all your medicines. Include prescription drugs, regularly taken over-the-counter drugs — such as aspirin — and herbal products. She said that EMTs are trained to look for such lists posted on the refrigerator or other conspicuous places so that they know what you are taking. This can drastically influence the medical treatment you should receive.

A member of the audience advised that individuals get all their prescriptions from the same pharmacist so that the pharmacist can double-check the possible reactions between prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal medicines.

If you have questions about Medicare or need help with your medical paperwork, call Joni Castleman or another representative at SINS: 217-726-3761 or 1-800-621-7584. If you want to know if a doctor accepts assignment, just ask the doctor’s office or call Medicare Claims Part B at 1-800-642-6930.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

Habitat house site dedicated in Mount Pulaski

Present for this morning’s dedication were Mount Pulaski city officials John Bates (mayor), Marla Durst (city clerk), Mike Patridge (public works director) and Lyle Fout (code enforcement official); Mount Pulaski aldermen John Poffenbarger, Rhonda Mattern, Dennis Clemmons and Bill Glaze; and Logan County Habitat for Humanity board members George Dahmm, Bill Sahs and Phil Dehner. Not present was Jim Coogan of Coogan's Excavating, who voluntarily cleared the site.

[NOV. 1, 2000]  On Tuesday, Joni Castleman, coordinator for Services in the Neighborhood for Seniors (SINS), visited Lincoln’s Oasis Center to explain Medicare 2000 and answer questions. This was the last in a series of three informational sessions presented at the Oasis.

SINS is a branch of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. SINS does not sell any products but helps individuals understand the paperwork and bills generated from doctor’s offices, hospitals, Medicare and secondary insurance providers. Representatives of SINS do not claim to have a complete knowledge of every insurance company’s system, but because they see so many different forms and bills, they are well practiced at deciphering seemingly illegible forms.

Castleman travels around 40 counties to do presentations similar to the one she did at Lincoln’s Oasis Center. Her goal is to help seniors better understand their Medicare and secondary insurance coverage. She has a booklet, "Understanding Medicare 2000," which simplifies the whole process.

The first part of Castleman’s talk concerned Part A of Medicare, which only covers hospital visits and skilled nursing care. If an individual has worked 10 years, cumulative, the Medicare A premium is waived, because the person has already paid. For those who have not worked, the premium is $301 per month. If someone has worked between one and 10 years, the premium is prorated. The deductible for each illness is $776, provided that the person recovers in 60 days. Next year the deductible will increase by $16 to $792. Medicare A does not pay for private hospital rooms unless the doctor orders one, although a person may choose to have a private room and pay the difference.

In addition to hospital rooms, Part A also pays for skilled nursing care that follows a three-day hospital stay. Skilled nursing care facilities are different from nursing homes, because these facilities do not have custodial care — that is, bathing and feeding. Skilled nursing care may be given in a rehab center or in one’s home. Medicare pays for skilled nursing care because it focuses on short-term rehabilitation or healing. There are a lot of guidelines surrounding skilled nursing care under Medicare A, so it is good to talk to someone like Joni Castleman who can explain the proper procedures.

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In transition to the next topic of discussion, Castleman said that people rarely have problems with Medicare A, especially when compared to Medicare B. Medicare B is more confusing than Medicare A because it covers so many different services. The premium for Part B, if a person accepts coverage at age 65, is $45.50 a month. Next year that amount will increase by $4.50 to $50. If people wait to add Medicare B to their Medicare A coverage, the premium for Part B will increase by 10 percent every year that they wait. Unlike Medicare A’s $776 deductible (possibly every two months), Medicare B has an annual deductible of only $100, and it is not expected to increase in the year 2001. Once this deductible is met, Medicare pays 80 percent of all approved expenses.

Medicare B covers doctor’s care, surgery, outpatient care, lab tests, x-rays, home healthcare, durable medical equipment, other medically necessary services and supplies, and some preventative tests and shots. Part B does not cover dental exams, hearing aids, eyewear, eye exams, prescription drugs, hearing tests and routine physicals. Although Medicare B covers preventative screenings and tests, be extra careful when scheduling appointments. Some annual exams are only covered if the tests are a year and a day apart. If the tests are exactly a year apart, the individual will be charged for the second test. Medicare will pay for more frequent screenings only if a doctor prescribes them.

(To be continued)

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[click here for Part 2]

[click here for listing]

Notice of Open Burn Code released
by Fire Department

Open Burning code for the City of Lincoln

BOCA National Fire Prevention Code 1996 Chapter 4 City Code Book Fire Regulations Chapter 3

BOCA

F-403.4.3 OPEN BURNING PROHIBITED: The code official shall prohibit open burning that will be offensive or objectionable due to smoke or odor emissions when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous. The code official shall order the extinguishments, by the land owner or the fire department, of any open burning that creates or adds to a hazardous or objectionable situation.

F-403.5 LOCATION OF OPEN BURNING: Shall not be less than 50 feet from any structure.

F-403.7 ATTENDANCE: Any open burning shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished. A water supply such as buckets of water or a connected and charged garden hose shall be available for immediate utilization.

CITY CODE BOOK Chapter 3 Fire regulations

5-3-2 FIRE ON PAVEMENTS: Fires are not allowed on blacktop streets, alleys or concrete sidewalks ($25 fine)

5-3-4 BURNING IN THE CITY: E-1 recreational fires shall contact the Lincoln Fire Department and notify them of the date and time of the wiener roast. No garbage shall be burned and burning must be consistent with other laws.

E-2: From October 2 through May 31 between 7:00 A.M . and 5: 00 P.M. residents are allowed to burn landscape waste only. (Leaves, trees, tree trimmings, branches, stumps, brush, weeds, grass, grass and yard trimmings only)

Fines for violations of the following codes are a minimum of $15 issued by fire crews handling complaints and illegal fires.

Persons complaining about fires must sign a complaint with the Fire Department before extinguishments of legal fires is carried out. No fines will be issued to persons burning with in the boundaries of the code. The persons burning will be advised of the signed complaint and asked to extinguish the fire or the Fire Department will extinguish the fire.

[OCT. 11, 2000]  Beginning Monday, Oct. 16, the Lincoln City Landfill will be open extended hours to allow residents to dispose of leaves and yard waste, according to Donnie Osborne, street superintendent. The landfill will open at 8 a.m. and remain open until 4 p.m. seven days a week, probably until mid-December, he said. Residents may bring in leaves any way they like — in bags, boxes or pickup trucks — but they must take the leaves out of the containers and take the containers back home with them.

[OCT. 10, 2000]  The office of the city clerk in Lincoln will be open for filing petitions for nomination for the Feb. 27, 2001, consolidated primary election, with petitions accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates: Dec. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18.

Petitions will be accepted for the following city offices:

• Mayor
• City treasurer
• City clerk
• Alderman Ward 1
• Alderman Ward 2
• Alderman Ward 3
• Alderman Ward 4

• Alderman Ward 5

[Juanita Josserand, city clerk]

[OCT. 9, 2000]  Registered voters expecting to be absent from the county on the Nov. 7 election day may vote in person at the Logan County Clerk’s Office, second floor, Courthouse, Room 20, Lincoln, from now until Nov. 6.

Election Authority

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