[NOV. 17, 2000]  A packed room met Logan County Board members Thursday night as they sat down to discuss various issues they would be voting on at Tuesday night's monthly meeting.

The majority of those present were there to discuss the possible construction of a 275-foot FM radio tower that is being proposed for Eminence Township on "Lazy Row" just outside of Atlanta.

Jonathan Wright, attorney, is representing KM Ventures of Chicago, a company with interest in radio and TV stations.

He told board members and the others present the company bought the frequency at auction and are planning to have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation with emphasis on local news, weather and sports.

"The initial operation will utilize at 275-foot tower as well as a 24-by-48 modular building," Wright said.

"They have to be operational by April 2001 according to FCC guidelines," he added.

Wright also told board members that the FM station, WMNW, would initially employee two people and could expand to six employees at its maximum. He also said that the station could provide internships for students from area schools and colleges.

One of the biggest impacts the station would have, according to Wright, is to provide a local voice for area advertisers.

"Of the 37 area radio stations," he said, "21 of them are owned by five companies. This drives up the cost of advertising when you price the rates in Bloomington," he added.

Dan Bock, area real estate agent and appraiser, told the audience that from his perspective the tower would not create any hardship on surrounding property values, citing the location of several cell phone towers in and around Lincoln and the small effect it has on closely situated subdivisions.

All of those present that spoke to the board were united against the placement of the tower.

Scott Martin of Atlanta told the board that the Lazy Row area should be preserved and not marred by the tower.

"It's a quiet area and one that I remember from my youth, going up there," he said.

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Paul Gleason, board member, agreed and said that he goes that way when going to Atlanta.

"It's a nice place," he said. "It's unique"

Ron Melrose of Atlanta also explained in detail the catastrophic effect that towers with multiple support wires have on songbirds and migrating ducks and geese.

"Each year two to four million songbirds are killed due to these wires," he said.

"Biologists at the University of Illinois said that the type of tower being proposed is the worst design for killing birds," Melrose said.

He also told members that that particular tower is erected due to the inexpensive means of construction as opposed to the more expensive self-supporting tower.

Dean Sasse, an Eminence Township trustee, also voiced his concern, along with the other trustees, who were unanimous in their opposition.

Board member Phil Mahler made the motion to present the zoning commission’s recommendation for vote that would allow the agricultural-zoned property to be rezoned to B1, paving the way for the tower's construction.

The motion was seconded by Cliff Sullivan.

In a straw vote, there was one vote to accept the committee's recommendation and three votes against with nine members not casting a vote.

The official vote will be taken at its next meeting Tuesday night.

In other business the board heard from Roger Dennison of Turris Coal regarding the construction of a coal-fired electric generating plant to be operated by Corn Belt energy. It is anticipated that the plant will be operational by December 2004.

He also told those present that approximately 50 new jobs would be created, with 25 new ones at the mine and 25 that would work in the power plant.

[Fuzz Werth]

Teens, parents, city officials talk turkey

[NOV. 17, 2000]  Wednesday night’s town hall meeting gave Logan County residents an opportunity to air their views on what was wrong and right about their county. Merri Dee, the community relations director for WGN television, moderated the discusssion at Lincoln Community High School. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) Task Force of the Healthy Community Partnership sponsored the event.

An audience of about 40 told Dee that their top three concerns for Logan County were the use of drugs, teen sex and violence. Mayor Joan Ritter attended the meeting, along with members of the Lincoln Police Department, YMCA staff, parents and students ranging in age from 12 to 16 years.

[(Left to right) Kristi Simpson of the ATOD Task Force; Tiana, student; Merri Dee, moderator, asks probing questions of audience participants.]

In a question-and-answer format Ms. Dee asked the teenagers in attendance what they liked most and least about parenting. Teens seemed to be in agreement that they wanted parents to trust them more and for their parents to show more interest in their activities. The teenagers echoed that drugs are the most prevalent problem; specifically, chewing tobacco and beer were identified as the biggest culprits. Most of the teens admitted they knew someone who was using drugs but said they thought their friends were only boasting when it came to sex. They also felt that there is a lot of violence going on among their peers but that it was hidden from people in authority.

[Town meeting audience — small group, much participation]

Other comments made by the teens were that the parents of some of their friends drink and become verbally abusive to their children when they get drunk. Teens of parents who drink at home admitted that they often sneak and drink their parents’ alcohol.

Significant issues that concerned parents were the apathy they see in the children and that many parents are too busy to give children the time they need.

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According to Merri Dee, "People are often made to feel that what goes on in our neighbors’ households isn’t our business. But they are wrong. This belief allows our children to be very, very alone. We all have a responsibility to care. Can we become our neighbors’ keepers and still be friends?"

She continued, "Not only should we hug our children, but we should reach out and hug all children."

[Merri Dee offers survival tips.]

Kristi Simpson, from the ATOD Task Force, the event organizer, said, "I would have liked to have seen more people come out so that we could have had more variety in the discussion, but we did get a lot accomplished."

Dayle Eldredge, director of Rural Health Partnership of Logan County, said the forum was helpful and hoped that it would have a ripple effect. "It’s important for people to know they are not alone and that there are people out there to help you," she said.

Dee left the teens with words of advice. She told them to depend on and to believe in themselves. "Whatever is in you will come to the forefront when you need it, and it will assist you," she said; "and know that you are somebody special."

ATOD helps to address the need for education and prevention programs for area youth.

[Kym C. Ammons-Scott]

[NOV. 16, 2000]  A shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence will open in the Lincoln area on Dec. 1, according to Lincoln Police Officer Diana Short.  The For My Sister Safe House for Battered Women is a place where a woman can go to be protected, collect her thoughts and think about the next step she needs to take, Short said. The woman may stay at the Safe House several days or longer if necessary.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

[NOV. 16, 2000]  Should students who are home schooled be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities? That question occupied members of the School District 27 board at their regular meeting Wednesday evening. After some discussion, the board agreed that home-schooled students who also attend District 27 classes for half a day, not including lunch, will be eligible to participate in after-school activities, including athletics, music programs, scholastic bowl and drama.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Joan Crabb]

City Council is told
recycling costs are up

[NOV. 15, 2000]  The cost of recycling in Logan County may going up, Kenneth Schwab, director of the Logan County Joint Solid Waste Management Agency, told the Lincoln City Council at its work session Tuesday. The company that takes the county’s recycled material, Lake Area Recycling Services of Springfield, is charging dumping fees for the first time, which will add about $10,000 to the yearly expense.

Schwab said the new charges have been added because "the recycling economy is in bad shape right now." As of Nov. 1, Lake Area Recycling began charging $75 per dump of compartmented boxes, and as of Jan. 1, 2001, will charge $25 per dump of other material (co-mingled plastic, tin, aluminum and newspapers).

Schwab said the Solid Waste Management Agency has a surplus of at least $10,000, which will carry it through the coming year, but he wanted to give the council "fair warning" of what the situation is.

"We started with Lake Area because they were not charging dumping fees," Schwab said, "but we were just living on borrowed time." However, Lake Area prices are still a lot less than those of other companies which accept recycled material, he told the board.

At present, the city of Lincoln and all other municipalities in Logan County are paying $1.50 per capita twice yearly for the recycling services, based on 1990 census figures. For the city, that amounts to $11,563.50 twice yearly. If the fee were raised to $2, the city’s share would be $15,418. The budget of the Solid Waste Management Agency is about $53,000, of which 20 percent will be the new dumping costs, Schwab said.

[to top of second column in this article]

"I’m proud to say that every community in Logan County has recycling going on, even unincorporated areas," Schwab told the board. The recycling program is mandated by the state of Illinois.

A meeting of the Solid Waste Management Agency will be tonight at 7 at City Hall, and a discussion of the new fees is on the agenda. The agency consists of representatives of the participating Logan County communities, which include, along with the city of Lincoln and Logan County, Atlanta, Emden, Broadwell, Elkhart, Hartsburg, Latham, Middletown, Mount Pulaski, New Holland and San Jose.

Meetings are on the third Wednesday of every month.

[Joan Crabb]

Parking bans, stop signs
recommended to council

[NOV. 15, 2000]  Now that street renovation work in the city of Lincoln is nearly finished for the year, new parking restrictions and placement of stop signs will be reviewed by the City Council. Police Chief Richard Ludolph and Mark Mathon, city engineer, made several recommendations at last night’s council work session.

Mathon recommended that parking be restricted on some city streets because, with the addition of curbs, the streets are now too narrow. He recommended not allowing parking on the west side of Gavin Street and on the north side of North Street. On Tremont Street, because of the number of entrances on the north side, he suggested allowing parking on the south side only.

He recommended a complete parking ban on Jackson Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, the location of Jefferson School. He also suggested restricting parking on either side of State Street between Sixth and Seventh streets north of the alley. On State Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, he recommended a parking ban on the west side. He also recommended restricting parking completely on Wichita Street east of the alley to Kankakee Street.

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Mathon, Chief Ludolph, and Donnie Osborne, street superintendent, all recommended a four-way stop instead of the present two-way stop at Eighth and State streets because of the amount of traffic at that intersection and a jog on Eighth Street that makes it hard to see oncoming traffic.

Police Chief Richard Ludolph said he recommended keeping State Street south from Fifth to Fourth streets one way, as it is now, because the street is too narrow for two-way traffic.

He also recommended signs on intersecting streets so that State is a through street from Sixth to Eighth and also from Eighth to Eleventh.

No recommendation was made about a solution to traffic problems at the intersection of Union Street and Lincoln Avenue. Chief Ludolph said he would like to do more research before making a suggestion.

[Joan Crabb]

A thief in the night

[NOV. 15, 2000]  This morning at 4:19, police received a call that the Sheley Truck Wash at 2821 Woodlawn had been robbed. The window in the door was broken to gain entry into the building. According to the owner, a cash drawer is missing that contained $425 dollars. There are no suspects at this time.

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]

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