October
is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Community gathering Thursday evening
[OCT.
12, 2000]
What
is domestic violence and how does it affect you? Domestic violence is a pattern
of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual and
psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents
use against their intimate partners to gain or maintain power and control.
|
In
1999 there were 153 reported cases of domestic battery in Lincoln, according to
a summary report complied by Officer Diana Short of the Lincoln Police
Department. This translates to an act of domestic battery every 2.38 days in
Lincoln. Approximately 90 to 95 percent of domestic violence victims are women.
To
increase awareness of the prevalence of domestic violence in Logan County, the
Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force of the Healthy Communities Partnership is
sponsoring a community gathering on Thursday, Oct. 12. The event will begin at 7
p.m. at Washington-Monroe School in Lincoln. Sojourn Shelter and Service Inc.
and the Family Violence Coordinating Council will provide informational displays
at the school.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
![](../../images/ads/gossets/Gossett.gif)
A
candlelight walk will then proceed from the school to the Logan County
Courthouse where the "Silent Witnesses" will be displayed. The
"Silent Witnesses" are silhouette figures of individuals who have died
as a result of domestic violence. The victim's story is displayed on a plaque on
each silhouette. During the candlelight vigil the victims' stories will be read.
These "witnesses" will also be available for viewing during the day in
the courthouse rotunda on Oct. 12.
Please join the
Healthy Communities Partnership for this event. For more information you may
call Curtis Sutterfield, Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force chairman, at
(217) 732-7890.
[Domestic
Violence and Abuse
Task Force news release]
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An
appeal for life
A
nurse makes a presentation at LCS chapel on her efforts to make Congress,
the healthcare industry and the public take notice.
[OCT.
12, 2000]
Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary welcomed a brave warrior this morning. For over a
year, Jill Stanic has been lobbying to stop live birth abortions at Christ’s
Hospital in Chicago where she is a registered nurse.
|
Stanic
began in the cardiac division of the hospital, and later moved to the birthing
unit. This fulfilled a dream, because she really wanted to work with mothers and
their new babies. Stanic’s dream quickly changed to a nightmare, as she
discovered that Christ’s Hospital was quietly performing 10 to 20 live
abortions every year!
The
hospital aborted babies as late as 28 weeks (the second trimester) for handicaps
such as spina bifida and Down syndrome and for the life or health of the mother.
To perform a live abortion a doctor chemically relaxes the cervix, which causes
the baby to fall out. A number of these babies live anywhere from one to eight
hours. For these unfortunate children, the hospital supplies "comfort
care." Stanic defined comfort care as wrapping a baby in a blanket until it
dies. If the parents want to hold their child till it dies, they may. For
obvious reasons, most parents relegate this responsibility to a nurse. If the
nurses are too busy, the baby in a blanket is left in the soiled-utility room to
die.
This
is where Stanic first had an experience with a live aborted baby. She could not
stand the thought of a baby dying alone. Stanic broke down as she recounted
holding a 1½-pound, 10-inch long baby in the soiled-utility room. As time
slipped away, he grew too weak to move. The only way Stanic could tell if he was
still alive was to hold him up to the light and look at his heart through his
transparent skin. She said that she "never dreamed a hospital with the name
Christ would be involved in something so against God’s law."
Stanic
knew she had two choices. The easier choice was to move to a hospital that did
not commit abortions. The more difficult choice was to stay where she was and
try to change things. During her Bible study, she read a passage in which God
reminds righteous men not to abandon those who are dying. Stanic decided to stay
at Christ’s Hospital and change their policies.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
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Stanic’s
first course of action was to write a private letter to the board of the
hospital requesting that they cease performing abortions in a hospital named
after her Lord. The board invited her in and suggested that although they
appreciated her help, she might be more comfortable working elsewhere. Stanic
had already determined to stay and try to change things, so she told them that
she wanted to stay where she was.
Next
she contacted a Cardinal in the Chicago area and Dr. C. Everett Koop, the former
U.S. surgeon general. Both of these men wrote Christ’s Hospital, asking them
to cease the abortions also.
Since
that time, Stanic and the others who are trying to save lives have been in
newspapers, on radio talk shows from Dallas to Chicago, and on news stations
such as CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, CNBC, Cspan and more. Jill Stanic and her friend and
co-worker Allison Baker have appeared before Congress to testify.
Stanic
spoke of a baby that was killed because it was believed to have spina bifida.
When the baby emerged, the spine was fine—a pointless death. She also told of
how a baby was set on a counter in a disposable towel and accidentally thrown
away. When the nurses searched through he garbage for the baby, he fell on the
floor. Baker testified that she has seen more than one live baby naked on a cold
metal counter. They did not even receive the "comfort care."
As
Congress debates whether or not a live child has the right to live, Stanic is
still laboring at Christ’s Hospital. She admits that she is afraid often. Her
strength comes from reading Isaiah.
[Jean
Ann Carnley]
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MML
responds to SOS presentation
[OCT.
11, 2000]
Architect
Dave Leonatti from MML architects responded to the presentation by architect
Bill Latoza before the SOS group on Monday and sent the following response list
to Dr. Robert Kidd today. LDN is publishing his list verbatim without change or
modification.
|
Dave Leonatti
commented that "Bill Latoza is a respected preservation architect in
Chicago and his firm is well known for its work in restoration."
1. Mr. Latoza does
not know the program requirements of the school buildings in District#27. His
statements as reported are general in nature. It appears he has made general
comments about the existing school buildings without full knowledge of what the
goals [are] of the District #27 Board of Education.
2. Mr. Latoza
compares the Lincoln Schools to his experience in the City of Chicago. When
approaching District #27’s needs, there are no other school districts which
share exactly the same building issues as Lincoln. Mr. Latoza is drawing broad
comparisons to school renovations from across the state. Construction conditions
in Chicago vary greatly from those in Lincoln, and there is no way to compare
the two projects, no more than MML would compare school conditions in Peoria or
Springfield with that of Lincoln.
3. The District
#27 Board of Education has never stated that the renovation option was not an
option. The Board reviews options from simple renovations to renovations with
additions to new construction. The Board nor its architect has ever indicated
that the buildings could not be renovated. The Board has chosen as option of new
construction over renovation. Mr. Latoza states that he has renovated buildings
in far worse condition than the Lincoln schools. Again, the renovation option in
Chicago does not equate to the renovation options in Lincoln. Schools in Chicago
may be renovated because there are no alternative sites available in a densely
populated city or based upon program requirements specific to the Chicago Public
Schools.
4. Mr. Latoza
states new construction costs are $148 per square foot. MML has designed the new
Peoria Heights Elementary/Middle School for $108 per square foot, including
difficult site development on a 12 acre wooded, sloped lot. $148 per square foot
is a high estimate of construction indicating a new school project with more
features than those planned for the Lincoln schools.
5. Renovation
costs vary widely. Mr. Latoza’s estimate of $116 per square foot is equal to
or greater than new construction cost in our estimation. Also, without a
specific scope of work, it is impossible to determine renovation costs. Minor
renovations and improvements which do not substantially alter the buildings
layout or finishes may be less costly than new construction. Our goal is
evaluating the renovation options compared to new construction was to obtain
comparable scopes of work: i.e. the renovated buildings must offer the same
amenities and systems as a new building. In our estimation, the costs are
relatively equal in performing a renovation with additions and constructing a
new school.
6. Whether Mr.
Latoza admits it or not, the risks for increased project costs during
construction are greater for a renovation project than new construction. There
will be unforeseen conditions and change orders in either scenario, but the
opportunities for unknowns is greater in an existing building. Lead and asbestos
abatement add costs to a renovation project that are not present in new
construction. The new Peoria Heights Elementary/Middle School, which is 65-70%
complete has so far had less than one-half of one percent in change order costs,
including voluntary additions by the Owner.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
7. We do not
believe that energy efficiency is better in an existing structure than new
construction. In either case the overall budget dictates what energy saving
systems can be installed. He states the walls stay heated and cooled longer. The
inability to control the radiation of heat or cold in un-insulated walls is an
energy liability. New cavity walls can be insulated to better isolate the
interior spaces. If increased energy efficiency is desired at the existing
schools, new interior framing and insulation will need to be installed at the
exterior walls, also affecting window trim extensions. This again adds to the
renovation cost option, making the costs for renovation and new comparable.
8. We do not
believe it is remotely possible to do the renovations at the existing schools
over the summer vacation period. Even if the construction drawings are executed
far in advance, and some materials can be ordered, a full building renovation
will require much longer to execute than 3 months. In many cases, some materials
cannot be ordered in advance and must be made to order to fit the construction
conditions. Site measurements must be made so that the new installations fit
properly into the existing and modified layouts.
9. Our
interpretation of the law in terms of using penalty clauses to insure timely
performance is that if you include a penalty clause for missing a deadline, you
must also offer a bonus for early completion. To our understanding, as a taxing
body, District #27 cannot offer a bonus for early completion. Also, any penalty
must be documented as real damages to the district. In other words, the school
must lose revenue due to the lateness of the delivery of the project. If Mr.
Latoza does not have to relocate students for his projects, how can the District
enforce a $1000 a day penalty if the school does not lose reimbursement or
revenue?
![](../../images/ads/gossets/Gossett.gif)
We have used
penalyt/bonus clauses only once. It is extremely difficult to enforce and to
document. In our experience, the contractor's will document ever small,
legitimate incremental delay to avoid the penalty. This places a huge burden
(and sometimes additional cost) on the architect and district to document
weather conditions; supplier schedules have negatively impacted the schedule
beyond the control of the contractor. What motivation will a contractor have if
he is only offered a penalty for not completing on time? This would seem to put
the contractor on the defensive from the project start.
10. New
construction can be made to be architecturally appropriate for the location of
the two schools. The current budget will allow for the scale and use of
materials to provide a contextual appearance that will fit with the
neighborhoods. We do not agree that the budget must be much greater to
accomplish an attractive, functional building.
[to
see article about presentation by architect Bill Latoza, click here]
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Council
still seeking
leaf disposal solution
[OCT.
11, 2000]
Neither
the ordinance and zoning committee nor the entire Lincoln City Council could
come up with a solution to the perennial problem of disposal of fallen leaves,
and the issue ended up just where it began Tuesday evening: still in
committee. That means last year’s ordinance is still in effect, permitting
burning leaves and other yard waste only at locations 50 feet or more from any
structure, and then only if no resident signs a complaint that the fire is a
nuisance.
|
The committee
spent more than an hour trying to come up with a motion that would ban the
burning of leaves and yard waste and still permit some outdoor fires, in
particular the Lincoln Community High School Homecoming bonfire and wiener
roasts. The motion, which also called for a stipulation that the committee not
spend any city money this fiscal year and that they continue to work on
alternatives, failed to pass on a tie vote. Committee chairman Glenn Shelton and
Steve Fuhrer voted yes, while Patrick Madigan and Steve Mesner voted no. The
fifth member, William Melton, was absent because of illness.
"We are
turning it into a ‘what-if’ ordinance," Madigan said. "We brought
up so many points it’s hard to make a motion."
Fuhrer, who had
pushed for a complete ban, said, "This is the 10th year we’ve been doing
this. It’d like to see it in black and white."
![](../../images/ads/iga/iga.gif)
"You should
probably enforce what you already have," Mayor Joan Ritter told the
council. "We have discussed this over and over and over."
Enforcement is a
problem, according to Lincoln resident John Welter. He said some people
"continue to fudge on leaf burning. They pile them up, throw gasoline on
them and burn them before the fire department comes.
"I have never
run into anyone who has been fined for illegal burning," he told the
council. "The word is ‘Go ahead and do it. You’re not going to pay.’"
Welter was one of
four residents who spoke up in support of a complete burn ban. Others were
Marian Spore and Joan Graue, both citing respiratory problems, and Pat Birk,
whose husband has breathing difficulties.
Saying that he was
concerned about the elderly and others who had problems with leaf disposal,
Welter suggested that church and civic groups, particularly youth groups, might
be willing to help residents bag leaves as a service project. He suggested that
the mayor and council send letters to church and civic groups recommending such
a project.
![](../../images/ads/Pacesetter/PaceSetter.gif)
Kay Dobson
suggested the city rent another leaf vacuum and use prison labor to pick up
leaves. "I think this is the city’s responsibility. If we ban burning
completely, we need alternatives."
She criticized the
committee’s plan to completely ban burning, see what problems arise and look
for a solution next year. "Why wait a year to decide alternatives? People
who want a ban don’t want to wait a year and find out how many people have
trouble breathing. We need solutions."
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Donnie Osborne,
street superintendent, who also favors a total ban on burning, said solutions
are not easy. "Lincoln is a heavily forested town with lots of leaves. A
leaf vac is not the answer." He said Lincoln is fortunate to have a
landfill where residents can dump their leaves. "We had 2,000 drops last
year. The landfill is a clean, safe place."
Juanita Josserand,
city clerk, reminded the council that any alternatives that cost money will have
to be included in the next city budget. There are no city funds budgeted this
year for leaf disposal, Grant Eaton, sewer plant manager, noted.
"I don’t
know how we are going to pick up leaves without spending any money,"
Alderman Michael Montcalm said.
Montcalm also said
he thought the city should enforce the present ordinance and direct the fire
department to fine offenders the first time instead of giving a warning the
first time and issuing a fine at the second offense. "There should be some
sting to it," he said.
In other business,
at an adjourned regular meeting the council unanimously approved a new union
contract between the city of Lincoln and the International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 399 (the clerical union). The new contract calls for wage
increases across the board of 3.8 percent for 1999-2000 (retroactive to May
1999), 3.8 percent for 2000-2001 and 3.5 percent for 2001-2002. Health insurance
premiums paid by the city will decrease from 100 percent to 95 percent for
employees; employees pay 100 percent of health insurance costs for dependents.
Union members have 12 sick days a year and can accumulate up to 25 sick days.
Sick days over 25 not used, up to 240 days, will be added to retirement.
The council also
heard a report from Eaton that preliminary plans for the redesign of the city
sewage treatment plant have been submitted to the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency. Bids on the plant upgrade will be let in July or August of
next year.
Osborne reported on the current road
rehabilitation program in the city, noting that Tremont Street and the portions
of Adams and Jackson streets around Jefferson School will be completed this week
or early next week. Nicholson Road and Ottawa Street are already finished. State
Street starting at Short 11th and running to Fifth Street, one block of Short
10th Street, and one block of North Jackson Street will not get the final
surface put on this fall because the bottom has not settled yet, Osborne said. A
binder will be put on to settle dust and the final surface applied next spring
when the streets are completely compacted.
[Joan
Crabb]
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Chicago
expert says District 27
schools can be renovated
[OCT.
10, 2000]
A
member of an architectural firm that has renovated many Chicago schools told
Lincoln residents he saw no reason that two schools in Elementary District 27
could not be renovated. "I didn’t see anything that scared me. I didn’t
see anything that I thought could not be renovated," said Bill Latoza,
member of Bauer/Latoza Studio on South Michigan Avenue.
|
Latoza, who spoke
to a group of about 70 on Monday evening, said he had viewed Lincoln Junior High
School both inside and out and walked around outside Central School, which was
closed for the Columbus Day holiday. Both schools are scheduled for demolition
if a referendum is passed Nov. 7 approving a $4.1 million bond issue to help
construct two new school buildings. State funding will provide the $8,318,181 to
complete the $12 million project if the referendum passes.
Members of the
audience who turned out for the talk represented both sides of the current
debate over saving the schools, some wearing buttons favoring a "Yes"
vote on the referendum, others wearing buttons urging the public to vote
"No."
Asked by a member
of the audience how Central and the junior high school compared with schools in
Chicago that have been renovated, Latoza said, "If we came upon these two
schools in Chicago, they would have gone to the back of the list because they
are good, sound schools."
"Are you
saying our schools don’t need major renovation?" the audience member
asked.
"No, I’m
saying under our criteria we have schools far more deteriorated, and they [the
Lincoln schools] would go to the back of the list. They do need renovation. I
see nothing that can’t be repaired."
Latoza, who came
at the invitation of the Save Our Schools Citizens Committee, said he was not
being paid to come to Lincoln to speak, nor was he looking for a job doing the
renovation. "I’m not here sniffing out a new job; we’ve got plenty of
work. I love old buildings; it’s my passion."
As part of the
city of Chicago’s ongoing effort to improve its public school system, the city
has spent $2.5 billion on a building program since 1986. Of that amount, 80 to
82 percent has gone for school renovation and the rest for new construction,
Latoza said. He said his firm has done over $345 million worth of renovation,
taking over schools in very bad condition, and has won many awards for school
renovation.
He showed slides
of about 30 Chicago school buildings that have been renovated, including a
school in the Pullman Historic District that is 100 years old. "People said
Chicago had the worst schools in the nation, and now they are among the
best," he said. "We are touted as the most successful school
renovation program in the country.
"We are going
to get another 100 years out of our schools. I guarantee it. And it’s cheaper
to get it done today than it will be in five or 10 years."
In general, in
Chicago, new construction costs $148 per square foot, and renovation costs $116
to $118 per square foot, Latoza said. This cost does not include land
acquisition or demolition of old schools. "In Chicago, renovation is
running about 20 percent less than new construction," he reported.
Utility costs in the renovated
schools are about 12 percent less than in new schools, he said. "Our
schools have walls three or four bricks thick. They stay heated and cooled
longer. From every point of view, they are better walls than we could construct
at $148 per square foot today."
![](../../images/ads/LDN/LDN-webdesign-ad.jpg)
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
The renovation job
he is most proud of is Drake school, which had been abandoned for 15 or 20 years
and is next to a housing project. The 40,000-square-foot school was designed by
Dwight Perkins, of the noted Chicago architectural firm Perkins and Will.
Renovation
included putting in new heating and air conditioning, leveling floors, abating
lead-based paint, taking out asbestos, installing all new wiring and plumbing,
and making the building handicapped accessible. Work began on construction
documents in March and the school opened the following August, he said.
"I do not
advocate doing things that quickly, but it can be done," he told the group.
"We find we
can make older schools as flexible as new schools. The construction of older
schools is superior to that of new schools. I’m not saying new schools are
bad, but the materials used in the old schools are far superior." He
pointed out that "in the old days," labor was cheap and materials
expensive. Today the opposite tends to be true.
Asked if he had
done school additions, Latoza said he had added gyms and cafeterias, which he
said could be made "sympathetic to the original buildings." He also
said additions can be done during the school year, as long as they do not block
a fire exit.
Jim Clark, a
long-time maintenance man for District 27, pointed out that Central School has
some broken floor joists, causing the floors to sag as much as two to three
inches. He said he thought it would be very expensive to level the floors in the
building. Latoza said his firm has repaired broken floor joists and leveled
floors.
Asked if he had
ever found a school that could not be renovated, he said, "Since 1996 we
have torn one school down. Dated 1910, it probably had no maintenance for 60
years, and it was not economically feasible to save it."
Another question
that came up was whether renovation could be done without having to relocate
students. He replied that his firm had hardly ever been forced to relocate
students, except in the case of one school where they discovered powdered
asbestos above a ceiling. Because of the health hazard, students had to vacate
the building.
![](../../images/ads/heartlandcc/LincOasis.gif)
When doing a
renovation project, he said, his firm plans the project well ahead of time,
pre-orders materials, and is ready to start as soon as the students leave the
building for summer vacation. Contractors are all pre-qualified and have a
$1,000-a-day penalty for not meeting goals.
In response to
other questions, he said old schools could be upgraded to keep up with current
technology and provide security.
He was also asked
if new construction could be designed that would be "architecturally right
for the area."
"We do have
that capability, but $148 per square foot isn’t going to give the same
interior or exterior as the old schools. You won’t get terrazzo or wood
floors. For $148 per square foot, you will get the standard new school
look."
The talk was given
in the third-floor courtroom of the Logan County Courthouse, which Latoza
described as "a wonderful building. You’re very fortunate to live
here," he told the audience. "You have wonderful housing stock and
churches and little squares. You can’t plan that kind of living space today.
"I believe old buildings are part
of our heritage. Our old schools are living history."
[Joan
Crabb]
[to
see a response from Dave Leonatti of MML architects, click here]
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Part 4
Living downtown
New trend fills apartments
on South Sangamon Street
[OCT.
10, 2000]
Years
ago, living downtown meant "living above the store," a matter of
economy and convenience for families just getting a start in business. Later,
when "the store" prospered, the families would move to a home in a
residential neighborhood. While living downtown was practical, it wasn’t
generally considered fashionable. Today it can
provide economy and convenience or living quarters as elegant as any you will
find in a strictly residential district.
|
Jon Steffens’ new apartment
Jon Steffens’
first-floor living space on Pulaski Street is an example of the elegance that
can be achieved while living downtown. In this building, again, the Steffens
family did the entire renovation.
"We bought
it, we renovated it, I live in it, and I love it," Jon said.
![](../../images/101000pics/renov1.jpg)
[Jon Steffens lives downtown in a first-floor apartment on Pulaski
Street]
"This place
was completely gutted," he continued. "You could stand in the basement
and see the sky." Now there is a roomy living-dining area with a fireplace,
a kitchen complete with wine storage, and a den-TV room with a loft bedroom
above. The 14-foot ceiling in the living room is finished with tile salvaged
from three other buildings and arranged in a new pattern. Over the fireplace are
antique tiles that came from a Chicago firm that sells architectural artifacts
taken from old buildings before they are demolished.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
Above Jon’s
quarters is a two-bedroom apartment, also rented.
Living downtown
suits Jon very well. "I don’t even own a car. Everything I need is here — the bank, the hardware store,
insurance, groceries, a doctor, dentist, even an eye doctor. And I only have a
half block to walk to work. You can’t beat that for a commute."
![](../../images/101000pics/renov2.jpg)
[Jon's den and loft bedroom in his downtown home]
Jon wishes more
people would do as his family has done and create places to live downtown.
"It’s amazing more people don’t develop their second floors. Today
diversity is the key, the mainstay of business. Apartments provide dependable
income every month. That takes the pressure off other businesses to perform ,"
he said.
"It really
doesn’t make a lot of economic sense not to do i t."
[Joan
Crabb]
|
|
Part 3
Living downtown
New trend fills apartments
on South Sangamon Street
[OCT.
9, 2000]
Years
ago, living downtown meant "living above the store," a matter of
economy and convenience for families just getting a start in business. Later,
when "the store" prospered, the families would move to a home in a
residential neighborhood. While living downtown was practical, it wasn’t
generally considered fashionable. Today it can
provide economy and convenience or living quarters as elegant as any you will
find in a strictly residential district.
|
Larry and Bette Steffens’ new apartment
Larry and Bette
Steffens like the idea of living downtown so well they will soon be leaving
their large country home and moving to a 4,000-square-foot apartment, again
renovated with their own hands. They "started from scratch" on the
upper floor, once the warehouse for the old Gehlbach Hardware store, complete
with a freight elevator (which they are going to keep).
![](../../images/100900pics/renov_26.jpg)
The look they are
creating is1890s, with 10-foot ceilings, tall baseboards, stenciling above the
windows, and dark wood stained to match throughout the apartment. A fireplace in
the commodious living room is flanked by lighted cabinets to display Bette’s
collection of glass from all over Europe. Chandeliers, made in the Czech
Republic, add to the old-world ambiance. A den and TV room at the back has
another fireplace, and one bath will include a Jacuzzi. The elevator will take
Steffens to his basement workshop under the Pink Shutter, where he will continue
to work on his hobbies of taxidermy and wildlife painting.
![](../../images/ads/iga/iga.gif)
Although
he’s enjoyed his country home, Steffens is looking forward to living downtown.
"We’ll have low maintenance, no snow removal problems, no lawn to mow. We
won’t have to drive 10 miles to get a loaf of bread or wait to have pizza
delivered. We can baby-sit with our grandchildren. When we’re working
downstairs, we can run up for lunch or a nap," he said.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
Though his own new
home was just an empty loft, Steffens found 54 separate little rooms when he
started renovations over the restaurant and furniture shop, once the old Eckerts
Meat Market. That wasn’t surprising, though, he explained, because Sangamon
Street was "Hotel Row" back in the days when train travel was the way
businessmen came to town. There were five hotels on the block: the Monroe House,
the Western Hotel, the Illinois House, the C & A and the Spitling Hotel.
(These hotels are shown in the mural on the back wall of Neal Tire, opposite the
places where they once stood.) So returning the upper floors to living quarters
is, in one way, coming full circle.
![](../../images/100900pics/renov_30.jpg)
Steffens pointed
out that there are more small rooms above Flounders and the Blue Dog, the other
businesses on the block. "We could have 46 living units on the 100 and 200
blocks of South Sangamon Street if everybody made apartments over their
businesses," he said.
(To
be continued)
[Joan
Crabb]
[click here for Part 4]
|
|
Part 2
Living downtown
New trend fills apartments
on South Sangamon Street
[OCT.
7, 2000]
Years
ago, living downtown meant "living above the store," a matter of
economy and convenience for families just getting a start in business. Later,
when "the store" prospered, the families would move to a home in a
residential neighborhood. While living downtown was practical, it wasn’t
generally considered fashionable. Today
it’s a national trend, according to local contractor Dale Bassi, and it can
provide economy and convenience or living quarters as elegant as any you will
find in a strictly residential district.
|
Bassi-Crisafulli apartments,
12 Steffens units
Dale Bassi and
Larry Crisafulli are nearly done with the first phase of their current project:
three apartments over the Elder Cycle shop. Each unit has a unique
configuration. One of them is rented to Allan Elder, owner of the cycle shop. He
shares it with wife Paulie and watchdog Gizmo. Elder enjoys the convenience of
living above his business and the great sunsets he can see from the second-story
windows.
![](../../images/100700pics/downtown3.jpg)
His two-bedroom
unit has a contemporary feeling, with brick walls, hardwood floors and an open
living-dining area that is light and roomy. Four closets and the furnace room
provide storage space. A three-bedroom apartment at the front of the same
building has just been rented, while a two-bedroom unit is still to be finished.
Next door, the
space above 205 is nothing but an empty loft at the moment, but plans call for
two front apartments with sleeping lofts, and a one-bedroom unit in the rear.
The Bassi-Crisafulli apartments will have many amenities, including hardwood
floors, all new plumbing and wiring, and individual forced-air furnaces. Outer
walls are insulated, as well as the walls separating the individual apartments.
The apartments
will have a front entrance and foyer on Sangamon Street, and a back entrance
with a handicapped-accessible ramp. An elevator and a laundry room will be
available for all tenants. Tenants can park behind the building, and Bassi said
he may provide some garage space. Rental costs will range from $400 to $700.
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
The two-bedroom
apartment is already spoken for, Bassi said, and he is getting inquiries about
the others, which won’t be ready until spring. "These are people who don’t
want to live in an apartment complex. They find this kind of living pretty
desirable."
![](../../images/100700pics/downtown4.jpg)
Larry Steffens has
no trouble keeping his 12 units rented. "There are always people interested
in economical housing. We provide steam heat, water, sewage, trash disposal and
a laundry room. There is also a terrace where tenants can enjoy the outdoors.
This is a high security building. Tenants have their own keys and there are
security cameras in the hallways," he said.
Rents range from $300 to $500,
depending on the unit. Units run from efficiencies to two-bedroom apartments.
Parking is also available behind the buildings. The Steffens family, Larry and
Bette and sons Jon and Jason, have done all the renovation work on the
apartments as well as on the three businesses downstairs: Grapes and Grounds,
which sells coffee and fine wines, and Eckerts Fine Furnishings and Fine Dining.
(To
be continued)
[Joan
Crabb]
[click here for Part 3]
|
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Part 1
Living downtown
New trend fills apartments
on South Sangamon Street
[OCT.
6, 2000]
Years
ago, living downtown meant "living above the store," a matter of
economy and convenience for families just getting a start in business. Later,
when "the store" prospered, the families would move to a home in a
residential neighborhood. While living downtown was practical, it wasn’t
generally considered fashionable.
|
![](../../images/100600pics/downtown1.jpg)
Today
it’s a national trend, according to local contractor Dale Bassi, and it can
provide economy and convenience or living quarters as elegant as any you will
find in a strictly residential district. For example, Bassi reports, builders in
Bloomington are fixing up apartments "left and right" in the downtown
area. "They tell me there is no lack of demand for downtown residential
living quarters, as long as they are of good quality and have the expected
amenities," he said.
![](../../images/ads/Pacesetter/PaceSetter.gif)
Apartments
on Lincoln’s South Sangamon Street are proof that living downtown is popular
here as well. Bassi and his partner, Dr. Larry Crisafulli, have no trouble
finding renters for the apartments they are constructing on the second floors of
the two buildings they own, 201 and 205.
[to top of second
column in this article]
|
Across the street,
in the 100 block, the Steffens family has renovated the upper floors of three
buildings to create 12 apartments, all currently rented, and Larry and Bette
Steffens are building a new 4,000-square-foot home for themselves above the Pink
Shutter Thrift Shop.
In addition, about the first of
November, Steffens will open the first bed-and-breakfast the city has had in
recent years, and a second bed-and-breakfast suite is in the works. Both will be
luxurious, with living rooms, big bedrooms and Jacuzzis, and both will be
downtown, "above the store."
(To
be continued)
[Joan
Crabb]
[click here for Part 2]
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Announcements
|
Landfill
to be open extended hours for leaf disposal
[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.
|
|
Public
notice
Filing dates for
nomination petitions for city offices
[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
No
petitions will be accepted before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
[Juanita
Josserand, city clerk]
|
|
Notice
to absentee voters
[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.
Registered
voters expecting to be absent from the county on election day or those who are
permanently disabled or incapacitated may now make application by mail to vote
absentee. Applications will be received by the county clerk until Nov. 2. No
ballots will be sent by mail after Nov. 2, as provided by law.
Sally
J. Litterly
Logan
County Clerk
Election
Authority
|
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Logan
County FY2001 budget
Totals of requested increases
[OCT.
7, 2000]
Following
is a list of budget requests that were heard by the Logan County Board Finance
Committee on Aug. 11, 16 and 17. These requests will be compiled by the auditor
and matched with the anticipated revenue for the 2001 fiscal year (Dec. 1). The
finance committee will then review these numbers, make necessary adjustments and
prepare a recommendation to the entire County Board in the next month. There
will be a public meeting entirely devoted to budget matters in the future.
Rod White, finance
chairman, 732-4793
|
* Senior requests
and Oasis, $80,956; CIEDC, $45,000; Rural Health Partnership, $25,000 = total of
$150,000 requested; approximately $70,000 available.
* Non-mandated
(County Farm Fund): Main Street Lincoln, $10,000; economic development, $25,000;
soil and water, $4,000; Teen Court, $3,500 = total of $42,500 requested;
approximately $16,000 available.
* Court security
(open another door at courthouse): one employee, $16,640; plus metal detector,
$10,000 = total of $26,640 requested
* Court request:
new microphone, $1,000; increase in bailiff pay, $2,000; new judge support,
$4,500 = total of $7,500 requested
* Sheriff’s
Department: one additional deputy; one additional car= $120,000; parking lot
resurface, $20,000
* Paramedics: new
ambulance, $90,000
[to top of second
column in this section]
|
* Superintendent
of schools: if office
is moved,
the county will have to provide all of the rental money, $20,000
* Building and
grounds: for possible new building or additional space for offices, $100,000
* Coroner: unable
to work plan with paramedics or ESDA office; will house coroner’s office in
funeral home until office is found elsewhere, $ ?
* Public defender:
public defender’s salary, $32,422 (increased by $13,000; law says salary must
be 40 percent of state's attorney’s salary, which went up this year and is
expected to go up for four years); additional assistant, $15,000
* Animal control:
to replace
old animal-transport unit on truck, $10,000
Approximate total:
$600,000
|
|
County
Board committee meeting dates for October 2000
Committee |
Location |
Date |
Time |
Board of
Whole |
Courthouse |
Thursday,
Oct. 12 |
7 p.m. |
Finance |
Courthouse |
Friday, Oct.
13 |
8 a.m. |
Adjourned
Board |
Courthouse |
Tuesday,
Oct. 17 |
7 p.m. |
Joint Solid
Waste |
City Hall |
Wednesday,
Oct. 18 |
7 p.m. |
Special
Adjourned Board |
Courthouse |
Thursday,
Oct. 19 |
7 p.m. |
|
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