District
27 teachers show support
for building new schools
[OCT.
19, 2000]
About
35 teachers and administrators — most wearing buttons supporting the Nov. 7
referendum — attended the District 27 school board meeting Wednesday evening
to show their support for the upcoming vote to build two new schools.
|
"This
large turnout is a show of unity for our board and administration. It has been a
long process of study and evaluation by the administration, the board, teachers
and staff that has led to the decision to build two new schools," Terri
Hauter, co-president of the Lincoln Elementary Association, told the Lincoln
Daily News. Frank Reliford, a Lincoln Junior High School history teacher, spoke
during the meeting to thank the teachers and the school board for the
"unity of agreement" on the school referendum. "People have tried
to divide us, but we’re used to that tactic from our students," he said.
The
referendum the teachers are supporting asks for a bond issue to raise $4.1
million to help build a new junior high and a new elementary school that will
replace Central School. The rest of the funding, $8.3 million, will come from
the state. Another group, Save Our Schools (SOS), has been working to prevent
the schools from being torn down and wants to have then renovated instead.
The
SOS group contends that the school district is required to have a review by the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) before the November referendum
because of the language used in the referendum. The referendum uses the phrase
"demolish Lincoln Junior High and Central Elementary School."
According to SOS, the district must hold the hearing to determine if the schools
have historic value and should be preserved before the vote which calls for
demolishing them.
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A
recent article in the Lincoln Courier that said the district had already
initiated the review process was not correct, Superintendent Robert Kidd told
the board. He said the news story is the result of misinformation given to the
newspaper by an IHPA member who had talked to the school district’s architect,
Dave Leonatti.
In
a letter to Dr. Kidd and School Board President Bill Bates, Leonatti explained
that he had contacted Ann Hacker of IHPA "to receive clarification of the
requirements for the review process. . . . I had asked for Ms. Hacker’s
interpretation of the Act to let me and the board know the proper
requirements."
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
He
said Ms. Hacker confirmed that she told the Lincoln newspaper Leonatti had
initiated the review process. "She stated to me that she had misunderstood
and apologized for providing the incorrect information to the newspaper,"
the letter said.
Also,
Leonatti said, Ms. Hacker told him the school district is not required to go
through the review process before the November referendum.
In
other business, Superintendent Kidd briefly discussed the annual audit for
Fiscal Year 2000, which is now available at the administrative office for the
public to see. He noted that fund balances were "positive" and that
there was a "healthy balance" in the education fund. He advised the
board to use the extra funds for purchasing one-time items, such as technology
upgrades, rather than for ongoing costs, because tax caps and stagnant state aid
will probably allow no further increases in the fund. He suggested purchasing
new computers to replace the outdated ones in Jefferson and Adams schools.
The
board authorized the superintendent to apply for two school maintenance grants
of $50,000 each, which would be used for replacement of asphalt on the
playgrounds of Jefferson and Washington-Monroe schools; pay for sidewalks and
safety lights that have been installed at Adams School; replace loose floor
tiles at Adams, Washington-Monroe and Northwest schools; and put in a new
suspended ceiling in the library at Northwest School.
The
board also voted to raise the pay of substitute teachers from the current $75
per day to $80 to remain competitive with other schools in the area.
Jean
Lynn and Lois Kinzer were appointed to distribute and accept petitions from
candidates seeking seats on the District 27 board. Petitions can be picked up at
the administration office on or after Oct. 25 and must be turned in to the
administrative offices by Jan. 23. The election date is April 3, 2001.
The district
has sent a letter to the Knights of Columbus thanking them for their donation of
$1,752.88 for special education programs, Superintendent Kidd said.
[Joan
Crabb]
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Peaker
plant company promises
no problems with water shortages
[OCT.
19, 2000]
Residents
in the vicinity of Spectrum Energy’s proposed new peaker plant near New
Holland will not have to worry about water shortages when the plant is up and
running, Logan County Board member Rodney White said at Tuesday evening’s
meeting. Officials of the company have told White they will not deplete the
water supply in the neighborhood of the plant, which will generate electricity
only at peak use times in the summer.
|
At
a previous County Board meeting, White had asked a representative of the
company, Matthew Hortenstine, for a guarantee that Spectrum would remedy any
water depletion problems the new plant might cause. Hortenstine, a member of an
Effingham law firm representing the company, said at that time he was not
authorized to give such a guarantee.
White
said he received a telephone call from a vice president of the Spectrum Energy
Company in South Carolina, who assured him the company would monitor the well
and meet with any concerned area residents.
"The
concerns we had are being met by Spectrum," White told the board. "If
necessary, they will drill new wells to make sure people have water." He
gave board members copies of a letter from Hortenstine saying the company
"is initiating steps to test and otherwise study the physical groundwater
status at the project site by drilling test wells."
The
letter also said Spectrum would not build the plant until officials had
"consulted with concerned neighbors" and drawn up "an appropriate
contract with a company that will ultimately own and operate the project."
Spectrum plans to build the generating facility, then sell it to an area utility
company.
White,
who lives near New Holland but not near the proposed new generator, and Terry
Werth of Lincoln were the only board members who did not vote to extend the
enterprise zone from the city of Lincoln to the proposed plant. Being in the
enterprise zone gives the Spectrum group a sales tax waiver.
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The
board approved four new appointments. Robert "Bob" Pharis will serve a
three-year term on the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District. Carol Gustafson
will serve on the Logan County Regional Planning Commission for three years.
Kathleen Kaesebier and Lana Miller will serve three-year terms on the Logan
County Board of Health.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
The
board also approved the sale of a delinquent tax property in Corwin Township, to
be handled by an out-of-town law firm which specializes in tax sales. Another
tax-delinquent property, three lots on Tremont Street in Lincoln, is presently
in the courts because of a lien on the property by the city of Lincoln. Both
properties will be sold and put back on the tax rolls to begin producing income
for taxing bodies again, White said.
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White
also said the finance committee had decided to fund the Senior Citizens Tax levy
as of Dec. 1 by borrowing from the general fund and repaying that fund from real
estate taxes collected in June or July rather than waiting until the taxes are
collected. This will be the first tax levy for the new fund, which was approved
by a referendum last year.
The
funding proposed for three senior groups from the new levy of $67,5000 is
$33,750 for Oasis, $21,600 for CIEDC and $12,150 for the Rural Health Van.
On Thursday at
7 p.m. the board will hold a special meeting on the budget for fiscal year 2001,
which begins Dec.1. This meeting, to be in the first floor courtroom in the
Logan County Courthouse, is the last chance to make changes in the budget before
it is approved. The budget will be on file for public inspection until the Nov.
21 board meeting. White, who is chairman of the finance committee, noted that
this will be the eighth consecutive balanced budget for the County Board.
[Joan
Crabb]
[click
here for a list of budget requests]
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Treasurer’s
report for
city of Lincoln on public view
[OCT.
18, 2000]
The
audit of the annual treasurer’s report for the city of Lincoln’s fiscal year
ending April 30, has been completed, and the report will be published this week,
according to Lester Plotner, city treasurer. The report is also available for
the public to view at the offices of the city clerk and the Logan County
treasurer.
|
The
report lists a revenue summary, compensation summary, fire and police pension
payments, expenditures summary, and a statement of condition for the fiscal
year.
Plotner
gave a brief summary of the report to the City Council at Monday night’s
meeting, in which he provided comparisons of this year’s fund balances and
expenditures to those of the two previous years, 1999 and 1998. He noted that
expenditures increased 16.5 percent in 2000 to $10,140,811, compared to a total
of $8,705,909 in 1999.
Much
of the extra expenditure was due to improvements in the city’s infrastructure,
the west side sewer project and the upgrading of city streets, according to
Mayor Joan Ritter. The west side sewer project extends from Fifth Street to
Woodlawn Road, under Woodlawn, over to Monroe Street on the north side and along
Monroe to 21st Street. Road rehabilitation, which is still underway, includes
Tremont, Ottawa, Wichita, Nicholson Road, State Street, and parts of Adams and
Jackson streets. Curbs and gutters, and if necessary new sewers, are included in
the road rehabilitation.
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Some
increase in salaries, from $2,669,462 in 1999 to $2,733,165 in 2000, and some
increase in fire and police pensions, about $15,000 more each, also added to the
expenditures.
Revenue
also went up, from $9,089,539 in 1999 to $9,182,032 in 2000. In the revenue
column, building permit fees jumped from $16,681 to $30,579. Les Last, building
and safety commissioner, said the jump came because of big construction projects
at Lincoln College and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, which are not in the
enterprise zone. No building permit fees are collected for construction in an
enterprise zone, and most real estate taxes are abated for the first five years,
Last said.
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[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Other
increases in revenue came from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, from $368,117 to
$414,556; from sales taxes, $1,919,109 in 1999 to $2,205,870 in 2000; from state
income tax, $1,082,320 in 1999 to $1,146,530 in 2000; from bond revenue, zero in
1999 to $465,000 in 2000; and from the new telecommunication fees, $64,542 in
1999 to $76,770 in 2000.
Property
taxes declined from $1,480,450 to $1,437,924, and interest on city funds
declined from $1,101,824 to $968,724. Plotner said interest rates in the kinds
of investments the city makes dropped last year, but have increased some this
year. However, he added, market instability and the world global problems could
cause rates to drop in the future. No grant funds were received in 2000, while
the city had $6,658 in grant funds last year.
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"As
city treasurer, I believe the City Council operates within the framework of
fiscally responsible perimeters which allows many services to be provided
without undue stress on the taxpayers of Lincoln," Plotner said. "As
most of you realize, you can’t be all things to all people when governing a
city, but you can strive to serve the majority of the citizens in an efficient
and reasonable manner."
He
warned the council "to be careful not to abolish sources of revenue unless
replacement revenues are in hand. You must think about tomorrow when making
decisions today which affect the financial stability of the city of
Lincoln."
[Joan
Crabb]
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Tour
of renovated Springfield school organized by citizens group
[OCT.
18, 2000]
The
Save Our Schools Citizens Committee has arranged a tour of the renovated
Feitshans School in Springfield on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m.
|
Chris
Stahly, the principal at Feitshans, will conduct the tour, which is part of the
Save Our Schools committee's ongoing effort to help Lincoln citizens be well
informed on the viability of school renovation before voting on a Nov. 7 bond
referendum, according to spokesman David Lanterman.
"This
gives the public an opportunity to see a fine example of a renovated school. By
seeing what can be achieved through renovation, they can choose to vote no on
the referendum and require that the school board reconsider the renovation
option. Or they can decide to permanently destroy the Central and Lincoln Junior
High School buildings," Lanterman said.
Feitshans
School, located at 1101 S. 15th St. in Springfield, was constructed as a high
school in 1920, with renovation completed in 1987, when it became a 550-student
fifth- and sixth-grade center. Renovation provided total upgrades similar to
those proposed for Lincoln's schools — new electrical and mechanical systems,
redesigned ground floor, refurbished auditorium and an addition with new
cafeteria and ramps for building accessibility.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
The
Feitshans tour was organized by the Save Our Schools group in response to
comments at last week's renovation workshop featuring Bill Latoza, principal
architect for the Chicago Public Schools' $2.4 billion capital renovation
program started in 1996.
Calling
on his experience with Chicago's 557 schools, Latoza noted that school
renovation costs are, on average, 20 percent less than new construction,
renovated buildings are more energy efficient than new ones and are expected to
have a life span as long as a new building. Latoza also noted that the
renovation projects met all the education goals of the school district, with
over 98 percent completed without relocating any students.
Springfield's
Feitshans School can be reached by the South Grand exit off Interstate 55,
proceeding to 15th Street and turning right. The school is two blocks ahead on
the left side, and the tour will begin at the main entrance. Those who wish to
join a car pool from Lincoln should meet in front of Central School at 2 p.m. on
Sunday.
[Save Our Schools
Citizens Committee news release]
|
|
Looking
for Lincoln sets master plan
to boost tourism
[OCT.
17, 2000]
A
10-point project to boost tourism in the Lincoln area has been announced by Main
Street Lincoln, the group that is administering the Looking for Lincoln project.
One project, making a historical documentary video, already has funding
promised, Main Street Director Wendy Bell told the Lincoln City Council Monday
evening. State Sen. Robert Madigan (R-Lincoln) and state Rep. John Turner
(R-Atlanta) have promised $20,000 for the video from member initiative funds,
she reported.
|
The
video will have a number of uses, Bell said. It will serve as an introduction to
the Abraham Lincoln sites in Lincoln and Logan County and will be shown in the
Visitor’s Center that is also part of the overall plan. It can be used in
schools throughout the state, shown on public television and sold to tourists to
help fund the Looking for Lincoln program.
Bell
said the group will not receive the funds to make the video until the spring of
2001 and will probably not have it completed until December of next year.
The
building of the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, for which federal
funding has already been approved, is expected to bring about 500,000 people to
the area each year, according to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Bell
said that if only five percent of these tourists make a stop in Lincoln and
Logan County, it would mean 25,000 new visitors to the area.
"These
visitors could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for the local
economy," said Jan Schumacher, a member of the Main Street Lincoln board.
The
most expensive item on the master plan is a Visitor’s Center, with an
estimated price tag of $500,000. The center would have small exhibits and sell
gifts, but its focus would be to point the way to other Lincoln sites, such as
the Lincoln Museum at Lincoln College and the Postville and Mount Pulaski
courthouses. Bell said she thought the best location for the Visitor’s Center
would be on the west side of Lincoln, near the major highway exits, where it
would be easy for tourists to find.
She
hopes to find grants or state funds to help construct the center, and possibly
use funds from the local hotel-motel tax, which is not fully levied.
Two
equally high priorities, according to Bell and Schumacher, are highway signs
letting tourists know about the Lincoln sites and full-time staffing at the
Postville and Mount Pulaski courthouses. The Mount Pulaski Courthouse is largely
staffed by volunteers, and a group headed by Shirley Bartelmay is working on
providing volunteers for Postville when it reopens later this fall. Funds for
paid staff are also being sought.
![](../../images/ads/neal_tire/Neal3.gif)
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Bell
pointed out that it is crucial to have highway signs directing tourists to the
sites. She reports that the Illinois Department of Transportation says obtaining
state highway signs would not be a problem. To obtain signs on an interstate
highway, a site must have 200,000 visitors per year, but Bell’s report notes
that there are other tourist sites with interstate signs that do not meet that
requirement, and the group will seek more information about getting the
interstate highway signs.
Other
projects in the overall plan include signs and exhibits in each town or
significant Lincoln site throughout Logan County, which would include the
history of the site, Lloyd Ostendorf artwork and maps to other locations. These
signs would be similar to the one to be erected later this month near the city’s
christening site at the Amtrak depot. Projected cost is $150,000.
A
guidebook with chapters that correspond to the signage and maps is also part of
the plan. Cost for the initial printing of 25,000 copies is estimated at
$50,000. "Self-serve" tourist information centers in Elkhart, Atlanta
and downtown Lincoln, with brochures available, are on the list, at a projected
cost of $3,000. A parking lot and picnic area next to Postville Courthouse is
also in the plan, with a projected cost of $75,000. "Overlay"
streetscapes in downtown Lincoln, which would show visitors how the street
looked in Lincoln’s day, are projected at $175,000.
![](../../images/ads/kids%20first/Kids1st.gif)
A
focal point for visitors would be an Abraham Lincoln statue at a site yet to be
determined. The statue would be "interactive," so visitors could sit
next to it and have their pictures taken.
"I
think these 10 projects should be accomplished in the next three to five
years," Bell said. "Our goal is to bring more visitors to Lincoln. It
is an investment in our community."
Main Street
Lincoln was selected to administer Looking for Lincoln in the city of Lincoln
because the program dovetails with its current mission of economic
restructuring, promotion, organization and design. The group has identified
three "cluster committees": the Postville, the downtown Lincoln and
the Lincoln College clusters.
[Joan
Crabb]
|
|
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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