Illinois Rt. 10 West of Lincoln to be resurfaced

[APRIL 14, 2001]  Daily commuters between Lincoln and Mason City will be happy to know that plans are well under way at the State level to revitalize Rt. 10.  Any one traveling that route will tell you that their vehicles have taken a beating driving the heavily patched up strip of road.  The eastbound lane seems particularly rough. A number of other local roadways will also see restorations made by the State.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) plans to spend $87.97 million to improve area roads and bridges in the 45th Senate District during Fiscal Year 2002, according to Sen. Bob Madigan.

The local projects scheduled for fiscal year 2002, that begins July 1 2001, include improvements on 43 miles of roads and 8 bridges. The total five-year plan includes work on 255 miles of road and 19 bridges within the 45th Senate District.

"The plans for road and bridge construction as announced today will improve road safety for the traveling public and contribute to the economic vitality of our area of the state," said Madigan (R-Lincoln). "I'm also happy to learn that IDOT is moving ahead with plans to resurface Illinois Route 10. The agency will begin accepting bids for the project later this month and completion is expected by the end of August, of this year.

The $2.5 million project is part of the Fiscal Year 2001 road construction plans announced last year at this time. The state plans to resurface 10.4 miles of Illinois Route 10, in addition to intersection reconstruction, bridge repair, land acquisition and utility adjustments from the Macon County line to just west of Kickapoo Creek.

The local projects announced Tuesday for the fiscal year 2002, 5-year road plan are part of a $10 billion state highway improvement plan of which $2.3 billion will be spent in fiscal year 2002. Funding for the five-year program includes $5.8 billion in state funds, $3.9 billion in federal funds and $300 million in local funds.

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The following projects are in Logan County are scheduled for the fiscal year 2001: $3.78 million for 4.26 miles of road resurfacing, rip rap and bridge cleaning on I-55 from the Sangamon County line to Elkhart.

$6.89 million for 7.24 miles of road resurfacing, bridge deck overlay and bridge repair on Interstate 55 from Elkhart to I-55 BL, south of Lincoln.

$5.95 million for 3.8 miles of road resurfacing, bridge deck waterproofing, bridge repair, deck overlay and cleaning on Interstate 55 from I-55 BL to Interstate 155.

$860,000 for 1.66 miles of road resurfacing, improvements to the turning radius, modernization of traffic signals, parking improvements, utility adjustments and land acquisition on Interstate 55 (Business) (Kickapoo Street) from Lincoln Parkway to Keokuk Street in Lincoln.

$309,000 for land acquisition and utility adjustments on US Route 136 at West Fork Sugar Creek, .8 miles west of the McLean County line.

$257,000 for bridge replacement on US Route 136 over West Fork Sugar Creek, .8 miles west of the McLean County line.

$1 million for 6.15 miles of road resurfacing, intersection reconstruction, utility adjustments and land acquisition on Illinois Route 10 from the Mason County Line to the east corporate limit of New Holland.

$309,000 for bridge repair and bridge deck overlay, and rip rap on Jefferson Street over Interstate 55, near Elkhart.

[LDN]

[APRIL 13, 2001]  A prevention presentation on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs will be given by Jim Dedera, B.S., Pharm.D., R.Ph., on Tuesday, April 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Illini Central High School gym, in Mason City. The IC Theater Troop from the middle school and the Operation Snowball club will also perform skits on prevention issues. Students, parents and concerned adults from throughout the county are encouraged to attend this informational event.

Dedera, from Granite City, is a registered pharmacist by profession. He graduated from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy at the Washington University Medical School-Barnes Complex and is now a full-time drug-prevention educator and consultant. He is also pursuing a Ph.D. in psychopharmacology.

Active in drug-prevention education for the last 25 years, he has taught nearly 6,000,000 students in grades K through 12. His presentations for high school and college athletes have been immensely popular and effective for both their educational and motivational content.

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To date, Jim has taught, presented, keynoted in nearly 8,000 schools, a multitude of faculty and professional in-service events, state and local conferences, service and community organizations, and to law-enforcement professionals. Sponsors for his local presentation say: "We are truly fortunate to have him in our community. Please mark your calendars today and plan to attend. You will not be disappointed."

Illini Central Operation Snowball, along with Heartland Coalition for Youth and Families (funded by a "Communities Can!" grant provided through DHS), is sponsoring the event.

[APRIL 13, 2001]  The American Red Cross is urging families to be prepared during this spring season. Spring is the time for severe weather to affect our community. Despite their small size, all thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes. Heavy rain from thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding. Strong winds, hail and tornadoes are other dangers associated with some thunderstorms. Lightning occurs with ALL thunderstorms, averages 93 deaths and 300 injuries each year, and causes several hundred million dollars in damage to property and forests annually.

"The Red Cross is urging families to prepare now for severe spring weather by following these safety guidelines that can, quite simply, save lives," Mary Ogle, executive director, said.

Before lightning strikes . . .

• Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light or increasing wind. Listen for the sound of thunder.

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to safe shelter immediately.

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for the latest weather forecasts.

When a storm approaches . . .

• Find shelter in a building or car. Keep the car windows closed, and avoid convertibles.

• Telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Unplug appliances. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. (Leaving electric lights on, however, does not increase the chances that your home will be struck by lightning.)

• Avoid taking a bath or shower, or running water for any other purpose.

• Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from lightening can overload the compressor, resulting in a costly repair job!

• Draw blinds and shades over the windows. If a window breaks due to objects blown by the wind, the shade will prevent glass from shattering into your home.

If caught outside . . .

• If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter trees.

• If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately!

Protecting yourself outside . . .

• Go to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles or metal objects. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding.

• Be a very small target! Squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible.

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After the storm passes . . .

• Stay away from storm-damaged areas.

• Listen to the radio for information and instructions.

If someone is struck by lightning . . .

• People struck by lightning carry no electrical charge and can be handled safely.

• Call for help. Get someone to dial 9-1-1 or your local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) number.

• People injured by lightning have received an electrical shock and may be burned, both where they were struck and where the electricity left their body. Check for burns in both places. Being struck by lightning can also cause nervous system damage, broken bones, and loss for hearing or eyesight.

• Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained person should give CPR. If the person has a pulse and is breathing, look and care for other possible injuries. Learn first aid and CPR by taking a Red Cross first aid and CPR course. Call the Sangamon Valley Chapter at (888) 3HELP-NOW for class schedules and fees.

All Red Cross disaster assistance is free — made possible by voluntary gifts of time and money from the American people. To help the victims of storms and other disasters, contributions can be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by calling (888) 3HELP-NOW or (217) 522-3357. Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may also be sent to P.O. Box 1058, Springfield, IL 62705-1058.

[Red Cross news release]

[APRIL 13, 2001]  The elimination of the state sales tax on gasoline, measures to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons and tax deductions for two state-run college savings programs are among the legislative measures passed recently by the Illinois Senate, according to state Sen. Bob Madigan.

Senators were working to meet the deadline for acting on bills originated in the Senate.

State sales tax on motor fuels

Senate Bill 209 permanently eliminates the state’s portion of the sales tax on motor fuels after July 1, 2002. The Senate has voted four times to eliminate this tax, which is effectively a "tax on a tax" because it is calculated on the price per gallon plus a separate motor fuel tax. Cutting the state’s 5 percent sales tax on gasoline means a difference of about 10 cents per gallon based on a $2-per-gallon pump price. Any local taxes will not be impacted.

FOID cards

Senate Bills 397 and 1065 seek to prevent the kind of armed rampage that stunned workers at the Navistar plant in Melrose Park on Feb. 5. Senate Bill 397 requires periodic background checks on persons who hold FOID cards and revokes the cards of those who become ineligible. Senate Bill 1065 requires every FOID card applicant older than 18 to provide the Illinois State Police with either a driver’s license or state identification number; increases penalties for giving false information on a FOID card application; makes it a condition of bond for defendants to physically surrender their FOID card to the circuit court clerk when charged with certain violent offenses; and requires people convicted of any felony offense to physically surrender all firearms in their possession and physically surrender their FOID cards as a condition of remaining on bond pending sentencing.

Tax advantages of college savings programs

Senate Bill 902 improves the tax advantages of two state-run college savings programs. The bills would grant taxpayers a state income tax deduction equal to the amount of money contributed to the Bright Start College Savings Plan and the "College Illinois!" prepaid tuition program.

Miscellaneous bills approved

In other business, the Senate approved Senate Bill 113, which requires that school bus drivers hired prior to July 1, 1995, undergo fingerprinting for a criminal background check. Current law only requires drivers hired after that date to undergo fingerprint criminal background checks.

The Senate also adopted a resolution (House Joint Resolution 27) urging the People's Republic of China to expedite the immediate return of two Illinois natives, Seaman Jeremy Crandall and Marine Corps Sgt. Mitchell Pray, along with the 22 other service personnel being detained on Hainan Island.

Also adopted was Senate Joint Resolution 21, which supports and encourages the Boeing Company to relocate its corporate headquarters to the Chicago metropolitan area.

Other bills sent to House

Other bills the Senate approved this week and sent to the House of Representatives include:

Teachers’ scholarships (SB 1521) — Creates a scholarship fund that will be supported by the sale of special education license plates designed by elementary schoolchildren.

"No call" list (SB 1309) — Creates a statewide registry for consumers who do not want to be called by telemarketing sales companies.

Mental health parity (SB 1341) — Requires group insurers to offer insurance coverage for serious mental illnesses at the same deductibles, co-payments and limits as for physical illnesses.

Baby AIDS legislation (SB 1254) — Requires managed care insurance plans to cover routine HIV testing for expectant mothers.

"Mad Cow" disease (SB 213) — Requires the Illinois Department of Agriculture to inspect feed mills and renderers every 90 days to prevent an outbreak of "Mad Cow" disease.

Petrovich (SB 1497) — Codifies the Supreme Court decision William Petrovich v. Share Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. stating that consumers have the right to sue their HMO.

Charitable groups (SB 74) — Makes it easier to donate vehicles to charitable groups without having to pay the state title transfer fee.

Teen substance abuse (SB 3) — Holds adults civilly liable for damages for death and injury resulting from the alcohol or illegal drug impairment of teen-agers younger than 18 who have been served alcohol or illegal drugs by those adults.

Domestic violence (SB 430) — Requires a person arrested on domestic violence charges to agree to a domestic violence assessment and alcohol-drug evaluation as a condition of bond.

Railroad crossings (SB 531) — Allows the Illinois Commerce Commission to determine that a railroad chronically obstructs grade crossings, a misdemeanor offense with possible jail time for railroad company executives.

Parental notification (SB 562) — Prohibits any person from knowingly performing an abortion on a minor or an incompetent person without 48 hours' notification of parent or legal guardian.

Quick take (SB 550) — Protects Illinois property owners from local governments who abuse their "quick-take" powers. States that property acquired by quick-take authority may not be transferred by sale, lease or otherwise, to a private individual or entity.

Emission testing (SB 30) — Helps Illinois citizens whose vehicles are damaged during mandatory emission inspections. Gives the vehicle owner a cause of action against the contractor who performed the inspection. Provides for recovery of triple damages, costs and attorney’s fees.

Swine development (SB 405) — Allows Illinois pork producers to decide if they want to establish a program to promote pork products and research efforts to help the swine industry.

Korean War checkoff (SB 208) — Creates a checkoff on the state income tax return benefiting the Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library Fund.

Tax equivalent grants (SB 326) — Allows school districts (except Chicago) to receive tax equivalent grants if a U.S. military installation or base is located in its boundaries.

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Mental illness (SBs 434, 435, 437) — Changes the state’s treatment and evaluation of pretrial detainees to steer persons with mental illness toward programs that can help them and keep them from returning to jail.

Abandoned babies (SB 216) — Allows parents of newborn infants to leave their baby at a safe haven (church, hospital, fire station) for purposes of adoption without any civil or criminal repercussions.

Drug courts (SB 138) — Allows the chief judge in each judicial circuit to create specialized drug courts with the necessary flexibility to address drug problems.

Charitable organizations (SB 173) — Freezes the assessed value of property owned and used by charitable organizations such as the Moose and Elks.

Cyberstalking (SB 233) — Creates the offense of cyberstalking (stalking, harassing or threatening by electronic means) and sets penalties equal to stalking (Class 4 felony for a first offense and Class 3 felony for subsequent offenses).

Breast feeding (SB 542) — Encourages employers to provide a location where nursing mothers can express breast milk and to allow reasonable unpaid break time for those women to do so.

Suspended licenses (SB 602) — Suspends the driver's license of anyone convicted of reckless homicide for 24 months after they are released from prison.

Hearsay exemption (SB 464) — Gives senior citizens their day in court even if they are incapable of testifying, by allowing hearsay testimony if the elderly crime victim is mentally or physically incapable of testifying.

Nursing scholarships (SB 751) — Addresses the impending nursing shortage by increasing funding for the Nursing Scholarship Program to $750,000 annually (now a percentage of the nursing license fees).

Sweepstakes fraud (SB 797) — Protects consumers from sweepstakes fraud by requiring all mailings to specify the odds of winning and to state that purchases will not improve those odds.

Kids and tickets (SB 627) — Creates a pilot program to notify parents when their teen drivers receive traffic tickets.

Emergency contraception (SB 114) — Requires a hospital to inform a rape victim about emergency contraception or provide the medication if it is requested.

Libraries (SB 635) — Creates the Illinois Library Systems Task Force to explore ways to better coordinate public library systems.

Business retention (SB 603) — Establishes an administrative policy of recouping state aid for job creation when the businesses receiving those grants leave Illinois.

Technology education (SB 845) — Establishes a High Technology School-to-Work Program to help prepare students for careers in technology-related fields.

Seized property (SB 1098) — Requires law enforcement agencies to return vehicles or vehicle parts seized for evidence in the same condition they were seized.

Concealed videotaping (SB 1297) — Prohibits the use of a concealed camera to videotape or record a person for purposes of viewing the body or undergarments of the person.

Animal fighting (SB 629) — Discourages illegal animal fighting by increasing penalties, seizing equipment, targeting adults who exploit juveniles and requiring counseling for juvenile offenders.

Dangerous dogs (SB 653) — Subjects owners of dangerous dogs to felony penalties if the owner fails to properly restrain the dog and the dog attacks someone.

Charter schools (SB 636) — Requires the State Board of Education to make grants of up to $1,000 per student enrolled in charter schools to help pay operational costs.

Voting machines (SB 663) — Prohibits in-precinct voting systems (punch card or optical scan) from rejecting under-voted ballots or ballots that lack an election judge’s initials.

Unemployment fund (SB 796) — Removes the Unemployment Insurance Fund Building Rate Tax after 2001. The current trust fund, which provides unemployment insurance benefits for workers, stands at $2 billion, far exceeding the $1.2 billion level agreed on by labor and business.

School polling places (SB 188) — Allows schools that are used as polling places to have a teachers institute on the day of elections if school officials are concerned about security.

Nursing aides (SB 1504) — Prohibits a mental health or developmental disability facility from employing a nurse’s aide who has been found to have abused or neglected a patient.

Uninsured citizens (SB 1505) —- Establishes an ombudsman program to educate uninsured individuals about health insurance benefits options and their rights under state and federal law.

Life safety bonds (SB 22) — Creates two exceptions to property tax caps: debt service for life-safety bonds issued for fire safety and prevention purposes for schools, and any tax extension for fire prevention and safety purposes for schools.

Halal food (SB 750) — Makes it a Class B misdemeanor to misrepresent food as being halal, food that is prepared under the strict compliance with laws and customs of the Islamic religion.

Railroad crossings (SB 172) — Reduces the mandatory fine for disobeying crossing signals from $500 to $250 for a first offense. Subsequent offenses remain $500.

[News release]

[APRIL 12, 2001]  Lincoln has a new state champion it can be proud of. Brian Dutz captured an unprecedented two state titles in the 2001 State Dart Championships recently at the Civic Center in Peoria. Never before had one individual won two state singles titles in darts in Illinois. Competing against 218 other contestants, Brian won the 501 Open Singles title. Then he defeated 185 competitors for the Open Singles cricket title.

For those unfamiliar with the game of darts, 501 is a countdown game, with each score/hit subtracted from the previous throw. The object is to get to zero first.

Cricket is a bit more complicated. In cricket, scores count only when the numbers 15 through 20 and the bulls-eye are hit. All of these must be hit three times each to win. Once a player has hit a number three times, all subsequent hits of that number will continue to tally until the opponent has hit the number three times. This "closes out" the number for further scoring. Highest score wins.

Brian has been throwing for 15 years, the last 14 competitively. He quit for a few years, but at the urging of his wife, Mary, he resumed throwing. This time he took it more seriously, practicing 1½ to two hours daily in the family room in their basement. His play began to improve, culminating in his state titles this year. Darts may be his sport, but not his life. Brian is a devoted husband and father, finding time to help son Blake with his baseball and daughter Katelyn with her volleyball and other activities.

[Brian with teammates (from left to right):
Jodie Campbell, Scott Sherren, Tandy Cox,
 Brian Dutz and Rod Clarke]

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The game of darts has its origins in the pubs of Merry Ole England. Today, competitive darts can be found thriving in the pubs, or rather drinking establishments, of Lincoln. Brian, or "Dutzie" as he is known to his friends, can be found on Wednesday evenings at the OK Tavern, competing with his team, the Crackshots. Dutzie has been with the Crackshots (Brian Green, Rick Sullivan, Keith Yeazle and Danny Hall) for the last 10 years.

Sunday afternoons, Dutzie can be found at Al’s Main Event, crushing the competition, with teammates Rod Clarke, Randy Cox, Jodie Campbell and Scott Sherren.

This past Sunday was a typical afternoon for Dutzie. With music blaring from the jukebox, high fives being tossed around and beverages-of-choice disappearing, Dutzie stepped to the line in the final game of the afternoon — 501 doubles. His team needed only a 14 to win. Did Dutzie go for the spacious 14 on the board? Mere mortals would take that easy route. In the fashion of a true champion, he nailed the wafer-thin slice of double seven — for 14 points and the win!

For those of us who have a dartboard in our basement and enjoy playing, you can get out to see Brian at the aforementioned places. The level and quality of play are something to behold. You’ll see a dart thrower worthy of being called state champion. Congratulations, Brian.

[Jim Stone]

[APRIL 11, 2001]  A proposed new three-year contract for animal-control services provided by Logan County to the city of Lincoln drew sharp criticism from Alderman Stephen Mesner at a work session of the city council Tuesday evening.

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Robert Menzies, Logan County regional planning commissioner, told the council the commission had gone on record in support of adding the property to the enterprise zone. Smith said he believed the addition to his business would be an asset to the city, as it would bring owners of semi-trailers and farmers with tractors to Lincoln for inspections. The closest place now to get such an inspection is Mason City, he said. The council agreed to put the matter on the agenda for next Monday’s regular meeting.

[Joan Crabb]

[APRIL 11, 2001]  Bob Steele of 25 Tulip Drive in Lincoln is hoping to bring area racing to this year’s balloon fest. There won’t be any obnoxious fumes or incessant noise of motors grinding through the calm air in Lincoln. Just perhaps the noise of a lot of kids and their parents having fun together. Steele hopes to have a soapbox derby race this summer and use the event and the participation as an impetus to have a sanctioned Soap Box Derby organization in Lincoln.

Mount Pulaski currently has their own association and fields up to 25 members and their cars in two events tied into Mount Pulaski summer events. Steele hopes that Lincoln families will be interested in creating their own club and going over to Pulaski in future years "to win a few of their trophies." Pulaski racers, of course, will be invited to Lincoln events, with the hope that such a family activity with a broad county base will help bring the community together.

Steele already has received approval from the chamber of commerce to have the races during the balloon fest and now is awaiting city council approval to start the momentum needed to field racers.

Since Soap Box Derby associations are commonplace throughout the country, it would seem that council approval of this venture should be swift and positive once the logistics for the event are laid out.

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Steele, a retired lumberyard owner, has extensive experience with soapbox racers and is willing to walk any family interested in becoming involved through the basics of fielding a car for the potential races. He stated that families can go any of three ways to get a car ready for competition. A family can purchase a kit or custom build their own or purchase a used racer at a price that Steele says carries the least expensive cost of the three options.

Soapbox racing is open to children 7 years of age to 16 and is a national pastime for families across America. Steele was quick to point out that until city approval is received, the race is not officially set for this August. However, families who are interested in joining a new Lincoln Soap Box Racer Association can get in touch with Bob at 732-9983 to receive more particulars on this family-oriented pastime.

[Mike Fak]

[APRIL 10, 2001]  Choosing your child’s day care or preschool can be a difficult decision, considering location, hours, curriculum, staff experience. To make the best choice, parents have to locate each day care or school and interview the directors or teachers. This is a lot of work!

To help parents reduce some of their research time, LDN began to research local day-care centers and preschool programs.

[Click here for local day care and preschool directory]

Day care

Before delving into the programs, facilities and hours of operation, a few common misconceptions need to be corrected. More than one day-care director stated that day care is not just baby-sitting. Yes, the children are being watched; but day-care workers also teach the children through play, love the children and provide a sense of security for the young ones.

One director said parents believe that because day care is so costly, day-care workers make a lot of money — when in fact, the day-care profession is one of the lowest paid careers. The average salary, even for those with college educations, is $6 per hour!

Listed below are brief descriptions of the day-care centers found in Logan County.

Child Development Center

Joni McAllister directs the Child Development Center, which began in July. They have four day-care classrooms, for children who are 15 months to 5 years old. They also have two Head Start classrooms, for students ages 3 to 5.

The day-care workers have either 30 college credit hours (with six in early childhood development) or 60 college credit hours (with 18 in early childhood). The Head Start teachers and assistants have either degrees in early childhood or CDA credentials—meaning they have 12 college credits and plenty of on-the-job training.

Joni McAllister is in the child-care profession because she enjoys it. As a mother of young children, she understands how difficult it is to find day care and how costly day care can be.

Child Development Center is slightly more expensive than the other Logan County day cares because the center adjusts rates to the state level. McAllister is also trying to pay her staff little more, since she believes most child-care workers are underpaid. The Development Center’s Head Start program is a granted program, so families who qualify can get financial help for their child-care expenses.

McAllister recognizes that many day cares in Logan County have quality programs and people, just like her center. She also knows that "every center in town struggles to keep qualified staff." McAllister advertises the Child Development Center as a fun, quality program that offers an additional choice to Logan County’s parents for child care.

Applications are accepted year-round at the Child Development Center; just stop by.

Christian Child Care

Ruth Ann Hart is the director for Christian Child Care (CCC). She works with CCC because she loves children and believes it is "one of the gifts God gave me—to work with children."

CCC has 13 teachers and eight teacher assistants—many of whom are also qualified to be teachers. According to Hart, the teachers are more than baby sitters. They educate and love the children and offer a sense of security.

Director Hart encourages parents to choose CCC because it shares the love of God with the children and provides high-quality day care.

CCC does have a waiting list, so interested parents need to call as soon as possible. Some parents put their child on CCC’s waiting list before he or she is born!

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Little Lambs Day Care

Little Lambs Day Care is a ministry of New Wine Fellowship and has been serving Lincoln since 1984. All of their teachers are state certified, and several of their teachers meet or exceed the DCFS standards.

Gretchen Jones is the day-care director. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Jones is in the day-care profession because she loves the children and believes that it is a pleasure to work with them. She knows that parents must leave their children for extended periods of time during the day, so she is happy to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable atmosphere for the children.

Jones knows that parents want the best care for their children; for example, that their infants are held regularly. Many parents have complimented Little Lambs’ cleanliness and adult-child interaction. When there is an opening for a child at the day care, Jones calls the parent or parents to come to the center, inspect the facilities and talk to the teachers. The staff wants to be sure that parents recognize Little Lambs as an "environment where parents feel at peace and comfortable with leaving their children."

Noah’s Ark Nurturing Center

Brenda Lynch is the director of Noah’s Ark Nurturing Center. She loves children, likes working with them and enjoys watching them grow in a day-care setting; that is why she completed an associate’s degree in early childhood development.

Noah’s Ark has four qualified teachers, three teacher aides and two directors. The center offers educational activities and toys but does not have structured class sessions.

Brenda Lynch believes that Noah’s Ark is important to the children who attend because it is a Christian day-care center. Many of the families of the children who come to Noah’s Ark do not attend church, so the teachers capitalize on their opportunity to teach the children about Jesus and Christian values.

Noah’s Ark is located in a building that used to house a church, but the day care is not affiliated with any particular denomination.

(To be continued.  Part 2: Preschools)

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[APRIL 10, 2001]  The Illinois Senate gave unanimous approval Friday to legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bob Madigan, to provide assistance to Illinoisans in need of insurance coverage…

Under Senate Bill 1505, the state would create an ombudsman to coordinate information about the various government and non-government insurance plans that are available.

"Many uninsured people, or those who are about to lose their health insurance coverage are simply not aware of the various programs that exist to help them obtain insurance," said Madigan (R-Lincoln). "For example, there are several state programs, such as KidCare and the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, which were specifically created to help those who are uninsured because of an inability to afford coverage."

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Additionally, the ombudsman would provide information on private-sector insurance plans. Madigan’s legislation also would allow counseling for the uninsured in the discovery, evaluation and comparison of options for obtaining health insurance coverage. Counseling could be one-on-one or through public forums.

The Senate approved the proposal on a 55-0 vote, sending the measure to the House for consideration.

[News release]

[APRIL 9, 2001]  Thursday was Elkhart’s Action Planning Session—the fourth meeting of their MAPPING process. For the past three months Nancy Richman and Steve Kline, of the Management And Planning Projects Involving Nonmetropolitan Groups program, have been guiding the community of Elkhart through the planning process for community improvement.

During the first three planning sessions, residents vocalized four main goals for improving their town, listed projects to reach those goals, and prioritized the suggested projects. The agenda for the Action Planning Session was twofold: List informational resources the community needs to begin the projects and plan the presentation for the entire town.

The meeting began with four different groups summarizing the projects they want to implement in the next three to five years in order to reach one of the specific goals. The four groups even separated those projects they definitely plan to pursue from those they hope to pursue.

The first goal the resident planners vocalized is to increase Elkhart’s population. In order to do that, the planners want to bring businesses to the town and expand the town’s utilities for businesses and homes. Other projects the group hopes to work on are advertising and community beautification.

The second goal, high-quality K-12 education, will be met by creating a community task force and ensuring the schools get proper funding. The group hopes to expand technology, begin a tutoring program and add to the extracurricular activities at Elkhart Grade School.

The third goal is to create a stable business environment. The one project slated to reach this goal is a new power generation plant. Other projects the group hopes to begin are a town grocery store and tourist or recreational attractions.

The fourth goal of a competitive, sustainable, convenient community will be met by increasing the amount of family housing. The group also hopes to begin a community day care center and welcome wagon.

Richman and Kline shared with Elkhart’s planners how impressed they were with each group’s detail. Not only had the groups brainstormed many community-improvement projects, but they also vocalized ways of measuring their progress.

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Following the four group reports, Richman and Kline introduced Robin Hanna of Rural Economic Technical Assistance Center (RETAC). RETAC, just like MAPPING, is a branch of Western Illinois University’s Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA). RETAC is a funding resource for small Illinois towns. RETAC does not write checks but tutors communities in economic matters and points them to groups that do write checks.

Hanna’s experiences provide him with ideas for helping communities. Throughout his presentation he shared stories of how other communities accomplished the same goals Elkhart wrote. He described how those towns overcame challenges in the same projects Elkhart envisioned.

Based on Hanna’s funding presentation, the planners noted resources he mentioned that they wanted: guidelines for zoning, information on attracting businesses, plans for developing housing and much more.

During one of the breaks, Lincoln Daily News was able to ask some of the planners why they had become involved in the MAPPING process. Jeff Gustafson, an Elkhart resident for three and a half years, believes that Elkhart is a special town and friendly community with a lot of potential. He sacrificed some of his vacation days from work to help other residents turn Elkhart’s potential into reality.

Another longtime Elkhart resident sees the MAPPING project as a key to the town’s growth. She said that there was a need to pull ideas, because in the past residents have held different opinions about community improvements. She believes that the MAPPING process will help to unify residents around one comprehensive plan.

That theory will be tested in the upcoming town meeting. On Thursday, May 10, the resident planners will present their goals and project ideas to the entire community. The planners hope to rally full community support for their vision and ideas. All Elkhart residents are invited to the 6:30 p.m. meeting at the grade school.

If the town meeting goes as well as all of the planning meetings, Logan County will see Elkhart begin to grow over the next three to five years.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[APRIL 9, 2001]  What do smiling faces and eggs have in common? The annual Easter egg hunt in Elkhart.

This year’s hunt was Saturday, April 7, in the Village Park of Elkhart. Over 950 eggs were hidden for the nearly 75 youngsters to find. Each egg contained candy and, in some cases, certificates for prizes.

Prizes included play dough, bubbles, jumbo boxes of crayons, sidewalk chalk and hula hoops, walkie-talkies, water cannons, assorted board games, and cameras.

Cash prizes included $5, $10 and $20 awards in each of the four age groups.

Les Reeley, village board trustee, chaired the event, with Ann Curry, Charlie Matthews, Cherri Reeley and Hallie Reeley assisting.

Funds for the Easter egg hunt were contributed by the Needs and Goals Club of Elkhart and the village board.

Thanks to the generosity of these volunteers and others, lots of smiles and happy faces were seen throughout Elkhart.

[Dayle Eldredge, village president]

[APRIL 9, 2001]  Take hundreds of youth, place them in a large sunny park and say, "GO!" Then sit back and watch the fun. Within moments kids start popping up with brightly colored plastic eggs filling their baskets. They’re so fast it’s almost like watching the rabbit himself.

With only one rainout in its history, A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education hosted its ninth annual Easter egg hunt at Kickapoo Creek Park Sunday afternoon. The children were divided age groups: ages 1 to 3, 4 to 8 and 9 to 12. In less than 30 minutes the 158 dozen (that’s nearly 2,000) brightly colored plastic eggs ABATE put out had been found. The eggs were filled with certificates and candy. The certificates were turned in for cash, other candies and grab-bag prizes.

ABATE of Illinois is a neutral nonprofit organization that allows all riders to unite in A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. ABATE works to safeguard motorcycling rights, while allowing members to be individuals with different views.

[LDN]

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