[APRIL 21, 2001]  Plans for Elementary School District 27’s new Central School are almost complete, and Superintendent Robert Kidd hopes construction on the new building can start in August or September.

[to top of second column in this article]

The kitchen, also on the first floor, will be used to provide meals to Central students and to all other elementary schools in the district, Kidd said. Adams and Jefferson schools have no kitchens, and those at Northwest and Washington-Monroe are old and inadequate. The new middle school will have its own kitchen.

[APRIL 21, 2001]  Approximately 20 Lincoln Christian College students really raised the roof on their spring vacation last week. They literally raised a roof at the newest Logan County Habitat for Humanity house, located near the end of Vine Street in Mount Pulaski. The crew worked from April 5 through April 12.

The students framed up the house, raised the roof, shingled it, installed all the windows and framed the interior rooms. While some workers strived to finish putting siding on the outside, others were putting wallboard up inside during their last hours of service on Thursday. Where the hint of a house to be built had stood only one week earlier, now the neighborhood landscape was changed by the certainty of a bungalow of specific style, shape and color.

The students and other Habitat workers have been well received by the Mount Pulaski community. The following Mount Pulaski churches and organizations supplied lunch for the full-time workers:

•  Catholic Church

•  American Legion Auxiliary

•  ABWA

•  Zion Lutheran Church

•  Christian Church

•  Methodist Church

•  Rotary

[to top of second column in this article]

At the end of the last day the students were presented with T-shirts bearing the Habitat logo. Some of the students pledged to return for the continued regular work hours on the site, saying they really enjoyed doing the work.

George Dahmm, coordinator for the site, says that regular work hours are ready to begin. "From now on we will be working on Saturdays and Mondays. Starting time is about 8:30 a.m., ending late afternoon. We always say, ‘Come when you can and leave when you must.’"

[Jan Youngquist]

[APRIL 20, 2001]  Aaron Ware found his brother, Alan Ware of Atlanta, with a gunshot wound on Wednesday afternoon in Alan’s home. The fatal wound was to the temple. Aaron called Atlanta Police Chief Jim Pinney at 3:06 p.m., and he called Logan County’s Sheriff Tony Soloman. The Illinois State Police have also been called into the investigation.

Logan County’s Coroner Chuck Fricke pronounced Ware dead at 3:26 p.m. He was 40 years old.

The death is under investigation as suspicious. Autopsy results could help in the investigation. This is all the information that has been officially released. According to Logan County State’s Attorney Tim Huyett, further details might compromise the case.

[LDN]

[APRIL 18, 2001]  The Logan County Board voted 9-4 to rescind their Jan. 16 vote to remain at large for purposes of electing board members. The board then voted, also by a 9-4 margin, to adopt the district form of election process.

Before the second vote, for going to districts, a motion was made by Doug Dutz to postpone the vote until a plan prepared by a committee appointed by the board chairman could be developed and presented for board approval. That motion failed.

Opposing the rescission motion and districts proposal were Terry Werth, Dave Hepler, Jim Griffin and Dutz.

According to state law, every 10 years each county must review its election process and vote for any changes that would better serve the public interest.

Dick Logan, board chairman, will now appoint a committee to review the legal guidelines that must be followed when district representative plans are developed. This committee will have until July 1 to present their proposal to the board.

If a plan does not meet with the approval of the board members, then the question is placed with the Illinois attorney general, who establishes a committee including the county's state's attorney, the county clerk and the heads of both major political parties.

Rod White, a longtime proponent of the district form, told members this committee will also have to look at the size of the current board as well as the number of representatives from each district.

"One thing I will oppose," White said, "is any increase in the size of the board."

Paul Gleason told the board that they should also look at the pay that board members receive and reduce it in order to save taxpayers’ money.

Roger Bock, who also has actively supported the district process, along with Lloyd Hellman, asked the board to keep the democratic process in mind when it came time to vote.

[to top of second column in this article]

"This country was developed on the democratic process, and we should listen to the voters," Bock said.

The April 3 nonbinding referendum passed by a 3-1 margin and was successful in all 44 precincts.

The Tuesday night meeting was moved to the third floor courtroom to accommodate a crowd of approximately 60 people who attended the meeting.

In other business, the board also found themselves in the position of manager and operator of the Logan County Airport.

Heritage-In-Flight's current contract as airport manager will expire before its board of directors meeting to approve a request by the county board to extend the contract for a month until new bid requests can be published.

Two bids for manager had been received by the airport committee, one from local businessman Lloyd Mason and the other from HIF.

After a lengthy discussion between Bock, who is chairman of the airport committee, other board members, State’s Attorney Tim Huyett and Mason's attorney, Rick Hobler, the board voted to rebid the position of airport manager.

After the vote, Mason withdrew his bid for the position of airport operator. These duties then fell back on the board, which now must decide how to comply with the Illinois Department of Aeronautics’ requirements, including a five-day, 40-hour-a-week service, access to phones and restrooms, and airplane fueling services.

[Fuzz Werth]

[APRIL 17, 2001]  The double-wide trailer sits on Lazy Row in Atlanta. The tall, painfully thin transmission tower that is sending songs throughout central Illinois stands in quiet vigilance next to the structure. A chain-link fence surrounds the graveled property waiting to be covered in asphalt when the weather is good enough. Inside the building, workers toil to assemble modular furniture as plumbing, electrical and carpeting tasks wait to be completed.

Inside the trailer, Jim Ash sits at a desk surrounded by enough electronic equipment to set at ease the mind of a Hollywood director preparing to film a movie about NASA.

An observer can tell that Ash, always civil, is preoccupied with a hundred different tasks still to be done. Always with his sense of humor and his calm, collected way, he states that things are going good. At least the ones that he has a handle on today.

While we visit, WMNW, at 96.3 on the FM dial, is transmitting an old 1980s ballad—the singer lost to this writer. Sitting surrounded by equipment, Ash writes in a notebook of things to do today, as a welcomed but not needed visitor asks him endless questions.

The station, an affiliate of the American Broadcasting Company, garners a satellite feed from another source and retransmits it into central Illinois businesses, homes and cars as we chat.

Ash explains that the signal went on the air late Friday and is already beaming to listeners throughout McLean, Logan and Sangamon counties. An untrained eye asks him if the equipment is familiar to him from his two decades in the radio business at WPRC in Lincoln and WUIS in Springfield. "Actually this system is a great deal more complex and sophisticated than any I have dealt with before," Ash says.

K and M Communications, located in Skokie, owns the new station preparing to make sound waves in the heart of Illinois. "I expect them [the owners] to visit sometime this week and see how the building is progressing," Ash states with chagrin. "Hopefully we will have everything done in a few days and can concentrate on refining our format and developing a core of listeners."

[to top of second column in this article]

I asked if local advertisers had yet become part of the new station. Looking at a screen of hieroglyphics, Ash said, "In two minutes a commercial for Precision Products will run." After waiting for the moment, it sounded good to hear the familiar voice of Jim Ash talking about a local company having a giant yard sale next weekend.

Ash has hired two employees, Tamara Turner and Jeff Benjamin, to be jacks-of-all-trades for the station. He was quick to point out that early advertisers on the fledgling station would receive excellent introductory prices on ads. Ash, always involved in the community, asked that it be known that WMNW is always available to broadcast public service announcements for the good of the community.

As this writer prepared to leave, I became aware of the tracks left on the floor from shoes muddied entering the trailer. Ash, as always, just smiled and went back to his notebook.

Note: Individuals interested in making comments, having questions answered or inquiring about advertising can contact WMNW at (217) 648-5510.

[Mike Fak]

[APRIL 16, 2001]  The Logan County Board will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. to vote to rescind their vote to stay at large. This vote follows the April 3 referendum, in which voters indicated by a 3-1 margin that they wanted representatives elected by districts.

At their working session Thursday night, board member Dale Voyles made a motion to rescind the vote, which was seconded by Beth Davis. In addition to Voyles and Davis, Lloyd Hellman, Roger Bock, Rod White and Paul Gleason also voted to rescind the vote.

Cliff Sullivan stated he would have to vote "no" since a plan was not in place and he wouldn't know what he was voting for.

Other board members indicating they would vote "no" were T.W. Werth, Dave Hepler and Jim Griffin.

White, who assisted in spearheading a petition drive to place the nonbinding referendum on the ballot, told the board that if they rescinded their earlier vote and voted in favor of districts, Dick Logan, board chairman, would then appoint a committee to develop a plan for district elections.

"If that committee is unable to come to a decision by July 1st," White said, "then the question would then be passed to the Illinois attorney general for resolution."

White said that if a plan cannot be developed by that office, then the process would revert to the present at-large system.

All counties in Illinois currently elect their representatives from districts with the exception of six, of which Logan is the largest.

According to White, some of the issues the committee will address are whether to have multi-representative or single-representative districts, the size of the board and also whether to elect the board chairman.

[to top of second column in this article]

Gleason told the board that if the vote passes and a committee is established, two things are needed for a plan to be successful.

"One," Gleason said, "is to appoint people who can use their heads, and secondly they should have no vested interest in the outcome of the district plan."

Other matters before the board Thursday night were current contracts to be let for the operation of the airport.

Bock, chairman of the airport committee, presented the board with three contracts to be voted on.

Local businessman Lloyd Mason, who had submitted a bid for the position of fixed base operator, was in attendance with his attorney, Rick Hobler.

Hobler disagreed with some of the processes the airport committee used and indicated any changes should go back to the committee for discussion prior to the entire board voting.

Tim Huyett, state's attorney, who also attended the meeting, said that in his opinion the airport committee did not legally have to re-discuss any of the issues before the vote on those issues.

[Fuzz Werth]

[APRIL 11, 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 Part 1: Day care]

Preschools

Just as there are misconceptions about day care, there are false notions about preschool as well. First of all, day care and preschool are two different things. Day care lasts all day long, but preschool is a two- or three-hour program that teaches children through play. Whether or not the young students are aware of it, preschool teachers have a curriculum. In addition to specific learning goals, preschool also strengthens children’s socialization skills for kindergarten and grade school.

Some parents may not think that preschool is important, but from birth to age 5, children have a voracious learning appetite. Preschool teachers can give children experiences parents might not consider.

Listed below are brief descriptions of preschools found in Logan County.

Carroll Catholic Preschool

Sharon Cahill is the preschool and kindergarten teacher for Carroll Catholic School. Cahill has a K-9 education degree, lots of early childhood experience and other education courses. She is an early childhood teacher because she enjoys being with small children.

Carroll Catholic began its preschool and kindergarten after establishing its grade school. This year, the preschool class has 14 students. Sharon Cahill believes that one advantage of Carroll’s preschool is that students have the same teacher for both preschool and kindergarten—familiarity is good for young children.

Carroll’s preschool’s curriculum includes letter and number recognition. Each month, the lesson theme varies. Cahill is confident that Carroll "offers a good program," which is religiously based. As far as she can tell, her students enjoy coming to preschool to learn. She also believes that Carroll’s prices are reasonable.

Carroll has been accepting applications for the 2001-2002 school year since the end of January. They will continue to take applications until the class is full and then begin a waiting list.

Child Development Center

See last week’s story for information on the Child Development Center.

Christian Nursery School

Nancy Wright is one of Christian Nursery School’s two preschool teachers. Wright has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. The other teacher is still working on her early childhood degree but is teacher-certified according to DCFS standards.

Wright has always wanted to teach. She teaches in Lincoln Christian Church’s preschool program because she sees it as a ministry to teach children in a good environment and help the children’s families.

Founded in 1974, Christian Nursery School offers four classes of 20 students each that are divided into two different education levels. The younger students have classes on Tuesday and Thursday. The older students have classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each class is offered in the morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and in the afternoon from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Some of the school’s children attend Christian Child Care when they are not in the nursery school.

Being Christian based, the school teaches Bible stories along with colors, numbers and other prerequisites for kindergarten, Wright says. The lessons are not highly structured. The facilities have plenty of room and nice equipment. Wright mentioned an additional feature parents like: Christian Nursery School also offers hearing, vision, speech and developmental screening for their students. Overall, Wright believes the nursery school is "a really fun school that everyone seems to enjoy."

Christian Nursery School began taking applications for the upcoming school year in March. They will continue accepting applications until the classes are filled, and then they will begin a waiting list.

New Wine Christian Preschool

New Wine Fellowship began its education program with just a grade school—first to 12th grade. About 20 years ago, New Wine added a kindergarten and preschool. A few years after that, they began Little Lambs Day Care.

New Wine’s preschool is divided into two classes. Three-year-olds meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Four-year-olds meet at the same time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Both classes have about seven children. If the number of children in either of the classes increases significantly, the school plans to add another teacher to the class.

Betty Sims is the preschool and kindergarten teacher at New Wine. She has been teaching for 30 years in public and private schools. Her degree is in reading, so the curriculum focuses on reading.

[to top of second column in this section]

Sims appreciates the enthusiasm she sees in young children when they are learning. "I enjoy working with young children and feel I can accomplish something in working with them," she says.

The school’s principal, Mrs. Bennett, highlighted two aspects of the preschool that she believes parents appreciate. The first characteristic is that the preschool does emphasize reading in the curriculum, and that is such an important foundation for all future learning. The second aspect of New Wine’s preschool is that they have a day-care center connected to the school, so that parents do not have to worry about shuttling their children between school and day care.

New Wine will begin taking preschool applications on May 1 for the next school year. They will accept applications until the classes are full and then start a waiting list.

Zion Lutheran Preschool and Pre-K, Lincoln

Zion Lutheran’s preschool and pre-kindergarten were started along with the grade school in 1973. Sara Sielaff and Diane Krueger teach the preschool and pre-kindergarten children.

Teacher Sielaff has a degree in elementary education. She loves teaching and has an education background. She said she is involved in preschool at this time because she has a preschooler herself.

Krueger, the assistant, completed three years of college, has about 20 years of early childhood experience and is licensed for preschool education. She loves children, particularly at the preschool age, because they are so "enthusiastic, energetic and they absorb everything." Krueger appreciates being able to share God’s love with her students. Overall, the teacher assistant believes her job is fun, and she says, "Sara is a great teacher."

Zion offers two levels of early childhood education: a preschool for 3-year-olds and pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds. The preschool is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:20 to 11 a.m. The pre-K is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:20 to 11:10 a.m.

Fred Krueger, administrator and principal at Zion Lutheran School, believes that his school offers a quality early childhood program with dedicated teachers. The adult-to-child ratio is 2-15. If more than 15 children apply, the school creates an afternoon preschool and pre-K class.

Zion began accepting preschool and pre-K applications for next school year on April 2, and will continue to accept them throughout the summer.

Zion Lutheran Preschool, Mount Pulaski

Zion Lutheran School of Mount Pulaski is proud of their 150-year history. They began a preschool 28 years ago for children ages 2 to 5.

Two-year-olds have preschool one day a week, on Thursday afternoons, from 1 to 2:45 p.m. Children who are 3 to 5 years old may attend preschool two days a week (Tuesday or Thursday) or three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Four- and 5-year-olds also have the option of doing both sessions and attending preschool all five days. All of these sessions are from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Zion has one part-time teacher and one part-time teacher’s assistant. The teacher, Wilma Droegemueller, has an elementary teaching degree. She also teaches sixth to eighth grade at the school part-time. The teacher’s assistant has a college degree also.

Droegemueller "enjoys being able to have the opportunity to bring God’s Word into the lives of children along with academic knowledge and social growth." She believes the school’s philosophy of education is a good reason to choose their school: Christian upbringing and the education of children is a responsibility, privilege and opportunity that Zion Lutheran has to share with parents. Their philosophy is why they have had a school for a century and a half.

Zion accepts applications at any time of the year, but they are having a specific Night of Registration. If you are interested in attending the registration night, on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m., please call the school at (217) 792-5715 or Wilma Droegemueller at (217) 792-3359.

Click here for a chart that compares other aspects of the centers. We hope this will be useful in finding the best care and education for your child or children. The centers’ locations and phone numbers are listed below the chart.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

Illinois Route 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 Route 10.  Anyone 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, which begins July 1, 2001, include improvements on 43 miles of roads and eight 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 Mason County line to just west of Kickapoo Creek.

The local projects announced Tuesday for the fiscal year 2002, five-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.

[to top of second column in this article]

The following projects are in Logan County are scheduled for the fiscal year 2001:

•  $3.78 million for 4.26 miles of road resurfacing, riprap and bridge cleaning on Interstate 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 I-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 I-55 from I-55 BL to I-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 I-55 (Business) (Kickapoo Street) from Lincoln Parkway to Keokuk Street in Lincoln.

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

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

•  $1 million for 6.15 miles of road resurfacing, intersection reconstruction, utility adjustments and land acquisition on 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 riprap on Jefferson Street over I-55, near Elkhart.

[LDN]

[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.

[to top of second column in this article]

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 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."

[to top of second column in this section]

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!

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.

[Jean Ann Carnley]

[click here for Part 2]

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