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Features
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CFA
and CFA Asset Management
offer varied financial services
[JUNE
6, 2001] Many
financial services, including accounting, investment advice,
insurance and tax preparation, are offered out of the office at 1801
N. Kickapoo.
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CFA
accounting, CFA Asset Management and H & R Block are all located
under the same roof. Dana Sydney and Clarence Barney, individually
or jointly, own all the businesses.
The
two men first joined forces in 1979 when Sydney began working nights
for Barney’s H & R Block franchise in Springfield doing tax
preparation. Then both earned insurance licenses and began selling
insurance contracts under the name Creative Financial Planning. In
1982 Sydney opened Creative Financial Accounting, using the same
name base, but changed it to CFA when an Internal Revenue Service
agent asked just how creative his accounting was. CFA Asset
Management was formed in 1989 to meet the needs of accounting
clients who wanted help choosing investments. At that time both
Sydney and Barney affiliated with H. D. Vest, a Texas firm whose
representatives are all accountants, and were licensed as investment
advisers.
![](../images/060601pics/Dana%20Sydney.jpg)
[Dana Sydney]
Sydney
said his accounting, investment and insurance businesses are all
strongly service-oriented and tailored to the needs of the specific
client. He does not represent any single investment product or
insurance company but is independent and licensed to offer products
from a number of different companies.
Honesty
and straightforwardness are qualities he considers important when
dealing with clients, Sydney said. He takes pride in listening
carefully, tailoring advice to individual needs and making sure
clients understand contracts and services before entering into them.
In
addition to Sydney, CFA employs two bookkeepers, Tina Schneider and
Debra Menzel. Lisa Ramlow, a licensed investment representative,
helps service clients of CFA Asset Management.
Susie
Lawler of Lincoln, a client, said she and her husband, Tom, rely on
Sydney’s advice: "Any time I need to talk to Dana he’s
there, he takes time, he explains and he’s a good friend."
Accounting
clients are both local and from as far away as Charleston. The first
investment clients had previously been accounting clients, but now
some people seek only investment advice.
In
the current economic downturn, Sydney says he advises clients to
buy, not sell. "It’s like going to the grocery store and
buying things on sale," he said. "You follow the basic
concept of ‘Buy low, sell high.’" Despite his confidence
that the market will turn around as it has historically done, Sydney
confesses that the past year, with a 67 percent drop in the NASDAC,
has been his most difficult. His biggest concern is the investors
who have entered the market in the last year and a half. Long-term
investors who have experienced declines and recoveries are less
likely to be alarmed. "Time heals a lot of wounds," he
observed, "especially in the stock market."
![](../images/ads/Key%20Printing/key.gif)
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Jerry
Moore Sr., another client, said that when his employer, PPG, closed,
Sydney guided him in investing the money from his savings plan as
well as family income in subsequent years. As a result his wife,
Mary, was able to retire recently from Lincoln Developmental Center,
and they feel comfortable with that decision. Moore said the couple’s
investments did well during the ’90s, and "we won’t talk
about what’s happened lately" but Sydney helped them see the
decline in their portfolio as a temporary event.
Although
history shows that the market bounces back, Sydney warns that it may
lose some of its resiliency in 2010 when the 78 million baby boomers
begin cashing in some of their investments. At that time he foresees
recommending major changes in clients’ portfolios.
While
accounting and investment advising are 12-month businesses, tax
preparation is concentrated in 3½ months. Sydney said the normal
hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily are extended to about midnight
during tax season. He noted that corporations, partnerships,
businesses and individuals all have set times when taxes are due. He
tries to complete corporate and partnership returns earlier than the
deadline for the convenience of clients who need the information for
their personal returns.
![](../images/ads/neal_tire/neal_04_01_oillube.gif)
Sydney
said he takes pride in whatever investments he recommends, whether
stocks, variable annuities or mutual funds. Factors that enter into
the choice include past performance, management strengths and client
needs. He picks a mutual fund by portfolio contents, past success
and turnover rate.
He
said he is not a predictor of what the market as a whole will do but
is concerned about the return on individual investments. He prides
himself on helping people get the best from what they buy.
Sydney
moved to Lincoln in 1990 when he and Barney built the original
30-by-70-foot facility, which was designed to be expandable. In 1992
and again in 2000 they attached additional 30-by-30-foot sections.
Sydney said there are no plans for further expansion and that it
would occur only if the firms added employees to increase services.
Sydney’s
wife, Anne, is a registered nurse in emergency care at Abraham
Lincoln Memorial Hospital. They have two daughters, Kathryn and
Jennifer.
Sydney
attended Lincoln College and Milton College in Wisconsin and
graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from
California State University at Sacramento in 1977. He also served in
the U.S. Air Force.
[Lynn
Spellman]
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Main
Street receives awards
Lincoln,
a community that’s
improving and celebrating it
[MAY
23, 2001] Main
Street Lincoln won three awards in Springfield on Thursday evening,
May 3, at Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood’s ceremony honoring Illinois Main
Street communities.
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The
awards received by Lincoln included Public Improvements in the
Design category, given for Scully
Park; Business Plan in the Economic Restructuring category,
given for Sew Many
Friends; and Business Expansion in the Economic Restructuring
category, for Grapes and
Grounds.
Attending
the ceremony were Mayor Beth Davis, Main Street Lincoln Board
President Jon Steffens and Program Manager Wendy Bell with her
husband, Terry.
Lincoln
collected more than its share of the rewards. "There are 59
Main Street communities, 43 awards were available, 200 applications
came in," Bell said.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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She
added, "I visit a lot of other Main Street communities, and I
am always glad to come home, because we have so much here we can
share with the world."
Lincoln
and Logan County are in a time of apparent synergism, with
historical, tourism, and new business development planning taking
place on all fronts.
[LDN]
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Scully
Park restoration
[MAY
23, 2001] If
the trees could talk in Scully Park, what a tale they would have to
tell.
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Project
description
Violet
Mary Simpson, daughter of Sir William Simpson, was educated in
England and Paris, France. There she met her husband-to-be, Thomas
Scully, and married in 1924. Scully, heir to a land empire, and
Violet settled in the United States in 1925. Mrs. Scully was known
to be a great philanthropist and gardener. Among other generous
donations, she funded and planned the landscaping for the
county-owned Washington Park. The park sits one block south of the
courthouse square and was renamed for her upon her death in 1976.
The
centerpiece of the park was a beautiful fountain in a large pool
surrounded by formal flower beds. Tragically, a young teenager was
accidentally electrocuted while playing in the fountain during the
mid-’80s. The immediate reaction was to drain the fountain pool
and fill it in with dirt. Consequently, the park became largely
abandoned. "No loitering" signs were put in, the flower
beds turned to weeds, and the plaque for Mrs. Scully on the fountain
fell off.
In
1999, Main Street Lincoln volunteers decided to investigate the
possibility of restoring the fountain. The first phase was to dig
out the pool by hand and, unbelievably, the pool floor was found to
be intact. The project went on Main Street Lincoln’s work plan in
2000. Funding for the $27,000 project was obtained from several
sources. The Logan County Board and the Logan County Parks and
Trails Foundation, which Mrs. Scully also initiated, each gave
approximately 25 percent of the total. The other half came as a
grant from the Woods Foundation, and an extra $100 came from Union
Planters Bank’s ribbon of dollar bills when they opened their new
drive-through across from the park.
Results
The
most important result of this project was the spirit of cooperation
and an increase in civic pride. The groups that funded the project
are unrelated to each other but each was committed to the legacy of
Violet Scully and saw the possibilities of the park.
Local
contractors were used throughout the project. Electricity was moved
and the fountain rewired at a low voltage by Fitzpatrick Electric. P
& W Pool finished the interior of the pool and installed the
fountain. Don Bode, a local welder, designed and built a
wrought-iron fence to surround the perimeter of the pool. This,
combined with all electrical apparatus being housed in a small
blockhouse, should ensure there is never another tragedy to close
the fountain. Bode also designed a wrought-iron gateway sign for the
main entrance. Eight sturdy picnic tables were ordered from Big R
Farm Supply, and not one has disappeared yet. Banners were made by a
local seamstress and hung by our city street crew.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Main
Street Lincoln volunteers replanted the flower beds with donated
perennials, trimmed the overgrown trees and took the "no
loitering" signs down. They trenched the lines for electricity
and replaced and poured concrete where necessary. Four contemporary
streetlights that surrounded the pool were taken down by volunteers
and replaced with new historically sympathetic lighting. Four
heavy-duty trash containers were also added so families picnicking
had a place to dispose of their garbage. Main Street Lincoln
coordinated the entire project and administered the finances.
The
"new" park was dedicated Memorial Day weekend in 2000.
Officials from the Logan County Parks and Trails Foundation, the
Logan County Board, the Woods Foundation, city of Lincoln and Main
Street Lincoln were on hand. More importantly, Violet Scully’s two
sons, Michael and Peter, as well as family from England attended.
Michael and Peter cut the giant violet-colored ribbon at the gateway
while hundreds looked on. Afterwards, a punch-and-cookie reception
was held near the fountain and the first penny was thrown in by Main
Street Lincoln Board President Dale Bassi. The "wishes"
from the fountain are collected when the pool is cleaned and donated
to another Main Street Lincoln project, restoration of the Indian
maiden statue.
Impact
The
impact of the Scully Park restoration was obvious all summer long.
There were people in the park day and evening, when once no one
visited. A neighbor who lives in a second-story downtown apartment
has adopted the flower beds as "her back yard" and is
teaching the neighborhood children to care for them. Downtown
employees routinely eat their lunch in the park. Parents visit with
their children. In the evening, lovers young and old stroll through.
With the gentle sound of water and the scent of roses, it is a
romantic spot; the first wedding was held there this fall.
The
Scully Park restoration is a success story because of the
public-private partnership initiated for the good of the community.
[Main
Street Lincoln]
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Special
award for business plan
Sew Many
Friends
[MAY
23, 2001] Ivy
Koritz and Sue Bidwell did their homework before opening the doors
of "Sew Many Friends," and it shows.
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Project
description
Koritz
and Bidwell were college roommates who maintained their friendship
long after graduation. They each have unique talents but both share
a love of quilting and sewing. The lack of available materials drove
their desire to open a store with adequate supplies. However, with
no retail experience, they took time to study all the options and
learn from the experts.
Koritz
and Bidwell worked with the local SBDC on their initial business
plan and then had the S.C.O.R.E. chapter from Bloomington review it.
They also attended a Business Start Up Seminar hosted by Main Street
Lincoln and put on by the S.C.O.R.E. chapter from Springfield. This
included sessions on SBA loans, marketing, bookkeeping and
small-business banking, as well as more on the business plan.
![](../images/052301pics/sew%20many.jpg)
Their
next step was attendance at Main Street Lincoln’s Business Nexus,
an event to bring prospective business owners and business resources
together. During that time, Main Street held tours of available
property downtown. When Koritz saw the block-glass window, the
breadth of 127 S. Kickapoo and the fact that the property was
located next to a needlework and framing shop, she knew she’d
found their location.
The
final step was to finish their business plan, then use it as a
guideline in opening their business in October 2000. Ivy and Sue
appropriately named their business "Sew Many Friends" to
honor all of the people who had helped and inspired them in planning
the new business.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Results
Having
a quilting supply store next to a needlework and framing shop has
installed an arts-and-craft anchor on a corner of downtown Lincoln.
Both businesses have benefited from the traffic each individual
store brings.
Koritz
notes that their target market area of the surrounding 60 miles is
still their base, but the word is getting out and some people are
coming from even out of state. This is largely due to a "Shop
Hop" that Sew Many Friends was a part of. The Shop Hop features
quilting supply stores throughout a region and then offers special
incentives for quilters to visit all of them. Originally 400 names,
their mailing list now includes 1,000 addresses.
Impact
Besides
the benefit to the business next door, Sew Many Friends offers
services previously unavailable to the area. Their inventory
includes 650 bolts of fabric, as well as batting, threads and
patterns. Lessons are available for the beginner to the experienced
quilter. And for those who have no desire to learn to quilt but want
to snuggle under one, Sew Many Friends has invested in a machine so
they can quilt any design you’d like.
[Main
Street Lincoln]
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Business
expansion project
Grapes and
Grounds
[MAY
23, 2001] After
owning Eckert’s Fine Dining for 2½ years, Jon and Jason Steffens
decided to expand their business to include a fine wine and coffee
shop.
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Project
description
Jon
Steffens said that they view Grapes and Grounds "as a natural
extension of a fine restaurant." Eckert’s Fine Dining
Restaurant is open two days a week, and dining is by reservation
only. Grapes and Grounds is open six days a week, inviting
passers-by to pause for a drink or dessert. When the weather is
conducive, tables and chairs are even placed out on the sidewalk to
encourage customers to relax.
The
new but related business took three months to plan and execute. The
Steffens brothers created a doorway between the restaurant and the
adjoining shop in their building and renovated the empty storefront
to prepare for Grapes and Grounds. During the three months of
preparation, they also searched through distributors to acquire
particular wine and coffee products.
Results
The
result of the Steffenses’ business expansion is very promising.
Grapes and Grounds has increased the visibility of Eckert’s Fine
Dining, which has led to an increase in the number of Lincoln
diners. Prior to Grapes and Grounds, only 15 percent of Eckert’s
customers were from Lincoln. Now Lincoln diners account for 30
percent of Eckert’s customers.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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![](../images/052301pics/grapes%20grounds.jpg)
Impact
Jon
Steffens believes that Grapes and Grounds gives the public "one
more reason to come downtown," as opposed to shopping and
dining in west Lincoln or outside of Lincoln. Grapes and Grounds
adds to downtown’s diversity and complements other businesses.
Next door to the wine and coffee shop is a new bakery—one stop for
customers on their way to work.
Besides
the healthy impact on downtown Lincoln businesses, Grapes and
Grounds will help the Steffens family. Jon Steffens believes that
diversifying is stabilizing agent for businessmen in a small town.
Business at Eckert’s Fine Dining tends to revolve around holidays.
Grapes and Grounds yields steady, year-round business.
Grapes
and Grounds opened just over a year ago and is doing well, so the
Steffenses' business is expanding again. At the time Main Street
nominations were submitted, plans for Eckert’s Bed and Breakfast
were in the works. The bed and breakfast has been open for more than
six months and has one of four planned thematic rooms open, the
Arabian Room.
[Jean
Ann Carnley]
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Announcements
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Illinois
Employment and Training Center
New name,
new address
[APRIL
20, 2001] Congress
repealed the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) June 30, 2000. A
new Workforce Investment Act (WIA) has replaced it. The Logan County
Illinois Employment and Training Center (IETC) now houses two
offices: Illinois Department of Employment and Security Office
(IDES), "the unemployment office," and Logan County
Workforce Office (WIA)
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Effective
April 30, 2001, the offices will be at the following address:
120
S. McLean St., Suite B
Farm
Bureau Building
Lincoln,
IL 62656
The
new e-mail address is ietc@abelink.com.
Phone
and fax numbers remain the same: phone (217) 735-5441 and fax (217)
732-2658.
Staff
members are Fred Wiemer, Rod Lewis and Jan Gleason.
Please
feel free to contact any of the staff for employment and training
services. The staff looks forward to serving you.
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The
Chamber Report
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Upcoming
events
Aug.
24-26 — Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival
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The
Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for community progress, bringing
business and professional people together to work for the common
good of Lincoln and Logan County.
Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce
303
S. Kickapoo St., Lincoln
(217)
735-2385
Fax
(217) 735-9205
www.lincolnillinois.com
chamber@lincolnillinois.com
[Provided
by Bobbi Abbott, executive director of Lincoln/Logan County Chamber
of Commerce]
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Honors
& Awards
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Elizabeth
Drake named columnist for journal
[JUNE
9, 2001] Liz
Drake, radiologic technologist at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital
(ALMH), has been given the privilege of writing as a columnist for
Advance for Radiologic Science Professionals magazine. This journal
is well-known nationwide for its information on state-of-the-art
equipment and ideas in the field of radiology.
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Drake
received this honor after submitting many articles that were
published in the journal and well-received. She is always coming up
with creative new thoughts on the ever-changing world of diagnostic
radiology. Her column, aptly named "X-ray Vision," will
run every other month.
She
has worked at ALMH for nine years and is proud to be giving
something back to her profession.
[ALMH
news release]
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ALMH
names Nurse of the Year
[JUNE
1, 2001] Gary
Auten, RN, has been named Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital’s 2001
Nurse of the Year.
Gary
was nominated by his peers and selected by a committee of ALMH
staff. He has worked as an Emergency Department nurse at ALMH for
over two years.
Gary
lives in Clinton with his wife and three children, Rachel, Emily and
Jacob.
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Zac
Tibbs and Stephanie West
honored by Lincoln Rotary Club
[MAY
17, 2001] LCHS
seniors Stephanie West and Zac Tibbs have been selected by the
Lincoln Rotary Club as two youth who are "Ready for the Real
World." The annual award that recognizes youth demonstrating
exceptional vocational skills and work ethic was presented to the
students and their parents at the May 9 Rotary meeting.
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Stephanie
and Zac were each honored with a plaque and a $250 cash award.
Zac
Tibbs, son of Dennis and Beverly Tibbs of New Holland, owns and
operates his own produce business, which includes production
planning, planting, weeding, harvest, sales and bookkeeping. He has
also served as the assistant superintendent in the Floriculture
Department at the Illinois State Fair for the past two years.
![](../images/051701pics/Zach_Tibbs.jpg)
[Zac Tibbs]
Cherie
Lock and Dave Robson, both from the University of Illinois
Extension, nominated Zac. Robson writes that in his second year
working at the Floriculture Department Zac "took initiative
without needing any reminders and even suggested improvements for a
smoother working environment."
Zac
will study engineering this fall at Southern Illinois University at
Edwardsville.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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![](../images/051701pics/Steph_West.jpg)
[Stephanie West]
Stephanie
West, daughter of Randall and Cynthia West of Lincoln, has been
employed for one year as a nurse’s assistant in the long-term care
facility at The Christian Village. "Stephanie always has a
smile and a soft touch with the residents," says Stephanie’s
supervisor, Deidre Berger, RN. Stephanie says she enjoys helping
others meet their needs for everyday life. She will attend Lincoln
College in the fall to study nursing.
This
is the third year for the Ready for the Real World Award. It was
established to honor young people who demonstrate responsible work
ethics above and beyond what is normally expected for someone in
their teen-age years. One award is given to a young person with
outstanding entrepreneurial skills. The other is awarded to a young
person who has excelled in his or her work for a Logan County
business or agency. Nominations are accepted from the student’s
direct work supervisor and are due each year in March.
The
Lincoln Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at noon at the Restaurant at
the Depot. Membership is open to area professionals nominated by
current Rotary members.
[Rotary
news release]
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ALMH
names May Employee of the Month
[MAY
9, 2001] Congratulations
to Randy Turley, who was named Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital
May Employee of the Month.
Randy
began employment at ALMH as a Care-A-Van driver in February 2000.
Randy and his wife, Tina, have four children—Adam, Chase,
Spencer and Madyson. In his "spare" time, Randy enjoys
playing golf and softball. He also hosts outings for needy
children and families.
According
to Randy’s nominator, "Randy is a true ALMH star! He has
his own fan club at the area nursing homes, comprised of both
staff and residents. He truly cares about everyone—he gives up
his free time to take nursing home residents for Frosties at Wendy’s
and drives through the park. He’s an excellent goodwill
ambassador between ALMH, the physician offices and the long-term
care facilities. If the hospital calls and has a transport in off
hours, he comes in to help if available. Randy’s great sense of
humor has brought smiles to many and brightened many days."
[ALMH
news release]
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Main
Street Corner News
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mailto:manager@mainstreetlincoln.com
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