[MARCH 16, 2001]  Turris Coal Mine's petition to build an overland conveyor belt met with no opposition at a working session of the Logan County Board Thursday night.

Board members indicated by a vote of 13-0 that they would approve the plan at their regular meeting, which will be Tuesday, March 20.

Harold Jouett, zoning officer, told members no one showed up for public hearings March 13 in Elkhart.

Roger Dennison, representing Turris, told Planning and Zoning Committee members on March 7 that it would take approximately nine months for the mine to obtain the necessary permits from the state, and the conveyor would be up and running in four years at the earliest.

Dennison was also available Thursday night to answer any questions the board had about the project.

T.W. Werth, liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, told members that the chamber voted to stay neutral on the upcoming April 3 referendum seeking voters' opinions on whether the board, in the future, should be elected by the current at-large system or change to election by districts based upon population.

In other business, Mark Smith, economic development director, told the board he felt the property at the Logan County Airport was underutilized.

"We need to look at the property and determine its suitability for development into an industrial park," Smith said.

The airport, located on the northwest side of Lincoln, has been talked about in the last year as a possible site for a golf course. Nothing has materialized for further development of this idea.

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Paul Gleason, chairman of the Work Force Investment Committee, told the board that the Job Training Office on Lincoln Avenue would be moving, since the property has been sold.

Gleason said that current plans are to move the office to the Farm Bureau Building, but details still needed to be worked out.

"Ideally, we would like to eventually see the office at the Logan County Health Department so that we would have a one-stop location for individuals," Gleason said.

Recent restructuring of the Work Force Investment Program now allows people to apply for unemployment compensation at the Lincoln office rather than driving to Springfield to file their application.

The board also asked the Finance Committee to look into the structuring of the funds obtained by their November vote to increase the motel/hotel tax by 1 percent. The money is divided by the Tourism Council and Main Street to help fund the Looking For Lincoln project. The funds are to be given to the Tourism Council, and Main Street would then submit an itemized bill for reimbursement.

Some confusion exists about when the billing by Main Street should begin, since the tax revenue has not yet been received.

[Fuzz Werth]

[MARCH 16, 2001]  Four out of five car seats are used wrong. Could yours be one of them? In the U.S. during 1996, 1,813 fatalities were reported for children 14 and under in motor vehicle crashes. Of these deaths, 37 percent were children 4 and under. You are invited to get your child's car seat checked on March 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Logan County Health Department will have car safety seat inspections at the Lincoln Community High School in conjunction with the Community Health Fair. Call 735-2317 today to schedule your appointment. Jimmy John's Sub Shop is sponsoring this attraction.

[click here for more information about the health fair]

[MARCH 16, 2001]  A series of thefts in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 15, is under investigation. There are no suspects yet, but police believe that one person or group is responsible for all of the crimes.

The first vehicle, a pickup truck, parked at the owner’s residence in the 500 block of Tremont, was entered through the rear sliding door. It is estimated that $400 worth of property was stolen: a radio, duffle bag, four clothing items, prescription sunglasses, two flashlights and a disposable camera.

The second vehicle had an AM/FM CD player stolen. To gain entry, the suspects forced entry to the side door of the ’93 Jeep, which was parked in front of the owner’s residence in the 300 block of Tremont. The radio is worth about $100.

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Two cars were broken into in a residential parking lot on the 100 block of S. Logan St. One vehicle, a truck, had a CD player removed; the suspects removed the dash cover to take the $200 unit.

The other vehicle, a van, had a radar detector removed. The detector is worth about $100.

If you have any information about these crimes, please contact the Lincoln Police Department at 732-2151 or Crime Stoppers at 732-3000.

[MARCH 16, 2001]  The Lincoln Public Library District announces that it has reached an agreement with Landmark Audiobooks of Boulder, Colo., to expand the library’s collection of books on tape.

 The library will lease 248 audiobooks per year over a five-year period and make them available for checkout. Library Director Richard Sumrall anticipates that the program will initially begin with 124 new audiobooks delivered to the library every six months. After each six-month period the old audiobooks will be returned to Landmark and 124 new titles will be selected and offered.

For more information on this service, visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-8878.

[Lincoln Public Library District news release]

[MARCH 14, 2001]  Tuesday night’s Lincoln City Council meeting was opened with a request from the Police Department. Police Chief Richard Ludolph addressed the council about applying for a grant that is being offered. The COPS (Community Oriented Police Service) More 2001 Grant has $81 million available for technology and computer development. Individual departments are eligible to apply for $250,000 grants, with 25 percent matching funds to be provided by the department. Police departments that have never received these funds are the only ones eligible this round.

With grant funding, officers could have portable laptop systems in their cars so that they could get information and make their entries from the field. Making the upgrade would allow for more on-street policing, Chief Ludolph pointed out. Officers would not have to come back in and make their entries.

The upgrade would involve purchasing new hardware and software that would fully integrate all of the offices and systems that track an arrest. The states attorney’s office and county probation office have been approached about participating in the technology upgrade and have agreed to share the cost of matching funds required.

Officer Paul Adams, computer adviser for the police, explained some of the details.

The money would be used to buy new systems and software that would integrate four to five different systems used by the police, sheriff’s department, state’s attorney’s office, city and county clerks’ offices, and the county probation office. The mobile computing system would integrate all the systems.

Right now, when an officer makes an arrest, the citation is brought in, it is entered into the Jail Management System, then it goes to the city clerk’s office for processing, then to the states attorney’s office, then the county probation office. Getting a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system will make all departments more efficient. It will also supply on-the-field information.

The department has three deadline opportunities — March 23, April 6 and 20 — with each later date less likely to receive the grant. The department must have a written agreement for matching funds before submitting. It is recognized that sharing the costs with the two other county offices will help reduce the cost.

Officer Adams said they are currently seeking proposals for the equipment, and he hopes that they will be ready to meet the April 6 deadline with the city’s support for the project.

The city police committee will discuss it further at their 6:30 p.m. meeting on April 2.

Alderman Melton spoke briefly about the proposed new sewer treatment plant upgrades. He said the possible residential billing increase of $6.42 per resident may be deceiving. He said it was just a figure provided by the company based on the number of residential users with 6,000 hook-ups. It does not take industry contributions into consideration, as no rate for industry was provided. "If and when we consider a rate increase, we’d like people to ask questions. Hopefully there won’t be a rate increase," he added.

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It is time to start planning for Arbor Day. The city has made a special effort to celebrate Arbor Day the past eight years. Alderman Fuhrer and City Streets Department Director Donnie Osborne are looking for suggestions. People who have suggestions are asked to contact Fuhrer or Osborne. Trees have been planted at nursing homes and schools the past couple of years. The Lincoln Community High School Honor Society is ready to offer their assistance in planting more trees again this year.

The landfill will have extended hours for the start of spring. Donnie Osborne announced that last year’s added hours were so successful the facility will do it again this year. The landfill will be open for landscape waste deposit seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning Sunday, April 1, through Saturday, April 14.

Bids opened

• Two bids for the annual city audit were received and opened. Lawrence Travis & Co. of Virden  offered a fee not to exceed $15,200. Pandofi of Springfield bid a sum not to exceed $17,500.

• Bids were opened for a new rescue-pumper truck for the fire department. American LaFrance of Troy, bid $260,677 net, warranted; Central States of Pekin, $273,031; Pierce of Appleton, Wis., $255,095 with trade; Smeal, AEC of Springfield, $274,979. Captain Mark Miller requested that they have time to look over the vehicles and bids before making a recommendation on which bid to accept.

• A bid was received for work on two streets. R.A. Cullinan & Son of Tremont put in a bid of $94,245. The bid is for Clinton Street between the Illinois Central Railroad and McLean Street, and for Tremont Street between Clinton and Sheridan streets.

There is to be a meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 7, to discuss the annual budget. Mayor Ritter requests that all department heads have their annual budgets submitted by then.

Alderman Glenn Shelton set 6:15 p.m., Monday, March 19, for the next meeting of the bed and breakfast committee.

The request for a one-way alley to become two ways between Broadway and Pulaski had no further discussion.

The council heard a request from a property owner to place monitoring wells on the property at 1101 Woodlawn. The IEPA requires properties with previous underground storage leakage to install monitoring wells. The location for the wells is on the city right of way.

The council adjourned until next week’s Monday session, with new radio operators union contract proposals handed out to be reviewed in a legislative meeting.

[Jan Youngquist]

[MARCH 13, 2001]  At a public hearing Monday night at City Hall, representatives of Environmental Management Corporation explained their proposal for a sewer system upgrade and fielded questions about odor, seepage and health hazards.

Carl Alsbach, EMC project manager, said the wastewater treatment project is designed to meet new permit requirements, address safety issues and provide more treatment capacity. The city must renew its permit in the fall, and design standards, including limits for ammonia discharge, have become stricter since the last review.

Alsbach said all elements of the sewage system have reached or exceeded design capacity. The flow during the three lowest flow months of the year, for example, should not exceed 80 percent but is at 88 percent. No violations have yet occurred, but concentration of waste has increased significantly in the last three years.

Based on construction, operation and maintenance costs, Joe Pisula of Donohue & Associates engineering firm recommended a single-stage activated sludge processor with primary clarifiers. Alsbach likened a primary clarifier to a big settling tub; the remaining waste then goes into aeration, where it is biologically broken down.

Estimated initial cost of the project is $10.5 million. To pay this cost, the city will use sewer reserve funds, apply for an Illinois First grant and seek an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) low-interest loan.

If the city borrowed $12 million and repaid all of it from charges to residential customers, the monthly sewer rate would jump $6.42, from $11 to $17.42. However, Alsbach said several factors are expected to lower that figure. First, the amount of the loan is expected to be lower, and further cost savings are being sought. Second, commercial and industrial users will incur some of the cost increase.

Third, Lincoln and Logan Correctional Centers will pay some of the bill. Following a study that showed the two facilities produce 40 percent of the waste load, the Department of Corrections committed to lowering the prisons’ concentration of waste and to paying a penalty if they exceed limits, Mayor Joan Ritter said. The city and Department of Corrections are negotiating how much of the cost the DOC will bear. The city must determine rate increases before it gets approval for the project. By that time the DOC share must be agreed on.

Questions from the public concerned seepage, odor and health hazards. Roger Bay, president of Lincoln Lakes Condo Association, asked about lining the nearby sludge lagoon with a membrane to prevent seepage. Pisula said an impermeable clay liner is preferable because a membrane may be punctured during cleaning. Grant Eaton, treatment plant manager, said the lagoon is currently clay lined.

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Alsbach emphasized that to meet environmental standards the berm containing the lagoon will be raised above the 100-year flood level. The IEPA, in its preliminary report, found no significant environmental impact of the waste treatment project.

Acknowledging that any wastewater treatment plant creates an odor, Alsbach said he cannot predict whether it will increase or decrease. Pisula said odor control facilities could nearly double the cost of the project.

Eaton said a major cause of odor is Lincoln’s combined sewer system, which connects storm sewers with sanitary sewers for wastewater. In dry weather when the flow of water is slow, waste decays in the six and seven foot sewers, causing odor. He said it is impracticable to flush the system because doing so would require tens of thousands of gallons of water.

The odor does not indicate a threat to health, according to Alsbach. Hydrogen sulfide, the "rotten egg" odor, can be smelled at concentrations much lower than the IEPA has determined to be a health hazard.

Alsbach said the wastewater treatment project is a 20-year plan, assuming population grows by one-half percent per year and there is some commercial growth. The long-range plan includes repairing four pump stations: Jefferson Street, Singleton, Lincolnwood and South Plant.

When possible, the project incorporates existing facilities. Pisula said aeration tanks installed in 1977 and upgraded in 1992 are in good shape and will be used. The rock trickling filter, which dates from 1935, will be used for storage tanks.

Alsbach said the sewage treatment system must be improved to protect jobs and city revenues. If the city violates ammonia discharge limits, the IEPA could stop new housing or industry from hooking onto the sewer system.

Anyone wishing to comment on the sewage treatment proposal has 15 days from March 12 to submit a written response to the IEPA.

[Lynn Spellman]

[MARCH 13, 2001]  The Pink Shutter Thrift Shop will celebrate their relocation with a 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting and a grand opening from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at their new location, 114 N. McLean St.

The Pink Shutter, owned and operated by the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, has been in operation since 1962.

The Pink Shutter’s new location offers many more display areas and is closer to the main shopping area of Lincoln. A special feature is the handicapped-accessible parking area at the rear of the store. Also, this area is much more convenient for people dropping off their donations.

All funds generated from sales at the Pink Shutter Thrift Shop are used for the auxiliary’s present hospital pledge — a birthing room in the new Obstetrics Department.

[News release]

[MARCH 12, 2001]  Richard Sumrall takes justifiable pride in building additions, increased circulation figures and expansion of non-print materials during his tenure as director of Lincoln Public Library.

An open house Sunday, March 11, at the library celebrated Sumrall’s 10 years of service to the Lincoln community. "He's the best librarian we've ever had," said trustee Eileen Morris. "He's good with people and very civic-minded."

During Sumrall's tenure circulation has increased from about 72,000 items per year in 1991 to nearly 112,000 in 2000. Non-print formats now include books on tape, videos, CD-ROMs for adults and children, and electronic and online databases. Installation of a wireless system for computers has increased efficiency and saved taxpayers’ money, he reported.

Sumrall’s philosophy of library service is three-pronged. "The library should be the first resource for any person in the community, whether it be for ready reference or for lifelong learning," he said. Second, it should be "the preschooler’s door to learning and reading." And third, it should provide a fun place for readers who enjoy popular materials.

A hands-on administrator, Sumrall works in reference and at the circulation desk in addition to his administrative duties. Working on the floor enables him to keep in touch with patrons and to understand working conditions of the staff, he said.

During Sumrall’s tenure the library has experienced major changes in institutional autonomy, facilities and collection.

Soon after his arrival trustees and staff worked with Lincoln city government to pass a referendum that transformed the city library into a public library district. As a result, trustees are now elected instead of appointed by the mayor, making the library more directly responsible to voters.

In March 1995 the Annex officially opened. The collection and services had outgrown the Carnegie building, Sumrall said. The Annex approximately doubled available space and made possible two more rooms for public meetings, one in the Annex and the Donna Pegram Meeting Room in the former children’s library. The Pegram Room accommodates 110 people and has a kitchen for serving refreshments.

Also in 1995 a handicapped entrance was added at the rear of the Carnegie building. Subsequently, extensive work restored the turn-of-the-century elegance of the building, including repair and replacement of period tiling in the entrance, new lighting, carpeting and paint. In addition, the stained glass dome was cleaned, repaired and lighted.

Sumrall arrived when many projects were in the planning stage, said Carol Frantz, vice president of the board of trustees, and his efficiency and knowledge made the work go smoothly. "He made the board's job easy," agreed President Bill Vinyard.

In building the collection, Sumrall has concentrated on nonfiction for adults and children in order to make the library "more than just a repository for pop fiction." He has added reference works as well as individual titles.

While the local library has grown, so has the Rolling Prairie Library System with which it is affiliated. Sumrall recalls when Lincoln Public Library was the only Lincoln library cataloged by Rolling Prairie. Now the collections of Lincoln College, Lincoln Community High School and Lincoln Elementary District No. 27 are listed in the Rolling Prairie database. Lincoln Christian College is on another statewide database linked to Rolling Prairie’s.

With the addition of Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) computers, library patrons can learn not only whether the local collection has an item and where it is but also similar information for any title in the approximately 120 libraries in the system. Altogether, the catalog contains over a million listings.

Besides its Rolling Prairie affiliation, Lincoln Public Library holds institutional membership in the American Library Association and Illinois Library Association.

Sumrall’s professional responsibilities include coordinating the programs and services overseen by three department supervisors: Sue Rehtmeyer in adult services, Deb De Jarnette in circulation services and Pat Schlough in youth services. In addition, he is in charge of collection development for adults and works closely with Schlough on the children’s collection. He also assists reference librarian Caroline Kiest.

Reference questions run the gamut of information and require familiarity with many research tools. Among questions fielded are the meaning of the MGM motto ars gratia artis (art for art’s sake), Lincoln’s longitude and latitude (89 degrees, 22’ W, 30" and 40 degrees, 9’ N, 47"), and the original symbol for Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes (Tony the Tiger, Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant and Newt the Gnu, with only Tony the Tiger surviving after one year).

Raised in Mobile, Ala., Richard Sumrall is the son of Laverne and the late Henry R. Sumrall. His mother and family friend Odell Siebert attended the open house. He has one brother, David.

In 1976 Sumrall began working at Mobile Public Library while studying history at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in 1980 he was promoted to full time in the special collections department. In 1985 he became assistant archivist for the City of Mobile Municipal Archives Department. He earned his Master of Library Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

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When he moved to Lincoln in March 1991, Sumrall said his only adjustment problem was to the size of the city. By comparison, Mobile is twice as large as Springfield. From the start he felt at home with the people. "People here in central Illinois are more Southern than they are Northern," he said, quickly adding that the statement was intended as a compliment. He said he feels lucky to have come here: "I consider being hired here one of the luckiest breaks of my life. I have thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy living in Lincoln and working at this library."

Noting that American libraries are locally driven, Sumrall said that collections need to be strong on issues of local interest. He reports being "absolutely panic-stricken" when he first saw Lincoln’s collection on the Civil War because in Mobile he fielded questions on that era every day. He soon learned that the Civil War is not as hot a topic in Lincoln.

Here Sumrall said he selects many materials on agricultural issues such as pesticides and ground water. He believes Lincoln has an excellent collection of Abraham Lincoln biographies and aims to buy "any book that covers any aspect of Lincoln’s life." He also emphasized the local history and genealogy collection, including materials on surrounding counties, especially early Sangamon County because Logan County was formed from Sangamon.

Because community values are important in selecting library materials, the board of trustees suggested soon after Sumrall arrived that he get involved in community activities. He quickly became active in the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club. In the chamber he serves on the Government/Education and Technology committees. He co-chairs the Main Street Economic Restructuring Committee and this year serves on the Logan County Health Department’s Healthy Families Task Force.

Sumrall is a member of Risky Business investment club. He enjoys exploring both Kickapoo Creek Park and Edward Madigan State Park. Although his reading interests fluctuate between fiction and nonfiction, for the last few years he has concentrated on nonfiction — especially history, science and nature.

Libraries will never be outdated, Sumrall said, because of the educational resources they provide. He noted that people can become overwhelmed by technology, so the library staff is trained in its use. A frequent comment from patrons is, "I went on the Internet, and there’s nothing there." However, staff members can often find the needed information quickly using such resources as the 18 databases of the Illinois State Library’s First Search system.

Working in a library requires a combination of people skills and technical expertise. Sumrall said he looks for ability to deal effectively with the public, computer familiarity, understanding of the Dewey Decimal classification system, and ability to use indices and tables of contents to locate information.

Although Sumrall has occasionally received objections to content in books and magazines, he says Lincoln is an "incredibly tolerant community" in which people may disagree with some selections but still respect others’ right to read as a personal choice. While he believes that no one has a right to say what others should read, Sumrall’s personal guidelines for selection include consideration of community standards.

Lincoln Public Library has encountered enough problems with overdue books that Sumrall has called on the state’s attorney’s services. Library materials are taxpayers’ property, and the library loses several thousand dollars a year in cost of materials and processing. The problem, he said, is not the materials that are returned late but those that are not returned at all. Therefore late fines are lenient: a seven-day grace period, a nickel a day per item with a $2.50 cap and cancellation of fines for special circumstances.

Sumrall said the library does not have a problem with vandalism and therefore needs no security system. The low photocopy charge of 10 cents per page makes theft of single pages less appealing, he said.

Any patron problems caused by dividing the collection between the Carnegie building and the Annex were short-lived. According to Sumrall, once users adjusted to what was where they found their comfort zone either in the more popular and noisier Annex or in the Carnegie’s quiet haven for reading and study.

In the future Sumrall expects to "continue to expand the marriage of print and non-print materials." He will investigate hand-held electronic readers and downloading capacity for electronic books. In fact, Lincoln Public Library has already participated in Stephen King’s e-book project, paying $1 per chapter to download the book, then binding the six chapters in a volume for patron use.

Besides embracing technological changes, Sumrall plans to continue to respond to social issues with new materials and services. He says he looks forward to another decade in Lincoln as successful as the first.

[Lynn Spellman]

[MARCH 12, 2001]  Sunday, March 11, was a big day for the town of Hartsburg. Over 300 people attended the 100th anniversary of the Hartsburg Bank.

 The bank served lunch at the Hartsburg Legion Hall, and at 2:30 p.m. there was a "Looking Forward to the Future" ceremony at the bank. Bernard E. Behrends and Jeanne (Van Gerpen) Pokorski, descendants of Berend R. Behrends and Claus Van Gerpen, were introduced to the guests. Bernard and Jeanne then introduced the other family members who attended the ceremony.

Before 1901 Berend R. Behrends was a successful farmer near Hartsburg, and Claus Van Gerpen was the owner of C. Van Gerpen General Merchandise Store. On March 11, 1901, they entered into a partnership agreement to establish a private banking enterprise called Bank of Hartsburg. The bank began with $10,000 capital stock and each partner owning an equal share. Berend Behrends served as president, and Claus Van Gerpen was vice president. Claus' son Daniel was named cashier. The bank was originally on the north end of Van Gerpen General Merchandise, a one-story brick building.

In 1913 Berend Behrends died, and the remaining partners purchased his share, according to the provisions of the partnership agreement. The bank prospered, and Daniel Van Gerpen, son of Claus, remained an integral part of the bank for over 49 years. Klaas Behrends, son of Berend, was a director of the bank for 47 years.

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The Bank of Hartsburg remained privately owned until 1913, when it became a state-chartered bank. Claus and Daniel Van Gerpen and Klaas Behrends applied for the charter and were given permission to sell $30,000 of capital stock in 300 shares of $100 each. The shares were sold to 30 individuals in the Hartsburg Community. The bank was renamed Hartsburg State Bank.

The first board of directors of Hartsburg State Bank was composed of Claus Van Gerpen, president; James H. Butler, vice president; Daniel Van Gerpen, cashier; David G. Gilchrist; and Klaas Behrends.

Today, Bernard E. Behrends, grandson of Berend R. Behrends, serves as chief executive officer of the bank. John Russell is president; Paul Leesman, vice president; Brenda Hieronymus, cashier; Barbara Imming, assistant cashier; and Connie Sherwood, teller.

[Kathleen McCullough]

[MARCH 10, 2001]  Team Express is having their grand opening and open house today. The business, located at 411 Pulaski St., kicked off the day with a ribbon-cutting. There will be door prizes and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

Team Express is a subsidiary of Team Electronics Super Store, Decatur, and features retail cellular service for homes and businesses. The business is an authorized agent for Cingular Wireless, Dish network, satellite systems, Arch paging and Heartland paging. They also stock accessories and Nokia, Motorola and Erickson cell phones.

Manager Leigh Horner and assistant manager Mandy Cook, both of Lincoln, have eight years combined experience in cellular. While the store opened in October, they wanted to get the business established before declaring their grand opening. They have been busy setting up the store and becoming familiar with the company in order to be ready to serve their customers well.

They are open six days a week and by appointment on Sundays.

Cook enthusiastically says, "We are happy to be providing Cingular wireless service to Logan County. We want current or prospective customers to call us at (217) 732-8962 with any questions about service they have."

[Jan Youngquist]

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