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Still Waters,
the
em space, Where They Stand,
By
the Numbers,
How We Stack Up,
What's
Up With That?
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Who’s
on first? County board
decision Tuesday may not tell us
By
Mike Fak
[APRIL
17, 2001] The
straw vote at last Thursday’s Logan County Board meeting shows us
that the change from at-large representation to districts is not as
easy as some would have us believe.
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That
doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen. How the county is broken into
districts, however, is probably more important than the decision to go
that route actually is.
With
a board that seems to have a strong majority for rescinding the
previous motion to retain the current system, but far less enthusiasm
for voting yes for districting, one has to ask if the board members
themselves don’t already understand that voting for an abstract,
which is what districts are at the moment, could cause a further rift
between the urban and rural community. Several board members have
explained that without a defined plan as to how the county should be
segmented, it is difficult to just say: "Yes, let’s go to
districts."
The
need to rescind the at-large continuance needs to be done
expeditiously. Until a plan for new districts is formed, studied and
meets approval by county residents as being fair and equitable, the
motion to become districts should wait in the wings.
The
movement to give voice to the nonbinding referendum recently mandating
districts is not something that can be ignored. Not if a person
believes in the voice of the people.
To
assume such a major change will be quick or simple, however, is
ignoring the point of the referendum in the first place. Residents
feel they have been left out of the county decision-making process. A
speedy decision to go to districts without vigilance to the boundaries
of such districts could cause an even larger problem with rural
residents.
[to top of second
column in this commentary]
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How
the districts should be broken down is important. Should the city of
Lincoln actually be split into districts needs to be asked. Is
chautauqua to be part of the city or should it be in a western
district, which goes out to New Holland? Does Mount Pulaski deserve
its own representative, or will it be part of an area that encompasses
other small towns? One has to ask if proper districts can remain
within township boundaries or will some rural residents find
themselves going to two different polling places on Election Day.
Finally, the number of districts must be determined. Should the number
of board members, currently at 13, be lowered or increased by a few to
help balance representation?
All
these questions will take some time and thought.
At
Tuesday’s meeting the board should rescind its previous commitment
to remain at large. The district vote should be placed on hold until a
workable plan has passed through committee. That’s the way it should
be. Unless you all had so much fun with the last referendum that you
want to see another one brought on by another group of disgruntled
residents claiming they still are not represented.
We
have time. Nothing has to be in place until this fall. Why don’t we
give the new district system a chance to show itself? Then we can say
it’s what the majority of us want.
[Mike Fak]
Reply
(not for publication) to Mike Fak:
mfldn@lincolndailynews.com
Reply
as a letter to the editor:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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A
quick look at Lincoln
and Logan County issues
By
Mike Fak
[APRIL
12, 2001] Forgive
me the pun, but it looks like the question of who should pay for the
future sewerage system upgrades is nothing more than money down the
drain. Potential expenditures of upward of $10 million tell all of
us that what we send down the drain or flush is nothing to take
lightly.
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Although
the city’s general fund is flush at the moment, the costs of
refurbishing our system will mean borrowing funds from an agency such
as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to cover this huge
expense. With the need to maintain standards for waste removal as well
as having future capacity to lure new business, it looks like the
upgrade is something we need to do before the costs rise still higher.
I
found it amazing that a flow study showed our two prisons responsible
for 40 percent of the solid waste sent through our plant, but that
statistic should help in negotiations between the city and the
Department of Corrections regarding how much of the bill prisons
should foot. If the prisons use 40 percent of the system, they should
pay 40 percent of the monthly cost of operating the plant
It
seems there is an attempt to bring the old well on Fifth Street across
from the Postville Courthouse back into use. The well, now in front of
the VFW Hall, was once part of the landscape known to courthouse
visitors as Deskin’s Tavern. In the mid-1800s, many a hot summer
afternoon found participants in the legal system taking a break to go
across the street and draw a cool drink of water from the well.
Yes,
you figured it out. That means the city could have a tourist
attraction such as "Have a drink of water from the same well Old
Abe used." I can just see us bottling the water as well and
selling it to tourists to take home. I will leave a name for such a
product up to others, but Abe-aid comes to mind in a hurry.
[to top of second
column in this commentary]
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I’m
not sure if any issue, save perhaps the Central School referendum,
caused more debate than the talk three years ago of consolidating our
grammar schools. In Chicago, where I grew up, neighborhood schools
were as much a part of the landscape as corner penny-candy stores. The
candy stores are now only memories, and in many parts of the country,
including Illinois, so too are the small schools. The principal reason
for consolidation was stated to be a reduction in administrative
costs. The chief reason for maintaining smaller schools was to keep
local control over a child’s educational process. Both points have
validity; both points may soon be moot if the state Legislature
creates new laws requiring further cutbacks to small schools. Is the
concept good or bad? Let me know
what you think.
Look
for the county board to rescind their vote on maintaining the at-large
system of deciding representatives. That is only the first move in a
process that will take some time and thought. Districting or
redistricting voter areas are never an easy process, but it appears to
be certain to occur in Logan County.
Then
we will have to wait and see if county residents who have been stating
they have been left out of the county process do anything with their
newfound representation. Changing to districts will only benefit the
community if residents run for office.
Be
forewarned, if the next election shows several seats having only one
candidate, I will scream. In the event we have good, solid choices
throughout the county, I will sing the praises of the referendum.
Regardless
of what system we use, without active participation they are all
worthless.
[Mike Fak]
Click
here to comment on this article.
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Welcome
to the em space, a staff writer's commentary section with observations about life experiences in Logan County and
beyond. Enjoy your visit.
-
Mary Krallmann
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A view from the hill
This
part of the country is flatter than the plains I first knew. It's fine to
be able to look a long distance across the sameness of the land. I'm used
to that. But every once in a while I like to be in a more hilly place
where new sights come into view as a road dips and climbs.
One of the
most obvious and closest hills to visit is, of course, at Elkhart, rising
unexpectedly from the level surroundings almost like something artificial,
but topped with trees. I hadn't been there recently, although there was a
time when I made special trips to enjoy the unique setting. Once I got up
early and drove down the road to see the sun come up from beyond the hill.
I've also taken guests from out of town and out of state to see the place,
to walk about in the cemetery on the hill and to note the town's
connections with historic figures.
Those
experiences made a Saturday outing to the Elkhart Chautauqua like a visit
to a friend's house after an extended absence.
The hill had
changed some, just as people's appearance changes. In this case, several
home sites were the added wrinkles.
I'd never
visited before when so many other people were there too, but I didn't feel
crowded. The surroundings give it a quiet, sheltered
atmosphere.
Usually I
look for hints of unusual stories in the gravestone inscriptions, but this
time I wasn't much aware of the cemetery setting except that one of the
larger monuments was convenient to lean against for a few minutes, and I
noticed a new, replacement stone for a woman who had had 17 children.
Mostly it was just a peaceful place with trees and grass, animals and
people, past and present mingling.
With most
vehicles from the present in another area and numerous people dressed in
styles of a century ago and more, there could have been a question whether
folks from the 1800s were visiting the 21st century or the other way
around. If you allow the possibility of a time warp, it could work in
either direction.
Children and
adults bought corn dogs across from a row of horses placidly chewing their
grain. Speakers in
costumes from other times and places wore clip-on microphones and
transmitter units for the latest in sound transmission. Children's
dioramas about pioneer life were accompanied with colorful computer
printouts.
I watched
bees behind glass, tried to peer down a paper chimney into a miniature
schoolroom stovepipe and considered adjusting my pace to 10 miles of
arduous travel in one day, as a veiled woman riding sidesaddle added a
storybook air to the surroundings.
I had to
chance to go inside the chapel I'd previously seen only from the outside.
I sat on a padded bench, tried out a kneeler, counted the seven
candleholders up close, felt the rounded smoothness of the blue,
buttonlike circles in the stained glass, and deciphered names carved into
the stone windowsills — names of people who lived before my parents,
before my grandparents.
I stood
outside in front of the chapel, watching and clapping along as a mixture
of adults and young people in contemporary and period dress did the
Virginia reel down the cemetery drive.
I think the
people buried there would have been pleased to know that we would gather
on the hill generations later to experience the simpler pleasures of their
times.
And after a few hours of viewing
the past on a hill where I couldn't see much beyond the boundaries of the
place, I rode back to the present with actual hilltop views along the way.
That's part of why you go up a hill, after all. With parting glimpses of
trees and fields at a misty distance, I headed home to the present, home
from the hill.
[Mary
Krallmann]
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Where
They Stand
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Where
They Stand is a commentary section that poses a question about a
specific issue in the community. Informed individuals present their
position with facts, opinions or insights on the issue. The
following commentaries have been printed, unedited, in their
entirety, as they were received. If you have further comment on the
issue, please send an e-mail message, complete with your name,
address and telephone number to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.
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District
vs. at large
April 3 ballot proposition:
"Shall Logan County be divided into districts equal in
population for the purpose of electing County Board members to serve
on the Logan County Board commencing in the year 2002?"
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 YES!
In
January of this year, citizens throughout Logan County circulated
petitions to place this issue on the ballot. That effort was
successful with more than 10% of registered voters signing within a
two-week period (2569 total/2000 needed). The referendum has been
certified by the Logan County Clerk and will be on the April 3rd
ballot throughout the county. The citizens were successful and will
be able to voice their opinion on this matter for the first time in
30 years!
Illinois
law states that every ten years each county in Illinois with a
township form of government shall determine whether board members
shall be elected "at large" from the county or by county
board "districts".
A
"YES" vote on this issue will indicate that residents of
Logan County want to have their County Board members representing
all areas of the county. Each district must be divided equally in
population and will guarantee that all areas are represented! The
present "at large" system allows for all 13 County Board
members to be elected from one area, while the remainder of the
county could end up with no one. In fact, the east side of our
county (from Mt. Pulaski to Atlanta) does not have representation at
the present time! All of the counties surrounding Logan are in
districts. Menard recently changed from "at large" to
"districts" with an overwhelming vote. The greater
majority of counties in Illinois are in districts and have been for
several years. We are not the only county with this issue on the
ballot. Bureau County recently passed a referendum to go to single
member districts. Champaign County has a similar question, as does
Adams County.
Remember
that this question asks how the make-up of the County Board should
be for the next ten years. Under a district system the voter is more
likely to know the person they are voting for. This is your
opportunity to voice your opinion and let your county governing body
know how you feel. If the referendum produces a result in FAVOR
of district representation, then measures will be introduced on the
floor of the Logan County Board to accomplish that goal.
—Rodney
J. White
(Rodney
White is a member of the Logan County Board.)
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NO!
It’s
rather interesting and enlightening to note the places of residence
of people appointed to the Logan County Board to fill terms of
members who have died, moved away, or resigned.
Mr.
Robert "Bud" Behrends was appointed to the Logan County
Board March 18, 1975, to finish out the term of Robert E. Downing,
and Lloyd Hellman was appointed November 15, 1994, to finish out
Robert "Bud" Behrends term on the board. Mr. Behrends grew
up in the Hartsburg area, and spent most of his life in Lincoln, and
Mr. Hellman, who replaced "Bud" has spent most of his life
in the rural Emden area. Mr. Downing was a rural Beason farmer.
The
emphasis on appointments was the type of person needed to
effectively function on the board; not where they resided. A Beason
resident (Mr. Downing) was replaced by a Hartsburg/Lincoln resident
(Mr. Behrends), who was replaced by Mr. Hellman, an Emden resident.
The
above appointments don’t look like "district"
representation. It looks like desire on the part of the replacements
and their ability to effectively function on the Logan County Board.
Mark
H. Werth resigned from the board December 31, 1988. L. Buckles was
appointed to replace Mr. Werth, February 20, 1989. Both were from
rural areas -- Mr. Werth, rural area north of Mt. Pulaski, and Mr.
Buckles, rural area south of Mt. Pulaski.
Mr.
Earl Madigan, who lived southeast of Lincoln, was replaced by Dwight
Zimmerman, who farmed for years just east of San Jose and later
lived in Lincoln. That certainly wasn’t a "district"
appointment. That was an appointment based on the desire of the
person to serve and his ability to serve.
Mr.
Edward L. Spellman, resigned from the board March 18, 1976, and Mr.
Don Smith was appointed to take his place. both came from Lincoln,
Both were successful business people and served well on the board.
Mr.
Robert Welch died in office November 18, 1998. He was a resident of
rural Beason. Mr. Roger Bock of rural Williamsville was appointed to
replace him. Again, not a "district" appointment, but one
based on desire and ability.
To
my knowledge, no proponent of the district plan for electing members
of the Logan County Board has ever submitted a plan, so my question
is: If the at large system of electing county board members is not
flawed, why fix it?
If
the system is working well and the members are getting the work of
county government done, why change?
Will
a district election plan, which apparently is only floating around
in the minds of a few people and has not been committed to paper,
better serve all the people of all the county?? I think not!!!
—Dick
Hurley
(Dick
Hurley is a former member of the Logan County Board.)
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By
the Numbers
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Motor
fuel taxes paid in August 2000
Local
figures are as follows:
Logan
County = $44,078.23
(Counties
receive an allocation on the basis of motor vehicle registration fees, with the
exception of Cook County, which has a percentage allocation set by law.)
Townships
and road districts = $90,973.85
(Townships
and road districts are allocated an amount computed on the basis of mileage in
their jurisdiction.)
City
of Lincoln = $38,003.84
(Cities
receive an allocation based on population.)
[Source:
Economic Development report]
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Population
estimates in Logan County
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| 30,798 |
Total population,
1990 |
| 15,380 |
Rural population -
49.9%, 1990 |
| 15,418 |
Urban population -
50.1%, 1990 |
| 2,875 |
Projected births,
1990-1998 |
| 2,736 |
Projected deaths,
1990-1998 |
| 3,143 |
Persons below poverty
level - 11.8 % |
| 258 |
Average marriages per
year |
| 135 |
Average deaths per
year |
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Alexis Asher
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| Logan
County high schools: 1960-2000 |
| 1962 |
Middletown
High School consolidated with New Holland |
| 1972 |
Atlanta
High School became part of Olympia School District |
| 1975 |
Elkhart
High School consolidated with Mount Pulaski |
| 1979 |
Latham
High School became Warrensburg-Latham |
| 1988 |
New Holland-Middletown
High School consolidated with Lincoln Community High School |
| 1989 |
San
Jose High School consolidated with Illini Central (Mason City) |
|
Alexis Asher |
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Lincoln High School history
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1859
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Lincoln School
District
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5
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School buildings in
1859
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1
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"Grammar
school" in 1859
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1
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High school teacher,
Mr. January, in 1859
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1870-71
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Central School opened
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1898
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High school building
started
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1900
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High school dedicated,
Jan. 5
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$20,000
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Cost of new high
school
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1920
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Election authorized
community high school District #404
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1958
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Dedication of new
Lincoln Community High School, 1000 Primm Road, in auditorium, on
Nov. 9
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Alexis Asher
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Lincoln/Logan
County numbers
(2000) |
| 5 |
Wards
in Lincoln |
| 17 |
Townships
in Logan County |
| 29 |
Officers
in Lincoln City Police Department |
| 20 |
Officers
in Logan County Police Department |
| 22 |
Firemen
in the Lincoln City Fire Department |
| 16 |
Rural
Fire Departments in County |
| 13 |
Members
of Logan County Board |
| 10 |
Members
of Lincoln City Council |
| 3 |
Colleges
in Lincoln |
| 44,850 |
Volumes
in Lincoln Public Library |
| 40,000 |
Volumes
in Lincoln College Library |
| 126,000 |
Volumes
in Lincoln Christian College Library |
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How
We Stack Up
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This feature of the
Lincoln
Daily News compares Lincoln and Logan County to similar cities
and counties on a variety of issues in a succinct manner, using
charts and graphs for illustration.
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Racial
makeup of selected Illinois counties
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What's
Up With That?
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[Road construction is taking place up and down
Woodlawn Road.]
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