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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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Proud
to be an American…
or at least a ‘Lincolnian’
By Gina
Sennett
[OCT.
6, 2001] Central
Illinois continues to amaze me. Ever since Sept. 11, I have seen
nothing but giving hearts and unselfish attitudes in the people
around me. This Sunday, I had the opportunity to witness not only
the giving of time and money to families in New York, but the humble
attitude of Lincolnites in giving to their neighbors.
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As
was reported, this past Sunday was the Lincoln auction for the Red
Cross Disaster Relief fund. Dozens of people showed up, not only to
give their money but to give their time and efforts. Tirelessly,
these volunteers gave as much as two weeks of their time to the
nationwide cause to help victims of the terrorist attacks in New
York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. This, however, was not what
touched me that day.
Early
in the auction, I had the opportunity to speak with Philip Carver,
one of the volunteers, who pointed me in the direction of what he
thought (and I agreed with him on this) was the highlight of the
auction. It was a framed poster of a print by Allan Albaitis
entitled "Return to Glory."
The painting is of a burning
building and firemen lifting a ladder to an upper window. Streaming
from the window is a billow of smoke and fire that blends into an
American flag where it touches the top of the ladder. Against the
building is what at first glance appears to be the shadow of the
firemen. Upon closer examination, however, it is actually a photo of
the Marines lifting the American flag on Iwo Jima.
The
picture’s beauty and simplicity amazed me. This was not the photo
we are all so familiar with of the firemen raising the flagpole in
front of the remains of the World Trade Center. It was just a
picture of men doing what was needed to save lives.
What was most
awe-inspiring was that this print was not made in response to the
"Attack on America" or the subsequent "acts of
heroism." The copyright date on the poster was 1997. Albaitis,
himself a veteran Las Vegas firefighter, looked at firefighters and
realized — long before America did — that they are modern-day
heroes.
Of his piece, he writes, "As are all of my firefighter
pieces, ‘Return to Glory’ is meant to convey the emotional
intensity and unswerving dedication of the men and women with whom I
have been blessed to work." More on Albaitis’ work can be
found on his website, http://www.fireart.com.
[to top of second column in
this commentary]
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But
my story is not over. I said that this would be about the giving
spirit of Lincolnites. And that it is. You see, this poster was
purchased and donated by one of our own firefighters on behalf of the
Lincoln Fire Department.
When, at last, it was put up on the auction
block, the bidding was furious. Two people wanted that poster. I don’t
know why the man who did not buy it wanted it. I don’t know if he
had a deeper purpose or just wanted it for his home. But William
Dahman was the man who would not give up. He bought the poster for
$100.
When I spoke with him afterward, he said that he was not alone.
He said he knew of many people, mainly firefighters, who were going to
pitch in to buy this poster, including Dr. Robert and Linda Shaffer.
Dahman said that he and many others had helped move the donations into
the gym on Saturday, had seen the poster, and knew exactly where it
belonged. At Old Joe’s.
Old
Joe’s is a bar on Sangamon owned by retired firefighter and chief
Joe Poppish. According to Dahman, many of the local firefighters like
to go there to relax. "Old Joe’s has been there for 50
years," he said, "and it’ll be there for 50 more. And that
picture will hang there."
Now I
have only lived in Lincoln a few months, but it really makes me proud
to know that there are people in this town not only thinking of those
far away in this time of need, but thinking of each other. The men of
the Lincoln and Logan County fire departments know that heroes are not
only found in times of crisis and cities of international stature, but
they are found here — in the cornfields of Illinois — every day.
[Gina
Sennett]
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Shifting
paradigms
Airlines, flags, prayer and the law
By Mike
Fak
[OCT.
5, 2001] I have been watching all the events that have
entailed since the World Trade Center fell before our eyes and have
noticed several strange and, in many cases, troubling issues coming
before our eyes and ears.
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I
will tell you what stories have concerned me, and please let me know
if you agree or have found other issues that you find out of place
in the times we live in.
The
airline industry will receive $5 billion in free federal funds plus
an additional $10 billion in low-cost federal loan guarantees. I
find no fault with helping an industry crippled by the events of
Sept. 11, but question why the CEOs of these airlines continue to
receive $4 million to $12 million a year in salary. In an industry
that has laid off 130,000 employees, would not a significant pay cut
by these executives have been appropriate? Could anyone say that
cutting their pay from $12 million to $6 million would cause one of
these executives to have to go on food stamps. All the Fed has
stipulated in giving the billions is that CEOs of airlines don’t
give themselves a raise for two years. Is that some type of hardship
to an agency that has lobbied against the type of security actions
that may have prevented their planes from becoming human bombs?
Six
years ago, a national aeronautic safety committee headed by Vice
President Al Gore had on the table requirements that all luggage be
X-rayed, curbside check-in be stopped, and no baggage should be
placed on a plane unless that person also is on the same plane. A
dozen other security measures to ensure passenger safety in the air
were recommended by the committee. The airline industry lobbied
against these recommendations, stating they would cause hardships
and delays in their flights. Gore made sure that all the
recommendations were never approved. Two days after the
recommendations were thrown in the wastebasket, $600,000 in airline
industry political contributions made their way to the Democratic
Party to re-elect the president. Doesn’t all of this sound wrong?
[to top of second column in this
commentary]
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CNN,
that bastion of truth in the news, has directed all their anchors to
not use the word "terrorists" in their description of the
terrorists (I will use the word) or their activities, because these
sick people have not been found guilty in a court of law. Are they
serious? Do they expect me to ever watch their programs again?
Why
is it that 80 percent of American flags are made in China? In a
country that continues to export our jobs to other parts of the
world to save a corporate buck, can we not have just one thing so
simple and inexpensive as an American flag made in America? Maybe
not. Our special forces, the Black Berets, have been getting their
berets from China because they are 50 cents cheaper than a U.S.
version would be. I personally have been forced on many occasions to
buy items not made in this country. But I will promise you that my
flags will always have a U.S.A. label on them, or I won’t have one
at all.
Lastly,
why is it that in the last three weeks in a country that sings
"God Bless America," and pledges one nation under God at
every event imaginable, in a nation that has a national day of
prayer, a state day of prayer and city mayors throughout the land
declaring a community gathering for prayer, that we still tell our
children it is illegal to pray together in school. How does this
concept make any sense?
Yes,
after Sept. 11 we all are a little different than we were the day
before. I’m a little sadder. A little more disheartened. And, it
seems, a great deal more confused than ever.
[Mike
Fak]
Reply to
Fak
(not for publication):
mikefak@msn.com
Response
to Fak’s commentary:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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Water
company, Illinois American,
tells city to butt out
By Mike
Fak
[OCT.
4, 2001] A
few years back I wrote an article suggesting the city of Lincoln
exercise the right of eminent domain and purchase the water company.
Critics scoffed that I didn’t know what I was talking about and
that there was no such opportunity for the city to regain control of
this local utility.
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Just
about three months later the city of Peoria began proceedings to do
just that, and I didn’t hear from anyone who thought I was crazy
from that day on.
Now,
a few years later, Lincolnites find themselves again in the midst of
a sale of the water company to another mega-corporation. This time
the potential purchaser has its base in Germany.
I
am not an isolationist, but somehow mailing our checks to German
businessmen just doesn’t seem right to me. In a country that
continues to dissolve national ownership of skyscrapers and major
corporations into holdings of foreign entities, can we not say no at
least to local utilities being owned by foreign interests?
Personally,
I like the idea of being able to catch the owner of a utility on the
street corner and give that person either the praise or criticism I
believe the company’s business practices deserve. Personally, I
like the idea of the owner of a water company sitting next to me at
a community function and seeing that person become involved in the
community. Again, personally I like the idea of seeing the utility
owner stand in front of the community and explain why a new higher
rate for water is justified.
None
of this will happen once a German corporation takes over our
utility. We will be lucky if ever the day comes where anyone in the
corporation’s hierarchy even visits this town.
Recall
what happened a decade ago when Lehn and Fink was bought out by a
British corporation. In a moment the factory was closed, jobs lost
and buildings turned over to pigeons, based on decisions made by a
board of directors 4,000 miles away. I am quite certain the new
owners won’t just shut down and leave, but I have to ask what
incentive is there for them to provide better service, improve
infrastructure and maintain equitable rates for usage to a small
town of strangers on the other side of the world. I don’t see any;
maybe you do.
[to top of second column in
this commentary]
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Bill
Bates, the city attorney, is an intelligent, meticulous man. His
statement that the franchise agreement bears a right of first refusal
clause allowing the city to step in on the purchase price is good
enough for me. The question then needs to be asked if we as a city
should take back our own utility. Yes, I know the skeptic in you asks
how the city could afford, let alone run, a water company with all the
other financial drains, such as a massive sewer project, already being
argued before the council. I will answer those valid questions with a
few of my own.
Regardless
of the asking price, does not the fact that a foreign investor finds
the possible return on investment lucrative enough to purchase
something half a world away tell you that the business deal is a good
investment? Why should we let a foreign corporation make that profit
instead of the city of Lincoln? Why should we see a further erosion of
state and federal corporate taxes as money goes to the governments of
other countries instead of the United States?
I do
have one other question. Where does our present water company owner,
Illinois American, come off with the nerve to tell us to butt out of
their affairs? The rights of the people of this city to become
concerned and involved, if we wish, in the continued selling and
escalation of the price of our utility is our right. Look it up if you
want. The information is in the city, state and federal codes between
the topics on democracy and self-rule.
[Mike Fak]
Reply to
Fak
(not for publication):
mikefak@msn.com
Response
to Fak’s commentary:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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This
is the em
space, a staff writer’s section with observations about life experiences in Logan County and
elsewhere. Enjoy your visit.
—
Mary Krallmann
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Gifts without wrappings
In spite of
the closed curtains, in spite of the Saturday on the calendar, sunshine
filled the bedroom more than at any other time. It was a little later than
I usually wake up on a weekday but a little earlier than I get up on most
days off. With no need for speaking ability, the sun seemed to say,
"Wake up! Get up! And don’t try that trick of burrowing under the
covers. I’ll still find you!"
I was awake,
I was found, and I didn’t even want to hide. It promised to be one of
the last bright, warm days before the clocks change. No one could wrap it
up in a package and put a ribbon around it, but the day was a special gift
nonetheless.
 One use for
such a day was to try out other gifts. For example, there was the new
broom a recent houseguest bought for me. She had noticed that the bristles
of the one standing in a kitchen corner were worn away almost to the level
of the stitches that held the broom together. No wonder it was hard to
use. When we went shopping, I picked out a replacement. We added it to the
cart and then had to experiment with more convenient ways to position the
long-handled object.
Since it was
lightweight and angled for corners and under cabinets, the new broom
turned out to be ideal for brushing away pine needles and spider webs that
cling to exterior siding. A little external sweeping of the house felt
like a good excuse for being outside on a beautiful fall morning.
During the
shopping expedition for the broom, we had also found a windproof umbrella
to replace one that hadn’t fared so well against the wind the year
before. With recent downpours, protection from rain was a high priority.
It wasn’t that I lacked umbrellas, but most were large instead of
compact. For the sunny spell, the new model settled into a bottom drawer
where the wrapping paper is stored. We never bothered to wrap the gift
itself.
When a clerk
checked the price of the umbrella — apparently the last of its kind —
I also asked about a pin to replace one that had fallen out of a
watchband. She took care of the need at no charge, supplying another gift
without wrappings.
Later, when
I cleaned with a vacuum instead of the broom, the missing pin showed up
next to a wall, giving me a spare in case of another loss.
Other
solutions around the house had developed almost as easily. When the words
disappeared from television broadcasts at the beginning of the week, I
pushed buttons and jiggled connections without success. My guest made a
call the next day to find out if the problem was widespread. Since it wasn’t,
we tried again in the evening, methodically checking the most likely
sources of trouble. After that, everything worked fine. Even the picture
looked clearer. The same plan apparently restored a balky computer screen,
though we couldn’t say for sure which connection had been loose in
either case. Repairs without cost are a significant gift.
 When a
serviceman came to replace a bathroom part, my guest remembered that I’d
also mentioned a slow leak in the sink. She reported it, and when I came
home, everything was fixed. The right words at the right time were another
gift.
When we went
out to eat, there was a complete array of gifts without wrappings, as my
guest treated us to a selection of foods neither of us had prepared.
Of course,
the companionship of the visit was a fundamental gift underlying all the
others.
By the time
the giver went home again, I was more aware of gifts all around every day.
Like tantalizing selections in a
mass of colorful packages, each tree and each bush have become seasonal
gifts. Wrapped in every imaginable variation of yellow and orange, of red,
green and brown, the bounty is almost too much to receive all at once. The
natural packaging is a gift in itself, and the gift needs no unwrapping.
[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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By
the Numbers
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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) |
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