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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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[OCT.
25, 2001] It’s
getting cold again in Logan County. And not because it’s
fall and the air is expected to begin turning brisk and chilly
this time of year, but rather, I’d like to point out,
because Mother Nature hates me.
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For
years I have been an avid runner. My favorite part of the day is
early dawn, when I wake up smelling the crisp morning air,
stretching out my tired body and then promptly going back to sleep
for another four and a half hours, laughing at anyone dumb enough to
actually
sacrifice sleep for exercise. So I’m a night runner. Or at least I
was, up until the hour of Nature’s evil turn. You see, the annual
Harvest of Talents is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 27.
…For
those of you readers who don’t know, this is a local festive event
where many talented people gather together to talk about how
talented they are. Plus there is Pie. Which is more than enough
reason for me to attend. Well, that, and the 5K run.
So
I’ve been in serious training mode for all of two days now (minus
the one day I missed due to a severe cramp infection from the
previous day’s training), in hopes of finishing the race before
either the 30-minute mark or before the paramedics begin
resuscitating me. Although training is not an easy process because,
as any serious athlete will tell you, there is an absolute ton of
movement involved. Something I successfully avoided until the third
grade, when my parents began recognizing my astute laziness
abilities and stopped bringing food to me, thus causing me to walk
to the fridge on my own. We’ve been best friends ever since, the
refrigerator and I. But now it’s time to stay focused. Not just on
food and all the glorious bliss it provides, but on getting ready to
run. And trying to overcome the wrath of Mother Nature, her ruthless
self, in the process. Let me explain…
As
I said earlier, Mother Nature hates me. And as part of her
abhorrence toward me, she has decided that I shall (1) Never Obtain
Peak Physical Performance; (2) Never Obtain Average Physical
Performance; (3) Never, Under No Circumstance Whatsoever, Survive
The Harvest Of Talents, Annual 5K Run. She is seeing to this by not
allowing me the opportunity to properly prepare. So far during my
long, two-day training regime, I have already been the target of
many vicious and pointed attacks.
First
off, I began running the other day when it started to hail. Mere
coincidence, you say? Well, that’s what I thought, until the hail
cloud began following me. It was like one of those little cartoon
clouds, chasing me down while I cried, fleeing it, similar to the
way a stray cat meandering down a random Lincoln sidewalk might flee
a charging bear. Only with more screaming.
[to top of second column in this
commentary]
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Before
that I was nearly tackled by a large crow. Running out on Airport
Road, just off Route 10, I saw it creeping toward me from the corner
of my eye. Actually, before I saw it, I heard it laughing. That’s
when I turned just in time to dodge the psychotic bird, who, I
believe, was packing.
Aside
from the attacks, it’s just getting downright cold at night.
Except on nights when I’m too busy to run. In which case, the
weather stays in or around the mid- to low 90s. Often even in
December. And when I am able to hit the streets after dark, I’m
forced to dress like a hypothermic Eskimo, wearing 14 layers of
clothing, which is almost thick enough to protect me from the killer
birds and death-crazed hail clouds.
So
I’ve seen no choice but to hire myself a stunt double. The process
is simple: He runs out a few feet in front of me, and after he goes
down, I take off sprinting home. But even at top speeds (and
using a special tactic I learned in a dream once where I was being
chased by a Giant Maniac Smurf — which is flailing my arms around
my head frantically) when I’m out in the middle of town, in
the wide open, it’s then that I’m most vulnerable to these
forces which have chosen to stop me.
So
I contacted the proprietor of Kickapoo Creek Park, Scott Walker, a
good friend of mine, and asked if I might perhaps use the park’s
facilities to practice running after they close down at night.
Scott, who is an active member in his church and an integrity-filled
family man who recently returned from a trip in which he went to
help out local missionaries, told me that if I wanted to run there
after closing time, that he — and this is a direct quote, I swear
— "Might not
shoot me."
So
now that I know my friends have been hired out by Mother Nature and
that all other odds seemed to be stacked against me, I might just
rethink entering this race. But then I’m reminded of all my hard
work thus far and my two days’ worth of dedication. And I’m
reminded of all that pie they’ll have there available for
purchase, and that’s when I ask myself, "Why am I so
worried?" The race begins at 8 a.m. I won’t even be up until
noon.
[Colin
Bird]
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A
place that most of us wish didn’t exist
LDC ,
an integral part of this
community, an integral part of our humanity
By Mike
Fak
[OCT.
24, 2001] I
wrote the following paragraph as part of an article I submitted to
the Lincoln Courier in the summer of 1999. The paragraph was the
lead to a story I wrote in support of LDC and its employees after a
sad and disparaging report had come out regarding the death of one
of the residents at the Lincoln Developmental Center.
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The
buildings are huddled together, like a sprawling college campus on
the end of town. We drive by them almost every day, but we don’t
see them. We don’t see them because they are part of a place that
most of us wish didn’t exist. We ignore them or choose not to
ponder what they represent because the reality of what they are and
who lives and works in those buildings is more truth than most of us
can live with.
Two
years later, nothing about LDC or the people who work there causes
me to change a single word in that paragraph.
LDC
is under a great deal of fire these days. It is under fire for many
reasons that actually have nothing to do with the 700 employees who
walk the halls of the institution.
LDC
has been told that it has failed to correct administrative problems
in a timely fashion. The state, or no one else for that matter, asks
why a woman from the Department of Corrections was moved into the
chief position of administration at a home for mentally handicapped
individuals. She has been replaced, but no one has asked why this
administrator was actually promoted to another office after having
failed to handle the stated problems at LDC.
By
the way, the employees at the center knew she couldn’t do the job
and voted "no confidence" in her administration. But that
wouldn’t be of any significance, would it.
We
have heard that LDC is under scrutiny for not having enough staff to
handle the patient load at the center, but no one has asked the
state why their continued cutbacks in funding, which caused this
understaffing, was not remedied in a timely fashion.
We
hear press conferences by John Eckert, head of the Consortium of
Illinois Disability Advocates, saying that the center should be
closed down. No one asks the man if his consortium, which has a goal
of shutting down developmental institutions in Illinois, has a
truly objective view of the situation. No one has asked the man if
he has ever visited LDC and seen for himself the claims he makes in
front of a microphone. I can find no one who has ever seen him at
the center.
Eckert
has stated that the issue has nothing to do with jobs. An easy
statement for someone to make who earns a living disparaging LDC
and all the other developmental centers like it. I
have to ask Mr. Eckert if, in the event he got his wish and all of
Illinois no longer had these facilities, would he then be
out of a job. Or would he perhaps find some other cause to ensure
that he continues to earn a paycheck.
[to top of second column in this
commentary]
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Mr.
Eckert claims that his organization represents the patients of LDC,
but he has interviewed only those who agree with his position. He
has nothing to say or do with the parents group, which Tuesday had
their own press conference supporting the center and its employees.
Eckert,
of course, has his own agenda that he claims is for the benefit of
all the tenants of the center, but his actions and statements prove
otherwise. His organization is intent on closing state care
facilities, and with LDC on the ropes, he and his coalition are
circling over the beleaguered center like verbal vultures waiting
for the kill.
The
coalition states jobs are not the issue, but jobs in any community
always are an issue to be considered in an equation.
The
employees of LDC have not discovered the great "cash cow."
Working at that center is not some type of "died and gone to
heaven" employment. These employees are making a living doing
something that we and Mr. Eckert cannot do. That job is helping the
mentally impaired have an existence in this world. The idea that all
of them can have a coexistence with us is absurd. In the event Mr.
Eckert walks away from a press conference long enough to visit LDC,
he will find that a great many of the residents can never become our
next-door neighbors. Many of these blessed souls need care 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
We
could close LDC. All we need is for Mr. Eckert to pledge to bring
these individuals into his home and neighborhood and to ensure, like
the LDC employees do, that they are taken care of.
I
find it disheartening that groups that profess their advocacy for
disabled Americans have ulterior motives. No one should have to live
in a home for developmentally disabled people. But the reality is,
that is where some of us belong. We need to care for these
individuals. We need to support the employees. Most of all we need
to look in an honest and compassionate way at what God has dealt
this world.
The
Lincoln Developmental Center is an integral part of this community.
More importantly, it is an integral part of our humanity. I don’t
need to hold a press conference to explain that.
[Mike
Fak]
Reply to
Fak
(not for publication):
mikefak@msn.com
Response
to Fak’s commentary:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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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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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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