Anxieties are high following terrorist attacks and threats

How have we prepared in
Lincoln and Logan County?

[OCT. 31, 2001]  It’s on the radio, TV, in all the media. You hear it in the office, on the street and maybe at home — threats of terrorism. America is on high alert. Here in central Illinois, away from any supposed practical target areas, perhaps we feel a little less threatened, but we are still concerned. So how concerned should we be, and how prepared are we for the types of situations that could occur?

Whether the threat is domestic or foreign, violent, biological or chemical, our public health and rescue agencies have been preparing to respond to the situations. Lincoln Daily News has been at meetings where all the agencies gather together as the Logan County Emergency Planning Committee to strategize for just such a time. Our reports have not even provided every detail that every agency has reported; i.e., a number of representatives from differing agencies such as the health and fire departments, CILCO and ESDA went to a bioterrorism and hazmat (hazardous materials) seminar this past August.

Here are some of the articles that LDN has posted pre- and post-Tuesday, Sept. 11. Hopefully you will see in them that WE ARE WELL PREPARED. At least as much as any area can be. Every agency has been planning, training, submitting for grants to buy equipment long before Sept. 11. We can be thankful for all of the dedicated, insightful leaders we have in this community.

 

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Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Wednesday, Oct. 31

303rd day of the year

Quotes

"Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen!" — Martin Luther

"Don’t be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success." — John Keats

Birthdays

1795 — John Keats, London, England, romantic poet ("Ode to a Grecian Urn")

1835 — J.F.W Adolf Ritter von Baeyer, German chemist (Nobel, 1905)

1887 — Chiang Kai-shek, Chekiang Province, China, president of Nationalist China

1912 — Dale Evans, Uvalde, Texas, cowgirl ("The Roy Rogers Show")

1920 — Dick Francis, Wales, jockey and novelist ("Whip Hand," "High Stakes")

1922 — Barbara Bel Geddes, New York City, actress ("Vertigo," Miss Ellie in "Dallas," "Caught")

1931 — Dan Rather, Wharton, Texas, news anchor ("CBS Evening News," "60 Minutes")

Events

834 — First All Hallows Eve (Halloween) observed to honor the saints

1517 — Luther posts 95 theses on Wittenberg church door; beginning of Protestant Reformation

1541 — Michelangelo Buonarroti paints "Last Judgment" in Sistine Chapel

1846 — Donner party, unable to cross the Donner Pass, constructs a winter camp

1926 — Erich Weiss, better known as magician Harry Houdini, dies in Detroit

1941 — Mount Rushmore sculpture is completed

1983 — George Halas, NFLer, dies at 88

1984 — Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards

 

 

 

Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Tuesday, Oct. 30

302nd day of the year

Quotes

"Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!" — Dostoevsky

"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do." — Mussolini

Birthdays

1821 — Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevski, Russian novelist and writer of short stories

1882 — William "Bull" F. Halsey, U.S. vice admiral (World War II, Pacific)

1893 — Charles Atlas, body builder

1918 — Ted Williams, Red Sox hitter (AL MVP 1946, ’49; Triple Crown ’42, ’47)

1921 — Charles Bronson, actor ("The Magnificent Seven," "The Dirty Dozen," "Death Wish")

1933 — Michael S. Dukakis, Massachusetts governor, presidential candidate (Democrat, 1988)

1949 — Larry Holmes, boxer, heavyweight champ (1978-85)

Events

1866 — Jesse James gang robs bank in Lexington, Mo. ($2,000)

1888 — In London, Jack the Ripper murders his last victim

1888 — First ballpoint pen patented

1905 — "October Manifesto"; Russian Tsar Nicholas II grants civil liberties

1922 — Mussolini forms government in Italy

1938 — Orson Welles panics a nation with broadcast of "The War of the Worlds"

1944 — Anne Frank (of diary fame) is deported from Auschwitz to Belsen

1945 — U.S. government announces end of shoe rationing

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Indian statue rededicated

A lot was the same as 95 years ago

[OCT. 29, 2001]  It was same date, Oct. 26; same place, Logan County Courthouse lawn; same names; same clubs; and probably the same attitude, accomplished; as it was 95 years ago for the unveiling of the Indian maiden fountain. Perhaps the only difference was that the weather may have been a little warmer that day on Friday, Oct., 26, 1906, when Lincoln Woman’s Club, Judge McCormick and Lincoln High School Glee Club spoke and sang before a large crowd. This time the 40-degree temps with the brisk wind were a sure reminder that winter is just around the corner.

[Click here to see more pictures]

Wendy Bell, director of Main Street Lincoln, announced that the dedication was going to follow much of the same format as it was for the sculpture’s first unveiling.

 

Bell introduced Burnetta "Bernie" DePuy from the Lincoln Woman’s Club, who pioneered much of the fund-raising for the statue restoration. The efforts began in 1995 to raise the needed funds to restore and refurbish the beloved statue. It was the Lincoln Woman’s Club that initialized the original statue. DePuy recalled the original requirements of a public property sculpture: "Any sculpture was not only to be a piece of art, but it had to be functional and useful, as well as educational." The Indian maiden filled all requirements. It was functional and useful as a fountain to provide refreshment for people and additionally so with a lower trough for pets. It was educational, as the Indian maiden was intended to remind us we are a nation of many people, including the Indians who were here first.

 

DePuy, who is credited with bringing this project to fruition, thanked the many who have contributed to the restoration, including sculptor David Seagram, former Sen. Robert Madigan, Dick Logan from Logan County Board, the former and present members of the Main Street board, including Kate Orr and the many citizens who have contributed to cover the costs of restoration. DePuy included in her remarks that this has "truly been a community affair."

To the delight of the audience, DePuy was recognized with a gift for her tireless efforts on the project — a custom-made, artist-signed clay cast of the formerly missing hand from the statue. With some chuckles she accepted her gift charmingly, saying, "Thank you!"

Same words, song and attitude

Present at the first dedication was Judge McCormick. To read his very same words in his stead on this day was his great-great-nephew Tim McCormick. McCormick read the following from an original newspaper account:

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Judge McCormick made a very appropriate speech of acceptance. He said in part:

"It is all together fitting that this useful and ornamental piece of statuary should be built, donated and dedicated to the public service as a companion piece to this handsome and magnificent building we here behold outlined against the sky. In accepting this most generous gift on behalf of Logan County let me express to its generous givers the thanks and appreciation of all our people. May no vandal dare with wantoned hand ever marr its sacred beauty or polute its crystal base. May the virtues, lives and motives of its givers and of those whose pleasure it is to receive and care heretofore be ever as pure as the limpid waters that issue forth from its fount to quench the thirst of the weary pilgrim within our gates."

The original sculptor was Charles Mulligan. His great-nephew John and wife Sharon Mulligan were also present for the ceremony. They videotaped the event to send to the sculptor’s great-niece who was the model for the papoose. She now lives in Florida.

 

The Indian maiden now sits facing the Arcade on Pulaski Street rather than on the Kickapoo Street side. As the refurbished statue was unveiled, the Lincoln Community High School chorale sang "America" just as the Glee Club did 95 years ago.

If you go inside the Logan County Courthouse, you will find an abundance of assorted marble lining the walls of the corridors. Some of the trim has a pinkish marbled appearance. It is this same stone the Indian maiden is carved from. The marble comes from Tennessee. The original statue cost $800.

[Jan Youngquist]

 

Second annual Trick or Canning event

Lincoln College student groups help local food bank

[OCT. 29, 2001]  Lincoln College student groups will help the Lincoln/Logan County food bank by donating items they receive from their second annual Trick or Canning event.

Lincoln College students will go "trick or canning" on Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in and around the Mayfair subdivision in Lincoln. They are not in search of candy, but canned goods and non-perishable items. All items will be donated to the Lincoln/Logan County food bank.

Student groups helping with the event include Student Activities, Operation Big Help Workers (LC’s student volunteer program) and Student Admissions Ambassadors.

Angie Whiteman, director of student activities, is helping organize the event and says she expects to collect over 100 pounds of food. "Last year we canvassed the area around campus and collected about 50 pounds of food. This year we’ve set our goal at 100, and hopefully with the help of the people of Lincoln we can meet that goal," she said.

[News release]

Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Monday, Oct. 29

301st day of the year

Quotes

"We enter parliament in order to supply ourselves, in the arsenal of democracy, with its own weapons.... If democracy is so stupid as to give us free tickets and salaries for this bear’s work, that is its affair.... We do not come as friends, nor even as neutrals. We come as enemies. As the wolf bursts into the flock, so we come." — Joseph Goebbels

"But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend." — Sir Walter Raleigh

Birthdays

1656 — Edmund Halley, astronomer (Halley’s comet)

1884 — Bela Lugosi, horror actor ("Dracula," "Body Snatcher")

1897 — Paul Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propagandist

1940 — John Gotti, Mafia head

1947 — Richard Dreyfuss, Brooklyn, N.Y., actor ("Jaws," "Nuts")

1948 — Kate Jackson, Birmingham, Ala., actress ("Rookies," "Charlie’s Angels")

Events

B.C. — Babylon falls to Cyrus the Great of Persia

1618 — Walter Raleigh, English scholar, poet and historian, beheaded for treason

1911 — Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaperman, dies in Charleston, S.C.

1929 — "Black Tuesday" stock market crash  triggers Great Depression

1942 — Alaska Highway completed

1966 — National Organization of Women founded

Melanie Riggs wins
CIMCO award

[OCT. 27, 2001]  Melanie Riggs, Lincoln’s deputy city clerk, has received the 2001 Presidential Award from the Central Illinois Municipal Clerks Organization for her "effort, time and level of participation ... beyond the norm."

This is the third time Riggs has received the award from the 78-member organization, composed of clerks and deputy clerks from municipalities in central Illinois. The region extends as far north as Peru, as far south as Taylorville, west to Galesburg and east to Danville.

She received the Presidential Award in 1997 and 1998, when she was serving as treasurer for CIMCO. In fiscal year 2001, she served as secretary.

 

CIMCO has been in existence since 1988, coincidentally the same year Riggs came to work at City Hall, although she did not join CIMCO until several years later. CIMCO provides members friendship and support and promotes personal growth and professionalism.

At City Hall, Riggs oversees all accounting and bookkeeping, coordinating financial accounts from all departments and making sure they are in balance. She has an A.A. degree in computer programming and accounting.

According to Lois Mauney, city payroll and accounts payable clerk, Riggs is the office "troubleshooter," who can help when others are having trouble with accounting problems. Her knowledge of the computer is also very valuable, Mauney says. "She works well when there is a challenge and is always willing to help."

"She’s my right hand," says Juanita Josserand, longtime city clerk. "She is the type of person everybody would want in their office when it comes to knowledge, expertise and willingness to help others."

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Riggs lives in Lincoln with her 6-year-old daughter, Chelsey.

Below is the letter from Sue McMillan, CIMCO president, announcing Riggs’ award. McMillan is city clerk of Pekin.

 

October 10, 2001

One of the best responsibilities of being president is to be able to give recognition to a member for their distinguished service during the past year.

This year’s Presidential Award goes to a member whose effort, time, and level of participation have clearly extended beyond the norm.

She has had the initiative to be chair of the Audit Committee, the graciousness to serve as Treasurer for three years and the wisdom (or lack of!) to continue her untiring commitment to the organization by serving as Secretary this past year.

She is truly a value to our organization, dependable and prompt with her officer reports and more than anything has always been there for me.

I present the 2001 Presidential Award to Melanie Riggs.

Sincerely,

CENTRAL ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL

CLERKS ORGANIZATION

Sue E. McMillan

President

[Joan Crabb]

Officers appreciated

[OCT. 27, 2001]  The following letter was received by the Lincoln Police Department commending the performance of city officers in regard to an unusual situation and its eventual resolution.

October 5, 2001

Kelly McCraith

Tri-County Special Education Association

812 Lincoln Avenue

Lincoln, IL 62656

Police Chief Rich Montcalm

911 Pekin Street

Lincoln, IL 62656

Dear Police Chief Montcalm,

I recently contacted the Department of Children and Family Services regarding a homeless boy and was told that there was little they could do. DCFS then suggested I call the police department because there had been an arrest in the case during the last weekend. Although I was uncertain that this was the appropriate agency for this situation, I called anyway. The dispatcher informed me that he would be sending an officer over to talk to me. Officer Jackson and Officer Kitner arrived shortly and listened thoroughly to my concerns about this adolescent. They took my statement and said that they would follow up on this case and inform me of any findings.

The next day Officer Jackson called to let me know of the action taken. They had tracked down several of this boy’s family members and friends in town to ensure that he had a place to stay. They had also contacted the boy’s father in Chicago, who may be taking custody of him. I felt as though they had real compassion for this young man in need. The performance of the two officers I worked with convinced me that the professionalism in the Lincoln Police Department is outstanding.

Sincerely,

Kelly McCraith, SSP

School Psychologist

Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Saturday, Oct. 27

299th day of the year

Quotes

"There can be no 50-50 Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100 percent Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else." — Theodore Roosevelt

"Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them... well, I have others." — Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

Birthdays

1728 — James Cook, Scotland, captain and explorer, discovered Sandwich Islands

1858 — Theodore Roosevelt, (Republican) 26th president (1901-09), (Nobel, 1906)

1872 — Emily Post, authority on social behavior, writer (Etiquette)

1894 — Fritz Sauckel, German Nazi general of labor

1901 — Marlene Dietrich, German actress and entertainer ("Angel")

1939 — John Cleese, comedian and actor ("Monty Python," "Fawlty Towers")

1940 — Lee Greenwood, country singer ("God Bless the USA")

Events

B.C. — Marcus Brutus, assassinated Julius Caesar, dies in Rome

625 — Honorius I begins his reign as Catholic pope

1775 — U.S. Navy established

1919 — U.S. Congress passes Volstead Act

1938 — DuPont announces its new synthetic fiber will be called "nylon"

1941 — Chicago Daily Tribune editorializes there will not be war with Japan

1947 — "You Bet Your Life," with Groucho Marx, premieres on ABC radio

1978 — Begin and Sadat win Nobel Peace Prize

1997 — U.S. releases a redesigned $50 bill

 

Sunday, Oct. 28

300th day of the year

Quotes

"I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more." — Dr. Jonas Salk

"Tell The Truth" — Instruction sent by telegram from Grover Cleveland to his campaign committee, which had been asked to comment on his fathering an illegitimate child.

Birthdays

1810 — Brig. Gen. Adley H. Gladden, Louisiana, killed at Shiloh

1914 — Dr. Jonas Salk, New York City, medical researcher, made polio a fear of the past

1926 — Bowie Kuhn, baseball commissioner (1969-1984)

1936 — Charlie Daniels, country music star ("The Devil Went Down to Georgia")

1949 — Bruce Jenner, U.S. decathalete (Olympic gold-medal winner, 1976)

1955 — Bill Gates, billionaire CEO (Microsoft)

Events

1492 — Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba

1636 — Harvard University (Boston) established

1704 — John Locke, English philosopher ("Two Treatises of Government"), dies at 72

1776 — Battle of White Plains; Washington retreats to New Jersey

1793 — Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin

1886 — Statue of Liberty dedicated by President Grover Cleveland and celebrated with the first confetti (ticker tape) parade in New York City

1904 — St. Louis police try a new investigation method: fingerprints

1962 — Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending crisis

1965 — Gateway Arch (630 feet high) completed in St Louis, Mo.

Many Halloween activities
for Lincoln youngsters

[OCT. 26, 2001]  Official trick or treat time for Lincoln youngsters is 5 to 8 p.m. on Halloween, Wednesday, Oct. 31, according to Alderman Verl Prather, chairman of the city’s police committee.

As usual, the Police Department will be handing out treats in the back parking lot of the safety complex from 6 to 8 p.m., said Police Chief Rich Montcalm. Squad cars with lights will help youngsters find the way, and McGruff the Crime Dog will be on hand to welcome them.

There are activities scheduled earlier in the week, as well. On Monday, Oct. 29, about 800 youngsters in kindergarten through third grade from all Lincoln schools will gather at Lincoln Community High School to see a Halloween safety play put on by the Thespians and the Lincoln Police Department.

On Tuesday, Oct 30, children through sixth grade will be entertained at the Recreation Center on Primm Road from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Before coming to the Recreation Center, children are invited to put on their costumes and visit the Maple Ridge Care Centre, 2202 N. Kickapoo, where they will trick or treat and visit the residents between 4 and 6 p.m.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Activities at the Recreation Center include a costume contest, carved pumpkin judging, games, information booths and tons of treats, said Roy Logan, program coordinator.

Parents are invited to stay with their children and make the Recreation Center program a "family night," he said.

The family night is free of charge because "We get a lot of support from the community, with donations from businesses and the sponsorship of Maple Ridge," Logan said. "The Lincoln businesses have been very generous this year," he added.

Logan expects at least 500 youngsters to attend the Rec Center program.

[Joan Crabb]

 

Halloween comes early in Elkhart

[OCT. 26, 2001]  The children of the village of Elkhart will be treated to a "Scare Day in the Park" from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The event includes:

•  Costume judging and prizes awarded in age groups from infant through high school.

•  Pumpkin carving contests.

•  Games.

•  Gifts for all participants.

•  Hot dogs, chips and drink.

Funds to support the event are provided by the village and by the Needs and Goals Club of Elkhart.

The all-town trick-or-treating will be Wednesday, Halloween evening, from 4 to 8. Participants are urged to visit homes displaying their porch lights during those hours.

Village trustee Charlie Matthews stated, "Children are our most precious resource. We urge everyone to cooperate and ensure that our young people have a safe and happy Halloween experience. We also appreciate the generous support of the community in hosting events for our youth."

[News release]

Logan County Board

Board sends deficit budget to the printer

[OCT. 26, 2001]  After numerous revisions, the Logan County Board voted 12-1 Thursday night to approve a 2002 budget with a $313,238 deficit in the general fund. The final vote to adopt this budget will come at the November board meeting, but Finance Committee Chairman Rod White cautioned that any changes after the budget is reprinted would be prohibitively expensive. "I would ask that this vote hold" in November, White said.

The lone no vote was cast by Jim Griffin, who said, "I will not vote for a deficit budget." Board member Clifford Sullivan made the motion to approve the budget, and Tom Cash seconded it. County auditor Gary Hetherington figured in the impact of each motion passed during the budget session.

The largest addition to the budget made Thursday night was approximately $23,333 for a 3.4 percent cost-of-living salary adjustment for all county employees whose pay is neither set by statute nor separately adjusted in the budget. These increases, calculated on the total eligible salaries in each department, are to be allotted to each officeholder and department head; officeholders will then direct the funds to their employees. The vote to approve was unanimous.

One large item was not added. No one moved to include any funds for an industrial park. At a presentation at Lincoln College on Wednesday, Economic Development Director Mark Smith presented plans for a new industrial park and asked the Logan County Board as well as the Lincoln City Council for a monetary commitment within two to three weeks. He suggested $500,000 to $600,000 from the county’s board.

The largest decrease from the county’s fiscal year 2002 preliminary budget was $147,500 for building and grounds. Cuts in provisions for dome repair, sidewalks and curbs, a new elevator, and park lighting made up this sum. However, the board also voted to transfer $70,000 to the current building and grounds budget from the 2001 contingency fund to meet unpaid bills. These include fiber optics and carpentry at the Dr. John Logan County Building. In fact, nearly $400,000 for capital improvements has been spent in 2001.

The first action of the evening was a unanimous vote to add $10,500 to the levy for groups aiding senior citizens, increasing the total to $80,000. By law the maximum levy is $93,750. Dayle Eldredge, Dom Dalpoas and Jane Poertner, executive directors of the three groups receiving funding, had prepared a joint proposal which earmarked $10,125 for a health van operated by Rural Health Partnership, $37,173 to Oasis and $32,702 to CIEDC for senior nutrition and senior transportation programs. The Oasis and CIEDC numbers are 70 percent of original requests, whereas Rural Health Partnership received its full request, which was the same as last year’s.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Logan County Supervisor of Assessments Rosanne Brosamer said farmland values are down 10 percent this year and are expected to be down an additional 10 percent in 2002 and again in 2003 and 2004. Despite this, she said she projects the "2001 budget year a wash" with 2000. White said of property tax income, "I want everyone to be aware that it’s flattening out, starting to turn down."

Similarly, revenue from fines and fees will at best be flat in the projected future, he said. And sales tax receipts have dropped as a result of the Turris Coal mine being annexed into the town of Elkhart.

Increases for two offices were accomplished without adding to the budget, thanks to a balance of about $8,000 in the County Farm fund. The board voted 10-3 to spend $5,000 of this money to increase economic development funding. Griffin, Lloyd Hellman and David Hepler dissented. Another $5,000 from the County Farm fund went toward consideration of a golf course on airport property. A feasibility study has already been funded, but Airport Committee Chairman Roger Bock asked for the $5,000 in case of additional needs. Griffin, Hellman, Dick Logan, Dale Voyles and Terry Werth disagreed.

Going back into the County Farm fund were $1,500 previously earmarked for chamber of commerce memberships for all county employees and $1,000 for a Spoon River tourism program. As a result of the four votes, only $500 in the fund remains undesignated.

Several other items listed at the beginning of the session as possible deletions from the 2002 budget were reinstated. One was a full $15,000 for a vehicle for Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator Dan Fulscher. The 9-1-1 board has voted to provide another $15,000 toward the vehicle, a half-ton pickup with heavy-duty suspension to pull trailers. Law Enforcement Committee Chairman Doug Dutz explained that the vehicle will be bid out and that Fulscher plans to pay a third of each year’s vehicle cost for personal use. Negative votes were cast by board members Griffin, Hellman and White.

Also reinstated were $7,000 for trial costs and $18,000 for indigent defendant costs. Both State’s Attorney Tim Huyett and Circuit Judge Dave Coogan explained that the upcoming trial of two people accused of infant murder will require these funds, especially since one defendant will use the public defender. "A public defender on a murder case costs a ton of money," Coogan said.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Friday, Oct. 26

298th day of the year

Quotes

"Where force is necessary, there it must be applied boldly, decisively and completely." — Leon Trotsky

"Throughout the 1980s, we did hear too much about individual gain and the ethos of selfishness and greed. We did not hear enough about how to be a good member of a community, to define the common good and to repair the social contract." — Hillary Clinton

Birthdays

1855 — Charles Post of breakfast cereal fame

1879 — Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary (president of first Soviet)

1916 — Francois Mitterand, Jarnac, France, president of France (1981-1995)

1917 — Felix the Cat, cartoon character

1919 — Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Aryamehr, shah of Iran (1941-79)

1946 — Pat Sajak, Chicago, TV host ("Wheel of Fortune," "Pat Sajak Show")

1947 — Jaclyn Smith, Houston, Texas, actress ("Charlie’s Angels," "Nightkill")

1947 — Hillary Rodham Clinton, first lady (1993-2001)

Events

1492 — Lead pencils first used

1774 — First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia

1774 — Minute Men organized in colonies

1787 — "Federalist Papers" published, calls for ratification of Constitution

1825 — Erie Canal between Hudson River and Lake Erie opened

1863 — Worldwide Red Cross organized in Geneva

1949 — President Truman increases minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents

1964 — Rolling Stones appear on the Ed Sullivan Show

1970 — "Doonesbury" comic strip debuts in 28 newspapers

1972 — Igor Sikorsky, Russian-U.S. helicopter builder, dies

1985 — On a poor call in sixth game, umpire Don Deckinger starts a string of events costing Cardinals the 82nd World Series

EDC proposes north-side industrial park, seeks community support

[OCT. 25, 2001]  Development of a proposed 63-acre industrial park north of town could bring the Lincoln/Logan County area many financial benefits, but first the community must commit to supporting the project, Mark Smith, economic development director, told a group of local officials and businessmen Wednesday evening.

Members of the Lincoln/Logan County Economic Development Council, the EDC, have been seeking a site for an industrial park for the past 18 months, he said. The EDC now has an option to purchase 63.5 acres at Business 55 and Kruger Road, between the north Interstate 55 interchange and the Logan County Airport, for $678,000, he told the group assembled at the Lincoln College Library lecture room.

In addition, a developer is ready to put up a building on speculation if the land can be acquired and improved, Smith said. The developer, Tamkin of Los Angeles, Calif., has done other construction in the city and is currently the developer for the addition to Willamette Industries.

The creation of the industrial park hinges on getting community support to finance the project, which will add up to a total investment of $3.1 to $3.3 million. This includes cost of the land, cost of running utilities to the site and cost of extending them to the various industries within the site, Smith said.

The fully developed park could bring in a total of $321 million in wages to employees living in the county in 10 years, Smith said, and as much as $561,000 in property tax revenue yearly. He projected a total of 455 employees earning from $8 to $20 per hour when the facility is completed.

Smith said he was not asking for a commitment from Lincoln City Council or Logan County Board members immediately but would like to have one soon, within two or three weeks. However, county board and city council members present wanted to know specifics of the financial commitment the EDC would expect.

Rod White, finance chairman of the county board, asked Smith what he thought the commitment from the board should be. Smith suggested $500,000 to $600,000.

"We have a half million dollar deficit now," White replied.

Lincoln Alderman Pat Madigan asked what kind of figures Smith was looking for from the city. Smith suggested the city look at running the utilities out to the park, a cost of $1.3 million.

Madigan asked why the council and the county board had not been told more about the project sooner, if it has been in the planning stages for 18 months.

"I didn’t know about this meeting until last night," he said.

Todd Lohman, a member of the EDC, said the group didn’t have the land option until mid-September. "We didn’t think we could come to anyone until the land was locked up," he said.

"Can we as the city council and can the county board meet your commitment in two weeks?" Alderman Steve Fuhrer asked.

"Experts have offered to sit down with you and show you how to do it," Smith replied.

One of those experts, Joe Somerset, formerly of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, who spoke earlier to the group, said there were many options to finance the project. "The object tonight is to commit in theory, not in quantity. It takes time to work out the options."

Some of the options listed in the handout compiled by EDC were municipal bonds, local financial institutions, private foundations, Illinois FIRST and other state and federal grants, local taxes, and private investors and developers. However, Smith said, the community must make a commitment before other potential investors will come on board.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Fuhrer asked Smith why the EDC chose land north of the city instead of a site to the west, where there is already development.

Smith said of the nine prospects who visited the Lincoln area in the past year, eight of them preferred the north site because of immediate interstate access and a limited number of conflicting land uses, such as housing and schools.

Smith pointed out that the population of Logan County is static, and job growth and earnings growth are both negative. High-paying jobs have been lost and replaced with low-paying service jobs, and the median age in the county is going up because young people must leave the area to find good jobs. Community surveys show that residents want more and higher-paying jobs that will enable young people to stay in the community and will expand and broaden the tax base.

He said the community needs the industrial park if it is to attract new industry and get those higher-paying jobs. Most business prospects today are demanding sites with utilities already present, and many want an existing building. Logan County cannot compete with other towns and cities, many of them smaller, which have already developed industrial parks.

Jerry Johnson of Atlanta, a member of EDC, said the reason Atlanta got the Holland trucking company was because "We had a piece of ground and they wanted it.

"It is hard to find commercial ground around Lincoln that’s got a set price on it. I think it has hurt Lincoln and Logan County big time."

Several speakers urged officials to take advantage of the opportunity to support the industrial park. Dave Hawkinson, a Lincoln resident and formerly director of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce, named other community projects that have been successful, particularly the enterprise zone.

"Over 95 percent of the projects that have taken place in Lincoln since the enterprise zone was established took place in the enterprise zone," he said.

"It was evident when I came here it would be difficult to get most industrial prospects because we don’t have a site," he added. "When a prospect comes shopping and you don’t have what they want, they can go someplace else. You’ve got new opportunities in front of you. Don’t let them pass you by."

Tim Rogers, who oversees 18 counties for DCCA, said companies are leaving the Chicago and suburban area because of the high cost of land.

"They sell dirt by the square foot, not the acre," he said. Many firms are starting to move to places like Dwight, Pontiac and Ottawa. Lincoln, because it is on the I-55 corridor, has good prospects, but to compete must have some type of industrial park.

"It’s your time. Let’s stop talking about it and do it," Somerset told the group.

Both Logan County Board Chairman Dick Logan and Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis have asked Smith to present the EDC plan to the local governing bodies soon.

[Joan Crabb]

Wright speaks up on insurance issues for state employees and retired teachers

[OCT. 25, 2001]  On Oct. 23, Rep. Jonathan Wright, R-Hartsburg, attended a briefing by the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission. "Although I am not a member of the commission, I attended the briefing because the state is facing difficult financial times, and I want to be informed as possible," Wright said.

The Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission revised their estimate for fiscal year 2002 to reflect a $329 million decrease in total federal and state revenue sources. The commission was informed that we are in a recession. At this time, no one can guarantee how long this recession will last.

In addition, Central Management Services also updated the status of two critical programs. During the briefing, CMS indicated that preliminary figures indicate that the funding for the state employees’ group insurance is short $100 million to $110 million for fiscal year 2002. CMS further warned that if the Legislature did not take any remedial action, the state would be forced to hold payment of claims for 100 days.

"This is unacceptable. The Legislature must take corrective action during the November veto session. No state employee should be forced to wait 100 days to receive reimbursement for a legitimate claim," Wright commented.

 

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In addition, CMS informed the commission that TRIP, the insurance program for retired teachers, is short $28.8 million for fiscal year 2002. If no action is taken in this regard, CMS would have to raise premiums for retired teachers by 80 percent early next calendar year.

"The retired teachers already were forced to accept a 21 percent premium increase early this year," Wright said. "We must make this a priority in November to properly fund this program without adding any increased premiums to retired teachers. These are people who have dedicated their lives to educating our children, and I will make every effort to see that this fund is properly funded without any additional cost to the retired teachers."

The commission will have another meeting in December of 2001 to further assess the stability of the economy.

[News release]

Today’s history

Compiled by Dave Francis

Thursday, Oct. 25

297th day of the year

Quotes

"I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money." — Pablo Picasso

"All of us learn to write by the second grade; then most of us go on to other things." — Bob Knight, basketball coach, critiquing a sportswriter

Birthdays

1825 — Johann Baptist Strauss, (the younger), Austria, composer (known as "The Waltz King")

1838 — Georges (Alexandre Cesar Leopold) Bizet, France, composer ("Carmen")

1869 — John Heisman, pioneering football coach and trophy namesake

1881 — Pablo Picasso, Malaga, Spain, artist ("Single Dancer," "Two Dancers," "Guernica")

1888 — Richard E. Byrd, Virginia, admiral and polar explorer (1926)

1912 — Jack Kent Cooke, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins)

1912 — Minnie Pearl [Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon], Tennessee, ("Grand Ole Opry," "Hee Haw")

1940 — Bob Knight, college basketball coach (Indiana; Olympic gold-medal team, 1984)

1967 — Julia Roberts, Smyrna, Ga., actress ("Mystic Pizza," "Pretty Woman")

Events

625 — Boniface V ends his reign as Catholic pope

1400 — Geoffrey Chaucer, author, dies in London

1760 — George III ascends the British throne

1764 — John Adams marries Abigail Smith (marriage lasts 54 years)

1854 — The Light Brigade charges (Battle of Balaklava in Crimean War)

1870 — Pimlico Race Course opens in Baltimore

1870 — Postcards first used in US

1881 — Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Clanton engage in "Shootout at OK Corral"

1917 — In Russia, Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin seize power

1924 — First appearance of Little Orphan Annie comic strip

1935 — Hurricane-produced floods kill 2,000 in Jeremie and Jacmel, Haiti

1944 — Japanese navy defeated at battle of Leyte Gulf

1964 — Viking Jim Marshall runs 66 yards in the wrong direction for a safety

1983 — U.S. invades Grenada

1992 — Roger Miller, country singer ("King of the Road"), dies at 56

1993 — Vincent Price, actor ("Raven," "Fly"), dies of lung cancer at 82

1995 — Bobby Riggs, tennis star, dies of prostate cancer at 77

1999 — Payne Stewart, golfer, airplane accident

America strikes back

As promised, the United States led an attack on Afghanistan. The attack began Sunday, Oct. 7. American and British military forces made 30 hits on air defenses, military airfields and terrorist training camps, destroying aircraft and radar systems. The strike was made targeting only terrorists.

More than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East have pledged their cooperation and support the U.S. initiative.

Online news links

Other countries

Afghanistan

http://www.afghandaily.com/ 

http://www.myafghan.com/  

http://www.afghan-web.com/aop/ 

China

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/

Germany

http://www.faz.com/

India

http://www.dailypioneer.com/ 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 

http://www.timesofindia.com/ 

Israel

http://www.jpost.com/ 

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/ 

England

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/

Pakistan

http://www.dawn.com/

http://frontierpost.com.pk/ 

Russia

http://english.pravda.ru/

http://www.sptimesrussia.com/ 

Saudi Arabia

http://www.arabnews.com/ 

 

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United States

Illinois

http://www.suntimes.com/index/ 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ 

http://www.pantagraph.com/ 

http://www.qconline.com/ 

http://www.pjstar.com/

http://www.sj-r.com/ 

http://www.herald-review.com/

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/ 

New York

http://www.nypost.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/

Stars and Stripes
(serving the U.S. military community)

http://www.estripes.com/ 

Washington, D.C.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

http://www.washtimes.com/

 

More newspaper links

http://www.thepaperboy.com/ 

Announcements

Schedule set for street closings
for railroad crossing repair

[OCT. 29, 2001]  The schedule for railroad crossing closings in downtown Lincoln to allow Union Pacific to install new crossings has been set, according to Donnie Osborne, street superintendent. In order for five crossings to be repaired yet this year, two will be closed at one time, but they will not be adjacent, he said. Each closing will be for one week only, unless weather conditions delay the work.

  • Pekin and Clinton streets — Closed week of Oct. 29

  • Decatur and Pulaski streets — Closed week of Nov. 5

  • Broadway Street — Closed week of Nov. 12

Osborne said repairs will include new concrete panels and new approaches, which should eliminate the bumpy crossings motorists have been experiencing lately. The Tremont Street crossing has already been completed.

[Joan Crabb]

Landfill to be open seven days a week for leaf and brush disposal

[OCT. 12, 2001]  The city landfill on Broadwell Drive will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for leaf and brush disposal, beginning on Oct. 15, according to Donnie Osborne, street superintendent. Plans are to keep the new schedule in place until Dec. 15, he said. 

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