[SEPT. 21, 2001]  President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress Thursday evening.  Speaking to the nation, he denounced recent acts of terrorism and demanded that the Taliban militia surrender suspected terrorists, saying, “They will hand over the terrorists or they will share in their fate.”  Continuing his speech in absolutes, the president called for nations to side with the United States or they would be considered with the terrorists.  He also revealed a new cabinet position, the Office of Homeland Security, to be headed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore, members of Congress, and fellow Americans:   

In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union.  Tonight, no such report is needed.  It has already been delivered by the American people. 

We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground -- passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer.  And would you please help me to welcome his wife, Lisa Beamer, here tonight. 

We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion.  We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers -- in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.  We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own. 

My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the state of our Union -- and it is strong. 

Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom.  Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution.  Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done. 

I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time.  All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing "God Bless America."  And you did more than sing; you acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military. 

Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and for your service to our country.   

And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support.  America will never forget the sounds of our National Anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets of Paris, and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.   

We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo.  We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America. 

Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own:  dozens of Pakistanis; more than 130 Israelis; more than 250 citizens of India; men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan; and hundreds of British citizens.  America has no truer friend than Great Britain.   Once again, we are joined together in a great cause -- so honored the British Prime Minister has crossed an ocean to show his unity of purpose with America.  Thank you for coming, friend. 

On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.  Americans have known wars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941.  Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning.  Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands of civilians.  All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack. 

Americans have many questions tonight.  Americans are asking:  Who attacked our country?  The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda.  They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole. 

Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime.  But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world -- and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere. 

The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics -- a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.  The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and civilians, including women and children. 

This group and its leader -- a person named Osama bin Laden -- are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.  There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries.  They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan, where they are trained in the tactics of terror.  They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction. 

The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country.  In Afghanistan, we see al Qaeda's vision for the world. 

Afghanistan's people have been brutalized -- many are starving and many have fled.  Women are not allowed to attend school.  You can be jailed for owning a television.  Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate.  A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.   

The United States respects the people of Afghanistan -- after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid -- but we condemn the Taliban regime.  It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists.  By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder.   

And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban:  Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land.  Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens, you have unjustly imprisoned.  Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country.  Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities.  Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.   

These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion.  The Taliban must act, and act immediately.  They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.   

I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world.  We respect your faith.  It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends.  Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.  The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself.  The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends.  Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them. 

Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there.  It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. 

Americans are asking, why do they hate us?  They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government.  Their leaders are self-appointed.  They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. 

They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.  They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East.  They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa. 

These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life.  With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends.  They stand against us, because we stand in their way. 

We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety.  We have seen their kind before.  They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century.  By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions -- by abandoning every value except the will to power -- they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism.  And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends:  in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.   

Americans are asking:  How will we fight and win this war?   We will direct every resource at our command -- every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war -- to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror network. 

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This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion.  It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat. 

Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes.  Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen.  It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success.  We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest.  And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism.  Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.  From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. 

Our nation has been put on notice:  We are not immune from attack.  We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans.  Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security.  These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level.  So tonight I announce the creation of a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to me -- the Office of Homeland Security.   

And tonight I also announce a distinguished American to lead this effort, to strengthen American security: a military veteran, an effective governor, a true patriot, a trusted friend -- Pennsylvania's Tom Ridge.  He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard our country against terrorism, and respond to any attacks that may come.   

These measures are essential.  But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it, and destroy it where it grows. 

Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents to intelligence operatives to the reservists we have called to active duty.  All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers.  And tonight, a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for our military:  Be ready.  I've called the Armed Forces to alert, and there is a reason.  The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud. 

This is not, however, just America's fight.  And what is at stake is not just America's freedom.  This is the world's fight.  This is civilization's fight.  This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom. 

We ask every nation to join us.  We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking systems around the world.  The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded -- with sympathy and with support.  Nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world.  Perhaps the NATO Charter reflects best the attitude of the world:  An attack on one is an attack on all. 

The civilized world is rallying to America's side.  They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next.  Terror, unanswered, can not only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments.  And you know what -- we're not going to allow it. 

Americans are asking:  What is expected of us?  I ask you to live your lives, and hug your children.  I know many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat. 

I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here.  We are in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them.  No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith. 

I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions.  Those who want to give can go to a central source of information, libertyunites.org, to find the names of groups providing direct help in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 

The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it. 

I ask for your patience, with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security; and for your patience in what will be a long struggle. 

I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy.  Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity.  They did not touch its source.  America is successful because of the hard work, and creativity, and enterprise of our people.  These were the true strengths of our economy before September 11th, and they are our strengths today. 

And, finally, please continue praying for the victims of terror and their families, for those in uniform, and for our great country.  Prayer has comforted us in sorrow, and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead. 

Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have already done and for what you will do.  And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, I thank you, their representatives, for what you have already done and for what we will do together. 

Tonight, we face new and sudden national challenges.  We will come together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the number of air marshals on domestic flights, and take new measures to prevent hijacking.  We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying, with direct assistance during this emergency. 

We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror here at home.  We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act, and find them before they strike. 

We will come together to take active steps that strengthen America's economy, and put our people back to work. 

Tonight we welcome two leaders who embody the extraordinary spirit of all New Yorkers:  Governor George Pataki, and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.  As a symbol of America's resolve, my administration will work with Congress, and these two leaders, to show the world that we will rebuild New York City.    

After all that has just passed -- all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them -- it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear.  Some speak of an age of terror.  I know there are struggles ahead, and dangers to face.  But this country will define our times, not be defined by them.  As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world. 

Great harm has been done to us.  We have suffered great loss.  And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment.  Freedom and fear are at war.  The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us.  Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future.  We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage.  We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail. 

It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal.  We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that is good.  Even grief recedes with time and grace.  But our resolve must not pass.  Each of us will remember what happened that day, and to whom it happened.  We'll remember the moment the news came -- where we were and what we were doing.  Some will remember an image of a fire, or a story of rescue.  Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever. 

And I will carry this:  It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others.  It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son.  This is my reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end. 

I will not forget this wound to our country or those who inflicted it.  I will not yield; I will not rest; I will not relent in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people. 

The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain.  Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them. 

Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice -- assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories to come.  In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America. 

Thank you.

[Office of the Press Secretary,
The White House]

[SEPT. 21, 2001]  Representatives of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Lincoln College, and Heartland Community College described new student programs and major building projects either planned, completed or in progress. They spoke at a breakfast meeting on Sept. 29 sponsored by the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce Government/Education Committee at Al’s Main Event in Lincoln.

Gary Edwards, vice president of stewardship development at LCC, said his campus has $5 million in new construction, including a new maintenance center, renovated dormitories and classrooms, and a new gymnasium scheduled for completion in December. The school has allocated $500,000 to return a teacher education program to the campus and has 80 students currently enrolled in its weekend cohort degree-completion program.

Ron Schilling, executive vice president at LC, said that three residence halls have been built in Lincoln in the last three years and four in Normal, and a 48,000-square-foot field house and museum is planned, with construction possibly starting in the spring. The school’s bachelor of arts program in liberal arts began in Normal this fall, with the bachelor of science in business management scheduled to start in the spring.

Jon Astroth, president of Heartland, announced plans for an 80,000-square-foot building to be constructed in three to four years to move vocational-technical and industry training courses onto the permanent campus. Both the Normal and Lincoln enrollments have increased this fall, with the Lincoln growth in online courses.

Edwards said Lincoln Christian College and Seminary enrollment is relatively unchanged at about 1,200 students, 80 percent of whom are full-time. There are currently four cohorts of 20 students each in the weekend cohort program for degree completion, and the program has a waiting list. Education majors now enroll in a 3-plus-2 program, three years at LCC and two at another institution. Returning a teacher education program to campus would reduce these students’ college load from five to four years.

Dormitories on the LCC campus have been gutted and renovated, with new ceilings, computer access in each room and modular, stackable furniture. The flat roofs have been transformed into hip roofs, and the two oldest dorms have new windows. Married student housing has also been remodeled. Edwards said dormitories are full, with some students living in apartments in town as well.

All yellow-brick buildings at LCC have been stained to a sand color. Many classrooms, including those in Restoration Hall, have also been renovated. A new maintenance facility has been constructed on the edge of campus, and the centrally located former maintenance building has been turned into a student center, dubbed "The Warehouse." The center offers a 54-inch television and a stage that can be rolled outside for outdoor as well as indoor concerts.

Vocational-technical courses and business and industry training are currently conducted at Towanda Plaza in Bloomington. Astroth said a building on the permanent campus to house these programs is planned for three to four years from now. He said Heartland worked with 55 businesses during the past year to design and offer classes customized for their employees. Some of these classes are offered at the firm’s workplace.

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The LCC gymnasium is expected to be completed the first part of December, despite the fact that more and deeper pylons were needed than originally planned. Edwards said proposals are also being made to potential donors for a new library costing $5 million to $7 million.

Schilling reported a Lincoln College enrollment slightly over 1,100 on the three campuses, including Lincoln, Normal and the Midwest College of Cosmetology. He said full-time enrollment is up but part-time is down. Sixty are enrolled in the new 2-plus-2 program in Normal, which offers two-year-college graduates the opportunity to complete their baccalaureate degree. The current students are working toward a bachelor of arts in liberal arts. Applications are also being taken for a bachelor of science program in business management, tentatively scheduled to begin in the spring 2002 semester.

Schilling said the business management program will require six credit hours of internship in a business or industry, with most or all being located in Bloomington-Normal. In addition, the Lincoln campus places a number of teacher assistants in local schools.

Both Lincoln and Normal campuses of Lincoln College have multiple new residence halls. Heritage North, West and South dorms in Lincoln have been built in the last three years, and one previous dormitory was razed. Rooms are laid out in pairs, with each two student bedrooms joined by a common bathroom. In Normal four dormitories have been built since 1998, laid out in four-bedroom apartments with two full baths and kitchens, since there is no dining hall. A 3,000-square-foot activity building is complete or virtually so, and a fifth 48-bed dormitory will be begun in the spring.

Schilling said that, in addition to a larger gymnasium, the planned Lincoln Center has 7,000 square feet allotted for a museum, 3,000 for a physical fitness center and 4,000 for a wrestling room. The fund drive for the Lincoln Center is not yet in its public phase but has already received several significant donations.

Astroth said Heartland Community College has 4,233 credit students this fall, representing an 8 percent increase. Additional students are enrolled in workshops and corporate-specific courses. The Lincoln extension has 200 students, with 50 in online courses. Kristi Kasper is site supervisor at the Lincoln extension. Astroth said it is Heartland’s philosophy to offer most general education requirements at its Lincoln and Pontiac sites as well as in Normal, with more specialized classes concentrated at the permanent campus in Normal.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

[SEPT. 20, 2001]  Firefighters and others throughout Logan County will participate in the fund drive to help the families of the New York City fire, rescue and police personnel who died trying to save the lives of others in the World Trade Center disaster.

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[Joan Crabb]

[SEPT. 20, 2001]  The Alcohol, Tobacco, & Other Drug Task Force of the Health Communities Partnership will host its second annual Family Fun Day at Latham Park in Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 3 to 8 p.m.

Approximately 250 to 300 people attended the cost-free and substance-free event last year.

The Lincoln Area YMCA is coordinating Wacky Olympics. The Lincoln City Police Department is providing hot dogs and brats. The Lincoln City Fire Department will have its "Stay Alive House." The Lincoln Public Library and Lincoln Parent Center will have craft activities. A dunk tank (with Mayor Davis in it the first hour), face painting, a "bouncy" spaceship and other activities will round out the activities. Rock Us will provide music from 5 to 7 p.m.

Donations will be collected for the relief efforts in New York City and Washington, D.C. The money collected will be given to the Lincoln City Fire Department, Lincoln Police Department and Logan County ESDA to accompany the donations they receive.

If anyone would like more information about the ATOD Task Force or the Healthy Communities Partnership, contact Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409, or Kristi Simpson at 735-2272.

[News release]

[SEPT. 20, 2001]  Four area libraries — the Jessie C. Eury Library of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, in conjunction with the McKinstry Memorial Library of Lincoln College, Lincoln Community High School Library and Lincoln Public Library District — have been awarded a $3,506.74 grant from the Rolling Prairie Library System. The grant will be used to purchase a two-year group subscription to Britannica Online.

The library collaboration, called "Lighting the Fire in Lincoln," will use the group subscription to provide all patrons of these libraries access to the online encyclopedia. This will be the first shared online database among these four libraries. This group subscription will serve thousands of community patrons, high school and college students.

Britannica Online offers the full text of the world-renowned Encyclopaedia Britannica in addition to color graphics, sound and multi-media illustrations. This quality online encyclopedia will be useful to any community member with a question to answer, regardless of the topic. For over 230 years, Britannica’s mission statement has been that nothing can "be more useful to the cause of civilization than a determination to serve mankind’s need to know."

"Lighting the Fire in Lincoln" members include June Burke, library director for Lincoln College; Marilyn Maffett, Instructional Materials Center director for Lincoln Community High School; Nancy Olson, library director for Lincoln Christian College and Seminary; and Richard Sumrall, library director for Lincoln Public Library District.

The official start date for the subscription is Sept. 1.

[News release]

[SEPT. 19, 2001]  Brainard Landing, a 56-unit apartment complex to be developed on property at 21st and State streets, will be on the agenda at the next Lincoln City Council work session, on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

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[Joan Crabb]

[SEPT. 19, 2001]  Rejecting a proposal to offer translators as an option, the Logan County Board voted 9-4 Tuesday night to require restaurants to have someone who can communicate in English present when inspections are made. Since inspections are not announced, this amendment to the food service policy of the county’s health board appears to require employment of an English-speaking person at all times.

Health Committee chair David Hepler moved to add this provision to the food service policy amendment under discussion: "If the Logan County Health Department Inspector has reason to believe bilateral communication does not exist, the LCHD shall have the right to make such an inspection with an appropriate translator, whose fees for professional services shall be paid to the LCHD by the food establishment."

Board member Terry Werth said that Lincoln Christian College has people able to translate in many languages, and Clifford Sullivan added that two potential translators told him the fee would be low or nothing. Paul Gleason said the Health Department should pay for translators since it is responsible for making inspections. Hepler’s amendment failed 3-10, with Hepler, Sullivan and Werth voting in favor.

Health Department administrator Lloyd Evans stated, "The question is the timeliness." He said translators could be employed for regular inspections, which are primarily educational, but would be more difficult to find in time to respond to a complaint of food-borne illness or a product recall. Both emergencies have occurred during the past year at a restaurant where language differences make communication between inspector and employees impossible, according to Evans.

Hepler, Sullivan, Werth and Jim Griffin voted against the four-part amendment to Health Department food service policy, which passed 9-4. Besides the requirement for an English-speaking person, it specifies that inspections must occur at least as often as state law requires; the department can issue a temporary operating license; and the Board of Health has 10 working days to hold a requested hearing regarding a suspension.

In other business the board voted 12-1 to add the mayor of Elkhart to the ex officio members of the Regional Planning Commission. Other ex officio members include the chairman of the Logan County Board, the superintendent of highways, and the mayors of Lincoln, Atlanta and Mount Pulaski. In addition there are 10 appointed members, making 16 voting members. Rod White, the sole dissenter, asked whether there would be a vote to amend the ordinance every time a new community decided to participate. Dale Voyles said such future votes are possible because the ordinance must be amended every time the board chooses to add a voting member to the commission.

Voyles read a resolution, written by Paul Gleason, condemning the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon as threats to the basic freedoms America stands for and supporting President Bush and Congress in their efforts to retaliate. The board unanimously adopted the resolution. All 13 members also voted to send $1,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in disaster relief.

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Also unanimous was the decision to expand the Board of Appeals from five to six members, effective in December. At that time two appointments will be needed, one for the new member and one to fill an expired term. The goal is to coordinate the appeals board with the new county districts, so that each district will have one representative on the appeals body. To reach this goal, the new appointments will be from districts not represented by current appeals board members, and as terms expire or members retire, the board will eventually come to represent the six districts.

Finance Committee chair Rod White distributed a list of departmental budget requests for fiscal year 2002 showing an increase of $220,200 over this year’s allotments. Some of the budget requests have been adjusted by the board committees that oversee them, and all may be further modified. White said revenue projections following the first nine months of this year show a potential $21,000 shortfall in sales tax receipts. He anticipated that the $70,000 currently in the contingency fund will be transferred to Building and Grounds. "We do have healthy balances," White said. "We hope we don’t have to go into them too deep."

The board let bids to Stewart’s Carpet Center in Mount Pulaski for replacement carpet in the county clerk’s and Judge Coogan’s offices at a cost of $8,320 and to R. L. High for bird repellent for the courthouse at $8,900. Four bids were let for the Dr. John Logan Building: to Gossett’s Decorator Studio, $2,937 for vertical blinds and $5,460 for carpet and installation; to Lincoln Office Products, $2,982 for 10 tables and 24 chairs; and to Ushman Communications, $6,350 for a telephone system. The votes for courthouse items were unanimous; those for the Logan Building were 12-1, with Jim Griffin dissenting.

By a vote of 12-1 the board authorized $29,400 to employ Hanson Engineering for continued work on the right of way of the westernmost five miles of Fifth Street Road. Jim Griffin dissented.

Dick Logan, board chairman, announced that all county fire departments will participate in a drive on Sept. 21-22 to collect money for New York City firefighters and possibly for police as well.

Board members unanimously reappointed Cynthia Bowns and Dr. Malou Laya to new terms on the Logan County Board of Health.

Law Enforcement Committee chair Doug Dutz said negotiations for deputies’ salaries and benefits will begin Oct. 17.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

[SEPT. 19, 2001]  The Hartsburg-Emden FFA chapter will sponsor a patriotic assembly this Friday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Rep. Jonathan Wright and ESDA Director Dan Fulscher will participate, plus the color guards from the Hartsburg and Emden American Legion, as well as the fire and rescue units from Hartsburg and Emden. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Anyone attending is asked to bring pictures of family members or friends who are veterans or currently serving in the military. If a picture is not available, names of these people may be written on a "Remembrance" display.

Monetary donations will be accepted to aid the victims in this time of national tragedy.

Further questions may be directed to Betsy Pech at Hartsburg-Emden High School, 642-5244.

[News release]

[SEPT. 19, 2001]  The mayor’s office was full of inspiring ideas during the Lincoln Historical Homes and Buildings Committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 17. The focus was on networking current goals.

Mayor Davis served as a valuable voice of leadership in directing attention to Lincoln’s many historical homes as a source of future tourism popularity.

"It’s like a treasure hunt exploring these homes — an actual gold mine for the city," said Betty York, the committee chairperson.

In this, just the third meeting of the committee, a workshop and a website were already in the works for the coming months.

The next meeting will be in the mayor’s office at 5 p.m. on Oct. 15.

[Colin Bird]

[SEPT. 18, 2001]  Members of Lincoln’s fire and police departments have volunteered to go to New York City to help rescue workers with the task of cleanup and recovery, Alderman Verl Prather told the council Tuesday night.

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[Joan Crabb]

[SEPT. 18, 2001]  Before going out to do preflight on his assigned aircraft this morning, Sgt. Boss took a few moments to answer the following questions for Lincoln Daily News.

Q: How are the troops dealing with this (the attack on America) there? Are they worried, saddened, feeling strong?

A: All the people I work with are saddened, but I think it gave us a new resolve to try and do our jobs better. I think that it has strengthened not only our unit, but our military as a whole, as the whole country rallies in support.

Q: Is there a chance you will be sent elsewhere?

A: There is always a chance we could be sent, but we (my unit) will be redeploying home prior to going anywhere else.

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After looking at the pictures from Friday afternoon’s expression of patriotism on the square, Sgt. Boss wrote home saying how much he appreciated seeing his community’s support: "It's so great to see the community gather together in support of our nation. It really gives me a sense of pride to sit here and show my friends and co-workers those pictures, and be able to point out people I know, and to know that we have their support, as we get ready for whatever the future brings."

[LDN]

[SEPT. 17, 2001]  Message from U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, 18th District, Illinois, on Sept. 14, 2001:

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[SEPT. 17, 2001]  Speech made by Jonathan Wright, state representative for the 90th District, on the Logan County Courthouse lawn on Friday, Sept. 14:

On behalf of people I am privileged to represent, not only in this community but in the 90^th District, I want to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to anyone who has lost a family member, or a friend or acquaintance in the tragedy that occurred on Tuesday.

I also want to express condolences and sympathies to the families of the firefighters, the rescue workers and the police officers who paid the highest price they could to save the life of another.

As I look here at the police officers, and firefighters, and rescue workers, we have in our community, I want to say, "Thank you for being ever ready to pay that same price."

In the midst of this tragedy — make no mistake, it has been a tragedy — I have seen the brilliance of this country shine in a way I have never seen in my life. You see, I think the cowards who committed this act made a big mistake. They underestimated the greatness of this country and the greatness of this people. They expected us to respond in selfishness, as they are apt to portray us as a bastion of nothing more than greed and materialism. Yet they have seen selflessness as we watched the police officers, and the firefighters, and the rescue workers, work to the point of exhaustion, risk their lives and tragically give their lives for another. They expected us to respond in fear, and yet they’ve seen our greatness shine through as we respond with the courage forged in the belly of this nation, beginning with the American Revolution all the way to Operation Desert Storm, as we hear of military recruiting officers talk of telephone lines being flooded with volunteers wanting to join the military and defend and fight for their country.

They expected us to respond with regionalism — to say in the Midwest, and the South, and the Great Plains, and the West Coast, "Well, that’s New York City’s problem! That’s Washington D.C.’s problem!" And yet they’ve seen every citizen in this country step forward and say, "How can I help? Where do I go? Where do I give money? Where do I give blood?" They don’t understand that our bonds are not made by proximity of residence but by the bonds of freedom, justice and democracy.

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They expected us to respond in apathy — to say, "Well it doesn’t affect me personally. So I go on with my life." And yet they’ve seen this country, in communities all over this great land, come together for prayer vigils, night after night after night; and patriotic meetings like this one on courthouse steps all across the country. As I look at this group and as I thought about visiting the Statue of Liberty last year — and I thought about the landscape of New York City’s skyline that I looked at last year that is not there today — I also couldn’t help but think of the statue and what she stands for — liberty, freedom, democracy, justice — and I realize the beacon of freedom never shines so brightly as in the darkest of hours. Just like that beacon on the shore never shines so brightly as it does in the middle of the night, in the midst of this tragedy we’ve seen the greatness of our country shine with a brilliance I’ve not seen in my lifetime.

Let me close with these thoughts because I think they are all our thoughts.

I always flew my flag at home, but now I’ll fly it more often.

I always prayed for this country and its leaders, but now I will pray more fervently and earnestly.

I always loved my country, but now I love it with a deeper passion than I’ve ever had.

I’ve always been proud to be a citizen of this country, but I’ve never been more proud than I am here today — to be a citizen of the greatest country, the greatest land, the greatest nation, the greatest political experiment the world has ever seen, the United States of America.

Thank you all for coming, for showing your patriotism, your love of country; and God bless America!

Stirring 'Public Expression of
Patriotism' held on the square

[SEPT. 15, 2001]  Americans young, old, and in between gathered on the Logan County Courthouse lawn Friday afternoon to be, for a little while, part of a larger community that cared and wanted to show it.

[Click here to view more pictures]

Like so many other Americans in so many other towns and cities, those who took part in the ceremony in Lincoln were a living proof that enemies who think acts of terrorism, no matter how heinous, can divide and conquer America have made a tremendous mistake. 

As Illinois Rep. Jonathan Wright put it, “They have underestimated the greatness of our country and our people.

“The enemy,” he said, “expected us to respond selfishly.  Instead, Americans are giving their lives to try to save others.

“They expected us to respond with fear, but we responded with courage.

“They expected us to respond with regionalism, saying, ‘That’s New York City’s problem.’  Instead, citizens have stepped forward, saying, ‘How can I help?’

“They expected us to respond with apathy because ‘This doesn’t affect me personally,’ but instead we have come together for prayer vigils and patriotic meetings,” Wright said.

Selfishness, fear, regionalism and apathy were simply not in the picture on Friday.  Instead, in a show of support for their fellow firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police and other rescue workers in New York City, firefighters from all over Logan County, and a few from beyond the county’s borders, lined the walkway on the Broadway side of the courthouse during the ceremony.  A few had tears running down their cheeks, as did many in the audience.

A further show of respect and brotherhood was “the last alarm,” the ringing of the bell three times in honor of the fallen firefighters on the East Coast.

The question “How can I help?” is being answered with a fund drive for the families of the firefighters and rescue workers who died trying to save the lives of others  in the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings on Tuesday.  

Those who want to help may drop off donations at the Lincoln Safety Complex and Wal-Mart from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, and at the same two locations on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or they may call the Emergency Service and Disaster Agency (ESDA) at 732-3911.  Hours for donation drop-offs in other Logan County fire districts will be announced later.

Dan Fulscher, ESDA director, can attest that Lincoln residents are not responding with selfishness.  He has already had donations of $62, just from the few people who heard the planning committee discussing the fund drive.   When the drive ends Sept. 30, Logan County Board Chairman Dick Logan will mail the contributions to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to give to the New York City Fire and Police Fund.

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Logan, who served as master of ceremonies for the occasion, said, “Our hearts are heavy, but our spirits are high.”

The Lincoln Interveterans Council carried the colors, and World War II veteran Arnold Haak asked that American veterans be remembered along with others who had made sacrifices for their country.

County Clerk Sally Litterly read a resolution by the county board, presented by historian Paul Gleason. These “overt acts of terrorism” which were unprovoked, are “a threat to the civility of the American way of life and a violation of the safety and security of our citizens,” the resolution said.

It expressed the board’s “condemnation of the attacks, our support of the President and Congress, and our concern for the injured and the families of those lost.”  A copy of the resolution will be sent to the president of the United States and to representatives in Washington.

Carla Bender, Logan County circuit clerk and 18th District U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood’s Logan County coordinator, read a letter from LaHood to Logan County residents.  That letter will be reprinted in its entirety in Monday’s issue of the Lincoln Daily News, as will the speech given by Wright. 

Wright thanked the assembled firefighters, police and rescue workers for being “ready to pay the price” and expressed his condolences for the lost and their families and friends.

“In the face of tragedy, I have seen the brilliance of our country shine,” he said.  “Freedom never shines so brightly as in the darkest hour. . . . I have always been proud to be an American citizen, but I have never been so proud as I am today.”

The Rev. Larry Maffett of the First United Methodist Church gave the opening and closing prayers, and the Lincoln Community High School choir sang the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.”  At the close of the ceremony, the community of those who cared joined hands and sang “God Bless America.”

[Joan Crabb]

Young, old and in between
come together on Friday

[SEPT. 15, 2001]  Mary Olson, who remembers Pearl Harbor, was one of the 1,200 to 1,500 folks who attended the ceremony Friday at 4:15 p.m. on the lawn of the Logan County Courthouse to show her patriotism and her sympathy for the rescue workers in New York City.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said.  “Everybody’s coming together.  That’s what we’ve got to do to get back at the terrorists.  We’ve got to stick together, through thick or thin.

“Pearl Harbor was terrible,” she remembers, “but that was away from us.  This is worse.”

Tim McCormick came alone.  The reason?  His wife was still in New York City.  She was four blocks away, standing on the sidewalk, when the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Buildings.  She was, fortunately, not hurt, and she rented a car and will soon be home, but Tim was still feeling outrage, anger and fright.

He was grateful for the public ceremony, which he said was helping him during the time he has such concern about his wife.  The ceremony is the kind of thing he expects in the city of Lincoln.  

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“We haven’t had anything like this since Pearl Harbor.  I think its terrific that politics has been put aside.”

The four Bone children came to the ceremony with their mother, Jennifer, who is a teacher at Elkhart.

“I think it’s important that my children come and see our community pull together,” she said.  “The two oldest ones understand the loss of life of the firemen in New York.  They see the firemen pulling together like an extended family.

“They have had programs at school, but as a family we haven’t had a chance to be part of a program together until now.”

Camillia, age 9, and Brittney, 7½, “will remember where they were when all of this happened,” she said.  They will be able to tell Allison, age 4, and Quentin, 3, how it was in Lincoln on Sept. 14, 2001.

[Joan Crabb]

Make a Blanket Day for national disaster

[SEPT. 15, 2001]  Project Linus is a 100 percent volunteer nonprofit organization.  It is their mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are ill, traumatized or otherwise in need, through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer blanket makers.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the Bloomington, Normal, Peoria and Decatur Project Linus chapters will be having a Make a Blanket Day at Eastland Mall in Bloomington from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The group is asking for volunteers to help them make as many blankets as possible to be sent to the three areas in need: Washington, New York and Pennsylvania. Project Linus chapters in each of those areas are ready and willing to help distribute the blankets to those children who have been traumatized. 

Blankets can be quilted, knitted, crocheted; made of cotton, flannel or fleece; and may be of any size, any style, as long as they are new and handmade. You are invited to come and sew, knit, or crochet with the group at the mall; or if you are not crafty, there are plenty of other jobs you can help with. Project Linus volunteers will show you how to tie a quilt, cut batting,  pin quilts; or you can help people bringing in their sewing machines and ironing boards to load and unload. Help will be needed with tally boards, picking up finished quilts, at the check- in table or running errands for those sewing.  There are a variety of ways you can assist.

There is no need to register in advance; just show up at the check- in table, located at the Sears entrance inside the mall.  You can help for one hour, a half day or the whole day. Any time you have available will be greatly appreciated.  This will also be the drop- off site for supplies and new handmade blankets. Donations will be accepted on Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the check- in table.

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