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Features
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State
warns of scams following attacks
[SEPT.
21, 2001] In
the wake of terrorist attacks in New York and near Washington, D.C.,
Secretary of State Jesse White warned investors to be on the lookout
for opportunistic scams similar to those associated with the year
2000 computer bug.
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Cold-calling
telephone salespeople, advertisements, or Internet postings that
tout commodities, exotic financial products or supposed
anti-terrorist technologies should be a red flag for investors.
Investors should be especially wary of enticements to send their
money offshore to so-called "safe havens," White warned.
"In
times of tragedy, confusion, fear and uncertainty, there are always
those who will attempt to prey on the investing public," said
White. "In the wake of last week’s tragedies, investors
should resist the temptation to make hasty decisions about their
investments or finances. Our economy is the most diverse and
productive in the world, and the United States is and will remain
the world’s financial capital."
Recalling
that many con artists exploited fears associated with the year 2000
computer bug to tout investments in precious metals, emergency
preparedness scams and non-existent technology companies, White
urged investors to:
•
Hang up on aggressive cold callers promoting "safe"
investments such as precious metals, oil, or gas and ignore
unsolicited e-mail or Internet chat room talk about small companies
with new anti-terrorist technologies or products;
[to top of second column in
this article]
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•
Contact the Secretary of State Securities Department to check that
both the seller and investment are licensed and registered. If they
are not, they may be operating illegally. The Illinois Securities
Department regulates the offer and sale of securities in Illinois
and can be reached at (800) 628-7937 and (888) 231-1175
(Spanish-speaking assistance).
•
Request written information that fully explains the investment, such
as a prospectus or offering circular. The documentation should
contain enough clear and accurate information to allow you or your
financial adviser to evaluate and verify the particulars of the
investment.
•
Use common sense. Some things really are too good to be true. Get a
professional, third-party opinion when presented with investment
opportunities that seem to offer unusually high returns in
comparison to other investment options. Pie-in-the-sky promises
often signal investment fraud.
[News
release]
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‘Following
the Information Trail’
Workshops
will lead in research
of properties in Lincoln
[SEPT.
18, 2001] Lincoln’s
Historic Homes and Buildings Committee had its regular meeting on
Sept. 17 in the office of Mayor Beth Davis.
The
committee discussed the development of an inventory form to assist
owners of historic properties in researching their home or building.
The
committee also began preparations for a series of workshops at the
Lincoln Public Library entitled "Following the Information
Trail." These workshops will educate participants on the
different sources of information available for research of
properties in Lincoln. The dates and times of these workshops will
be announced at a later date.
The
next meeting of the committee is Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
[News
release]
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MKS
Jewelers celebrates
two decades in downtown Lincoln
[SEPT.
13, 2001] With
balloons, extended hours, door prizes and storewide discounts, MKS
Jewelers is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, Sept. 7-15.
Through the 15th there is a "Name That Stone" contest, and
everything in the store not already on sale is 20 percent off.
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A
window display features the 20 different stones to be identified,
with prizes for five, 10 and 20 correct. On the opening weekend the
store featured a special selection of jewelry brought in for the
occasion and sold at half price. Melody Kay Shew, whose initials
gave the store its name, said the response so far has been
excellent. Visitors have included longtime customers and a tour bus
of people from Scotland.
MKS
Jewelers sells "anything from sterling to 14 carat,"
according to Shew, the manager and co-owner. In addition to jewelry,
stock includes a broad selection of gift items, such as candles,
coasters, clocks, frames and seasonal items. For 10 years MKS has
been a member of Retailers Jewelers Organization, a buying group
which enables Shew to carry lines which would otherwise not be
available to a small store. In addition to buying at the RJO show in
Des Moines, she makes selections at the Chicago Gift Show in July
and through company sales representatives. She was told she is the
only outlet in central and northern Illinois except the Art
Institute to offer Ortak silver from Scotland.
Shew’s
philosophy is customer-centered. "We try to carry what people
are asking for," she said. "I’m selling products that I
would be proud to wear myself." She believes in being honest
with customers, offering a quality product, backing it up and
offering a range of prices to fit community needs.
Services
offered by MKS include both bridal and gift registry (called the
"Wish List"), jewelry and watch repair, remounts of
stones, ear piercing and class rings. Fred Schroeder of Morton, one
of two bench jewelers to whom MKS sends repairs, studied with Shew’s
mentor Jim Williams.
During
its 20 years of existence MKS Jewelers has occupied three locations,
largely because of a disastrous fire. Shew and her husband Allen
bought the business on Sept. 8, 1981, from family friend Dorothy
Williams after the sudden death of her husband, James. Melody Shew
had previously worked part-time seven years for Jim Williams, who
taught her to engrave and to do some jewelry repairs. Williams had,
in turn, bought the business from Opal and the late Jacob Buttell.
MKS
Jewelers was originally located in the Miller Building on the corner
of Kickapoo and Pekin. On Feb. 24, 1982, a phone call in the middle
of the night alerted the Shews to a fire at the Miller Building.
Melody Shew remembers standing in the bitter cold, watching the fire
and the water freezing as it dripped. In the store the floor was
eaten away and only a wall added by the Williamses prevented the
safe from falling through to the flooded basement.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Though
the stock outside the safe was all destroyed, it was stored in the
State Bank West basement vault until the pieces could be identified
for insurance purposes. "The whole bank smelled of smoke,"
Shew said. "Nothing was melted; it was all water damage,"
she added. Firemen noticed that Timex watches in a display near the
door were all still ticking. Two days later, however, they weren’t.
Display cases from the fire site were reconditioned and are still in
use.
After
the fire the store was relocated to 125 S. Kickapoo for two years
and in April 1984 to its current location at 614 Broadway. With help
from family and friends, the Shews renovated the former Schoen’s
Shoe Store in one month. Allen Shew built the wall partitions at
Chestervale Grain Elevator, which he manages.
In
1997, after purchasing the store from Landauer’s, the Shews
extended the rear of the showroom about 12 feet and built new
offices, work stations and a repair center at the back of the store.
At that time they repainted, laid new carpet, and added a new
furnace and air conditioning.
Since
opening the store, Melody Shew has studied diamonds and jewelry
retailing through correspondence courses offered by the Gemological
Institute of America. She belongs to the Illinois Jewelers
Association, and she and Angela Getchel, her daughter and assistant
manager, attend educational seminars each year.
The
store, which had three employees besides Shew when it opened in
1981, now has five: Getchel, Shew’s sister Kenda Colby, Nancy
Yeazle, Lois Laughlin and Lori Farwell. Getchel is in charge of
keeping a computer record of the stock.
Shew
belongs to the local chamber of commerce and was on the first Main
Street Lincoln board of directors. Following a tradition from
Princeton, Ill., her former home, she instigated the Grand March at
the Logan County Courthouse for LCHS prom goers and took over the
project last year when Main Street ceased sponsorship.
"I
have seen a lot of stores come and go," says Shew.
"Sometimes it amazes me that we’re still here. I really feel
like the Lord has been a part of this from Day 1. He’s seen us
through so many trials."
[Lynn
Shearer
Spellman]
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A
local
woman, Carol Runyon,
uses creativity in her business
[SEPT.
7, 2001] Recently
a local businesswoman, Carol Runyon, was pleasantly surprised to
learn that one of her ideas had been published by an international
scrapbooking company, Creative Memories. Her layout idea is now part
of a Crop Talk® titled "Beautiful Beginnings" for
Creative Memories consultants to purchase.
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Crop
Talk® lessons are used as a tool for consultants to use in
workshops for their customers. Most lessons are in the form of a
four-page handout, with the consultant having a special instruction
guide to aid him or her (yes, men are Creative Memories consultants,
too) in preparation. The 5- to 15-minute lessons are used to educate
and motivate customers.
The
idea Runyon suggested has an interesting origin and history.
Over
a year ago, Carol and Joe were going through old photos and photo
albums and were saddened to find that the album Joe and his late
wife, Darla, had purchased from their wedding photographer was
literally falling apart. This album, over 40 years old, held the
professional photographs from their wedding.
Much
has been learned about safe photo storage and preservation in the
past 40 years. Carol and Joe both realized that the precious
photos needed to be "rescued" from this unsafe environment.
So
they removed the photos and documented, on the backs with a
photo-safe marker, the names of the people featured in these photos.
(There was no documentation in the album other than the names of the
people who attended, on a sign- in page, and the page that gave the
information about the wedding party.) Most photos were of family
members, and fortunately Joe knew who these people were. Often, this
type of information is lost because photos are not documented, and
when the albums are passed down to future generations, they hold
little value to the family members who inherit them.
The
photos were then placed in portrait sleeves in a Creative Memories
album for safekeeping.
[to top of
second column in this article]
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When
improved photo paper came out through Creative Memories, the Runyons
decided to make a copy of each photo and mount them in albums for
each of the five now-adult offspring from that union. The albums
were nearly finished when Carol received the invitation that Darla’s
mother, Margaret Osborn, had saved these many years.
Copies
of the wedding invitation really belonged in the album, and at the
front of the album, at least in Carol's opinion. Since the first
page had already been completed, this created a challenge. In fact,
all five of the albums were completed except for the documentation.
So
the idea of an "overlay" became the solution to this
dilemma. When friends, customers and family members saw the albums,
they encouraged Carol to submit the idea to her company. When Carol
called the corporate headquarters to ask if they would be interested
in the idea, they said "Yes!" and directed her to the
appropriate contact person.
More
information about her business as an independent Creative Memories
consultant can be obtained by calling Carol Runyon at (217) 732-9480
or (888) 400-9480, or by sending e-mail to her at carol4memories@juno.com
.
Also,
more information about Creative Memories, now an international
company, can be obtained by contacting Creative Memories at (800)
468-9335 or visiting www.creative-memories.com.
Also
see http://albums.photopoint.com/j/
AlbumList?u=1039433&f=0.
[News
release]
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Newly
renovated Student
Services Building at LCCS
[AUG.
30, 2001] Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary hosted an open house Tuesday
celebrating the completely renovated Student Services Building.
[Click
here for pictures
of student center]
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The
structure was built in the 1950s and over the years has been the
home of the maintenance shop, a print shop, the mailroom and
bookstore. During this summer, the building underwent a total
face-lift with many exciting changes. The building now houses the
Student Development and Admissions Departments, "Mr.
Books" bookstore, and the newly-created student center.
A
plaque was presented to Professor Tom Ewald and was hung in the new
building. The plaque honors Professor Ewald for 28 years of service
as the dean of students. He held that position for both the seminary
and the college for many years. He is still the dean of students for
the seminary and professor of pastoral care and counseling.
The
student center occupies the former garage-maintenance end of
the building. There is a TV viewing area, a snack bar and a large
room where students can relax and have fun. Also, game tables,
couches, booths and a stage for live entertainment are in this area.
The center has a garage motif, with old campus signs on the walls as
well as old signs from the community. The concrete floor is stained
and stenciled. Contractors involved in this part of the renovations
include Roger Webster’s Construction, Fitzpatrick Electric,
Quality Glass, Simonson Painting and Hundley Controls.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Mr.
Books, the new name of the LCCS bookstore, has all new
bookcases, wall units, carpet and tile. It has been enlarged,
redesigned and repainted.
The
Student Development and Admissions Departments have a
reception area, six new offices, an office for the admission
counselors, a workroom and a conference room. Contractors involved
in this part of the building include Roger Webster's Construction,
Fitzpatrick Electric, Patterson Drywall, Quality Glass, Barr
Painting, and Hundley Controls.
[News release]
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Announcements
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ITEC
employer
opportunities
[SEPT.
25, 2001] The
Lincoln IETC, is proud to announce the On The Job Training Program
that is now available to assist employers with employee training
costs. An employer may be reimbursed up to 50 percent of the wage
rate of an OJT participant for the extraordinary costs of
providing the training and additional supervision related to the
training.
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OJT
highlights
•
Assists employers with training costs
•
May last up to six months, depending on skills required to master
training
•
Minimum paperwork (monthly invoice)
•
Full-time, permanent work opportunity required
•
Minimum wage of $7 required for reimbursement
•
Employers may refer candidates
•
IETC will assist with candidate recruitment if desired by employer
•
Candidates must meet qualifications for assistance
•
IETC will determine candidate eligibility
If
you are interested in learning more about the On The Job Training
Program, please contact Jan Gleason or Rod Lewis at (217)
735-5441. The local Illinois Employment & Training Center is
at 120 S. McLean, Suite B, in Lincoln.
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 The
Chamber Report
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The
Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for community progress, bringing
business and professional people together to work for the common
good of Lincoln and Logan County.
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Bobbi
Abbott, Executive Director
Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce
303
S. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln,
IL 62656
(217)
735-2385
chamber@lincolnillinois.com
www.lincolnillinois.com
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Honors
& Awards
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Main
Street Corner News
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Thursday,
Oct. 4 — Looking for Lincoln Committee meeting, 7 p.m.
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Main
Street Lincoln
303
S. Kickapoo
Lincoln,
IL 62656
Phone:
(217) 732-2929
Fax:
(217) 735-9205
E-mail:
manager@mainstreetlincoln.com
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