Features,  Announcements,  The Chamber Report,

Honors & Awards,  Main Street Corner News,  Job Hunt,

Lottery Numbers,  Business News Elsewhere  (fresh daily from the Web)

Tech News Elsewhere  (fresh daily from the Web)

Features

[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.

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;

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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]

[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]

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.

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.

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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]

Announcements

[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.

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.

The Chamber Report

Monday, Oct. 1 — Economic Development Council meeting, chamber conference room, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 — Chamber board meeting (note new date), 11:45 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 3, through Friday, Oct. 5 — IACCE fall conference

Friday, Oct. 5 — Chamber ambassadors meeting, chamber conference room, noon

Tuesday, Oct. 9 — Marketing Committee meeting at Grapes & Grounds, 8:30 a.m.

Thursday, Oct. 11 — Government/Education Committee meeting at Al’s Main Event, 7:30 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 12 — Columbus Day (chamber office open)

Wednesday, Oct. 17 — Third Wednesday morning mixer, Al’s Main Event, 7:30 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 19 — Membership and Mixer Committee meeting at The Depot, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20 — German Fest at St. John United Church; 1850s open house at Mount Pulaski Courthouse

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Tuesday, Oct. 23 — Abraham Lincoln Tourism board meeting, 5 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 25 — Chamber Executive Committee meeting at Blue Dog Inn, noon

Saturday, Oct. 27 — Harvest of Talents at Lincoln Christian Church

Tuesday, Oct. 30 — Chamber Ag Committee meeting at Al’s Main Event, 7:30 a.m.

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.

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

Honors & Awards

[SEPT. 26, 2001]  The Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio located at 600 Broadway St., Lincoln, has received the "Gold Medallion" Award for meeting Merle Norman’s standards of excellence for customer service.

The Gold Medallion program addresses consumer demands by identifying studios that meet their expectations for personal service, knowledgeable beauty advisers and pleasing atmosphere. These award-winning studios set the standard for service quality among the 2,300 independently owned retail outlets nationwide.

"Our Gold Medallion program distinguishes studios that meet the highest standards of excellence Merle Norman represents," said Art Armstrong, president of Merle Norman Cosmetics. "We’re delighted to present the Gold Medallion Award to the Lincoln, Ill., studio, which offers unsurpassed personal service."

Merle Norman herself was a pioneer in understanding the importance of customer service. Her long-standing policies of "Try Before You Buy" and "Free Makeovers" were the cornerstones upon which she built a cosmetic empire from an auspicious start making cosmetics on the kitchen stove in her Ocean Park, Calif., home.

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"As the owner and proud recipient of the award, I’m honored to be recognized as a Gold Medallion studio," says Julie Tarter. "Being customer-oriented is the best way to compete in business, and I’m excited that Merle Norman Cosmetics recognizes my studio as one that meets the expectations of my customers."

Julie has owned the Lincoln store for five years and is planning an anniversary and Gold Medallion celebration for October.

[News release]

Main Street Corner News

Thursday, Oct. 4 — Looking for Lincoln Committee meeting, 7 p.m.

Main Street Lincoln

303 S. Kickapoo

Lincoln, IL 62656

Phone: (217) 732-2929

Fax: (217) 735-9205

E-mail: manager@mainstreetlincoln.com

Job Hunt

Lincolndailynews.com makes it easy to look for a job in the Logan County area.

Employers, you can list available jobs by e-mailing ldn@lincolndailynews.com. Each job listing costs $10 the first week, $20 for eight days to three months. There is a limit of 75 words per announcement.

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