Calendar,  Organizations,  Milestones,

Good Neighbors,  Benefits,  A Day in the Life...,

Diaspora,  Family and Friends in the Armed Forces,  

Reunions,  Reminiscence

SPECIAL EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Carroll School breakfast and Christmas bazaar,   Renew your license plate online,  Children's Christmas store in Middletown

REGULAR POSTINGS:  Addresses of city and county officials,  Girl Scouts,  Logan County LEPC committee appointments,  Oasis

Children's Christmas store in Middletown

Again this year there will be a children's Christmas store at the Middletown Stage Coach Inn. The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 14.

Gifts for all in the family will be priced from 25 cents to $5.

Proceeds are used to furnish and maintain the inn.

Addresses of city and county officials

Lincoln City Council members

Hon. Elizabeth Davis, Mayor, P.O. Box 353, Lincoln, IL 62656;  735-3912

Mr. David Armbrust, Alderman 3rd Ward, 700 Broadway St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-4261

Mr. Steve Fuhrer, Alderman 2nd Ward, 1203 Eighth St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-6679

Mr. Benny Huskins, Alderman 1st Ward, 412 N. Madison St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-3894

Mr. William Melton, Alderman 4th Ward, 1112 E. Burlington St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  735-2658

Mr. George Mitchell, Alderman 3rd Ward, 427 Wyatt Ave., Lincoln, IL 62656;  735-2151

Mr. Michael Montcalm, Alderman 5th Ward, 700 Broadway St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-6606

Mr. Verl Prather, Alderman 2nd Ward, 700 Broadway St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-4778

Rev. Glenn Shelton, Alderman 4th Ward, 920 Pekin St., Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-8749

Mr. Joseph Stone, Alderman 5th Ward, 270 Southgate, Lincoln, IL 62656;  732-1600

Mr. Pat Madigan, Alderman 1st Ward, 110 Park Place, Lincoln, IL 62656;  735-3724

Logan County Board members
(Effective Dec. 2, 2002)

The Oasis, Logan County’s senior citizen center, 501 Pulaski St. in Lincoln, is open weekdays (except holidays) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center is open also on Friday and Sunday nights for table games. Dominic Dalpoas is the executive director. Activities are open to all Logan County senior citizens, regardless of membership.

Maple Ridge Health Care will sponsor Wednesday’s bingo with prizes. The games begin at 1 p.m. A Bob’s Roast Beef lunch will be given away to one lucky winner in the free drawing.

A trained representative from the Senior Health Insurance Program will be available by appointment on Thursday, Dec. 5. The representative will assist you with your questions or concerns.

The Oasis will host its annual chili supper on Thursday, Dec. 5, beginning at 3 p.m. and ending as the downtown Christmas parade begins at 7 p.m. Come on in and have a warm bowl of chili, a dessert and drink for a $4 donation. Hot dogs will be extra.

After the parade, Santa will be available to take gift requests from children of all ages. Pictures with Santa will be available with a $3 donation.

The trip to Taylorville on Friday, Dec. 6, includes transportation, British high tea and a fashion show, plus a tour of homes, for only $34. Call 732-6132 for a reservation.

Join The Oasis for this beautifully lighted tour on Dec. 10. Transportation and admission to the Festival of Lights is included for $18. Call 732-6132 for a reservation.

Linda Hughes was the lucky weekday pinochle winner recently, and Esther Will won the weekend pinochle honors. Alice Thornton won at pool.

Friends of The Oasis members receive bimonthly newsletters by mail. For more information, call 732-6132 or 732-5844.

Milestones

[Click here to see and print the wedding announcement form]

[Click here to see and print the anniversary announcement form]

[Click here to see and print the engagement announcement form]

A thankful story, a LifeLine pilot story

[NOV. 27, 2002]  It was early morning Jan. 19, 1999. A large winter storm shrouded the Midwest in snow and ice. Truck driver Bob Frank was about to start his daily route. He walked across the frozen parking lot. In that split second between one step and the next, his feet flew out from under him and life changed forever. Stunned, he picked himself up, noting the pain in his spine, but shrugged it off, determined to get his day’s work done.

[Click here to view more photos]

Focused on getting through the snowy day, he pushed aside the nagging, increasing pain and finished his route. It was the last day he worked as a truck driver.

Step back 42 years. Paul Schmutzler, only 14 then, began learning to fly in his father’s plane and quickly got his pilot’s certificate. He went to college, got a job, continued to fly and gained some of the extra ratings, including instrument and multi-engine ratings. He became a helicopter-certified flight instructor and got his commercial pilot’s certificate.

Schmutzler currently lives in Palatine and is retired from Exxon Mobile Corporation. He’s accumulated about 3,000 hours of flight time logged in 42 years of experience.

Next meet Alan Bernard. He is president of a manufacturing company, Mid Park, Inc., located in Kentucky. Bernard, like Schmutzler, is a pilot. He’s been flying 14 years and has approximately 1,500 hours logged flight time.

Also meet Bill LaFever. He’s from Atlanta, Ga. LaFever assists with the CNN website, integrating new technologies for a living. He flies in his off time too. He has 600 hours in 10 years.

Schmutzler, Bernard and LaFever all hold a love and expertise in flying. All three also carry the title of humanitarian. A humanitarian, according to Webster’s, is "a person devoted to promoting the welfare of humanity, especially through the elimination of pain and suffering." All three men fly mercy missions aiding in the relief of human suffering. Bob Frank would be meeting these three men in a few years.

Following his accident, Frank was referred from one doctor to the next before the third, a neurosurgeon in Bloomington, performed disk surgery. However, the pain continued.

He was bounced doctor-to-doctor twice more, until the fifth doctor identified he now had a hyper-mobile sacroiliac joint. He recommended Frank see a specialist in Atlanta, Ga.

There, in October of 2000, Frank had a second surgery. The doctors took bone from his hip and placed screws in the left side of the joint. The intent was to cause bone to fuse at the injury site. The surgery was moderately successful. Another trip to Atlanta, in May of 2002, determined that the right side of his backbone would also need the same treatment in order to fully stabilize the joint.

It had been already been over three years since Frank had had good health and a good job. He was still suffering with pain and needing additional surgery. The family was stressed. Then, as they were considering the third surgery, Frank’s wife, Cheryl, had her job cut to part-time and lost benefits as well. These were hard times for the Frank family.

Already financially strapped, they decided that it didn’t matter. He needed that surgery. But he and Cheryl realized that the return drive from Atlanta following the surgery would be too hard and too long to drive. So Bob would go alone and fly both ways. Once surgery was scheduled, they would search for the best air prices for the trip they couldn’t afford.

A friend put him in touch with LifeLine Pilots, which coordinates flights for people with medical or other life urgencies and financial need. It is a not-for-profit agency with approximately 500 pilots covering the Midwest. Their home base is at the Byerly Terminal at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport. The agency serves 15 states in the Midwest: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

[Photos provided by Bob Frank]
[The pinpointed area shows the extensive Midwest territory that LifeLine pilots cover.]

The pilots are highly experienced, and most have their flight instrument rating. So they are able to fly in almost any weather conditions. When they commit to a flight, the saying is they "accept missions."

Schmutzler, Bernard and LaFever are representative of the volunteer pilots who fly with various agencies all over the United States. As Schmutzler said, "I want my flying time to count for something."

Pilots not only donate their time but also provide the airplanes, which they either own or lease. Their airplanes must seat four to six people. The pilots also cover the costs of fuel and any other expenditures incurred during a trip.

Bernard said he thinks that all pilots are doing it for just about the same reasons. He said, "It’s a way to do two good things at the same time. One is to do what you enjoy doing, which is flying. The other is to help somebody out."

"When you fly these missions, most of the time you get to go to places you haven’t gone before," he said. "You get to meet new people. Some of the missions stick with you a lot more than others. The kids stick with you more. People have a crisis in their life, and you always have some sympathy for them. I enjoy being around them."

Speaking of his passengers, Bernard said, "They’ve always been good people, very appreciative. A lot of them can’t believe that the pilots would do this for nothing."

Summarizing, he said, "It’s just a good thing. We get to fly our planes, we get to help people out, we get to go places we’ve never been, we get to meet people we’ve never met. I think everybody wins."

Frank needed to go to Atlanta, which is outside LifeLine’s southern boundary. LifeLine mission coordinators made special arrangements with a sister agency, Angel Flights, that serves the South.

In a matter of a few days, after filling out all the necessary paperwork, Frank was approved and waiting for pilots who could fill his itinerary.

Schmutzler, Bernard and LaFever accepted the mission to assist Frank for his surgery. They agreed to fly him from Decatur to DeKalb Peachtree Airport in Atlanta, Ga., on Sept. 17 and return him from Atlanta to Decatur on Sept. 21.

[to top of second column in this article]

Schmutzler and Bernard are two of almost 500 pilots flying the Midwest LifeLine missions. LaFever flies missions for Angel Flight, Inc., which is based in Tulsa, Okla.

[LifeLine pilot Paul Schmutzler and Bob Frank before takeoff from Decatur airport]

Schmutzler has flown 14 missions and says he made his decision to do this because he "wanted to do some worthwhile flying." He said, "I can devote time [to people] and enjoy my airplane."

He went on praising the people he has flown. "All the people have good attitudes," he said, and they are dealing with challenging situations. "They are inspirational." He gets a lot out of being around them.

Bernard was LifeLine’s 2001 Pilot of the Year. Mission coordinator Carol Street explained some of the reason he was given that honor: "When you’re in a jam, he’ll help out."

He once accepted a mission to transport a 3-month-old baby with congestive heart failure who was not expected to live much longer. Concern set in while considering the seriousness of the situation. He called the office and asked, "What do I do if the child dies in flight?" Before the coordinator could answer, he said, "Never mind, I’ll handle it," and flew the mission.

That’s the kind of man he is, Street said. "If ever there was a definition of a LifeLine pilot, it would be Allen Bernard." He has flown 25 to 30 missions.

The pilots are alerted to needs through the office. The Peoria LifeLine has three professional office staff and an executive director who handle administrative processes. Street and Mary Heath act as "mission coordinators." Julie Puckett is office manager. Bob Hultgren started his first day on the job as executive director on Oct.1.

The staff members process information and requests and act as liaisons between pilots and those who need flight arrangements. Long flights such as Frank’s often require multiple pilot and plane coordination and may incorporate other agencies.

When a request is approved, flight coordinators send out e-mails or in urgent situations make phone calls to area-specific pilots. As pilots respond, a flight itinerary is set up and then given to the beneficiary. Because of the urgent and frequently fluctuating medical situations, itineraries often have to be changed at the last minute.

Frank said the people in the office were friendly and helpful. He was so impressed with them that he went there before his surgery just to meet them and take pictures.

Frank is back home recovering now. His wife Cheryl says, "He’s pretty sore, but he’s getting along well." He’s in physical therapy, and his prognosis for a full recovery is good this time.

On Thursday when their kids come to visit, bringing the grandchildren too, they will truly be celebrating Thanksgiving this year.

Frank is glad he got to make this trip with LifeLine, "I wish I’d have known about them for the other trips I had to make. It made it so much easier." This relieved some of the financial burden. He smiled, "And everyone was so friendly!"

[Bob Frank, Alan Bernard and Cheryl Frank in front of Bernard's Beachcraft Baron in Decatur at trip's close]

He said the pilots were wonderful and the flying was smooth. "It was lots better than if I had ridden in a car. If it weren’t for [the fact] that I was on the way for surgery going there and the pain having just had surgery coming back, I would love to have taken this trip anytime. It was great."

LifeLine welcomes monetary donations. Cash donations pay for office equipment, the small professional staff and office operating expenditures. Donations of materials are accepted as well. Some past donations include teddy bears for children, computers and other technology equipment used for communications and daily operations.

Also, speakers are available if you would like someone to come and talk to your organization about LifeLine.

You can visit the LifeLine website at http://www.lifelinepilots.org.

Address:

Lifeline, Inc. dba LifeLine Pilots
Suite 302, Byerly Terminal
Greater Peoria Regional Airport
6100 W. Dirksen Parkway, Peoria, IL 61607

Hours: The office is open Monday-Friday,
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central time.

Office: (309) 697-6865

Office fax: (309) 697-6541

To speak to a flight coordinator: 1 (800) 822-7972

E-mail a general question: mail@LifeLinePilots.org.

Angel Flight’s main office is located at 1515 East 71st St., Suite 312, Tulsa, OK.

Angel Flight websites:

Northwest: http://www.angelflight.com/

Northeast: http://www.angelflightne.org/

Southeast:

http://www.angelflightse.org/about/ceo.htm

West: http://www.angelflight.org/

Children: http://www.miracleflights.com/

Veterans: http://www.angelflightveterans.org/

All over the U.S.: http://www.angelflight.com/

http://www.corpangelnetwork.org/

[Jan Youngquist]

For somebody special

[NOV. 27, 2002]  Remember last Thursday? It got darker rather than lighter as the day wore on. Our first real threat of winter teased as temperatures dropped, the wind picked up and snow mixed with rain fell over the Lincoln area.

On the outer reaches of the county, in Atlanta, three men defied a rational response to seek the light and warmth of shelter. They faced the inhospitable elements because they had a job that needed doing that day.

It was proof that members of the Logan County Habitat for Humanity won’t shirk a commitment where there is a real need. The crew that day was composed of George Dahmm, Joe Funk and Joe Runyon. They had been called to the task by Rick Campbell, weatherization and energy assistance director for CIEDC, Central Economic Development Corp., also known as Community Action.

Campbell received a call on Monday, Nov. 18, from Korin Crosetto. Crosetto said that her father just had his leg amputated and he would be coming home from the hospital at the end of the week. They needed a ramp built to get him in and out of the house, and they couldn’t afford one.

Campbell did some checking, and Crosetto qualified for assistance. Campbell said that it was with the permission and enthusiasm of Jane Poertner, executive director of CIEDC, that they contacted the Logan County Habitat for Humanity and Mitchell-Newhouse Lumber Company. The Habitat crew was asked to donate the labor and Mitchell-Newhouse to donate the materials. They both agreed, and the family was contacted Tuesday morning that the ramp would be built for them.

And so that is how it came to be that on that nasty day Dahmm, Funk and Runyon drug out their tools and in short order constructed a wheelchair ramp.

Dahmm said, "We didn’t talk a lot that day. We just worked." In four soggy hours they were done. "We got finished before the rain quit," he said.

When LDN contacted Crosetto the next day to see how things were going, she said her dad was doing all right. "He’s eating some soup right now," she added.

"The guys that came out from Habitat were really nice guys," she said. "They were fast workers and polite."

[to top of second column in this article]

The family is very thankful for the assistance CIEDC offered and appreciates all the efforts of those involved in completing this task for them in such a speedy manner.

Campbell says: "We at Community Action know that that is what it’s all about, people helping people. If we can assist anyone in any way, we will, and if we can’t assist them firsthand, we can probably find the resources that can help."

The citizens of Logan County are very fortunate to live in an abundant and generous place. As Campbell points out, "It is very good to know that when a situation like this comes up, people in our community step up to the plate and take care of things. We at Community Action hope to see this sort of thing catch on."

He added, "If everyone would get involved and help each other, it would be a much better world."

This is the second time in the past year CIEDC has coordinated efforts to accomplish the building of handicap ramps. The last one was in Lincoln for a young wheelchair-bound child. It was also built by the Habitat team with materials supplied by Mitchell-Newhouse.

Dahmm says, "We won’t do this for just anybody. We do it for special people."

The Logan County Habitat will be celebrating 10 years as an affiliate in 2003. They are near paying off past house building expenses and will soon begin a new home for another family. The property has already been secured. Funds are continually being raised for new homes.

All funds given to the Logan County chapter stay in Logan County for homes to be built here. The next fund-raiser will be a dinner dance ball on Feb. 1 at the Knights of Columbus. Watch LDN for further details.

Monetary donations can be sent to:

Logan County Habitat for Humanity

P.O. Box 714

Lincoln, IL 62656

To learn more about the plans of the Habitat for Humanity of Logan County or volunteering to work on a house, you can contact any of its board members and officers: George Dahmm, president; Phil Dehner, vice president; Leonard Krusemark, secretary; Harley Petri, treasurer; along with Bill Sahs, Terry Lock, Lyle Fout, Ken Benham, Don Begolka, Connie Dehner, Pam Ridgeway, Allen Shew and Bill Meyer.

[Jan Youngquist]

The kettles are coming! The kettles are coming!

[NOV. 22, 2002]  It’s that time of year again! With a goal of $25,000, the Logan County Salvation Army will begin their annual Christmas Kettle Campaign on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Benefits

[Click here to read "A day in the life of an election judge"]

People all across this country and, in fact, around the world, claim roots in Logan County. They have very interesting stories to tell, and some of them like to connect with those of us who stayed at home. Logan County Diaspora publishes the stories of former Logan County residents. With their permission, we also include their e-mail addresses so that old friends might be reunited.  If you wish to be part of the Logan County Diaspora, e-mail ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.  

Diaspora correspondents

Click on names to see letters and stories.

v Indicates LDN sponsors

• Wanda Whitson Aue

• Brad Boss

• Charles Brainard

• James 'Doc' Chandler

• Brad Dye

• Wayne and Nancy (Hatfield) Eichelberger

• Wayne Franz

• Philip Gehlbach

• Leigh Henson  v

• Bill Horn  v

• Dale A. Lowe

• George A. McKinney

• Len and Rita Remmert

• Tom Renner

• Tom Rippon

• Traycee Ritchhart-Pirkle

• Greg Schriber

• Stan Stringer

• Donald Weindorf  v

• Denise Radcliffe Wood

• Tom and Kristy (Smith) Yarcho

Family and Friends in the Armed Forces

It is a time like no other. Since Sept. 11 we are a changed nation. Individually, our daily sensitivity toward whom and what we have in our lives has been heightened. We are more conscious and appreciative, first about those we love and see every day. Next, we have a newfound appreciation for those who risk their lives every day as rescue workers and protectors of life and property in our communities. We also now think more about our military men and women who are committed to serve and protect our country. Many are away engaged in battle, some are in waiting to go, all are ready to lay their lives on the line in defense of our freedom.

Friends and relatives serving in the armed forces are listed here so we might all hold them in our thoughts, prayers and well wishes. If you know of other friends and relatives serving (they need not be from Logan County), please send the information to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com. Along with the name, you are invited to include the branch of service, current location of service, postal address, e-mail address and relationship to the person providing the information (optional).

U.S. Air Force

820 Red Horse Squadron

Nellis AFB, Nevada

Son of John and Jo Ann Allen of Beason

2001 graduate of Lincoln Community High School

U.S. Air Force

At Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

Postal address: 5805 Mountain Home St.

Unit J-13

Nellis AFB, NV 89191

E-mail: ja_af_82@hotmail.com

Son of John and Jo Ann Allen of Beason

2000 graduate of Lincoln Community High School

U.S. Army-1AD-HHC

Weisbaden, Germany

E-mail: spot2sweetpea@yahoo.com or susan12652000@yahoo.com

West Point, N.Y.

Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

Korea

Matt Clemens

U.S. Army National Guard

Fort Benning, Ga.

AIT in South Carolina

From Mount Pulaski

U.S. Navy

E-mail: imjustin@hotmail.com

Staff Sgt. Evan Jay Downey,
Karen and Ethan

U.S. Air Force

Mildenhall Air Force Base, England

Son of Lucky Eichner

1988 graduate of LCHS

[to top of second column in this section]

A1C Chad M. Maxheimer
U.S. Air Force

Operation Enduring Freedom

Unit 5

APO AE 09363

E-mail: spring_loaded@yahoo.com

Son of Mike and Suzie Maxheimer of Chestnut and Michelle Lowe of Mount Pulaski

2000 graduate of Mount Pulaski High School

Kevin McGinnis

Egypt

U.S. Army National Guard

Fort Jackson, S.C.

In basic training

Michelle K. Ramlow

U.S. Navy

At Pentagon

Postal address: 5409-B Steeplechase Drive

Fredericksburg, VA 22407

E-mail: ramlow.michelle@hq.navy.mil 

Maj. James E. Reineke,
Deborah, Nathan, Emily

U.S. Air Force

Misawa Air Base, Japan

E-mail: REIN4RUN@aol.com 

Pvt. Christian B. Skelton

U.S. Army

E-mail: skelton820@hotmail.com

2001 graduate of LCHS

Husband of Nahani Lynn Skelton

Illinois Air National Guard, 183rd Fighter Wing

Frankfurt, Germany

Postal address: Erika Slayton

16ESS/FM

PSC 5 Box 1000

APO AE 09050

E-mail: 16ess.fm@rheinmain.af.mil 

Daughter of Lloyd (Ed) and Bridget Slayton

Robby, Ami-Jo and Angela Spickard

National Guard medical support

SrA Brandi N. (Barr) Splitter
and husband SrA Ben A. Splitter

U.S. Air Force

Stationed at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom

E-mail: Brandi.Splitter@mildenhall.af.mil

Daughter of Donna L. Sommers of Beason and Hank Barr of Bloomington

1997 graduate of LCHS

Tech. Sgt. Thomas Yarcho

U.S. Air Force

At Ramstein Air Base, Germany

E-mail: thomas.yarcho@ramstein.af.mil

Class of 1982

Reunions

Ongoing class reunion in cyberspace for 1960 graduates of LCHS

http://www.geocities.com/lincolnhigh1960/

Reminiscence

• The Postville Courthouse revisited, by Stan Stringer, posted Feb. 12, 2002, in LDN

• Lincoln Lakes beach, by Stan Stringer, posted July 10, 2001

• Stan Stringer tells story of Mark Holland’s buzzing of Lincoln, posted May 11, 2001

• Leigh Henson, now a college teacher in Missouri, remembers Miss Jones, Jefferson School principal, posted March 29, 2001

• Foreign Service officer recalls infamous Valentine's Day '79 in Tehran, by George McKinney, posted Feb. 15, 2001

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