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Features
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LDC
cuts would hurt local economy
[FEB.
12, 2002] "If
we take $78 million out of the area’s economy, it doesn’t take a
brain surgeon to see this will hurt," says Mark Smith,
Lincoln/Logan County Economic Development Director.
|
Smith
has put together some numbers to show the economic impact of Gov.
George Ryan’s latest proposal to cut the number of residents and
staff at Lincoln’s largest employer, the Lincoln Developmental
Center.
Ryan’s
plan, announced last week, is to cut the number of residents to 100
and the staff members to about 200, with residents living in group
homes yet to be built on the 124-year-old campus. A few months ago,
the facility had about 370 residents and 700 workers. Now only about
240 residents are still living at LDC, the rest having been moved to
some of the other 10 state-run facilities for the developmentally
disabled.
With
700 employees, LDC had a payroll of $28 million in 2001. Under the
newest proposal, with 200 employees, the payroll will shrink to $8.4
million.
Factoring
in the rollover effects of the $28 million payroll, the area has had
a $112 million economic benefit from a staff of 700. The rollover
effect, Smith explains, is the impact of the money as it circulates
in the community, not only in Lincoln and Logan County, but in other
areas of central Illinois where LDC employees may live.
"People
get their paychecks. They go by the drugstore and buy some medicine
and a toothbrush. They get their hair done, stop by the jewelry
store, go to IGA and get groceries and other supplies. MKS Jewelry
pays the rent; IGA hires clerks and pays for its utilities. That’s
the rollover effect. Those salaries are cumulative in terms of
effect."
With
a payroll of only $8.4 million, the rollover effect shrinks to $34.6
million, a total loss in economic benefits of $78.4 million.
"That’s
for the scenario as we know it now," Smith emphasizes. "We
really can’t be sure what’s going to happen. The situation at
LDC has changed for the better, for the worse and everything in
between for the past six months.
"It
wasn’t too many years ago that LDC was recognized nationally for
its achievements," he adds.
Smith doesn’t see a quick and easy way to provide the equivalent of
the 500 or so jobs or the gross payroll that will be lost under the
"scenario as we know it now."
"Of
all of the companies that locate nationally, the overwhelming number
hire many fewer than 500 employees," he said. "The days of
the big factories have been numbered for a long time."
Lincoln
isn’t alone in its present situation, he adds. "The kind of
thing that’s happening at LDC — the disappearance of a large
number of jobs with the stroke of a pen — can happen in any
company, any day. With buyouts and mergers, the decision-making
process becomes farther and farther removed from an individual
community," he explains.
Still,
the best hope for more jobs in the Lincoln area is to bring in new
employers, even if no one company can provide all the jobs that are
needed. To bring in new employers, Smith says, "We need the
product that companies are looking for."
[to top of second column in
this article]
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This
product, he believes, is the commercial park that was proposed last
October, a 63.5-acre site at Business 55 and Kruger Road, between the
north Interstate 55 interchange and the Logan County Airport.
Manufacturing
and distribution companies that might locate in Lincoln, he says, are
looking for an improved lot in an already designated commercial park,
with all infrastructure in place.
"We
introduced this concept last fall, after about 1˝ years of work and
discussion on the part of the Economic Development Council. The EDC is
diligently trying to find investors to put the pieces together and make
it work."
Smith
thinks Lincoln’s location on one of the nation’s major highways and
its railroad connections give it tremendous potential for attracting new
industries.
"I
look at its location in relation to Chicago, St. Louis, the Quad Cities
and Indianapolis," he says. "It has great potential for small
manufacturing and distribution companies — really all kinds of
industries."
Another
advantage in Lincoln’s location, between Bloomington, Peoria,
Springfield and Decatur, is a potential labor force of 922,000 people
who could get to a Lincoln area site within 35 minutes or so, he points
out.
Smith
says that many other municipalities in central Illinois have succeeded
in attracting industries by providing the product they wanted. For
example, Litchfield, a town much smaller than Lincoln (6,815), also
located on I-55, has had a thriving industrial-commercial park for many
years. Paris, Ill., with a population of 9,010, has many little
manufacturers even though it is about 15 miles from Interstate 70, and
so does Olney (8,631), which is about 50 miles from an interstate.
Like
other Lincoln residents, Smith hopes the governor’s latest proposal
for LDC, "the scenario as we know it now," won’t be the
final one. Two hearings set for tomorrow (Feb. 13) may have a bearing on
the final outcome.
A
hearing on the lawsuit filed in Logan County Circuit Court by the
American Federation of State, County and Muncipal Employees and other
plaintiffs will be at 9 a.m. in Judge Don Behle’s courtroom. The suit
seeks to stop the transfers of residents from LDC and keep it open and
operating.
Also on
Feb. 13, the state legislature’s Lang-Brosnahan Standing Committee on
Mental Health will continue and possibly wrap up a hearing on the LDC
situation. The committee has been hearing testimony from parents and
AFSCME as well as from organizations that are urging the governor to
close LDC and house the residents in group homes.
[Joan
Crabb]
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Part
2
Two
local women transform stained glass into shimmering works of art
[FEB.
9, 2002] Precisely
cut shards of stained glass — some swirling with color, some
unevenly textured, some iridescent — are the medium for two local
artists, Brenda
Short and Jenny Anderson.
|
[Click
here for Part 1]
Heartbreaking
loss
Anderson
experienced a heartbreaker this past November. She had taken a
number of small items to be nickel-plated in Decatur, including some
of Short’s pieces. Anderson herself had hundreds of dollars worth
of stained glass pieces, all of them made on order and some using
expensive cut-glass crystals from Germany.
Her
hands were full as she carried the finished pieces to her truck. She
put hers on top of the truck while she carefully loaded Short’s.
The plating business owner approached just then, and she turned to
greet him.
When
finished talking, she climbed into her truck and headed back to
Lincoln, not noticing what was missing until she delivered Short’s
pieces. Even then it took two phone calls before Anderson realized
that all her precious work was smashed to nothing along the road.
Process
Both
artists say they always use a pattern, but they often adapt the
pattern for the specific piece. Rows of pattern books supply ideas
for customers, who then request pattern changes as well as specific
sizes and colors. Other patterns are wholly original. Short has a
photo of a window she designed to coordinate with a wallpaper
border.
A
working copy of the pattern is drawn on paper and then again on
thick poster board, which is cut into patterns for the individual
pieces of glass. Precision is mandatory so the pieces will fit
together securely.
Next
the artist chooses a pane of glass and positions the pattern on it.
Both steps require creativity. Anderson and Short choose colors and
textures to coordinate with the subject and create the desired
effect. One glass with iridescent straight grooves resembles rain.
Swirls in baroque glass convey the drape of fabric in an angel’s
robe, if the pattern is artfully positioned. The two sides of
heavily textured glass give quite different effects.
The
artist uses a carbide-tip glass cutter to score the pattern lines on
the glass. The glass is then broken along the score lines using
running pliers. It can also be broken by hand.
Short
grinds the cut edges smooth. Anderson saves one step by using a
glass saw that grinds as it cuts.
[to top of second column in
this section]
|
Traditionally,
the next step is leading, or bending the lead came around the glass
shape. Cames are thin strips of lead with channels for holding the
glass. They are sold in different widths and thicknesses. The lead
bends easily at room temperature. Anderson
prefers lead, but Short often substitutes copper, following a method
developed by Louis Tiffany. The copper foil method produces more
delicate lines and a lighter-weight product. It can be used in
pieces up to 4 square feet, Short said.
The
copper foil comes in rolls of varying thickness and width. One side
is sticky so cement is not needed, but the copper edge must be
burnished, or pressed against the glass, to make the two adhere.
Flat
stained-glass pieces are built on a board with the working pattern
mounted on top. Two sides of the board are framed for support.
Masking tape is sometimes used to protect the glass surface while
the piece is being assembled, especially if there are delicate
beveled edges or the glass is highly textured. Horseshoe nails
temporarily secure the pieces until they are soldered in place.
Although
leaded pieces are usually soldered only at the joints, copper foil
is soldered all along the copper lines. Short said it is important
to produce a smooth bead, or rounded surface.
Short
uses zinc, copper or brass to frame her pieces. If they are leaded,
she then brushes in an oatmeal-textured cement, which fills in any
remaining space between glass and came. Once hardened, the result is
like a single sheet of glass with no give, she says. Finally, she
applies whiting powder to absorb excess turpentine from the cement.
Glass
itself is not curved, but curved pieces such as Tiffany-style lamps
can be made by painstakingly assembling many small pieces over a
gradually curving Fiberglas or Styrofoam mold. Anderson has a mold
but has never had time to make a lamp.
Anyone
interested in ordering a stained glass piece can reach Brenda Short
at 735-2790 or Jenny Anderson at 732-3556.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
|
|
Part
1
Two
local women transform stained glass into shimmering works of art
[FEB.
8, 2002] Precisely
cut shards of stained glass — some swirling with color, some
unevenly textured, some iridescent — are the medium for two local
artists.
|
Brenda
Short and Jenny Anderson fit the shaped glass pieces into
sun-catchers, sculptures, windows, flat-panel lamps, steppingstones
and even garden benches. Short created the 3-by-4-foot stained-glass
panel in the new women’s health center at Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital. She has also crafted a kaleidoscope shaped like an
airplane. Both Anderson and Short make delicate, free-standing
angels.
Short
recently remodeled a garage on the alley behind 230 Eighth St. as a
studio and shop for her business, The Grand Illusion. Anderson’s
studio is in her basement in rural Lincoln. She calls her business
Jenny Lynn’s Stained Glass.
Both
point out that the studio must be heated, because glass that cools
too rapidly after soldering can crack. The soldering gun produces a
temperature of 800 to 1,000 degrees.
One
of the pleasures of visiting either studio is reveling in the varied
panes of glass. Hundreds of water droplets seem trapped in one
sheet; another resembles snow on a window. Cathedral glass is
transparent; other sheets are mirror-like and opaque. Opalescent
glass exhibits the milky iridescence of opals. Textures are smooth,
uneven or patterned.
And
the myriad of colors! Every color in the rainbow is here, equally
beautiful but not equally valuable. Short said pinks and reds cost
more because gold is used in their manufacture. Yellows are
sometimes hard to find and can be expensive. Less costly are the
blues, despite their wide range of patterns and textures.
Short
and Anderson get their glass from a wholesaler in Warrenville and a
retailer in Decatur. They have also bought in Kokomo, Ind., where
the igloo-shaped brick ovens are the same as in the 1800s when Louis
Tiffany purchased glass there.
Sheets
of stained glass are normally 6 to 8 square feet and about
one-eighth inch thick. Prices range from a couple of dollars to $60
per square foot for hand-blown glass. Beveled glass costs more
because Short and Anderson pay to have the bevels ground.
[to top of second column in
this section]
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Cooperation
between the artists Anderson
began stained-glass work after taking a class in Springfield a
decade ago. Short took a similar class five years later. They got
together when Anderson saw Short giving a stained glass
demonstration at the Lincoln Railsplitting Festival.
Since
then they talk glass often and sometimes share a booth at shows. In
addition to taking orders, both artists take their pieces to about
six shows a year. The Art and Balloon Fest, Pride of the Prairie and
St. John United Church of Christ Germanfest, all in Lincoln;
Brinkerhoff in Springfield; and Vinegar Hill in Mount Pulaski are
probable venues for this year.
Anderson
said they are both very successful at these nearby shows, so there
is no need to travel farther. In fact, this year they quit going to
shows in November because they already had so many Christmas orders.
"Last year (2000) I delivered my last order on Christmas
Eve," she admitted, "but never again."
The
two artists have different tastes, resulting in a good mix of works
for shows. Anderson likes traditional designs, while Short prefers a
more modern look. Short often incorporates glass beads; Anderson
never uses them "So even if we do almost the same
project," Anderson said, "they look different. As with any
artwork, it’s always going to turn out different."
Both
artists hone their skills by taking periodic courses. On Feb. 2
Anderson attended a workshop in Chicago on sandblasting. She said
that etching with acid only grazes the surface but sandblasting can
take it down to a greater depth. Short recently participated in a
Springfield workshop on making glass beads using a torch lamp.
Both
women also work in other businesses. Short sells real estate for
Diane Schriber Realty and sometimes gives stained glass panels as
closing gifts. Under the name Jenny Lynn’s Kennels, Anderson
breeds Westie dogs.
(To
be continued)
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
[Click
here for Part 2]
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LCC
wins host bid
[JAN.
23, 2002] Lincoln
Christian College has been selected to host the 2003 and 2004 NCCAA
Division II National Volleyball Championship. LCC was chosen from 75
schools to host the tournaments, which are expected to bring
nearly 1,000 people and 10 volleyball teams from across the United
States into the Lincoln community.
|
The
Lincoln Christian College volleyball team won the national
championship in 1998 under the direction of two-time NCCAA Coach of
the Year Kevin Crawford. Crawford has coached the Angels for 12
seasons and has led the team to six national tournaments and to the
"Final Four" four times.
Crawford and the team are eagerly
looking forward to the championship. "We are very excited about
hosting the NCCAA National Championship," says Crawford.
"This will give an opportunity for many of our fans to witness
the excitement of a national championship."
The
tournaments will take place in LCC’s newly constructed, 30,000-square-foot athletic facility. The facility is one of the largest to
host the championship.
[News
release]
|
|
New
business focuses
on improved health
[JAN.
15, 2002] Improved
health in the community is the goal of business owner Jan Dickerson.
She runs the newly opened Health and Fitness Balance on Sangamon
Street, where her mission is "to achieve a pleasant and
professional atmosphere where people feel comfortable to pursue
better health in a supervised environment."
|
Dickerson
has a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, is a certified
aerobic instructor, and has recently gained certification in weight
training. She also participates in continuing education
opportunities to keep her methods accurate and up-to-date. Although
she is currently the only instructor at the studio, she insists that
any future trainers or instructors be trained and certified by an
industry-recognized agency.
Dickerson
offers a wide variety of fitness options. She wants everyone in the
community to be able to improve his or her health and fitness.
She
offers classes called "60-fit!" for seniors. These classes
focus on flexibility and range of motion, often a problem for more
mature patrons.
"Women
on Weights," or "WOW," is a class in which women
learn how to use different types of exercise machines, whether for
home or gym use.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Her
most popular classes are the yoga classes. Yoga emphasizes core
strength, flexibility and balance. In addition to being the current
"trendy" exercise, patrons are drawn to yoga because it
often results in reduced stress and easier relaxation. All of her
yoga classes are currently full, but the next session starts in
February.
Dickerson
also offers personal, one-on-one training. She helps create a
fitness program specifically designed to the patron’s goal, be it
weight loss, muscle tone or added strength.
There
are a few fitness memberships still available. These entitle the
patron to use of the equipment for personal exercise during business
hours.
Dickerson
invites questions concerning her classes. You can call her at the
studio at (217) 735-4463 between 12 and 6:30 p.m. on most days
(Wednesdays, 2-6:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.). You can also
visit the studio at 113 S. Sangamon St. in Lincoln.
[Gina
Sennett]
|
|
Illinois
FIRST funds come to Lincoln
[JAN.
2, 2002] SPRINGFIELD
— Gov. George H. Ryan announced today that he is releasing $1.22
million in Illinois
FIRST funding for projects in central Illinois, including $1
million to Lincoln College, a private, not-for-profit,
coeducational, residential junior college in Lincoln, to construct a
facility to be called the "Lincoln Center."
|
The
facility will house an athletic and convocation center and a greatly
expanded Lincoln College Museum. The new facility will offer
increased opportunities for regional and sectional tournaments and
other competitions and will quadruple the available museum display
space. A donation of $4,850,000 is being contributed from
individuals, foundations and corporations.
Other
Illinois FIRST grants announced by Ryan:
• $150,000 to Farmer City to construct a new storm sewer. This project
was initiated by State Sen. Claude "Bud" Stone, R-Morton.
• $50,000 to the Rochester Unit School District 3A for tennis court
lighting and a press box and bleachers for the soccer fields at the
Rochester Sports Complex. $50,000 is being contributed from the
Rochester Youth Athletic Association and Rochester Athletic Booster
Club. This project was initiated by state Sen. Larry K. Bomke,
R-Springfield.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
• $20,000 to Cazenovia Township to purchase a road maintenance vehicle.
The township is contributing $25,000. This project was initiated by
Stone.
Illinois
FIRST funds are not part of the state budget’s General Revenue
Fund. Recently, lagging tax collections brought on by a slowdown in
the national economy and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 have
forced the governor to order spending cuts in the General Revenue
Fund that amount to less than 2 percent of total spending. Illinois
FIRST monies are derived from separate accounts in the state budget
— the Road Fund and the Fund for Illinois Future — as well as
through the sale of state bonds.
[News
release]
|
|
Changes
for our local screens
Community
television goes not-for-profit
[DEC.
31, 2001] At
close of day today a Lincoln business will end its 2˝-year venture.
Surprisingly, this is not a bad news. How can we say this? Because
as of tomorrow Linc-On TV will hereafter be known as Log-On
Productions, Inc., a not-for-profit agency. The new entity’s
primary functions parallel the current purposes: to create and
produce community-interest television programming. The company will
continue broadcasting locally over cable Channel 15, which is owned
by Insight Communications.
|
"We’re
one of very few communities of our size that has a local daily print
paper, a local daily Internet paper, a local radio station and local
community TV," according to Mike Fak, company spokesperson for
Log-On. The new status "should allow us the time to produce
documentaries with a local interest for our viewers," explains
Fak. "In the last two years we have learned a great deal about
what this community enjoys and what it has an interest in. We just
hope to get enough funding to cover the events and activities."
Funding
As
a not-for-profit corporation, Log-On Productions will be able to
receive tax-deductible donations and apply for grants that will help
them expand some of the valuable community services they already
perform. They intend to seek state and federal funding in the way of
grants, but don’t feel they can depend on these sources. The
company estimates that their income will break at about 35 percent
from area businesses; 20 percent from individuals; 15 percent from
sales, videos, DVDs, etc.; and 30 percent corporate support.
The
three principal employees of the production corporation, Tim Rogers,
Jim Ash and Mike Fak, have over 50 years of audiovisual, news
reporting and communications experience. Jim and Tim began Linc-On
when the local radio station, WPRC, closed. At that time we had no
more local news being broadcast. Local noted newspaper columnist
Mike joined the pair later. With his usual positive candor he says,
"I’m looking forward to doing both voice and visual. I think
that’s the cat’s keister."
While
each of the men brings his own talents and expertise, they’ll all
tell you every bit of it is a collaborative effort. Somehow they all
just do what they do and every job gets done well. In their most
distinguishing roles Ash is writer, on-camera narrator, producer and
handles new development. Technology supervisor Tim Rogers spends his
time behind the scenes and camera and brainstorming. He’s known as
"the savant idea man," with ideas popping out of him at
just the right time. He conducts filming, editing and production.
Fak lends face, voice and character in addition to production and
promotion for the company.
Community
TV
There
is very little original programming being done at the local level in
our nation. Only 15 percent of the country has community TV; of
that, 7 percent is in California, with Ohio and New York providing
most of the rest. "Mostly it is news and not so much the local
news at that," states Fak. The whole field of community TV is
only 20 years old. "We’re going to try to take a leap in
community communications. We will see how far we will go," he
says.
Linc-On
recently received a county award from the Logan County Emergency
Services and Disaster Agency/911/Local Emergency Planning Committee.
The award was in recognition for excellent coverage and the quality
of their productions of the "Patriotic Expression"
gatherings at the Logan County Courthouse.
The
new company is looking forward to doing much more of just that sort
of community documentation and involvement. Ash explained, "We’re
hoping to be able to produce a lot of local programs like
documentaries and biographies. We’d like to be able to help the
schools out as well. We’re thinking of ourselves like a learning
tool. We can teach the kids how to do it and let them do their own
shows. We’ll let them handle it, and we’ll just give them some
guidance."
The
company will also be producing some commercials and video
presentations. They are particularly interested in working for other
not-for-profits to help out them by offering lower cost. The local
blood bank is on their production docket.
Word
has gotten out about a high-profile project. A one-hour documentary
on both Central and Lincoln Junior High School is in the planning.
It will celebrate the history of the buildings and the people who
have passed through their hallways. It is expected to take a couple
of months in production. Both of the school principals, District 27
Superintendent Robert Kidd and teachers are said to be excited and
pleased to see this done. The extent to which it will be produced is
based on some funding. "It has $2,500 starting base," Fak
stated. "It will be done no matter what, but more funding will
increase the quality."
With
lots of experience on their side, the new company is hoping to
upgrade their equipment soon. It will enable them to produce
higher-quality productions. At the top of their list, Fak says,
"We would like to have a more sophisticated camera than the one
that we have. There is equipment out there that will enable us to do
a much better job. The camera we are looking at has audiovisual
dubbing with more diversification capabilities. Added equipment that
will enhance quality of what we’re going to air."
Forthcoming
projects
A
documentary currently being worked on using financial support from
their present advertising base is "1000 Miles From Home."
It explores the personal and financial repercussions to our
Midwestern culture from the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Exploring
personal feelings, the effect on local factory orders, a renewal of
patriotism and concern for personal safety are just a few of the
topics that will be touched on in this one-hour story.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Another
planned documentary is "Inside The Dome, The Story Of Logan
County’s Courthouse." It explores the building of the
structure and tells its history to present day. It will also explore
the basement and take the viewers up inside the huge dome amidst the
staging and gangplanks where technicians work to keep the four,
10-foot tall clocks in working order.
Another
special program is "Forty Acres and A Mule." This one-hour
report will explore the small family farm in Logan County. It will
discuss commodity prices, grain production and the struggles smaller
farm owners are facing in this day and age of mega-farms.
There
are also hopes to embark on an ambitious four-hour mini series:
"The History Of Logan County." Using archival photographs,
local personalities for voices, it will bring a greater
understanding of the heritage of our area.
Shows
that found a success and will be carried over:
•
Local news — A 15-minute nightly feature.
•
"The Fak’s Machine" — A one and a half-hour live
call-in show to discuss community issues.
•
LCHS sports — Lincoln High School football games, Lincoln High
School boys and girls basketball games.
•
"Around The Town" — A show that highlights events and
milestones in the viewing area.
•
"Coaches Corner" — Interviews and discussion with area
coaches with different sports backgrounds.
•
"The Chamber Report" — Show hosted by the Lincoln/Logan
Chamber of Commerce to promote business and tourism events.
•
Special events — Includes such programs as live election night
coverage, Meet the Candidates, Logan County Fair, Art and Balloon
Fest, tribute to the victims of the WTC disaster, the Christmas
parade, and many more special events endemic to the viewing area.
•
"Home and Garden Show" — An hourly, once-a-month show
hosted by a local greenhouse operator with tips as well as advice
available for call-ins.
•
Religious services — The company currently has three local
churches televising services on weekends and has invited all
denominations to become involved in this program
•
"Community Message Board" — A rotating message system
that promotes all charitable and special events in the viewing area.
Programs
intended to be developed and air with available funding include:
•
"Under 21" — A show completely developed and controlled
by the youth of this community under the guidance of school faculty.
Promotes an audiovisual curriculum as well as a journalism class to
help the community’s youth produce other programs, including
coverage of minor sports and academics that currently receive little
notoriety.
•
Special classes in augmentation with the area colleges, televising
classroom courses that are taken at home for residents of any age.
•
"Issues in Our Town" — A show that will give a half hour
to each side of a key issue facing the community. It was
experimented with in a program dealing with a school referendum and
allowing all five mayoral candidates in the past election to have an
opportunity to convey their message.
•
"The Oasis Report" — A monthly program developed by the
Lincoln Senior Citizen Center to keep local seniors abreast of news
that is important to them.
•
"Looking At The News" — A program allowing local
newspaper personnel to discuss community stories and how they were
covered. The critique will include both newspapers, the general
media, as well as the programs on our own Channel 15.
•
"The Sports Reporters" — A half-hour, once-a-week show
featuring area sports personalities discussing area athletics.
•
"The Farm Report" — A half-hour-per-week program hosted
by the local Extension service to discuss issues and news important
to area farmers.
•
"Milestones" — A half-hour, every-other-week show that
focuses on major milestones in the lives of viewers and their
organizations.
•
"The People Speak" — A taped half-hour show for which
all viewers are invited to create a five-minute segment on issues
they wish to discuss on access television.
There
are many more plans on the back burner for other series. The goal of
Log-On Productions is to create a morning-to-late-evening television
station that will produce and broadcast programs that are of local
interest to the Lincoln and Logan County viewing audience.
Log-On
is in need of researchers. Volunteers can work from home if they
have a computer and Internet connection. Log-On will soon open an
office at 5 Arcade, across from Guzzardo’s. They continue to
receive mail at:
Log-On
Productions Inc.
1102
Keokuk St.
Lincoln,
IL 62656
[Jan
Youngquist]
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|
Announcements
|
Local
Internet provider offers
optional filtering services
[DEC.
29, 2001] To celebrate
their fifth year in the Internet business, the folks at CCAonline,
the only remaining local Internet provider, will offer two new
optional online services for their users to opt into.
|
“There
are three major requests that we receive from users,” says Curt
Schleich, chief technology officer at CCAonline. “The first
request is that we do something about all the unsolicited junk
e-mail that people receive from sources, selling everything from
financial services to pornography.” These unsolicited e-mail
messages are commonly referred to as spam. The second request,
according to Schleich, is to do something about all the viruses that
are floating around the Internet that come down to innocent users as
attachments to e-mail messages. And the third request is to provide
filtered, family-friendly Internet browsing that will lessen the
threat that children can browse the wrong Internet sites and see
content not meant for their eyes.
The
two new optional services CCAonline will offer are designed to
address all three of these issues. First, users can purchase an
e-mail filtering service from CCAonline that is designed to filter
out all the virus-laden messages, keeping them from even coming down
to the user’s computer. The service, a spam filter, will catch the
unsolicited messages before they come to the user’s computer and
will quarantine them. The user can go to his own private quarantine
web page, view the messages that have been held, delete or read
them, select individual settings for automating the processes, and
not be bothered with spam messages ever again.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
The
second new service that CCAonline offers is designed to filter out
the selection of websites that might contain offensive or
undesirable content. “Many parents of young children and
teen-agers have asked us to help them supervise the content their
children can get into on the Internet,” said Jim Youngquist, president
of CCAonline. “This new service will help prevent them from
purposefully or accidentally viewing harmful content.” The
filtered service works by looking ahead for site content, and using
reserved keywords, prevents the user from going to restricted sites.
Both
Schleich and Youngquist mention that these two services probably
will not be perfect. Spammers and those who put up pornography
websites are continually trying to “market” their products and
will occasionally find ways to evade detection.
Both
the e-mail filter and the website browsing filter are optional
services. Users who desire these services may contact CCAonline and
request them for an additional monthly fee.
[LDN]
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|
The
Chamber Report
|
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
|
ALMH
employee of the year
[JAN.
22, 2002] Carolyn
Marten has been named the 2001 Employee of the Year at Abraham
Lincoln Memorial Hospital by a group of her peers. Marten serves as
the assistant office manager in the rehabilitation department, where
her duties include scheduling appointments, creating patient charts
and serving as receptionist for the office.
|
Marten’s
nominator says, "She works hard to keep things going and always
shows a lot of interest in employees, patients and doctors. Physical
therapy is very fortunate to have such a fine employee."
Before
beginning her career at the hospital, Marten operated a day care
from her home. She has been employed at ALMH since December of 1999.
Marten
feels that the hospital provides a very important service to the
community. "I feel privileged to be able to work at ALMH with
kind and professional people," she says. Her secret for a
particularly stressful day is "a drawer full of
chocolates."
Employees
of the month from December 2000 to November 2001 were Carol Schleder,
case management; Eleanor Sharp, medical-surgery; Sandy Morse,
rehabilitation; Rose Lancaster, laboratory; James Rusk, dietary;
Randy Turley, Care-A-Van; Margaret Bent, housekeeping; Carolyn
Marten, rehabilitation; Diane Powers, registration; Cheryl Boyd,
housekeeping; Tracy Cusey, radiology; and Joann Schrader,
dietary-cafeteria.
[ALMH
news release]
|
|
Main
Street Corner News
|
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
one month. There is a limit of 75 words per announcement.
|
|
Developmental
Disability Nurses. RN or LPN. Join our team of caring
professionals! 93-bed ICF-DD. Part-time and PRN positions available.
Apostolic Christian Timber Ridge, 2125 Veterans Road, Morton, IL
61550. (301) 266-9781 EOE
|
|
Staff
Assisted Independent Living, Inc. is accepting applications for a
House Manager in our Mason City home. Applicant must be 21 years
of age and have a High School Diploma or GED and a valid drivers
license. Management experience and working with people with
Developmental Disabilities preferred. For an application, write to
SAIL, Inc., P.O. Box 407, Beardstown, IL 62618 or call (217)
323-3126.
|
|
Staff
Assisted Independent Living, Inc. is accepting applications for DSPs
in our Mason City and Havana homes. You will be working in a
homelike setting with six individuals. Must have High School
Diploma or GED and a valid drivers license. Training will be
provided on the job. For an application, write to SAIL, Inc., P.O.
Box 407, Beardstown, IL 62618 or call (217) 323-3126.
|
|
Receptionist/Sales
Person Needed. Full time Tues.-Sat. Good pay and
commission. Must be dependable, self- motivated person to earn
commission and must have knowledge of Microsoft Office
software. Vacation, personal days and retirement plan
after one year. Serious inquires only. Mail resume to LDN Box
101, 601 Keokuk St., Lincoln, IL 62656 or click here
to reply.
|
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