LDC, best home for one
resident
[FEB.
19, 2002] The
prospect of downsizing the Lincoln Developmental Center is an
ongoing nightmare for Linda and Pat Brown of LeRoy, parents of a
27-year-old son for whom LDC is home.
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"Our
son, Jeff, has been a LDC a little over 4½ years, and he’s the
happiest I’ve ever seen him," Linda says.
Although
many advocates for the developmentally disabled would like to see
their clients in small-group, community-integrated living units
known as CILAs, such a setting didn’t work for Jeff, Linda says.
Jeff is in the severe to profound disability range; he doesn’t
understand any type of danger, and he doesn’t like change.
![](../images/0219-02pics/3peeps.jpg)
[AFSCME Union 425 President Don Todd
discusses the governor’s planned LDC resident transfers with parents
Linda and Pat Brown of LeRoy. Concerned for their son's well-being
and that of other LDC residents, the Browns attended the legislative
hearing in Springfield last Wednesday.]
"He
needs structure," says his mother. "He was in a community
setting for 12 years. The MARC center in Bloomington did the best
they could with the resources they had, but Jeff didn’t do well
there. He couldn’t deal with the frequent changes in staff. He
couldn’t cope and he had behavior problems."
Later
he was put in an apartment in downtown Bloomington with one-on-one
supervision, but that didn’t work either. He had no activities,
his father recalls; he just sat there looking at four walls. One
night, he got out and was found running in the middle of a downtown
street.
At
last the family and the MARC center agreed that they could do no
more for Jeff. He was sent to BroMenn Hospital for a few days, and
then to Lincoln.
"We
had had it drummed into us that state-operated facilities were not
adequate placement," Pat Brown says. But as there seemed to be
no other alternative, Linda visited LDC and came away impressed.
![](../images/ads/maple/maple_ridge_4_01.jpg)
"I
had always thought institutions were horrible, but I went to LDC and
was impressed with the setting and the living arrangements, and
especially with the compassion the staff had for me and for Jeff. I
had never experienced that much compassion," she reports.
When
Jeff left BroMenn, he was on six medications to control his
behavior, says his father. "He went to LDC and in a short time
they turned him around. He was soon on only one medication, to
control seizures. He absolutely loves it there. We used to have to
fight him to get him to go to the MARC center, but now he wants to
go back to LDC. He likes to come home, but when he gets here he soon
wants to go back to Lincoln. The LDC staff love him. They say he’s
easy to manage."
One
reason Jeff likes LDC is that he has plenty of activities. He’s in
a work program at Logan Mason Rehabilitation Center and he loves
going to work, his mother reports. He goes on outings, he’s in
Special Olympics, and he plays basketball on the LDC courts.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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![](../images/ads/Politics2002/BraurAdd.jpg)
"Jeff
is happier at LDC than he’s ever been. He now has friends. His friends
and the staff are his family," Linda says.
"Now
we’re faced with the governor wanting to move 150 residents, and there
is no place for Jeff to go. They had trouble finding placements for the
first group they sent out. The governor’s decision is turning
everybody’s life upside down," she continues.
Linda
and Pat are co-presidents of the LDC parents group, which has recently
grown to 250 members.
Pat
thinks the move toward putting the developmentally disabled in small
group homes is the way of the future. "It’s the train that’s
going down the track that they want us all to get on," he says.
"If
the state is moving toward small group homes, why won’t they oversee
the community facilities as they do the state-operated ones? The state
needs to provide community homes with the funding and experienced staff
to care for our loved ones, as they do in Lincoln," he continues.
![](../images/ads/prairie_years/Prairie_years_small_ad.gif)
"Our
number one consideration is to have properly trained, properly
compensated staff who can take all the abuse — the slaps, the pinches,
the vomiting — that comes with caring for the profoundly handicapped.
They need to pay staff a living wage, not $6, $7, or $8 an hour,"
he continues.
"I
said at our last parents’ meeting, ‘At LDC we have Cadillac services
and at community-based homes we have Yugo services.’ This is because
of the state funding. Should we throw these very good services into
disarray? Why not give them all at least Ford or Chevy services?
"If
the same criteria and the same review process were used in
community-based homes, they would not pass muster. They would not pass
the stringent requirements that LDC is held to.
"The
bottom line is you’ve got to have day-to-day, well-compensated, highly
trained employees who will stay in the profession long term. And this
costs money. Otherwise we’re going to have a catastrophe in our
delivery system of services for the developmentally disabled.
"We
hope the legislature will intervene and provide the funding for LDC to
continue to operate at the level it is at right now."
[Joan
Crabb]
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LCCS
athletic facility dedication planned
[FEB.
18, 2002] Lincoln
Christian College and Seminary has set the dedication ceremony for
the new Laughlin Center at 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 23. Olympic
medalist Jean Driscoll is the guest speaker.
![](../images/021802pics/laughlinlong.jpg)
[Laughlin Center; photo by Bob Frank]
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The
new athletic facility includes a 30,000-square-foot gymnasium that
features seating for 1,000 people, training and locker rooms, office
space, and a weight room and athletic equipment, as well as
additional parking and landscaping.
![](../images/021802pics/laughlingaston.jpg)
[Thomas A. Gaston Arena in the Laughlin Center;
photo by Bob Frank]
Dedication
events include ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the Laughlin Center and
the Thomas A. Gaston Arena. A reception, along with tours of the
facility, will follow the presentation by Ms. Driscoll. The
dedication will conclude with the first men’s and women’s
basketball games in the new facility.
The
athletic facility is part of the multimillion dollar renovation
sweeping the LCCS campus. P.J. Hoerr of Normal constructed the
facility. The public is invited to attend this momentous occasion.
Dedication
events
10
a.m. — Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Laughlin Center
10:15
a.m. — Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Thomas A. Gaston Arena; remarks
and recognition of special guests
10:30
a.m. — Guest speaker: Olympic medalist Jean Driscoll
11:30
a.m. — Reception and tours
1
p.m. — Women’s basketball game: Lincoln Christian College vs.
Emmaus Bible College
3
p.m. — Men’s basketball game: Lincoln Christian College vs.
Emmaus Bible College
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Guest
speaker Jean Driscoll
Jean
Driscoll is an accomplished athlete and speaker who is known around
the world. She won silver medals in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic
Games. She has won the Boston Marathon eight times and is the only
person in the marathon’s 105-year history to achieve that feat.
Ms.
Driscoll earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and a
master’s in rehabilitation administration from the University of
Illinois. She also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of
Rhode Island.
![](../images/021802pics/driscoll_art.jpg)
[Jean Driscoll; photo provided by LCCS]
Additional
accomplishments
• 1991 Women’s Sports Foundation Amateur Sportswoman of the Year
• 1992 USA Track and Field Disabled Female Athlete of the Year
• 1992, 1996 Wheelchair Sports U.S.A. Female Athlete of the Year
• 1996 Illinois Fellowship of Christian Athletes Champion in Christ
Award
• 1997 Athletes International Ministries Female Athlete of the Year
• No. 25 on Sports Illustrated "Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th
Century"
• Illinois Fellowship of Christian Athletes state board, 1995-present
• Wheelchair Sports U.S.A. member, 1987-2000
• Author, "Determined to Win," 2000 biography about Jean’s
life
Television
appearance highlights
• Commentator during Boston Marathon, April 2001
• "CBS Sports Spectacular," December 2000
• "Good Morning America," April 1996
• "ABC Nightline," April 1996
• "The Today Show," August 1996
• "Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder," April 1995
[LCCS
news release]
|
|
‘Prime
bank’ scams on the rise,
Secretary of State Jesse White warns
[FEB.
16, 2002] SRINGFIELD
–– Secretary of State Jesse White warned Tuesday that losses
from "prime bank" scams are rising dramatically. Last
year, one source reported losses at more than $1.5 billion.
|
Low
interest rates and volatile equity markets have caused many
Americans to rethink their investment strategies, often turning to
investments with the promise of high yield returns. Promoters of the
"prime bank" trading programs tell investors that they can
yield huge returns with no risk. In reality, neither prime banks nor
the instruments they claim to trade exist.
"People
want to believe there are secret ways to make fabulous amounts of
money," said White. "But there are no shortcuts in
investing. Simply put, prime banks don’t exist."
In
Illinois, Omega Trust and Trading Ltd. promised 50-to-1 returns on
investments in "prime bank notes." Secretary of State
Securities Department investigators assisted in uncovering a scam
that had resulted in more than $18 million defrauded from investors
worldwide. Nineteen people were indicted and all defendants either
pleaded guilty or were found guilty after trial.
In
another case of investment fraud, Lynda Frykholm of Rockford was
sentenced to 12 years in prison after she was found guilty of
defrauding 220 investors from all over the United States.
Prime
bank scam artists come from all backgrounds and use their ill-gotten
gains to maintain lavish lifestyles. In the Omega case, the company’s
founder, Clyde Hood, was a 66-year-old electrician in Mattoon. Money
from investors was used to pay for dozens of classic automobiles.
Frykholm used swindled money to purchase two vacation homes in Lake
Geneva, Wis., four cars, a speedboat and several trips to
Switzerland.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Before
making any investment, Secretary White urges investors to ask the
following questions:
• Has the seller given you written information that fully explains the
investment? Make sure you get proper written information, 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.
• Are claims made for the investment realistic? Some things really are
too good to be true. Use common sense and get a professional,
third-party opinion when presented with investment opportunities that
seem to offer unusually high returns. Pie-in-the-sky promises often
signal investment fraud.
• Does the investment meet your personal investment goals? Whether you
are investing for long-term growth, investment income or other
reasons, an investment should match your own investment goals.
• Are the seller and investment licensed and registered? Call the
Illinois Securities Department to find out. If they aren’t
registered, they may be operating illegally. Contact the department
toll free at (800) 628-7937 or go to this address on the secretary of
state website: http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/
securities/securities.html.
[News
release from the Illinois secretary of state]
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County
agrees to buy equipment and showcase building improvements
[FEB.
15, 2002] In
a largely routine work session a month before the primary election,
the 13 Logan County Board members agreed on almost everything,
including spending about $163,000 for equipment and bridge repairs,
and announced an open house to showcase new and improved county
offices.
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The
open house, set for Sunday, March 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., will feature
the new Dr. John Logan County Building and the many newly
refurbished offices in the Logan County Courthouse. Though most
offices were completed several months ago, State’s Attorney Tim
Huyett is just moving into his office on Friday, Feb. 15. Last of
all, at the end of February, the law library will be moved to the
Sojourn room. During the open house, refreshments will be served in
the courthouse rotunda.
In
the Thursday night meeting conducted by vice chairman Lloyd Hellman,
board members agreed with their Law Enforcement Committee to choose
the higher of two bids for a new ambulance. Foster Coach Sales of
Sterling bid $95,428 for a 2002 model Medtech, almost $5,500 higher
than the bid of Wheeled Coach Industries of Walnut. However, the
Foster Coach bid includes a higher trade-in allowance for the old
ambulance, a 2002 model vs. a 2001, and a fully equipped and staffed
service department. In addition, Steve Siltman of Logan County
Paramedics Association indicated at a committee meeting that the
Medtec ambulance offers better craftsmanship and greater structural
integrity.
In
an amendment to the motion to purchase the vehicle, the board also
favored spending an additional $2,350 for a new cot for the
ambulance. The final figure is $88,278 after the $9,500 trade-in is
deducted. Foster Coach plans to sell the old ambulance to the
Lincoln Rural Fire Department for the same figure, $9,500. Board
member Clifford "Sonny" Sullivan abstained from voting
because he is a member of the Paramedics Association board.
In
a different bidding situation, the Road and Bridge Committee
recommended accepting the low of eight bids for a backhoe. The
$58,212 backhoe from Machinery, Inc., of Springfield is expected to
be the only major purchase for roadwork during 2002.
At
the request of County Engineer Tom Hickman, the Road and Bridge
Committee has also approved a contract with Ozyurt & Stone of
Springfield for scour repair on the Waynesville bridge. Hickman said
the stream has shifted about 60 feet, causing the scour problem.
Because of uncertainty about what exactly will be needed, the
contract does not specify a maximum amount, but the work is expected
to cost about $10,000.
A
third purchase approved by the Road and Bridge Committee is $6,239
for new garage doors for the shop at 529 S. McLean. For that figure
Springfield Overhead Doors will provide and install two new doors
and openers plus remove the old doors. Board members made no
objections to these purchases, and it appeared that they will be
approved at the voting session on Tuesday.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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On
the plus side of the ledger, Lincoln-Logan Emergency
Services-Disaster Agency has received a $15,000 grant to fight
terrorism. Law Enforcement and ESDA Committee chair Doug Dutz
indicated that the Lincoln Police and Fire departments will use the
bulk of the grant to buy gas masks and self-contained breathing
apparatus.
In
other business, cat traps were again on the county board agenda.
Animal Control Committee chair Sullivan said five new traps are
being purchased at a cost of $45 each. There is a $25 deposit
charged to citizens while they use the traps.
Animal
control warden Sheila Farmer has proposed an animal adoption fair
and also a cat spay-and-neuter day for lower-income people in the
community. The two are related, Sullivan said, because animals
cannot be adopted until they are neutered, and some people cannot
afford neutering fees.
Airport
Committee chair Roger Bock announced a Feb. 26 meeting to discuss
plans for a golf course on airport and adjacent grounds. Tom
Stanford, a private golf course developer, will meet with
representatives of the county board, Lincoln Park District, Lincoln
Christian College and with Economic Development Director Mark Smith.
Bock
also said that the credit card-operated fuel pump at Logan County
Airport is still not operational. The pump is installed but is not
yet set up to accept credit cards.
The
one area of disagreement that surfaced during the board of the whole
meeting concerned an item in Dave Hepler’s Planning and Zoning
Committee report. A motion by board chairman Dick Logan to handle
country homes rezoning requests one lot at a time failed in
committee. Hepler said he thinks treating each lot individually
would streamline the rezoning process because it would avoid debates
about multiple lots.
Board
member Terry "TJ" Werth said he opposes the idea because
he is concerned that individual lot buyers would be identified and
become an issue. He also noted that such questions are being
considered in the review of the county zoning ordinance being
conducted by a committee chaired by Phil Mahler, director of the
Logan County Regional Planning Commission.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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|
LDC parents’ concerns called
justified
Advocates say state funding
for group homes is inadequate
[FEB.
14, 2002] There
are two very different schools of thought about the best way to care
for the developmentally disabled.
|
The
hearings by the Illinois House committee on the plan to downsize the
Lincoln Developmental Center became a kind of debate between these
two groups: those who want to keep large state-run institutions like
LDC open and operating and those who believe that most, if not all,
of the developmentally disabled are much better served in
small-group, community-based homes.
But
even some of the strongest proponents of small-group,
community-integrated care concede that their present level of
funding by the state is woefully inadequate.
Gov.
George Ryan’s latest plan for downsizing LDC calls for putting
about 100 residents in small-group homes yet to be built on the
present campus. He has already moved about 130 residents to other
facilities, and the new plan calls for putting another 159 residents
in other state facilities or in small-group homes.
At
the last of the four hearings before the combined Mental Health and
Patient Abuse Committee and Disabled Community Committee, Barbara
Thomas, director of residential services for the Springfield
Association for Retarded Citizens, said that although she favors
community-based homes and doesn’t like large institutions, she
believes parents of LDC residents are right to be concerned.
"I
have heard LDC parents say community providers can’t take care of
their family members. They are right. Until funding is provided for
community facilities, we need LDC."
She
pointed out some of the differences between the care her disabled
son receives in a community-integrated living arrangement, known as
a CILA program, and the care a friend’s son receives at LDC.
"If
my son needs dental care, I pay for it. If he needs psychiatric
care, I pay for it. If [my friend’s] son at LDC needs dental care,
the state pays for it. If he needs psychiatric care, the state pays
for it."
She
said her agency, which is committed to helping the disabled live in
the community, has had to return some clients to state institutions
"because when we asked for additional resources, the state said
no."
"Our
agency did not fail. The system failed these people. We live in a
state that never made people with disabilities a priority," she
said.
She
was also critical of the credentials of those making decisions about
the fate of the developmentally disabled.
"Decisions
are made by people who don’t have a clue about those they are
making decisions about. People who make these decisions should have
worked in a facility and been involved with direct care."
Another
criticism of the Illinois system came from Thomas Cook, presently
regional director for Dungarvin Illinois. Cook, who worked for the
Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities and in other
Illinois agencies for 20 years, sent his comments in a letter that
will be made part of the record of the hearings.
Although
he supports the CILA concept, he questioned the decision on
downsizing and closing institutions such as LDC because of the
"constant fluctuations in state funding of CILAs and because of
the lack of a community infrastructure" such as transportation,
recreation, health care, therapies and others.
More
than seven years ago, the state asked Dungarvin, an out-of-state
provider, to come into Illinois and provide care for the
developmentally disabled. Dungarvin was promised adequate funding
from the Department of Mental Health, he said.
This
year, however, funding was cut and the Dungarvin group will leave
the state on March 1, about $60,000 in debt for the services it has
been providing. Cook must now find other services for the 56 people
in northern Illinois that Dungarvin has been serving.
In
regard to the latest proposed LDC cuts, Cook said: "I think the
Department of Human Services lacks credibility when they claim they
can place as many people as they have proposed (159) in a quality
CILA program by July of this year.
"For
the department to gain credibility in this matter, they have to fix
what’s broken in the CILA rate-setting methodology and they have
[to] give assurances about their ability to keep the promises they
make for years to come.
"No
wonder there is so much doubt in the minds of the Lincoln parents
about the DHS plan, especially when they see agencies like Dungarvin
depart the state because of broken promises and inadequate
funding."
Another
service provider who worked with the disabled in New York State
before moving to Illinois said she feels she is living in the
"Dark Ages" here. She said New York and other states
provide many more options and much more funding for the care of the
disabled. Another advocate said that both Wisconsin and Michigan
have closed all of their large state facilities and are serving the
disabled community in small-group homes.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
During
the hearing several members of the disabled community testified in favor
of the growing trend for small-group or independent homes. Some spoke
with great emotion about the benefits of independent living, and some
recalled incidents of abuse in state-run institutions. Most said they
believed that everyone with a disability could and should be
accommodated by a CILA or other arrangement for independent living, and
most were critical of large institutions like LDC.
John
Britton Jr., formerly of Lincoln, one of those who testified, relies on
a wheelchair to get around and a computer to speak, but he has never
lived in a large institution. He visits LDC because he has friends
there.
"Every
time I go to LDC I look for people who should be there. I have not seen
them," he said.
Another
asked, "Why does Illinois continue to segregate people because of
their disabilities? She suggested the state take the funding used to
keep institutions open and put it toward services for groups in
communities. "Then people with disabilities would have a
life."
Amy
Irving of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, the union of LDC employees, said that while the hearings
began with a discussion of LDC’s problems, they ended with a
discussion about the entire state system of delivery of services to the
developmentally disabled.
"We
are pitting state-operated institutions against community-based living
centers," she said. "We need a continuum of care to serve
people with a diversity of disabilities.
"We
shouldn’t be talking about taking away services for people who live in
state institutions to serve community-based living," she said.
"We should be talking about increasing the size of the pie."
State
Rep. Jonathan Wright, R-Hartsburg, who attended the hearings, said he
supported community homes and CILAs but did not believe they were
adequate for everyone.
"If
you talk to people who operate group homes, they will tell you there is
a great turnover in employees because they can’t offer any benefits
and the pay is as low as $7, $8 or $9 an hour.
"How
can we take people out of LDC when there isn’t any place else to put
them? Most of the residents are being transferred to other
state-operated facilities. They’re not going to be sent to small-group
homes because, first, we don’t have space for them in CILAs, and
second, most residents are not suited to living in small-group
facilities."
Irving
and other AFSCME members blamed poor management at LDC for the recent
problems that brought about the call for closing the 124-year-old
institution. Last fall, after problems at LDC surfaced, director
Gwendolyn Thornton, who had come from the Department of Corrections and
had no experience working with the developmentally disabled, was
replaced by an employee of the Jacksonville Developmental Center.
Irving
said there was a problem with management not listening to employees and
there was "no accountability" at the Department of Human
Services, an agency in charge of LDC.
"The
LDC situation could be a seminal event that affects all other state
institutions. If it happened at Lincoln, it can happen at others."
AFSCME
Local 425 President Don Todd said he was disappointed that Department of
Human Services Director Linda Renee Baker had not appeared at any of the
four legislative hearings.
"I
think she should be here to answer for what has happened at
Lincoln," Todd said. He said the chairman of the joint committee,
Lou Lang, D-Skokie, had asked Baker to testify, but instead she sent two
of her employees.
Lang
announced that he had sent a letter to Baker asking a number of specific
questions and that in a few days her reply and the rest of the testimony
at the hearing would be made public.
Although
Lang did not say specifically what the next action of the joint
committee might be, he admitted that the system isn’t perfect.
"We
are committed to do our best to improve the delivery of services to
those with developmental disabilities or mental disabilities. We know
the delivery system has never worked as well as it should have."
[Joan
Crabb]
|
|
LDC
letter sent by Lincoln Mayor Beth Davis makes an appeal to legislators
[FEB.
14, 2002] The
text of Mayor Elizabeth A. Davis’ statement on Wednesday, Feb. 13,
to the Illinois House Committee on Mental and Developmental Abuse
and Neglect is as follows:
|
Good
morning Honorable Representatives and Senators:
As
Mayor of the City of Lincoln, a lifetime resident of this city, and
a former Lincoln Developmental Center (LDC) employee, I would like
you to be aware of what I am so well aware of. Lincoln Developmental
Center has been an integral, instilled part of our community all of
our lives much more than anyone would believe. LDC has stood almost
125 years — longer than any of us here have been alive, and I
thought LDC would be here forever because of the wonderful services
it provides to our meekest fellow human beings. All of us in Lincoln
and Logan County have ties to it in various degrees, and we all have
been affected by LDC — its care giving for the individuals
requiring continuous care, the commerce LDC provides to the city of
Lincoln and Logan County, the jobs it has provided for many, many of
our citizens, and the peace and comfort LDC has provided for the
parents and family members of our LDC residents.
LDC
has always been on the cutting edge of care giving for the mentally
challenged and developmentally disabled individuals in the state and
the nation, and many current state-operated facilities within
Illinois have staff who were trained at LDC. Just two short years
ago, LDC was recognized as one of the best facilities in the nation,
five years ago it was the first facility in the nation of its type
to be accredited, and now it has come to this — miscommunication,
misrepresentation, decisions made without first hand knowledge and
understanding. It confounds all of us who truly know what is and isn’t
going on regarding LDC.
My
question to you, Representatives, is why LDC/Lincoln/Logan County is
being targeted so heavily when LDC’s abuse/neglect record of nine
surveyed IL state-operated facilities revealed LDC is ranked #5.
Jacksonville and Ludeman Developmental Centers both were ranked
worse than LDC and yet some of LDC’s residents are being moved to
both of those facilities.
The
parents and family members have only wonderful, respectful comments
about LDC and its staff as they should be the foremost group to be
consulted regarding their children and family members living at LDC.
Why is their voice not being heard? Would you honestly leave one of
your children in a facility if you didn’t feel comfortable about
the treatment, care, or love s/he was receiving? I most certainly
would not. Many of the residents being targeted have resided in
group homes which were highly non-conducive to their individual,
medical, physical, or psychological needs and have very much met
those needs while living at LDC. I myself, as are many, are
concerned with safety and happiness for the LDC residents and
believe if an individual is able to ride a bicycle, walk, or wheel
one’s wheelchair to a nearby store to purchase something to eat,
or if not, at least have the presence of mind or a personal
caretaker with him/her to understand where s/he is and knows how to
do something independently, I believe that is an individual who will
fare well out in society living in a group home. But the individuals
we have at LDC, for the most part, are extremely developmentally
disabled and so dependent on the loving staff who take care of them
24 hours per day, there is not immediate hope of them living
independently through means of a lesser staffed group home. Having
worked at LDC for almost five years, I thoroughly believe this. Some
people and advocacy groups are making strong judgments regarding
this issue without ever visiting LDC’s residents or consulting the
residents and/or their families for their preference.
[to top of second column in this
section]
|
With
Governor George Ryan’s proposal to downsize LDC to 100 residents and
200 employees and utilize ten group homes while less safe facilities
like Jacksonville and Ludeman Developmental Center receive our
residents, is unexplainable and very much wrong. LDC’s importance to
Lincoln is compared with that of the Loop to Chicago, and as
Caterpillar is to Peoria. Please don’t allow the Governor to take
our economic stability away from Lincoln/Logan County. This is going
to be devastating500 jobs lost at LDC and another 50 to 60 lost jobs
at our two prisons if the privatization of the commissary and dietary
duties is enacted. There has to be an explanation of why Lincoln, IL
has been targeted so heavily.
Illinois
Representatives and Senators, please upgrade our resident and staff
numbers significantly - please take a stand on what is right
-reinstate LDC to its former residential and staff numbers. Our city
and county residents and businesses depend on LDC for sustaining its
economy. To lose the facility, especially in these tough economic
times, would be so devastating to us - the loss of many, many higher
paying jobs, loss of commerce, loss of jobs for both husband and wife
teams who are employees of LDC, reduction of students at our community
schools and colleges, loss of businesses, church hospital/medical
facilities, tax revenues, potential revenues throughout the community,
bank loans for LDC employees, and our consumer goods will be more
expensive. It will just be a downward spiral.
In
closing, I have always believed a society should be measured by how
well it takes care of its weakest, most vulnerable members; and LDC by
leaps and bounds is off the Richter scale as far as the level of care,
love, dedication, and professionalism which its employees demonstrate
24 hours per day to our residents. I am confounded by Governor Ryan’s
continuing statement that he is only concerned about the welfare of
the residents at LDC. But the Governor is misunderstanding the point
— LDC is a family and family members take good care of their
own. LDC does have the concern and welfare of its residents as its
utmost priority! Having worked at LDC and been around the residents of
LDC all my life, I know that for a fact. By threatening to further
break up this family, is nothing short of abuse and neglect on our
government’s part.
I’m
telling all the LDC staff I see to keep up their good work because not
everyone has the dedication, courage, and strength to bring daily
sunshine to the lives of our loved ones whom they take care of at LDC
24 hours per day.
I
respectfully ask you for your support and compassion in keeping LDC
fully-functioning and fully-funded, so it once again can move into
state and national accreditation as a cutting-edge facility.
Thank
you.
Mayor
Elizabeth A. Davis
City
of Lincoln, Illinois
217/735-1612
217/732-2144(TDD)
mayorbethdavis@yahoo.com
[Mayor Elizabeth Davis]
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Two
LDC hearings today
[FEB.
13, 2002] Two
hearings over the future of Lincoln Developmental Center were
scheduled this morning. A 9 a.m. hearing at the Logan County
Courthouse was in regard to the lawsuit filed to protect the
facility from closure or cuts by Gov. George Ryan. The information
from that hearing is available below.
A
second hearing was at 10 a.m. at the Stratton Building in downtown
Springfield. A subcommittee of the Illinois General Assembly met to
discuss the possibility of keeping the facility open as it is
through June. State legislators allocate funding for LDC by the
fiscal year. Funding has been appropriated through June 30.
Information on the state committee meeting will be posted as soon as
it is available (click
here).
|
Round
two in lawsuit to protect LDC
A brief exchange of information and small agreements resulted from
this morning’s legal hearing at the Logan County Courthouse. The
lawsuit brought in early January by Sen. Larry Bomke, AFSCME Union
425 President Don Todd and LDC parents seeks to protect the facility
from closure by Gov. George Ryan.
Gov.
Ryan announced Feb. 4 that he would be reducing the resident
population to 100 and cutting the workforce to 200 employees.
Transfers and cuts would begin in April.
Lawyers
Steve Yokich, representing LDC, and Karen McNaught, defending the
state, met shortly after 9 a.m. before Judge Eldon Behle.
Yokich
said a law on the books restricts a state-run facility from making
residential cuts at random. According to the State Health Facility
Planning Act, before a state hospital can reduce the number of beds,
a permit must be issued from the State Health Facilities Planning
Board.
The
state has not gotten a permit to do that.
It
had been rumored that transfers might begin as early as in two
weeks. However, according to the McNaught, transfers are not to
begin until April except in case of an emergency.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
As
a result of a request by Yokich, McNaught agreed to have a
representative of the Department of Human Services notify Yokich if
there are any residents to be moved before April. Not only will they
need to say the resident(s) are being moved, they will also need to
say why they are being moved.
McNaught
filed a motion on behalf of the attorney general’s office on Monday,
Feb. 11, to dismiss this suit as well as a motion to stay further
discovery. The second motion would prevent any further actions against
them. Yokich stated he was not in his office for two days and had not
received the motion prior to the hearing. Judge Behle did not get a copy
until today.
With
all done that could be done today, Judge Behle set the next hearing for
1 p.m. Feb. 20. It is to hear the motion by the state to dismiss this
lawsuit to restrict the governor’s actions.
Meanwhile,
Yokich has received leave to conduct one deposition of an unnamed person
before the April hearing.
That
deposition will take place at 10 a.m. Feb. 19 at the attorney general’s
office.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman and Jan
Youngquist]
|
|
Legislative committee winds up LDC hearings
[FEB.
13, 2002] A joint
Illinois House committee wound up its hearings on the downsizing and
possible closure of the Lincoln Developmental Center on Wednesday,
Feb. 13, with the promise to compile a report that will be made
public in a matter of days. |
During
the four hearings, the joint committee heard testimony from
advocates of keeping LDC open as well as testimony from those who
believe the developmentally disabled would be better served in small-
group homes. The joint committee is composed of the Mental Health and Patient
Abuse Committee and the Committee on the Developmentally Disabled.
Rep. Lou
Lang, D-Skokie, chairman of the committee, said the outcome of the
hearings is yet to be determined. “I don’t know what we will do,
what we can or should do.”
He did
say part of the public record will be a reply from Linda Renee
Baker, secretary of the Department of Human Services, which will
answer in “a lot of detail” questions about the situation at LDC and
how it has been handled by DHS. Baker was asked to testify during
the commission’s hearing but did not attend, instead sending
representatives from her department.
After
hearing complaints that patients were not being properly cared for
at LDC, Gov. George Ryan moved about 130 residents to other
state facilities. His latest plan is to keep only about 100
residents at the facility, in small-group homes yet to be built.
This plan would cut the number of employees from a high of 700 to
about 200. A few months ago, the number of residents was about 370.
[to top of second column in this
article]
|
Rep.
Jonathan Wright, R-Hartsburg, who attended the hearings, said the
committee’s report could be broad-based, about the entire system of
caring for the developmentally disabled in Illinois, or might be
very specific to the LDC situation.
Wright,
who has supported keeping LDC open, said he did not believe the
Department of Human Services had a clear plan for providing services
to the developmentally disabled. He said he believed the General
Assembly should be sure that a clear plan exists before closing down
facilities such as LDC.
Wright also said that although in theory the General Assembly has
the power to block Gov. Ryan’s plan to close LDC, there
is a question as to whether it would have the political will to take
that step.
More
than 60 people attended the hearing, including members of American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union Council
31, representing LDC employees, and parents of LDC residents, along
with disabled people who live in group homes and their assistants
and advocates.
[Joan
Bogar Crabb]
|
|
Military
addresses sought
It
is a year 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 everyday. 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.
|
Lincoln
Daily News is
seeking the names and addresses, including e-mail addresses, of
friends and relatives who are serving in the armed forces. They need
not be from here in Logan County. If you know someone serving,
please send the information to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.
A complete list will be made available and kept updated through the
site so we might all hold them in our thoughts, prayers and well
wishes.
[Click
here for names available now.]
|
Name
of person in military:
Branch
of service:
Current
location of service:
Postal
address:
E-mail
address:
Relationship to LDN reader
sending information (optional):
[LDN]
|
|
Are
we prepared for terrorism
in Logan County?
It’s
on the radio, TV, in all the media. You hear it in the office, on
the street and maybe at home — threats of terrorism. America is on
high alert. Here in central Illinois, away from any supposed
practical target areas, perhaps we feel a little less threatened,
but we are still concerned. So how concerned should we be, and how
prepared are we for the types of situations that could occur?
|
Whether
the threat is domestic or foreign, violent, biological or chemical,
our public health and rescue agencies have been preparing to respond
to the situations. Lincoln Daily News has been at meetings where all
the agencies gather together as the Logan County Emergency Planning
Committee to strategize for just such a time. Our reports have not
even provided every detail that every agency has reported; i.e., a
number of representatives from differing agencies such as the health
and fire departments, CILCO and ESDA went to a bioterrorism and
hazmat (hazardous materials) seminar this past August.
Here
are some of the articles that LDN has posted pre- and post-Tuesday,
Sept. 11. Hopefully you will see in them that WE ARE WELL PREPARED.
At least as much as any area can be. Every agency has been planning,
training, submitting for grants to buy equipment long before Sept.
11. We can be thankful for all of the dedicated, insightful leaders
we have in this community.
[to top of second column in
this section]
|
The
day after ‘Attack on America’
Area leaders respond to national tragedy
ESDA
and LEPC conduct successful hazardous materials exercise at water
treatment plant
Logan
County ready for action if terrorist event occurs - Part 1
Logan
County ready for action if terrorist event occurs – Part 2
Clinton
nuclear power plant safety measures in place
Logan
County agencies meet to discuss protocol for suspicious mail
|
|
America
strikes back
As
promised, the United States led an attack on Afghanistan. The attack
began Sunday, Oct. 7. American and British military forces made 30 hits on
air defenses, military airfields and terrorist training camps,
destroying aircraft and radar systems. The strike was made targeting
only terrorists.
|
More
than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East have
pledged their cooperation and support the U.S. initiative.
Online
news links
Other
countries
Afghanistan
http://www.afghandaily.com/
http://www.myafghan.com/
http://www.afghan-web.com/aop/
China
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/
Germany
http://www.faz.com/
India
http://www.dailypioneer.com/
http://www.hindustantimes.com/
http://www.timesofindia.com/
Israel
http://www.jpost.com/
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/
England
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/
Pakistan
http://www.dawn.com/
http://frontierpost.com.pk/
Russia
http://english.pravda.ru/
http://www.sptimesrussia.com/
Saudi Arabia
http://www.arabnews.com/
[to top of second column in
this section]
|
United
States
Illinois
http://www.suntimes.com/index/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/
http://www.pantagraph.com/
http://www.qconline.com/
http://www.pjstar.com/
http://www.sj-r.com/
http://www.herald-review.com/
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/
New
York
http://www.nypost.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/
Stars
and Stripes
(serving the U.S.
military community)
http://www.estripes.com/
Washington,
D.C.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.washtimes.com/
More
newspaper links
http://www.thepaperboy.com/
|
|
Announcements
|
Voter
registration for disabled
March
19 general primary election notice to the elderly and people with
disabilities
[JAN.
15, 2002] Citizens
who are not registered to vote and cannot leave their home,
hospital, nursing home or other institution because of a permanent
physical disability can arrange for voter registration by contacting
a deputy registrar or the county clerk’s office.
Voter
registration will close on Feb. 19 for the March 19 general primary
election.
If
you are physically able, you may register to vote by going to the
county clerk’s office, Room 20 in the Logan County Courthouse, 601
Broadway in Lincoln. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday. You will need to show two forms of identification, one with
your current address on it.
For
people with physical disabilities and the elderly, election judges
will be available at the polling place on election day to assist
voters when a friend or relative is unable to help.
Handicapped-voter booths will be available for your convenience.
Physically impaired or elderly persons may be eligible to vote
absentee. Please contact the Logan County clerk’s office for
information.
For
any information concerning voter registration or voting for the
elderly or disabled, please call the Logan County clerk’s office
at (217) 732-4148.
[Sally
J. Litterly, Logan County clerk]
|
|
Time
to register to vote
[JAN.
3, 2002] Are
you registered to vote?
The
March 19 primary is rapidly approaching. The close of registration
is Feb. 19. If you have moved, or if you have married and changed
your name, it is necessary that you change your voter registration
with our office in order to cast your vote in the election.
If
you have questions about your voting eligibility, please contact
our office at (217) 732-4148.
[Sally
J. Litterly, Logan County clerk]
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