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U-Scan

[FEB. 26, 2002]  Have you ever stood in a long line at a grocery store, watching the cashier scan item after item, repetitively? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I could do this, and faster too!" as the groceries trickle across the scanner? Well, now’s your chance!

Since 1987, The Kroger Co. has been slowly introducing its U-Scan checkout systems to Kroger and affiliate stores across the nation. And as of Valentine’s Day, these machines have come to Lincoln.

So what is a U-Scan? It is a checkout stand where you are the cashier. The large, modern-looking machines house a combination bar-code scanner and scale just like the normal counters. You unload your groceries, one at a time, scan them and place them in the bags provided.

[Kroger customer uses the U-Scan

photo by Bob Frank]

The bags sit on a larger scale which measures the total weight of your bagged items. The computer knows how much every item in the store is supposed to weigh. If this weight does not match the weight of your purchased items as recorded in the computer, the cashier on duty is called to come and assist you.

This is both for your safety and for the safety of the store. If you place in your bag an item that you have not purchased, there is added weight. If you double-scan an item by accident and put only the one item in your bag, then there is less weight. Either way, a cashier is called to inspect your purchase.

The "carousel system" used by Lincoln’s Kroger allows for a very large purchase because it includes both a large, rotating, circular scale with eight bag stands (giving it its name) and a smaller rectangular scale for placing filled bags.

A computer screen above the scanner gives you instructions and tells you what items you have scanned and your total purchase price.

When you complete your purchase, there are all of the normal options for paying for your groceries. A credit-debit card machine just like those at the normal counters is available for those payments. A bill reader and a coin reader are available for cash purchases. The bill reader will read any denomination of bill through $20 (larger denominations can be changed with the cashier on duty). If you would like to pay with a check, you proceed to the cashier’s booth at the end of the row and give him or her your check.

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Sounds simple, right?

But what about all those little things that cashiers do? What about coupons, the Kroger card? What about alcohol and cigarettes? Who takes care of those?

Well, before you begin your purchase, the computer asks you if you have a Kroger card. Then you scan it, just like the cashiers do. At the end of your purchase, it asks for any coupons, and you scan those too. There is a slot below the scanner for coupons to be dropped in. When you scan alcohol or cigarettes, the cashier is called to check your identification.

As for all those other little things that cashiers do, such as smile or wish you a good day… well, human cashiers won’t ever go out of style. According to Annette Hinman, store manager of Lincoln’s Kroger store, U-Scans will never replace humans. She recognizes that some people like the human contact and "touch" that cashiers provide, and that some people like the efficiency and liberation of the U-Scans. She wants her patrons to have the choice between "full service" and "self-serve."

In fact, the two U-Scans that the store now has take up the same area as one checkout counter. And one person oversees both U-Scans, watching for any way he or she can help. So the U-Scan is not completely without human contact. You are not completely "on your own."

According to the manager, response to these machines has been very good. She said that people seem to be having fun learning to use them. And, as with all new technology, she has seen some children teaching their parents to use them.

So the next time you shop and Kroger, just try the U-Scans. You should find them easy, convenient and downright fun!

[Gina Sennett]

[FEB. 22, 2002]  Lincoln dentist and award-winning poet Lee Gurga has been appointed editor of Modern Haiku, the oldest journal of English-language haiku and considered the most important publication of and about haiku outside of Japan.

Founded in 1969 in Los Angeles, Calif., Modern Haiku has been edited by Robert Spiess of Madison, Wis., since 1978. Gurga has been assistant editor for the past four years.

Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan about 300 years ago. Its essence is brevity, a seasonal reference and the recording of a "haiku moment," a singular experience that captures a greater and perhaps universal experience. Gurga describes it as "taking an ordinary moment and feeling it deeply."

The directions for those who wish to submit material to the magazine ask for "a three-line poem with images of the season linking human and non-human nature."

Along with original haiku, the magazine also publishes senryu (a form similar to haiku but with a humorous or ironic twist), translations, book reviews and Robert Spiess’ speculations on haiku, a series of 845 short philosophic reflections about the poetic form.

Gurga was born and raised in Chicago and became interested in haiku when he found a book of translations from the Japanese in a Chicago bookshop. He has won top prizes in haiku contests in the United States, Canada and Japan.

Two of his books, "In and Out of Fog" and "Fresh Scent," have won first prize in the Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Awards. He also received an Illinois Arts Council Poetry Fellowship in 1998. In 2000 he won an Illinois Arts Council special assistance grant to speak at as haiku conference in Japan.

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With Randy Brooks, another haiku poet, he helped stage the 2000 Global Haiku Festival at Millikin University in Decatur. He publishes a monthly column in the Illinois Times newspaper and also in the Solares Hill newspaper in Key West, Fla.

Recently one of his poems was published in a Houghton-Mifflin reader for fifth-graders. Here is the poem, included in a section on autumn:

going out of my way

to crunch them as I walk;

first leaves of Autumn.

Haiku is thriving in the Midwest, Gurga says, in part because people here are in touch with the natural world around them.

Modern Haiku is published three times a year, in February, June and October, and has a circulation of about 800. Gurga is editor and publisher; Randy Brooks, director of the writing program at Milliken, is the web editor; Charles P. Trumbull, director of editorial yearbooks at Encyclopedia Britannica, is assistant editor; and Lidia Rozmus of Chicago Graphic Design is art editor.

Gurga and his family, wife Jan and sons Ben, A.J. and Alex, live on 77 acres of hilly and wooded land near Middletown, where he finds much of his nature imagery. The family also has a home in Key West, Fla.

With Gurga’s appointment as editor, Lincoln becomes the home of the Modern Haiku journal. Mailing address is P.O. Box 68, Lincoln.

[Joan Crabb]

See a related article, "Haiku for the Heartland," posted in LDN on Feb. 1, 2000.

[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."

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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 1½ 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 (6,815), a town much smaller than Lincoln, 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.

[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]

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.

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.

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  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]

[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.

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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]

[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]

[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.

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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]

[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.

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•  $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]

[DEC. 31, 2001]  At close of day today a Lincoln business will end its 2½-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.

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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]

Announcements

[FEB. 22, 2001]  Janet Austin Overton, executive assistant to President Jack Nutt and Executive Vice President Ronald L. Schilling, will retire from Lincoln College after 25 years of service.

Overton, a native of Mount Horeb, Wis., holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Illinois-Springfield. Before joining Lincoln College full time, she worked part time for the college in several areas.

Lincoln College President Jack Nutt says Overton will be missed. "She has performed a valuable service and Lincoln College will miss her. We all wish her the best of luck in her retirement."

Overton says she has enjoyed her time working for the college. "I really treasure the friendships I’ve made over the years and watching the growth and expansion under the direction of President Nutt and Mr. Schilling. I’ll miss the friendships, but I look forward to spending time with my family."

Overton is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, where she taught Sunday school for over 15 years. She lives in Lincoln with her husband, Bill, and has two grown daughters, Heather Overton and Tara Overton-Hennessy. Tara is married to Paul Hennessy, and they have two children, Zo and Xavia.

[Lincoln College news release]

[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]

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

[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

[FEB. 13, 2002]  New officers for Main Street Lincoln were elected at the organization’s annual dinner this week. Community activist Jan Schumacher was elected president. David Lanterman, co-owner of Beans and Such, was elected vice president. Susie Fuhrer, owner of Blue Dog Inn, was re-elected treasurer. All three are longtime Main Street volunteers.

Fuhrer also was re-elected to a three-year term on the board, as was Jon Steffens, vice president of Eckerts Inc., who just completed his term as president. Tim McCormick, vice president of Farmers State Bank in Emden, and Jeannie Xamis, owner of Serendipity

Stitches, were also elected to three-year terms.

At the dinner, outgoing board member Paul Gleason was recognized for his contributions to Main Street.

Main Street Lincoln is in its eighth year of economic development and historic preservation of the Courthouse Square Historic District in downtown Lincoln. The group is always looking for volunteers for its new and ongoing projects.

[Main Street Lincoln news release]

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

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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