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Still Waters,
Bird’s-Eye
View, the
em space, Where They Stand,
By
the Numbers, How We Stack Up,
What’s
Up With That?
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Commentaries
posted do not necessarily represent the opinion of LDN.
Any opinions expressed are those of
the writers.
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Rousing
rally, comparative analysis, growing House support give hope
By Mike
Fak
[JAN.
14, 2002] I
broke a cardinal rule of journalism Saturday. It’s OK since I’m
not a journalist. That rule is someone reporting a story should not
become part of the story. Accordingly, I shouldn’t have spoken to
the crowd at the LDC rally and then written an article as well as
preparing a report for Channel 15.
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I
understand the concept quite clearly and agree with it just about
most of the time. But not this time. Not this Saturday.
The
people at LDC, through their union, felt I should be among the
political figures, resident guardians and community leaders who were
given a few moments to help employees of the beleaguered institution
realize that they are not alone in their fight to keep the
institution open. If I were asked to speak a thousand times at this
rally, I would have said yes just as many.
In
the event you feel my observations are now biased or jaded, I will,
as always, leave that up to you. This is what I saw. This is what I
heard. Most importantly, this is what I felt.
I
felt like I had gone back in time to an old fashioned 1960s union
rally. Aggressive words used to excite an audience to become part of
the rhetoric filled the auditorium that day. To some on the stage, I
could sense a discomfort. This wasn’t a quiet "meet the
candidates" forum. This was an old-fashioned "You take my
job over my dead body" kind of gathering. In 20 years, I have
never seen the likes in Logan County.
I
sat on stage between more political candidates than you can shake a
stick at. There were Davis and Bomke and Wright. There
were even Klingler and Brady and
Mitchell on the folding chairs
around me.(*) Yes, I should say their full
names, their party affiliation and where they live, but I feel like
breaking another rule of proper reporting today.
Most
important in my mind was the fact that Democratic gubernatorial
candidate Paul Vallas was there. The man got up and stated for the
record that as governor he would fix LDC and keep it open. The
political correctness of the statement was, of course, self-serving
but the repercussions could be immense. To date no candidate for
governor has come out from behind the curtain to even acknowledge
the LDC issue. Vallas’ comments may cause those more timid than he
to realize a block of voters is awaiting their input now, not come
next spring.
State
Rep. Jonathan Wright advised us that a full 96 percent of the
reportable observations at LDC ended with positive conclusions.
Wright stated that was an A in his book. It is in mine as well. As I
sat next to Jonathan I constantly felt bad that he will be lost to
us so soon as our state representative.
[to top of second column in this
commentary]
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I
listened intently as AFSCME Deputy Director Roberta Lynch reported
on how other institutions and community homes in a 50-mile radius
have been faring in fulfilling their state-mandated mental health
residency requirements. I was shocked to hear of bathrooms with no
toilet paper or soap, of defective sprinkler systems and smoke
alarms with dead batteries. I listened as reports of poorly trained
staff and improper medication safeguards came from her speech. I
have always wondered why there has been no comparative analysis made
as to how LDC stands among its peers. Here was the telling
information I have been so dearly trying without success to obtain
myself.
As
I listened to Lynch’s report, I became angry at the media.
Throughout this entire story, only what has been spoon fed to the
press has made the news. Why, I
have to ask, hasn’t anyone in the media sought this information
out themselves. Isn’t another rule of journalism to ask questions
and to seek both sides of a story. Are all the reporters, especially
in area television, simply now like waiters, who write down what
they are told without a single question or effort to go farther.
I
hope others at the rally walked away with the same feelings I did. I
can base it on nothing substantive, but it seems that it is becoming
"en vogue" for politicians to come to the aid of LDC. That
is what it is going to take to keep the center open. We as residents
of Lincoln can do just so much. A united General Assembly taking up
the cause is the only true means of winning this battle. I think I
saw the birth of just that this past Saturday.
[Mike
Fak]
*Ed.
note: Officials
referred to are Mayor Beth Davis, Logan County Board Chairman Dick
Logan, Illinois Sen. Larry Bomke, and state Reps. Gwenn Klingler,
Dan Brady, Bill Mitchell and Jonathan Wright.
Reply to
Fak
(not for publication):
mikefak@msn.com
Response
to Fak’s commentary:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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2001
reveals strength and
solidarity in Logan County
By Mike
Fak
[DEC.
31, 2001] And
so it is that another year has passed. I have always been amazed how
a bad day can seem to last forever, yet the year, like an early snow
on a warm fall day, can disappear from our lives so quickly.
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Again,
as always with any year, we have had our moments. Logan County had
its share of good and bad, fair and biased. Like all Americans
throughout this land we have again fought for our individuality, all
the while hoping to be one with each other. For some of us the
ledger of life remained balanced, while others found good fortune
offsetting those among us who saw better moments, better years in
their life’s journeys.
As
a nation, we have seen the darkest days in our country enfold before
our eyes, yet have gained a sense of pride in our collective
humanity and compassion that we long ago forgot ourselves capable of
expressing. For just a moment in this country’s life, we realized
that beliefs and faith in our system and ourselves could bridge the
gaps of political parties, of regions and ethnicity.
On
a local level, we found that we could come together as a community
to try to save an institution that for 124 years was taken for
granted by so many of us.
As
with all years there were many stories that are now marked by the
scale we call 2001. Each day 33,000 new chapters were added to the
lives of those who have chosen to
call this community our home. For many of us the stories of 9-11 and
LDC took pre-eminence over all the other innumerable moments that
created our personal histories.
The
World Trade Center attack has to be the lead story in our community
this year, even to those of us who
were 1,500 miles away from the disaster. The effects, the concept
that foreign invaders could take away from us what we had honestly
earned and strived for, carried beyond
the borders of a city called New York.
At
the "Public Expression of Patriotism," perhaps 1,500
of us gathered on the courthouse square to tell ourselves as well as
the world that all the protections we have in this great country,
although often taken for granted, are not and have never been taken
lightly. With dollars and tears and prayers, this community said for
all who would listen that we are our brother’s keepers.
[to top of second column in this
commentary]
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In
the days that followed, the concern about whether it is appropriate
to burn an American flag was replaced with the issues of where can I
purchase one and what is the appropriate way to display Old Glory.
The difficult-to-sing "Star-Spangled Banner" was replaced
at events throughout the nation with "God Bless America,"
as those who wish to keep God and country separate stayed their lips
as we reassembled our country’s spirit. How many of us sang that
song these past few months as we never did before. How many of us
wiped the mistiness from our eyes as, gathered with others, we found
ourselves feeling special because we help make up the collective
called America.
The
plight of the Lincoln Developmental Center galvanized this community
like no other issue I can recall. Employees, ridiculed and assaulted
with lies and half-truths concerning their actions toward their
wards, looked to all of us for strength and support. That is what we
gave and continue to give. None of us went to purchase assault
rifles or formed militias. We didn’t attempt to commandeer an
airplane or blow up a building that houses our detractors. As
Americans we used the promises of the Constitution to express our
opinions. We used the freedoms of speech and assembly to give voice
to our words. We used the right to petition and addressed our
grievances through thousands of letters to those in power who needed
the gentle reminder that they are where they are only by our graces.
We learned that in a community that seems to be able to divide on
issues as seemingly obvious as whether gold has more worth than
manure, that we could in fact come together.
In
the year 2001, Logan County learned what Thomas Carlyle knew 150
years ago: "In the midst of my winter, I finally realized there
was in me an invincible summer." All of us have an invincible
summer. The year 2001 was necessary to make us realize that. How
unfortunate that this knowledge had to be purchased as it was.
[Mike
Fak]
Reply to
Fak
(not for publication):
mikefak@msn.com
Response
to Fak’s commentary:
ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com
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Bird’s-Eye
View
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Spring fever starts in January
I didn’t
check with a doctor, but I think I was well on the way to a case of
spring fever by the middle of January. Even if my body temperature
wasn’t unusually high, some of the readings I saw on the outside
thermometer were.
I
question whether spring fever is an entirely legitimate condition to
claim until after a more severe case of winter, but signs started
showing up. It wasn’t just the temperature.
 I
could have identified the warmer spell as a January thaw instead of
attributing it to spring fever, except that I’m not sure about the
reasonableness of a thaw without snowbanks to melt. From a
meandering trail, I did see ice on the surface of a greenish-looking
lake on one of the warmest afternoons.
Near
the lake I noticed signs about robins. One said that male robins are
the first to arrive in the spring. Another mentioned nests made so
well that they hold water. Additional nature notes on the outdoor
bulletin board described the typical appearance of male and female
robins, identified the range they cover from arctic regions to
Mexico, and explained that robins move their heads while feeding to
get a better look at food prospects.
Signs
of spring in the planting world arrived in the form of an
advertisement. Seed catalogs are an encouraging delivery for
winter-weary spirits, of course, but one day I opened an unsolicited
mailing about tillers. I actually read the materials, including
reports that the lightweight tiller also worked for digging a
goldfish pond and making holes to plant trees. The warranties were
impressive too. You can imagine that the opening testimonial must
have been a good one to catch my attention, considering that I have
nothing to till. I looked in vain for prices, which was just as
well. Buying a plot of ground in order to make use of a terrific
tiller would confirm the diagnosis of spring fever going to someone’s
head.
 I’ve
heard that only the wind says spring. One windblown piece of paper I
picked up gave detailed directions to an unidentified residence in
another area. There was just enough spring in the air that the
written notes had the makings of an adventure, like finding a
treasure map. Although I didn’t get in the car and follow the
directions, I thought it could bring a surprise story to life for an
impromptu traveler and the people at the destination.
Sometimes
the wanderlust of spring can’t figure out where it wants to go. It
just wants to go somewhere else, away and away. I thought of that
again as I watched sheets and towels blowing in the wind on an
unseasonably warm day. I thought it was a good excuse to try out a
new length of clothesline, more flexible than the old. I didn’t
know that the laundry tugging at the clothespins would remind me of
myself, trying to break free but held by everyday connections. I
realized that if a stray item did fly off the line, it could easily
become discarded litter, out of place where it landed, instead of
serving its useful purpose.
The best cure I’ve found
for the restlessness of spring-that-isn’t-here-yet is a natural
one. Wait until it gets colder again. I think that makes sense. A
fever goes away if the temperature goes down.
[Mary
Krallmann]
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Where
They Stand
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Where
They Stand is a commentary section addressing specific issues in the community. Informed individuals present their
position with facts, opinions or insights on the issue. The
material is posted unedited, in its entirety, as received. If you have further comment on the
issue, please send an e-mail message, complete with your name,
address and telephone number to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.
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Local
teacher announces her candidacy for regional superintendent of
schools
By
Jean Anderson, candidate
[OCT.
31, 2001] My
name is Jean Anderson and I am announcing my intent to be a
Republican candidate for the office of Regional Superintendent of
Schools for Logan, Mason, and Menard counties.
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I
am a graduate of Lincoln College and Sangamon State University (now
the University of Illinois, Springfield). I have a Master’s
Degree in Educational Administration and hold the Type 75
certificate, both requirements for the position of Regional
Superintendent. I am currently employed by Lincoln Elementary
District #27 Schools as the eighth grade Language Arts teacher at
The Lincoln Junior High School, a position I have held for the past
seventeen years. I also serve that school as its Discipline and
Attendance Officer.
A
member of the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, I was its
organist for over 22 years and currently serve on the Board of
Trustees. I am chair of the Communications and Bargaining committees
and treasurer of the Lincoln Elementary Education Organization, and
also belong to the Illinois Education Association, the National
Education Association, and the Lincoln Junior High School
Parent-Teacher Organization.
The
daughter of Lincoln residents Paul E. and the late Helen Musa
Rankin, I have resided in Lincoln and Logan County for my entire
life. My husband of thirty-two years, Mike, is a Logan County
Highway Department employee. We are parents of Jonathan Anderson,
Director of Instrumental Studies at The Victoria College, Victoria,
Texas; and James Anderson, a kindergarten teacher at Mt. Pulaski
Grade School, Mt. Pulaski, Illinois. My sister, Susan Rohrer, and
her family also reside in Lincoln.
Although
I am a political novice, I believe I would be an effective Regional
Superintendent. For one, I am a strong written and oral
communicator, due to many years of teaching and music performance. I
have a working knowledge of school law and the many issues educators
currently face. Having spent seventeen years in the classroom, I am
very much aware of the concerns felt by today's teachers. I have
received formal training in negotiations, employer/employee team
building, and conflict resolution, and have served as chief
negotiator for our district's bargaining team. Our last three
contracts have been settled amicably, without mediation or
work-stoppage. In addition, I am organized and work well both
independently and in group situations.
[to top of second column in
this
section]
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Teacher
recertification is an important new issue in the education field. I
am currently serving as a member of my district's Local Professional
Development Committee, a group responsible for overseeing and
assessing the state-required recertification requirements of our
teaching staff. I received training for this position through the
Springfield Regional Office of Education. Part of my duties as
Regional Superintendent will be to provide local training for the
teachers of Logan, Mason, and Menard counties, and assist them in
the recertification process. I also plan to work with local school
districts that want to become Providers, a designation that allows
them to bring on-site training for their staff rather than sending
them to another location for training or paying an outside group for
facilitating the process.
When
elected, my intention is to continue in the professional and
dedicated manner of our current Regional Superintendent George
Janet. Not only has his leadership been outstanding, the fact that
he is a resident of this county has been a definite advantage for
all Logan County citizens, and he has represented the Republican
party well. I believe that it is advantageous for this tradition to
continue. Therefore, I feel that my party affiliation, my residency
in this county, my strong ties with area schools and school
personnel, and my knowledge and dedication to current issues make me
a strong contender for the position of Regional Superintendent.
Sincerely,
Jean
Anderson
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By
the Numbers
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Population
estimates in Logan County
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| 30,798 |
Total population,
1990 |
| 15,380 |
Rural population -
49.9%, 1990 |
| 15,418 |
Urban population -
50.1%, 1990 |
| 2,875 |
Projected births,
1990-1998 |
| 2,736 |
Projected deaths,
1990-1998 |
| 3,143 |
Persons below poverty
level - 11.8 % |
| 258 |
Average marriages per
year |
| 135 |
Average deaths per
year |
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Alexis Asher
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| Logan
County high schools: 1960-2000 |
| 1962 |
Middletown
High School consolidated with New Holland |
| 1972 |
Atlanta
High School became part of Olympia School District |
| 1975 |
Elkhart
High School consolidated with Mount Pulaski |
| 1979 |
Latham
High School became Warrensburg-Latham |
| 1988 |
New Holland-Middletown
High School consolidated with Lincoln Community High School |
| 1989 |
San
Jose High School consolidated with Illini Central (Mason City) |
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