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Features

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.

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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.

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.

Announcements

[MARCH 9, 2002]  Lincoln Christian College and Seminary has named John Guzzardo chairperson for the LCCS capital campaign committee for Lincoln and Logan County.

The goal for the committee is $300,000. A gift of $100,000 has already been received and committed to the renovation of the Earl C Hargrove Auditorium.

Gary Edwards, vice president of stewardship development for Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, says he is thrilled to have Guzzardo as a part of the capital campaign team. "John Guzzardo is an integral part of the history of LCCS and the community," he says.

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LCCS launched its capital campaign, "Same Foundation…New Generation," a little more than one year ago. To date, LCCS has reached more than $3 million of its $5 million goal. The money raised will be committed toward the following initiatives:

•  Campus improvements

•  Academic program enrichment

•  Academic program endowment

•  Scholarship endowment

•  Special projects

LCCS has been an active part of the Lincoln community since 1944. The seminary is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

[LCCS news release]

[MARCH 5, 2002]  The Lincoln A.G. Edwards & Sons is presenting a seminar on April 11 and 13.

Seminar information

Women cannot ignore certain facts when planning for their financial futures. For example, 90 percent of women will become wholly responsible for their finances sometime during their lifetimes.*

You’ll discover ways to help you:

•  Plan for successful financial future.

•  Reduce your taxes.

•  Increase your investment income potential.

•  Build for your retirement.

•  Build a "rainy day" fund.

•  Accumulate money for a child or grandchild’s education.

*Source: Investment Company Institute

Speaker

Bridget Schneider, financial consultant with A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

Dates

•  Thursday, April 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

•  Saturday, April 13, 9-10 a.m.

Location

Heartland Community College

620 Broadway St.

Lincoln, IL 62656

R.S.V.P.

(217) 732-3877 or (800) 596-0014

Contact person

Brittney Van Fossan or Nina Westen

[MARCH 4, 2002]  John Dreusicke, account manager for AES/CILCO, recently presented the energy company’s annual contribution to Lincoln Christian College and Seminary. Gary Edwards, vice president of stewardship development for LCCS, accepted the $3,000 gift. AES/CILCO has been a generous supporter of LCCS for nearly 20 years.

"AES/CILCO is proud to play an active role in the communities we serve, supporting education, the arts and family activities," Dreusicke said.

Edwards says that annual giving plays a crucial role in the success of LCCS. "Gifts such as these provide money to help LCCS continue to offer exceptional education, implement new programs and meet the daily needs of our institution," he explains. "LCCS has benefited greatly from the many generous contributions from AES/CILCO and other loyal supporters in the Lincoln community."

[LCCS news release]

[John Dreusicke (left) of CILCO shakes hands
with Gary Edwards of LCCS.]
[Photo provided by LCCS]

[FEB. 28, 2002]  The Lincoln College board of trustees recently appointed Greg Eimer the dean of financial services, effective July 1.

Eimer, a native of Lincoln, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois State University and is also a certified public accountant.

Before coming to Lincoln College, Eimer worked for Abbott, Phillips & Co, Ltd. as an audit manager and individual and corporate tax adviser. He joined Lincoln College in February 1996 as director of accounting and personnel. In 1998, he was promoted to director of business services.

Lincoln College President Jack Nutt says Eimer’s leadership has kept the college on solid financial ground. "We are very pleased to have him fill this important position. He knows the changing demands shaping the business world and how they affect the direction of our school. He has a deep and personal knowledge of the business and financial worlds, proven abilities in interpersonal relations, good judgment, and a clear vision for how to take this school into the future."

Eimer is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

He lives in Lincoln with his wife, Beth, and son Jack.

[Lincoln College news release]

[FEB. 28, 2002]  NORMAL — The Feb. 19 meeting of the Heartland Community College board of trustees included reports on the scholarship program that focuses on volunteerism, official 10th day enrollment figures for spring 2002 and a proposed capital project.

Community Scholars

An update on the Community Scholars program, which provides scholarship opportunities for students participating in community service, was presented to the board. The report includes academic success, graduate rates, program activities and a list of the agencies that received volunteer support from the students in the 2001-2002 school year.

Tenth day spring enrollment

The official 10th day enrollments for the 2002 spring semester increased almost 8 percent over last spring, to 4,237. There was also a change in credit hour totals. A credit hour total of 32,033 reflects a 2.8 percent decrease from last spring.

Capital project proposal

A locally funded capital project to address increasing space demands for classrooms was recommended to the board for approval. The proposal emphasizes the need to address enrollment growth that has challenged current instructional spaces at the new campus to near capacity.

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The plan would provide an additional 12 classrooms that would expand available class space for high-demand courses such as the social sciences, humanities, communications and mathematics. If approved, the project is expected to be completed in time for the fall 2003 semester.

Construction of a facility with approximately 16,000 gross square feet would cost $4 million. It would be located on the east side of the existing Instructional Commons Building.

Heartland’s fall head count is expected to reach 5,000, a 20 percent increase from the current 4,200 (fall 2001).

[HCC news release]

[FEB. 22, 2002]  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."

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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]

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

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.

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