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The panel of costume judges was
composed of Police Chief Rich Montcalm, Assistant Chief Harley
Mullins, Sheriff Tony Soloman, Lisa Curry and Jim Sparrow.
[Photo by Bob Frank]
Soloman said, "It was tough judging.
There were so many great costumes." But, he added, there were also
so many contests and games that by the time the kids did everything,
most everybody got something.
The park district hosted 11 games.
Seven other agencies — Lincoln Fire, Lincoln Police, Lincoln Public
Library, 4-H, ESDA, YMCA and Maple Ridge — hosted booths with
activities for the youth.
"The business community was
outstanding," in their support for this, Logan said. "We couldn’t do
it without them."
A listing of
supporters will be in LDN tomorrow.
[Jan
Youngquist] |
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The bill, HB 6310, called the State
Facility Closing Act, is designed to help communities like Lincoln
that have lost or are in danger of losing a state-run facility that
brings jobs to the community.
It will be introduced during the
November veto session. Mitchell said if the bill fails to get to the
floor or is vetoed in November, he will reintroduce it in January,
when the 93rd General Assembly convenes.
Mitchell is unopposed on the ballot for
the 87th District seat, although candidate Fred Tabor, who failed to
file enough signatures for a spot on the ballot, has announced he is
running as a write-in candidate.
Mitchell made the announcement this
morning in Lincoln City Hall, accompanied by Rich Brauer of
Petersburg, who is the Republican candidate for state representative
in the 100th District; Mayor Beth Davis; Circuit Court Clerk Carla
Bender; and Aldermen George Mitchell, Verl Prather and Glenn
Shelton.
[Photos by Joan Crabb]
[Bill Mitchell speaks while Rich Brauer,
Beth Davis, Verl Prather, George Mitchell and
Glenn Shelton look on.]
The bill might prevent, or would at
least delay, the process of closing a facility such as the Lincoln
Developmental Center, which Gov. George Ryan closed as of Aug. 31.
It would not prevent the administration from closing a facility
eventually but would require added time for study of the impact on
the community.
"This would slow down the process and
allow for a lot more input and a lot more time to make life-defining
decisions," Brauer said.
Mitchell also said he thought the state
should continue to support communities in which a facility has been
closed. "I wonder about the logic of closing one facility and
opening another one someplace else," he said.
Gov. Ryan has closed a prison in the
town of Sheridan but is building another in Hopkins Park, a
community near his hometown of Kankakee.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Mitchell was one of a group of area
legislators who opposed closing LDC, and he and Brauer have pledged
to work to reopen the 125-year-old home for the developmentally
disabled.
He also represents parts of Tazewell
County, including East Peoria, that were home to some of the 270
employees of Zeller Mental Health Center in Peoria, also closed by
Gov. Ryan.
At this morning’s press conference,
Mitchell said he believes it is important for the entire General
Assembly to understand what the economic impact of closing a state
facility will be on the community before that facility is closed.
"It is important that we have some
policy to guide facility closures," he said. The closure of LDC
affected the lives of "hundreds of families as well as small
businesses in Lincoln," he added.
Mitchell said that because he is on a
committee for appropriations for the Department of Human Services,
which operates the state’s facilities for the developmentally
disabled, he will "see that there is money appropriated to reopen
Lincoln."
[Bill Mitchell speaks with Carla Bender
and George Mitchell.]
It will then be up to the
administration to find the money to reopen the shuttered facility,
he said. He conceded that the sale of equipment held earlier this
month will make reopening LDC more difficult.
Brauer noted that both gubernatorial
candidates have pledged to reopen LDC and, if elected, he would
"hold them to their word — hold their feet to the fire." Brauer is
opposed in next week’s election by Democratic candidate Carl
Oblinger.
Both
Mitchell and Brauer said they were impressed with the support the
county and city officials had given to the efforts to keep LDC open.
"Lincoln is built on community participation," Brauer said.
[Joan Crabb]
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"There clearly needs to be a way
to prevent closures of state facilities when the economic impact on
the community is too great," Mitchell said. "My bill requires that
the state conduct a study of the economic impact before a facility
can be closed."
Over great protest, Gov. George Ryan
ordered Lincoln Developmental Center closed in August after 125
years of operation, saying that reforms started last fall failed to
correct abuse and neglect of residents. LDC formerly housed almost
400 residents and employed about 700 workers. Zeller Mental Health
Center in Peoria closed Sept. 1. Approximately 270 people and their
families relied on Zeller for their employment.
"There’s no question that closing these
facilities has had a tremendous impact on the communities," Mitchell
said. "I fought hard to keep LDC open because of how many people
would be affected by the closure. I knew the consequences would
result in skyrocketing unemployment and, tragically, that has been
the case. State figures indicate Logan County unemployment in
September was 6.6 percent — up 1.8 percent from August and the
highest jobless rate for the county in a decade."
Mitchell’s bill would require an
economic study to be submitted to the General Assembly:
• When a state agency or
facility seeks to close or lay off at least 50 employees or 50
percent of the staff of that agency or facility, whichever is less.
• When a private entity
under permanent contract with the state seeks to lay off at least 50
employees or 50 percent of the staff performing work pursuant to the
permanent contract with the state.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
The study shall report expected revenue
savings and an analysis of current and projected economic and labor
conditions in the communities affected by the proposed closing or
layoff.
"As a member of the Illinois General
Assembly, I know how important it is to have factual, unbiased
information to weigh the costs and benefits associated with any
state facility closings or employee layoffs," said Mitchell. "My
bill will ensure the members have the vital information they need
when the time comes to make such an important decision."
Mitchell’s bill would also give
communities that have previously suffered the loss or closure of a
state agency or facility first priority when locating future state
agencies or facilities.
"As we have learned over the past year
in Lincoln, the closure of a state facility can have a devastating
effect on the community and the families that rely on the jobs and
services provided by the facility," said Rich Brauer, Republican
candidate for state representative.
"It’s only
right that when the economy recovers and new facilities are slated
for opening that they be located in areas hard hit by the shutdown
of a facility. I support Representative Mitchell and his legislation
because I expect it will help the Lincoln area to attract new
facilities in the future and help prepare other communities faced
with similar circumstances."
[Press
release]
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