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At a moving and inspiring assembly this
morning, they reminded each other of the way it was one year ago,
when history suddenly became not a subject in a textbook but a real
event they were watching unfold.
It started out as a normal day, with
students getting up, going to school, talking to their friends,
going to classes.
Then phones rang and ashen-faced
teachers stopped talking about math or science or English and turned
on the television. They thought at first it was some kind of
terrible accident. Then they knew it wasn’t.
Omigosh! It was real!
That reality was captured for the
audience with videos of the World Trade Center buildings collapsing,
interspersed with remembrances of students who watched while America
saw itself attacked from within.
[Photos by Bob Frank]
Along with the videos, both the
beginning and advanced choirs, the LCHS band, the speech classes of
Ms. Carrie Schreiber and members of the student council helped
retell the story and reaffirm the students’ faith in a united
America.
Under the direction of Ms. Kim
Peterson-Quinn, the 70-member mixed choir sang "Proud to be an
American," setting the audience cheering.
Members of the speech classes gave
several presentations, reading poems and other reminiscences, some
of them written by students from a high school just a few blocks
away from the World Trade Center.
The poems and essays spoke of the loss
of innocence and security and of the price the nation has paid for
its complacency.
One presentation noted the ordinariness
of Monday, the day before the attack, when students believed
athletes were heroes and thought of themselves as black, white,
male, female, Christian or some other religion. After Tuesday, the
day of the attack, they knew who the real heroes were, and they
thought of themselves simply as Americans.
Another theme was that while students
might regret their lost innocence, they celebrate their
understanding of what "American" means, they will no longer take it
for granted, and they hope the terror will stop and peace will
prevail over the entire earth.
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In a candlelighting ceremony, student
council members reviewed the hard facts: for example, 6,333 people
were reported missing on Sept. 22, and today there are still 105 not
accounted for; but on the positive side, 58 percent of the homes and
businesses in American made financial contributions to help those
who lost a loved one in the terrorist attack.
Mr. Steve Sauer, chairman of the social
studies department, opened the program with a welcome to the
audience, asking the students to remember the heroic efforts of
firemen, paramedics and police to save thousands of innocent
victims, and to rededicate themselves to continue the fight against
acts of terror.
"Never forget 9-11, ever, but never
forget also that each one of you is a citizen of the greatest nation
in the world. This country has its faults and its
‘warts’
for the world to see, but we remain strong in our belief that we
will win this current fight and that we will in the end emerge
stronger and more united as a country than ever."
Christina Xamis led the audience in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
To close the assembly, the band played
the national anthem and the choir, along with many in the audience,
sang.
Other teachers and administrators who
worked on the project include Joyce Hubbard, principal; Jim Vipond,
science; Dave Swaar, band; Sally Zurlinden, PowerPoint presentation;
Barbara Waymire, technical coordination. Stu Wyneken, technical work
and stage; and Janet Hudelson and Timie Olson, student government.
Students who
participated included band, choir and speech class members, along
with Robbie Perry, Josh Fillmore, Jillian Kimberlin, Jenny Cassad,
Zach Gahr, John Peters, Cliff Carnahan, Omar Obaisi, Jerrod Marten,
Jamie Fuiten, Miles Musick, Adama Voyles, Colin Voyles, Alex King,
Tim Fak, Chelsea Jones, Kenzi Huelskoetter and Stanton Schumacher.
[Joan
Crabb]
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While
our police, fire, EMTs, health care professionals, public servants,
and the men and women serving in our military have always been
heroes, sadly we have seen graphically the sacrifices they are
willing to make to protect our families, our loved ones, our homes
and our way of life. Their dedication and commitment is not
something new — they were training, preparing and protecting us long
before Sept. 11, 2001.
For more
information on Illinois Homeland Security efforts:
[Illinois
Government News Network] |
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Thank You
To Lincoln Developmental Center
employees:
The Lincoln Parents'
Association would like to express our sincere appreciation for the
excellent care you have given our loved ones over the years. You
chose to make a career in caring for the most fragile of individuals
with disabilities. For this, we are most grateful.
The
stress of this past year has been almost unbearable for you and for
us. In spite of poor management, politics and constant scrutiny, you
have maintained your excellent level of care. There are not enough
words to express our thanks.
Sincerely,
Members of the
Lincoln Parents' Association |
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Her concern echoes that of many in our
community with the death of a Lincoln Community High School student late
last week. It appears the student, an athlete, was taking the
over-the-counter drug ephedrine, in a form known as Yellow Jackets,
in an effort to enhance his athletic performance.
Mayor Davis called upon Lincoln Police
Chief Rich Montcalm. He said he had checked with Logan County
State’s Attorney Tim Huyett, and there are no laws regulating sale
of these products. Chief Montcalm reported that police have been out
in the schools talking to the students and are working with the
schools on this. He pointed out that without the cooperation of
parents and schools an ordinance won’t do any good.
One year ago the water company, along
with other municipal utilities and nuclear power plants nationwide,
was ordered by the federal government to find security to protect
our water supply. With an urgent situation on their hands they
turned to the city for help. The city, according to Alderman George
Mitchell, was happy to provide off-duty officers for the task. At
present the city pays the officers and is reimbursed by the water
company.
Mitchell said it has recently come to
his attention that there are other issues to consider as well. He
raised the question, "Who is liable for the officers if they are
injured while performing that duty?" The city incurs additional
taxes, other costs and liability by providing this service.
Gary Bellafiore from Illinois American
Water responded, saying that as he recalled, there were no specifics
worked out at the time this service began. It was an arrangement put
together in haste. He pointed out that while the water company
completely reimburses the city for the officers’ pay, they will not
be compensated by the government for it. There are over a million
dollars in funds soon to be released by the federal government for
the protection of municipal utilities, but that is for the whole
country. That money won’t go very far. Nor does it have a provision
for protection provided by humans. It covers only purchases of
protection equipment, such as motion detectors and alarm systems.
City Attorney Bill Bates said he
believed that it is the party that has the payroll, in this case the
city, that is the responsible party for insuring liability.
Mitchell said he understood the urgency
that this treaty began under, but that now it has been a year and
the immediacy is over. He requested that Bellafiore begin looking
for a private company to take over the security duties at the water
plant.
Alderman Mitchell said that he has been
informed by Streets Superintendent Donnie Osborne that the Logan
County Fairgrounds has again requested the city’s participation in
refurbishing their hard-top roadways. Osborne explained that this
has been a common practice in the years he has been superintendent.
Once a year his department takes eight men to spend a day applying
chip seal to maintain the roadways. The fairgrounds committee
reimburses the city for the cost of materials used. The reason the
project has been brought before the council this time is that there
have been some grumblings opposing the favoritism of this action.
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Alderman Bill Melton commented that he
was for helping them, saying, "With what they bring in (to the
city), I think we ought to do that."
Playing a little devil’s advocate,
Alderman Steve Fuhrer stated, "I know they do a lot for the
community, but they charge (admission to events). Other businesses
have to pay. I can see why some people are asking about that."
Alderman Dave Armbrust countered, "I
attend the annual meeting, see their reports, work in the ticket
office. They don’t have a lot of money left over." He and a few
others on the council nodded agreement that the fairgrounds brings a
lot of business and is a benefit to Lincoln throughout the year. It
was suggested that perhaps the county board might be approached to
share in this since the county benefits as well.
The matter will be on the agenda next
week.
A snafu may delay the work of
re-switching and rewiring the Wyatt Avenue lighting. The work has
already been approved to be done to the tune of $7,232 in material
costs. However, broached Alderman Mitchell, a heavier gauge wire is
now being recommended by the supplier, Market Place Electric, in
order to be sure of carrying electric current from one end of Wyatt
to the other.
The cost increase of $1,487 would boost
the project to $8,719.
This is still a bargain, with a labor
savings of about $5,000 by doing the work ourselves, Superintendent
Osborne pointed out. He went further to say he favored either
spending the extra money or tabling the project a year if necessary,
when additional funds can be obtained in order to do the job right.
His main point was that when all the lights went out earlier this
summer they had to dig. He doesn’t want to have the same problem in
the winter when the ground is frozen.
Alderman Verl Prather spoke up, saying
that since they have to look at an increase he would like to see the
city get another proposal. He thought this should have been done the
first time, and now is another opportunity. Several murmurs of
agreement echoed, including Aldermen Glenn Shelton and Fuhrer.
The next
city council meeting will be Monday, Sept. 16.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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