[JAN. 3, 2003] 

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On July 1, Logan County Circuit Judge Donald Behle issued another temporary restraining order to keep the state from moving any more residents from the Lincoln Developmental Center until a permit has been granted by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. The board is not expected to meet until Aug. 15

LDC supporters got a major setback when the 4th District Appellate Court ruled 2-1 to reverse Judge Behle's temporary restraining order and allow the Department of Human Services to move the last 200 residents out of the 125-year-old Lincoln facility. AFSCME, representing employees, plans to file an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court, but the court is not obligated to hear the case and may reject the petition.

Parents and guardians expressed concern about the placement of their loved ones, fearing they would be sent to facilities such as group homes that could not give them adequate care. At a public hearing before a representative of the Health Facilities Planning Board at the Knights of Columbus Hall, a crowd of at least 150 people turned out, almost all to urge the board to deny the request for the permit to close LDC.

"No parent has asked for closure. LDC has been set up to fail," said Robert Springer, parent of an LDC resident. "DHS has not been committed to keeping it open. The alleged failures are more due to management than to staff."

The good news was that on July 25 the Illinois Supreme Court blocked any further involuntary moves, pending its decision whether to hear the case.

The city of Lincoln made plans to ask voters to approve a 0.5 percent sales tax increase to help the city's budget crunch. The tax increase, which would be spent on infrastructure, particularly street work, could bring as much as $500,000 to the city. The city presently has no money in its budget this year for street improvements.

The city also approved a contract with the Fraternal Order of Police 208 that included a 9.75 percent raise over a three-year period and will continue to pay 100 percent of health insurance for police department employees. The council also approved an early retirement incentive plan.

Logan County revenues in July came more nearly into line with budget projections, and expenditures are still being held below expectations. County board finance committee member Roger Bock reported July 16 that fees collected have jumped to reach the 58 percent of budget expected after seven months. Income tax numbers also rose but are still 4 percent, or $109,000, short of budget projections. Worst on the revenue side is interest earned, which is running at 32 percent of the amount budgeted for the year. The result is that interest is $65,000 short of where it was expected to be at this time.

Fortunately, expenses also fall short of budget projections. Expenditures have been held to 46 percent of the year's budget, according to Dale Voyles of the finance panel. The result is that outgo is $250,000 less than expected for seven months into the year. Officials are being asked to keep their requests for fiscal year 2002-3 within their current budgets. Hearings for the new budget begin Aug. 26. On the negative side for next year, the Illinois Department of Revenue estimates that Logan County will receive $210,000 in replacement tax during the fiscal year that began July 1. This is $57,000 less than the $267,000 budgeted for replacement tax during 2001-2002.

In airport news, Damon Smith of Hanson Professional Services discussed long-range plans covering "what the county owns and would like to own and operate in 10 to 20 years." Currently the airport has a 4,000-foot paved runway running northeast-southwest and a 2,700-foot grass runway going northwest-southeast. Smith showed sketches of three ways to build a 5,000-foot runway, needed by many corporate jets:

The new Central School should be up and ready sometime during the spring semester, but Superintendent Robert Kidd said he did not plan to move Central School students to the new Seventh Street building until the beginning of the fall semester. Delays in construction have occurred because of the cost-cutting that was necessary to keep construction costs within the $6 million budget. The original schedule called for the school to be completed by the end of this year. Board member Leta Herrington asked how the district would make up the almost $500,000 the Central School project is still over budget. Kidd said interest on money invested, the working cash fund and some contingency money will help make up the deficit. One change in the building's exterior will be a metal roof instead of shingles. However, the exterior will still be all brick, as originally planned.

District 27's Washington-Monroe School was named a Golden Spike school, one which shows that students from low-income families can close the "achievement gap." It was one of only 59 of 921 schools in Illinois to receive the honor. Principal Rebecca Cecil said 75 percent of the students met or exceeded the state standards in reading and mathematics.

Cathy Hawkinson, a third-grade teacher at Jefferson, has once again tapped into her passion for gardening to promote children's reading. Her ideas began with a butterfly garden put together by her 1999-2000 class. In 2001 her dream of an 1850s-style garden with book-themed plots landed the school a $6,800 grant from Barnes and Noble through the Illinois Literacy Foundation. Now the garden, across Sixth Street from Jefferson School, boasts several book-themed plots as well as a sunflower house where classes gather for special outdoor book-readings, a prairie garden, a butterfly bush, a rainbow garden and several raised gardens. Also in the garden, a log cabin built by Pete Fredericks houses the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" and gardening tools. For the supplies, Hawkinson found many generous donors within the Lincoln community. She approached the Lincoln Public Library about bringing their summer reading program to Jefferson School. As a result, children and parents gather on Wednesday mornings to sit and read for an hour in the shade of the garden.

Lincoln College President Jack Nutt announced that $2 million in additional capital funding for the college has been approved by the General Assembly. Nutt said he does not know whether the grant is for the proposed museum, athletic center or unspecified "capital construction," as in the case of two previous Illinois FIRST grants totaling $1.1 million. Once designed as a single structure, the proposed Lincoln College athletic center and museum now stand separate in architectural drawings. The athletic and convocation center site is on Nicholson Road and includes a multipurpose gymnasium with bleacher seating for 1,000, a wrestling area, offices, locker rooms, a community fitness center, hall of fame and training room. The proposed Lincoln College Museum is located on the corner of Keokuk and Ottawa, across from the college library, on the former site of the college tennis courts. Though Nutt expects both structures to be built within a couple of years, the athletic center will come first because it directly affects the students. The construction budget for both projects totals $6.5 million, with the athletic center accounting for $4.5 million. The college already had $4.5 million in May, Nutt said, but some of it is designated for scholarships and restricted gifts. He has asked for a federal grant to cover approximately half the $2 million cost of the museum.

Mark Smith resigned as the economic development director for Lincoln/Logan County, but the Economic Development Council will continue to look for ways to stimulate the local economy and will seek a new director, said Bobbi Abbot, head of the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce. Smith will become director of planning and development for Macon County, with headquarters in Decatur.

Groundbreaking for the new American Legion Post 263 home was scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday, July 20. The building will be constructed on the site of the previous post home, 1740 Fifth Street Road, adjacent to Logan Lanes. The former home was destroyed by fire Jan. 4 of this year. Post Commander David Hennessey of Lincoln said about half the $630,000 projected cost of the building has been raised.

The 66th annual Logan County Fair opened July 30 at the fairgrounds on Old Route 66. Amy Rohrer of Lincoln was named 2002 fair queen, Angela Balance of Emden was first runner-up and Kate Wrage of Emden was second runner-up. Summer Johnson was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow competitors. Other candidates were Rebecca Ruben of Hartsburg, Katherine Ogelsby of Lake Fork, Christy Peters of Lincoln, Lisa Behle of Lincoln, Holly Ingram of Lincoln and Carrie Hoffert of Lincoln.

Although they carried the fight to the bitter end, supporters of the embattled Lincoln Developmental Center were unable to save it from closing, and the 125-year-old facility, Logan County's largest employer, was finally shuttered on Aug. 31.

The first setback was the recommendation of the Illinois Department of Public Health to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board that LDC be closed. DPH said citations that indicate quality-of-care issues, the state's budget crisis and the fact DHS has other facilities that can take care of LDC residents tip the balance toward closure.

According to the report, "It appears that the harsh reality of the situation is that economics play the deciding role in this application. It appears that while the parents and employees would like to see this facility stay open, the lack of funding for this facility in the state budget means that the only way care can be maintained for these patients is to move them to other facilities which have the necessary funding."

On Aug. 10, DHS sent layoff notices to the 435 AFSCME members who were still working at LDC, a spokesman said.

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A closing date was set for Aug. 31, pending the Health Facilities Planning Board permit. On Aug. 13, just two days before that board was due to make its decision on LDC's fate, three members were asked to step down, and Gov. George Ryan appointed three new members. Bomke said it was "suspect" that Ryan appointed replacement members at this time.

On Aug. 15, in a unanimous decision, the planning board voted to allow the Department of Human Services to close the Lincoln Developmental Center. The decision was a bitter disappointment to parents and guardians, employees, and members of the Lincoln/Logan County community. The board also voted to close two other health facilities slated by Gov. Ryan to be shuttered to help balance the state's budget: Zeller Mental Health Center in Peoria and Singer Developmental Center in Rockford.

AFSCME immediately appealed the decision, but DHS began moving LDC residents out of the facility quickly, before Judge Behle could issue another temporary restraining order. A DHS spokesman said the moves were orderly and had been planned well ahead of time.

On Aug. 22, Judge Behle said he would have to study the issues before making a ruling, and on Aug. 24 he said he could not find "good cause" to issue another temporary restraining order. Time had run out for LDC supporters. As of Saturday, Aug. 31, at 2:30 p.m., everybody who once worked and lived at LDC, with the exception of a few maintenance workers needed to keep the power plant running, left the 125-year-old institution forever. Its 80-acre campus is now empty.

No one has announced any specific plans for the use of the Lincoln facility, but it will revert to the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services now.

"If the agency [DHS] had put as much energy into making LDC work as they did in taking it apart, it would still be a model facility for the country," an AFSCME spokesman said.

School District 27 Superintendent Robert Kidd said the district continues to have more children qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches, an indicator of the growing number of children coming from low-income families. He said he did not see the trend changing any time soon, especially with the closing of the Lincoln Developmental Center. "Some youngsters in our schools had both parents working there," he said. "Some of our families may have to move."

The Logan County Board's finance committee discussed hiring a county administrator and decided to investigate the idea. Board members Dale Voyles and Dave Hepler will draft a proposal specifying job description and chain of command. Voyles said hiring a county manager or administrator would bring several benefits. A manager could keep closer track of the yearly schedule, standardize personnel practices, establish a safety program and control losses. An administrator would also make the job of the county board chair easier. Board members, including the chair, have other employment or businesses to run. A full-time manager would have more time to follow through on board decisions, establish new programs and maintain schedules. "The way we're doing business isn't the most efficient for the taxpayers," said Voyles.

As hearings for the county's fiscal year 2002-03 budget began, most early proposals were in line with or even under the current budget. The one exception was a request from the Economic Development Council for a loan of about $650,000 to purchase land for a commercial park. Finance chair Rod White told the Logan County Board Thursday night that budget requests were not very different from entries in the 2001-02 budget. Some will necessarily contain increases. For example, Sheriff Tony Soloman's budget must accommodate the extra $26,746 negotiated for deputies' salaries.

The county board added two properties to the enterprise zone. Following the lead of the city council, the board voted to include 4.77 acres on Fifth Street Road and Lincoln Parkway in the Lincoln/Logan County Enterprise Zone. Logan Lanes and American Legion Post 263 occupy the site. The enterprise zone is intended to encourage job creation. The rebuilt American Legion Post is expected to employ three people full time and five part time. Logan Lanes representatives have said their planned expansion will add two or three new employees.

The Lincoln City Council took the first step toward changing its housing ordinance and avoiding a federal lawsuit by scheduling a public hearing on changing its R-1 zoning to permit group homes for the developmentally disabled in areas zoned R-1. The city's attorney, Bill Bates, said the new ordinance would allow Community Integrated Living Arrangements "as a matter of right" in residential districts that formerly prohibited them.

The move is a response to a lawsuit brought by Charleston Transitional Facility, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that develops and operates group homes throughout the state, after the city refused to issue a building permit for an R-1 zoned lot in Stonebridge subdivision on the west side of town. The attorney who requested the building permit last March said the city's ordinance was illegal because it violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. If the council revises its ordinance, the attorney said, the lawsuit would be "amicably resolved."

Bates said the new ordinance was "not just drafted to make the lawsuit go away, but to be in compliance with the Fair Housing Act."

The council also voted to put a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot, asking for a sales tax increase of 0.5 percent. If approved, the increase would boost the city's sales tax from 6.25 percent to 6.75 percent, bringing the city between $400,000 and $570,000 more each year. The need for additional revenue became evident last April when the council had to borrow from set-aside funds to make up the deficit in its working budget for the 2002-2003 fiscal year, even after making deep cuts in expenditures. The new tax would not include vehicles licensed or titled by the state, such as cars and trucks, or food items and prescription drugs, which are taxed at only 1 percent.

The council also debated rezoning two lots facing Fifth Street to C-2 instead of the present R-2 to allow Cynthia Goodman to build a flower shop on the site. The lots are across from the new Casey's General Store. The planning commission did not recommend rezoning the lots C-2.

For the 66th year, the Logan County Fair filled the fairgrounds on historic Route 66 with fun, food, contests, exhibitions and entertainment. In the young people's talent contest, a third-grader from Mazon, Lizzie Mladic, a little girl with a big voice and a lot of stage presence, took first place. Her mother said Lizzie has been singing since age 3. In the senior division, Rebecca Ruben, one of the 10 queen contestants and a Lincoln College graduate who plans to major in music at Millikin University this fall, took first place with the song "Maybe This Time." Both Lizzie and Rebecca won $100 and the chance to compete with other winners at the Illinois State Fair.

The annual balloon fest and art fair took place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24 and 25, with 80 juried artists exhibiting in Latham Park and 46 hot-air balloons going up at the fairgrounds. Other entertainment included an Adventure Zone for the kids, a flea market, a craft sale, a doll exhibit, an antique car exhibit, soap box races and a historic homes tour. Weather was delightful for the balloon liftoffs.

Logan County was doing its best to fight the West Nile virus. The Health Department encouraged people to help control the mosquito population by draining standing water in which mosquitoes may lay their larvae. Health officials also recommended avoiding mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants and mosquito repellent. Lincoln's street department helped to control the mosquito population by spraying with mosquito adulticide once every two weeks as well as putting larvacide in standing water, such as in storm drains and ditches.

In Elkhart, two new attractions are the Bluestem Bake Shop and the Under the Prairie Frontier Archaeological Museum. The bake shop, owned by Cynthia Hinton, offers a variety of pastries as well as sandwiches, soup and a garden salad. The museum, run by Hinton's husband, Robert Mazrim, is next door to the bakery, in the 100 block of Elkhart's main drag, directly across from the war memorial. The museum is operated by the Sangamo Archaeological Center, which has offices, an archaeological laboratory and curatorial facility in the building.

Writer William Maxwell, a Lincoln native and winner of the American Book Award in 1980, will be honored with a historical marker to be dedicated at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 24. Maxwell's boyhood home at 184 Ninth St. is the site for the marker, and the ceremony will take place there. David Welch of Lincoln, who did all the research and fund-raising, explained, "I always liked Maxwell's writing and thought he was deserving of this. He put Lincoln on the literary map."

Jonathan Wright, Logan County's current state representative, begins a new job as a Logan County assistant state's attorney on Sept. 16. He was appointed by State's Attorney Tim Huyett after a former assistant, Michael Risinger, left the position. Wright was also recently named deputy state central committeeman for the 18th District of the Illinois Republican Party.

He will close his law office at 503 Broadway but will keep his district office at 407 Keokuk open at least through the November veto session and probably until the new legislators are seated in January, he said.

He has been serving as state representative for the 90th District since June of 2001, when he was appointed to fill the seat vacated by John Turner, who became an appellate court judge. After the redistricting, which divided Logan County into two representative districts, Wright chose not to run in the November election for another term in the House. His term expires in January of 2003.

However, he said he will remain active in Republican politics because of the appointment as a deputy committeeman. He was asked to fill the position by State Central Committeewoman MaryAlice Erickson, Peoria.

[Joan Crabb]

[JAN. 3, 2003]  Three Lincoln businesses have been burglarized in the new year.

Lincoln police investigated burglaries at Bennett Communications and at Pinnacle Insurance and Financial Services, located in separate suites at 1411 N. Kickapoo St. At both businesses the doors were pried open. Bennett reported a $3,500 laptop computer stolen. Pinnacle had two two-way radios and chargers taken, along with currency. The break-in occurred overnight Jan 1-2.

Midwest Technical Institute reported a break-in that occurred sometime between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. Two Craftsman circular saws were taken. The burglars gained access via a broken window.

[Jan Youngquist]

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