State Reports                                                                                

Items listed under "State Documents" have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available. For items listed under "Other Reports," write to the publisher as noted.

• Starting a Business in Illinois, Department of Commerce and Business Affairs, 620 E. Adams, Springfield 62701 (October 1992), 27pp.
Small companies comprise 97 percent of all businesses in this state. The information in this guide is directed especially to people interested in starting such a venture. It is divided into three sections. The first, "Setting up the Business," covers a wide variety of topics, including how to register a business, franchise disclosure, licenses and permits, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, and taxes. The second chapter is entitled "Financial Considerations in Starting a Business" and the third, "Business Operations," discusses location, security alarms, credit card services, and patents, trademarks and copyrights.

• Greenway, Openlands Project, 220 S. State, Suite 1880, Chicago 60604-2103.
The Openlands Project is dedicated to preserving and enhancing open spaces in northeastern Illinois. As part of that mission, it hopes to create a 1,000-mile network of greenways and trails across that region. This new quarterly newsletter will provide information on existing and proposed greenways, as well as on the people and issues involved. It is free.

• Inside DuPage County, DuPage Intergovernmental Task Force, 28 Sterling Circle, Apt. 302, Wheaton 60187 (September 1992), 34pp.
In 1988 DuPage elected officials issued a challenge to the DuPage Intergovernmental Task Force to assess the function and delivery of governmental services by county, township, municipal and special service governments and to recommend how these services could be provided in the most cost-effective, efficient and responsive manner. This summary report of that four-year effort offers background information and a number of recommendations for each of seven service functions: fire protection, police protection, libraries, sanitary wastewater services, human services, streets and roads, and parks and recreation; it also covers special districts and unincorporated areas.

• Public School Endowment Funds: Starting, Developing, and Profiting, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University, 518 Stipes Hall, Macomb 61455 (November 1992), 24pp.
In response to the increasingly difficult financial situation that many public school districts find themselves in, groups of private citizens throughout this state are organizing fundraising efforts. While such groups take many forms and have a variety of education-related purposes, all face a number of similar organizational, legal and financial issues. This brief booklet should serve as a useful guide to anyone thinking of embarking on such an effort — and in the long run may save time, certain frustrations and even money. It starts with a section on setting up an endowment fund and concludes with a discussion of the disbursal of funds. Along the way it covers fundraising principles and includes sample by-laws as well as a partial list of foundations in Illinois.

• Resources to Fix Schools, Chicago Urban League, 4510 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60653 (September 1992), 12pp.
In the ongoing argument about funding for public education, school officials plead for more dollars while nationally recognized experts counter that more dollars do not necessarily produce better-educated youngsters. This report focuses on research in four key areas where money has clearly made a difference: establishing classroom sizes to meet the individual needs of students; enriching course work, programs and technology available to students; attracting and retaining the most talented individuals to teaching; and financing fixed costs.

• Research Highlights: 1992-93, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave., Argonne 60439 (Fall 1992), 56pp.
Argonne has long made an effort to communicate with the lay public about what goes on in its research laboratories. As in the past, this annual report shows how successful such an effort can be. While it deals with cutting-edge topics — like medical diagnostic techniques, integral fast reactor fuel and the inclined crystal monochromator — the text is lucidly written (without "talking down" to the reader) and contains numerous photographs, tables and figures (but, fortunately, no cute drawings or cartoons). This is serious science for the serious nonscientist.

• The Recyclable Aluminum Can: Economics and Environmental Perspectives, ALCOA, 1100 Riverview Tower, 900 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902.
While this and other publications by ALCOA on the recycling of aluminum products are not directed specifically at an Illinois audience, they should be of sufficient interest as Illinois local officials grapple with recycling to warrant at least a mention in this column.

Anna J. Merritt

March 1993/Illinois Issues/39