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Calvin Giles new state representative for Chicago's southwest side Democrat Calvin L. Giles was sworn in to represent Illinois' 8th House District on Chicago's southwest side in mid-May. Giles, 30, was serving as administrative assistant to Chicago Alderman Percy Giles, his uncle, prior to being named to replace the late Rep. Robert LeFlore Jr. Giles said he is especially interested in issues related to health care, Public Aid, gang- and drug-related crime, public education and housing. "These are the issues that touch my district."

Giles also said he will "most definitely" run for the seat when it comes up for election.

Three new members and two incumbents were named to the State Board of Education by Gov. Jim Edgar, effective in early May, for terms that expire January 18,1999.

The new members are: Mark Gallagher, 38, of Wheaton, vice president-section head of First Chicago Capital Markets (he replaces David Juday); Harry Litchfield, 49, of Orion, manager of employee training and development for Deere & Company, former "teacher of the year" at St. Ambrose University, former chairman of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and active in the Boy Scouts of America (he replaces George "Bud" Thompson); and Jim Palos, 31, of Chicago, executive director of the Midtown Educational Foundation, vice chairman of the Chicago Committee on Hispanic Education and involved in many community and civic activities (he replaces Jesse Rios).

Reappointed to the board were Rick Catt, 40, of Oblong and Patricia Yuzawa-Rubin, 39, of Wilmette. He is president and chief executive officer of the First Robinson Savings & Loan. He has been active in economic development and other civic activities in his community. She is director of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago.

The board supervises the public school system from preschool through grade 12 and vocational education, as well as being responsible for educational policies and guidelines for both public and private schools, but of course the General Assembly always has the final say. Members of the board are paid $50 per diem plus expenses and must be confirmed by the Senate.

Arthur F. Quern of Evanston was reappointed by the governor to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), where he currently serves as chairman. The reappointment was effective May 4 for a term expiring January 31, 1999.

Quern, 50, is chairman and CEO of Rollins Hudig Hall Company and served early in the Thompson administration as the governor's chief of staff. Since he became IBHE chairman under the Edgar administration, Quern has spearheaded a drive for productivity and education quality among all the state-funded higher education institutions.

Quern's reappointment requires Senate confirmation. IBHE members are paid expenses only.

A new director has finally been named for the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC). The Illinois Supreme Court announced the appointment of Robert E. Davison of Springfield on May 17.

Chief Justice Benjamin K. Miller and the six justices of the Supreme Court supervise the largest unified court system in the world — Illinois' five appellate districts and 22 judicial circuits. The AOIC — with more than 100 staff members — assists in their administrative and supervisory duties.

Davison has served as assistant director of the AOIC's Court Services Division since May 1992. Before that he had served for 19 years in the Illinois State Appellate Defender's Office. Earlier he was assistant defender in the Illinois Defender Project and assistant attorney general in the Criminal Justice Division. He graduated from the St. Louis University Law School in 1967.

AOIC Deputy Director William M. Madden has been acting director since June 1991. Madden will remain as deputy director of the AOIC.

Gov. Edgar named Arabel Alva Rosales as his new executive assistant for urban and community affairs effective June 1. Rosales, 33, of Chicago has served as a liaison for the Edgar administration to the Hispanic community as well as advising Edgar on women's issues. For the last four years she has been a board member of the Chicago Council on Urban Affairs and is chair of the Midwest Women's Center. She is also on the board of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Board. Annual salary for her new position is $66,000.

Rosales' previous experience in state government includes hands-on direction of the downstate public transit funding for the Illinois Department of Transportation, and she has worked on literacy programs that promote English as a second language. She received her bachelor's degree from Mundelein College at Loyola University.

President Clinton nominated Frank Kruesi of Chicago as assistant secretary of transportation for transportation policy within the Department of Transportation, effective June 7. Kruesi has been the chief policy officer in the administration of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was an early and loyal Clinton supporter in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Kruesi has worked with Daley since 1977. He earned a bachelor's degree from Middlebury College and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

Kruesi's nomination requires Senate confirmation. A replacement for Kruesi in Mayor Daley's office had not been named by June 9.

Gov. Edgar appointed one new member and reappointed another to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which sets rates for public utilities, interstate motor carriers and rail, bus and barge transportation in the state.

Newly appointed to the commission effective June 4 was William Dickson, 66, of Chicago, a graduate of Notre Dame University and a former partner at Mayer, Brown & Platt law firm in Chicago, where he specialized in regulatory matters primarily related to aviation. He also served on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Reappointed to the commission effective May 4 was Ruth Kretschmer, 65, of Medinah, a graduate of DePaul University. She has served on the commission since 1983.

Commission members are paid $66,421 annually, and their appointments require Senate confirmation. Both Dickson's and Kretschmer's terms expire January 19, 1998.

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Gov. Edgar appointed three new members and reappointed two incumbents to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) effective May 20. The commission gives out state collegiate scholarships, grants and guaranteed student loans. Its members are paid only for expenses, and Senate confirmation is required for the governor's appointments.

Reappointed to terms expiring June 30, 1999, were William Hocter, 58, of Glencoe, executive vice president of the Illinois Bankers Association, and Lois Mazzuca, 52, of Wood Dale, college coordinator at Glenbrook North High School.

New members are: Brad Cole, 21, of Carbondale, student body president for 1992-93 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (replacing Bethany Baker for a new term expiring July 1, 1995); Richard Neumiller, 61, of Peoria, director of legislative and public affairs at Central Illinois Light Co. (replacing David Eisenman for a new term ending June 30, 1999); and Michael Neill, 33, of Carbondale, president and owner of MGN Investments Ltd. (replacing Allen Baker for a new term expiring June 30, 1997).

Gov. Edgar appointed two new members and reappointed two others to the Illinois Development Finance Authority effective May 20. The authority sets up financing for commercial, industrial and manufacturing in order to create or keep jobs in the state.

New members are Leon Davis, 59, of Chicago, superintendent of customer relations for Peoples Gas Light and Coke Co., and David Musgrave, 56, of Robinson, president and CEO of the First National Bank of Robinson and director of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce District 1 Board of Directors. Davis replaces Ken Solomon; Musgrave replaces Thomas Harrington.

Reappointed to the authority were Howard Kaplan, 51, of Highland Park, an attorney and certified public accountant with Howard Gordon Kaplan Ltd, and Michael Malone, 38, of Marion, secretary-treasurer for H&M Tire Co. Inc.

These appointments require Senate confirmation. The terms for all four end January 20, 1997. Authority members are paid only for expenses.

Gov. Edgar announced appointments to the newly created Quality Care Board, effective May 10. The board's mission is to assure treatment for those who are developmentally disabled or mentally ill. It was created by statute enacted last year. The governor's appointments require confirmation by the Senate. Members are paid only for expenses.

Appointed to terms ending September 18, 1994, were Rita Burke, 47, of Makanda, and John Gilligan, 55, of Groveland. She is a member of the Southern Illinois Council for Persons with Developmental Disabilities and the Illinois Advocates for the Developmentally Disabled. She also designed and put into motion Minnesota's and Wisconsin's state-approved special education programs. Gilligan is a clinical psychologist, president and CEO of Fayette Companies in Peoria. He directs 12 mental health centers and five drug treatment centers in central Illinois through the Fayette Companies.

Appointed to terms ending September 18, 1996, were Robert Reid, 64, of Chicago,

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and Thomas Tourlentes, 71, of Galesburg. Reid is nursing supervisor at the Illinois State Psychiatric Institute and currently serves on the Plus Projects Community Advisory Board at Saint Xavier College School of Nursing. Tourlentes is a retired psychiatrist and former zone director of the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Illinois' First Lady Brenda Edgar wants children to grow up healthy and safe, so on April 28 she launched a new program called "Help Me Grow," a campaign for children that will give parents and other guardians better access to information about existing preventive services for families and children.

"Help Me Grow" is a public/private partnership in conjunction with Ronald McDonald Children's Charities. It provides a central telephone number, 1-800-323-GROW, in operation Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., which anyone can call to receive information about any state funded or administrered program for children.

Rather than having to call several agencies in search of an answer, callers to the new toll-free number are to get answers no matter how complex their questions or problems. Cooperating in "Help Me Grow" are the Illinois Department on Aging and the departments of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Children and Family Services, Corrections, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Public Aid, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services, State Police, and Transportation, as well as the Office of the Governor and the State Board of Education.

By recording the number of calls, the specific problems and where each call is coming from "Help Me Grow" will be able to measure the effectiveness of the program, said Edgar. "This is to my knowledge, the first time this many state agencies have worked together on one project," Edgar said. "This gives us a good network and helps to cut down on duplicating programs, when all the programs are under one umbrella."

"Help Me Grow" focuses on seven specific areas: preventive health, parental and family involvement, prevention of child abuse, child safety issues, prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, intergenerational programs, and gang and violence prevention. Each area will be spotlighted in coordinated public awareness campaigns that include public service announcements on television and radio. The first area is child safety. According to Edgar, "The number one cause of injury or death to children is automobile crashes. By simply buckling a child into a safety seat or belt, 70 percent of these injuries or deaths could be prevented."

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secy. Donna Shalala named five Illinois health promotion projects and two individuals to receive HHS 1992 awards for outstanding community health promotion programs. Award ceremonies were held both in Springfield and Chicago in mid-May. As announced by Dr. John R. Lumpkin, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, the winners were:

Will-Grundy Medical Clinic of Joliet for establishing a clinic staffed by volunteer physicians, nurses and clerical workers for area residents who lack access to adequate medical care.

Comprehensive Perinatal Care Program, Rockford, sponsored by Crusader Central Clinic Association, for providing health services ranging from obstetrical care, to parenting education to nutrition for women and their newborns.

Jackson County "Wellness Weeks," Jackson County Health Department, for its annual presentations on five health/wellness topics to more than 1,000 elementary school children during one week in April.

HIV Community Prevention Project, Cook County Department of Public Health, for conducting a series of HIV/AIDS prevention workshops for Hispanic families.

Cervical Cancer Control and Demonstration Project, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health, for developing a computerized patient registry/tracking system and bilingual cervical cancer educational materials for West Town Clinic, Chicago.

Dr. Jack Bailen of Bloomington received the Community Leadership Award for his efforts to provide basic medical care for needy children in his community.

Dr. Jerome "Jerry" Klobutcher of Park Ridge received a letter of recognition for community leadership for his volunteer services at the Rolling Meadows Prenatal Clinic.

Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra announced the formation of the Illinois RiverWatch Network Steering Committee on April 20. The network is a two-year statewide project of volunteers who will protect, monitor and restore local rivers and streams in Illinois.

The RiverWatch Network supports pro-

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grams that educate and inform citizens about water quality issues and the restoration of streams and rivers. The project hopes to meet several U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) objectives, including: enhancing the environmental teaching skills in Illinois schools; creating partnerships throughout the state so that a network of environmental volunteers is set up; developing an environmental education practice by combining the best elements of existing programs in the state; building state government's capacity to develop and deliver environmental education programs.

The network will be managed by a coordinator who will recruit and train two facilitators from each of the 14 river basins. These volunteers will be responsible for recruiting, training and organizing educators and group leaders at the watershed and subwatershed level. The coordinator and the steering committee will periodically assess the program status, accomplishments, problems and future directions of the program.

Members of the new RiverWatch steering committee, which is chaired by Lt. Gov. Kustra, from education include: Bob Arnet, biology and environmental teacher, Larkin High School, Elgin; Don Englert of Woodstock, McHenry County assistant regional superintendent of schools; Robert Frazee, extension educator, Natural Resources Management Cooperative Service, University of Illinois; Robert and Sonia Vogl, both associate professors of outdoor teacher education, Lorado Taft Field Campus, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.

Members from the governor's cabinet include: Becky Doyle, director of the Department of Agriculture; Mary Gade, director of the Environmental Protection Agency; Brent Manning, director of the Department of Conservation; and Jack Moore, director of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources.

Other members from Illinois include state Rep. Douglas L. Hoeft (R-66, Elgin) plus Charles Heffner, retired vice chairman, R.R. Donnelley and Sons Inc., Chicago; Laurene von Klan, executive director, Friends of the Chicago River; Dale Luecht, U.S. EPA, Chicago; Brook McDonald, chair, West Branch DuPage River Project, Wheaton; Joan O'Shaughnessy, program coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council, Chicago; Mike Platt, executive director, Heartland Water Resources Council, Peoria; Albert Pyott, state director, Illinois Chapter, Nature Conservancy, Chicago; Patrick Reese, executive director, Friends of the Fox River, Elgin; Don Roseboom, scientist. State Water Survey Division, Department of Energy and Natural Resource, Peoria; Darell Sarff, board director, Illinois Farm Bureau, Chandlerville; Virginia Scott, executive director, Illinois Environmental Council, Springfield; Benjamin Tuggle, field supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Barrington; Charles Whitmore, state conservationist, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, Champaign; and Robert Williams, director, Illinois Rivers Project, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Out-of-state members are Pat Ralston, director, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indianapolis, and Al Strenstrup, education outreach coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison.

For more information on how to participate in the Illinois RiverWatch Network, contact Dan Sprehe at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, James R. Thompson Building, 100 W. Randolph St., Suite 15-200, Chicago, Illinois 60601.

The Illinois Arts Council presented its 1993 Literary Awards on May 17 for fiction, nonfiction and poetry as well as the third annual Daniel Curley award for recent Illinois short fiction. Awards of $1,000 each were given to the writer and the publication in which the work was published.

The Curley award went to Katy Pena of Northfield for her fiction writing, "Working on Louise Baer's Hair" (Ascent, v. 15, no. 3). Other awards for fiction went to April Nauman of Chicago for "Degrees of Chronic Sorrow" (Other Voices, no. 17) and Viki Davis (Roselinde Schubert) of Palatine for "In the Land of Milk and Honey" (Whetstone, v. 8).

The winners in the poetry category were Michael Madonick of Urbana for "Upon Discovering the Means by Which the Waters Flow" (Ascent, v. 16, no. 2), Elizabeth Alexander of Chicago for "Apollo" (Poetry, April 1992), Lisel Mueller of Lake Forest for "Immortality" (Poetry, November 1992) and Mary Kinzie of Evanston for "Sound Waves" (TriQuarterly, no. 81).

The winners in the creative nonfiction category were James Ballowe of Toulon for "Kerker Quinn's Direction" (Illinois Writers Review, v. 10, no. 1), David Wojahn of Chicago for "Must the Show Go On — Teaching Imagism's Dubious Legacy" (Illinois Writers Review v. 10, no 1) and Lucia Maria Perillo of Carbondale for "The God Thing" (Poetry East v. 34).

The Illinois Arts Council is a state agency, providing grants and technical assistance to individual community arts agencies, individual creative artists and not-for-profit organizations that deal with the arts. Winners were determined by a select group of jurors.

James Pollock with contributions from Jennifer Halperin and F. Mark Siebert

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