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New panel appointed to select site for low-level nuclear waste facility

The Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety is out of the business of siting a low-level nuclear waste disposal facility and has been replaced by the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Disposal Siting Commission. Charges that the department had overlooked technical problems with the prime site in Martinsville had called into question the state's siting process. Lawmakers investigated and in a move spearheaded by Sen. Jerome J. Joyce (D-43, Reddick) passed H.B. 3325 (Public Act 86-1050) to strip the selection authority from the department and give it to the independent three-member panel.

On June 29 Gov. James R. Thompson appointed the commission members. Heading the group is retired Supreme Court Justice Seymour Simon. Other members include William Hall of Champaign, head of the civil engineering department at the University of Illinois, and Carolyn Raffensperger of Forest Park, the state field representative for the Sierra Club. The Senate confirmed the appointees.

Illinois is mandated by federal law to have alow-level nuclear waste facility in operation by January 1, 1993. (For a more detailed discussion of the federal law and its impact in Illinois, see "Low-level radioactive waste: States search for disposal sites," in the April magazine, pp. 20-22.)

Cunningham succeeds Conti in courts office

The Illinois Supreme Court announced in late June that former Supreme Court Justice Joseph F. Cunningham would become director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts on July 15. Cunningham's appointment followed the June 28 resignation of Samuel D. Conti, who had held the post since September 1987. Conti was reportedly at odds with the justices on a number of issues, including extensive out-of-state travel, his administrative style and his handling of a recent report by Illinois' auditor general.

Cunningham, of Fairview Heights, served on the high court from September 1987 to December 1988, filling the vacancy created by Justice Joseph H. Goldenhersh's retirement. Cunningham began his career on the bench in 1965 when he was appointed a magistrate (a position that was changed to associate judge in 1971). Cunningham was appointed a circuit judge in the 20th circuit in 1972, was elected to that post in 1974 and was retained in 1980 and 1986. Cunningham served as chief circuit judge from 1975-84 and again in 1987. He served as chairman of the Conference of Chief Judges from 1979-81 and was a member of the Illinois Judicial Conference from 1982 until he stepped down from the Supreme Court.

As director, Cunningham and his staff assist the high court's chief justice in administering the state's five appellate districts and its 22 judicial circuits. He will be paid $87,780 annually.

Poshard gets top spot at Veterans Affairs

Gov. Thompson appointed Robert Poshard to serve the state's 1.3 million veterans as director of the Department of Veterans Affairs on June 15. Poshard took over for acting director David Knox, who held the post since the resignation of John Johnston last March.

Poshard was most recently veterans coordinator for the Secretary of State's Office. From 1986-89 he served as senior army adviser to the adjutant general in the Illinois Department of Military Affairs. He was inspector general for the Kentucky Army National Guard from 1983-86 and, from 1978-83, was a professor of military science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Poshard served in the U.S. Army from 1962-78.

Poshard's appointment requires Senate confirmation. His annual salary is $53,217.

Hazardous waste center leaves Savoy

The Illinois Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center (HWRIC), formerly located in Savoy, has new quarters. The center, which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, is now located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the new Hazardous Materials Laboratory. The building's dedication was part of UI's Earth Day celebration in April.

The new lab houses the country's most sophisticated equipment for making technological and toxicological assessments of hazardous wastes and is sure to enhance the center's research capabilities. Besides research, the HWRIC also heads up four other programs: grant funding, industrial/technical assistance (nonregulatory support for hazardous waste generators), data management and public information.

The new Hazardous Materials Laboratory is located at # 1 East Hazelwood Dr. in Champaign (61820); the telephone number remains the same — (217) 333-8940.

Boards and commissions

Gov. Thompson announced a series of appointments and reappointments to various Illinois boards and commissioas in April and May. Unless otherwise noted, the appointments were effective immediately, require Senate confirmation and pay expenses only.

•  State Banking Board: Reappointed to terms ending December 31, 1994, were Willard Bunn of Springfield, president of Marine Bank; Walter Fackler of Chicago, professor of economics at the University of Chicago; Gerald Fitzgerald of Inverness, chairman of Suburban Bank of Westbrook and president of Suburban Bancorp of Palatine; and William Gooch of Elmhurst, president of York State Bank & Trust Company. The 14-member board advises the commissioner of banks and trust companies on rules and regulations governing the banking industry in Illinois.

•  Department of Commerce and Community Affairs Advisory Council (or Illinois Economic Board): In May, John P. Frazee Jr. of St. Charles, chairman and chief executive officer of Centel Corporation, was appointed board chairman. Frazee is also a board member of Nalco Chemical Company. Dean Foods Company, Midway Airlines, Harris Bankcorp and Harris Bank.

Legislation enacted last September expanded the board to 18 members. Appointed in April were Vicki Bernthal of Danville, president of the Danville Area Economic Development Corporation; Jorge Boada of Bolingbrook, president of the Land Development Management Corporation in Aurora; Robert Christie of Wheaton, public affairs director for FMC Corporation; Don DePorter of Chicago, regional vice president of the Hyatt Hotel Corporation; Donald Haider of Chicago, a professor of management at Northwestern University; Steven Lesnik of Winnetka, chief executive officer of the Kemper Lesnik Organization; Mayor Rolland Lewis of Mount Vernon; Charles Marshall of Chicago, retired vice chairman of AT&T; James Mentesti of Quincy, executive director of the Great River Economic Development Foundation; Tod Miles of Chicago, an attorney and partner in Coffield, Ungratte, Harris & Slavin; Mary Ann Millush of Aurora, assistant vice president of public relations for Northern Illinois Gas Company; John Morris Jr. of Robinson, board chairman of Bay-Mor Investment Inc.; and former state Rep. Sam Panayotovich (1983-89) of Chicago.

Reappointed were James Anderson of Springfield, government relations director for Illinois Bell Telephone Company; William Brogan of Oak Lawn, chairman of the State Labor Relations Board; David Coolidge of

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Kenilworth, an attorney and partner in William Blair & Company; and Ron Thompson of St. Louis, president of General Railroad Equipment & Services in East St. Louis.

All appointments and reappointments expire January 14, 1991, except Bernthal's. Boada's and Mentesti's, which expire January 13, 1992. Senate confirmation is not required. The council advises DCCA's director.

•  Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Board: Reappointcd were Raymond DeFilippo of Bloomington, director of group and health insurance for the Country Life Insurance Company, and Deborah Oughton of Brookfield, vice president of the Illinois Head Injury Association, to terms expiring July 1, 1992. The 15-member board operates the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, which is available to any eligible citizen previously rejected by another company for health reasons.

•  Energy Assistance Advisory Committee: Nine members were appointed to this new committee, created last year when the Energy Assistance Act was signed into law: Roberta Bennett, of Makanda, statewide coordinator of the Affordable Budget Coalition; William Burkhart Jr. of Glenview, customer service system superintendent for Commonwealth Edison; Dwight Lucas of Danville, executive director of the East Central Illinois Community Action Program; Patricia McCabe of Aurora, chief executive officer and executive director of Geneva's Community Contacts Inc.; Fabio A. Naranjo of Chicago, a policy specialist with United Charities; Michael Reeves of Chicago, executive vice president of Peoples Gas, Light & Coke Company; Irma Routen of Chicago, energy coordinator for Action Coalition of Englewood; Margo Schreiber of Carol Stream, and administrator with the DuPage County Department of Human Services; and James Swift of Decatur, a manager with Illinois Power Company.

The committee is chaired by the director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs and is responsible for monitoring all state energy assistance programs. Also mandated to serve as members arc the director of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, director of the Department of Public Aid and chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission. All terms expire January 31, 1992, and do not require Senate confirmation.

•  Historic Preservation Agency Board of Trustees: Marc Schulman of Chicago, president of Eli's Chicago's Finest Inc., was reappointed to a term ending January 21, 1991. The five-member board determines policy for the agency, which is responsible for the acquisition, development and maintenance of historical properties in the state.

•  Illinois Job Training Coordinating Council: Reappointed to the 45-member board were Jospeh R. Angleton of Pinckneyville. secretary-treasurer of District 12 of the United Mine Workers of America; Glenda Arnett of Godfrey, business representative for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union; Shirley Brussell of Chicago, executive director of Operation ABLE; Wesley Dale Broadway of Metropolis, executive director of the Private Industry Council Inc.; Kristine W. Coryell of Flossmoor. administrator of Illinois Prairie State 2000 Authority; Pamela Schwartz of Olney, director of women's programs at Olney Central College; and Jan Staggs of Springfield, executive director of the Illinois Occupational Information Coordinating Committee. The new terms expire July 1, 1992. The council advises the governor, General Assembly and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs about promoting employment and training programs at the state level. It also reviews training programs to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

•  Medical Licensing Board: Three members were reappointed to terms ending January 8, 1994: Lawrence L. Hirsch of Northbrook, professor and chairman of the department of family medicine at Chicago Medical School; John Holland of Springfield, a physician at St. John's Hospital in Springfield; and Larry Patton of Morton, an osteopathic physician at Morton's Jefferson Street Clinic. The seven-member board advises the Department of Professional Regulation about rules governing the licensure and regulation of physicians in Illinois.

•  State Mining Board: Reappointed to the six-member board was John B. Henry of Lewistown, retired executive board member of the United Mine Workers of America, District 12. He will serve until January 1991. Members, who receive $7,500 annually, advise the Department of Mines and Minerals concerning mining policy, regulation and safety.

•  Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission: Newly appointed was Alan Cornue of Woodstock, a certified public accountant, replacing Robert G. Giesel. Reappointcd were Donna Schiller of Barrington, executive director of the Illinois Legislative Project, and Edgar Vanneman of Evanston, general attorney and assistant secretary for the Brunswick Corporation. All terms expire October 1, 1993, and do not require Senate confirmation. The 30-membcr commission, in conjunction with the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, is responsible for the development of urban areas in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will and in the Indiana counties of Lake, LaPorte and Porter.

•  Prisoner Review Board: William Harris of Marion, a community planner with the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), replaced Sal Pisano. Harris, who has taken a leave of absence from his DCCA post, will serve until January 21, 1991. The annual salary is $45,150. The 12-member board reviews the parole cases of eligible prisoners and determines conditions of parole.

•  Public Administrator/Public Guardian: In Johnson County, William Elliot of Vienna, vice president of Drovers State Bank in Vienna; and in Knox County, David McDonald of Galesburg, an attorney with Lucas, Brown & McDonald in Galesburg, were reappointed to terms expiring December 7, 1992, and December 6, 1993, respectively. A public administrator/guardian/conscrvator handles the real or personal estates of deceased persons without an executor until one can be found and oversees the estate and welfare of any disabled adult in need of a guardian.

•  Quad-Cities Regional Economic Development Authority: Newly appointed were Ken Schloemer of Moline, owner of Harold's on the Rock, and Eugene Suarez of East Moline, federal tax manager for Deere & Company. The terms expire January 18, 1993. The seven-member authority helps promote employment and business opportunities in the Quad-Cities region.

The Judiciary

The Illinois Supreme Court recently announced the following appointments, assignments, retirements and resignations: 3rd District Appellate Court

•  Assigned to duty: Circuit Judge John A. Gorman of Peoria (10th Judicial Circuit), effective April 24th.

Cook County Circuit

•   Assignments extended; Retired circuit Judges Morton C. Elden, Hyman Feldman, Philip A. Fleischman. Martin G. Luken, John A. McElligott, Benjamin J. Nelson, Margaret G. O'Malley, Edward E. Plusdrak, Richard L. Samuels, Arthur A, Sullivan, Alfred B. Teton, Raymond E, Trafelet, Eugene L. Wachowski and Louis A, Wexler will continue their judicial service until January 1, 1991.

•   Retiring: Circuit Judge Albert S. Porter of Chicago has withdrawn his declaration to be retained on the November ballot and will step down from the bench on December 3. 1990. He has been a judicial officer since 1970. 1st Judicial Circuit

•   Resigning: Circuit Judge Richard E. Richman of Murphysboro, effective October 1. He has been a judge since 1971.

7th Judicial Circuit

•   Resigned: Associate Judge Philip E. Schickedanz of Springfield, effective May 7. He had been a judicial officer since 1984. 10th Judicial Circuit

•  Retired and subsequently assigned to duty: Associate Judge William H. Young of Peoria, resigned, effective June 1, 1990. Young, a judicial officer since 1972, was immediately assigned to judicial duty until December 1, 1992.

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15th Judicial Circuit

•  Resigned: Associate Judge Alan W. Cargerman of Oregon, effective July 31. A judicial officer since 1972, Cargerman was an active member of the Illinois Judicial Conference's Associate Judge Seminar and its coordinating committee.

19th Judicial Circuit

•  Appointed as associate judge by circuit judges: Victoria A. Rossetti of Lake Forest, formerly Lake County assistant state's attorney.

New partnership forged between education and business

In an attempt to better serve their communities and to expand their ties to business, four Chicago area community colleges and the University of Illinois at Chicago have formed the Illinois Partnership for Business Development. The participating community colleges include City Colleges of Chicago, College of Lake County, College of DuPage and Moraine Valley Community College.

The only program of its kind in the state, the partnership provides low-cost research and development assistance and free exporting and marketing advice to small firms unable to afford such assistance. The arrangement helps not only these small businesses, but also the participating institutions. The university will be able to offer its faculty and graduate students more applied research opportunities, and community colleges will be able to expand their ties to the business community.

Much of the technical and business consulting is through the university's Technology Commercialization Center. This center, one of 13 around the state, helps transmit new technology developed at universities to private industry.

The partnership is supported by a $175,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Continued funding will come from fees collected for the partnership's various services.

State Board of Education seeks business community input

State Supt. of Education Robert Leininger announced in April the creation of an Advisory Council on Business/Education Partnerships to assist the state Board of Education in more carefully tailoring its educational efforts to the needs of the business community.

The council is comprised of individuals from agriculture, banking, citizens groups, commerce, education, insurance, labor, manufacturing, real estate and utilities. Its goals are to define and promote business education partnerships, to communicate with the business community about its educational needs and to advise the state board on ways to improve the content, organization and financing of public education.

Members include Roberto Armendariz, director, regional distributional engineering, Newark Corporation, Chicago; Ed Bales, director of education external systems, Motorola Inc., Schaumburg; Ed Bartels, division vice president, Commonwealth Edison, Joliet; Donald G. Klisares, manager, human resources development, Caterpillar Inc., Peoria; Ralph Korte, Korte Construction, Highland; Gwen LaRoche, Chicago Urban League; Lee Betterman, president. Illinois Education Association, Springfield; Joyce E. Bryant, vice president, Household International, Prospect Heights; Casey Cowell, president and chief executive officer, U.S. Robotics, Skokie; Barnard Ferreri, associate vice chancellor, program planning and development, City Colleges of Chicago; Sue Hamer, president, Hamer Holding Group, Naperville; John R. Hunter, vice president and chief financial officer, A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company. Decatur; Craig Pillatsch, Illinois Association of School Boards, Carterville; Raymond Poe, farmer/ businessman, Springfield; and Randy Raynolds, John B. Clark Realtors, Springfield.

Other members are Mike Skarr, south division vice president, Northern Illinois Gas, Joliet; Earl Lazerson, president, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; Barry L. MacLean, president, MacLean-Fogg Co., Mundelein; Leonard Marshall, president, Jefferson Bank, Peoria; Jean McGrew, superintendent, Northfield Township High School District 225, Glenview: Charles Morris, president and publisher, The Commerical News, Danville; Ed Noha, chairman and chief executive officer, CNA Insurance Companies, Chicago; Ernesto Ojeda, president and chief executive officer, Midan Inc., Chicago; Richard J. Walsh, president, Illinois State AFL-CIO, Springfield; Craig Whitlock, superintendent, United High School District 30, East Moline; Larry Williford, senior vice president, corporate relations, Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook; and Jackie Vaughn, president, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Oak Brook.

Weisbrod new director of Northwestern's Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research

Burton A. Weisbrod, Evjue-Bascom Professor of Economics and director of the Center for Health Economics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, took over July 1 as director of Northwestern University's Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research. He replaced Margaret T. Gordon, who is now dean of the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Wiesbrod, the center's fourth director in its 20-year history, has concentrated his research efforts in the areas of health economics and the comparative behavior of for-profit governmental and nonprofit private organizations. His most recent book, The Nonprofit Economy, was published in 1988 by Harvard University Press.

No stranger to Northwestern, Weisbrod earned his masters and doctoral degrees there during the 1950s. With the University of Wisconsin for more than 25 years, he founded that school's Center for Health Economics and Law in 1983. Prior to joining the Wisconsin faculty in 1964, Weisbrod served as a senior staff member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers.

Argonne, teachers join forces to promote science

Chicago-area school children have the opportunity to improve their science literacy via a new program initiated by Argonnc National Laboratory. The Argonne Community of Teachers (ACT) program is a joint effort of the Midwest's largest government research laboratory and 14 junior and senior high school science teachers from the Chicago area. The group's leader is Lou Harnisch of Chicago's Luther High School South.

In response to a survey of Illinois science teachers, the group is developing and planning simple, inexpensive experiments and in-class demonstrations that teachers can use during class sessions in biology, physics, chemistry and environmental science. ACT plans to conduct workshops for science teachers, the first of which was held in late April and attracted about 80 teachers.

Funding currently comes from Argonne's educational programs division. Argonne is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and operated by the University of Chicago.

Bast and Padden head Heartland Institute

The board of directors of the Chicago-based Heartland Institute elected top officers in mid-May. Joseph L. Bast, executive director since its founding in 1984, is the institute's newpresident and chief executive officer. David H. Padden, cofounder and president and chief executive officer since its beginning, is chairman. Padden is a Chicago municipal bonds dealer.

The Heartland Institute is a nonprofit, non

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partisan center for state and local public policy research. It solicits research from academics and public policy experts and then distributes it to legislators and media in the Midwest. The institute currently has offices in Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee. It plans to open two more later this year — one in Missouri and one in Ohio.

New directors, general manager at IMEA

New general manager of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) is Frank Madonia of Springfield. He was selected for the post by the board of directors at its March 22 meeting and began his duties April 1. Madonia had been Springfield's utilities chief and an IMEA board member since 1985. He replaced Gary Zimmerman, who had held the post since its creation in 1984. Zimmerman is now general manager of the Michigan Public Power Agency and executive vice president of the Michigan Municipal Electric Association.

The IMEA, a nonprofit agency that plans for the electric energy needs of its 29 member communities and lobbies on issues that affect the industry, also announced three new board members: Henry Gill of Flora, a management consultant to the city for the past two years and a former manager of the Clay County Rural Electric Cooperative; Ken Hardesty of Farmer City, a city employee since 1976 and most recently its power plant supervisor; and Katy Podagrosi, mayor of Rantoul and former executive director of the Rantoul Armed Services YMCA. Board members are appointed by the mayors of the participating municipalities with the approval of the city councils. Terms are at the discretion of each mayor.

Argonne's Schriesheim on U.S.-Soviet scientific group

Alan Schriesheim, director of Argonne National Laboratory since 1984, was appointed in May to serve on a joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. commission that will support cooperative scientific-research between the two countries. He was named to the post by President Bush's science adviser, Allan Bromley.

The commission will meet annually, alternating between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. During its first meeting in April in Washington, D.C., the commission agreed on areas of research: geoscience, engineering, life sciences, chemistry, mathematics, theoretical physics and environmental and science policy. The group's recommendations are to be presented to the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy and to the Soviet's State Committee for Science and Technology.

Before being appointed director, Schriesheim was Argonne's senior deputy director and chief operating officer. He came to the federal research facility from Exxon, where he was general manager of the engineering and technology department (1979-83). He is currently a member of both the National Committee on Superconductivity and the Congressional Advisory Committee on Science and Technology.

Other appointments

•  Michael Murphy is Lt. Gov. George H. Ryan's new press secretary. A journalist for 18 years, Murphy most recently covered local, state and national campaigns for The State Journal-Register in Springfield. He has also written for the Urbana Courier, the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette and the American Quotations/Commodities News Service. Murphy began his new duties May 1 and will be paid $55,000 annually. He replaced Kay Schultz, who now presides over all substance abuse programs run by the lieutenant governor's Chicago office.

•  Morton E. Friedman is the Illinois Gaming Board's new administrator, effective May 16. Friedman was previously deputy director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. In his new post, he will coordinate activities for the five-member board, handle applications from licensees and help develop rules and regulations for riverboat gambling. A graduate of the University of Illinois and the John Marshall Law School, Friedman formerly served as assistant attorney general, assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the criminal division for the Cook County state's attorney.

•   Public health director Bernard Turnock tapped Pamela Locklin to be the agency's chief media spokesperson in Chicago in mid-May. Locklin comes to the Department of Public Health after three years as a senior account executive for Jasculca/Terman & Associates, a Chicago public relations firm, where she worked on the department's statewide AIDS public education campaign. Locklin, who will be paid $33,000 annually, takes over for Penny Strong, who moved to the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilites.

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• Attorney Glen Bower of Effingham was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 5 as the new chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). He was nominated for the post by President Bush. Prior to the appointment, he had been assistant director of the Department of Revenue since 1983. had served as member (1985-86) and chairman (1986-87) of the Revenue Board of Appeals, had been a state representative (R-54, Effingham, 1979-83) and had served three years (1976-79) as Effingham County state's attorney.

The federal RRB, headquartered in Chicago, administers the benefit programs provided under the Federal Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance acts.

Replacing Bower as assistant director at the Department of Revenue was Robert Steere of Rochester. Steere, who is also temporary counsel and secretary for the Illinois Gaming Board, had been the revenue agency's chief counsel since 1989. Prior to that he served as general counsel for the governor's Bureau of the Budget and as counsel to the governor.

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Richard J. Walsh, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the United Way of Illinois (UWI) during the board's April meeting. Walsh has been active in the labor movement since 1975. A former legislative liaison for the Illinois Department of Labor, Walsh has been with the AFL-CIO since 1978 and has served as its president since 1989. The 40-membcr UWI board addresses


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issues affecting human services in Illinois. In 1989. United Way chapters in Illinois raised nearly $150 million.

•  Anthony M. Mandolini, treasurer and chief financial officer of the Chicago Transit Authority, was appointed to a two-year term as a member of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), effective June 1. Mandolini previously spent 35 years with KPMG Peat Marwick, where he directed the firm's national and Illinois government services practice. He is a past chairman of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and a former president of the Illinois CPA Society. The GASB, administered by the Financial Accounting Foundation and the Financial Accounting Standards Board, establishes standards of accounting and reporting for state and local governmental entities.

Thrifty suggestions net cash for state employees

The Slate Employees Suggestion Award Board handed out cash awards to three employees in April for their advice and ideas on $60,000 worth of money-saving procedures. Winners are:

•  Albert Lundgren. A civil service employee of the psychology department at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Lundgren received $500 for his idea to acquire office furniture and electronic equipment through an AT&T program that donates office equipment to nonprofit organizations. NIU received "several truckloads" of office furniture and research grade electronic testing equipment valued at $12,000.

•  Carl Morris. This Department of Revenue worker in Springfield received $500 for his idea to expand the way computer entries are made to allow for the faster processing of sales tax data. Revenue Director Roger Sweet estimated an annual savings of $6,000.

•  Barbara Pickens. A Department of Public Aid employee in Chicago, Pickens received $1,000 for suggesting a better way to ensure that people eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits apply for those benefits before applying for Aid to Financially Dependent Children (AFDC) grants. Many people who apply for UI benefits will be able to forego AFDC funds. Director Kathleen Kustra predicts that the agency will save $41,000 annually.

The State Employees Suggest Award Board has given 81 cash awards totalling $22,200 since its inception in 1986 and has adopted 40 suggestions other than the ones given awards. Cash awards range from $25 to $5,000 and are given out according to the level of savings generated.

Governor's awards for corporate recycling to seven winners

The third annual Governor's Corporate Recycling Awards yielded seven winning companies out of 26 applicants. Recognized by Gov. Thompson and the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) during ceremonies in May at the State of Illinois Center in Chicago, these companies' efforts represent practical ways to divert waste from landfills, increase efficiency and help stimulate markets for recycled materials.

Awards were given in three categories: solid waste reduction, recycled product manufacture and recycled product procurement.

Winners in the solid waste reduction category:

•   Hyatt Regency Chicago. The hotel established an on-site recycling center with the long-term goal of recycling 100 percent of its reclaimable materials within five years. It is currently recovering 25 percent, which has resulted in a 25 percent per month savings in disposal costs.

•  Marion Memorial Hopsital. The hospital

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has begun collecting ils recyclables, including plastics and used clothing. It has also begun a composting operation.

•  McHenry County schools. The county's 48 elementary and secondary schools kicked off a recycling program in September 1989. Since then, the schools have collected more than 40,000 pounds of recyclable materials. Many of the schools have also switched to copying on both sides of paper.

•   State Farm Insurance Company. The Bloomington-based company diverted more than 600 tons of office paper and 115 tons of corrugated cardboard in 1989. The company has also switched to permanent food service-ware in place of disposables and to recycled paper. In 1989, State Farm saved more than $13,500 in disposal fees and earned twice that amount from the sale of its recyclables. The company is expanding these efforts to its regional offices.

Winner in the recycled product manufacturer category:

•   Lakin General Corporation. This Chicago company recycles more than 1 million scrap tires annually. Some are made into diecut parts for the agricultural and material handling industries. Others are put back into service as retreaded or remanufactured tires.

Winners in the recycled product procurement category:

•  Jewel Food Stores. Headquartered in Melrose Park. Jewel has been recycling corrugated material for the past 25 years and in recent years has sought to encourage markets for recyclable materials. Jewel was the first major retailer in the Chicago area to switch from polystyrene foam to molded fiber egg cartons. Since May 1, 1986, 4,670 tons of paper have been diverted from landfill disposal to produce paper fiber to supply Jewel with more than 90 million egg cartons. The grocery chain also uses recycled paper for the packaging of Jewel brand products.

•  Chicago Park District. The district has developed and funded a program that encourages Chicago residents to collect plastic beverage containers and to take them to drop-off locations at the parks. The plastic is then marketed to a recylced plastic processor that turns it into wood-like timbers used by the park district to rehabilitate park playlots. Approximately 300,000 plastic containers are used in the production of timbers for each playlot.

Historical society honors excellence

The Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) presented awards honoring excellence in preservation of state and local history at its annual meeting in Peoria in April. In May in Springfield, the ISHS and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's 28th Annual History Expo honored teachers and the student winners of regional history fairs.

ISHS's highest honor for superior achievement, the Friend of History, went to two individuals: Lucille Sampson, archivist-librarian at Rock Island County Historical Society, for her work over the last 20 years to move the County Historical Society to a better facility; and retired USAF Lt. Col. Mary L. Storm of Sullivan for her work as leader of the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society and as an ISHS board member and officer.

Other superior achievement awards went to James R. Grossman of the University of Chicago for his book, Land of Hope: Chicago, Black Southerners, and the Great Migration. William and Doris Miller of Riverside were honored for their work in restoring the John C. Dore Esq. Cottage in Riverside.

Top teacher and student honorees included Vincent F. Torigian, a history teacher at Belleville Township High School West, who won the Olive S. Foster Award ($1,000 cash and a plaque) for his outstanding contribution to the study and teaching of state and local

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history; Carbondale Community High School student Anand Palagiri, who won the Orndorff Award ($1,500 scholarship and a plaque) for the essay "Lincoln's Treatment by the Press: Presentation. Persecution, or Prosecution?"; and Carolyn Lyn Wilson of Melvin-Sibley Junior-Senior High School, who received the Senior Service Award ($500 scholarship) for her work with the preservation agency's educational program.

Also honored during the expo were 19 junior and senior high schools for their distinguished records of achievement in the IHPA educational program and 26 student historians for articles that appeared in Illinois History during the 1989-90 school year.

The ISHS is a private, nonprofit organization that supports the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in preserving, interpreting and disseminating Illinois history.

Unique achievements recognized during Older Americans Month

There are approximately 1.2 million Illinoisans over age 65 (roughly 11 percent of the Illinois' population). This year 13 individuals and organizations were recognized in May during Older Americans Month. They received the 1990 Governor's Awards for Unique Achievement for their participation in intergenerational programs. Award winners, nominated by the state's area agencies on aging, included:

•  Illinois Association of Senior Citizens (IASC): IASC established a scholarship fund for students planning careers in gerontology.

•  BABES (Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies): This Decatur-based group presents anti-drug and alcohol abuse programs for more than 1,500 Macon County youth annually. Using hand puppets, the group's 20 older volunteers also try to help young people develop a positive self-image.

•  Barb City Manor: Located in a renovated hospital in DeKalb, this retirement home was honored for its residents' work in planning and running educational and recreational programs for young people at the Children's Learning Center Day Care, which has occupied a wing of the former hospital since 1982.

•  Anne Emmerman: A volunteer coordinator with the Teaching-Learning Communities Project (T-LC), Emmerman promotes the project to principals and teachers, recruits and places volunteers and conducts training workshops. The project's 30 volunteers currently work in seven Chicago elementary schools as craft instructors and tutors.

•  Frank Ertl: A retired National Food Stores executive and past state director of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Ertl has been instrumental in the founding and operation of the Illinois chapter of Generations United. Under his leadership, the organization promotes regular visits among local grade school children, nursing home residents and members of AARP.

Waste tires targeted in state cleanup effort

The disposal of old tires is a problem. If piled in the open, they collect rain water and provide a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes. If buried in landfills, tires take decades — if not centuries — to decompose. If burned in the open, they pollute the air.

To deal with the problem of waste tires, the Illinois General Assembly last year established the Used and Waste Tire Management Program to be implemented by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The legislation provides funds for the IEPA to remove up to 500 waste tires from private property at no cost to the property owner.

In mid-April, the agency selected five cleanup contractors to remove these tires. According to IEPA's Paul Purseglove, the tires collected through the program will be shredded and blended with coal to be recycled as a fuel supplement. He said, however, that the market for recycled rubber is small. If no recycling outlets are available, the shredded tires will be landfilled.

Parties with more than 500 tires should contact the contractors directly. The contractors are Advanced Waste Management of Terre Haute, Ind. (contact Michael Johnson at (812) 299-9547); Red Dot General Contractors of Chester (contact Kurt Schroeder at (618) 826-4945); Schwanke, Schwanke and Associates of LaSalle (contact Dennis Schwanke at (815) 223-1336); Triple T Trash of Carlyle (contact Mark or Janet Taylor at (618) 594-4841); and Waste Management of Peoria (contact Larry Heflinga at (309) 694-6246). Parties with less than 500 tires should contact Tap Hefley at the IEPA's land pollution control division. P.O. Box 19276, Springfield 62794-9276; or telephone (217) 785-8604.

Some assistance is available to private parties with more than 500 tires, but businesses that generate waste tires, such as service stations and salvage yards, are not eligible to participate in the program.

Nora Flynn: A resident of Vandalia's Cherrywood Health Care Center, Flynn is well-known for her "story hour," which she conducts for pre-schoolers at local day care centers. She also helps prepare special holiday gifts for the children.

•  Marjorie Fuller: President of Senior Citizens of Logan County, Fuller was instrumental in moving the Lincoln Youth Center to the same facility that houses the senior center. Intergenerational programs will become a permanent part of the planned activities when the move is completed this summer.

•   Ann Gale: A retired teacher and high school principal, she is employed part-time with the Chicago Department on Aging and Disability. As its intergenerational coordinator, she has developed a number of slide presentations covering the various aspects of aging. Along with a team of other retired teachers, Gale has shown these slide presentations to more than 26,000 children in more than 1,200 Chicago schools.

•  Floyd Hampsmire: A resident of Barry, Hampsmire has been a scorekeeper for the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) Class AA basketball for 35 years; he was the official scorekeeper for the IHSA's 1990 state tournament. The former 4-H leader also teaches young people how to care for and show horses through his work with the Illinois Walking Horse Association.

•   Intergenerational Program of Senior Service Associates Inc.: Formed in 1987, this Kendall County organization places members in area schools where they serve as speakers, panelists and advisers.

•  Loretta Kristan: A graduate student in gerontology at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Kristan leads a team of students in producing a half-hour, bi-weekly television program, Intergenerational Focus.

•  Maple Lawn Intergenerational Program: Working out of a Eureka retirement facility, the program links retirees with kids at a nearby day care center. The adults and children participate in such activities as nature walks, baking and gardening.

•   Sister Mary Simpson: A former high school principal and now outreach and advocacy director for Belleville Area College's senior programs, Simpson works closely with young people in her community.

Teens lauded for energy achievements

Thirteen schools were winners in this year's Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement. The program, now in its third year, is conducted by the Illinois Energy Education Development Committee, which operates within the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. Three of the schools represented Illinois during the National Energy Education Development Committee's competition held in late

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June in Washington, D.C. The national competition included schools from 37 states and U.S. territories.

Representing Illinois in the junior high school category was Glenwood Junior High in Chatham. Energy projects there included puppet shows and an energy fair and carnival.

Illinois high schools were represented by Rushville High School, where student activities included peer instruction, tree planting and problem solving classes. This is the second year in a row that Rushville has won the statewide competition.

At the district level, Schaumburg's District 54 came out on top. Its Project C.A.R.E. encouraged students at each grade level to develop a different approach to increased energy awareness. Some grades developed energy displays, one ran a hotline with messages detailing a variety of energy-related topics, and others concentrated on recycling efforts.

The other 10 schools recognized at the state level included Brentano School in Chicago, Chippewa Junior High School in Des Plaines, Dirksen Elementary School in Pckin, Husmann Elementary School in Crystal Lake, Irving School in Bloomington, Kimball Hill School in Rolling Meadows, MacArthur Junior High School in Prospect Heights, Mount Zion Junior High School, Queen of Peace High School in Burbank and Virginia Lake School in Burbank.

Golden Apple awards for teaching

The winners of the fifth annual Chicago-area Golden Apple awards were announced in May by the Foundation for Excellence in Teaching. Established to encourage teaching skills and competency, the awards are limited to full-time teachers in any independent, public or parochial school in Cook, Lake or DuPage counties. This year — and next — awards are limited to teachers of pre-kindergarteners through 5th graders. Nearly 900 nominations were recieved for the 10 awards this year.

Winners are Keith A. Anderson of Lincoln Elementary School in Dixmoor; Ava Belisle-Chatterjee of Sabin Magnet School in Chicago; Barbara J. Canady of Lake Park School in Addison; ConsueloD. Milburn of Charles W. Earle Elementary School in Chicago; Gwendolyn J. Mollison of Luther Burbank School in Chicago; Mary E. Murphy of St. Michael School in Wheaton; Patrick J. O'Reilly, a Head Start teacher with Whittier Elementary School in Chicago; William P. Vaananen of Wescott School in Northbrook; and John Zurbrigg of Ancona School in Chicago.

Winning teachers were inducted into the foundation's Academy of Educators, where they join winners from previous years in a "think tank" dedicated to improving education.

Winners also received a $2,500 stipend, a paid one-semester sabbatical at Northwestern University, the use of an Apple computer and access to professional seminars.

The Foundation for Excellence in Teaching is a nonprofit group that works to promote the public's respect for teaching and to attract new people to the profession.

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry wins national honor

The American Association of Museums (AAM) conferred top honors in its Curators' Committee Exhibit Competition on Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry at its annual meeting in May. The winning Chicago museum exhibit is "Learning and Learning Disabilities: Explorations of the Human Brain." It was one of 52 entries submitted by museums, zoos and botanic gardens from across the country. Judging criteria included originality, suitability for presentation and thoroughness of research.

Located on the balcony directly above the museum's main entrance, the 1,500 square-foot permanent exhibit focuses on changes in the brain that take place during learning and how certain disabilities alter that process. To get its message across, the exhibit uses a multi-media approach including hands-on activities, interactive computer monitors, life-size mannequins, giant brain models, graphics and a preserved brain.

Its official opening on April 17 capped a four-year effort by the museum staff. Major support came from the J. Ira and Nicki Harris and the Pritzker foundations. Additional assistance came from nationally prominent scientists and professionals at the Orton Dyslexia Society, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Northwestern University's Program for Learning Disabilities, and the Cove and Landmark schools.

United Cerebral Palsy honors Murphy

William K. Murphy, acting director of the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, received the 1990 Outstanding Community Service Award from the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Associations Inc. in May. The award is presented annually to an individual chosen from nominations solicited from the 186 UCP chapters nationwide.

United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois Inc. nominated Murphy for his "enthusiastic support and personal interest in the Supported Placements in Integrated Community Environments (SPICE) Project." The SPICE project provides residential and support services for people with disabilities to move out of institutionalized care into the community.

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In 1989 Murphy received the James B. Carey Advocacy Award from the Illinois UCP group for his efforts on behalf of developmentally disabled persons.

Rep. Pullen or Mulligan on ballot?

The Republican primary for state representative in the 55th House District turned on the flip of a coin. Initial returns in the March 30 elections had given Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines paralegal, a 31-vote victory over incumbent Rep. Penny Pullen (R-55, Park Ridge), an assistant House minority leader. Abortion was the hot campaign issue. Pullen is a staunch foe of abortion, while Mulligan favors individual choice on the question.

Pullen went to court and won a ruling from Cook County Circuit Judge Francis Barth for a complete recount. The recount was completed on July 16 and showed the candidates tied at 7,387 votes apiece. Barth turned the tie over to the State Board of Elections. The board settled the dispute with a coin flip on July 18. The silver dollar came up tails and Mulligan won. Pullen appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, challenging Barm's decisions to exclude certain ballots and include others.

Other honors

•  The United Way of Illinois (UWI) fourth annual Charles A. Bane Grassroots Award went to the Knox County Youth Alliance for its successful volunteer and peer counseling programs. Amy Grosenheider, a student at ROWVA High School in Oneida and chairman of the alliance, accepted the award during the UWI's annual leadership symposium on June 4. Started on the campus of Knox College in 1988, the alliance is run by students from Knox and Carl Sandburg colleges and from Knoxville, ROWVA, Abingdon and Williamsfield high schools. Alliance programs include service in a number of Knox County human services agencies, a hotline, peer tutoring and literacy programs for adults and children. Charles A. Bane was the UWI's first president.

•   Steven Mifflin, a correctional officer at Menard Correctional Center in Chester, is the 1990 Correctional Officer of the Year. Mifflin, who has been employed at Menard since September 1981, was honored in May for saving the life of an inmate who had caught fire. He received a $500 check, a plaque, letters of commendation from Gov. Thompson and corrections director Kenneth McGinnis, and a trip to San Diego to attend the American Correctional Association Summer Congress.

Paul Wiley, the Department of Revenue's tax compliance administrator for the past two years, received the Federation of Tax Administrators' (FTA) first Award for Leadership and Service at the group's annual meeting in June. Wiley has been with the revenue agency since 1976.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the FTA is a nonprofit group representing the taxation and revenue departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, and Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It works to improve the standards and methods of tax administration.

Pierce leaves Illinois' community colleges for Virginia's

After a decade as the executive director of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), David R. Pierce stepped down on May 1 to become the chancellor of Virginia's community college system. Virginia's system is smaller than Illinois' (it has 23 colleges on 34 campuses), but all are governed through one central office, with local boards having only an advisory role.

Pierce has been involved with community colleges for the past 30 years and is a board member of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC). He is also a member of the AACJC/Association of Community College Trustees' Joint Commission on Federal Relations.

While a committee seeks a replacement for Pierce, James Howard, ICCB's senior deputy director of operations, is acting as interim director.

'Old-fashioned' naturalist retires after 33 years

Robert H. Mohlenbrock, a botanist at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale since 1957, retired on May 15. The popular professor (winning five teaching awards during his career) taught 20 different courses over the years, including the nation's only offering on botanical Latin. He laments the disinterest in botonical fieldwork, his life-long emphasis: "What we have done here [at SIUC] over the last 10 years is train naturalists — that's what my game is. But with nearly every school in the country these days going to molecular biology, there'll be nowhere you can go to learn to be an old-fashioned naturalist."

Although retired. Mohlenbrock has contracted with the U.S. Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers to teach five-day crash courses on plant identification to help agency employees comply with new federal regulations. Mohlenbrock also plans to work on his "red data book" that gives detailed situation reports on 500 of North America's most endangered plants (a project conducted under the auspices of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and to finish his 30-volume series, The Illustrated Flora of Illinois, started in 1962.

Funding for pheasants

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The Illinois State Pheasant Stamp Committee is accepting applications for funding of conservation projects aimed at protecting and/or restoring the birds' habitat.

The committee's five members were appointed by Mark Freeh, director of the Department of Conservation, at the end of April. They include three agency representatives: Jerry Beverlin of the public lands division, Robert Corrigan of the technical services division and Larry David of the wildlife resources division. The two public members are Paxton attorney Gerald Rodeen and Rick Young, a wildlife biologist with Pheasants Forever, a national non profit conservation group.

Funds will come from the sale of the $5 stamps required of all pheasant hunters. The Department of Conservation hopes sales will generate around $500,000 during the November to January pheasant season. Half of the proceeds will go to the agency's pheasant conservation projects; the other half will go to nonprofit groups.

Applications are available from the department's main offices in Chicago (312-814-2070) and Springfield (217-782-7454), from the agency's five regional offices (Sterling, 815-625-2986; Spring Grove, 815-675-2385; Champaign, 217-333-5773; Alton, 618-462-1181; Benton, 618-435-8138 and from Pheasants Forever (Bill Bryan at 309-452-7950).


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