Rural economic development conference to be held March 12-13

Challenges facing rural Illinois in changing economic conditions as well as many other economic development issues will be addressed during the 14th annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Peoria, Wednesday and Thursday, March 12-13.

The conference, "Rural Community Economic Development: Investing in the Future," is sponsored by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University, in conjunction with Rural Partners and the Governor's Rural Affairs Council. Additional support is provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

"This conference focuses mainly on issues facing smaller communities in rural areas but will be of value to larger cities as well. The speakers are nationally-recognized and will give participants a wealth of useful information on many development issues," said Norman Walzer, IIRA director and conference organizer. "The speakers offer a blend of seminars and workshops designed to help local public officials, economic development practitioners and volunteers learn up-to-date economic development practices and techniques."

For more information, or to register by the Tuesday, March 4 deadline, contact the IIRA at (800) 526-9943, e-mail at IIRA@wiu.edu, write to IIRA, Stipes Hall 518, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455-1390 or download the complete program from www.iira.org.

Safe Electricity program honored for public service

Safe Electricity, a joint effort undertaken by members of the Illinois Electric Council (IEC) to create a statewide electric safety communications campaign, recently won awards for public service. The goal of the united safety program is to increase electric safety awareness to customers, thus reducing accidents. The University of Illinois and Illinois' electric suppliers formed the IEC in 1952 to promote the safe and efficient use of electric energy.

Safe Electricity received a 2002 PR NEWS Platinum Honorable Mention Award for Best Public Service Ad Campaign, one of three recipients in that category. The public service announcement campaign totaling 22 radio and television public service announcements was created in the program's first six months with extensive use of in-kind production services provided by Illinois electric co-ops and investor-owned utilities.

Safe Electricity was also named Outstanding/Innovative Program by the University of Illinois Extension Service. The award recognized the team nature of the program to create new education approaches to critical issues.

Safe Electricity gives Illinois the distinction of being the only state to have implemented a comprehensive public awareness program on electrical safety.

The Illinois Electric Council also received the highest educational honor awarded by Epsilon Sigma Phi, the national honorary Extension fraternity, by being named 2002 Friend of Extension. Members of the Illinois Electric Council have worked with University of Illinois personnel to develop educational materials for use in the classroom, Extension programs and especially in the 4-H program. They have conducted electrical schools for youth and adult Extension program participants, and served as judges at county and state 4-H exhibits.

In November, the IEC was awarded the prestigious 2002 Illinois Partner in 4-H Award. Officials of Illinois 4-H praised the IEC for providing electric programs, supplies and learning materials for thousands of 4-H youth and consumers over the years.

For more information visit www.iecouncil.org and www.SafeElectricity.org.

Affordable assisted living for elderly

For the past year and a half, the Illinois Affordable Assisted Living Initiative has been providing grants, predevelopment loans and technical assistance to more than 50 nonprofit organizations throughout the state. These community-based organizations have identified a need for affordable assisted living and are working to bring such facilities into their communities.

The Initiative's target market is specialized: those seniors who have become frail enough to need some assistance with personal care and other activities, but who don't need continuous skilled nursing care. In order to be eligible to live in these facilities, seniors must be more than 65 and need a certain level of supportive services. Individuals may privately pay for room, board and all these services (and nearly half of them do), but if they spend down their assets and have modest incomes, Medicaid will pay.

Fifteen facilities certified as Supportive Living Facilities, totaling 927 units, are complete and operating with an additional 36 sites, totaling 3,309 units, approved and in the development pipeline. These sites are scattered throughout Illinois, in urban, suburban and rural locations.

To learn more about the Illinois Affordable Assisted Living Initiative go to: www.liscnet.org/whatwedo/newinitiatives/CFF/chicago.shtml. Source: Illinois Department of Aging.

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Watch out for energy saving fraud

There are legitimate ways to save energy, but they don't come in mysterious black boxes. Recently an Illinois electric co-op manager was given a brochure advertising a device that "Saves you up to 40 percent on your electric bills every month." By wiring this device into your breaker panel the claim is it somehow stops "electrical leakage."

Sellers offering other devices, gadgets and energy-saving products promise drastic reductions in home heating or cooling costs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises reading energy-saving claims carefully and, if possible, getting independent information. Avoid unsolicited door-to-door sales calls or phone calls using high-pressure sales pitches offering to cut your energy bills in half. To make sure that a contractor is licensed and reputable:

Ask friends and neighbors for referrals; ask the contractor for customer references; and check out potential contractors with the Better Business Bureau, state and local consumer protection officials, and state licensing agencies.

Here are some other examples of energy fraud:

• Fuel-saving automotive devices and additives: Numerous Web sites make implausible claims for aftermarket automotive devices (fuel-line magnets, air bleed devices, and other retrofit gadgets) and additives that supposedly increase gas mileage. Many of these claims are either false or grossly exaggerated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 purported gas-saving devices and additives, and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage.

• Instantaneous water heaters and home water purification (or softening) systems: Some distributors are making exaggerated claims about the energy savings associated with instantaneous ("tankless") water heaters that "save 50 percent on hot water costs."

• Transient voltage surge suppressors: Although these products can protect equipment from voltage surges, in the past the FTC has challenged claims that these products provide significant savings for consumers' energy bills. The Better Business Bureau says you should avoid a promoter that isn't local and has no phone number or full street address; uses pressure, threats or harassment; requests immediate payment; or gives vague answers to key questions.

Source: www.ftc.gov and www.bbb.org.

U.S. cooperatives going strong

Cooperatives all over the nation continue to thrive as other types of businesses are suffering economic losses, says the annual Co-op 100 Report from National Cooperative Bank (NCB).

"As the nation has absorbed the fall out from one corporate scandal after another, cooperatives have never been more pertinent," said Charles E. Snyder, NCB's president.

"Americans demand honest and stable businesses connected in a real way to their communities. Co-ops offer that dependability to thousands of Americans each day."

According to the report, America's top cooperatives generated total revenues of more than $130 billion. Agriculture, grocery, energy and communications, and finance sectors all earned higher revenues than the previous year.

The success of cooperatives last year is particularly impressive given that many publicly traded companies faced tough losses and were shaken by accounting scandals. Unlike investor owned firms, co-ops are controlled by the people who use and benefit from the goods and services. Cooperatives are organized to maximize economic returns for their locally based members rather than distant investors.

Cooperatives play a vital role in America's economy: There are nearly 50,000 cooperatives in the United States, owned by some 120 million Americans.

Are you a survivor?

Instincts can help us avoid danger, but in some situations our natural inclinations can lead to tragic results. If your car hits a power pole, or otherwise brings a power line down, getting out of the vehicle, with few exceptions, is the wrong thing to do until the line has been de-energized by line personnel.

"You are almost always better off to stay in the car, especially if the line is in contact with the vehicle," says Molly Hall, director of the Safe Electricity program. "If the line is energized and you step outside, your body becomes the path and electrocution is the tragic result. It's best to wait until the electric utility arrives to make sure power to the line is cut off."

The only exception would be if fire or the smell of gasoline were present. In that case, the proper action is to jump - not step - with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Jump clear, without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time. Shuffle or hop to safety keeping both feet together as you leave the area.

"Even if a power line has landed on the ground, there is still the potential for the area near your car to be energized," Hall says. "Stay inside the vehicle unless there's fire or imminent risk of fire."

The same rules apply with situations involving farm equipment and construction equipment that comes in contact with overhead lines.

Accidents involving electricity cause hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries and tens of thousands of fires each year. Nearly all can be prevented if people understand the dangers and steps they can take to be safe around electricity.

You can be a survivor if you know how. Go to www.SafeElectricity.org for more information.

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25th anniversary of Illinois' most damaging ice storm

It could happen again, are you ready?

by Catrina McCulley

In March of 1978, Easter weekend, 10 central Illinois electric cooperatives were devastated when an ice storm hit the area and destroyed nearly 10,000 utility poles, and 20,000 miles of electric line.

Co-op employees worked day and night, through the rain, sleet and snow trying to repair the damages that affected the 24-county area. The impact of the storm was felt with varying degrees all over central Illinois. The Illinois electric cooperative emergency work plan was activated, and crews were dispatched from nine cooperatives across Illinois to assist the four hardest hit. And though that help was much appreciated, it was not quite enough. So crews from cooperatives in Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky came to help. More than 500 men were working in the affected areas at the height of the reconstruction activity.

Rebuilding began before the storm subsided, and even before its severity was completely realized. This process was very expensive, and many cooperatives had to get loans to cover the financial burden. For example, Rural Electric Convenience Co-op, Auburn, received a $4.5 million loan, Menard Electric Co-op, Petersburg, received a $3 million loan, Eastern Illini Electric Co-op, Paxton, received a $1.7 million loan and Illinois Rural Electric Co-op, Winchester, received a loan of $2 million.

And while this was going on, central Illinoisans were making do. Homes were dark and most were cold. Those who considered themselves fortunate enough to have heat, were still without power to run their furnace blowers and thermostats.

"But one thing is for sure, the storm and its aftermath brought out the best in some people," says Jack Halstead, retired employee of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives in Springfield. "People were offering coffee and food to the work crews and asking how they could assist," he says.

And 20 days later, with the help of the cooperative employees and generous community members, central Illinois was completely re-energized. And through this trying experience, the true meaning of cooperative was defined.

Are you prepared for an outage? Two necessities are food and heat. Stock an emergency supply of quick energy food that needs little, if any, preparation. Quick energy food will allow your body to produce its own heat efficiently. Make sure you have adequate ventilation when using portable cooking or heating units. Never burn charcoal inside. Without ventilation, deadly carbon monoxide can reach lethal levels. Make sure you have other outage supplies handy. These items should include a flashlight, candles, matches, a battery powered radio, extra batteries and plenty of blankets. If the lights go out, check the fuse box or circuit breaker box first. You may be able to correct the problem there. Check with neighbors, then call your coop. They will need to know your account number, so write it down near your phone. This will give them your exact location. Freezer During an outage a freezer will keep everything frozen for about two days. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen one day. If power will be off for an extended period, take food to a friend's freezer, locate a commercial freezer or use dry ice. Generators If not installed properly, your generator system could threaten the lives of family, friends, neighbors and electric power supplier crews working to restore your power. Never connect generators to your home's wiring without a disconnect switch. Install a transfer switch that cuts power to your home from the utility pole and switches it to your generator. For more equipment and wiring details go to www.safeelectricity.org, click on index then generator safety. Stay far away from downed lines Even if they do not hum, spark, or "dance," downed lines can be dangerous. • If you see one, carefully move away from the line and anything it is touching. • Instruct others in the area to do the same. • Call 911 and your cooperative to report the downed line. • If you are outside after a storm, be alert for lines that may be hidden by streams or standing water. • The correct technique for moving away from a downed line is to shuffle with your feet together and on the ground. Fight the urge to run, and warn others not to run. This is because when a live wire touches the ground, electricity travels through the ground in all directions. Voltage decreases as it travels from the center where the live wire is touching the ground. If you run or take large steps, you could conduct electricity from one leg at one voltage to another leg at another voltage. This can shock or kill you.

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The evolution of Hollywood's movie revolution

by Angle Bates

Have you ever wondered how and why Hollywood, California became the movie empire of the world? In 1909, The Motion Picture Patents Company founded by Thomas Edison attempted to create a monopoly that worked to keep unlicensed companies out of movie production and distribution. Many entrepreneurs moved their operations to Hollywood, a suburb of Los Angeles because of the location's proximity to Mexico, which allowed these producers to escape legal injunctions. After 1913, Hollywood, California became the American movie capital. The movie industry is an ever-changing, fast-paced industry, but one thing remains the same, Hollywood is the still the movie capital of the world.

Early films lasted a minute or two in length, and showed only glimpses of personalities, increments of daily life, one-gag jokes or issues in the news (re-enactments of course). Later, story films developed that were mostly chase melodramas and comedies. The Great Train Robbery (1903) was the first film to use overlapping and parallel action to build an anticipated climax.

Cynicism and sensuality among the upper classes characterized many of the 1920s' features, and democratic hope gave in to popular materialism. American films prior to World War I had often been preachy, sentimental and set in a working-class environment. Among the new genres were gangster films. The first generation of star actors included Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo and Rudolph Valentine. During World War I movies expanded into the realm of education and propaganda and the United States became dominant in the film industry.

The year 1926 brought experiments in sound effects and music, and in 1927 spoken dialogue was successfully introduced in The ]azz Singer with Al Jolson. A year later, the first all-talking picture, Lights of New York, was shown. Among the most celebrated stars of the new era were Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Mae West and W C. Fields. Also in 1927, The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences was formed and began an annual awards ceremony, which is known to us as the Oscars or the Academy Awards.

Among the 1930s' most notable attractions were child star Shirley Temple and the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, a spectacular epic that for decades remained the highest-grossing film. The industry reached its all-time peak of profitability in 1946. From the 1930s until the early 1950s, the studios sponsored a host of talented actors like Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart.

The movies of the 1950s and 1960s traded a bit of glamour for an increased sense of realism. Legends such as Marion Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Sidney Poitier and several others contributed to this transition in Hollywood. Their controversial films swept across the country.

The principal stars of the late 1960s through the 1970s demonstrated even more political movement and increased comedy.

These films were graced by the likes of Academy-Award winners Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman and writer-actor-directors Barbara Striesand and Woody Allen.

Audiences began to have a taste for scary movies in 1975 when the suspense picture Jaws unexpectedly grossed more than $100 million by appealing to all ages and both sexes. Everyone's favorite sci-fi hit, Star Wars (1977), cracked the $200 million barrier, and in 1982 E.T. earned more than $300 million.

When moviegoers visited in the 1980s, multiplexes, or theaters with multiple auditoriums, became the norm and mushroomed in suburban shopping malls and urban centers. Ticket prices soared in the late 1980s due to the cost of making films (averaging by 1990 more than $15 million each.) By 1990, the gross from videocassettes nearly doubled that of ticket sales. But the movies continued to be an integral part of American culture, though in a constant state of metamorphosis.

With the emergence of digital movies and special effects that are now better than ever, movie quality will continue to improve. One thing won't change, the big tubs of buttery popcorn, gigantic sodas and loads of candy will surely remain an American movie tradition. Check your local listings for the newest theatre releases coming your way!

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