Contribute your town's Lincoln story online

Information is being gathered from local historians and citizens in preparation for Lincoln's 200th birthday in 2009. State Comptroller Dan Hynes is head of the state commission planning events for the Lincoln bicentennial. He says this is an opportunity for communities across the state with Lincoln history to be part of the celebration.

To add your town's Lincoln history just go to the Web site www.illinoiscomptroller.com/Lincoln. Along with reader submissions the site will have Lincoln resources and links to other news about the Lincoln bicentennial.

Find Illinois Country Living on the Web

Looking for a recipe that ran in a back issue of this magazine? Now you can find it on the Internet under a new address. Illinois Country Living magazine has switched to a new domain name — www.icl.coop. Some Illinois co-ops are also switching to this new domain name including the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives — www.aiec.coop. You can link to other Illinois electric co-ops through this site.

.Coop helps differentiate co-op businesses from a sea of —coms and .orgs. Only cooperatives, cooperative support organizations and businesses owned by cooperatives are eligible to register under .coop.

Co-ops hold renewable energy conference in Springfield

In January the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives sponsored a Renewable Energy Conference where co-op leaders discussed the issues surrounding renewable energy technology.

Steve Lindenberg, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's resident expert on renewable energy, provided a national perspective on wind energy. He said, "Wind energy is growing rapidly." He attributes this growth to advances in wind power technology, available tax credits, and the fact that wind energy produces no harmful emissions. Lindenberg also discussed challenges facing wind energy like electric grid impact, transmission access and market risks. The major hurdle for wind energy is it cannot be scheduled on a dependable basis.

Overall, Lindenberg said wind energy is an option worth considering because the technology continues to improve, costs are coming down, and legislative and public interest continues to grow. Lindenberg said, "Cooperative leaders should educate themselves on the risks in their areas and help answer consumers' questions because these are sizeable economic investments."

Bruce Giffin, CEO of Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative, has an active interest in wind power. Giffin's cooperative is located in the area that is considered to be Illinois' most promising for wind generation. Illinois Rural Electric is assisting Innoventor Engineering in a joint study for the potential for wind generation in Adams and Pike counties.

Giffin discussed potential obstacles with producing wind energy. For example, will the energy produced by wind be available when utilities and their consumers need it most? Will there be accessibility to transmission lines? He also expressed concern about whether federal tax credits will continue. Kent Schien, Innoventor's CEO and a native of Barry, said wind investors believe these challenges can be met. Schien explained that with the advancements in technology and the inevitable requirement of states to include green power, the future looks bright for wind energy.

Chris Schimp, an entrepreneur and owner of Grayson Hill Forms (located on the lines of Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative near Eldorado) is involved in power generation, heat recovery and hydroponics. Schimp discussed a unique method of power generation using coal bed methane gas. He sells excess power to the cooperative and uses waste heat to grow tomatoes and fish.

Earl Struck, President and CEO of the AIEC said, "There is a lot of interest among rural leaders in the potential of wind power and other renewable energy sources. Not only could it be another source of energy, it could be another source of income."

6 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop

Your 18-year-old son and his date are invited to an after-prom party at a friend's house. You want them to have a wonderful time, but you're worried about the consumption of alcohol that is often associated with parties like these. When you raise the issue to him, he rolls his eyes.

Talking to your kids about drinking on prom night, as hard as it may be, should be part of an ongoing conversation with them about the hazards of drinking at all. Possibly every teenager who has ever gotten drunk in the last decade has been told to say no to alcohol by a parent, a health teacher, a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer or at various prevention programs sponsored by a local SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) or MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) chapter. Yet recent statistics show that 43 percent of Illinois' high school juniors and seniors admitted that they drank and got behind the wheel of a car at least sometime during a previous year. This only affirms parents' concerns about teenage consumption of alcohol. And in recent years, prom night has been seen as a drinking rite of passage for some adolescents.

So how do you assure a safe and alcohol-free prom night for your teen and his or her friends?

• Don't be afraid to ask your teenager what his or her plans are for that night. If their school offers a pre- and post prom party, encourage them to attend. There will likely be no alcohol at a school-sponsored event.

• Tell your kids that you are aware that prom night is often a big drinking night and that you're concerned for their safety. Talk with them about the consequences of drinking - diminished judgment, nausea, vomiting, hangovers, irritability, becoming more uninhibited and sleep disturbances.

• Make sure they know that drinking too much too rapidly can cause alcohol toxicity that leads to loss of consciousness and even death.

• Point out that drinking allows them to take risks that they might not usually take, or put themselves into dangerous situations.

• And most of all, make sure they know that you want them to have a good time, but that you also want to make sure that they are safe so they can enjoy the rest of their life as well.

For more information on substance abuse, visit these Web sites:

MADD-www.madd.org/home/

Communities Against Substance Abuse -www.drugfreesandiego.org

The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Abuse — www.health.org/dbases/

DUI Pictures and stories -http://www.duipictures.com

8 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop

Meth problems on the farm

By Angle Bates

Throughout Illinois, State Police reported 87 methamphetamine (meth) laboratories seized in 1998, 246 in 1999, 403 in 2000, and 666 in 2001. Meth lab production is still on the rise in the central and southern regions of Illinois because of the accessibility of one main ingredient in its manufacture: anhydrous ammonia.

Farmers store anhydrous ammonia, used as a fertilizer, as a liquid under pressure in large tanks in their fields. Meth manufacturing thieves often remove locks from the tanks with bolt cutters. Once the lock is removed, the thieves then use garden hoses or vacuum hoses to siphon the ammonia from the tank. Stealing the compressed fertilizer, which comes out at minus 44 degrees, is referred to as "bull riding" because the thief sits on top of the tank as he tries to collect it. Small containers such as thermoses are used in storing the stolen ammonia. Because the tanks can hold as much as 100,000 gallons, thefts of one or two gallons often go unnoticed.

Also included in the recipe for meth are store-bought cold capsules that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine (Sudafed®). Those substances are then mixed with lithium from high-grade batteries and a variety of other acids and chemicals such as engine starter fluid and drain cleaner. The end result is a highly addictive substance that can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed. The abuser will then experience feelings of euphoria and a highly increased sense of energy at first, but when they begin to come down they can experience violent behavior, anxiety, confusion and insomnia.

Not only does meth pose a problem for society in terms of social and economic productivity, it can toxically pollute our environment. One pound of methamphetamine produces five or six pounds of toxic waste. Leftover chemicals and byproduct waste drain into the ground, posing long-term hazards.

Rod Wells, crops/seed manager with Lincoln Land FS, Inc. points to the nursing- valve on an anhydrous ammonia tank where meth "cooks" steal the ammonia. Linoln Land FS is just one of several fertilizer outlets that has experienced anhydrous theft.

Anyone caught with 30 grams or more of meth faces a minimum prison sentence of at least six years. In addition to the criminal code, it is unlawful for any person to tamper with anhydrous ammonia equipment, containers or storage facilities. This offense is a Class A Misdemeanor.

Thomas McNamera, an administrative officer for the drug fighting Southern Illinois Enforcement group based in Carbondale, says, "In rural places, we've always gotten our drugs from the metropolitan areas. Well, now we're giving them one." Many users start manufacturing to support their own habit, says McNamera. "They tend to make it and use it. That's why we don't have any rich small-batch operators."

The proper storage of anhydrous ammonia can help prevent the manufacture of methamphetamine. Tips from the Attorney General's Office include:

• Have tanks delivered as close to the time of application as soon as possible.

• Position tanks in open areas where they can be seen from the roadway. Avoid placing tanks in remote areas.

• Inspect the condition of each nurse tank upon delivery and return.

• Check tanks frequently for tampering. Tanks that appear to be unattended are often targeted for theft.

• Return tanks immediately after use.

• Report any signs of tampering to your local law enforcement agency.

You can have your anhydrous ammonia tanks inspected by contacting the Illinois Department of Agriculture at (217) 782-3817. To report suspicious activity regarding methamphetamine production or trafficking, contact your local law enforcement or the Office of the Attorney General-Statewide Grand Jury Bureau at (312) 814-5200. If you would like to obtain more information on methamphetamine abuse, call the Illinois State Police-Safety Education Division at (217) 524-2525 or (800) 255-3323.

MAY 2003 www.aiec.coop 9