Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 3

I www.lg-tc.com JG-TC TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 A3 Local Carman Hall to close for renovations, assessments i Food presentation set at log cabin LERNA (JG-TC) Food historian Penelope Bingham will conduct a presentation on "Who Cooks? American Cookbooks and Changes in Gender Roles" on Saturday at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. The presentation is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the auditorium of the site's visitors center. Bingham's program will be about cookbooks as primary documents that give insight into culture and history, according to information from the site. She will relate her findings to the site's first-person interpretation program and how gender roles have played a sig A (i ft II needed elsewhere in the system," Hudson said in a press release.

"That was another important factor in moving ahead with this project right now." According to Hudson, it is also a misconception that the majority of freshmen are housed at Carman and he assured that the residence hall closing for a few years won't ruin "the freshmen experience." Hudson said less than 25 percent of freshmen live in Carman and the rest are housed throughout campus. Taking a residence hall offline is a practice Hudson said isn't unique to Eastern and he said he has seen other universities throughout Illinois do the same. "This is a strategy that all the other state schools are doing," he said. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University are just some of the many state schools who have shut down their halls for a year or so for renovations, Hudson said. "All universities need to update their residence halls periodically and we have been doing just that for the past decade," Hudson said in a press release.

"This is particularly important as we anticipate entering a period of new growth. It's a healthy sign and an indication that EIU is moving forward." Contact Bilharz at sbilharzjg- tc.com or 217-238-6839. BY SAMANTHA BILHARZ JG-TC Staff Writer CHARLESTON Eastern Illinois University's Carman Hall will be closed for one to two years starting June 1. The closure is in order for an assessment to be conducted of the residence hall's condition, in addition to renovating the building to prepare for future increasing enrollment. Mark Hudson, director of University Housing Dining Services, said enrollment is expected to increase come next year, which played a part in taking Carman off-line.

Hudson said another factor into the decision was the fact the piping system that brings heat and air conditioning into the hall needs to be evaluated in addition to other mechanical issues that may need to be upgraded. "We are having trouble with heating and cooling pipes, which means we have to tear into walls, and that's a process you don't want to do when the building is occupied," Hudson said. University officials usually plan work on the residence halls during the summer, but Hudson said the assessment and upgrades at Carman need a longer window of time, which he said could last as little as one year, but as long as two years. "The building is 43 years old and it needs a little TLC," Hudson said. "The project is bigger than what we can usually do during the summer and we have this opportunity a fit it 1 I HJ Ken TrevarthanStaff Photographer Ruth Carman Hall pictured Thursday afternoon on the Eastern Illinois University campus in Charleston.

-A i order to give us time to do this important work," Hudson said. Even though Carman Hall may potentially be off-line for as long as two years, Hudson said no one is losing their jobs in the process. Hudson said those Eastern staff members working at Carman's residence hall and dinning hall will be transferred to other buildings around campus. "We have had a number of retirements in the last year so those employees along with the residence life staff are Charleston council plans vote on GIS system, site agreement BY SAMANTHA BILHARZ JG-TC Staff Writer CHARLESTON The city council will meet tonight to vote on a Geographic Information System (GIS) Agreement with Eastern Illinois University, in addition to other resolutions and announcements. The council meeting is set for 7:30 p.m.

tonight at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave. Mayor John Inyart said the GIS Agreement with Eastern has been in place for the last several years. "It is a computerized system that utilizes GPS and a lot of today's technology for us to locate and permanently record where certain areas of the city's infrastructure is located," Inyart said. According to Inyart, Eastern provides the city of Charleston with the software needed to locate and record the exact areas of the city's infrastructure. Inyart said Eastern students who are going to the university to get their Professional Science Master's Degree in Geographic Information Sciences have also interned for the city regarding the pro ties will meet students' expectations," Hudson said.

"This is one of those opportunities you don't get all the time and it just happened to line up right." According to Hudson, the other residence halls on campus will be able to occupy the students who would have otherwise lived in Carman. "Because of our enrollment numbers we have space in other buildings that can absorb the people from Carman into other buildings in and the results of that survey are reviewed. Other agenda items include: A resolution to enter into an agreement for water tower repainting phase III services with Berns, Clancy Associates. A resolution authorizing execution of a contract with Variety Attractions for Red, White Blue Days for Tate Stevens. A resolution authorizing execution of a contract for janitorial services.

A resolution for street closure for the Girls on the Run 5K. A raffle license for Team Knock Out Volleyball on March 6 at Jefferson Elementary School to raise money to purchase new volleyball equipment and provide four tournament pre-registration fees. Inyart 's re-appointment of Keith Perry to the Charleston Fire Police Board of Commissioners. Inyart's appointment of Bob Olson and Daren Hite to the Electrical Commission. Contact Bilharz at or 217-238-6839.

more than $100,000 through raffles, meals and plays held in the Chautauqua building. It has been estimated that almost $500,000 is needed to do immediate repairs with estimates of a total restoration price ranging between $1 million and $3 million. One council member, Jeff Johnson, has been a vocal proponent of saving the Chautauqua building. "We have helped private groups do other things in the park," he said. "The Aquatic Center, the Baseball Complex and the wrestling building have all been partnerships between private groups and the city.

We need to something here too." Contact Barricklow at 6haronhrnewsyahoo.com. fight to court nificant part in social history. The program is co-sponsored by the site and the Lincoln-Sargent Farm Foundation, according to the information provided. It's produced in part by the Illi nois Humanities Council Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is located in southern Coles County and features the last home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother.

FT fund tops council agenda MATTOON (JG-TC) -i Council members will meet today to consider appropriating $657,000 of Motor Fuel Tax funds for the 2013 street maintenance uses. The council will meet at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 208 N. 19th St. Along with the appropriated funds, the council also plans to approve the expenditure statement of the $657,000 MFT fund.

The council is also slated to approve the 2012 MFT street maintenance expenditure statement in the amount of $525,398.53. Other agenda items include: the appointment of Firefighter Dustin Rhoads to regular employment status after completing of his probationary period and the authorization of municipal surplus for sale or disposal. i Durbin on trip to Africa, Middle East i CHICAGO (AP) U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois is on a week-long trip to the Middle East and Africa.

The assistant majority leader's office announced Monday that he was on the i trip. I Durbin's office said he will meet with U.S. military leaders about intelligence, training, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and humanitarian efforts. Durbin is planning to travel to Bahrain, Djibouti and Uganda. He is scheduled to return to Illinois next weekend.

Durbin is chairman of the Senate's Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. His office says one of the topics he will focus on during the trip is the increased use of drones for intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism operations. Barber robbed at gunpoint receives cash donation URBANA, 111. (AP) An Urbana barber who was robbed at gunpoint earlier i this month has received a donation to cover his losses, thanks to a good Samaritan. The Champaign News- i Gazette reports that 63-year-old James Winston received $60 cash last week.

That was days after his business inside Sunnycrest Mall was robbed. The newspaper reported on the robbery in a Feb. 8 story and a person donated I an envelope with the money I to the newspaper's offices. I The person asked to remain I unnamed. I The money contained a I handwritten note thanking I Winston for his services.

It was signed "two haircuts and two smiles." Winston says he's Submitted photo Charleston High School junior Amy Daniels Is pictured with the medal she received for her sixth-place finish fn the oratorical declamation category at the IHSA state speech tournament Saturday. CHS junior qualifies for speech state finals so it's a double win for us." Construction days for the university span around 75 days, which Hudson said isn't enough for this project. In addition, Hudson said come fall Carman will be the last residence hall to not have wireless Internet, which will eventually be taken care of as part of the building's renovation process. "The exciting part is we are positioning ourselves for the future enrollment growth so we can make sure our facili gram. "Eastern's role in this is that they teach this type of information at the university and they have the latest and greatest technology," Inyart, said.

If the resolution is approved, the city of Charleston will agree to pay a proposed fee to Eastern of $6,250. In addition, the council will also vote on an agreement between the city and First Christian Church concerning procurement of a boundary survey, topography survey and general site plan for future development. Inyart said First Christian Church, 411 Jackson owns 50 acres of property that was recently annexed to the city, which is southeast of Sister City Park. "We are going to partner on some initial survey work to see how the layout is both from a boundary stand point and a topography stand point, that will help us determine if we have any interest in part of that property," Inyart said. He said the city can't make a decision on the property until the survey is conducted beams in danger of collapse.

"We have to decide what to do," council member Bill Shoaff said. Chautauqua Preservation Committee Chairman Wayne Jrey said the committee would be asking the city council not to rush to tear down the building after a survey in city water bills showed residents unwilling to spend tax dollars on restoring the more than 100-year-old building. Grey said the survey, did not explain all of the options available. "The main objection I have is the failure to let folks know we can stabilize the building for $400,000 and we have a potential grant to address that coming to a head very shortly," he said. The committee has raised began within hours of the trial's end will come to a head Tuesday at a hearing where the defense will argue Peterson deserves a new trial because Brodsky did a shoddy job.

It's just the latest of many peculiar chapters in the saga of the former Bolingbrook police sergeant, who gained notoriety after his much younger fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in 2007. There was speculation Peterson sought to parlay his law enforcement expertise to get Shelbyville council to discuss auditorium BY SHARON BARRICKLOW For the JG-TC SHELBYVILLE The Shelbyville City Council will host a study session tonight with members of a city-appointed committee to discuss the future of the historic Chautauqua Auditorium in Forest Park. The session starts at 6 p.m. at city hall. The Chautauqua, a round building in Shelbyville's Forest Park, was once the site of numerous fairs and celebrations.

The building has hosted a variety of entertainers over the years and was the scene for speeches by temperance leader Carrie Nation and noted early 20th century orator William Jennings Bryan. Years of neglect have left the roof leaking and some of the building's unique support really big deal," Winings said. "It's always fantastic for a downstate school." The students qualified for the state competition during the sectional tournament on Feb. 9. Meanwhile, Winings was one of five coaches to receive the Illinois High School Association's Distinguished Service Award, which is based on coaching tenure and performance and awarded to retiring coaches.

Winings is retiring from teaching English at the end of the current school year but might continue as the CHS speech team coach for one more year. The team is now preparing for the second part of its competition season, contest play and group CHS will compete at the sectional tournament for those events on March 16 in Belleville to try to advance to the state tournament the following week. Contact Fopay at or 217-238-6858. NOTICES Readers CASTLE INN VIDEO GAMING MACHINES ON! Stop in today and play while enjoying $1 .50 domestic ICE HOUSE $1 Beer, $.25 Wings BYDAVEFOPAY JG-TC Staff Writer PEORIA Charleston High School speech team member Amy Daniels reached the finals in one event and just missed in a second, and coach Tina Winings was honored for her career during the state tournament Saturday. Daniels, a CHS junior, reached the finals in the oratorical declamation category and finished in sixth place overall.

She also qualified for the state competition in the poetry category and missed advancing to the finals by one point, finishing in seventh place. Fellow CHS junior Isaac Switzer also qualified for the state tournament and finished 24th in the original comedy category. Also, the team's perform-ance-the-round squad finished 13th with its presentation of "Dickens Abridged." Cast members were Michael Hildebrandt, Nathan James, Colton Butler, Kalin Tsanov, Leah Piescinski, Katie Mueller, Makena Hanner, Elizabeth Walters, Emma Walker, Josie Johnson, Stephanie Mitchell, Austin Mejdrich, Elijah Magee, Aaron Nance, Zoe Wavering and Mikka Spencer. Winings said she was pleased by the team's performance She noted that speech is one of the few Illinois High School Association activities in which schools aren't divided into classes based on their sizes. "Qualifying for state is a Warring Peterson lawyers take CHICAGO (AP) Drew Peterson's wisecracking, limelight-hogging, sunglasses-wearing lawyers faced the media horde every day of the former suburban Chicago police officer's 2012 trial one that ended with a murder conviction and a falling out among the erstwhile colleagues.

But the lawyerly war of words in public between lead trial counsel Joel Brodsky and former partner-turned-neme sis Steve Greenberg that away with murder. If Will County Judge Edward Burmila rejects the motion for a retrial, he has said he will proceed quickly to sentencing. Peterson, 59, faces a maximum 60-year prison term for murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in her bathtub with a gash on her head. Disagreements among legal teams during trials aren't uncommon, but those spats spilling into public are..