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Monday DECEMBER 3, 2012 V O LU M E 9 7 | N o. 6 9
D A I LY E A S T E R N N E W S . C O M
“Tell t h e t r u t h a n d d o n ’ t b e a fr a i d . ”
CHRISTMAS IN CHARLESTON
CIT Y
Festival brings business to square Energy solicitors
plague Charleston
By Amy Wywialowski and Terryne McClurge Assistant Daily Editor and Staff Reporter
As the clock on Charleston County Court House struck 5 p.m., community members cluttered the streets of Charleston for the annual Christmas in the Heart of Charleston festival. The festival is where local businesses extend their hours and shut down the streets to celebrate holidays with a parade, horse-drawn carriages, roasted chestnuts, pictures with Santa Claus and many other activities. For many businesses, it is also their busiest day of the year. Dano Reible, the owner of the Jackson Avenue Coffee, said business has been slow all year, but the festival helps bring people to the square. “This is definitely the busiest night of the year,” Dano said. “I’ve been at this event three years and this has been the best weather.” Wendy Meyer, owner of the Lincoln Book Shop, said she thinks part of the reason business on the square has been so slow is that not many people know there are businesses there and do not realize there is more to Charleston than Lincoln Avenue. “The festival is absolutely wonderful for business,” Meyer said. “A lot of people come visit and say they didn’t even know the square was here.” Meyer said she took over the shop in May 2011 and has since added antiques to the shop. She said one of the reasons so many businesses keep closing on the square is because they do not make enough money for it to be a full-time job. “It is hard to make a living doing this,” she said. “I bought the shop after retiring from Eastern after 31 and a half years.” Meyer said as a way to draw people into the shop during the festival, she was serving refreshments and had live music. FESTIVAL, page 5
By Robyn Dexter In-depth Editor
JACOB SALMICH | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Dan Johnson, of Charleston, holds his "Reindeer Goats" for visitors to pet at Christmas in the Heart of Charleston on Saturday. Johnson says he brings his goats to the event every year.
The Charleston Police Department is warning the community that suspicious door-to-door energy solicitors, not associated with the city, are making their way through Charleston. The city is currently working to choose and contract with a new energy provider, but one has not been chosen yet. Charleston City Manager Scott Smith said he has put out several press releases letting the Charleston community know about these solicitors, but many people may still be confused. “Residents in Coles County who are not on electric with ColesMoultrie Electric Cooperative and not under contract with another alternative retail electric supplier or on a fixed rate program with Ameren CIPS are automatically going to be in the city’s new municipal electric aggregation program,” Smith said. “They will be switched over sometime in January or February.” Smith said the city of Charleston goes out for bid on Dec. 11. “This is going to become a closed market for the energy providers,” Smith said. “What they’re doing right now is running around town trying to solicit all of our residents and pressuring them into agreements,” he said. Smith said the city is concerned with these solicitors because many residents think they are from the city energy provider. “With our program, you don’t have to do anything,” Smith said. “I can just about guarantee that the price program that we’re going to have available to our residents will be cheaper than the direct sale of the solicitors.”
Lt. Brad Oyer of the Charleston Police Department said governments can negotiate better prices for their citizens. “It’s a good thing for the consumer, but the city has not entered into any negotiations for energy as of yet, and anybody going door-to-door does not speak for anything the city is working with,” Oyer said. “They’re not licensed by the city.” These solicitors have been going from town to town trying to get a cut of the profit while the city is in this transitional period, Smith said. “They’re preying on people who don’t know enough about it,” he said. “They may get a savings from what they’re currently paying, but they’re likely not going to get the same deal they could get on the municipal electric aggregation program that the voters approved on Nov. 6.” Smith said he encourages Charleston residents to be extremely cautious with solicitors. “We do not go door-to-door, nor will we call you because it’s not anything related to the city’s program,” he said. “We will send a notice in late December or early January asking you whether or not you want to opt out of the plan.” Residents have filed reports of harassment with the Charleston Police Department and Smith said they have received many phone calls about various solicitors. “We’re not soliciting, and they are not in any way associated with our plan,” he said. “I would encourage any resident to wait until the city’s bids are in, the pricing announced and compare that rate to any solicitors’ and make an educated decision.” Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or redexter@eiu.edu.
HOUSING AND DINING
Troupe to bring mental health awareness to Eastern Skits on social issues to be performed By Robyn Dexter In-depth Editor
A performing troupe from Chicago will shed light on mental health issues at a performance and presentation Wednesday. Jacob Knight, the chairman of the University Housing and Dining Services committee for Social Justice, Diversity and Community Engagement, said the idea of bringing “Erasing the Distance” to Eastern came from a fellow committee member who had seen them per-
“We’ve been looking at different stances on diversity that we feel like our campus doesn’t always focus on, and we’re trying to give them some attention.” Jacob Knight, chairman of the University Housing and Dining Services committee form at another institution. “We’ve been looking at different stances on diversity that we feel like our campus doesn’t always focus on, and we’re trying to give them some attention,” Knight said. The two presentations will take place at 3 p.m. in the 7th Street Underground and at 7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. “Erasing the Distance” will pres-
ent five skits at each of the two sessions that will address the topics of sexual assault, eating disorders, depression, drug addiction and longterm health issues. “We really liked the fact that we could select different scenarios and monologues to have them present to our students,” he said. “We really wanted themes that would connect with our students.” Knight said many students have
dealt with mental health issues either directly or indirectly through friends and family members. “We contracted with them to do those five themes, which will take up the first hour or so of the presentation, and the last half hour they will talk through the issues with the audience and answer questions,” he said. Knight said they have also worked with the Counseling Center to bring in a representative who will help to answer questions as well. Bringing the troupe to Eastern cost the committee $2,500, but their funds were helped by a few RSOs and halls that contributed as well. “The Residence Hall Association, the National Residence Hall Hon-
orary, Stevenson Hall and Carman Hall all donated,” Knight said. The committee had a yearlong budget for diversity programming, and contracting with “Erasing the Distance” was a part of that budget, Knight said. “We had originally budgeted that much to spend that much on (the program) at the beginning of the semester, so in order to cover our marketing and a couple additional expenses, we reached out to those organizations,” he said. “They pretty much always support us, especially when we want to do something that’s a little bit over our budget.” Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or redexter@eiu.edu.