September 2014 Business Journal by Herald & Review

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SEPTEMBER 2014

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September 2014

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September 2014

YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, Sept. 2 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club. Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Sept. 3 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club. Scheduled speaker is Lisa Taylor, superintendent of Decatur School District. Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Sept. 4 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y, 220 W. McKinley Ave. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Friday, Sept. 5 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Monday, Sept. 8 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill), 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Sept. 9 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center. Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St.

Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Management, 11 a.m., Doherty’s Pub and Pins, 242 E. William St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club. Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Sept. 10 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:15 a.m., Fletcher Park. Scheduled speaker is state Sen. Chapin Rose. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Real Estate Investors Association, 6:30 p.m., Perkin’s Family Restaurant, 2999 N. Monroe St.

Thursday, Sept. 11 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Earthmover Credit Union, 260 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth. Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., location varies. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building. Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.

Wednesday, Sept. 17 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Northwestern Mutual, 106 N. Main St.

Thursday, Sept. 18 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Monday, Sept. 29 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club. Scheduled speaker is Larry Klugman of Richland Community College. Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Wednesday, Sept. 24

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Primrose Retirement Communities, 1145 W. Arbor Dr. Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Town & Country Bank, 1645 N. Illinois 121.

Thursday, Oct. 2 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Friday, Oct. 3

Thursday, Sept. 25

Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

September 2014

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Financial health a matter of time, not smarts Knowledge alone not enough By CAROLYN BIGDA TCA News Service Writer

Monday, Sept. 22

Monday, Sept. 15

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club. Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. American Business Women’s Association (Monarch), noon, location varies.

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Friday, Sept. 19

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Friday, Sept. 26

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club. Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Friday, Sept. 12

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center.

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Conventional wisdom says the more you know about personal finance, the better off you’ll be at managing your money. But a new survey suggests that knowledge alone is not enough. For your finances to be in good shape, you also need to be aware of something else: your attitude toward time. Dwell too much on the past, present or future, and you could make decisions that are bad for your financial health, even if you know to do otherwise. “Ideally, we’d all have happy memories, take time out in the present and plan for the future. But if you get out of whack in any one of those, bad things can happen,” said Nick Clements, co-author of the study and co-founder of MagnifyMoney, which reviews credit cards and other bank products. Survey participants had to complete

a “time personality” quiz developed by Philip Zimbardo, a professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford University and co-author of the study. Participants were also scored on their financial smarts (say, whether they could calculate compound interest) and the state of their finances (for example, had they ever filed for bankruptcy). In all, 3,000 people in six countries, including Brazil, Germany and the U.S., participated. The results showed that, despite your financial know-how, your time personality has a lot to do with how well you managed your money. Someone, for example, whose personality skews toward living it up today is often financially sick. You may understand how compound interest works, but the knowledge doesn’t help if you habitually overspend your paycheck. On the flip side, you may think primarily about the future. But people who are too goal-oriented are often so harried by career and other obligations that they have little time to think through their financial options. “It may be on your to-do list to buy insurance or invest in your 401(k),” Clements said. “But because you don’t

have enough time, you rush through and make bad decisions.” You might assume that young adults would fall into the camp of people who think too much about the present, the so-called hedonists, according to the survey. But that was not the case. In fact, 25.3 percent of millennials have a past-negative personality: This group came of age about the time of the 2007-09 financial crisis, and the experience, colored by home foreclosures, big stock market losses and high rates of unemployment, dominates their financial decision-making. In comparison, only 16.5 percent of baby boomers (people born from 1946 to 1964) were past negative in the study. What to do? To get a sense of what your time personality is, take the quiz at magnifymoney.com/timeperspective. After answering the questions, you’ll see where you fall on the time personality spectrum. What if the results show you’re past negative? According to the survey, most millennials don’t rate themselves as being money-savvy. But those who land in this group tend to be financially healthy because they’re not taking the

kinds of risks that can lead to bankruptcy or other money catastrophes. Just keep in mind that too much caution can be a bad thing. Without some risk, you may never be hired for that dream job or grow your savings into a comfortable nest egg. (A fact that young adults might appreciate more if they had more financial knowledge.) Similarly, you don’t want to be so financially conservative that you forgo having any fun today. Said Clements: “Think of Ebenezer Scrooge, sitting on a pile of gold coins. He is financially healthy, but you probably don’t want to be him.”

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

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September 2014

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September 2014

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YOUR MONEY

Cost to raise child up slightly to $245,340 Housing remains greatest expense WASHINGTON (AP) — A message for new parents: get ready for sticker shock. A child born in 2013 will cost a middle-income American family an average of $245,340 until he or she reaches the age of 18, with families living in the Northeast taking on a greater burden, according to a report out last month. And that doesn’t include college or expenses if a child lives at home after age 17. Those costs that are included such as food, housing, child care and education, rose 1.8 percent over the previous year, the Agriculture Department’s new “Expenditures on Children and Families” report said. As in the past, families in the urban Northeast will spend more than families in the urban South and rural parts of the United States, or roughly $282,480. When adjusting for projected inflation, the report found that a child born last year could cost a middle-income family an average of about $304,480.

Housing costs remain the greatest child-rearing expense, as they did in the 1960s. The USDA’s annual report, based on the government’s Consumer

Expenditure Survey, found families were consistent in how they spent their

FROM THE EDITOR One of these things in not like the other. Which one is different, do you know? Isn't it obvious? I'm the only one in the picture that hasn't worked for McDonald's. OK, there's one guy dressed like a clown. I'll count that as a right answer, too. Although I think everyone in the picture is a bit of a clown, with or without make-up. The picture was taken on the first day of Decatur Celebration while I was part of the clown protection squad for Ronald McDonald as he made his way around downtown. I know what you're thinking. Pretty easy gig. Not so fast. You wouldn't believe how many people want to have their picture taken with him and want to take a few minutes to chat. Ronald connects with nearly everyone on some level. Then there was an overzelous concessionaire who got by his highly trained guards, grabbed him by the arm and led him to her stand in an attempt to get his picture with her product. Great promotional attempt on her part. Unfortunately for her, Ronald McDonald is a one restaurant clown.

money across all categories from 2012 to 2013. The costs associated with pregnancy or expenses accumulated after a child becomes an adult, such as college tuition, were not included. In 1960, the first year the report was issued, a middle-income family could spend about $25,230, equivalent to $198,560 in 2013 dollars, to raise a child until the age of 18. Housing costs remain the greatest child-rearing expense, as they did in the 1960s, although current-day costs such as child care were negligible back then. For middle-income families, the USDA found, housing expenses made up roughly 30 percent of the total cost of raising a child. Child care and education were the second-largest expenses, at 18 percent, followed by food at 16 percent. Expenses per child decrease as a family has more children, the report found, as families with three or more children spend 22 percent less per child than families with two children. That’s because more children share bedrooms, clothing and toys, and food can be purchased in larger, bulk quantities.

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EXPECT MORE SPECIALISTS. EXPECT MORE EXPERTISE. EXPECT EXCEPTIONAL.

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

NO RUSH Financial plans take time to mature

Fred Spannaus . . . . . 16 Free Time calendar . . 18

Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 11 Office Coach . . . . . . . 11 Professional profile . . 10 SCORE counselor . . 15

• An experienced team of SIU School of Medicine urologists that offers the most comprehensive urology care in Decatur • Board certiﬁed vascular surgeons, providing all aspects of vascular care including minimally invasive treatments To find out how the specialists of St. Mary’s are making every day exceptional for our patients and our community, visit stmarysdecatur.com today.

Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 17

Expect EXCEPTIONAL.

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax) PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel GENERAL MANAGER: Gary Sawyer EDITOR: Scott Perry

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Health calendar . . . . 20

• Leading orthopedic experts, specializing in orthopedic surgery

ISSUE 9

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Business Clips . . . . . 16

• Our acclaimed team of gastroenterology specialists

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LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

September2014Contents Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 9

• The renowned cardiologists and heart experts at Prairie Heart Institute

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At St. Mary’s, we are committed to giving our patients access to the medical specialists they need. The list of experts who proudly call St. Mary’s home includes:

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Growing business The Secret Garden, which recently added a second location, is among this year’s Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce honorees Page 14

Inside BACK TO SCHOOL Changes greet area students

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Articles will not be returned. Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises Inc., DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. Copyright 2014 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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September 2014

New staff, technology for Decatur

Cover up and use repellent By JAMIE LOBER Business Journal Writer

By VALERIE WELLS Business Journal Writer

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

King-Lar Co. field superintendent Brian Lamb of Local 965, left, and King-Lar Co. Local 137 plumbers Matt Peters, back right, and Jason Cummings work on reconstructing manholes at the Eisenhower High School loading docks.

Decatur schools work progressing Eisenhower still has some issues By VALERIE WELLS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Finally, the science rooms at Eisenhower High School have flooring. A problem with moisture seeping up through the concrete last year made it impossible to lay the flooring in time for students to move in after winter break in January. The floors of the classrooms and corridors on the lowest level, including the Servery where students eat, remained bare concrete for the spring semester. Because the science tables and equipment were already in place, said project manager Phil Hazenfield, it was a complicated process for the installers to cut in the flooring around them and it took longer than it would have if they’d been able to lay flooring during the original renovation. “The flooring manufacturer has a relative humidity limit to applying to sur-

faces and the lower level exceeded that,” said Mike Sotiroff, buildings and grounds director for Decatur schools. “There are some other adhesives that will work in higher humidity areas and in one area, we did mitigation where it seals off part of the floor. We analyzed the situation and determined where we needed the extra high moisture adhesives and where we can use the normal adhesive.” The football field is ready for games, and a new practice field north of the playing field, with a newly cut swale, helps alleviate some of the former problems with water and mud sliding down the hill in heavy rain. “Before that, it was all draining this way and it would just gully wash and we’d have big ponds of mud,” Hazenfield said. The rubberized surface of the track, similar to what is already in place at Millikin University, can’t be applied unless the asphalt already there is dry and clean so the adhesive will work, much like the problem they had in the lowest level of the building. “We’ve had erosion problems and I’m still concerned about those,” Hazenfield said. “We have to redo the drainage so

September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Protect yourself against bugs when outdoors

YOUR COMMUNITY

DECATUR — After taking over as Decatur schools superintendent in March, Lisa Taylor has had time to settle into the job in time for the start of this school year, her first full year as superintendent. “We are excited about the start of the school year and we always want to capitalize on the momentum and energy from our staff and students. Once again we are anticipating higher than normal enrollment numbers. This is going to be another great year at Decatur public schools,” she said a few days before the first day of school, which was Aug. 18. Several new administraTaylor tors have joined the district. Eisenhower High School has a new principal, Michael Dugan. Edward Moyer is the new chief instructional officer. New assistant superintendents are Bobbi Williams, formerly director of special projects, and Tim Murrell, who was director of the Decatur Area Technical Academy a few years ago. Director of Human Resources is Mia Jackson Tyus, a Decatur native and product of Decatur schools. The search is under way for a new principal for MacArthur High School, also, after Rhonda Key resigned in August. Eisenhower kicks off one-to-one computing this year. Every student has been issued a MacBook Air device with an extra-sturdy padded carrying case. Students who paid a $75 insurance fee can take their devices home. Zach Shields, executive director of Decatur Public Schools Foundation, said that students who take the devices home will be able to use them for projects and learning separate from school, citing as an example the 21 Film Project. But even those that only use them at school will be developing technology skills that they will need for career and college, he added. The hope is that eventually textbooks will be entirely digital, which will make them less costly and easier to keep updated. “This is all part of the overall district initiative to transform classrooms into student-centered learning environments,” said Ed Moyer, chief instructional officer. “Students need to take ownership for learning and now they have the tools where they really can control their own access, and make judgments about whether information is valid or not, and effectively communicate to others what their findings are. It’s having these tools in the hands of every kid.”

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it’s not washing mud out over the track. We’re going to leave this (silt) fence up for some time, even though it’s something nobody wants to see, but until this grass gets established, we’re going to have to leave it here.” Another issue that has arisen at Eisenhower is the classroom heating and cooling units. In some of the rooms, it’s too hot or too cold all the time. Part of the issue there, Sotiroff said, is that the five-ton units are the wrong size for the rooms. Until testing can be done with the rooms being used by the students, they can’t fine-tune the units for more even temperatures. One possible solution is to replace the fiveton units with four-ton units and another possibility is to install duct work to more evenly distribute the air. Work is also progressing at MacArthur High School, with about half the work complete and on schedule to be finished by the end of November. Sotiroff said his department is working on specifications for furnishings so that delivery will be in time to have the building ready for students to return to after the three-week extended winter break.

Creepy crawlers aren't just limited to the movies. “We see more flying insects and spiders in the summer,” said Carolyn Wagner, family nurse practitioner at Hospital Sisters Health System Medical Group in Forsyth. You can never be too cautious. “Protect yourself if you are walking through a wooded area and think about ticks because they come out this time of year and we have the concern that some carry Lyme disease,” Wagner said. By having an action plan you can be prepared for the little critters. “Reducing your risk is the best thing you can do,” said Carol Carlton, director of clinical services at Macon County Health Department. A good way to start is by tidying up your own surroundings. “If you have a yard or area that has standing water in it, drain those areas so you avoid the collection of mosquitoes,” Wagner said. Take measures to protect your family. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended using a repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET for protection that lasts up to several hours. “You have to be cautious with regards to children and the percentage of DEET so you should read the label and talk to your pharmacist,” Wagner said. If you are using sunscreen, apply it first and the insect repellent second. Cover up. “If you are going to be cleaning areas that are dark like basements or garages, those are the areas that the brown recluse spiders like to hide so you should be cautious, do not put your bare hand in an area that you cannot see, wear work gloves and be on the alert,” said Wagner. Wearing proper attire such as long sleeves, pants and a hat can make a difference. If you are camping or sleeping outdoors, use a bed net. Know your body. “With bites usually there is redness and itching to the site and you should use cold compresses to the area,” Wagner said. Some bites are more aggravating than others. “If it starts to get redder or spread out you can use Benadryl or an antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream if it itches,” she said. Hands off. “The important thing is to avoid scratching because you could get a secondary infection,” Carlton said. Try to have some products on hand in case you get bitten. “Some people seem to react worse than other people but you could use calamine lotion or hydrocortisone

cream to help reduce the itching,” Carlton said . Know when you are in trouble. “If the area starts to look infected, becomes tender, larger and redder in size or has drainage that is discolored coming from the bite location, those are warning signs that we would want to see you,” Wagner said. All bites are not the same. “The spider bite can look a little angrier and we have brown recluses here,” Wagner said. Fortunately, doctors don't see brown recluse bites often though. “If somebody has a painful bite that is enlarging and red or starting to get a puss-looking material in the center

of it, they need to be seen,” Wagner said. Other ways to reduce your risk include bathing or showering as soon as you can after coming indoors and checking your body for ticks with a hand-held or full-length mirror so you can view everything. For those who may be traveling, bed bugs can be a concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked that people inspect their accommodations for bed bugs on mattresses, box springs, bedding and furniture; keep suitcases closed when they are not in use and try to keep them off the floor; keep clothes in your suitcase when you

are not wearing them; and inspect clothes before putting them back in your suitcase. While you may think a bug bite is no big deal, it is better to be safe than sorry. “When you are in doubt and worried and it does not look like it is resolving on its own, let us look and if it is not resolving within about 48 hours or if it is worsening, make an appointment,” Wagner said.

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(also online at www.thebusiness-journal.com) Nominees must be 50 years of age or older as of September 1, 2014. You may nominate more than one person, and you may nominate yourself. Nominees can either work OR live in Macon County. Nominations must be submitted by September 15, 2014 online at www.thebusiness-journal.com. Nominations may also be submitted via mail in care of The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523 or e-mailed to: sperry@herald-review.com

Nominator’s Name: Nominator’s Work Phone: Nominator’s E-mail: Nominator’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Name: Candidate’s Gender: M F Candidate’s E-mail: Candidate’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Work/Home Phone: Candidate’s Age: Candidate’s Occupation & Company: Awards/Honors Candidate has Received:

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September 2014

Community health calendar Support groups TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. For more information, go to www.topsclub.org or call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420. Helping Hands Bereavement for Children, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley, Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Breastfeeding support group, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8 and Sept. 22, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo Folami at (217) 464-2334. SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room G24. Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call (217) 464-2045.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. To register, call (217) 876-4377. Postpartum emotional support group, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. For information, call Flo at (217) 464-2334. Cardiopulmonary wellness group, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Classroom A. Register online or call (217) 876-2496. Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, Sept. 16, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561. For information, call (217) 464-2603. Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249.

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. For more information, call (217) 853-1655.

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at (217) 820-3096.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Lyme–MTHFR support group, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, Mari-Mann Herb Co. Inc., 1405 Mari Mann Lane. Call (217) 429-1555.

or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Brain tumor support group, 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Renewal bereavement support group, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Look Good, Feel Better, 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Cancer Care Specialists of Decatur Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Beauty techniques to female cancer patients.To register call, (217) 876-6600. Infant CPR Class, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, DMH Classrooms. Register online or call (217) 876-3400. Cardiopulmonary Risk Factors Education, 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, Decatur Memorial Hospital Cafe 1 and 2.Tips for a heart healthy lifestyle. Call (217) 876-2496.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Monthly dinner gathering. For location or to register, call Sister Chaminade Kelley at (217) 428-7733.

Classes Eat Right to Help the Fight, 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Nutrition class for cancer patients. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Sibling class, 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, St. Mary’s Hospital, OB Classroom. Children 3-12 learn about being a big brother or sister. For more information

Community Health Lecture Series, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, Decatur Public Library. The St. Mary’s Hospital community health lecture service provides an informational lecture from a local health care provider. This month will feature Mary Chrisler discussing memory and aging. For more information, call (217) 464-5125. St. Mary’s Hospital Community Education – For Diabetics: Breakfast with a Dietitian, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, Assisi Conference Room. Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, call (217) 464-2046.

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Renovations will convert schools By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

MACON — The long-awaited second phase of construction updating Meridian high school and middle school is under way. “It has been nonstop action this summer trying to get everything together at the high school,” Superintendent Dan Brue said. The middle school will be converted into elementary school classrooms for pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Additions and renovations will turn the former high school into the new middle school. A connecting hallway means the sixthto 12th-grade campus will share choir rooms, a kitchen area and library. “It’s cost-effective for us to have those rooms shared,” Brue said. The $45 million project is about 75 percent funded by the 1 percent increase in the Macon County sales tax dedicated to

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Meridian students gets hardhats and shovels prior to the groundbreaking for their new elementary school in Blue Mound. school facilities that was approved by voters in 2010, and the rest is from a state school construction grant.

Contractors Christy-Foltz for the middle school and Mid-States General and Mechanical for the elementary facility

had the lowest bids and were approved in June. Both are local contractors. “We’re excited about that because … a lot of the people who are going to be working on the building are parents in the Meridian School District,” Brue said. Phase one funded a new gym, kitchen, culinary lab and main hallway at the high school. Phase three will add athletic fields. Students will move into the elementary school by August 2015 and the middle school by 2016. That construction grant money might not have been available to Meridian but for the foresight of former Superintendent Frank Meyer, who told the board 10 years ago that Meridian should put its name on the list. “We said, but we don’t have the money,” said board President Vicki Carr, “and he said, if we get it and don’t have the money, we’ll just have to tell them no, thanks.” Carr is most looking forward to being able to offer community children more opportunities. “I’ve been on the board almost 12 years and we’ve been working for this forever, but we’re finally getting there,”

Mount Zion kicks off major building project Business Journal Writer

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Meridian begins phase two of construction

New football field, additional facilities Thursday, Oct. 2

September 2014

MOUNT ZION — With more than $19 million worth of construction taking place, school district officials look to enhance opportunities for students and the community. Improvement projects will be a regular occurrence at the Mount Zion High School for the next 18 months including work on the football field and the additions of the auditorium and fieldhouse facilities. Aiming for completion before the first home game Sept. 12, the football field is being transformed from grass to a sewnin turf surface. Before stitching the seams across the stadium, crews laid about 25 pounds of a rubber and sand mix to each square foot of the field. “If you do the math, that is a lot of rubber and sand to go around, and that’s what will hold the fibers straight up and make it a softer surface for the students,” Superintendent Travis Roundcount said. The field will alternate light green and dark green turf every 10 yards. Endzones will be painted red with “Braves” strewn across in white lettering, and the MTZ logo will be stamped across midfield.

The scoreboard will be moved to the north end of the field and will include a video display screen for playbacks and advertisements. New bleachers also will be added to the home section. Work began on the auditorium and fieldhouse additions in early August, and the facilities are scheduled to be operational in January 2016. The fieldhouse will have a 200-meter indoor track and four basketball courts. Once completed, physical education classes will be moved to the facility, which will also open up new opportunities for sports and extra curricular activities, high school Principal Kraig Garber said. “As these projects take form, I have said to myself multiple times that I wish I was able to use facilities like this when I was in school, so it really gets me excited for our kids,” he said. Once complete, Roundcount said he hopes to have the space open to the public for a period of time for those interested in walking on the track. The auditorium will contain mainlevel and balcony seating to accommodate up to 1,500 people, and including standing room, a maximum capacity of 2,000. “First, we want to make sure that we provide the best possible educational experience for our students, and having facilities such as these will certainly help foster that,” Garber said. “Also, as various industries and organizations in the Decatur area are often bringing in families from all over, we hope that

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Crew leader Bill Malia of Northeast Turf/ Eastern Builders prepares to install a yard marker in the new turf football field at Mount Zion High School. these facilities will appeal to them and help our school district and community continue to grow.” Though the high school contains the brunt of improvement projects for the district, Mount Zion Grade School has also had its share of construction work. The mobile classroom unit that had sat on school grounds for the past 20 years has been demolished, and a per-

manent structure of three classrooms and two bathrooms has been added to the existing building. Work is scheduled for completion in this month. “Everything will be part of the main structure, and we will no longer have worries of students running back and forth from building to building during tornadoes and severe weather,” Roundcount said.

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Local schools gear up for new year ARGENTA-OREANA The Argenta-Oreana School District has two new administrators for the 201415 school year, one familiar face and the other not so much. Decatur native Pat Blair is the new elementary principal after serving as middle school principal for four years and as seventh-grade history and computer teacher for 13 years before that. A 1984 graduate of Warrensburg-Latham High School, Blair also taught history for two years at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Decatur for two years before joining the Argenta-Oreana district. His replacement at the middle school is Amanda Ryder, a 2005 graduate of Monticello High School who taught English at St. Joseph-Ogden High School for the past five years. Additionally Dan Sheehan, assistant principal/athletic director for the middle school and high school, is taking on the duties of assistant elementary school principal this year.

CENTRAL A&M Learning the value of a dollar is a core educational requirement in the Central A&M School District. Day to day life in the district is about doing the best you can with what you have. One part of the calculation of extracting more from less was dividing one administrator into two jobs so the school district could multiply its number of buses. Which means Superintendent Kyle VonSchnase is now doubling up as the middle school principal in Assumption. He added the principal’s duties last school year to cut salary expenses and the math added up to two extra school buses. “Without having to hire another principal, we saved that money and were able to purchase two used school buses for this school year,” said VonSchnase. “The buses cost $54,000 each and had very low miles; it was a good deal.” And while other school districts spend big money on building new buildings, Central A&M concentrates on maintaining its existing facilities. The district recently spent more than $80,000 apiece to take care of tuck-pointing at Bond Elementary and the middle school in Assumption, and another $36,000 getting rid of asbestos tile at the high school in Moweaqua. What’s the view like from the student side of the classroom? Fifteen-year-old Moweaqua sophomore Emily Cassidy said students can’t help but notice they don’t have the gleaming buildings some of their peers enjoy. But she said the quality of her education is sound: “The teachers are really great,” she said.

CERRO GORDO The Cerro Gordo School District will once again face budget cuts from the state in 2014, with between a $100,000 and $150,000 total in cuts estimated by

Superintendent Brett Robinson. “When you already run a pretty lean budget, that’s challenging,” said Robinson, now in his ninth year. “At this time, we’re not looking at any program cuts, we’re just trying to see if we can tighten the belt one more notch and, if need be, we may have to consider tapping into our reserves.” The district ended up in the black last year after more cuts and corresponding staff reduction. Meanwhile, a combination of higher property values and lower enrollment led to this year’s reductions, according to the superintendent. “It’s a situation where it’s tough all over, everybody is getting less because there are less resources at the state level to go around,” he said. “It’s going to be challenging this year to stay in the black again, but we will do our best.” Otherwise, Robinson is hoping for business as usual. Staff turnover was very low since last year, with only two new teachers to the district this year. Construction and renovation were both minimal, with a new walk-in cooler/ freezer installed at the high school. New buses from Birch Bus Service in Bement also will be a fixture, as the new providers submitted the winning bid and will replace First Student buses.

MAROA-FORSYTH After what seemed like a quicker than usual summer, Maroa-Forsyth Superintendent Mike Williams is looking forward to the school year ahead. Until last year, Williams doesn’t remember taking seven snow days in at least the past decade. The district still has five emergency days built into its calendar, something Williams doesn’t anticipate changing unless more of a pattern develops. Williams said the summer consisted of the usual maintenance and cleaning but no major projects, leaving him ready for students to return to the classrooms. “We’re ready to roll,” he said. An uncertain budget situation continues to be of concern, Williams said. Nearly $450,000 in cuts were made for the year to deal with decreases in revenue. Williams said it is too late in the process to make further cuts for this year, but the district is awaiting information from the state to determine how much revenue to expect for its next fiscal year. New common core standards that require PARCC testing twice a year for grades 3 to 8 and some juniors will place a burden on the schools’ computer usage, Williams said. Testing will fill up all of the available computers, particularly in the middle school, he said. District officials aren’t looking to add more computers in the middle schools until plans are determined for replacing the aging middle school building, which Williams said could happen in the next 5 to 10 years. In the meantime, he plans to make do with what’s available and replace equipment as needed.

MERIDIAN Outside, the construction going on throughout the Meridian School District is apparent. But exciting changes also are happening inside. This year teachers are going through a 13-part series of technology training in anticipation for every middle and high school student having access to a tablet computer by the 2015-16 school year. Besides construction, Superintendent Dan Brue said the Meridian One-to-One Academy is their biggest project over the next several years. “The world that we live in is technology based,” Brue said. “The more that we can have our kids using it will help them in their post-secondary education or careers.” During professional development days, teachers will learn how to create a curriculum around the tablets. They will be able to assign homework and receive it digitally. The goal now is to make sure when the technology is available, it’s used wisely. “There’s always going to be students out there who are more tech savvy then staff members,” Brue said. “And that’s part of growing with this implementation.” Every classroom has SMART Boards, but technology use varies. “Every teacher uses technology to a different degree in the classroom at this time,” Brue said. “Any time we change from one model to a different one that’s always a challenge.” The tablet purchases, most likely Chromebooks, would be funded through a technology grant and student fees. Brue estimates they’ll need a little more than 550 tablets, and the district might consider more for younger grades. The tablets will be secured and have limited Internet access through the district’s firewall.

MOUNT ZION Though the Mount Zion school district is buzzing with excitement over facility improvement projects, cuts in state funding remain a vital concern. General state aid for the district has continued to decrease, totaling about $2 million less than four years ago, Superintendent Travis Roundcount said. “We’ve been tightening our belt to the point where we’re starting to get a stomachache,” he said. During the past few years, the district has been able to balance its budget despite receiving state funding at a prorated 89 percent, but if a change isn’t made soon, Roundcount said the district will have to make some difficult decisions and cutting expenditures. “While we’ve been fortunate to ride out the storm, we just need the storm to end at some point, and all of us want to see the economy pick back up soon,” he said. Last year, state aid decreased by about $500,000, and the district anticipates a heftier decline for the upcoming year.

Though state funding has dwindled, the district has been able to provide the schools with new classroom technology through the efforts of the Mount Zion Foundation for Quality Education. The foundation raised more than $80,000 last year for new equipment including SMART Boards, Ipads, laptops and microphones with instructional software. As the level of technology has changed in the district, so has its director of curriculum and technology. Among the staff changes for the school year is William Rockey, who replaced Karen Edwards as director in June. Rockey began with the district in 2006, serving as a teacher in the enrichment program for grades three through six.

SANGAMON VALLEY Valerie Janvrin always had butterflies on the first day of school, but not this year. “I knew I wouldn’t be with one group of students all year,” said Janvrin, the new principal of Harristown Elementary Schoo. “I’m looking forward to interacting with all the students. Jill Reedy left to be assistant regional superintendent of schools at the end of last school year, and Janvrin, who taught third grade at Harristown for 14 years, moved up to the principal’s position. Illiopolis Elementary School also has a new principal, Cody Trigg, formerly of the PORTA schools in Petersburg, said Superintendent Ernie Fowler. Sangamon Valley High School has a new set of bleachers on the football field, thanks to a state construction grant, replacing the old ones that were at least 50 years old, Fowler said. The new bleachers also are handicap accessible, something the district didn’t have before. Sangamon Valley started school Aug. 15 this year, a Friday, which might sound a bit unusual, but Fowler said last year, thanks to the nasty winter weather, the district used up all its emergency days and the school year didn’t end until late in May. To avoid a repeat of that, in case of another bad winter, the board decided to start school a little early. Teachers started work Aug. 14. “We thought, let’s just go ahead,” Fowler said. “If we’re going to bring the teachers in, let the kids come, too, and then they’ll have the weekend (off) and start again on Monday and we’ll be off and running.”

WARRENSBURGLATHAM Freshman at Warrensburg-Latham High School are about to become 21st century digital boys and girls this fall. The district has entered a pilot program to provide Google Chromebooks to its freshman class, as well as adding mobile Chrome labs which can be brought into classrooms.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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YOUR HEALTH

Involve children in your emergency plan Prepare for storms, evacuations By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Notebooks, check. School physical, check. Emergency plan, check. With students returning to school, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is encouraging families to include emergency preparedness in their back-toschool plans. Emergencies can range from tornadoes or fires to a traffic collision on the way to school, but John Weibull, the emergency preparedness manager for Macon County, said communication is key to a plan. During storms, cellphone towers may go down, or roads to the school may be blocked. “You just have to think, ‘how would I contact my child if something were to happen?’ ” Weibull said. The Decatur School District code of conduct and parent handbook notes that during any school emergency, parents are immediately notified. Under state law, parents are required to provide working telephone numbers for two

other adults if the parents are not available. Many college campuses offer email and text message alerts. “Parents should be aware of the

method the school will notify them by,” Weibull said. Emergency planning should start at a young age. Children should be informed

of where an emergency kit is and what it’s for without scaring them. Review evacuation plans and meeting locations with your child. “If you have a small child,” Weibull said. “You can included them in the planning.” The American Red Cross recommends: n Talk to your child’s teacher or principal about the school’s emergency plan and how you will be notified if an emergency happens at the school. Make sure your emergency contact information is current. n Know where your child will be taken during an evacuation. n The IEMA recommends preauthorizing a friend or relative with the school to pick up children in an emergency. n Remind your child that the most important thing they can do if an emergency happens at school is to stay calm and listen to the direction of their teachers. n Tape a copy of your family’s contact numbers and meeting places to the inside of a binder or notebook and in their book bag. Write down important medical information, a doctor’s office number or medication needs, on a readily available card.

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September 2014

YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Arts in Central Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. Includes art activities for kids. A preview night will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Anne Lloyd Gallery: The Photography of Gil Lebois. Meet the artist reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5. Call (217) 423-3189. www.decturarts.org Gallery 510: Jewelry artist Tina Sekimi. A meet the artist reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5. Call (217) 422-1509. Decatur Airport: Oil paintings by Nicole Christianson. Decatur Public Library: Artwork by Leta Burch.

Music Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Featured performer is violinist Tai Murray. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

On Stage Kirkland Fine Arts Center: American English, Friday, Sept. 5; The Hit Men, Saturday, Sept. 13; John O'Conor, Sunday, Sept. 14; Sierra Boggess, Saturday, Oct. 11. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Comedian Rocky Laporte, Friday, Sept. 12, at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, call (217) 422-6161.

Charity events Fido Scurry, to benefit the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center and Decatur Park District's Fido Fields, 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, Fairview Park Pavilion No. 1. Includes a 5K or 1 mile run/walk, pet parade and costume contest. Call (217) 423-7387. Kick N Asphalt, to benefit Easter Seals, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel. For more information, call (217) 429-1052 ext. 110 or go to www.kicknasphaltdecatur.com Cruise 11 to Remember 9/11, Sunday, Sept. 7, in Central Park to raise funds to for American Legion Post 105 Christmas Gifts for Veterans in Need program. There will be a car show in downtown, with a cruise of an 11-mile route at 3 p.m. There also will be a memorial service and salute to those who serve our country and community at 2:30 p.m. For information, call (217) 791-1385.

Shoreline Classic, Sunday, Sept. 21, Nelson Park Main Pavilion. This Tot Trot, 5K run/walk or 15K run benefits local and high school running programs. To register visit, www.shorelineclassic.com. Betsy Smith 5K Run/Walk, to benefit Macon County CASA, 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at St. Mary’s Hospital. For more information, go to www.thebetsyrun.com Brew Ha Ha, to benefit The Decatur Area Arts Council, 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the street outside the Madden Arts Center, 125 N. Water St. Includes a Taste of Germany (beer and food) and music. Call (217) 423-3189. Prairie Pedal, 7 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Rock Springs Nature Center. This 20, 40 or 62 mile route through quiet country roads benefits the natural area preservation projects at Macon County’s conservation areas. Go to www.maconcountyconservationfoundation.org. Walk to End Alzheimer's, to benefit the Alzheimer's Association on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Forsyth Village Park, Forsyth. Ceremony at 9:30 a.m., walk begins at 9:45 a.m. Call (217)801-9352.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois: Family Friday on Sept. 5; Family Science Sunday on Sept. 14; World Wide Day of Play on Saturday, Sept. 20; and Pumpkin Palooza on Saturday, Sept. 27. Call (217) 423-5437. Scovill Zoo: Grandparent's Day on Sunday, Sept. 7; Family Camp Out at Scovill Zoo on Friday, Sept. 12. Call (217) 421-7435. Movies in the Park. View “Dispicable Me 2” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Fairview Park Pavilion 1. For information, call (217) 422-5911. The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes during the month. So many, in fact, that there are too many to list. Go to www.maconcounty conservation.org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

Misc. Decatur Civic Center: Decatur Train Fair, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21.

Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@herald-review.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

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Parochial schools making changes DECATUR CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Decatur Christian School teachers usually begin a new school year with a day of in-service training. This year, they did that as usual, but they also added a trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky. “We decided that what we really ought to do is look at some of the foundational pieces of who we are,” said Superintendent Randy Grigg. “We’re trying to consciously train people to develop a biblical worldview and we want to go to the Creation Museum to try to reinforce that.” Some members of the staff attended Christian colleges and universities, he said, but some, like Grigg, went to secular institutions. If they’re going to teach students from a faith perspective, he said, they need to have a firm grasp of why they believe what they do and how to present lessons with that faith foundation. “We’re looking at everything through the lens of the biblical worldview, and we want to reinforce that, even with old guys like me,” Grigg said. Grigg said the school’s motto is “Equipping warriors through excellence, relationships and service” – the school’s team name is Warriors, also – and that the past two years focused first on excellence and then on relationships. This year the focus will be on service. “I have some things we’re going to roll out to staff,” Grigg said. “Serving our friends, serving our pastors, serving the community, serving our neighbor, serving our country, those kinds of themes. We’ll do this month by month.” Elementary Principal Tanya Calendo has left the school for a new position in Arizona, so for this year remaining administrators will cover those duties. The staff has just completed a fiveyear strategic plan that will be put into practice with this school year, and they’re also working on accreditation

Continued from page 6 Superintendent Kristen KendrickWeikle said the hope is that the new technology will help students improve their academic performance, as well as improve their level of engagement and collaboration with other students and teachers. “When you look at the 21st century skills that kids need to learn, it’s a lot about collaboration and finding information online and determining whether it’s valid or untrustworthy,” Kendrick-Weikle said. “It’s not so much memorizing as it was before, it’s more about problemsolving and looking at real-world issues and being able to discuss why it’s happening and what can be done.”

by the Association of Christian Schools International. Decatur Christian is already accredited by the state of Illinois. Grigg said he hopes to complete the additional work this year.

LUTHERAN SCHOOL ASSOCIATION The Lutheran School Association began the school year with some longawaited upgrades to its athletic facilities. Red bleachers have been installed on the home side of the football field just in time for the LSA High School to begin competing in the Little Okaw conference. “Now we can seat 500 spectators on the home side of the field,” said Executive Director Kyle Karsten. “We have some temporary sets of bleachers we’ll be able to use on the visiting side and have at the baseball/softball field. So we’re pretty excited.” This summer volunteers, which included student athletes, worked on the installation of the baseball/softball field, which now has been sodded and has a backstop. Poles have been put in for the netting and work continues to finish the sidewalk and pad behind the backstop. Tablet computers are in the hands of every student from grade seven through high school. A few more textbooks and apps will be loaded on those devices this year, and wireless technology is used in all classes. “The thing that is the umbrella over all this, that I think is most important, is the renewed focus on our mission around relationships,” Karsten said. “Relationships with faculty and administration, with parents and students, really living out the faith that we have in this Christian school.” The entire staff, including maintenance, coaches and office staff, attended an in-service on the topic of sharing their faith, and the speaker helped

Among the benefits of the Chromebooks are the ability to work on Google devices, such as Google Documents, that will allow the students to work on the same documents even if they are not in the same area. Along with developing a collaborative spirit, Kendrick-Weikle is hopeful the program also will prepare students for online classes. The Chromebooks are for the students to use throughout the school year, but will be given back to the district at the end of the year. If the program is successful, Kendrick-Weikle said they will continue to provide Chromebook to later freshman classes, until every student in the high school has a Chromebook during the school year.

them learn to be more open about their beliefs, and to incorporate those values into every class, said math teacher Daniel Gibson, who is beginning his second year at the school. In addition, the LSA High School has added advanced placement science and history to its AP English course and is working with Richland Community College for dual credit classes. “I’m more optimistic about the start of school this year than any school year we’ve ever had,” Karsten said.

ST. TERESA HIGH SCHOOL Visitors to St. Teresa High School who enter by the gymnasium door will be greeted by a very large bulldog with a ferocious expression. Fear not. He’s an inanimate but impressive mascot on a rolling cart, thanks to one of the generous donors who have helped make St. Teresa’s new athletic additions a reality. Public school districts can raise taxes when facilities are in need of an upgrade, said Principal Ken Hendriksen, who used to be superintendent of Mount Zion schools, but parochial schools have to find donors.

“This is a facility that St. Teresa’s needed for years,” Hendriksen said. “We used to call the old locker rooms ‘the dungeon.’ This is an upgrade that’s going to be great for all the kids here.” The upgrade, phase three of a longterm capital development plan, includes a new weight room that is the site of new physical education classes, devoted to fitness and conditioning; three new locker rooms, one each for the boys and girls and one devoted to sports teams; offices for coaches and trainers; and storage in the basement. The parking lot has been resurfaced and striped by Dunn Co. Head football coach Tim Brilley will teach the conditioning classes, open to all students, and the weight room includes stationary cycles and ellipticals, as well as weight racks. “We’re painting (the weights) orange to make them pop,” Brilley said with a grin. Blue and orange are St. Teresa’s colors. Phases one and two of the project were the science wing that includes an all-purpose room, and upgrading the older part of the building to install air conditioning. Phase four, which Hendriksen said is not even on the drawing board yet, will upgrade the outdoor facilities, moving the football field and installing a track.

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September 2014

Millikin welcomes larger freshmen class Retention rate for sophomores up By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — More familiar faces are greeting the start of the 2014-15 year at Millikin University as the institution moves toward a more solid financial footing. A full 83 percent of last year’s freshmen are back for their sophomore year, compared to an average retention rate of 69 percent for small liberal arts colleges and a 76 percent freshman-to-sophomore retention rate for Millikin one year ago. This was accomplished by the Office of Student Development even in the face of a 3.5 percent increase in tuition – Millikin’s first tuition increase since the 2011-12 year. Patrick White, the university’s leader

since he was named interim president July 1, 2013, and the institution’s 15th president three months later, said raising the tuition was a difficult decision but one that had to be made. “While we’re among the least expensive private schools in our conference and in the state, we realize we’re not selling Millikin University on cost only but on the value of what we offer,” White said. The university is also welcoming a larger freshman class than it did the year before — about 490, up from 455 — despite a transitional period in its recruitment efforts. Lin Stoner, dean of admissions from 1987 until his retirement in 2005, returned to Millikin in December following the resignation of Joseph Havis, former director of admission. White has said the change is giving him a chance to “rethink the position” as he puts together his administrative team. The new president has most of his

Richland campus continues to grow Construction crews busy with projects By RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Construction crews won’t be leaving the Richland Community College campus anytime soon. Though some long-term projects are approaching completion, others have just begun. The Workforce Development Institute, which spans 45,000 square feet and serves as the centerpiece of a $16 million facility improvement project, is set to be fully operational this month. The facility will be home to the the college’s auto body, auto technology, diesel technology and building trades programs. The fitness and wellness center also will be relocated to the institute. “It’s exciting to see a project that was conceptualized in 2009 come to fruition,” said Greg Florian, vice president of finance and administration. “With the new space and programs, I think it entices students to get the first-hand experience needed to start their careers.” Around mid September, the Culinary Arts Institute, which received national accreditation from the American Culinary Federation in July, will begin operating the restaurant Bistro Five Thirty Seven. Once open, the student-run restaurant will be available for lunch and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

During the same time period, construction work is scheduled to be completed with the expansion of the Adele P. Glenn Early Childhood Education Center, which will be able to accommodate more children and provide more space for teachers and Heartland Technical Academy students. The center will open following recertification from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Demolition work has begun for the welding lab expansion, which will increase the number of training stations from 14 to 34. Florian anticipates the project’s completion in late November. Another project in its early phases is the Student Success Center, a $4.6 million initiative which will consolidate all core services to one area. Once the bidding process is complete, offices will be moved to other buildings throughout campus starting in October with work set to begin in December.

players in place, however, with the word “interim” disappearing most recently from the titles of Stoner; Ruby Brase, vice president of finance and business affairs; and Susan Kruml, dean of the Tabor School of Business. More importantly, the new provost Jeff Aper started work July 1. A former provost at Blackburn College, Aper is already working with other leaders at Millikin to strengthen the university’s offerings. He hopes to expand Professional Adult Comprehensive Education, or PACE, program in terms of the number of degrees offered and adding online classes. Already paying dividends is the secondary advisory program started last year by Raphaella Prange, dean of stu-

dent development. The program pairs at-risk students, wherever they are in their academic careers, with staff members to help them overcome obstacles to succeeding at Millikin. “Like anything else, you want to frontload your efforts (with freshmen) so that you continue to see a positive change as you move forward,” Prange said. The start of the school year also comes on the heels of record donations to the Millikin Fund for the year ending June 30. With $2,683,000 in cash donations and $2.723 million in total commitments, the total surpassed the previous record of a little more than $2.5 million set in 2009. Each year, nearly $30 million is earmarked to provide scholarships to deserving students, and the university’s annual fund helps meet this need. “I see a renewed energy and a realistic optimism as we head into the year,” White said. “It’s time to stop worrying about the past and get going on our future.”

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TECHTALK

The pros and cons of ‘bring your own app’ Most businesses have heard of BYOD by now. That’s “bring your own device,” and it refers to the fast-growing trend of employees bringing personally owned smartphones, tablets and other devices into the workplace. Along with the BYOD trend, we’re now seeing BYOA, which stands for “bring your own app.” Employees who use mobile, cloud-based apps in their personal life are turning to these for business use. The biggest advantage: productivity. The biggest concern: security.

Can you avoid it? Unless you have extremely rigid security policies in place, or a very tech-phobic team, your employees are almost certainTechnology ly using their own devices and apps already. If you aren’t sure, ask them. Find out what phones and tablets they use, what applications they like, and what they use for work. Most people start by accessing company email on their personal devices, or adding it to their Gmail account. As for apps, the most common examples include Evernote for note taking and record keeping; Dropbox for file sharing; Skype for chat, phone and video calls; Google Docs for email, document editing and storage; and many more. Since people are so accustomed to these apps, it’s easy to start using them for business. Maybe there’s a document they want to work on from home (Dropbox/Google Docs), or they need to connect to a co-worker while traveling (Skype), or they want to keep detailed notes in meetings (Evernote). Most people wouldn’t think twice about using apps like these to get their work done, especially if it’s easier than using whatever tools are provided by your company.

Wendy Gauntt

Managing it You can take one of three approaches: block it, ignore it or embrace and guide it. Given the productivity benefits for employees, it doesn’t make sense to block it. If you ignore it, you are taking a huge gamble on security. That leaves one answer: embrace this trend, and guide it so that you still gain all the benefits while managing business risk. For email, decide whether it is acceptable for staff to access it on personal devices. This isn’t as simple as it sounds. For example, hourly employees who read company email after hours should get paid for that time, so HR needs to be closely involved in these discussions. Also you need to decide how to handle email security in the event of a termination. The best practice is to cre-

ate a BYOD policy that gives the employer “right to wipe” if an employee is terminated, to protect the security of company information. That means you can remotely delete all the data from their personal devices. If you go this route, you need to decide what tools you will use to enforce this policy. If you find people are regularly using file-sharing services, that’s an indication that remote access to company files is inconvenient to use. Either improve remote access capabilities, or consider moving your company file storage to one of these services. Nearly all the major file sharing services have affordable business editions. The business versions have improved security and management features over the consumer versions. Is Skype popular in your company? That means it’s time to explore video conferencing. Skype has a premium version, or you can check out other tools such as Gotomeeting.com. Video calls are more productive than conference calls, because if someone gets distracted you can see they are doing other things. They can’t simply put you on mute. Tools that help employees manage todo lists and note taking tend to be based on individual preferences, so these are not areas where it makes sense to dictate company policies around which apps are acceptable. Just be sure your

staff is saving company information in the appropriate places for record keeping, and they don’t keep valuable data that you need on personal devices that you can’t control or secure.

Maintaining security There are many aspects of security that you need to consider. First, there is risk of viruses and malware from employees downloading files from uncontrolled locations. Many companies with strong security measures in place have been undone by an employee innocently checking their personal webmail at work and clicking on an infected email attachment. That virus can easily slip onto the servers and wreak havoc. Unless you are monitoring network traffic very carefully, you have no way to know what files employees may introduce to your network and whether they are virus-free. If an employee loses a device with company data on it, make sure that device is encrypted and locked so that your data is protected. This holds true for company-provided devices as well. Some devices can be tracked using GPS, and you can install tracking tools or require employees to use them. If devices are being retired, including employees’ home PCs, make sure data is destroyed and is unrecoverable.

Consider offering a company electronics recycling program so that you can ensure data destruction takes place. If you are subject to regulatory compliance requirements, security is an especially serious concern. Data that is properly secured inside your network can be taken outside your network on a mobile device or cloud-based app, and that can put you at risk for regulatory issues. Review your data to determine what’s at risk and how to protect it. There are a variety of technology tools that can help protect you, and these are crucial to a strong security policy. This includes everything from antivirus to web filters to tracking tools. However, the best way to manage security is by setting clear policies that are communicated and reinforced regularly. Provide security-awareness training to your team to help them better understand how to avoid issues and protect their (and your) information. Provide guidance on what apps are acceptable and how they can be used. Explain what data is protected by regulatory requirements. Make it clear that data security is a priority for the company.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her website at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

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September 2014

Process relies on accurate employee reviews Meg rushed into Kyle’s office and stood by his desk. “Hey, Boss,” she said. “Can I grab a few minutes of your time?” “Let’s do that now,” responded Kyle. “Want the door shut? What’s up, Meg?” After closing the door, Meg sat down and faced her manager. “Kyle,” she started hesitantly, “I really think we’ve come to the end of the road with Mikey.” “Oh, it’s about Mikey. What’s the deal?” Meg went over the history of her Human Resources problems with Mikey, who worked under her supervision. She’d been trying for two years to bring Mikey’s performance up to par, but it wasn’t happening. She recited the litany of complaints

Fred Spannaus

Park district announces changes DECATUR — The Decatur Park District has announced two changes to its team. Stacey Young has been selected as the newest member of its board. Young, 36, replaces longtime Commissioner Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer, who is moving out of the district. The community relations coordinator for Ameren Illinois is a member of the Grow Decatur initiative, and a board member of the Rotary Club and United Way of Decatur and Mid Illinois. This will be her first time serving in an elected position, and she plans to seek election to the post when the term expires in April. “(I am) Decatur born and raised, have worked in the community, my family is from this community, and even after graduating college, I came back to this community because I know that the connection here is strong, and there’s great opportunity for growth in this community,” she said. “I’m truly an activist, and I truly believe in what we can do here in Decatur if we stick together.” The district also has announced the promotion of Jamie Gower to director of recreation and facilities. Gower is responsible for the overall operation of recreation, fitness, and sports facilities, as well as the districts recreation programming. He replaces Becky Newton.

she’d received from Mikey’s co-workers, the missed deadlines, the endless stream of excuses, the come-late-leave-early patterns. “So Meg, nothing’s improved?” inquired Kyle. “Still at point zero, Boss. Think it’s time to cut him loose.” Rotating to his computer screen, Kyle said, “You’re right; two years is more than enough time for him to show us something. Just let me check his evaluations to make sure there’s a good trail. The PDF should be …right here.” “Uh, Kyle, I’ve gotta say, the evals won’t help our cause.” Kyle looked up from the screen. “Boy, I see that’s the truth. Let’s see … meets expectations … exceeds expectations … ‘Mikey is doing well’ … ‘Mikey has shown great growth recently’ … another exceeds … What the heck, Meg?” Meg’s eyes scanned the framed certificates behind the desk. “I didn’t want to give him a bad evaluation, Boss. That would have hurt his feelings, and no

telling what he might have done with that. It just would have led me into a rathole of his excuses and arguments. So I just let it slide, y’know.” “Well, Meg. This makes it a lot harder to let him go. Let me give it some thought and get back to you in a day or two.” He arose from his swivel chair, signaling the meeting was ended. “Thanks for dropping by.” You know what Kyle did then. This scene plays out every day. A manager wants to terminate an employee, but the employee has a record of clean performance ratings on every formal evaluation. He fumed under his breath at Mikey for causing this problem. Then he steamed as he considered Meg, who lacked the courage to give Mikey honest performance appraisals. How could she be so careless, he mused. Now he would need to cover her tracks. Next, he called HR and asked them what he could do to get Mikey fired. But while he’s looking around for people to blame, Kyle could look in the mir-

ror. This went on for at least 24 months. What was Kyle doing all this time? Here’s what he should have been doing: When Kyle conducted performance appraisals on Meg, he should have been discussing how well (or rather, how poorly) Meg conducted performance appraisals for her direct reports. Confused? Let me de-confuse you. Meg is a supervisor. One of the expectations of supervisors is that they should conduct performance appraisals that are accurate, objective and timely. She has not been doing that. Kyle is Meg’s supervisor. So he should have been conducting an annual performance appraisal for her that is accurate, objective and timely. And one factor in that evaluation should have been how well she evaluates her employees. Really, it’s kind of simple. Raters need to be rated on their ability to rate.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

BUSINESS CLIPS

Achievements

Announcements

Nicole Wright of Family Royals Inc. recently completed training for dog grooming. Richland Community College is the first community college in the state to receive Wright the Ready to Respond Campus designation from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. Scott Rueter was awarded the first Bruce Robert Jacobs Award by the Illinois Association of Public Defenders. Busey Bank has received StormReady accreditation from the National Weather Service.

Randy Rogers of Peerless Cleaners Inc. recently Phillips completed Applied Structural Drying at Hydro Lab, Noblesville, Ind., and passed his Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification for this course.

Promotions Ashton Drury has been promoted to credit officer in the Commercial Banking Division of Hickory Point Bank.

Louise “Wegi” Stewart of The Community Foundation of Macon County has joined the Donors Forum of Chicago Board of Directors. Dr. John C. Lee participated in the Multiphasic Cataract Surgery Phacoemulsification Course at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Stewart

David W. Fedor has been elected to the board of directors of Soy Capital Bank and Trust Company and SCB Bancorp Inc. Weber

Fedor Larry W. Foster of Foster Financial Services Inc. attended the Leaders meeting of MassMutual Financial Group in San Francisco, Calif. Foster

Drury

Houk

Preston

Musumeci

Pfeifer

Spain

Lashmar

Lee

Dave Weber of Busey Bank has been reappointed to the Illinois Bankers Association Board of Directors.

Rueter

Chris Phillips of Land of Lincoln Credit Union has been named a Trailblazer 40 Below by Credit Union Times magazine.

New staff members

Robert Cook and James Zimmer have been selected to serve on the First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Board of Directors.

Dansig Insurance welcomed Jennie Houk as a commercial insurance customer service representative and Tracey Preston as a personal lines insurance account executive. Walter Musumeci has joined Busey Wealth Management as portfolio management specialist. Patrick Pfeifer has been named community senior vice president at Soy Capital Bank and Trust. Sheri Spain has joined Summit Tax and Accounting LLC in Decatur and Insight CPAs and Financial LLC in Bloomington as marketing director. Melody Lashmar has been named executive vice president of FirsTech Inc.

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September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

BIZ BITES

Now open The LaGondola Spaghetti House restaurant on North Water Street in Decatur now has a new rival next door at 2855 N. Water St., but it’s all in the family. The latest kid on the block is LaPizza & Wings, owned by Tony Couri and his wife, Mary Beth. Tony Couri and business partner, Richard LaHood, own the LaGondola at that location and the LaGondola restaurant on the east side of Decatur. Couri said he tapped into some of the pizza ideas of LaHood for the new restaurant, basing it off other restaurant operations LaHood runs in Peoria and Bloomington. And Mary Beth Couri had a major gastronomic role, too, with salad dressings, hot sauces and pizza sauce recipes influenced by her expertise. Couri said he has long had his eye on going after a bigger slice of the customer pie. “I always felt like a lot of my customers are doing our Italian one night but they are going somewhere else another night for pizza,” he said. “I thought ‘Well, why can’t we do pizza?’ ” The new restaurant offers thin crust and deep pan pizzas, with all ingredients prepped from scratch. The same applies for chicken wings and tenders, hot and mild sauces, salad dressings, and house specialties such as deep-fried mushrooms and ravioli and “buffalo fries,” which are fries covered with mild or hot buffalo sauce. LaPizza & Wings is open 3-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, for walk-in or phone carryout orders. Phone orders are preferred because from scratch cooking takes a little more time. Call (217) 8752555. nnn After 30 years in the industry, Steve Hines recently became his own boss with the opening of Air-Temp Heating and Cooling. Located at 224 W. Cerro Gordo St., the business offers 24-hour service. Establishing his own business allows Hines to work as project manager, estimating jobs and ordering equipment. The company’s experienced service crew handles much of the work, he said. Call (217) 423-2665. nnn The Parlor Tattoos & More is a new business that wants to make you feel good about yourself. Business partners Travis Simpkins and John Farr are experienced tattoo artists and Simpkins said a good tattoo is therapy for the soul. “You just feel so much better when you walk out and you’ve got a great new tattoo,” said Simpkins, who has 17 years experience and recently ran Southpaw Tattoo in Mount Zion. He said they specialize in custom work. “You think it, we’ll ink it,” he added. The new business is at 102 S. Oakland Ave. near Millikin University. Parlor Tattoos also offers piercings and plans to carry skateboards, stickers

and other accessories. The business is open 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1-10 p.m. Saturday and other times by appointment. Call (217) 413-8427. nnn No time to go to Arthur for Amish treats? You can satisfy that particular sweet tooth in Decatur now that the Jacob Lambright family has opened Sunrise Bakery next to Dollar Tree at 2022 S. Mount Zion Road. “We don’t use any preservatives, other than salt and sugar,” the patriarch said. “This is a business our whole family could do together to serve the Decatur community.” Jacob and Rosemary Lambright have relocated from Arthur to Decatur with their five children, ages 15 to 5, and are busy baking up breads, cookies, pies, pastries and more. The bakery is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday. Call (217) 543-3461.

Hot spot Decatur’s King’s Plaza is abuzz with new tenants moving in and existing tenants moving into larger location. From One Mother to Another, a children’s consignment clothing shop, has new owners and at a new location. Michelle and Mark Bartlett of Decatur bought the business in June and recently moved it one door south to more spacious quarters. New accessories for children have been added to the shop’s inventory, which has historically included maternity clothing as well as children’s sizes infant to 14-16. Regular shop hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more, find the shop on Facebook or call (217) 864-3099. nnn Studio B for the Performing Dancer is gaining more room to move. The dance studio has added a fourth studio to its complex, taking over space formerly occupied by a neighboring business. Studio B owner Becki Sadomytschenko said there was a pressing need for the extra room. “We’ve grown so much we had classes that have gotten too large for the teachers to really feel comfortable,” explained Sadomytschenko. “We try to limit it to 12 to 15 in a class and we were ending up with 22 in a class.” Studio B teaches a full range of dance styles, from ballet to jazz, tap, lyrical and hip-hop, and also offers yoga classes. And there are sessions on Sunday for children with disabilities. Call (217) 422-1269. nnn Good Naber Specialty Foods has relocated from Mount Zion to larger quarters in King’s Plaza. Diana Janowiak of Mount Zion, who co-owns the business with her sister Nancy Goss of Columbus, Ind., said she’s able to carry a larger selection of

gluten-free foods, as well as some rice-, corn- and dairy-free items, and can now hold gluten-free support group meetings on site. Good Naber is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. For more, visit or call (217) 864-1379.

Expanding Temmen Advanced Eyecare is making it easier for patients to visit them on the north side of Decatur. The business has opened a location at 133 E. Barnett Ave. in Forsyth, giving patients the option to visit them there or at the main office, 1505 W. Main St. in Mount Zion. Dr. Camda Temmen said they’ve been considering an additional location for nearly three years and found the opportunity when a vacancy opened up in what had been a doctor’s office. The Forsyth location required little in terms of layout changes to have it ready, she said. The biggest challenge has been using all the technology that is available, she said. The computer system between the two offices is connected, making for efficient communication, Temmen said. Similar technology for testing is available in both locations, although not all of it can be doubled up just yet, Temmen said. Temmen plans to be in the Forsyth office 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, with Dr. Jodie Wadsworth there 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday. It will also be open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every other Saturday for order pick-ups and other services. Dr. Tim Busey will be adding hours in Forsyth to his scheduled, too. Go to www.temmeneyecare.com or call (217) 864-3221 for more information about either location. nnn Scarlett Wells found a market two years ago for selling fabric online. Business has been booming with what she considers one of the largest active fabric shops on Facebook. If she had her way, Wells would have kept working from home. But she found an opportunity to establish a retail shop and made the most of it. The Fabric Cobbler has opened at 324 E. Ruehl St. Wells is a 31-year-old disabled Army veteran who doesn’t want her injuries to continue dragging her down while having three young children to support. “I want to be a participating member of the economy,” she said. “This is becoming a beautiful thing. It’s amazing to be able to do it.” The store has several types of fabric to choose from, with popular designs for children as Wells has found a resurgence of parents making clothes. Wells already is reconsidering her options for fitting all the fabric that is available into the building while not making it feel cluttered. A play area will be available in the

store for children as Wells knows how helpful that can be when shopping. Store hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays by appointment with plans to ease into weekend hours, Wells said. Call (217) 853-4629. nnn The Hidden Lair in Mount Zion now has its game on in a bigger lair. The store that sells and hosts board games, role-playing games and game tournaments just moved into a remodeled 1,500-square-foot building twice as big as its old location, but not far away. Hidden Lair owner Derrick Bradshaw said the business relocated to an existing building at the back of its lot and still has the same 320 N. Illinois 121 address. “Before, we could support about 25 people playing in an event,” Bradshaw said. “But we were also getting extra people coming in plus people coming in to buy stuff and it was really packed. Now we can host somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 people comfortably with lots of elbow room.” Tournaments can feature anything from Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh and many more. The Hidden Lair is open 2:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 10 a.m to 10 p.m. Sunday. Call (217) 864-1851 or go to www.TheHiddenLair.com.

It’s official After 45 years in Decatur, Archer Daniels Midland Co. has completed the move of its corporate office to Chicago. The agricultural processing company said about 70 employees will be based in its global headquarters and customer center at 77 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 4600, in downtown Chicago. Of those workers, it said 50 will be moving from Decatur and the rest will be new hires. The details of the move ended up being about what local officials in Decatur expected based on what they had been told starting nearly a year ago. “I don’t like losing anybody,” Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy said. “I would hope we could have kept them all, but I understand in business it doesn’t matter what you think or hope. If ADM is successful, then Decatur is successful. I wish them nothing but the best.” Even with the shift of its corporate office to the north, ADM plans to maintain a significant presence in Decatur. It plans to keep Decatur as its North American base of operations, with two of the largest processing facilities in the company’s global network and single largest community of employees. ADM, which employs about 31,000 people worldwide, has about 4,400 employees in Decatur.

If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@heraldreview.com or call them at (217) 421-6979.

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September 2014

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ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR

YOUR CAREER

Meet Zach Shields Executive director of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation Hometown: Columbus, Ohio. It probably hurts in terms of local fundraising, but my full disclosure to new donors is always, ‘Yes.’ I am a Buckeye fan. Big time. Family: Wife, Julienne, and children, Athena, Caius, Hadrian and Noah. Julienne studied the classics and archaeology. Hence the unusual names. Also, a dozen horses. Education: Miami University, Oxford, Ohio My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker would read? My ACTUAL bumper sticker says United States Equestrian Federation. So I’ll go with “I’d rather be at a horse show.” Or maybe just “at the farm.” I’m already frequently doing what I like to be doing. Hobbies/interests: I studied creative writing and also cinema in school, and still think of myself first as a writer. I’ve done feature articles for a local magazine since 2001 and always have a book project or short story on the backburner. We have a historic farm property with a 1919 Craftsman home and a billion hardwood trees around it. So between that and a separate horse farm, our whole day-to-day existence is a hobby. My first job: Apprenticeship with a horse trainer. In truth, I did work with the young horses some, but mostly I cleaned a lot of stalls. Earning your stripes is a universal rite of passage. Why I do what I do: I have the very best job in the world. For 10 or 11 years I’ve worked in development activities to raise funds that go directly to help young people. For about nine years that meant supporting mentoring for at-risk kids. Since I joined the Foundation, it means supporting academic enrichment activities that engage students in exploratory learning. Personal approaches to challenges: Challenges are like unpleasant people. They’re out there, you’re going to run into them, but if you pay attention you can learn from the encounter. Community involvement: I was a Big Brother mentor for six years, and since 2007 we’ve hosted youth groups, Girl Scouts, Easter Seals, Decatur Christian and other school groups at the farm. When our original partners envisioned how to use the land, the notion was to create a park setting where city kids got to experience the natural world. What is the Decatur Public Schools Foundation? We operate to put private

September 2014

Q: What are some ways to grow my business? A: Valerie Ross, branch manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Springfield, shares the following. For those of you who have already successfully started a business and are ready to take the next step, you may be wondering what you can do to help your business grow. There are many ways to do this, 10 of which are outlined below. Choosing the proper one (or ones) for your business will depend on the type of business you own, your available resources, and how much money, time and resources you’re willing to invest all over again. If you’re ready to grow, take a look at these tips. 1. Open another location. This is often the first way business owners approach growth. If you feel confident that your current business location is under control, consider expanding by opening a new location. 2. Offer your business as a franchise or business opportunity. Franchising your business will allow for growth without requiring you to manage the new location. This will help to maximize the time you spend improving your business in other ways, too. 3. License your product. This can be an effective, low-cost growth medium, particularly if you have a service product or branded product. Licensing also minimizes your risk and is low cost in comparison to the price of starting your own company to produce and sell your brand

GOT A QUESTION? For more information on growing your business or to submit a question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call (217) 424-6296. or product. To find a licensing partner, start by researching companies that provide products or services similar to yours. 4. Form an alliance. Aligning yourself with a similar type of business can be a powerful way to expand quickly. 5. Diversify. Diversifying is an excellent strategy for growth, because it allows you to have multiple streams of income that can often fill seasonal voids and, of course, increase sales and profit margins. Here are a few of the most common ways to diversify: n Sell complementary products or services n Teach adult education or other types of classes n Import or export yours or others’ products n Become a paid speaker or columnist 6. Target other markets. Your current market is serving you well. Are there others? Probably. Use your imagination to determine what other markets could use your product. 7. Win a government contract. One of the best ways to grow your business is to

win business from the government. Work with your local SBA and Small Business Development Center to help you determine the types of contracts available to you. 8. Merge with or acquire another business. Two is always bigger than one. Investigate companies that are similar to yours, or that have offerings that are complementary to yours, and consider the benefits of combining forces or acquiring the company. 9. Expand globally. To do this, you’ll need a foreign distributor who can carry your product and resell it in their domestic markets. You can locate foreign distributors by scouring your city or state for a foreign company with a U.S. representative. 10. Expand to the Internet. Very often, customers discover a business through an online search engine. Be sure that your business has an online presence in order to maximize your exposure. — Carol Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor

Vissering

Dick Vissering is retired from First National Bank of Decatur, where he worked in farm management. His specialties are agriculture and real estate. He has been a SCORE member for nearly 14 years.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Worker satisfaction with job security up TCA News Service

With the unemployment rate and layoffs down sharply in the past year, most U.S. workers are no longer worried about getting a dreaded pink slip. A recent Gallup poll shows 58 percent of workers, full or part time, are “completely satisfied” with their job security. That’s up from 51 percent last year, and it’s the highest percentage since that question was first asked in 1993, when 46 percent expressed confidence that they won’t be laid off. But that doesn’t mean Americans are feeling happier about their jobs. Compared with last year, the survey found zero increase in the share of workers completely satisfied with the stress level of their jobs, promotion opportunities and flexibility of hours. And many workers are decidedly dissatisfied with their current pay. Even as the jobless rate has fallen sharply, to 6.2 percent in July from 7.3 percent a year earlier, federal data show a persistent absence of real wage gains. Some economists and employers are expecting broader wage increases to come, but the Gallup poll shows that for now, that’s more hope than reality. Only 31 percent of workers said they were completely satisfied with the amount of their current pay, up just 2 percentage points from a year ago.

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Zach Shields, the executive director for the Decatur Public Schools Foundation, sits with a kindergarten class at Dennis Lab School. resources to work in the community’s public school system. We do this by underwriting special projects, especially creative initiatives that District 61 can’t fund within the regular operating budget. Why is having such an organization important? I don’t think anybody’s operating under the delusion that our state is particularly adept at funding public education. It also doesn’t look like we can expect a lot of new federal support to magically appear. So that creates hard choices for a school board and district leadership when defining priorities. If an education foundation can sustain important programs, if we can encourage innovative teaching and learning, if we can help ease some of that very real burden by closing gaps in enrichment funding, if we can help identify partnerships to support emerging needs, then we have a chance to make a real impact. Where does the Foundation’s money come from? Our organization has been stable since it was established in 1997, partly

due to the diversity of revenue streams. During the last fiscal year, the dollars were spread this way – 12 percent from corporate partners, 10 percent from special events and grants administration, 22 percent from investments or interest and 56 percent from individual donors. That last category should jump out at you. This is an amazing community. Some places people give to different organizations but they don’t really get involved. In Decatur we have the opposite – community leaders who really, truly care about the city and who care about those in it who have fewer opportunities. How do you decide where those funds are spent? Are teachers involved? Teachers, principals, counselors and coaches are the lifeblood of any school system. They’re the ones who make it happen. They’re the ones kids think of when someone says “school.” So a huge priority for us is focusing on their needs and trying to support them any way we can. One part of our programming is funding for grant projects designed and implemented by

teachers. Our grant committee reviews applications each month, then reports to the Foundation Board of Trustees with recommendations. The trustees vote to fund these projects, and teachers report back on the impact at the end of the school year.

Q A

Can donors say how they want their donations used? Absolutely. This is tremendously important. We think of support for the public schools as a conversation rather than a transaction. People contribute to the Foundation because they know our organization will be a good steward of the funds, and will invest the dollars in the way that’s most significant to them.

Employment Services

Today’s Deal – www.herald-review.com

Cayla Hittmeier Advertising Manager

How can I get involved with the Foundation? The most straightforward approach is to call me or send an email and begin a conversation at zshields@dps61.org and (217) 424-3300.

What is “Today’s Deal”? If a merchant can turn 1 in 5 of its deal customers into regular customers, it can achieve profitability with deals.* This is what “Today’s Deal” is all about. Your business and your deal will be featured in both the Herald & Review and on heraldreview.com for one entire day. We take care of the promoting and advertising – you take care of the customers that come through your door. With “Today’s Deal”, customers learn about your business and you gain new customers immediately. There is no up-front cost to the business – we process all the transactions and then pay you! “Today’s Deal” subscribers share your offer with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, email and other social media. All we need to know is your offer of the day! What kind of offer works? Anything with value! If you take one of your best-selling items and reduce it to half price for one day only…the buzz begins! Or simply offer free money! Sell a gift certificate at half price, you set the parameters. But in the end, the consumer feels they got a deal and you gain a new customer for life. To get started, call Cayla Hittmeier at 217-421-6994 or email cayla.hittmeier@lee.net. It’s fun. It’s fast. It’s Today’s Deal…hop on it! *Jim Moran, co-founder of Yipit

decaturil.expresspros.com

For more information about Zach Shields and the projects made possible by the Decatur Public Schools

601 E. WILLIAM ST. DECATUR, IL 62523 217.421.6994

How does Express differ from other staffing companies?

Staffing Industry Analysts released this year’s list of largest U.S. industrial staffing firms and Express headed the list. Their business model is the key to success. All 650 locations are independently owned and operated through a franchise agreement. Express is very selective in awarding franchises and allows the owners of each office to develop client relationships in their own territory. Express believes that through franchising, a foundation is built for superior quality and service. It offers the best of both worlds – local ownership with national support. Franchising puts decision makers closer to the customer. Owners have the liberty to Heather Sawyer design and deliver tailored staffing solutions. Corporate backing is there to provide payroll Account Representative services, risk management and IT services plus legal and HR counsel. The Express model offers flexibility and service not usually available by independent or corporate operations. The Decatur Express office opened in 2005 and is the only staffing firm operated by owners who live in Decatur.

655 W Pershing Rd Decatur, IL 62526 (217) 872-7400 Owners Lee Best Brian Lockwood

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

YOUR BUSINESS

The Secret Garden gives back to community Business receives Chamber award By CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — After spending nearly the past five years putting their own touch on the business they bought, Lori and Michael Barrett were ready to branch out. Since June, Michael Barrett has been working inside the Waite’s Dry Cleaners building at 664 W. Eldorado St. in Decatur running a new express location for The Secret Garden. Lori Barrett spends most of her time focused on the original florist shop at 1215 E. Pershing Road. “It doesn’t need to be a secret anymore,” Michael Barrett said. “I’d be hard-pressed to call it work.” As it continues growing and giving back to the community, The Secret Garden was recognized in August as the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce’s Micro Business of the Year. Lori Barrett became interested in buying the business that started in 1989 after working there part time while selling her own items on eBay. The Barretts bought the store in January 2010 and became its third owner. At first, Lori Barrett turned to her husband for help making deliveries. But after both became Illinois Certified Professional Florists, he learned to make floral arrangements and become more involved in all aspects of the business. “We picked it up and ran from there,” Lori Barrett said. “It’s steadily grown.” When they started, the Barretts had the help of a full-time and part-time designer, who had worked many years at the business. They now have seven staff members. As business has increased, the Barretts try to support various community organizations by donating items from the store whenever possible. Giving back to the community is the only way to grow, Lori Barrett said. “We’re trying to get our name out there,” she said. “We try to put our signature on it.” One of the promotions that has been most successful is asking for two cans of food plus $10 for a dozen roses. The cans of food then are donated to the Community Food Drive, Lori Barrett said. While working on establishing the Secret Garden Express location, Michael Barrett has been learning about the dry cleaning business going on around him. The Waite’s staff helps him out when they can while he does the same for them. The set-up has made the expansion possible, Michael Barrett said. “We couldn’t do it without them,” he said. Partnering with other small business-

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Q: For almost a year, I have been receiving complaints about a supervisor who reports to me. "Jack’s" employees say that he criticizes them constantly and gets upset about nitpicky things. To verify these grievances, I had discussions with several staff members, followed by meetings with Jack. Jack refuses to acknowledge the problem and has made no effort to change his behavior. When I encouraged him to read some books on leadership, he ignored my advice. I also asked him to meet with employees individually to discuss their concerns, Office Coach but so far he has failed to do this. Because we work in a health care setting, maintaining staff morale is very important. Although Jack has many good qualities, his managerial and leadership abilities are sorely lacking. I don’t want to give him a bad performance appraisal, so what else can I do? A: Are you serious? After a thorough investigation, you have concluded that Jack’s "managerial and leadership abilities are sorely lacking," yet you are apparently planning to give him a good performance review. If this is an example of your own management style, then perhaps you should be reading those leadership books yourself. Jack has completely ignored your rea-

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Michael and Lori Barrett, owners of The Secret Garden, stand with their award at their second location on Eldorado Street. The couple was the winner of the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Micro Business Award.

LORI BARRET, THE SECRET GARDEN CO-OWNER

es can be beneficial for all involved, Lori Barrett said. “It’s about cross promotion,” she said. “We’re all in this together. The more that can be involved, the better off we all are.” In addition to The Secret Garden, the Chamber recognized during an awards luncheon at Heartland Community Church’s Grand Palace banquet hall other businesses that have been expanding and involved in the community. Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy accepted awards for the Outstanding Development for the Decatur Police Department’s newly renovated station on South Side Drive and the Business Expansion

Award for his employer, Skeff Distributing. “So many people in the community make things happen,” McElroy said. “It’s truly an honor to be mayor of this town.” Other businesses recognized, including Small Business Award winner EPL BioAnalytical Services and Entrepreneur of the Year Dale Colee, each exemplify growing companies, Chamber President Mirinda Rothrock said. EPL has built a reputation for more than 25 years for the work it does through its agricultural research and analysis in improving food products and the environment while being involved with several community groups, said Joel Fletcher, the Herald & Review Advertising Manager who was emcee for the event. Colee, owner of Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy, recently added a second location, Colee’s Corner Drugs, in Forsyth. Colee enjoys the work he does, especially working alongside two of his daughters. “It’s a big honor to be recognized,” Colee said. “It’s an entire program and staff at Dale’s. It truly is friends helping friends.”

Award recipients 2014 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce award recipients n Citizen of the Year: Charles Loury n Entrepreneur of the Year: Dale Colee, Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy n Outstanding Small Business Award: EPL Bio-Analytical Services n Outstanding Micro Business Award: The Secret Garden n Outstanding Development Award: Decatur Police Department. n Business Expansion Award: Skeff Distributing n Ambassador of the Year: John Mahaffey, Dansig n Decatur Leadership Institute Alumnus of the Year: Jessie Bovay, Archer Daniels Midland Co.

The Chamber’s Small Business Executive Council chose the recipients after receiving the most nominations in the past several years, Rothrock said. The quality of nominations made the decision-making process difficult, she said.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Be direct dealing with workplace issues

Marie McIntyre

‘We’re trying to get our name out there.’

September 2014

sonable suggestions and shown no indication that he takes this issue seriously. Giving him a satisfactory evaluation would not only send the message that his behavior is acceptable, but also create false documentation which could create future problems. Since you work in health care, here’s a question to consider. Suppose that a nurse or therapist was known to treat patients badly. Would you give that person a favorable review? If so, you should definitely reconsider your career path. But if not, then you get my point. Q: One of our co-workers has a horrible hygiene problem. "Harry" smells so bad that the odor actually lingers after he leaves the room. Because our work puts us in direct contact with customers, we believe that Harry might actually be driving business away. Our supervisor is in a different location, so he may not be aware of this. How should we handle it? A: Harry’s interaction with the public escalates his lack of cleanliness from an office irritation to a serious business problem. Because management needs to know about any issues affecting customers, several of you should meet with your supervisor and clearly describe your concerns. For example: "We need to talk with you about a rather touchy subject. Since you don’t work closely with Harry, you might not realize that he has a serious hygiene problem. The odor is so offensive that customers might actually choose not to come here. If you could discuss this issue with him, we would really appreciate it."

WEEKLY TIPS Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. Should your boss fail to follow through, a group intervention might convince Harry to hop into the shower. But if he continues his grubby ways, the only remaining alternative is to keep your distance and try to intercept as many customers as possible. Q: I have two employees with completely opposite personalities. Although they are both good workers, their constant bickering disrupts the entire department and makes me feel like a kindergarten teacher. I am sick of listening to their ongoing complaints about each other. After the latest incident, I called them into my office and said the following: "Even though you have different opinions, you need to learn how to work together. I am not going to be a referee, so I expect you to start being civil and respectful toward each other. If you can’t do that, then perhaps you will be happier working somewhere else." Do you think I did the right thing?" A: Absolutely. As a manager, you are to be commended for putting your foot down and telling these childish employees that it’s time to grow up. Having set that expectation, however, you must now follow up by immediately stopping any

inappropriate behavior. Since people typically don’t get to choose their colleagues, everyone will eventually encounter a co-worker whom they don’t particularly like. Despite having negative feelings, they must still behave in a pleasant, cooperative and helpful manner, because that’s what we expect from professional adults. Q: I have a question about the ethics of job searching. I currently work in a small clothing store and would like to pursue other jobs in the fashion industry. Recently, I attended a conference with my boss and met a number of our suppliers. Although I would like to explore opportunities with them, I’m not sure if that would be ethical, considering that my boss invited me to the conference. What do you think about this? A: While your concern for ethics is truly commendable, it is generally understood that contacts made through work may lead to other opportunities. For that reason, networking with suppliers would not violate any ethical boundaries. Practically speaking, however, managers often take it personally when they hear that someone may be planning to jump ship. So if you discuss job possibilities with your new acquaintances, ask them to keep those conversations confidential. Should you receive an actual offer which requires a reference check, that would be the time to inform your boss.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com.

Take career into your own hands Q: I’ve been in my first job since college for a few years now, and don’t really see myself advancing. There aren’t a lot of opportunities within this company (it’s pretty small) and my boss doesn’t mentor me. In particular, I’d like to manage people, but she hasn’t helped make that happen. What should I do to keep growing professionally? A: Take your career into your own hands, including a broader look for opportunities.

Liz Reyer

Inner game Settle in, get grounded and do some reflection on your career. Consider what’s most important to you and where you’d like to be in the future. When you entered the job market, what were your

hopes and objectives? Where are you now in relation to them? Also recognize that your ideas will evolve based on your experiences; do yours still take you in a direction that serves you? Getting more concrete, think through the experiences you need to move forward. For example, you have a goal of managing people. In your view, what makes a great leader? Be specific in terms of the qualities that are needed -the inner characteristics and external alike. Then map out your strengths and development areas. Look closely at your current organization. In particular, notice if there are opportunities for growth that you may have overlooked such as a leader in a different part of the company who may be an excellent mentor. Also determine whether there are next-step jobs that you’d be interested in. Now, think about what you’d do if you moved on. Knowing what you now know, what type of organization would you like to work for? Size, mission, even location - let the sky be the limit. Know what you’d like and why it would be appealing.

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

Outer game Regardless of your circumstances, you’re responsible for your own growth. Take steps to learn as much as you can from the people around you and the role you’re in. Be reflective, thinking of ways to improve current processes or to get better outcomes. Seek out people you can learn from and ask them to help you. Most will say yes -- people love to help, and it’s flattering to be asked. And don’t forget to talk to your boss. Go to her with specific development requests rather than hoping that she’ll see your need and know how to address it on her own. Also focus on self-development outside of your current role. Seek ways to use your strengths in new settings; if work

doesn’t provide the chance, consider volunteer leadership roles. Also focus on development areas that may be holding you back. Recognize that some workplaces are less conducive to learning; if that’s the case, start pursuing other options. Based on your vision, identify some organizations you’d like to work for. If you’re still not sure, request informational interviews to learn more. Talk to people about the values, skills and backgrounds that are valued. Because growth is important to you, figure out which companies really follow through on staff development.

The last word There are lots of opportunities out there -- take charge of your future to find your next fit.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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September 2014

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September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

2470 Wakefield (new listing) 6 unit Apt Building in South Shores JUST LISTED! Won’t Last! Call for details

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. ONLY $445,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft. Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

469 W. Wood

190 N Merchant St

Former Dentist Office Close to Downtown Purchase with our without equipment

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1 Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

1343 N. Gulick

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion 8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2728 N. Main

2003 N 22nd St

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

1201 E. Wood St.

Pre-leasing for 2015 100,000 - 500,000 Square Feet Close to ADM, CAT, US 72 & Midwest Inland Port

15,000 Square Feet Former Grocery & Liquor Store Lots of Parking. Only $369,000

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now! Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

Former Ace Hardware Building

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

16-1 Bedroom apartments. Just listed - $245,000 Great Investment Opportunity NOI $25K+

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

Inland Port Industrial Park

Steel Building with 22’ clear span. (Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg. 4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

2350 E. Logan

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

8,240 Square Feet 1 Dock and 1 Drive-in Overhead Doors For Lease or Sale

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

3180 N. Woodford Ave.

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

Suites for Lease 500-1,200 Square Feet Just Listed!

Park 101 Industrial Park

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

370 W Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $995,000/ $8.00 sq ft. 12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. This will not last. Call today!

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

University Plaza 2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

135 E Prairie Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind! Hurry, this won’t last

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

2470 Wakefield (new listing) 6 unit Apt Building in South Shores JUST LISTED! Won’t Last! Call for details

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. ONLY $445,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft. Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

469 W. Wood

190 N Merchant St

Former Dentist Office Close to Downtown Purchase with our without equipment

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1 Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

1343 N. Gulick

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion 8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2728 N. Main

2003 N 22nd St

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

1201 E. Wood St.

Pre-leasing for 2015 100,000 - 500,000 Square Feet Close to ADM, CAT, US 72 & Midwest Inland Port

15,000 Square Feet Former Grocery & Liquor Store Lots of Parking. Only $369,000

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now! Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

Former Ace Hardware Building

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

16-1 Bedroom apartments. Just listed - $245,000 Great Investment Opportunity NOI $25K+

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

Inland Port Industrial Park

Steel Building with 22’ clear span. (Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg. 4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

2350 E. Logan

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

8,240 Square Feet 1 Dock and 1 Drive-in Overhead Doors For Lease or Sale

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

3180 N. Woodford Ave.

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

Suites for Lease 500-1,200 Square Feet Just Listed!

Park 101 Industrial Park

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

370 W Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $995,000/ $8.00 sq ft. 12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. This will not last. Call today!

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

University Plaza 2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

135 E Prairie Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind! Hurry, this won’t last

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

YOUR BUSINESS

The Secret Garden gives back to community Business receives Chamber award By CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

LORI BARRET, THE SECRET GARDEN CO-OWNER

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Be direct dealing with workplace issues

Marie McIntyre

‘We’re trying to get our name out there.’

September 2014

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com.

Liz Reyer

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

The last word There are lots of opportunities out there -- take charge of your future to find your next fit.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

www.thebusiness-journal.com

ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR

YOUR CAREER

September 2014

Meet a SCORE counselor

Vissering

Dick Vissering is retired from First National Bank of Decatur, where he worked in farm management. His specialties are agriculture and real estate. He has been a SCORE member for nearly 14 years.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Worker satisfaction with job security up TCA News Service

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Q A

Employment Services

Today’s Deal – www.herald-review.com

Cayla Hittmeier Advertising Manager

How can I get involved with the Foundation? The most straightforward approach is to call me or send an email and begin a conversation at zshields@dps61.org and (217) 424-3300.

decaturil.expresspros.com

For more information about Zach Shields and the projects made possible by the Decatur Public Schools

601 E. WILLIAM ST. DECATUR, IL 62523 217.421.6994

How does Express differ from other staffing companies?

655 W Pershing Rd Decatur, IL 62526 (217) 872-7400 Owners Lee Best Brian Lockwood

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

Fred Spannaus

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

BUSINESS CLIPS

Achievements

Announcements

Promotions Ashton Drury has been promoted to credit officer in the Commercial Banking Division of Hickory Point Bank.

David W. Fedor has been elected to the board of directors of Soy Capital Bank and Trust Company and SCB Bancorp Inc. Weber

Fedor Larry W. Foster of Foster Financial Services Inc. attended the Leaders meeting of MassMutual Financial Group in San Francisco, Calif. Foster

Drury

Houk

Preston

Musumeci

Pfeifer

Spain

Lashmar

Lee

Dave Weber of Busey Bank has been reappointed to the Illinois Bankers Association Board of Directors.

Rueter

Chris Phillips of Land of Lincoln Credit Union has been named a Trailblazer 40 Below by Credit Union Times magazine.

New staff members

Robert Cook and James Zimmer have been selected to serve on the First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Board of Directors.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Printed with environmentally safe water-based ink

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September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

BIZ BITES

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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September 2014

Millikin welcomes larger freshmen class Retention rate for sophomores up By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

Richland campus continues to grow Construction crews busy with projects By RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 72% read The Business Journal monthly. n 17% are 34 and under.

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

TECHTALK

Wendy Gauntt

staff is saving company information in the appropriate places for record keeping, and they don’t keep valuable data that you need on personal devices that you can’t control or secure.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

YOUR FREE TIME

Music Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Featured performer is violinist Tai Murray. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Comedian Rocky Laporte, Friday, Sept. 12, at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, call (217) 422-6161.

Misc. Decatur Civic Center: Decatur Train Fair, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21.

Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@herald-review.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

by the Association of Christian Schools International. Decatur Christian is already accredited by the state of Illinois. Grigg said he hopes to complete the additional work this year.

For more information: 217.875.7211, Ext. 267

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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September 2014

CERRO GORDO The Cerro Gordo School District will once again face budget cuts from the state in 2014, with between a $100,000 and $150,000 total in cuts estimated by

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

YOUR HEALTH

Involve children in your emergency plan Prepare for storms, evacuations By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

other adults if the parents are not available. Many college campuses offer email and text message alerts. “Parents should be aware of the

method the school will notify them by,” Weibull said. Emergency planning should start at a young age. Children should be informed

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

September 2014

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. For more information, call (217) 853-1655.

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at (217) 820-3096.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Lyme–MTHFR support group, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, Mari-Mann Herb Co. Inc., 1405 Mari Mann Lane. Call (217) 429-1555.

or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Monthly dinner gathering. For location or to register, call Sister Chaminade Kelley at (217) 428-7733.

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Renovations will convert schools By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

By RACHEL RODGERS

Kevin Brown

Assistant Vice President of Marketing for SERVPRO

Kevin will share how his unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Andreas Foundation

421-7919 for tickets - $16 Gold Sponsors

CONSISTENTLY FIRST IN RENEWABLE INGREDIENTS

The Community Leaders Breakfast is now on Facebook. Become our Facebook friend today, and stay updated on the latest news.

Business Journal/Lisa Morrison

Contractors Christy-Foltz for the middle school and Mid-States General and Mechanical for the elementary facility

Mount Zion kicks off major building project Business Journal Writer

Decatur Conference Center 7 am - 9 am

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Meridian begins phase two of construction

New football field, additional facilities Thursday, Oct. 2

September 2014

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

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September 2014

New staff, technology for Decatur

Cover up and use repellent By JAMIE LOBER Business Journal Writer

By VALERIE WELLS Business Journal Writer

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

Decatur schools work progressing Eisenhower still has some issues By VALERIE WELLS Business Journal Writer

September 2014

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Protect yourself against bugs when outdoors

YOUR COMMUNITY

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Why You Think He/She Should be Selected:

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September 2014

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September 2014

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YOUR MONEY

Housing costs remain the greatest child-rearing expense, as they did in the 1960s. The USDA’s annual report, based on the government’s Consumer

Expenditure Survey, found families were consistent in how they spent their

stmarysdecatur.com

EXPECT MORE SPECIALISTS. EXPECT MORE EXPERTISE. EXPECT EXCEPTIONAL.

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

NO RUSH Financial plans take time to mature

Fred Spannaus . . . . . 16 Free Time calendar . . 18

Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 11 Office Coach . . . . . . . 11 Professional profile . . 10 SCORE counselor . . 15

Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 17

Expect EXCEPTIONAL.

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax) PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel GENERAL MANAGER: Gary Sawyer EDITOR: Scott Perry

Health calendar . . . . 20

• Leading orthopedic experts, specializing in orthopedic surgery

ISSUE 9

COVER PHOTO: Jim Bowling

Business Clips . . . . . 16

• Our acclaimed team of gastroenterology specialists

VOLUME 20

LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

September2014Contents Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 9

• The renowned cardiologists and heart experts at Prairie Heart Institute

OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes

Standing Features

At St. Mary’s, we are committed to giving our patients access to the medical specialists they need. The list of experts who proudly call St. Mary’s home includes:

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Growing business The Secret Garden, which recently added a second location, is among this year’s Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce honorees Page 14

Inside BACK TO SCHOOL Changes greet area students

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September 2014

YOUR CALENDAR

Friday, Sept. 5 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Monday, Sept. 8 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill), 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Monday, Sept. 29 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Wednesday, Sept. 24

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill). Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Friday, Oct. 3

Thursday, Sept. 25

Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

September 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Financial health a matter of time, not smarts Knowledge alone not enough By CAROLYN BIGDA TCA News Service Writer

Monday, Sept. 22

Monday, Sept. 15

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. American Business Women’s Association (Monarch), noon, location varies.

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Friday, Sept. 19

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Friday, Sept. 26

Friday, Sept. 12

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

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O F

M I D C E N T R A L

SEPTEMBER 2014

Welcome back! Firm foundation Zach Shields connects donors with projects Page 10

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

September 2014

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Springfield, IL Permit #500

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