SBJ - December 2009

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DECEMBER 2009

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COVER STORY Retailers hope for holiday selling surge: There are many questions surrounding the Christmas shopping season, but some retailers are hoping to buck a tough national economy through a variety of strategies.

Some predict shoppers will seek bargains, and retailers will stress lower price points. Some stress the importance of local ownership, high-quality merchandise and superior customer service. Some might believe big-ticket sales will be hurt, but that’s not necessarily the case. Correspondent Les O’Dell offers a closer look at what will be selling and why. n Pages 4-5

STATE FOCUS State’s report card not so rosy: Recent media reports about states that are challenging California for economic chaos include Illinois, which earned a grade of C-. Such a grade is nothing to brag about, but it’s actually a gross exaggeration of the state’s true fiscal fitness, according to Columnist J. Fred Giertz.

Illinois needs to spend less and bring in more revenue, a doubleedged problem Giertz believes will require a modest tax increase and real restraint on state spending. n Page 6

YOUR BUSINESS Learn how to succeed as a facilitator: Skilled managers can

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make the most of gatherings to cope with problems or address opportunities by learning how to facilitate a meeting that concludes with specific goals and action plans.

Columnist Jane Sanders offers 10 steps for successful facilitation, which include an agenda, small groups and a wrap-up activity. n Page 11

INDICATORS An encouraging sign: As the year draws to a close, there are signs of an improving economy, both in the year-long upward climb of the stock market and in a key regional measure of business health.

Unemployment decreased in 12 of 18 Southern Illinois counties for September, the most recent month for which complete statistics are available. Other measures were less encouraging for the month: Car sales and home sales were down from the prior year in most counties. n Pages 12-13

ACHIEVEMENTS Catch up: Find out who has been hired, who has been promoted or who has received an award for efforts in business.

If you know of a business or business person who deserves special recognition for advanced training, a unique honor or an expansion of business, please let us know at sbj@ thesouthern.com. n Page 18

Contact us The Southern Business Journal (USPS #019988) is a publication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, or at P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL, 62903. Also reach us on the Web at www.sbj.biz and via e-mail at SBJ@thesouthern.com. The Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and mailed to businesses, community development leaders, chambers of commerce members and other professionals in Southern Illinois.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Carbondale, IL. Copyright 2004 by The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Southern Business Journal, P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62902.

A subscription may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454 or 618-997-3356, or by visiting our Web site.

Publisher: Dennis M. DeRossett n 618-351-5038 Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

Architechniques, LTD. .......................... 5 Auffenberg of Carbondale .................... 5 CTS Technology Solutions, Inc. .......... 14 Egyptian Electric Cooperative.............. 20 Dream Steam .................................... 23 Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan ................ 5 Health Alliance .................................. 15 Henry Printing .................................. 18 Jim’s Mobile Offices & Homes .......... 14 John A. Logan College .................... 9, 10 Pepsi MidAmerica .......................... 3, 20 Samron Midwest Contracting ........ 12-13 SchoolCenter .................................... 17 Southern Electronics & Telephone ...... 22 Southern Illinois Healthcare.................. 8

Advertising: Abby Hatfield n 618-351-5024

Southern Illinois University ................ 24

Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035

Stiles Office Equipment ...................... 15

Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042

Your Jeweler........................................ 18

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Mark Your Calendar Dec. 1

Dec. 7

Dec. 11

Dec. 16

Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Dec. 2

Dec. 8

Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Intermediate QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Food Service Sanitation Refresher Course: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Shawnee Community College Anna Extension Center, 1150 E. Vienna St., Anna. Cost is $38. Call Ruth Kessel, instructor, at 618-827-4930 or Candy Eastwood at 618-634-3231.

Dec. 3

Dec. 9

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Beginning Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Beginning, Intermediate Adobe Photoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Dec. 4 Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Dec. 10 Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

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Dec. 15 Advanced Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Time & Stress Management: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $90.

Dec. 17 Intermediate Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

Dec. 21 Beginning Word 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville. Cost: $55.

For more information on John A. Logan classes or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2009

Cover Story Holiday retail outlook not so bright There are many strategies to explore, but it’s still a tough sell

BY LES O’DELL SBJ CORRESPONDENT

On the heels of a national economic downturn and double-digit unemployment, retailers across the nation and throughout Southern Illinois say they are facing a tough holiday season. And experts and observers have as many opinions on what it will take to make cash registers jingle as there are ornaments on a Christmas tree.

The National Retail Federation projects holiday season retail sales this year will drop 1 percent from 2008. The forecast comes a year after holiday sales were down more than 3 percent. Locally, many businesses that rely on holiday shopping for the majority of annual sales are approaching the season with cautious optimism.

“My best guess is that we’ll be flat to maybe up as much as 2 percent this year,” said Samuel Cox, co-owner of My Favorite Toys in Carbondale. “While we’ve had a good year overall, a combination of the calendar and the unChristmas-like weather we’ve had in November has had us down so far this season.”

According to the NRF, the official holiday sales season runs throughout November and December, with Saturdays being the big day of each week. Cox said that unfortunately the first Saturday in November was seven days into the month.

Additionally, for many retailers, the season really picks up after Thanksgiving, which was late in November this year.

It’s one reason many business owners are taking a wait-and-see approach.

“It’s a big unknown this year; I really don’t know,” said Jim Skiersch, owner of Marion’s UPS Store. “I’m expecting the Christmas season to be down about the same as business has been trending all year. We’ll be busy, but I hope to be incredibly busy.”

Bob Hardy, general manager of Illinois Centre mall in Marion, said he hopes Southern Illinois will fare better than the nation.

“It is my hope that all of our retailers will do well, and that we could surprise all of the pundits and naysayers,” Hardy said.

“I’m hoping the season will be a positive one. It’s a tough climate out there; even the chain stores are struggling.”

What exactly are the keys to a positive shopping season for retailers? It depends on whom you ask.

Some observers say this will be the year shoppers look for low prices and exceptional values; others say outstanding customer service will drive consumer spending.

The year of bargainshopping?

The bottom line this year will be price, according to analyst Cavanaugh L. Gray of the Entrepreneur Café in Carbondale. Gray said locally-based businesses need to take cues from what large retailers are doing.

“Wal-Mart is making a big push on price, and Amazon has already taken a stance that way, too,” he explained. “The stores that are going to do well, in my opinion, are going to be the ones making moves on price plays.”

He expects many consumers who have shopped at one price level to step down to a perceived lower level this year. For that reason, he’s encouraging retailers to consider diversifying the items on their shelves.

ART SERVICES

Retailers are hoping for lots of holiday shopping.

“If the retailer is doing a good job, they’re going to put out a variety of great items with great prices,” Gray said.

“This means some retailers are going to have to shift their inventory and introduce lines that are a step below what they normally offer, while stressing quality and value.”

Service and selection Other experts said the priority has to be customer service.

“If you’re trying to sell on price, there’s always going to be someone, somewhere who is a dollar lower,” Hardy explained.

For that reason, he recommends

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

retailers stress high-quality customer service.

“In this day and age, it’s impossible for most retailers to offer price, high-quality merchandise and great service all together. I tell them to emphasize service first and quality second,” he said.

Dean Thomas, owner of Village Jewelers in Du Quoin, said that while his store has not changed the level of service given to customers, shoppers are noticing it more because of a lack of quality service elsewhere.

“We’re stressing customer service and doing things that the big box stores don’t do,” he explains. “Every little bit helps, and it’s increasing our traffic.”

Customer service is paramount at many smaller stores, such as the Carbondale toy store Cox owns.

“We can’t compete with the monster marts in some ways, so for us it comes back to selection and service. Customer service is a big part of what we do,” Cox said. “We know toys, and that’s important for our customers. It is an edge for us.”

Selling an experience To be successful this year, some retailers are emphasizing experiences,

both in terms of the shopping experience and in selling intangible items.

“People are being really thoughtful in their buying this year, and that means they’re often giving experiences rather than things,” said Liz Estes, director of the Herrin Chamber of Commerce.

She said spa packages, certificates for services and other gifts of things to do are popular this year.

“The experiences and the memories can last just as long as a shirt,” she said.

Steve Musselman, a manager with Calico Country Sew and Vac of Carbondale and West Frankfort, said many shoppers are looking to share experiences with gift recipients.

“We have a lot of grandmothers who are buying a first sewing machine for a grandchild,” he said. “They want to share that experience.”

Musselman said including in the price service after the sale in the form of classes and special training is especially important.

“We’re not only selling an item, we’re selling an experience and teaching a skill,” he said.

Other retailers are making certain the shopping itself goes smoothly.

“Shoppers are haggard and tested while

shopping during the holiday season,” Illlinois Centre’s Hardy said. “When store employees know their product lines and know the store to help people find things, those services are of great benefit.”

Gray agreed.

“Service will always be considered by customers,” he said. “That’s a big part of the buying experience, so stores have to create the expectation that a high level of service will never go away. If service is not a large aspect of the buying experience, customers will take their business elsewhere.”

A big-ticket Christmas With the emphasis on price and service, will shopping bags be filled with nothing but gift cards and small items?

Maybe, according to Skiersch. He said he’s seen a decrease in the size and number of presents being shipped to recipients from his store.

“We don’t order as many of the large boxes as we used to,” he said. “The box sizes have been coming down over the last couple of years.”

Hardy said he expects electronics and related items will continue to be hot sellers, and Thomas said luxury items are

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still popular in his Du Quoin jewelry shop.

“From what I’ve seen, there are customers who have money, but they’re spending wisely,” Thomas said.

He said he is seeing an increase in sales of what he called “higher-end pieces,” but individuals who used to purchase multiple items often are carefully selecting only one.

“I think there is always a market for big-ticket items,” Musselman said. “Even with sewing machines, people want the latest in technology.”

He said many manufacturers are discounting more expensive items and offering added-value promotions, such as cabinets and accessories.

“The manufacturers are well aware of where they need to be, and they’re working with us to make things ideal for Christmas,” Musselman said.

An ideal Christmas for many retailers in the region would be one with sales that match or improve on last year’s numbers.

“I hope to see lots of shopping bags throughout the mall,” Hardy said.

It’s a feeling that Skiersch and many others share.

“Like everybody else, we’re dependent on people going out and buying things,” he said.

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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2009

State Focus L EGA L |

G OV E R N M E N T | TA X ES

Don’t believe report card results: Our state’s budget woes continue to deepen

BY J. FRED GIERTZ SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

In mid November, the Pew Center released a report detailing the fiscal problems faced by various states during the current economic downturn, Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril. In what Giertz must be considered a case of gross grade inflation, Illinois received a grade of C-, ranking only the ninth worst among the states based on how “a state takes a long-term perspective on fiscal matters, the timeliness and transparency of the budget process, and the balance between revenues and expenditures.”

While they may exist, it is hard to imagine eight other states as poorly governed in fiscal matters as Illinois.

As someone who writes often about Illinois state budget issues, the challenge is to avoid repetition. How many times can the terms “irresponsible,” “shortsighted,” “smoke and mirrors,” “sleight of hand,” “expedients,” “temporize” and the like be used without becoming tedious?

Nevertheless, fiscal problems still plague the state and, in fact, are growing worse.

Illinois is experiencing a budget shortfall estimated between $10 and $13 billion. This is the result of the combined effect of an annual deficit plus the overhang of unpaid bills from past years.

Illinois’ problems can be thought of as the result of three distinct shortcomings.

First, the state has faced a structural deficit problem for many years, where existing revenues grow at a slower pace than the cost of promised programs such as health care, education and public safety.

The long-term structural problem has been aggravated by a cyclical deficit resulting from the recession. State revenues have become increasingly

The new governor, with the consent of the General Assembly, chose to not deal with either the spending or revenue side of the equation.

Eventually, the arithmetic of the state’s budget problem will force politicians to act.

The question is when. volatile since the early 1990s with rapid increases during expansions and steep declines during recessions. This is caused by the increasing instability of the individual income tax that is driven by large variations in capital gains and bonuses and stock options during the business cycle.

The most serious problem Illinois faces is a discipline deficit in its elected officials.

In recent years, the state has been unwilling to address its fiscal problems.

The inability of the state to do so is not caused by a lack of capacity. Although slow growing, Illinois is still a highincome state with a moderate tax system.

The problem in Illinois is will, not capacity.

The way to deal with the state fiscal problems is a matter of simple arithmetic.

The problem must be addressed by some combination of restraining the growth of spending or increasing the rate of growth of revenues. While the arithmetic is simple, the politics of the problem are not.

When Gov. Blagojevich assumed office in 2003, the state was experiencing a large deficit resulting from the 2001 recession.

The new governor, with the consent of the General Assembly, chose to not deal with either the spending or revenue side of the equation. Instead, he financed the shortfall by a continuing series of shortterm fixes such as borrowing, asset sales, the raiding of non-general fund balances,

ART SERVICES

Illinois is experiencing a budget shortfall estimated between $10 billion and $13 billion.

the continued underfunding of pensions, and the non-payment of bills to state service providers.

Instead of using the period of economic recovery from 2003 to 2007 to get the state’s fiscal house in order, Illinois continued its undisciplined behavior with the result that it was singularly unprepared to meet the added challenges of the current (possibly recently ended) recession. The two most recent budgets approved in 2008 and 2009 ended the charade of fiscal prudence when the General Assembly approved budgets with appropriations far exceeding expected revenues, asking the governor to take care

of the imbalance.

Note that the ill-conceived policies did not end with the removal of Blagojevich from office. Gov. Quinn relied on John Filan, Blagojevich’s budget adviser, in drafting his first budget which continued many of the budget gimmicks used be his predecessor. Eventually, the arithmetic of the state’s budget problem will force politicians to act. The question is when.

Unfortunately, the current gubernatorial campaign provides little reason for optimism. The numerous Republican candidates suggest that all can be made right with budget cuts and austerity.

What they do not realize or at least do not acknowledge is that the size of the state’s current deficit cannot be closed with minor cuts and the elimination of a few clearly wasteful programs. Solving the problem with cuts alone would require a level of austerity beyond anything seen in the state with major cuts in education, health care, and public safety — ones that would never be approved by the General Assembly.

The two Democratic candidates are proposing tax increases that are so unrealistic they will never be approved.

Quinn wants a large income tax increase accompanied by tax cuts for families below $50,000 while Comptroller Hynes has a plan to tax only those making more than $200,000. Quinn’s plan got nowhere during the last session and Hynes’ plan is dead on arrival since it would require a constitutional amendment that has no chance of being approved.

What the state really needs is a modest tax increase such as a rate increase for the income tax and base broadening of both the sales and income taxes accompanied by real restraint on the spending side. Both the arithmetic and politics of such a plan might work if only it were considered.

— J. Fred Giertz is a professor of economics within the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He can be reached at 217-244-4822.

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Health Care H OS P I TA LS

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B E N E F I TS

Issue facing health care reform: Time to get Medicaid out of long-term care?

BY RICHARD HABIGER SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Medicaid is the largest provider of long-term care. It spent more than $100 billion last year, more than onethird of the Medicaid budget. Indeed, Medicaid pays more than 40 percent of Habiger this country’s longterm care bills. In some counties in Southern Illinois, Medicaid pays 80 to 90

percent of the nursing home bills.

It has been said that there is one set of laws for the well-informed and another set of laws for the uninformed. This is particularly true when it comes to Medicaid and its use to finance long-term care. For the well-informed, Medicaid has become the primary way the middle-class pays for long-term care.

Many have questioned why Medicaid is supplying long-term care services to the middle-class elderly. They ask “why should seniors and their spouses have to impoverish themselves to get access to desperately-needed medical care?”

Recently, much attention has been

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focused on just a few of the provisions in the Health Care Reform Bill that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. One provision of that bill, which has received little attention, is a proposal for the federal government to offer long-term care insurance. The CLASS Act, short for Community Living Assistance Services and Supports, is included in both the House and Senate health-care reform bills. The proposal for federal long-term care insurance was originally proposed by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. Under the CLASS Act, Americans would pay a premium, originally estimated at $65 per

month. After they had contributed for at least five years, participants who needed long-term care would be eligible for a modest benefit to pay for a range of services that would help them stay in their homes. The benefit would depend on the degree of incapacity, but would average $50 a day.

In its preliminary analysis of the House bill, the Congressional Budget Office projected that because the CLASS Act would pay out far less in benefits than it would receive in premiums over the 10year budget window, it would reduce SEE HEALTH CARE / PAGE 15

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Your Business 10 tips for successful facilitation: Go for the results!

BY JANE SANDERS SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

As the pace in the business world continues to escalate, executives’ minds are whirling with ongoing and newly hatched problems and opportunities. In many cases, their Sanders minds are spinning and groaning simultaneously.

Groans be gone! Skilled managers of any size company, department or team can facilitate a productive and effective meeting, walking out with specific goals and action plans addressed and achieved.

Below are 10 tips to help managers facilitate more successfully.

To further ensure success, if possible, use a professional facilitator for your problem solving, brainstorming, and strategic planning meetings or retreats.

This strategy ensures objective and expert work, sends a message to the group that the meeting is of considerable importance, significantly diffuses any potential conflict and contentious tone, and helps plan and achieve desired goals and objectives. A professional facilitator can also help set realistic expectations for the group relevant to process, tone, purpose and behavior.

Tips for more effective facilitation Identify clear objectives. What specifically do you want to leave the meeting with? An action plan for achieving fiscal year 2010 goals? An employee recognition program? More productive work processes? Cost-saving ideas? Customer service ideas? Organized sharing of best practices? Solutions to a specific problem? Be very specific and clear about exactly what you want to accomplish in the meeting.

Plan the agenda. Determine activities

to accomplish your objectives and the time required for each. Include time for opening comments, instructions, breaks, lunch, etc. Don’t schedule too tightly, as meeting segments and activities often take longer than estimated, especially debriefing and discussion of small group activities.

Establish and post ground rules.

Effective ground rules communicate a professional tone and set appropriate expectations. They can include timeliness (begin and end at the announced times, including breaks, regardless of late arrivals), participation (encourage participants to contribute and ask questions), respect for others, commitment to the meeting’s objectives, open-mindedness, no rejection of ideas, no side-talking, confidentiality, trust, a volunteer spirit, taking notes, no cell phones, etc.

Use effective facilitation skills.

Choose a credible, objective facilitator, someone experienced with facilitation and preferably with no attachment to outcomes. As recommended above an outside professional facilitator may be your best choice. Suggested facilitation skills include but are not limited to: Be friendly and sensitive but focused, firm, non-judgmental, committed to results, knowledgeable about group dynamics, and aware of time parameters. Reduce firstoffense side-talking by walking over and standing next to the offenders. Be a little more direct with repeat offenders — remind the group (not the offender specifically) that they have a lot to accomplish in little time and you need everyone’s attention and contribution in order to get the best results. If the tone becomes contentious or aggressive, remind the group of its commitment to the objectives, thank the participant for his/her involvement and passion, respond to the issue to the degree appropriate for the situation, then transfer attention to another volunteer or question. Watch time closely and stay on track.

Create a name. Assuming enough time

in the session and several activities to be completed by small groups, ask them (see Tips Nos. 7 and 8) to take five to 10 minutes and brainstorm a name for their team to help establish a bond, commonality and commitment. This tip may sound trite, and is small, but mighty.

Small group names also generate ownership, camaraderie and a little friendly competition.

Use warm-up and creativity exercises. These activities help the group focus on matters at hand, work together more effectively, think outside the box and have fun. Appropriate exercises are described in training books/guides available from most large bookstore chains or online.

Employ the small-group approach.

Meetings consisting of more than five to six participants should split into small groups to maximize everyone’s involvement and help ensure a variety of solutions. Depending on the number of objectives to tackle and the time available, either both groups can work on the same issues concurrently, or one group can address two goals and the other group the remaining goals.

Manage the small groups. For every activity, first determine a leader for each small group. Then assign the specific goal and parameters, and monitor the time. For example, parameters for an action plan include specific action steps, by whom (this is why the volunteer spirit is an important ground rule), by what date, resources needed and milestones to measure progress. Each group records and reports their findings, and then the entire group determines the best course of action, usually a combination of all small groups’ suggestions. Keep in mind that consensus by the entire group of each team’s findings often takes more time than the brainstorming itself. Remember that complete consensus is not always possible.

Schedule and assign next steps.

Determine who will complete what specific action step by what date. The

facilitator should summarize and distribute all findings to the entire group.

It is vital to schedule regular follow-up meetings to maintain momentum and ensure plans or solutions are being implemented appropriately.

Close with a wrap-up activity. End the meeting or retreat with a “warmfuzzy” exercise to further bond the group, reinforce findings, and disband on a positive note. One such activity, “Share a Thought,” involves participants writing a response per facilitator instructions on a separate sheet of paper. For example, “the best thing about working here is … ” or, “An important thing I learned today is … ” Everyone wads their papers up and throws them across the room, then picks one up.

Volunteers share the thoughts written on the paper they picked up.

Meetings are notoriously unproductive!

Break away from average results and facilitate a high-energy, fun, very successful session. Preparation of this nature is critical to continued success, teamwork and growth. Don’t fall into the comfortable yet high-risk lull of just taking what comes. Plan now and follow these steps to help ensure the future vitality and success of your department, team, company, off-site retreat or planning session.

— Jane Sanders, president of GenderSmart® Solutions, is a consultant, speaker, trainer, and facilitator located in Mount Vernon, Ill. Combining an MBA with several group psychology courses and more than 30 years of successful business experience, Sanders uses expertise in meeting facilitation, teamwork, motivation, planning, sales, marketing, and creativity enhancement. She teaches facilitation and, as a consultant, effectively facilitates groups, teams, and meetings of various lengths, agendas, and industries.

Sanders is a gender issues and communications expert who often uses facilitation to achieve clients’ objectives.

Sanders can be contacted at 877-343-2150, or by e-mail at jane@janesanders.com. Her Web site is www.janesanders.com.

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Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities City Anna Benton Carbondale Carterville Chester Du Quoin Harrisburg Herrin Jonesboro Marion Metropolis Mount Vernon Murphysboro Nashville Pinckneyville Red Bud Sparta Vienna West City West Frankfort REGION ILLINOIS

YTD Aug 2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

76.1 46.8 369.6 25.5 35.0 66.7 129.2 97.4 8.2 454.9 51.1 318.7 86.3 59.4 24.7 46.2 82.7 24.3 61.9 74.1 $2,138.8 $92,095.0

113.3 71.4 587.7 40.1 51.5 91.9 179.3 135.9 12.4 673.4 75.9 482.8 117.1 101.8 39.0 77.7 130.5 40.5 89.6 111.2 $3,223.0 $237,438.0

112.3 72.4 607.4 40.3 51.7 94.4 173.6 134.4 11.3 662.4 79.8 461.5 94.9 105.2 35.8 73.7 129.5 39.8 82.8 111.4 $3,174.7 $180,162.7

111.7 75.0 610.4 39.9 54.0 103.1 168.5 137.5 11.5 592.7 74.8 501.0 93.0 105.7 41.7 82.5 133.1 36.9 77.7 106.8 $3,157.6 $173,362.8

109.7 70.4 579.4 32.7 51.1 95.0 164.9 127.9 11.5 545.9 69.4 475.3 94.6 101.1 38.0 82.5 127.7 32.7 70.8 102.3 $2,983.0 $167,459.0

112.2 71.6 544.9 32.4 50.8 99.9 160.2 122.4 10.7 525.3 73.4 462.4 90.5 103.6 37.9 75.9 121.7 32.7 70.9 105.9 $2,905.3 $159,201.4

R

N I L L I Chicago Fed Midwest % change 04-08 Manufacturing Index

p q p p p q p p p p p p p q p p p p p p p p

0.98% 0.28% 7.85% 23.77% 1.38% 8.01% 11.92% 11.03% 15.89% 28.19% 3.41% 4.41% 29.39% 1.74% 2.90% 2.37% 7.23% 23.85% 26.38% 5.00% 10.94% 49.14%

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

The CFMMI is a monthly estimate by major industry of manufacturing output in the Seventh Federal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a composite index of 15 manufacturing industries, including auto and steel, that uses electrical power and hours worked data to measure monthly changes in regional activity. It is compared here to the national Industrial Production index for Manufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2002.

Starting in November 2005, the index excluded the electricity component.

115 114 113 112 111 110

IPMFG Sept 09 99.0

109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 100 98 94

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson .,REGION ILLINOIS U.S.

Labor force

Jobless

Sept 2009

3,393 17,436 2,637 4,046 1,756 32,338 20,343 4,998 7,209 9,308 1,870 2,905 14,945 12,425 8,292 7,993 7,683 34,527 194,104 6,604,860 154,006,000

380 2,554 291 377 224 2,372 2,034 518 574 1,112 199 347 1,411 1,391 898 637 659 3,318 19,296 674,692 15,142,000

11.2% 14.6% 11.0% 9.3% 12.8% 7.3% 10.0% 10.4% 8.0% 11.9% 10.6% 11.9% 9.4% 11.2% 10.8% 8.0% 8.6% 9.6% 9.9% 10.2% 9.8%

Aug 2009 Sept 2008 11.9% 15.0% 10.5% 9.8% 12.2% 7.6% 9.8% 11.0% 9.1% 12.3% 10.7% 11.9% 9.5% 10.8% 11.0% 8.1% 8.3% 9.8% 10.5% 9.9% 9.7%

8.8% 11.1% 8.4% 6.7% 10.2% 5.8% 6.7% 8.2% 7.3% 10.0% 8.8% 9.9% 7.0% 8.9% 8.0% 5.9% 6.5% 7.5% 8.1% 0.3% 6.0%

SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED.

Change month q q p q p q p q q q q

q p q q p q q p p

0.7 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.6 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.6 6.4 0.1

90 88

Change year p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

86 84

CFMMI Sept 09

82

2.4 81 82.3 3.5 80 2.6 2.6 78 2.6 76F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S 1.5 2.3 SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO 2.2 0.7 1.9 1.8 2.0 Oct 09 Oct 08 Change 2.4 2.3 MONTHLY TOTALS 2.8 144 230 q 37.4% 2.1 YTD TOTALS 2.1 2.1 719 872 q 17.5% 1.8 2008 2007 Change 3.8 ANNUAL TOTALS 3.8 2,521 p 4.6% 2,636 ’08

’09

Williamson County Regional Airport passengers

N

O

I S I N Consumer credit score

D

Credit scores are numeric reflections of financial behavior and credit worthiness, and they are based on information included in a credit report. Ranging from 330 to 830, a higher score means a lower credit risk. Scores are from November 2009.

A

T

698

Murphysboro

Region

699

692

State

U. S.

O R S U of I Flash Index

Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed.

Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

New vehicle sales Sept 09 Sept 08 9 64 12 13 11 84 55 26 19 32 6 11 43 45 28 29 32 111 630

C

694

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson REGION

I

p q q q p q q q q q q q q q q q q q q

8 126 22 18 7 167 99 36 39 56 8 17 97 78 47 37 61 218 1,141

Change

2008

12.5% 49.2% 45.5% 27.8% 57.1% 49.7% 44.4% 26.0% 51.3% 42.9% 25.0% 35.3% 55.7% 42.3% 40.4% 21.6% 47.5% 49.1% 44.8%

169 1,341 294 287 109 1,969 1,270 481 422 689 123 221 1,208 1,064 596 621 721 2,515 14,100

2007 195 1,247 225 260 135 1,622 1,105 419 407 638 111 199 1,126 920 534 595 664 2,292 12,694

q p p p q p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

Change 13.3% 7.5% 30.7% 10.4% 19.3% 21.4% 14.9% 14.8% 3.7% 8.0% 10.8% 11.1% 7.3% 15.7% 11.6% 4.4% 8.6% 9.7% 11.1%

108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89

Oct 09 90.7

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

’07 ’08 SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Q3 09 Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Williamson ILLINOIS

6 67 7 1 4 128 81 16 13 23 2 2 34 28 27 186 32,460

Q3 08 4 84 6 2 1 137 98 22 27 36 3 3 34 33 26 168 32,358

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Change

p 50.0% q 20.2% p 16.7% q 50.0% p 300.0% q 6.6% q 17.3% q 27.3% q 51.9% q 36.1% q 33.3% q 33.3% 0.0% q 15.2% p 3.8% p 10.7% p 0.3%

2008 17 276 NA 7 0 383 332 78 112 126 10 13 149 80 101 639 107,075

2007 32 332 NA 8 0 467 381 92 128 149 9 4 136 78 91 705 140,378

q q

q

q q q q q p p p p p q q

J

J

A

S

O

Consumer Price Index The CPI measures average price changes of goods and services over time, with a reference base of 100 in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of 194.5 means a market basket of goods and services that cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

June 09 June 08 MONTHLY TOTALS $722,378

YTD TOTALS $3,793,841

Change

$1,298,545 q 44.4%

$6,900,380 q 45.0%

2007 ANNUAL TOTALS

Change

2006

$7,330,500 p

Change

MEDIAN SALES PRICE Q3 09 Q3 08

46.9% 16.9% NA 12.5% 0% 18.0% 12.9% 15.2% 12.5% 15.4% 11.1% 225.0% 9.6% 2.6% 11.0% 9.4% 23.7%

$37,450 $59,500 $40,000 $142,500 $76,500 $104,500 $84,200 $44,000 $56,500 $42,500 $75,750 $47,500 $68,500 $54,200 $79,000 $98,750 $165,000

Total units sold, including condominiums

M

Hotel/motel stats

220

U.S. city average Sept 09 216.0

218

216

214

212

2.6% 210

Home sales

A ’09

Total amount of revenue generated in Carbondale by hotels and motels for room rentals only.

$7,520,985

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expected performance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicates expected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

$30,240 $48,000 $42,500 $117,450 $30,000 $104,500 $70,000 $86,250 $68,000 $56,500 $73,000 $75,000 $74,250 $35,000 $70,250 $99,500 $189,500

Midwest urban Sept 09 205.6

208

Change

p 23.8% p 24.0% q 5.9% p 21.3% p 155.0% 0.0% p 20.3% q 49.0% q 16.9% q 24.8% p 3.8% q 36.7% q 7.7% p 54.9% p 12.5% q 0.8% q 12.9%

206

204

200 S

O N ’08

D

J

F

M

A

M ’09

J

J

A

S

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Prices at the pump Average price per gallon of regular, unleaded gas as of Nov. 17 and Oct. 14, 2009.

Nov 09 Metro East Springfield Illinois U.S. SOURCE: AAA

$2.61 $2.58 $2.69 $2.63

Oct 09 Nov 08 $2.43 $2.51 $2.53 $2.48

$1.92 $2.00 $2.14 $2.09

14

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2009

Economic Conditions State of confusion: Time for Illinois to get its financial house in order

BY MICHAEL P. TISON SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

The state of Illinois needs to begin the process of getting its financial house in order. It is starting to cause problems, and these problems will only get worse if not dealt with soon — and I Tison mean soon. I think waiting until after the primary election shows a lack of leadership to fix our problems in Illinois.

These problems are not small. The Pew Center on the States report “Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril” portrays Illinois and eight other states as facing significant fiscal hardships. Authors of the report cited Illinois for “its lack of fiscal discipline to balance its state budget.”

Illinois’ $13.2 billion budget gap for fiscal year 2010 was among the top three in the country. On Oct. 1, the state was nearly $3 billion behind in paying its bills. More recently, that figure has ballooned to $4.2 billion.

Illinois hurts its small businesses by often not paying invoices until they are more than 100 days past due. This increases the cost of business operations

and can cause a business to not hire new employees, lay off existing employees or raise prices to account for the lack of cash flow. Several businesses have shut their doors because they don’t have the nest egg to subsidize the state’s slow pay.

Schools, nursing homes, pharmacies and others are being threatened. That our state is doing nothing is intolerable to say the least. I think our state legislature needs to be in special session now.

Our state’s problems are simple. Our revenues are not enough, and we spend too much money. Sure, I think lower taxes help the economy, but Illinois has no choice but to increase its revenue and lower its cost of operation.

Here are a few ways to start: First, raise the Illinois income tax to 4 percent. The state first considered an increase of this tax to 4.5 percent, and it didn’t go over very well. Then one politician stated that maybe 5 percent was a better alternative. I didn’t understand how an even higher tax would be more palatable to the residents of Illinois. A 4 percent rate would be a 33 percent increase and is a good start.

Second, all Internet transactions should be taxed. When this first was brought up 10 years ago, legislators didn’t want to impede the success of an infant industry.

That was smart. There is no chance of it failing now. I also believe it might level the

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playing field with our local small businesses.

Third, lower the state estate tax. It has come down on the federal level, but the maximum rate in Illinois is 16 percent on the upper bracket. The state of Illinois has lost the Workmen’s Compensation tax rate competition to our neighboring state, and we sometimes lose businesses to our neighbors. However, if we lower the estate tax, it would follow those older, wealthier families would move to Illinois. I think that would be good for our state’s coffers.

I believe we do not need to raise these taxes at the poverty level, but everyone else needs to pay. We all live in this great state and all should pay. We do not need our state to be known for class warfare and only raise the tax on the wealthy. Society is very mobile, and we don’t want to chase away successful people in our state.

We also have to cut expenses. For too long we have spent money we don’t have.

First, we should bring in McKinsey and Co., a well-respected consulting firm, and cut the waste in our state. We have more than 70,000 state employees.

We can’t afford to either keep employees we don’t need or to cut employees we need. I am only saying this needs to be looked at. Look at all state employees and spending including universities, corrections, Secretary of State and all the patronage jobs. Cuts have

to be made.

Second, a $31 billion appropriations bill seems nice, but it is a lot of money, money we don’t have. Some of the projects, however, are long overdue and necessary. I don’t think it would be too much to ask to cut that down to a mere $20 billion for now.

Third, borrow what you have to for now to pay your bills. Even though it would cost interest, it would save late fees, keep businesses from folding and help maintain payrolls so you don’t have to pay all these employees unemployment.

Fourth, cut out all the gaming of the system in retirements and pension. This is our money the state is giving away.

The last house that needs cleaned is our legislature. We need term limits. There is no sense of urgency if they just keep coming back. There is too much gerrymandering in our state.

Lastly, moving the state primaries to February makes it difficult for any challenger against an incumbent. I call it the Illinois State Legislature Job Protection Act of 2007.

— Michael P. Tison is an investment adviser and registered principal with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., with offices in Harrisburg and Marion. He can be reached at 618-253-4444 or michael.tison@raymond james.com.

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

HEALTH CARE FROM PAGE 9 deficits by about $72 billion and by a smaller amount in the following decade.

After 2029, however, the program would start contributing to the federal deficit, but by a small amount compared to other provisions of the bill.

Some senators have expressed reservations about the CLASS Act. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., called the CLASS Act “a Ponzi scheme of the first order, the kind of thing that Bernie Madoff would have been proud of.” Other senators stated: “We have grave concerns that the real effect of the provisions would be to create a new federal entitlement program with large, long-term spending increases that far exceed revenues.”

The insurance industry is fighting to remove the CLASS Act from health reform legislation, arguing that its modest benefit will not adequately protect Americans who need nursing home care or 24-hour home health care services.

But some forward-thinking long-term care insurance agents believe the Act will be a net boon to their industry. They

believe that just as millions of older persons purchase health insurance to supplement Medicare, the CLASS Act will send a strong message to seniors that healthcare reform does not include free long-term care.

While passage in the House of the health care reform legislation is good news for champions of health care reform, a long road still lies ahead. If the Senate is able to pass its health care reform bill, House and Senate negotiators will have many differences to resolve in a conference committee. One of those differences on the current horizon appears to be over the CLASS Act. At the core of the debate will be the issue of whether Congress will get Medicaid out of the long-term care business and give seniors and their families a viable alternative to Medicaid.

— Richard Habiger is an elder care attorney, who focuses on estate protection, Medicaid and VA benefits, Alzheimer’s and life care planning – all in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team dedicated to helping seniors and their families navigate the long-term care system. You may contact him at 618-549-4529 or info@HabigerElderLaw.com.

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16

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2009

Workplace In-house rehab can reduce costs, prevent further injury

BY DENA KIRK SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Have you ever considered how much time and money is lost when you send your injured employees to rehabilitation? By the time the employee drives to the facility, receives Kirk treatment and drives back to work, the company loses an average of one to two hours of productivity. After an injury occurs, the last thing employees want to do is travel all over town to get the treatment and therapy they need.

An alternative exists with on-site therapy programs. Current research indicates such programs aren’t just helping workers heal; they’re also helping to prevent injuries in the first place.

Benefits of on-site programs On-site therapy programs have numerous benefits for the worker and the employer. Successful programs can: n Prevent possible injuries from occurring by using the tools of employee training, job coaching, safety facilitations and ergonomic assessments. n Provide appropriate early intervention and first aid for musculoskeletal soreness, injuries or illnesses resulting from work-

and nonwork-related activities. n Provide the best care possible by matching the needs of the worker to the appropriate treatment using a “stay at work” mentality for the industrial athlete. n Provide appropriate prescribed treatment utilizing all recommended modalities, but using the workplace as a means of functional and productive rehabilitation.

On-site programs also offer flexibility so workers can easily fit treatment into their lives. Instead of having to rearrange their work schedules and home life, they can head to therapy while they’re at work; perhaps on a lunch break or before or after their shift.

This convenience allows the workers to attend the needed sessions and heal from their injuries. Studies have shown that workers who do not have convenient therapy schedules may not be willing to follow their treatment plans as closely.

Getting started By networking with an occupational health and rehabilitation program, employers are provided with innovative services to reduce costs associated with injury in the workplace and lost-time work days. Utilizing effective health care management strategies may include a variety of services: Data analysis: An occupational health consultant can assist the employer with analyzing and reviewing current injury data. This includes assessing the history of claims, OSHA record keeping logs, safety

and ergonomic programs, the injury prevention process, medical provider network and review of medial utilization.

An action plan is then developed and customized to meet the needs of the company. This will assist with prompt identification of potential areas requiring intervention.

Ergonomics and job site analysis: Physical and occupational therapists can be available to study and observe work stations in progress and perform an analysis of high risk areas.

Recommendations are made for avoidance of hazards related to the specific job task and modifications employees can make to reduce the risk of injury while on the job.

In addition, therapists can also identify and qualify essential job functions for current and prospective employees.

Employee education and training: Back education and body mechanics training equips the employees with an understanding of their anatomy and body mechanics to teach them the proper way to handle the materials when lifting. It also provides them alternative means of lifting to reduce possible back injuries and strains.

Workstation design and training: Teaches employees how to set up correct workstations independently. This reduces the risk of musculoskeletal and postural disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Injury prevention techniques also include stretching programs.

Train the trainer: Education and

training is implemented with managerial and supervising personnel to integrate them into the role of an on-site injury specialist. These educational programs can also be implemented by an occupational or physical therapist during employee training and safety meetings.

Early intervention programs: Being able to identify potential injuries before they occur is important. An experienced and licensed physical or occupational therapist is placed on-site for prompt attention of those employees who may experience early signs and symptoms of a musculoskeletal disorder. The on-site heath care professionals play a key role in the prevention process to decrease incidence of workplace injury and illness.

Job coaching is a critical component in eliminating at-risk behaviors and promoting safe work habits.

On-site therapy: The primary goal of the on-site therapy program is to “stayat-work” not “return-to-work.” On-site therapy is an industry trend that provides on-site medical intervention from a licensed occupational or physical therapist. The benefits of a transitional on-site return to work process include reducing lost work hours and medical costs.

— If you are interested in implementing on-site services at your facility or would like information regarding the financial impact, contact Dena Kirk at FIT FOR WORK in Herrin at 618-942-3088 or dena.kirk@sih.net.

Be cautious in seeking medical information from applicants

BY ED RENSHAW SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Renshaw

The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to all employers with 15 or more employees.

Employers covered by the act are prohibited from discriminating against employees or potential

employees who have disabilities or are perceived to have disabilities.

The ADA limits the types of questions you can ask job applicants as well as the kinds of physical or medical testing job applicants can be required to undergo. To avoid a violation of the ADA, it is important to know what you can and cannot do when obtaining medical information about a job applicant.

First, the simplest rule. Before a job offer is made, you cannot require an applicant to take a medical examination or answer any questions about physical or

mental conditions. You can ask questions about an applicant’s ability to perform specific job functions, such as lifting 50 pounds or climbing a ladder. Those questions must relate to actual functions of the job the applicant is seeking and not intended to determine if the applicant has a physical limitation. In other words, if the job doesn’t require the lifting of 50 pounds, you can’t ask if the applicant is able to lift 50 pounds.

Be aware of how questions related to job functions are worded. You can ask, “Are you able to lift 50 pounds above your

shoulders?” You cannot ask, “Do you have a disability or physical limitation that would prevent you from lifting 50 pounds?” Although you may get the same response using either question (for example, the applicant may state that she has a herniated disc that prevents the lifting), the first question is permitted, and the second is not. If the applicant simply states she is unable to lift 50 pounds, you cannot ask why.

Of course, you may have a job applicant SEE EMPLOYMENT / PAGE 19

18

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 2009

Achievements AWARDS | PROMOTIONS | RETIREMENT

Company receives safety award American Coal Company is the recipient of a mine safety award from John E. Jones Council of Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association.

This award, presented quarterly for the best safety performance in the Southern Illinois region, recognizes American Coal Company’s incident rate of only 3.99 for 401,325 man-hours worked during the third quarter of 2009. American Coal Company is an independent operating subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation.

American Coal Company’s Galatia complex consists of two underground mining operations, New Era Mine and New Future Mine, as well as a preparation plant, and employs 732 people. The operation produced more than five million tons of bituminous coal in 2008 for shipment to various customers in both domestic and international markets.

McGrath receives award Tim McGrath, a financial advisor for the Anna office of Edward Jones, recently won the firm’s Ted Jones Prospecting Award, which recognizes first-year financial advisors who achieve high levels of success.

McGrath was one of only 426 brokers in the firm to receive the award. There are more than 12,000 brokers in the firm.

The award is named after Ted Jones, son of the firm’s founder, who recognized the need to sell securities to individual investors and established the firm’s oneperson branch office concept.

McGrath received the award at the Edward Jones regional meeting in St.

Louis. James D. Weddle, the firm’s managing partner, said the award is a strong indicator of a financial advisor’s future success.

Sluzevich named branch manager

David Sluzevich of Benton has been promoted to branch manager of First Bank’s Carbondale office. He previously served as branch manager of the Johnston City office.

Three attend rally Sluzevich has more than 17 years of Glenda Swalls and Carol Diane Yancey, both of Herrin, and Karla Hale of banking and financial services experience in the Southern Illinois region, including Vienna recently attended a Celebrating six years at First Bank. He will manage the Home conference in Nashville, Tenn. marketing, business development and sales All three are designers for Celebrating activities for the Carbondale branch.

Home.

Headquartered in Marshall, Texas, Celebrating Home offers high-quality Tippett joins Herbalife sales team products to decorate homes, including Carlyn Tippett of Creal Springs has stoneware pottery, candles, wall décor, become an independent consultant and dining and entertainment pieces, and certified wellness coach with Herbalife. home and garden accessories.

Herbalife has been in business for 27 years. As an Independent consultant, Tippett offers personal coaching, body Waste disposal business opens A new business, Southern Illinois Waste analysis and cellular nutrition.

For information, contact Tippett at Container, recently opened at 9148 Crenshaw Road in Marion. The service area caricacres1994@gmail.com or 888-7099811. is made up of Williamson, Jackson, Franklin, Saline and Perry counties.

Southern Illinois Waste Container Coffey achieves status provides waste removal for businesses. It Suzzette Coffey of Royalton recently could be for weekly service, multiple pick- achieved the status of independent sales ups per week, bi-weekly or monthly. director with Mary Kay Inc. Dumpsters of various sizes are available to Independent sales directors build customers. successful businesses on a part-time or The business also provides a roll off full-time basis with the income potential, service, offering a variety of roll off sizes. freedom and flexibility that accompanies The length of time for the roll off an entrepreneurial business opportunity. containers varies. These roll offs can be In preparation for the next phase of her used for many different projects, such as business, Coffey was invited to attend a construction projects, home clean-up, roof business and leadership development removals and permanent installations for seminar in Dallas, home of Mary Kay Inc. businesses with a high volume of waste. world headquarters, where she received For information, call 618-942-7222. information and advice regarding business

management and personal development.

Dealer candidate graduates Jerkins Creative Consulting has announced that 17 participants completed the JCC 2009 Dealer Candidate Course.

Graduates of this three-year dealer development course include Randy Metrunec, Webb Machinery; Yvon Caouette, Caouette & Sons; Lucy Smith, Caouette & Sons; Jaret Nelson, Nelson Motors & Equipment; Marlyn Stevens, Nelson Motors & Equipment; Jeremi Tweed, Tweed Country Ag; Brendan Wawro, Moker & Thompson; Darrel Bitz, Schroeder Bros. Imp.; Wendy Ackerman, Schroeder Bros. Imp.; Keith Evans, Atkinson Implement; Mike Walker, Catons, LTD; Cameron Martin, Martin Equipment; Vincent Shank, Martin Equipment; Dwight Logeot, Miller Farm Equipment; and Mike VanderWal, VanderWal Equipment. Two participants were recognized for their outstanding performance throughout the three years. Rolly Richard, Tweed Farm Equipment, received top honors. Anton Krys, Webb Machinery, received honors.

Jerkins Creative Consulting is located at 1002 Vale St. in Benton.

Let the region know Have you been promoted? Has a colleague at work completed an intensive continuing education program?

Others in the business community will want to know it, so please consider passing on your milestone employment news to the Southern Business Journal.

Feel free to e-mail the information to sbj@thesouthern.com or fax a written update to 618-457-2935.

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DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

19

Entrepreneur’s Mailbag Our economic landscape has changed: Nonprofits now mean business

BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Recently, I was listening to a report from Capitol Hill in which U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geitner defended a host of administration decisions, Gray including reestablishing the housing market, reviving banking, economic recovery and the much debated $787 billion stimulus bill passed in February.

Among the programs, $50 million was budgeted for the arts, $53.6 billion for education, $3.9 billion for job training and $16.8 billion for energy efficiency programs. The idea of accessing some of these funds has many people contemplating side-stepping their

original plans in favor of establishing a nonprofit organization.

affirm that your organization exists to carry out the solution.

What’s your purpose?

Nonprofits have changed

If you have set your sights on setting up a nonprofit, the first thing you will want to determine is your organization’s purpose. Nonprofits can be organized for any of a number of reasons including charitable, educational, civic, religious, research and industry development, among others. Once you have defined the organization’s purpose, you should begin drafting your mission statement around that purpose. The Boys & Girls Club of America’s mission statement reads, “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” Make sure your mission statement conveys the most important social values that govern what you do. Give the readers of your statement a glimpse at the problem you are looking to address. Lastly,

In navigating the development of your nonprofit, it is important to keep in mind that the landscape has changed significantly. With increased competition for grant funding, more nonprofits are operating like traditional small businesses or social enterprises.

Social enterprises combine the passion of fulfilling a social mission but are run like a well-oiled business machine.

In 2002, Monk Bernard McCoy saw a business opportunity for his Cistercian Abbey when his printer ran out of toner.

From that experience Laser Monks was born. The Web site run by the monks sells printing and imaging supplies and is doing about $500,000 a year in sales.

All profits go to Cistercian’s charitable missions around the world. So, remember, being a nonprofit does not mean that you don’t make money.

Today’s nonprofits are having to work harder than ever before, pursuing countless new opportunities that help serve the organization’s mission and keep it moving forward. They must strive for a new level of accountability to the constituencies they serve and engage in a continual process of innovation, adapting and learning. If your organization keeps these things in mind then it could be well on its way to doing a lot of business while doing a lot of good at the same time.

— Cavanaugh L. Gray is the director of business development for The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. in Carbondale.

He can be contacted at cgray@ ecafell.com or 618-206-7013. For more information on establishing your nonprofit organization or for daily tips on how to start, grow and succeed in small business, follow The Entrepreneur Cafe, L.L.C. on Twitter www.twitter.com /TheECafe.

EMPLOYMENT: Be cautious in seeking medical information from applicants FROM PAGE 16 who immediately informs you of a disability or whose disability (e.g., use of a wheelchair, blindness, missing limb) is evident. In those cases, you can ask if the applicant would need some type of accommodation to do the job.

If the applicant says he doesn’t need an accommodation, you cannot inquire any further on that subject. But if the applicant says an accommodation is needed, you can ask specific questions about the type of accommodation needed. You cannot ask questions to get information about the nature of the disability beyond what is evident or what the employee has voluntarily provided.

If it seems the applicant would be a good employee, you can make the

applicant a “conditional” job offer. Once that offer is made, the rules change, and it becomes permissible to ask questions about the applicant’s medical condition and require the applicant to undergo a medical examination. But the employer can do these things only if it does them for all new employees in that job category.

You can’t choose which potential employees will be given medical examinations.

It is not always clear exactly what a “medical examination” is. For example, if an applicant is tested to see if he can lift 50 pounds over his shoulders — remember, the lifting must be a job requirement for you to do the test— that test is not a medical examination. But if someone is given that same test and then has her heart rate or blood pressure taken,

the test is then considered a medical examination. So a skills or strength test can be given before a conditional offer is made so long as there is no monitoring of the applicant’s physical reaction to the test.

Once the medical examination is completed, the employer cannot withdraw the job offer simply because the examination revealed a disability that concerns the employer — unless certain requirements are met. The job offer can be withdrawn, if the disability would prevent the applicant from doing the job even if reasonable accommodations were made to assist her. The job offer can also be withdrawn if the applicant, because of the disability, would pose a significant risk of great harm to himself or others, and the risk cannot be reduced through

some type of accommodation.

Finally, if you hire the applicant, make sure any information about her medical condition is kept strictly confidential.

Only those in your company who have a need to know the information should be told of the medical condition. And if you have any written medical information about the employee, it cannot be kept in the employee’s personnel file; a separate medical file must be used.

— Edward Renshaw is a partner with the Carbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/ Green/Ryan. F/M/G/R is a general practice law firm offering a full range of legal services, including labor and employment law, commercial transactions, banking, real estate, workers’ compensation, municipal law and estate planning.

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

21

Business Fine Print PERMITS | LIENS | BANKRUPTCIES

Building permits Murphysboro Pam and Daniel Graham, 342 Murphy, $12,000 Gene Basden, 2225 Commercial, $30,000 Marion Lynn, 1025 Maple Street, $1,600 Tonya Baker, 53 Crescent Drive, $7,000 Eric Kennedy, 2103 Clay Street, $4,200 Knights of Columbus, 606 Plum, $21,500 Claude Worthen, 429 North Street, $2,100 Rhonda Chiang, 2043 Gartside, $3,456 Lighthouse of Faith Ministry, 1420 South Street, $700 CJ Calandro, 321 N. 4th Street, $1,500 Jack Wilson, 1930 Wall Street, $1,000 Ann Wuest, 1911 Walnut, $1,000 Robert S. McCormick, 2020 Walnut Street, $13,000 Charles and Jonie Hillesheim, 1830 Spruce Street, $7,564 Luella McComb, 1102 Steven Lane, $4,000 Jeff Daniel, 312 N. 19th Street, $4,500 Shawn Kennedy, 2008 Spruce Street, $4,058 Thomas McBride, 210 S. 20th Street, $12,725 Matthew and Heather Hines, 531 N. 15th Street, $600 Marie Shoemaker, 720 N. 20th Street, $2,900 Barbara Cosgroves, 1611 Spruce, $6,500 Gene Bost, 1212 N. 16th Street, $8,900 Charles Boucher, 413 N. 4th Street, $5,729 Earl Baskin, 2032 Pine Street, $7,620 Gary Martin, 721 Maple Street, $6,000 Gary Martin, 724 Maple Street, $6,000 Dennis Niemann, 138 Niemann Lane, $40,000 Amos Baggot, 1302 Illinois Avenue, $6,500 Brian Camden, 2041 Spruce Street, $12,000 Judith Tweedy, 1817 Spruce Street, $12,000 Michael Barrick, 523 Lucier, $886 Don Buedel, 2118 Division, $100 Karen S. Berkey, 2035 Alexander Avenue, $800 Christopher M. Doody, 1924 Bishop Drive, $200 Mark Farmer, 823 Illinois Avenue, $5,100 Arnold Mueller, 1918 Pine Street, $4,500 Greg Kerns, 2028 Spruce Street, $6,700 Terrance Svec, 2104 Walnut Street, $20,000 Gene Bost, 1212 N. 16th Street, $8,000 Richard LaReau, 407 N. 11th Street, $10,000 Feigenbaum Trust, 1500 Grace Street, $67,476 Amber Williamson, 444 N. 9th Street, $5,000 John Warren, 11 Westwood Lane, $4,800 Patricia Krawczyk, 904 N. 7th Street, $1,662 Tony’s Restaurant, 550 E. Industrial Park, $8,900 Jim Ritcheson, 2103 Pine Street, $7,500

Mount Vernon Country Crafted Furniture, 4704 Broadway, $0 Mount Vernon Crossing, 101 Davidson Avenue, $6,000 Armed Forces Career Center, 101 Davidson Avenue, $7,700 Bugsy’s Chicago Dog, 311 E. Broadway, $0 Greg Backes, 25 Northbrook, $5,200 Don Sol 2, Inc. 300 S. 44th Street, $0 Jason Kippenberger, 1014 Mick Road, $5,000 Dale Mick, 808 Buffalo Lane, $1,000 Ivan’s Upholstery, 501 S. 10th Street, $12,000

Mac McClanahan, 2504 Casey, $800 Brady Moore, 611 S. 13th Street, $0 Jarrod Stroud, 2113 Cherry Street, $0 Jarrod Stroud, 2113 Cherry Street, $2000 Oma D. Jones, 1810 Briarwood, $5,000 Cindy Welch, 2921 S. 13th Street, $8,000

Metropolis Ronald and Emily Casper, 315 Oak Drive, $5,000 Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. P.O. Box 36290, $515,000 James Phelps, 941 Country Club Road, $4,500 Eastland Baptist Church, 716 E. 3rd Street, $3,500 Roe T. White, 18 Hilanoa Drive, $25,000

Bankruptcies Chapter 7 David King, 225 E. Main St., Bellmont Robert Tiffin, 426 E. Jefferson St., Anna Stacy Tiffin, 246 E. Jefferson St., Anna Triple R. Logistics LLC, P.O. Box 1094, Metropolis BDR Services Inc., P.O. Box 1094, Metropolis Triple R. Express LLC, P.O. Box 1094, Metropolis Douglas Sumpter and Cynthia Sumpter, 14673 N. Illinois 37, Mount Vernon Christopher Butler, P.O. Box 135, Joppa Robert Warren and Betty Warren, 108 Buchanan St., Zeigler Joyce Jone, P.O. Box 556, Hurst Frank Hall and Jennifer Hall, 917 E. Sixth St., Metropolis Michael Gantner, 178 Kinyon Road, Addieville Anthony Sebastian, 181 N. Carolyn Drive, Carbondale Garland Smock, 707 Stewart St., Carmi Robert Pair and Connie Pair, 412 N. Summers St., Du Quoin Melissa Mosley, P.O. Box 2723, Carbondale Gregory Nichols and Christine Nichols, 527 W. Goodner St., Nashville Brandon Shands and Emily Shands, 307 Casey St., Woodlawn Kristy McIntosh, 200 W. Clark St., Herrin Elaine Burgess, P.O. Box 181, Buckner Kyle Murray, 1209 Marion St., Carterville Jerry Davis, P.O. Box 15, Nashville Howard Alford and Martha Alford, 950 Old Route 146 Loop, Vienna Joe Searcy and Jennine Searcy, 717 Girard St., Metropolis Esther McDuffee, 307 Oak Drive, Metropolis James Cissell and Angela Cissell, 702 Public St., Evansville Irene Dalton, 808 Sherman Drive, Marion Ralph Beaver and Gayla Beaver, 3102 W. Main St., Marion Randall Chitwood, 803 Main St., Carterville April Wolff, P.O. Box 37, Sesser Mary George, 9814 Surman Lane, Chester Alvis Howell, 535 Murphy St., Murphysboro Eleanor Smith, 412 E. College St., Marion Jason Stutes, 610 County Road, Pinckneyville James Clark and Deborah Clark, P.O. Box 414, Shawneetown

Josefina Navarra, 5 Union Ave., McLeansboro Ganice Skropka, P.O. Box 254, Woodlawn Gary Chamness, 2509 Bethel Road, Vergennes Marsha Smith, 202 Texas Ave., Carterville Dominick Overy, 301 S. Van Buren St., Marion Albert Walker and Debra Walker, 854 Big Four St., Eldorado Sally Walker, RR 4 Box 290D, McLeansboro George Payne and Ruth Payne, 785 Feazel Road, Harrisburg John Heath and Diana Heath, 604 N. 10th St., Herrin Sheila Schubert, 516 Lucier St., Murphysboro Michael Harvel and Melinda Harvel, 18545 Pittsburg Road, Johnston City Melanie Perez, 17 Orchard Drive, Herrin Cora Rumsey, 1502 Fosse Road, Marion Steven Perry, P.O. Box 174, Carterville Ronald Jordan and Julia Jordan, 608 S. 24th St., Herrin Dedrick Cooper, 2253 Sharp Rock Road, Ava Rick Wininger, 324 Elmwood St., West Frankfort Kathy Burns, 325 Little Creek Loop, Dongola Joshua Qualls, 203 E. Lindell St., West Frankfort David McCourt and Barbara McCourt, 90 Caraway Lane, Goreville Elizabeth Herron, 904 S. Buchanan St., Marion Mark Mobley, 4576 N. 1300 Blvd., Mount Carmel Michael Ferrell, 227 S. Capitol St., Harriburg Susan Emery, 2103 Morgan Ave., Marion Christopher Newman and Amy Newman, 1971 Stave Mill Road, Murphysboro Kenneth Cook, 100 Tyler St., McLeansboro Jerry Cochran, 110 N. Sparta St., Steeleville David Lauderdale, P.O. Box 62, Buncombe Robert Twente, P.O. Box 355, Olmsted Vichai Jangjirawat, P.O. Box 292, Cairo Shataka Jangjirawat, 2731 Park Ave., Cairo Mary Henderson, 903 Terrace Lake Drive, Aurora Harry Wideman, 2206 Saline Ave., Eldorado Timothy Wittenbrink, 690 U.S. Highway 51, Du Quoin Danny Dunklin, 128 N. Oak St., Du Quoin David Peters, 302 W. North St., Du Quoin David Arnett and Debra Arnett, 409 Orchard St., Zeigler Benjamin Seed and Karen Seed, 608 N. Monroe St., Marion Lindell Norwood and Marsha Norwood, P.O. Box 903, Metropolis Michael Moore and Gaile Moore, Illinois 2 Box 157, Cisne Heather Taaka, 16873 N. County Farm Lane, Mount Vernon Patricia Runyon, 19477 E. 700 Road, Mount Carmel Mark Welch and Sherry Welch, 1305 Noah St., Johnston City Shonna Schaal, P.O. Box 272, Creal Springs Edward Belva, 200 Marlynn Court, Sparta Keith Gibson, 100 Front St., Anna Brian Swinford and Christina Swinford, 713 Katie Lane, Herrin Shane Matlock and Victoria Matlock, P.O. Box 86, McClure Dallas Keller, 708 North 35th St., Herrin Jay Salmon, 301 Roberts St., Anna Keri Deaton, 200 E. Patrick St., Marion

Betty Gibbs, 223 Second St., New Burnside Glendell Lovellette, 1515 Trolley Road, Eldorado Stephen Ginger, 501 Girard St., Metropolis Sheryl Mayberry, 407 E. Dayton Ave., Harrisburg Larry Smoot, RR3 Box 140, Albion Colin Campbell, 2006 Arthur Ave., Charleston Tonja Hood, 305 N. Line St., Du Quoin Jarrod Koontz and Angela Koontz, RR2 Box 693, Fairfield Philip Lingle and Susan Lingle, P.O. Box 568, Cobden Frank Skalski and Amy Skalski, 301 Cole St., Waltonville Patrick Morgan and Janet Morgan, 1801 E. St. Louis St., West Frankfort Jeffrey Money and Bethany Money, 255 Co. Road 500 N., Norris City Jimmie Beachel, 1007 Anna St., Benton Michael Halliday and Patricia Halliday, 700 Manitou St., Benton

Chapter 13 Ignatius Dolce, P.O. Box 714, Sesser Charlene Vaughn, 3609 Elm St., Cairo Marcia Perryman, 3155 W. Harrison St., Murphysboro Andrew Green and Tammy Green, 1828 Pine St., Murphysboro Paul Null, 917 S. Virginia St., Marion Derrick Legereit and Penny Legereit, 1200 Ophia St., Metropolis Michael Cottonaro and Cari Cottonaro, 1106 S. Buchanan St., Marion Tim Hall, 211 N. McDyby St., Buckner Jay Woodrome, No. 4 Parker Drive, Mount Vernon Todd Smith and Darla Smith, P.O. Box 146, Coello Johnny Hayes and Becky Hayes, 8282 Ezra Road, West Frankfort Angela Chambers, 309 W. Brewster Road, Herrin Mary Bramlett, 210 Wilcox St., Zeigler Tina Phillips, 400 Murphysboro Lake Road, Murphysboro Gladys Presutti, 45 Iris Lane, Pomona Tiffany Johnson, 416 S. 28th St., Herrin Deloise Adams, 2337 Roblee Ave., Murphysboro Toni Zettle, 601 E. Fifth St., West Frankfort Kevin Collins and Katina Collins, 111 Karen Ann Lane, Carrier Mills James Geary and Brenda Geary, 6437 State Route 152, Du Quoin David Woodside, P.O. Box 134, Tamaroa Delilah Pope, 5691 Country Acres Lane, Metropolis Brian Simmons and Terri Simmons, 170 Simmons Lane, Dongola Keith Harbison, 305 W. Raymond St., Harrisburg David Hill, 1111 Murray St., Eldorado Melissa McKinney, 1100 Brush St., Johnston City Thomas Ferguson and Wendy Ferguson, 602 W. Water St., Pinckneyville Eugene Gregg, P.O. Box 733, Energy Edgar Haertling, 16 Westwood Drive, Steeleville Robert Burke and Kimberly Burke, P.O. Box 541, Murphysboro James Thompson and Terri Thompson, 12580 N. Sparrow St., Mount Vernon April Boaz, 2341 Childers St., Marion Jeff Schultz, 3109 Peach St., Mount Vernon

DECEMBER 2009

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

23

Money Matters Money and happiness: Do they always go hand-in-hand?

BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Does money actually buy a degree of happiness? In this recessionary holiday season, it is worth thinking about the effect money has on our lives. What role does money play in our happiness? Is McClatchey that role overrated?

Most psychologists and sociologists will tell you that our happiness comes largely from social interaction. But studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between wealth and a kind of mental health.

As Pearl Bailey immortally quipped, “Honey, I been poor, and I been rich. And let me tell you, rich is better.” Having a well-paying job, being successful at what you do — these are definite cornerstones of self-esteem and to happiness.

So is Warren Buffett happier than we are? The math is not quite that simple.

American wealth grew remarkably in the late 20th Century, but surveys found that Americans on average weren’t any happier than they’d been decades before.

Does spending money make people happy? It depends on the purpose.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the “hedonic treadmill” theory, an economic theory which holds that the middle-class and the affluent exhaust themselves and diminish their happiness through endless pursuit of the latest material goods. Americans are proudly competitive, and can’t help but measure their wealth in relation to their friends and neighbors. We have to have more than the next guy.

Does spending money on others make people happy? Yes, according to the results of a study published in March 2008 in Science magazine. Researchers took a sample of 600 Americans. They instructed 46 to spend a $5 or $20 bill on a particular day. Some were told to spend the money on others, and the study found that they were happier at the end of the day than the ones who spent the money on themselves. The study also tracked 16 workers who got profit-sharing bonuses,

and observed that employees who gave a majority of their bonus to others ended up happier than those who spent it on themselves. In fact, the main forecaster of happiness was not the size of the bonus, but how it was spent. The Science study also discovered that spending more money on gifts and charity correlated with increased happiness.

Are we ultimately only as happy as we want to be? Perhaps. Researchers now increasingly feel that people have a genetic “baseline” or “set point” of happiness and deviations from this norm are temporary.

In other words, how the stock market does doesn’t rattle our basic level of happiness.

Even life-altering tragedies or seeming miracles don’t ultimately budge us much from the norm. (Studies of the brain indicate that people with more activity in their left prefrontal cortexes seem to be happier than some others.)

Recently, University of Virginia psychology professor Jonathan Haidt wrote a classically rooted book called “The Happiness Hypothesis.” Haidt observed that within a year of their life-changing experiences, “lottery winners and

paraplegics have both, on average, returned most of the way to their baseline levels of happiness.” He feels that happiness can grow from “vital engagement” with other people and one’s passions, and from a spiritual and moral “coherence” in yourself and your life.

How about some Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH)? No joke: since 1972, the government of Bhutan has dedicated itself to boosting GDH, Gross Domestic Happiness, via a platform of equitable and sustainable economic growth, cultural preservation in the face of the West, good government, and environmentalism.

Other nations have studied Bhutan’s example; in fact, conferences have been held on the concept in Bhutan, Mongolia and the Netherlands.

— Scott McClatchey is a founder and LPL financial advisor with Alliance Investment Planning Group, a Carbondale-based investment firm at 115 S. Washington St. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 or scott@allianceinvestmentplanning.com.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

Business Fine Print PERMITS | LIENS | BANKRUPTCIES Robert Morse and Shannon Morse, 546 Cherry Lake Road, Du Quoin Gary Wright and Lynette Wright, 203 Paradise Drive 114, Carterville Randy Rheinecker and Sarah Rheinecker, 651 West Alton St., Nashville Lester Carter and Sheila Carter, 10009 Forrest Baptist Church Road, Benton Michael Taylor and Cheryl Taylor, 336 Creal Springs Road, Creal Springs Donna Berendt, 301 S. Goldhimer St., Benton Leroy Madden and Sheryl Madden, 310 E. Parker Ave., Du Quoin Jack Huff and Billie Huff, 14596 Allen Road, Herrin Frances Stanley and Shawn Stanley, P.O. Box 1023, Du Quoin Jean Vannoy, 1215 Stonington Dr., Herrin Ronnie Zettler and Carol Zettler, 8423 Hidden Oak Lane, Tamaroa John Forbes and Marsha Forbes, P.O. Box 102, Carterville Alfred Rich and Blanca Rich, 3898 Deering Road,

West Frankfort Bobby Burdel, 212 Illinois St., Pinckneyville Amy Lyerla, 2117 Rainbow Dr., Murphysboro Gary Roach and Emilye Roach, 60 Shephard Lane, Anna Geoffery Rose, 12931 N. Shorelane Drive, Marion Jessica Metzger, 1065 S. Heaman St., Nashville Gregory Lewis, 1945 New Era Road, Carbondale David Spurlock, 21005 9 Blacktop St., Thompsonville William Wilson, 129 Baggott St., Zeigler Joe Falmier, 6213 Bayer Circle, Carterville Gary Clutts, 634 Illinois Ave., Murphysboro Joan Van Baber, 1309 S. Webster St., Harrisburg Anthony Leone and Melissa Leone, 616 S. 14th St., Herrin Randy Kirt, P.O. Box 564, Anna Michael Melcher, 105 Circle Drive, Herrin Jamie Melcher, P.O. Box 44, Herrin Samaline Fark, 1021 West Laurel, Carbondale Sharon Humm, RR 1 Box 1321, Golconda Allyson Cannon, 1210 E. Main St., West Frankfort

James Clark and Rita Clark, 8225 Lily Pad Lane, Du Quoin

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