Illinois items A booklet outlining information on the Federal Age Employment Act (ADEA) has been published by the Illinois Department on Aging. The booklet, "Protecting the Rights of Older Workers is intended to provide social service workers information needed to help older workers who think they may have been discriminated against. A limited number of copies are available from the department on aging, 2401 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, Ill. 62706. The state has filed 490 lawsuits and hired collection agencies in order to collect $13 million dollars in defaulted loans to 7,000 former college students. The total amount in default is $29 million (16,000 loans), but about half of these are now being repaid. The loans are made through banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions and other institutions, and the state guarantees repayment if the student fails to pay. The loan program is part of the Illinois State Scholarship Commission. Gov. James R. Thompson released Capitol Development Bond Funds November 10 for the following projects: construction of a new crash-rescue fire station at the University of Illinois' Willard Airport, Champaign-Urbana ($60,000); remodeling of three buildings at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville ($ 161,000); construction of residential centers for the handicapped in Springfield, Swansea, Rockford and Addison ($1,079,948); bookstacks and furniture for the new library at Western Illinois University, Macomb ($1.2 million). A third form of life, methanogens, has been discovered by researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Methanogens are now the oldest known form of life — evolving at least 3.5 billion years ago — and may provide a clue to early stages of evolution. The organisms thrive in conditions thought unable to support life. They take in carbon dioxide and hydrogen and give off methane gas. Vermilion and adjacent counties have been declared disaster areas by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a result of a storm on September 30. Residents who suffered storm damage may apply for low-interest SBA loans. The deadline for loan applications for physical damage is December 27; loan applications for economic injuries will be accepted through July 27,1978. The Windgate home for retarded children was given a one-year license probation by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), effective November 21. The probation was granted with the understanding that Wind-gate would comply with various conditions including: behavior modification techniques involving use of force or restraints will not be used except with prior written approval of a licensed physician; guidelines for the use of behavior modification methods and techniques will be formulated and put into use; all medicine will be dispensed by a registered nurse and recorded in the resident's medical record; a registered nurse other than the owner's wife will be employed; and the facility should be licensed within six months by the Illinois Department of Public Health as an intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled children. Action against Windgate began last May when DCFS received reports of child abuse at the facility. Gov. James R. Thompson appointed a special task force to investigate the allegations (see Illinois Issues, August 1977). Hearings were held throughout the summer and led to an out-of-court settlement and the license probation.
NAMES
January 1978/ Illinois Issues/ 31 replaced former Rep. William L. O'Daniel (D., Fairfield) who resigned October 31 to become acting state executive director, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. James E. Braxton, Springfield, as executive director, Fair Employment Practices Commission, by the commission effective November 1. Braxton had been assistant director of the Governor's Office on Manpower and Human Development. He replaced Mel F. Jordan who was ousted from the commission in July and is now working for the Equal Employment Practices Commission in Baltimore, Md. Donna Gleespen, Decatur, as executive director, Illinois Commission on Children, by the commission effective September 8. Gleespen was community children's servicesconsultant for the commission. She succeeded Naomi Hiett who retired in August. George W. Lindberg, Crystal Lake, as deputy attorney general, by Atty. Gen. William J. Scott effective November 1. Formerly state comptroller, Lindberg was first assistant attorney general and succeeded Robert J. O'Rourke who died in October 1976. The attorney general named new first assistant attorneys general: Richard W. Cosby in Springfield and Herbert L. Caplan in Chicago. Cosby was formerly chief of the environmental control division, and Caplan was chief of litigation. Harold Monroney, Glen Carbon, as director, Illinois Division of Highways, by Secy. of Transportation John D. Kramer effective October 24. Monroney, who was a district engineer for the department, replaced Harry Hanley who became deputy secretary of transportation. Also appointed was Harvey Haack, Springfield, as director of the transportation policy and planning office. Haack had previously been deputy director. Richard M. Randick, Chicago, as manager, income tax regulations and hearings division, Department of Revenue, by Director Robert M. Whitler. The post was created to deal with a backlog in income tax cases, most of them involving corporate taxpayers and complex legal issues. A former attorney for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Randick most recently was tax specialist for Household Finance Corp., Chicago. Forrest Loomis, Monmouth, as chief forest game biologist, Department of Conservation, by Associate Director of Natural Resources James Wills effective October 15. He replaced Jack Calhoun who resigned in July. Also appointed was Tom Hecht, Chatham, as supervisor of the radio. television and audio-visual section, information and education division, by the department's assistant director James Helfrich effective October 3. Hecht was assistant news director for Channel 20, Springfield. Dr. Larry S. Patton, Morton, as a member of the Medical Examining Committee of the Illinois Department of Registration and Education, by Director Joan G. Anderson effective November 1. Patton is the osteopath member of the seven-member committee which includes five medical doctors and one chiropractor. He succeeded Dr. Dale 0. Richardson who died. Three Springfield residents were appointed as state employee members of the Inter-Agency Committee on Handicapped Employees by the governor effective August 1: Joseph I. Davis, Illinois Information Service; Darleen I. Hill, Department of Personnel, and Mitchell D. Hughes, Department of Transportation. Also on the committee are the heads of the department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Personnel, and Veterans Affairs and the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission. Gene Sigman, St. Louis, Mo., as public information representative, Department of Labor, by Director William Bowling effective November 1. Sigman, who is former editor of the Southern Illinois Labor Tribune, replaced Sue Kolker who resigned. Gerald D. Fines, Springfield, as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois by President Jimmy Carter effective November 15 after receiving Senate approval. Fines, who was acting U.S. attorney and career employee of the U.S. Justice Department, replaced Donald Mackay who resigned. Also appointed to the Southern District court was Charles H. Evans, Springfield, as U.S. magistrate, by Chief Circuit Judge Robert D. Morgan effective October 28. Evans was the first assistant attorney general for Atty. Gen. Scott's Springfield office and has worked for the state for 23 years. Continued on back page (36)
January 1978/ Illinois Issues/ 32 Names continued from page 32
Boards and commissions Two new members to the Department of Law Enforcement Merit Board by the governor effective November 1: Fred E. Inbau, Chicago, for a term ending March 1980 and Stanley Edward Bricker, Watseka, for a term ending March 1978. Senate approval is required. William Campbell, Ashland, as member of the Illinois Community College Board, by the governor effective October 24. Campbell's term ends June 1983. The position requires Senate approval and is unsalaried. Royal B. Martin, Jr., Wilmette, as chairman and member, State Appellate Defender Commission, by the governor effective May 1977. Martin will serve until May 1983 and replaced Cornelius Toole, Chicago in the nonsalaried position. Milton Derber, Urbana, as member of the Board of the Office of Collective Bargaining, Department of Labor, by the governor effective November 8. Members of the board serve for an indefinite term on a contractual basis. Derber, who fills a vacancy, is professor of labor and industrial relations, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Judy Buchanan, Bloomington, as member of the 7-member Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, by the governor for a term ending June 1979, effective October 25. This position is unsalaried. Six new members were appointed to the 15-member Kaskaskia Regional Port District Board by the governor effective October 24. Appointed to terms ending June 1979 were Wilmer Schuster, New Athens, and Arthur Jean Miller, Freeburg. Appointed to terms ending June 1980 were Walter R. Phillips, Smithton; Robert W. Rippelmeyer, Valmeyer; Arthur S. Mack, Marissa: Stanley L. Reeble, New Athens. Reappointed for terms ending June 1979 were Glen F. Reinhold, Waterloo; C. Herschel Williams, Sparta; James J. Gregory, Chester. Reappointed was Clarence S. Henderson, Sparta, to a term ending June 1980.
Resignations Retirements Dr. G. Robert Darnes, as associate director, Illinois Community College Board, effective August 31. He had served the board since its beginning and had been associate director for 11 years.
Deaths Stanley R. Pulaski, 76, in Chicago on October 20. A former municipal court judge and professor of law at De Paul University, Chicago, Pulaski was prominent in Republican politics in the 1940's and 1950's and served as assistant attorney general under former Gov. William G. Stratton.
Honors Sen. Bradley Glass (R., Northfield) and Rep. Arthur Telcser (R., Chicago) were presented with Annual Legislators Awards of the Year for "outstanding leadership in their respective chambers" by the Illinois Ripon Society. Glass is assistant minority leader and Telcser is minority whip. Laura Gruber, sixth grade teacher at Hatch School, Oak Park, was named 1978 Illinois Teacher of the Year by state Supt. Joseph M. Cronin on October 21. She was among 73 persons receiving recognition in the "Those Who Excel" program sponsored by the Illinois Office of Education. The program honors outstanding teachers, school board members, administrators, students and parents. Politics has got so expensive that it takes lots of money to even get beat with. — Will Rogers 36 / January 1978 / Illinois Issues
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