Sawyer selected acting mayor of Chicago

Sixth Ward Ald. Eugene Sawyer Jr., a resident of the Chatham Community on Chicago's south side, was elected acting mayor of Chicago in December by fellow city council members. The election followed the November death of Mayor Harold Washington.

Sawyer has served as Democratic ward committeeman since 1968 and as alderman since 1971. Sawyer will serve as acting mayor until the next mayoral election.

State Board of Education news

Jesse Rios of Chicago was recently confirmed by the Illinois Senate to serve on the 17-member State Board of Education. Rios, a safety specialist for the U.S. Department of Labor, was appointed to a six-year term which expires in January 1993.

State education Supt. Ted Sanders was chosen in November as president-elect of the Council of Chief State School Officers during the council's annual meeting in Asheville, N.C. As president-elect he chairs the council's policy and priorities committee. Sanders will begin his term as president in November 1988. The council assists state superintendents and commissioners in meeting their leadership responsibilities through special projects and seminars.

And Lee Milner, the State Board of Education's special assistant for public affairs, was elected president of the National Association of State Education Department Information Officers. The association works with other national educational organizations to promote the sharing of information on education and education issues. Milner starts his term in July.

Bob Leininger, who was named the University of Illinois' education alum of 1987 for his contributions to elementary and secondary education, was named Supt. Sanders' chief of staff last summer. He was formerly the executive assistant for governmental relations.

Illinois Economic Board to advise DCCA

The Illinois Economic Board (IEB), a 15-member new advisory panel comprised of private sector experts, has begun its job of assisting the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in reaching its economic development goals. Herbert Fred Rothschild of Highland Park, president of Rothschild Realty Group, is chairman, and Maurice Fulton of Glencoe, former president and chairman of the board of Fantus Co., is vice chairman.

Other members include: James A. Anderson of Springfield, director of government relations for Illinois Bell; William Brogan of Oak Lawn, State Labor Relations Board chairman; W. Stephen Burgess of Carbondale, publisher of the Southern Illinoisan; James J. Carroll of Lisle; Edgar David Coolidge III of Kenilworth, partner in William Blair & Co.; Gerald Saul Gidwitz of Chicago, chairman of Helene Curtis Industries; William James Guyton of Northfield, retired business executive; and Robert W. Mathews of Chicago, with Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois.

Also, William D. Mehlenbeck of Springfield, executive vice president of Central Illinois Builders Chapter of AGC; Sandra Marie Pierce of Huntley, director of industrial relations for RAE Corp.; Kenneth Jay Riskind of Highland Park, president of Fullerton Metals Co.; Ronald L. Thompson of St. Louis, employed by General Railroad Equipment and Services; and Richard S. Williamson of Kenilworth, partner in the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt.

The IEB meets every other month and has standing committees on communications, finance, international, marketing, policy review, small business and strategic planning. It also serves as a liaison to legislators, the Illinois Ambassadors, the Labor-Management Cooperative Committee, the Governor's Commission on High Technology and the city of Chicago.

Staff changes for the Illinois State Police

State Police Director Jeremy Margolis announced several staff changes in November.

Sam W. Nolen, superintendent of the division of forensic services and identification, took over as Margolis' assistant director, replacing Chris Maerz who joined the Illinois Department of Public Aid as inspector general. Promoted to Nolen's former position was his executive assistant, Lawrence Scheufele.

William O'Sullivan, deputy superintendent of state troopers, is now the superintendent, replacing Laimutis Nargelenas. Dave Williams, formerly with the division of criminal investigation, succeeds Dave Burge, who is retiring as superintendent of internal investigations. Gene Marlin, deputy superintendent in the criminal investigations operations section, replaced Alex Ferguson as head of the department's division of administration.

Boards and Commissions

Gov. James Thompson made appointments and reappointments to number of Illinois boards and commissions in November:

• Advisory Board of the Department of Conservation: Rodney Brenner of Golconda, owner, publisher and editor of the Golconda Herald-Enterprise, replaced William Weiss; Margaret Hollowell of Bloomington, president, State Audubon Council of Illinois, succeeded Patricia Leonhard; Anthony J. Skowronek of Chicago, director of court records and files in the Cook County Circuit Court's civil division, was reappointed; and Ronald K. Summers of Thompsonville, an auditor and revenue agent for the Office of the Secretary of State, replaced Mark Freeh. The board counsels the Department of Conservation director on departmental policy and activities.
• Illinois Community College Board: E.D. Davis of Rapids City, manager at Deere and Company, replaced Paul B. Hanks; Miriam Lugo-Gonzalez of Chicago, management consultant for the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, replaced Manuela Ramires; Robert E. Sechler of Rockford, owner of Meurot-Sechler Insurance Agency, was reappointed; and retired executive Rosemary Ziska of Wheaton was also reappointed. Gonzalez' appointment expires in June 1989 and the reappointments of Davis, Sechler and Ziskain June 1993. The board is the coordinating agency for public community colleges in Illinois,
• Illinois Export Council: George Thomas Andes of Belleville, president of First National Bank of Belleville, replaced David Ransburg; Frederick Auch of Deerfield, vice president of CR Industries, and William J. Guyton of Wilmette, vice president of A.T. Kearney Inc., were reappointed; Lynn Johnson Howlet of Chicago, vice president of product marketing administration for Standard Chartered Bank, replaced James B. Lund; Lyric Merrie Hughes of Chicago, president, T.L.L International Corporation, replaced Audrey Marsh King; John Luttrell of Decatur, president of First National Bank of Decatur, replaced A.R. de Luna; and John F. Wahl of Sterling, president and chief executive officer of Wahl Clipper Corporation, was reappointed. The appointments expire in May 1991 with the exceptions of Andes and Guyton, whose terms expire in May 1990. The council promotes and facilitates international exports from this state.
• Illinois Racing Board: David L. Diana of Urbana, president of Diana Food Stores Inc., and Hubert F. Messe of Chicago, president and editor of Leader Newspapers Inc., were new appointments to the board. Terms for both expire in July 1992. The positions pay expenses in addition to $150 per diem. The board regulates pari-mutuel betting in Illinois.
• Illinois State Board of Investment: Joseph Butler of Oakbrook, chairman and chief executive officer of First Illinois Bank of LaGrange, and William C. Fox of Champaign, chairman of the board of First National Bank

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of Champaign, were reappointed; and William H. Schumann III of Burr Ridge, treasurer of FMC Corporation, replaced Bart van Eck. Their terms expire in January 1989. The board invests the money from the state's retirement systems for the General Assembly, judges and state employees.

• Illinois State Police Merit Board: David Schippers of Chicago, an attorney with David P. Schippers and Associates, replaced Ann Taylor. His term expires in March 1993. The board handles recruitment selection, promotional and disciplinary processes for all Illinois state policemen.
• Nature Preserves Commission: Roger Anderson of Normal, professor of plant ecology at Illinois State University; George V. Burger of Dundee, general manager of Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation; and G. Tanner Girard of Elsah, assistant professor of biology at Principia College were all reappointed. Their terms expire in June 1990. The commission oversees the dedication of natural areas as state nature preserves and monitors the management of those areas.
• Rehabilitation Services Advisory Council: Diane Crutcher of Normal, executive director of the National Down's Syndrome Congress; and Janet Wilson of Granite City, a facility manager for the Secretary of State's Office, are new appointees. Both will serve until January 1993. The council advises the Department of Rehabilitation Services director on matters concerning disabled persons and provision of rehabilitation services.

All appointments were effective immediately and, except for the Illinois Racing Board, pay expenses only. Senate confirmation is required for the appointments to the Advisory Board of the Department of Conservation, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Racing Board, the Illinois State Board of Investment, the Illinois State Police Merit Board and the Rehabilitation Services Advisory Board.

Noone heads General Assembly's Washington office

Kevin B. Noone was appointed in October as director of the Washington office of the Illinois General Assembly. Noone, formerly with the staffs of state Senate President Philip J. Rock (D-8, Oak Park) and U.S. Sen. Alan J. Dixon (D-Belleville), replaces Richard M. Schoell who resigned in August. Under the direction of the General Assembly's Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation, the Washington office assists with federal-state issues and informs the Illinois legislature of federal appropriations and legislation affecting state and local government. Noone's responsibilities include monitoring and analyzing federal legislation, preparing testimony for Illinois officials appearing before congressional committees and representing the Illinois legislature before the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Council of State Governments.

New commission to study Cook County's criminal justice system

A new privately funded commission, the Criminal Justice Project of Cook County, was formed in November to study the interaction between agencies within the county's criminal justice system. Peter M. Manikas is executive director. The project, funded by the Chicago Community Trust, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Charitable Trust, operates independently of the county court system.

The study plans to conduct extensive interviews with more than 200 people from the state's attorney's office, the public defender's office, the prison system, the juvenile justice system, mental health agencies, police and the parole system. Manikas said the group will take a particularly hard look at the juvenile justice system and the relationship between mental health and the criminal justice system.

Joyce, Novak named to national nuclear waste task force

Under the auspices of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Department of Energy has formed a National Spent Fuel Task Force. Two Illinois legislators have been appointed to serve on this national group working on the issue of the disposal of high level nuclear waste: Sen. Jerome Joyce (D-43, Reddick) and Rep. Philip Novak (D-86, Bradley). Joyce was named by Senate President Rock, Novak by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-30, Chicago). The group will review repository siting plans, transportation policies, accident studies and related technical issues.

Krebs president of Very Special Arts Illinois

Fifteen members were named to the board of the newly created Very Special Arts Illinois (VSAI) in September. Betty Krebs, a music teacher at SPEED Developmental Center in Chicago Heights, is the group's president.

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According to Krebs the group's concept is not new: "We have had Very Special Arts Festivals all around the state of Illinois for nine years under the direction of the Illinois Board of Education. But now we have established our own not-for-profit organization."

VSAI plans to provide awareness and promotion of the artistic potential of individuals with disabilities and to expand opportunities for disabled and nondisabled to share their artistic accomplishments. The group also maintains a human and material resources information network and provides training for the development of quality ongoing arts programs for all populations.

Second Century Campaign launched to promote Illinois history

Gov. Thompson in November announced the appointments of 33 members to the Illinois State Historical Society's "Second Century Campaign," whose goal is to raise $3 million over a three-year period for special programs to further promote the study and conservation of Illinois history. Charles Freund, chairman of the board at the First National Bank of Lincolnshire, and Morris Lauwereins, vice president at Material Service Corp. in Chicago, will serve as cochairs. Other members are leaders in business and industry.

The Second Century Campaign Committee is responsible for directing the first major campaign for private and corporate support of the society's programs. The campaign will culminate in 1989, the centennial year for the Illinois State Historical Library, a division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Other appointments

Gov. Thompson appointed John Schmitt, director of governmental affairs at the Department of Conservation since 1984, as his legislative liaison to the Illinois House of Representatives in December. Schmitt, whose annual salary will be $45,000, replaces Kevin Wright, who left the post in July to attend the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Gregory T. Gustin, a program specialist in the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities' central office since November 1985, was named facility director of Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest effective November 1. Gustin began his career with DMHDD in 1970 providing direct care to the developmentally disabled at Meyer Mental Health Center in Decatur. For the past 17 years he has worked in a variety of administrative positions both in state-operated facilities and in regional field offices overseeing the delivery of services.

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Harriet O'Donnell, special assistant to Gov. Thompson for child safety from 1985 to 1987 and prominent public education advocate, was named executive director of the Chicago Public Schools Alumni Association in November. She has served as an education consultant to a variety of agencies and corporations and as president of both the Chicago and Illinois PTAs. The alumni association was organized in 1983 to build a new constituency of support for public schools. Membership is made up of graduates and friends of the schools including many legislators, business and civic leaders.

The Associated Employers of Illinois (AEI), a 600-member statewide business association that provides educational and government affairs services on labor law issues, selected Jay Dee F. Shattuck as its president and chief executive officer in August. He is responsible for the association's operations and will act as AEI's chief lobbyist. Shattuck has lobbied the Illinois General Assembly for nearly 10 years, first as director of government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois from 1978 to 1983 and then from 1983 to 1987 as legislative relations coordinator for Central Illinois Public Service Company.

William Child, manager of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's division of land pollution control, was named vice president of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials during the association's annual conference in Seattle in November. The association is a national organization of state administrative officials dedicated to the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources. Child will work with the association to develop programs to better manage solid and hazardous wastes, and will serve as president for one year starting next October.

Claire Manning of Williamsville, a member of the Illinois State Labor Relations Board since its inception in 1984, was elected to the executive board of the Association of Labor Relations Agencies (ALRA) last summer. ALRA was founded in 1952 to encourage cooperation among government officials responsible for administering labor laws. It includes among its members nearly 40 state labor boards, six U.S. agencies, Canadian labor agencies and other labor agencies from U.S. territories, municipalities and the District of Columbia.

CANfest '87 winners announced

Winners of the 1987 Illinois Community Television Competition and Festival were announced in November. The statewide video competition, CANfest '87, provided an opportunity to honor community and professional video producers in six categories.

The first-place winners and categories are as follows:

• Documentary — Janis L. Taylor and Meg Moritz, "When Diamonds Were a Girl's Best Friend" (professional), and Ellen A. Meyers, "Just Keep Going" (community);
• City Video — Diane DeRe, "Goodbye Princeton Avenue" (community);
• Entertainment — John Davies and Teresa Tucker, "Two Dinos" (professional), and Mary Spalding, "The Friday Club" (community);
• Music Video — Tom Finerty, Steve Rosofsky, Valjean McLenighan and Paul Buchbinder, "FreezeFrame" (professional), and Greg Kinser, "Your Future" (community);
• Performance Video — Arturo Cubacub, "La Ci Darem La Mano" (professional), and Christine Herbes and Paul Buchbinder, "Freeze Frame: Women and Peace: Lysistrata" (community); and
• First Program/Vintage Video — Gordon Quinn and Peter Kuttner, "Trick Bag" (professional), and Paul McComas and Gretchen Hayner, "Wedding Dress" (community).

Other Honors

Frank Kopecky, associate professor of legal studies and director of training at the Center for Legal Studies' Probation Training project at Sangamon State University, was awarded the Gene Hughes Award by the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association at its annual conference in October. The Hughes award is the highest given by the association which cited Kopecky for "exemplifying the highest standards of the probation and court services profession."

Larry Jones, a high school student from East St. Louis, was selected in December as the grand-prize winner of the "Parents Too Soon Rock 'n Romance Song-Writing Contest, Volume II." The award-winning contest was developed last year by Parents Too Soon, the state's program to combat teenage pregnancy as well as the negative consequences of child-bearing and parenting. The month-long contest asked teenagers to submit lyrics addressing consequences of teen sexuality and generated more than 100 entries statewide. As the grand prize, Jones' entry, "Being a Parent Too Soon Isn't Easy," will be professionally recorded.

Former mayoral candidate Epton dies

Bernard Epton, 66, an insurance lawyer, a long-time state representative from Chicago and the Republican mayoral candidate in Chicago who narrowly lost the 1983 election to Harold Washington, died December 13 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Epton served his Hyde Park neighborhood in the Illinois General Assembly from 1968 to 1982. For 12 years he also was chairman of the state Insurance Laws Study Commission, where he was responsible for legislation that assessed insurance companies a fee to offset losses to premium holders if another company failed.

Chicago legislator indicted for extortion, conspiracy

State Rep. Douglas Huff Jr. (D-19, Chicago) was indicted in October on charges of extortion and conspiracy to avoid income tax payments in a scheme to collect thousands of dollars in payments from developers of a federally subsidized apartment project in his west side district. The indictment accuses Huff, a legislator since 1975, and a legislative aide of receiving $61,000 in unreported income between 1979 and 1981 from East Garfield II Inc., a firm in which Huff allegedly had a secret interest. The federal grand jury indictment also charges Huff with extorting $10,000 from a firm that was trying to develop a second federally subsidized housing complex on the west side.

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