Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

Community' Ifc-ratur. Illinois. lliurMla Nmrmlrr h. 1980 Backers present their case for preservation area By RON INGRAM Herald Review Staff Writer LONG CREEK If the Flying Tiger Line brought its proposed Midwest cargo hub to Decatur, it would be good for the city but devastating for farmland east of it where Thelma Clarkson has lived all her life, Mrs. Clarkson of rural Oakley said this morning.

"My mother and father came here in 1905," she said during a public hearing on farm land preservation. "They gave the land to us and we've tried to take care of it. We'd like to pass it along to our children and our "We've invested a lifetime in this land, and we don't want to lose it," Mrs. Clarkson said. Mrs.

Clarkson's comments came during a hearing on petitions which ask that an agricultural conservation area be created for about 2,000 acres of Long Creek Township farmland. The five-member advisory committee which heard testimony in support of the area will not determine its recommendation for the Macon County Board until Wednesday. The committee that day will meet at 2 p.m. in the County Board Office. Once the advisory group makes its written recommendation, the County Board has 45 days to act on it, according to a new state law which allows creation of the agricultural conservation areas.

Several people spoke in favor of establishing the area and no one appeared to speak against it. Edward Booth, attorney for the Decatur Park District, which operates the Decatur Airport, did appear to represent the park board's interests. Those speaking in favor of the conservation area made it clear they want to achieve two closely related goals preserve farmland for future generations and stopthe Park District from using a major amount of farmland for expansion of the airport Lynn Clarkson of Cerro Gordo, who has served as a spokesman for those supporting farm land preservation, said the area east of Decatur has some of the best land in the nation land as yet unbroken by urban sprawl, Clarkson said. Those who petitioned for the agriculture conservation area are concerned about urban sprawl. Clarkson said.

The proposed Flying Timers hub prompted the drive for the conservation area, but the landowners' commitment goes far beyond that, he said. The property owners are willing to tie up the use of their land for the next 15 years to maintain it for agricultural purposes only, he said Cities should be redeveloped to fill in existing unused spaces instead of using precious farmland for expansion projects. Clarkson said Booth said he didn't attend the hearing to object to the conservation area idea. "But I'm probably about as welcome here as a skunk at a lawn party," he said Booth said he has researched laws in New York and Virginia that are similar to the new Illinois law creating agricultural conservation and preservation areas just passed last year. Vafiv A 3 The New York statute, after whicti the Illinois law was patterned, limits eminent domain powers for local government which are used to condemn private property for public uses.

But. he said, the Illinois law does not include that particular provision. The I'ark District is concerned about the effect of the new law an effect which can't be discerned. Booth said He said his interpretation of the law is that eminent domain pocrs still could be used Clarkson aprecd the nw law contains ambiguous wording Interpretation of it will be up to the courts, he said. School board to evaluate Robert Oakes Superintendent Robert Oakes will be evaluated by the Decatur Board of Kducation at a closed meeting tonight.

The superintendent is evaluated by the board annually. Richard Sevier, board president, said Oakes may be presented with goals for the district for the next I' ears. Fart of the meeting will be ux-d to iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiumiiiiiiiiiiitnimiuii New era is planned Ox- i v--v si? ixiwcjhx xi PXXX I it vi ill Mi VsX-I I It 1 1 I I I i hilt fit I Wis for theater By STEVE CAHALAN Herald Er Review Staff Writer Decatur's historic Lincoln Theatre will close next month as a movie house, but will reopen next year with the type of live entertainment featured when the downtown facility opened in 1916. A non-profit organization called the Lincoln Theater Foundation is being formed to sponsor productions there and raise about $750,000 to renovate the theater. Lester Hubner, account executive with Pownall Advertising, announced Wednesday that he and his wife, Martha Wait, will lease the theater at 141 N.

Main St. The lease being negotiated is for five years with renewal clauses and would take effect Jan. 1, he said. The Wait family owns the facility. Hubner and his wife said they hope to hold plays, concerts of various kinds and possibly a foreign film festival at the 64-year-old theater.

Two of Hubner's associates, Mike Dondeville and Torence Evans Ake, have filed incorporation papers for the new foundation. Both men are theater students. Once those papers are obtained, Dondeville said, the currently two-person foundation will name a board of directors. Next month the foundation will kick off an effort to raise $750,000 to $800,000 to renovate the theater, Dondeville said. The foundation also would sublease the theater for various productions, including professional theater, a resident theater company and children's theater.

William Wait, who handles the Wait family's business dealings at the theater, confirmed that Kera-sotes Brothers Theater Inc. of Springfield has been notified that its lease will not be extended past Dec. 31. Kerasotes Brothers has been leasing the movie theater on a monthly basis. It will book movies at the six theaters that are to open around Christmas at Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth.

Hubner said no events have been booked yet for the Lincoln, but hoped it will reopen early next year with productions that would not require renovation. He said the theater should be renovated for plays. Dondeville hopes renovation will begin early next year and be completed by late summer. Hubner, Martha Wait and Dondeville said they do not view the theater as being competition for the new Decatur Civic Center's 460-seat theater or arena. "We would want to target the acts to the size of the theater," Hubner said.

"Lincoln Theatre was made for vaudeville and plays. We're in between the size of the Civic Center arena and theater." Dondeville said the Civic Center's theater is aimed at community theater productions, while the Lincoln will be aimed more at professional theater. Lincoln Square Theater opened in October 1916. discuss the manner in which the goals will be presented to the superintendent. Sevier said He said the board has not et decided exactly what the goals will be.

Their presentation may be delaed until a future meeting Denene Wilmeth. a tioard member, said the superintendent will be evaluated in five areas: personnel management, education management, business management, public relations and relations with the board. Normally, the board presents goals to Oak.es June or July, but that was postponed until Noerr.ter so new board members could get a feel tor the district before evaluating the superintendent. Mrs. WiSmeth said.

The goals are usually used to evaluate and set the salary for Oakes the following March, she said Because of this ear's delay, the goals will be for years to Oakes a reasonable time to met I them, she said The meeting will be at 7 in Oakes' office in the Keil Administration Building Officer: Williams admitted sli(X)tiii: IVIley Williams. 26. of S53 Main St. admitted to investigators he shot Edard -Cudda" Leaks after a confrontation over a stolen television and stereo, a police officer testified in Circuit Court today. Williams said he pulled a gun from an end table and shot Leaks in his apartment on North Mam Street, according to the testimony of Officer Gordon Bell at today's preliminary hearing.

Williams has pleaded innocent to charges of murder and concealment of a homicide. Judge Donald W. Morthland found probable cause to believe Williams committed the acts and scheduled a jury trial for Dec. 15. Williams told Bell of concealing Leaks' body on Sept.

28 in a rural area near a point where he once fished. Bell said. Leaks left Decatur Sept. 27 with Williams. Within a few days his family reported to police that he was missing; it was believed he was a victim of foul play.

Leaks body was found Oct. 13 in Christian County in a gully south of Illiopolis. fe hi I 1 L2- 'w I' fc. -M1 i The Lincoln Lester Hubner stands in front of the Lincoln Theatre, which he and i associates plan to use for live entertainment. Renovation of the the- ater will include work on the stage and old dressing rooms, like the i -S1 one at right.

(Photos by Ron Ernst) XT 1 1 if MV I I -f Pm l' "r- 57 4 5 9 I- 'Z 'X kt I frfi I vr i -'V x- 'I kJ A1 -x kT fl i Williams sought to have his $100,000 bond, or cash bail of J10.DX). reduced by Morthland. He said he was employed by Wagner Castings Co. and expected to return to his job if released from custody. Morthland.

noting the seriousness of the alleged offenses, denied Williams' request. iiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiixiiiiiiiiiiiinniizuiiimusiiiiiiiiimuiiiiiiiiiuiniin Realignment will result in new Decatur Borg-Warner unit City, County ESmB Scene I i said the Building and Trades Council objects to the police officers working behind picket lines established by his union local at the ADM east plant. The council represents local labor unions. Diamond is appointed associate circuit judge Macon County Iublic Defender Scott Diamond has been appointed a Macon County Circuit Court associate judge. Diamond will fill the vacancy created by the election of Associate Judge Jerry L.

Patton to full circuit judge. That position was created with the retirement of Frank J. Gol-lings. Diamond. 33.

has been public defender since 1973. His successor will be named by Chief Circuit Court Judge Rodney A. Scott. Diamond is a graduate of Chicago Kent School of Law. In addition to his public defender duties, he has a private practice in Decatur.

behind a kitchen stove led to the explosion that left Lucille Zimmer, 62, of 1236 E. Whitmer St. in serious condition today in the special care unit of St. Mary's Hospital. Miss Zimmer's house was stroyed and surrounding homes were extensively damaged in the 6:30 a.m.

Wednesday explosion. Fire Marshal William B. Turner said today that Miss Zimmer had contacted Illinois Power Co. after entering her home shortly before the explosion and detecting an odor of gas. She had just returned from a vacation.

Investigators are awaiting results of further interviews to determine what happened after her phone call to the utility. Turner said. Turner said the source of ignition has not been determined. Teamsters on strike against A DIM Iowa plant About 160 Teamsters are on strike in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, against an Archer Daniels Midland Co. corn refinery plant.

The union's contract expired Fnday and the Teamsters went on strike on Saturday, according to an ADM spokesman. Man pickets second day at Municipal A picket who said he represents the Decatur Building and Construction Trades Council appeared for a second day at the Decatur Municipal Center. 707 E. Wood protesting against Decatur police officers who work as security guards at Archer Daniels Midland Co. Building and Trades Council officials were not available for comment.

However, the picket. Tom Winholtz, said the informational picketing is a reaction to the work of the off-duty officers. The policemen work for Cenois Private Detective Agency, which has a contract with ADM for security services. Winholtz, who identified himself as a member of Laborers' Local 279, Human relations panel schedules special session The Decatur Human Relations Commission has scheduled a special study session tonight to discuss the affirmative action record of the Decatur School District. The study session follows a meeting Oct.

29 between commission members and School District officials when the district's affirmative action report was discussed. Tonight's meeting is to study information given to the commission by district officials and to determine whether a formal affirmative action complaint should be filed against the district, according to commission Chairman Jonnie R. Taylor. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the fifth-floor conference room at the Municipal Center, 707 E.

Wood St. Leak from broken line led to explosion A leak from a ruptured gas line A new unit of the Borg-Warner Corp. is to be located in Decatur under the direction of William S. Bla-lock, head of the Decatur-based York Automotive and Marvel-Scheb-lerTillotson divisions. The new unit will not produce more jobs in Decatur, a company spokesman said.

The new Automotive Components unit will consist of the York Automotive, Marvel-ScheblerTillotson, Warner Gear, Borg-Warner Transmission, United Kingdom and the Japan Aisin-Warner divisions. The change is designed to make the divisions responsive to major changes that have taken place in the transportation industry the last few years, the spokesman said. "Great opportunities are offered with the move to front-wheel-drive vehicles and the increasing emphasis given the industrial and off-highway markets," said Jerry E. Dem-psey, corporation president. Blalock was unavailable for comment.

In Decatur, the Chicago-based corporation makes automobile air-conditioning compressors and carburetors. The new unit is the result of a realignment of the corporation's former automotive and transportation groups, the spokesman said. It amounts to a realignment of management responsibility, he added. The change is effective immediately, the spokesman said..