Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

I Pace AS Decatur, Illinois, Sunday, July 5, 1981 Community Rain curtails Independence estivities Day BL chicken. A few minutes later, rainfall forced the group into the park's main pavilion. Inside the pavilion, Frank Wilson of 775 S. Sycamore Ave. and about 50 relatives were eating ribs, steak, hamburgers and hot dogs they had been grilling before sporadic rainfall forced them inside.

Wilson said he was disappointed by the weather. "There's nothing we could do about it," said his sister, Lula Decatur's Nelson Park was deserted Saturday, except for scattered picnickers and about 50 persons at a time eating mostly cold food in the main pavilion. The park usually is packed with people on the Fourth because of festivities sponsored there by the Decatur Jaycees. "There were a lot of people here earlier, but then they realized everything was canceled," said Jaycee Doug Henry, who took shelter in a concession tent. By STEVE CAHALAN Harald Rsviaw Staff Writer Central Illinois residents celebrated the Fourth of July Saturday with such traditional fare as fried 7 chicken, grilled hamburgers and beans.

But steady rainfall throughout the day forced them to eat in their homes or park shelter houses, and canceled plans for outdoor games. In Decatur and other towns, Fourth of July celebrations were postponed until today in hopes of drier weather. Doreen Jacobs of 952 N. Taylor Ave. said her Fourth of July was still fun.

She, her husband Joe and two other adults played cards, while the Jacobs' three children played tag and threw small exploding "snap caps" on the concrete at the pavilion's edge. At the Ship's Galley restaurant in Nelson Park, co-owner Joe Nesnidal said business Saturday was "slow, really slow. I think it's mostly because of the weather." It was the first time in several years that the celebration had been postponed because of rain, he said. Henry had gone to the park to help with the festivities before news of the cancellation was broadcast on radio stations. Instead, his day consisted of eating fried chicken, drinking pop and listening to a friend shoot off small firecrackers.

"It's been a dud," said Diane Smith of rural Oakley as she and a group of friends sat down at a Nelson Park picnic table to eat cold He said he did a good business on the Fourth of July last year, but was worried that festivities this year would cause parking problems for customers. Nesnidal spent the afternoon making baked goods for the restaurant's Sunday brunch. Because the Jaycees celebration was postponed until then, Nesnidal said the restaurant also will be selling sandwiches and probably will remain open until at least 3 p.m. Business booms for twins every July 4 in Nelson Park By STEVE CAHALAN Herald Review Staff Writer You might call them Decatur's Boom-Boom Twins. Their job, every July 4 at Nelson Park, is to make fireworks go Bam! Bam! (And, of course, Boom!) Harold and Gerald McMillan, 28-year-old twins, are in charge of tonight's Decatur Jaycees fireworks display at Nelson Park.

The two Jaycees predicted Saturday when rain postponed the event for one day that the opening volley will be an earful and eyeful. The show will open with the simultaneous shooting of 50 aerial bombs, which make a bright flash and loud bang. The twins have never before shot off more than 10 or 20 aerial boms at once. "It ought to light up that side of town," said Harold. Still, the highlight of the display is expected to be the 250-shell finale.

Last year's finale had 210 shells. Most of the $6,000 to $7,000 spent by the Jaycees for fireworks this year is for aerial displays, including a 10-inch diameter multiple-break shell. That shell will burst into a giant display, shooting out streamers which burst and shoot out other streamers. The shell's burst is expected to have a diameter. Displaying the Jaycees' van load of fireworks Saturday, Harold pointed to a 5-inch-diameter shell and said it probably is powerful enough to kill.

The brothers also displayed several steel mortars, of varying diameters, which are planted in sand and used to shoot the shells. The mortars will be in their customary place in front of the old Nelson Park bath house tonight. i Picnic time, rain or shine Lucille Grunert, 2231 N. Main St. and Madonna Elbert, Assumption, were forced to have their Fourth of July picnic in the Nelson Park pavilion.

Jaycees' events rescheduled today On again, off again rains continued all day Saturday. Today is expected to be partly sunny with highs in the 80s. (Photo By Herb Slodounik) Police get 2 Decatur police received two telephone calls Saturday afternoon from persons who said they saw tornadoes aloft in the city's north end, but the sightings could not be confirmed. A tornado warning was in effect from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Saturday in Macon County, but law enforcement authorities received no other reports of sightings.

The two telephone calls to police were on reported sightings at Mound Road and U.S. 51 and near Mound- A half-dozen Jaycees will be running the show, wearing ear-protection devices, helmets with face shields, leather gloves, long-sleeve shirts and long pants. This is the fourth year Harold has been involved and the fifth year Gerald, has had a hand in the display. Harold is a supervisor at the Archer Daniels Midland Co. west plant while Gerald is assistant manager for Farmer City Grain, an ADM affiliate.

"We kind of volunteered" for the display a few years ago, Gerald said. They had no previous experience with fireworks displays. "You don't have many volunteers," Harold said. "People are kind of nervous about big fireworks. "There's quite a bit of thrill in doing it," he said.

"You might liken it to a guy who makes a movie and goes to see it, to hear the oohs and ahs," Gerald said. "Everyone has their own thing in life." "The biggest problem we've had as far as safety is people shooting bottle rockets into the area, which is dangerous for us," Harold said. So far, bottle rockets have not caused any explosions. Display fireworks are kept in tarp-covered boxes until used. The brothers say no one has been injured in the displays they have helped with.

The Jaycees' fireworks have quick fuses, Harold said. "You touch that thing and it's gone. There's no room for error. You don't hold your head over the mortar." A shell is always placed in its mortar before its long fuse is lit. "Last year we had one shell that didn't go off in the mortar," Harold said.

A representative of the Chicago wholesaler which sells the shells ad schedule of bands: 12:30 Benji and the Bebops 2:303:30 p.m. Decatur Park Singers. (Broadcast live on WSOY- AM.) 3:304:30 p.m. Decatur Municipal Band. 4:307 p.m.

Voyagers. 78 p.m. Decatur Municipal Band. 8:15 dark Band, to be announced. Speeches are scheduled from 8 -J: 15 p.m.

Fireworks are to begin at dark. A candle lighting ceremony will be held just before the fireworks finale. Area fireworks displays, derby, parade set today Rainy weather Saturday led to the postponement of Fourth of July fireworks displays and activities in many Central Illinois communities. In Macon County, for example, fireworks displays will take place tonight in Argenta, Maroa, Mount Regional Scene John Birk, a Decatur lawyer who owns the concert site near the U.S. 51 Interstate 72 interchange, said Saturday night that he was not sure whether it would be dry enough for the 2 to 10 p.m.

show. "We haven't been out to see what the condition of the land is," Birk said. That will be checked this morning, he said. The concert features three bands Les Models, Frenzy and Slip Ma-honey. Owners of nearby land have expressed concern about the event, as has Forsyth Village President Billy Hardy.

Decatur police and Macon County sheriff's deputies declined to comment Saturday about security arrangements. Edward Street to close Edward Street will be closed at Memorial Drive for three months beginning Monday because of construction work at Decatur Memorial Hospital, the city engineer's office has announced. vised the Jaycees to put a second shell in the mortar and light its fuse. They did and both shells shot out of the mortar. But the blast ruptured the bottom of the mortar.

"We didn't realize that until the next shell," Harold said. "It exploded really low. The crowd thought it was great. But it wasn't intentional." When the Jaycees realized the shell had shot too low, they noticed the crack and quit using that mortar. "We have a good place to shoot because it's over water (Lake Decatur)," Harold said.

"The lake patrol does a pretty good job of keeping boats away. Although it looks kind of like New York harbor, whith all those boats on the lake." Small fragments and paper occasionally land in nearby boats, Harold said. But no large fragments have been reported to have struck boats, he said. The shells range from 2 to 10 inches in diameter. They have such colorful names as Golden Streamer, Titanium Salute, Red Magnesium Comet, Red Rose, Palm Tree Shell and Arctic Blizzard.

Most of the shells come from China, Taiwan or Japan. "Oriental-made shells tend to be more colorful with less noise," Gerald said. "The Americans have had problems getting a symmetrical break. "The Oriental shells' pattern is much more uniform. It doesn't look like a homemade job." American manufacturers pay more attention to noise than do Oriental fireworks makers.

American-made shells are cylinder-shaped, while Oriental shells are in the shape of cannon balls. Zion and Niantic. A parade in Mount Zion will begin at 2 p.m. Activities originally scheduled for Saturday will be taking place today in Bethany and Clinton. In Mount Pulaski, a soapbox derby has been rescheduled for 2 p.m.

today. Fireworks will be next Saturday evening, preceded by country-western music by Night Flight. The Charleston Kiwanis Club's Fourth of July fireworks display was postponed until today. It will be at Eastern Illinois University. Fireworks displays also will be held this evening at Effingham, Pana, Shelbyville, Taylorville and Vandalia.

Those who had Decatur city fireworks permits for Saturday but were rained out can hold their displays today instead, police said Saturday. Permits issued by Macon County list a rain dale, which almost always is for July 5, said a spokesman for the Macon County Sheriff's office. Council to vote on bonds The Decatur City Council on Monday will receive a citizens committee report on storm drainage projects and will vote on issuing $5 million in economic development bonds for renovation of Brettwood Village Shopping Center. The council will meet at 7:30 p.m. in its Civic Center chambers.

A citizens committee headed by Dale Arnold, senior vice president at Citizens National Bank, will propose storm drainage projects. The committee was formed prior to the city's last storm drainage bond issue in 1975, and recommended locations for building storm sewers with the proceeds. Last fall, City Manager Leslie T. Allen explained that proceeds of the 1975 issue have been and proposed a $8.6 million issue for additional work. That issue has been delayed by high interest rates.

The council is expected to approve bonds for Draper Kramer Chicago, for renovation of the 19-year-old Brettwood Village, a shopping center at Pershing Road and U.S. 51. The council gave informal approval at a June 22 study session. The sale of the center to the firm by LEG a local partnership, hinges on the bond issue. Remodeling is expected to begin in August and be completed 22 months later.

The Decatur Jaycees Fourth of July celebration and fireworks in Nelson Park, rained out on the holiday, are scheduled today. The schedule of events: Flea market, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. near the former Joyland site. Puppet shows, noon to 8:30 p.m., east of the bath house.

Baseball throw for muscular dystrophy, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., east of bath house. Watermelon sale for Camp New Hope, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Concession stands, 8 a.m.

to 8 p.m. throughout the park. Bathtub inspection, 9 to 10 a.m., beach area. Bathtub elimination heats begin at 11 a.m. The final heats are scheduled from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

Miniature tournament, 8 a.m. to noon at Paul's Puttin' Place. Proceeds will go to the Easter Seals Foundation. Various musical groups will perform on the stage in the main parking lot throughout the day. The Prosecutor slashed by half county's traffic case backlog Maroa man, 30, slain at Findlay campground tornadoes said.

But storms passed over Oreana, Forsyth and Argenta without spawning any tornados. A funnel cloud was reported, however, at 4:41 p.m. southwest of Pesotum in Champaign County. Lichtenberger said downpours in Central Illinois resulted in standing water on many roads. High water was reported in Spring Creek in Decatur's far north end, but the creek still was within its banks, he said- Those charged with driving while intoxicated sometimes can get the charge reduced to reckless driving because of a standard offer Pfannkuche said is negotiated in such cases with defense attorneys.

In considering such reductions, Pfannkuche said he considers the defendant's past record and the circumstances of his arrest, including the driver was belligerent with arresting officers. "Someone who is older with no past record gets more consideration than someone who is younger with several past offenses." The degree of drunkenness, determined on a Breathalyzer a device to determine the amount of alcohol in the body is a factor in negotiating cases, he said. In cases that are more serious, including accidents which involve personal injury, Pfannkuche said he sometimes talks with investigating officers or victims before disposing of cases. Macon County Circuit Court Traffic Cases Awaiting Trial January 320 February 312 March 275 April 235 May 158 June 148 case flow "About a year ago there was a move to amend more moving violations to non-moving violations. They seemed to be getting more substantial fines in return," Diamond said.

That policy began, Diamond said, before State's Attorney Basil G. Greanias assumed office Dec. 1. reports of ford Avenue. But police and Macon County Sheriff's deputies said they received no reports of weather-related damage.

When notified about 4:30 p.m. about ominous-looking clouds, the sheriff's office stationed tornado spotters in several county villages, Lt. Paul Lichtenberger said. The same weather system contained a tornado near Mount Auburn, he "I wanted to get it down to a level so that when new cases come into our office we could be more selective. Those that are worth going to trial on can be taken to a jury." Pfannkuche said because of the high number of traffic charges filed negotiations to reduce charges in many is a practical necessity.

Because of the demand for jurors and court officials' involvement in criminal cases only thio-e or four traffic trials are conducted each month, Pfannkuche said. In reducing the list, he said, he has reduced the charges in many cases but dismissed outright less than 4 percent of the offenses. "Having a guy pay a $25 fine on an amended charge is better than having the case carried over each month and then eventually dismissed," Pfannkuche said. "Sometimes someone does walk out of here with a good deal. But if we have a bad case against him it is a better deal for us to get a fine and some kind of court record against him." Those who are habitual traffic offenders eventually pay the price for their violations with higher insurance premiums or stiffer fines in subsequent court cases, he said.

seen in traffic mond said. Diamond, who is assigned to the Circuit Court's traffic division and presides at most traffic cases, said future financial reports of fines collected in the county could make for interesting reading. "It should be interesting at the end of the year to compare the fines collected with past years." By JUDY TATHAM Herald Review Staff Writer It's been no closely guarded secret that one way to beat a traffic ticket is to plead not guilty and ask for a Macon County Circuit Court trial. Your case then joins the scores of other cases some several months old that are listed on the Circuit Clerk's monthly setting of traffic trials. Eventually the charge becomes stale and the chances it will be dismissed increase with its age.

When Christopher Pfannkuche joined the State's Attorney's Office as an assistant prosecutor in January, he set a goal to substantially reduce that list so the state could be more selective and vigorously prosecute those cases which merit extra attention. There were 320 cases set for trial in January and when Pfannkuche left the county office in June there were 148 cases. Pfannkuche resigned to accept a position as an assistant prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He previously has lived in Chicago. He was not ordered by State's Attorney Basil G.

Greanias to reduce the list, he said, but set the project as a personal goal. Improvement Associate Judge Scott B. Diamond credits a former assistant state's attorney, Christopher Pfannkuche, with streamlining Macon County's monthly traffic trial docket. "He was working hard he would have attorneys come in to discuss their cases or contact defendants who didn't have attorneys so he could get their cases moving." Dia FINDLAY A 30-year-old Maroa man was stabbed to death early Saturday morning at Arrowhead Campgrounds near Findlay. Philip Johnson died of multiple stab wounds at about 2:45 a.m., according to Shelby County Sheriff Robert Collins Johnson apparently was formerly of Clinton.

Sheriff's deputies were holding a 50-year-old Decatur man in connection with the stabbing. He was arrested at about 4 a.m. at Shelby Memorial Hospital, Shelbyville. Collins refused to describe the man's possible relationship to Johnson or to list a possible motive for the crime. The Decatur man is expected to be charged Monday, Collins said.

The sheriff said that police are not seeking anyone else at this time. Collins said the Decatur man Had not been injured and did not explain why the man was at the Shelbyville hospital when he was arrested. Johnson was in or near his trailer at the time of the attack, but his family apparently was not injured. A knife was recovered from the scene. Obituary on A 10 Law to monitor outdoor music festival today Law enforcement officials are expected to closely monitor an outdoor rock show today on the city's far north side, unless it is called off because of wet grounds.

Mi.