What you get when you "Youtube" Danville, IL

"A Glaring Disress Signal for the Danville-area economy."

Poverty on the rise

Institute says Danville area economy in ‘distress’

BY BARBARA GREENBERG

DANVILLE — Vermilion County’s ranking plummeted on a statewide poverty report released today by the Heartland Alliance’s Mid-America Institute on Poverty.

The county fell from watch status in 2007 to warning status for 2008 due to a variety of factors. Officials with Heartland Alliance, a service-based human rights organization, called the county’s new, lower status “a glaring distress signal for the Danville-area economy.”

Iroquois County also appeared on the warning list, while Champaign and Edgar counties were placed on the watch list for the current year. A total of 66 of the state’s 102 counties in the state appear on one of the two lists.The counties were evaluated based on both their poverty rates and indicators that Heartland Alliance termed “well-being factors.” These factors included unemployment rates, teen birth rates and high school graduation rates.

In each of these factors, Vermilion County’s performance reflected what poverty does to individuals, especially the most vulnerable: children.

Twenty-seven percent of Vermilion County residents lived in poverty during 2005, according to the report. Only six other counties in the state had higher poverty rates.

The report looked at more than poverty and income when it determined which category to place Illinois counties. It also viewed housing, health and education.

For all of these, Heartland Alliance compiled statistics from authoritative sources, such as the Illinois State Board of Education.

ISBE reported the 2006-07 high school graduation rate for all Illinois students as 85.9 percent. Vermilion County’s high school graduation rate was at 79.2 percent, the lowest rate in the state for any county but Cook.

The number of low-income students who graduated from county schools in 2006-07 was even lower. Although it rose 10.9 percent from 2005-2006, it remained one of the lowest in the state at 69.7 percent.

When people attempt to move out of poverty, current economic conditions make it difficult. The high debt that many people carry can be one of the main obstacles.

Attempting to pay off that debt all-too-often leads to another trap — using payday lenders, like those that have begun to proliferate in Danville.

Amy Rynell, director of Heartland Alliance, described payday lenders’ customers as “People who’ve fallen behind on their bills and don’t have credit or have poor credit. They might not have a credit card or a bank account.

“They want a short-term loan, but all they can get is one from this kind of (payday) lender,” she said. “They may charge 700 percent annually for a four-month loan.”

A payday loan act recently passed to protect consumers doesn’t cover these four month loans, ac-cording to Rynell. Heartland Alliance, along with other organizations concerned about poverty in the state, wants to improve that act.

Heartland Alliance Research Associate Amy Terpstra said that one payday lending license exists in Illinois for every 160 poor families. In contrast, there is only one McDonald’s for every 442 poor Illinois families.

She termed payday lenders as predatory businesses that follow poverty. According to Terpstra, there are 18 payday loan stores in Danville.

“While there’s growth in the number of families struggling with debt and without assets or a safety net,” Terpstra said, “(these companies) continue to erode a family’s ability to pay off debt.”

The 2008 Report on Illinois Poverty contains recommendations to alleviate the poverty crisis. Those recommendations and the reactions of Vermilion County leaders to the situation will follow in future stories.

Boys and Girls Club in Comical-News Obituaries

http://www.commercial-news.com/obituaries

At the very bottom of todays obituaries the boys and girls club is listed. Great work Commercial-News!

Atleast Danville is ahead on something!

Local STD rates above the norm

Health officials not surprised by reports

BY BARBARA GREENBERG
DANVILLE — Recent headlines announced that at least one in four teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease. The statistics were based on a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to that study, Vermilion County Health Department Health Education Program Coordinator Linda Bolton said local rates of STDs are much higher than the norm.”

Cathy Hubbard, family planning/STD nurse coordinator for VCHD, agreed. Hubbard, who has worked in the family planning department for the past eight years, said “One in four (teens with STDs) doesn’t sound high to me at all.”

Vermilion County may even exceed those numbers. According to Vermilion County Health Department statistics for the last quarter of 2007, 39.2 percent of local teens between 15- and 19-years old who were tested for STDs were infected.

Karen Schildt, APN, CNM, Carle Clinic-Danville Obstetrics/Gynecology, called the CDC study’s statistics “not surprising.” She attributed the local numbers to “the high percentage of teen sexual activity” in the area.

Sexual activity among teens is nothing new, but the behavior may now result in more than unwanted pregnancies. Sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase among this age group. According to the CDC, about 3.2 million teenage girls are infected with an STD.

Ranging from genital warts to human papillomavirus to HIV/AIDS, these STDs have disastrous and often fatal consequences. The Associated Press reported the risk of both infertility and cancer rises in those infected with STDs.

And those infected are getting younger.

“We have people come to the STD clinic who are 12,” Hubbard said. VCHD provides family planning services to those from 10- to 29-years old.

“Women who come through the family planning clinic and who are under 25 are automatically screened for STDs if they are sexually active,” Hubbard added.

“The problem is the re-infection rate,” she said. “People get tested and get treated, but their partners don’t,” she said. “If we treat someone (for an STD), we ask for the names of their partners. We get about a 50-50 response.

“Those (untreated) partners re-infect them or infect others.”

Micki Crome visits Vermilion County schools to talk about this problem. As VCHD’s associate health educator, she goes to any school that requests her ranging from middle schools/junior highs to Danville Area Community College.

“The group 24-years-old and under is at the highest risk for STDs,” Crome said. “Kids know more about sex than a generation ago, but they also have lots of misin-formation.”

According to the Associated Press, “Some teens define sex as only intercourse, yet other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some diseases.”

Crome said, “A lot of teens are having unprotected sex. They don’t realize the risk (of infection with an STD).

“There’s general ignorance,” she said.

Book store has fire sale!!

Blaze engulfs downtown business

STAFF REPORT
Commercial-News

DANVILLE — The sky above downtown Danville was filled with smoke this morning as firefighters battled a blaze at Danville Bookworld at 107 N. Vermilion St.

Firefighters got the call about 10:17 a.m., and the building was fully engulfed when they arrived. Several engines responded, and firefighters with a ladder truck were attacking the roof at press time.

Power was shut off to the area.

The Vermilion County Courthouse is closed for the remainder of the day due to the downtown fire.

At first, there were concerns that someone was inside the building, but those concerns were dismissed after a search. Medix was called to the scene, although there have been no injuries reported.

Police cars blocked the road from North to Harrison Street. The smoke was so thick that spectators couldn’t see past North Street.

Danville Bookworld moved into the site once occupied by Two’s Company just last September. It had been located at 1501 N. Bowman Ave. for 25 years.

The bookstore attracted customers with its inventory of more than 100 comic book titles and used books. Part of the business also was dedicated to games.

This is money well spent!!

Area officials OK new beltline study

Bypass would bring industry, jobs here

BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Talk about the beltline resurfaced Thursday at a Danville Area Transportation Study meeting at the Tilton Village Hall.

Vermilion County Highway Engineer Bob Andrews asked that a beltline necessity discussion and consensus vote be put on the agenda following a meeting with city officials last week.

“It’s not a (metropolitan planning organization) study,” DATS Director Adam Aull said.

But Andrews said having all the stakeholders’ concerns voiced, and making sure everyone is aware and keeps updated on the study, is important to keep it going.

Andrews said the consensus wasn’t to approve anything, but to show the Federal Highway Administration that the Metropolitan Planning Organization overseeing transportation issues in the area supports the beltline study.

Aull said the beltline remains in DATS’ long-range plans.

The DATS policy committee voted 3-2 to support continued study discussion.

Tilton and Georgetown mayors Dave Phillips and Darrell Acord, respectively, voted against the study’s necessity, while Vermilion County Board Chairman Jim McMahon, executive assistant to the mayor Theresa Brazelton serving as proxy for Mayor Scott Eisenhauer and Illinois Department of Transportation Program Development Engineer Dennis Markwell voted in favor of it.

“We need economic growth here. We need some jobs,” McMahon said.

The beltline aims to promote industrial and job growth and tie in with existing rail, road and airport infrastructure.

“I can’t see any growth from this,” Phillips said.

Andrews said the purpose and need statements for the beltline have been finalized with the FHWA. Now environmental assessments must be completed. The last city council vote on the beltline occurred in November 2006.

Aldermen approved an agreement to increase the consultant’s costs for additional environmental and property study services for the Danville Beltline Study with Hanson Engineers of Springfield. State funding that’s earmarked for this study will pay for the total $942,270. The engineers were to go back to update environmental studies and property line and property owner information from 10 years ago.

Also in November 2006, there was an informational meeting for residents to learn more about the proposed eastside bypass to improve traffic flow and open up more industrial development sites. Some residents are concerned about its need and potential to hurt existing businesses, the impacts on their properties and increased noise and traffic.

The exact location of the approximately 300-foot corridor beltline hasn’t been determined.

The proposed route runs from West Newell Road, hooking south on Bowman Avenue, going east on Poland Road and then turning south through farm fields, east of the railroad tracks east of the airport and hooking up with Interstate 74 and Perrysville Road.

It would stretch south between Daisy Lane and Brewer Road.

Engineers determined there was no need to tie it in with southern Illinois Route 1 because of expected light traffic on the southern section.

The Federal Highway Administration approved construction of a new Interstate 74 interchange between the Bowman and Lynch Road exits three years ago.

The city hired Hanson Engineers in 1999 to study the feasibility of creating a highway that would bypass the city on the eastside to connect I-74 with Illinois Route 1 north of Danville.

Jim Moll, the lead project engineer with Hanson Engineers of Springfield, has said $200,000 to $300,000 in grant money already has been spent for the study. About $400,000 to $500,000 more is needed to finish it.

An environmental assessment process will determine where to build the road. Elevations, lanes of roadway and other details must be determined prior to land acquisition.

The beltline is at least eight years away, and that’s if funding is available.

Nothing Happening!?!?!

I haven't posted anything recently just for the fact that absolutely "Nothing" has happened in Danville for quite a while. The Commercial-News doesn't report about the local crime, nobody outside of Danville cares about Danville so they choose to ignore the little town in Illinois that is an embarrassment to the rest of the state. There isn't even any positive news to report for Danville, there is literally "Nothing" going on in Danville. There have been the few fluff stories about fixing pot holes, the cities trouble with their cell phones, nothing major or earth shattering! I am starting to get really bored with Danville, when will the next major crime involving a "former Chicago resident" happen or some political issue with the local government and funding happen? Maybe an announcement will come about "a major business" considering coming to town will get everyones hopes up for a week or two. If something doesn't happen soon I am going to have to start writing about Decatur!

Is the building worth $800,000?

Bresee repairs could top $800,000

Engineering report calls building a ‘high priority’

BY JENNIFER BAILEY
Commercial-News
DANVILLE — A recent update on Bresee Tower repair costs provides more of a breakdown.

The costs come from Mary Brush, formerly with Klein and Hoffman Inc. Structural and Restoration Engineers of Chicago and now a preservation group leader with Holabird & Root LLC Architecture Engineering Interiors of Chicago.

This breakdown follows a final summary report on Bresee Tower that provided no cost breakdowns on restoration phases, as city officials expected.

The only monetary reference previously made is to allow for a minimum budget of $800,000.

“To do what?” Mayor Scott Eisenhauer questioned. “We can’t make any decisions.”

Eisenhauer had not yet seen the latest report as of Friday, but said the city will stay involved in the building process at some level. He didn’t know whether it’d be more of a resource or financial partner.

“We need to stay involved,” he said.

Klein and Hoffman Inc. representatives and David Algozine, CEO of Algozine Masonry Restoration of Griffith, Ind., reported on initial findings of their façade condition survey last month before local officials. They said the 12-story downtown building, 4 N. Vermilion St., could be saved, but maintenance concerns must be addressed.

“I would consider this building a high priority,” Brush said.

She said the building is out of hazardous condition now and into a high priority state of repair. Ideally there could be a phased restoration approach, they said.

Brush said the strapping and plywood now applied to the building will limit the potential of future falling pieces of terra cotta in the time between the completed investigation and façade restoration. However, if plywood remains on the building in the fall of 2009, it will be necessary to re-inspect those areas in order to determine material anchorage and condition.

She said taking aesthetic issues into account, a higher priority of replacement is typically applied to the lower floors for pedestrian views and more repair on upper floors.

Material options worthy of consideration due to the coloration of the building include terra cotta or an alternate material of Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC), she said.

“The latter material is acceptable for restoration projects as a potentially cost-effective alternative to terra cotta,” Brush said in her follow-up letter. It’s also beneficial on a project with a tight time constraint, with a more effective delivery system.

The glaze of the material is a potential challenge.

“Assumptions were made for the cost estimate on quantities for replication versus repair. With a conservative approach to the options, the terra cotta replacement estimate was $560,000 and the GFRC was $450,000. The estimate for units to be repaired on the building or removed and reinstalled was $150,000,” she stated.

Brush said the north and west elevations are in “good condition” with minor repairs required. Anticipated brick repairs are estimated at $9,000, not including the removal of the fire escape.

In addition, granite repairs will be required and can range from $2,000 to $5,000, and general provisions and mobilization for the contractor has been assumed to be $80,000 regardless of the material and repair quantity choices.

Professional services for the design documents and construction administration by the architect haven’t been calculated.

“In an effort to provide professional guidance toward the varied solutions for this building, it is typically better to work slowly toward the better solutions, than to put good money after a short-term repair,” Brush said.

Downtown Danville Inc. Executive Director Rachael Dietkus said after more specific cost estimates were received, those involved will have to determine the next step.

Algozine said the building’s cracking and broken pieces are caused by water that’s entered the building and has rusted the steel behind the terra cotta. The steel expands and creates the pressure, causing the terra cotta cracks. There is no failure of steel. Everything they’ve seen on Bresee, they’ve been able to fix on other buildings, Algozine said.

Algozine Masonry Restoration started analyzing the building and fixing more dangerous sections just after Thanksgiving. It finished in January.

Bresee was built in 1917 and was to be a steel frame skyscraper, but was switched to a concrete frame due to steel costs during World War I, they said.

Developers have expressed interest in the building.

A market study shows the building could support mixed residential, professional and retail uses.

The numbers

This is a little info from zipskinny.com that breaks down the numbers and compares Danville to the state and the U.S. As you can see Danville is behind the curve on every category.

17 down, a couple thousand to go!

City OKs demolition of 17 structures

Fairchild Village needs asbestos removal
BY JENNIFER BAILEY

DANVILLE — The Danville City Council on Tuesday approved contracts to demolish 17 more dilapidated structures in the city.

One large building is Fairchild Village, but Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said a contract for asbestos abatement is expected to be “expensive and extensive” prior to demolition starting anytime soon.

The demolitions are ones in which the structures are too tall or there is no adequate fall zone or other reasons the city cannot handle them, he said.

The contracts:

-- Thomas Excavating: $25,637 for 1305 E. Fairchild St.

-- Owens & Son Excavating: $9,968 for 1220 E. Fairchild., $7,195 for 102 Bremer, $3,125 for 611 Chandler, $6,900 for 612 Chandler, $5,495 for 623 Grant, $4,950 for 444 Elm, $9,986 for 418 Jackson and $6,250 for 514 Anderson.

-- A&P Services: $8,500 for 331 Harmon, $9,750 for 509 Lafayette, $4,000 for 7 S. Buchanan and $9,750 for 12 Corrine.

-- Daniel Ribbe Trucking: $30,500 for 510 Ann, $31,700 for 210-212 W. Madison and $7,394 for 309 S. Buchanan.

-- Champion Environmental Services: $27,000 for 431 Jackson.

Funding comes from the city’s demolition bond issue.

Aldermen also approved $40,450 in asbestos abatement work to be performed by Schemel-Tarillion Inc. of Perryville, Mo., at 210-212 W. Madison, 7 S. Buchanan, 431 Jackson, 1220 E. Fairchild and 402 N. Hazel.

The Hazel Street property is the former city hall.

Ahrens said its demolition will be bid out later.

Another One Bites The Dust!

Hobby Lobby to close this spring

Area crafters are devastated by news
BY MARY WICOFF

DANVILLE — People who do arts and crafts are distraught at the news that Hobby Lobby Creative Center will close this spring.

“I’m devastated. Everybody’s horrified,” said Jeanne Dunn of Danville, an artist and actress who buys all of her supplies at the store. “Everyone I know who’s craftsy or sews or knits lives in Hobby Lobby.”

A spokesman with the Oklahoma-based company confirmed Tuesday the store at the Village Mall will close the first part of May. Its 24 employees have been given the chance to transfer to the closest store, said Vince Parker, director of training and customer service.

The store’s merchandise will be transferred to a new store in Peru, Ill., and there will be no closeout sales, he said.

Parker said the decision to close was not an easy one.

“Many factors were considered before coming to the conclusion that we would close at this time,” he said.

However, he would not list those factors, noting there was not one particular reason for the closure.

Lisa Masengale-Acton, general manager of the Village Mall, said Hobby Lobby gave notice of its closure last week, but didn’t give a reason.

“We’re very disappointed,” she said. “They’ve been a valued merchant for almost 10 years. They are such an outstanding tenant in the community.”

The store opened in January 1999 in the former Target site. It offers a variety of arts and crafts supplies, home décor, custom photo framing, furniture, scrapbook supplies, fabric and greeting cards, as well as classes, such as cake decorating.

“It’s such a disappointing loss to Danville as a whole,” Masengale-Acton said. “It’s going to leave such a void in Danville because they offered so many things to so many people.”

The only bright spot, however, is that Hobby Lobby is in a desirable location, as its storefront — which was renovated recently — can be seen from Vermilion Street, she said.

“We do have a great location when we start searching (for tenants),” she said. “The mall itself is doing well. I think our ownership team is hopeful we’ll find someone soon.”

The mall will work with the city of Danville and Vermilion Advantage to see if some type of tax incentive can be offered to a new tenant, she said.

Dunn said artists and crafts people have depended on the store, which offers high-quality products that can’t be found anywhere else in Danville. She could go to the Hobby Lobby in Champaign or buy over the Internet, but she’d prefer to shop locally and actually hold an item in her hands, she said.

Danville Light Opera members also depend on the store for materials to make costumes.

“It’s the only show in town — and it’s a great show,” she said.

An afternoon with friends always included a stop at Hobby Lobby, she said, adding, “I don’t walk out of there every time without spending $20 or $30 or more.”

Dunn hopes loyal customers will contact the store to express their unhappiness, and maybe the outcry will change the business’ mind.

Parker said customers are invited to contact the company through its Web site.

“We do appreciate all of the support of our local customers. It is our hope that you will continue to shop with us at our next closest locations and that all of your future visits are pleasant and productive,” he said.

Things that have left town!

I was just reading how Heatcraft, one of the few factories left in Danville is closing for good, and that got me thinking about all the companies, factories and retail stores that have left Danville over the last 20 years. If you can think of any that I have left out feel free to post a reply with the name of the business:

General Motors
General Electric
Hyster
Target
JC Penneys
Eagle's
Jewel/Osco
Vorhees Lumber
Zayre's
Heilig-Meyer
Hill's
K's Merchandise
Good Sports
Gerry and Al's
Applebees
Sunbeam bread store
Vips restaurant
Arnholt's bakery
Bob Evans
La Bambas
Rhodes-Burford furniture
Mr. Discount furniture
Carquest
Sam Goody
Olde Town Video
CICI's Pizza
Rex's Electronics(twice)
Ponderosa
Sirloin Stockade
Jimmy Johns
Quiznos
Woodbury's
Spaghetti Shop
Ritzi's
Rocky Rockoco's
Coca Cola bottling
Chuckles factory
Green Chevrolet
Swing n' Spring


This only a few that I can think of off the top of my head, I know there are other factories, restaurants and retail stores I have forgot about. If you remember more please post them just to give people an idea of what Danville has lost over the years.

This pretty much sums it up!

CNN in Danville

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One of many problems with D-vegas!

PROJECT: County sees influx of felons

Low-income housing draws parolees to area
BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL

DANVILLE — On any given day, as many as 55,000 men and women are on parole from prisons in Illinois. While most are released to Chicago and Cook County, that trend is shifting.

“We are seeing a lot of locals, and we are seeing an increase in the number of people coming down from the Chicago area as a result of their families moving down here (for low-income housing),” senior parole agent Kelly Harvey said. “ … Now they’re in Vermilion County or Decatur or Bloomington.”

Harvey said the shift is “totally intertwined” with Chicago tearing down its housing projects.

“It all kind of feeds into itself,” he said. “Everything kind of connects.”

And in and around Danville, it connects with a program called the Community Coalition for Reintegration.

The starting point of the coalition is the parole department, whose mission is to assist with the re-entry and re-integration of paroled men, women and juveniles to make them productive citizens.

CCR connects parolees with a variety of programs, the result of which has been a local rate of preventing parolees from committing another crime that dramatically outdistances the state average. Vermilion County notches a rate of as low as 9 percent compared to the state recidivism rate of 54.56 percent.

“It’s a tough population to work with,” Harvey said. “There is a failure rate in this, and it’s a pretty sizeable one. You’re not going to get to everybody.”

Darren S. Cooper, parole supervisor from the Illinois Department of Corrections, agrees.

“The bottom line is with all these services (CCR) provides to get the person, the individual on track and they don’t take advantage of it, it isn’t because the community or anybody hasn’t tried,” hesaid.

“It goes back on the individuals. You can only try so many times. You can only lead them to so many programs.”

When the services and programs do work, Harvey said the savings adds up on several levels.

Parolees and people on probation, he said, are a huge drain on tax dollars. He estimated there are about 300 people incarcerated on any given day in the county and more than 1,700 here on probation.

“Think about how much cost savings could be made if we could keep even a percentage of those people from going back” to prison, he said.

The cost of caring for a state inmate averages about $23,000, Cooper said. The average state prison sentence is just under 2½ years.“When you look at the cost of when Johnny goes bad, that cost skyrockets when Johnny goes bad enough to go to prison,” Harvey said. “Then he comes back, and the thing is a lot of people’s perception is, ‘Well, we just don’t want them back.’

“Well, they’re going to come back,” he added. “They’re from here. They’re born and raised here. They’re convicted here. They’re coming back to this territory, and there’s nothing you can do about that.”

He said people have to look at whether they want to ignore the issue and wait for a parolee to commit another crime or help him find services to stay out of prison.

Who are they?

Cooper said Vermilion County regularly handles between 270 and 300 adult and juvenile parolees.

The majority are one-time local residents returning after being incarcerated on a crime typical for the area.

Because of Vermilion County’s battle with methamphetamine in recent years, such drug charges are the norm among released parolees.

“The general impression when you talk to people about people on parole is everyone’s an axe murderer,” Harvey said.

In actuality, the charges run the gamut from DUIs to drugs. He said drugs result in a number of other crimes they see parolees convicted of, including burglary, trespassing and property damage.

“We’ve always had problems with cocaine and marijuana. They’ve always been the foundation drugs here,” Harvey said.

While the crimes and hometowns of parolees released in Vermilion County vary, most have one thing in common.

Harvey said they’ve lost everything.

They’ve been removed from the community, and many have lost their jobs, their homes and their connections with family and friends.

“You have guys that come out who have no job, have nothing more really than the box of property they’re able to bring with them from corrections,” he said.

“And that’s it.”

He’s come across parolees who have never had jobs, and one, Harvey recalled, who had never had identification.

He went with the parolee to get the ID, and the man showed it off “like an Academy Award.”

Dee Ann Ryan, executive director of Vermilion County’s Mental Health Board and CCR member, praises the local parole officer and all his efforts.

“We are so fortunate. This wouldn’t happen without a parole agent willing to do the work,” she said. “We all work together, but he’s the lead. …

“If there’s a disconnect between law enforcement and the agencies, this isn’t going to work.”



FELONY DEFINED

A crime more serious than a misdemeanor, one usually punishable by a year or more in prison.

Wasn't this supposed to be done 10 years ago?

A new forum to bitch!

I thought I would start this blog to give all the former Danville residents that escaped to share their views and experiences on the decline of a once prosperous town. I am just getting things started, so if you have anything you would like to add feel free to let me know. I am also looking for a video from CNN about the horrible conditions Danville is in, so if anyone knows a link to it let me know. Please pass this link on to as many people as you can so we can make this successful.

What the hell happened?

The "Bottoms"

Is he smoking crack!?!?