sbj 05-01-10

MAY 2010

InsideM A Y | 2 0 1 0

The Southern Business Journal (USPS #019988) is apublication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mailat 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, or at P. O.Box 2108, Carbondale, IL, 62903. Also reach us on theWeb at www.sbj.biz and via e-mail [email protected]. The Journal is published 12times per year monthly, and mailed to businesses,community development leaders, chambers of commercemembers and other professionals in Southern Illinois.Periodicals Postage Paid at Carbondale, IL. Copyright2010 by The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved.Postmaster: Send address changes to: SouthernBusiness Journal, P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62902.A subscription may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454or 618-997-3356, or by visiting our Web site.

Contact usPublisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038

Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

Advertising: Abby Hatfield n 618-351-5024

Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035

Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042

That’s when the devastating winds ofan unusual weather formation knownas a “super derecho” rocked theregion, causing millions in damagesand knocking businesses out of commission. Are you prepared to copeif a calamity affects your business? Ifyou haven’t yet developed a plan, doingso could mean the difference betweenbeing shut down for only a few days orlosing your livelihood.

Page 11

INDICATORSRegional economy looking brighter:Unemployment eased slightly – 0.1percent – in the 18-county Southern Illinois region during February, the lastmonth for which complete statisticsare available. The jobless rate dropped in 10 of the 18 counties,including a full 1 percent drop inAlexander County. Elsewhere in theindicators, passenger air traffic at theWilliamson County Regional Airportsoared above the same month a yearearlier, while hotel and motel stays inCarbondale improved over the prioryear and continued a growth trend.

Pages 12-13

WORKPLACEWhat does a woman want? Thatessential question was explored longago by Sigmund Freud, but it remains avalid concern for employers in the modern world. There are many layersto the answer, but women want to workwhere they are cared about and supported, not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integralmember of a community. Does youroffice feel like a community, a family of sorts?

Page 14

InsideCorbell Telephone and Electronics ........ 5

Egyptian Electric Cooperative.............. 20

Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan ................ 5

Health Alliance .................................. 17

Jackson and Gray Insurance ................ 7

Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes .......... 6

John A. Logan College ........................ 24

Leading Lawyers .................................. 9

Midwest Backgrounds, Inc. ................ 22

Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 18

Pepsi MidAmerica .............................. 10

Property with TLC, LLC .......................... 6

Sandberg, Phoenix and Von Gontard .. 20

Southern Illinois Healthcare.................. 8

Southern Illinois University ................ 15

University Mall .................................. 13

Your Jeweler ...................................... 11

Directory of Advertisers

COVER STORYLooking for work: Even though thereare encouraging signs nationally abouteconomic recovery, the prospect forjob seekers in Southern Illinois is notyet rosy. Our region tends to trailnational tendencies, which is goodwhen the trend is job losses but notas desirable when the trend is job creation. It won’t be an easy time fornew graduates or for students seeking summer work; but some jobcategories show promise, and skilledworkers who are job-ready always arein demand. Tip: It might require some out-of-the-box thinking for jobapplicants, such as determining allfields that need your skills.

Pages 4-5

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS Waiting for a verdict on Obamacare:Business people are just as anxiousas health care customers about theimpact of the recently approved federal health care reform package.Some businesses are concerned aboutthe costs of extra paperwork andrequirements, and there are fearsabout the new costs affecting the ability to create and fund new jobs.There are bright spots, too. Somesmaller categories may greatly benefitfrom new federal subsidies. Go deeperon the details in this month’s reportfrom regular SBJ Contributor ScottMcClatchey.

Page 7

SOLUTIONS Wind and fire and rain: If there everwas an act of nature that sounded analarm for business people in SouthernIllinois, it sounded on May 8, 2009.

http://www.sbj.biz

mailto:[email protected]

MAY 2010 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Mark Your CalendarMay 3

Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

May 4Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

May 5Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


May 6Visio 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room

F112, John A. Logan College Center forBusiness & Industry.

May 7Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

May 10Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.


May 11Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m.


May 12Intermediate Publisher 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

May 13Time & Stress Management: 8:30 a.m.


May 14Intermediate QuickBooks 2009:

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A.Logan College Center for Business &Industry.

May 17Beginning Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


May 18Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


May 19Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


May 20Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Room F110, John A. Logan College Centerfor Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

Beginning/Intermediate AdobePhotoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., RoomH125, John A. Logan College Center forBusiness & Industry.

May 24Intermediate Publisher 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

May 25Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


Beginning/Intermediate Adobe Acrobat:8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A.Logan College Center for Business &Industry.

May 27Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


May 28Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.


For more information on John A. Logan or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or e-mail [email protected] A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is located at 700 College Road, Carterville, and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.

Your BusinessLean practice: Value-added vs. non-value-added activity

In the Januaryissue of the SouthernBusiness Journal,one of my colleaguesat Southern IllinoisHealthcare reviewedthe concept ofidentifying waste inLean businesspractices. Anotherimportant Lean

concept is distinguishing value-added vs.non-value-added activity.

A simple explanation of value-addedactivity is something your customer iswilling to pay for. A good health careexample most of us can relate to is going toa hospital or lab for blood tests. All thecustomer wants, or is willing to pay for, is

the test results. However, many stepsoccur in a typical lab experience to getthose results. The customer signs in, goesthrough registration and insuranceverification, etc. before the actual blooddraw. Waste, or “non-value-added”activities, is often baked into those steps —such as movement to different stations tocomplete registration, waiting for aregistration person, waiting for a room toopen for the blood draw, moving to theroom and then waiting for a phlebotomistto draw the blood.

A typical blood draw takes two or threeminutes. If the customer has a 30-minutetotal experience at the lab, 27 of thoseminutes are non-value-added, as are allthe additional steps by the patient andstaff. Once you identify these non-value-added steps, you can begin to eliminate,reduce or simplify them.

By focusing on the customers and what

they are willing to pay for, you perform animportant first step. This mindset is oftena breakthrough in thinking for manybusinesses. Currently, the acceptedwisdom is that everything is “value-added” because it is “how we do it.”However, 95 percent of typical activity inany process is non-value-added.Businesses can experience significantproductivity gains and happier customers by identifying and creativelychipping away at those non-value-addedsteps.

Let us go back to our 30-minute labexperience. Would you wait 30 minutes fora hamburger at a fast-food restaurant? Ofcourse not. Most well-run, fast-foodchains already eliminated a significantportion of non-value-added steps fromtheir food service processes. That’s whyyou get your meal in a couple of minutes.

Health care is moving toward Lean

thinking and practice to accomplish morewith less in the years ahead. With an agingpopulation and health care reformlooming, heath care systems must providehigher quality services using fewerresources. Eliminating waste and non-value-added steps is the only way that canbe accomplished.

Lean practitioners create current stateand future state value stream maps to helpteams visualize waste and non-value-added steps.

Many online resources can helpbusinesses begin to explore the valuestream map concept. Looking at yourbusiness practices though the eyes of yourcustomers, and what they are ultimatelywilling to pay for, is a simple first step instarting your Lean journey.

— Stace England is on the staff of SouthernIllinois Healthcare.

England

BY STACE ENGLANDSBJ CONTRIBUTOR


MAY 2010SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL4

Cover Story

A resurgent stock market and anincrease in the index of leading economicindicators have some analysts pointing toa rebounding economy. While these signs,along with reports that Illinois employersare beginning to hire, may be positivefactors, job seekers in Southern Illinoiscontinue to face a tight market with a fewpockets of growth.

“Even though the job creation numbersare positive, they will have little effect onsomeone who may be unemployed rightnow,” Greg Rivara, spokesman for theIllinois Department of EmploymentSecurity, said. “Even though we’ve hadthree consecutive months of job growth,we had nearly two years of losses leadingup to it.”

Rivara said while nothing short of a newjob feels good to someone who hasn’tworked in a while, things will get better.“The three months of growth is a positivesign, we just don’t know how positive yet,”he said. “In the grand scheme of things itwill be good news.”

The job market may tighten even moreas spring brings students looking forsummer jobs and new graduates—bothhigh school and college—into the mix.

Toby Misner, guidance counselor atMarion High School, said students whoare looking for summer work are notfinding it.

“We think summer employment isgoing to be limited, so we’re pushingstudents to be eager to take any job, even ifthey are jobs the kids weren’t originallyinterested in, maybe mowing lawns, fastfood and babysitting,” he explained.“We’re telling them that they need to lookat those fields.”

Misner said with high levels ofunemployment, many students arecompeting for jobs not only with otherteenagers, but also with adults.

“Right now, a job is a job both forstudents and for adults,” he said.

It’s not just seasonal employment that istough to find. Misner said studentschoosing to enter a trade or work aftergraduation are struggling to findemployment.

“We’re not hearing of a lot of them

already lining up jobs. We have a lot of kidshoping and praying for something,” headded.

The situation is no better for collegestudents. Rob Miller, a sophomore fromJohnsburg studying public relations atSouthern Illinois University Carbondale,said he had hoped to find a part-timeposition in the area so he could enroll insummer classes. His inability to findsummer work has caused him to changehis plans.

“I applied at a bunch of places, but Ididn’t hear back from any of them,” hesaid. “So, I’m not going to school thissummer. Instead, I’m going home, and I’lllook for something there,” he said.

There are some bright spots, however.John A. Logan College placement directorLisa Hudgens said the phones arebeginning to ring more often in her officewith employers looking to hire — both forthe summer and in permanent positions.

“It’s picking up. We are seeingemployers calling us with both part-timeand full-time positions,” she said.

Hudgens explained that growth seemsto be in specialized areas. She said she’sseeing opportunities in fields such asaccounting, health care and dentalassisting.

She said there also has been an upswingin calls from contractors and construction

firms, but thoseincreases may beseasonal in nature.

Other hiringprofessionals are alsoseeing some growth. JillLewis of Extra Help, aMarion staffing agency,said the number ofopportunities is startingto improve.

“We believe themarket is coming back,”she explained. “We’vehad a steady increaseand we think we are onthe way to a recovery.”

Lewis said growth iscoming in a number ofsectors includingmanufacturing, generallabor andtransportation. She added that manycompanies are hiring for full-time,temporary positions, especially clericaland light industrial jobs.

“Employers are being very careful withhiring,” she said. “They do not want to hirepeople just to lay them off later.”

However, she explained that thetemporary hires can point to longer-termimprovements in the job outlook.

“Typically, when you see the number of

temporary employees go up, that’s the firstsign of an economic recovery,” she said.

Recovery can be a slow process, saidIDES’ Rivara.

“Illinois typically follows the nation intoa recession and we tend to follow thenation out of one, too,” he said. “When arecovery really takes hold, it may causeconfusion because the national media willbe talking about it, even when we may notbe feeling it here yet.”

New graduates, students will be facing tough market for job-seekersBY LES O’DELL

SBJ CORRESPONDENTSIUC College of BusinessDirector of EnrollmentManagement Jill Gebke (left)talks with senior Tyler Krough during a job fair Thursday,Feb. 25 at CarbondaleCommunity High School.

Job-seeker Kimberly Thacker(below right) of Mount Vernonsmiles as she talks to SueRidgeway from the ArthurAgency in Carbondale during a job fair on Wednesday,April 7 at Rend Lake College.

PAUL NEWTON / SBJ


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F M G R

Cover StoryHe added that the same holds true for

Southern Illinois compared to the rest ofthe state.

“That means as we come out of therecession, we may see slower recovery insome places.”

Thom Shadle of Murphysboro said heunderstands that an uptick in indicatorsfor the state does not necessarily mean allacross the state.

“Those numbers mean that Chicago’sdoing better,” Shadle said. “Right now,there’s not that many large employersadding staff here and the small employersare not ready to jump in yet and bringpeople on.”

Shadle, who has more than seven yearsexperience in marketing, was laid off froma customer service and sales position morethan a year ago. He has been unable to findsimilar work since.

“Jobs seem to be virtually non-existentoutside of the entry level,” he added.“There’s really just not a lot out there.”

Rivara said one of the best barometers isto look at what the region’s top industriesare doing on the national level. Thosetrends may be an indicator of what is tocome locally, he said. He pointed toindustries such as health care, whichcontinues to expand both on the nationaland regional levels.

“It’s definitely a stable field,” saidKristin King, employment coordinatorwith Southern Illinois Healthcare. “Inhealth care right now, employment is onthe rise.”

That is good news for job-seekers. Kingsaid her organization has an average of 55positions open each month. The downsideis that SIH receives about 2,000applications for those jobs.

“It’s great for us to see that many peopleinterested in health care, but it isdisheartening at the same time,” she said.

Regardless of the industry, Rivara saidpeople looking for work have to be flexible.

“We encourage individuals not to lookat what job they had, but rather their skillsand see what other industries those fitinto. It’s a matter of thinking about thingsdifferently,” he said.

Lewis gave an example. She shared thestory of a former fast food sandwichmaker who used those skills to land a jobin manufacturing because of his assemblyexperience.

“People need to look at all of their skillsand how they may fit into a completelydifferent industry,” she said.

She said it should not matter whether ajob seeker is a high school senior, a newcollege graduate, a laid-off executive or aminer looking for a new job; everyonelooking for work should apply the sameapproach.

“You have to broaden your outlook andsee how you can apply your skills intoother industries that you haven’t thoughtabout before. Limited experience in aparticular field should not hold you back,”she said.

Rivara said it’s all a matter of approach.“Job growth will return to all of Illinois

and those individuals who have not doneanything to enhance their job skills willnot be in a position to re-enter theworkforce when jobs are available. It’s allabout thinking differently.”

— Les O’Dell lives in Carbondale and is afreelance writer. He regularly is published inSBJ, The Southern Illinoisan and SIMagazine.

Want a job? Keep your skills sharpand show a willingness to work

With some counties’ unemployment percentages reaching double-digits,Southern Illinoisans of all ages, educational levels and backgrounds arelooking for work. Career experts in the region said that it takes more than justan education or specific skills to land a job.

“The biggest thing we see employers want is a willingness to really work,”said Jill Lewis of Extra Help in Marion. “You must have a bulletproof résuméwithout holes.”

Lewis said resume gaps include long stretches of unemployment.“Even if you’re not finding a job, go volunteer somewhere so you’ll have

experience and be able to show that you’re keeping your skills current duringthis time. It shows an employer that you’re not just sitting around.”

Matt Purdy, who works with students at the placement center in theSouthern Illinois University Carbondale College of Business, said job-seekersneed to develop resiliency.

“It’s important for people to not get frustrated when their plans don’t work out. As discouraging as it can be sometimes, you’ve got to pick yourself back up and get out there again; that’s the only way it’s going tohappen.”

Purdy said many of the tips he gives students are valid for job applicants ofall ages. Among them:n Communications skills, such as writing skills and verbal abilities, are

key, Purdy said. “Being able to use proper grammar and spelling in everythingfrom business letters to e-mails is a big thing that employers constantly tell us applicants need to do better,” he said.n Purdy cautions both students and older job seekers to be careful on social

media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace. He said personal pages onthose sites are often visited by potential employers.

“It’s the cheapest and easiest background check available.” He added thatusers should double-check their pages content and security settings.n He said that a little courtesy by applicants can make a big difference.“With a tight job market you have to be on target in applying,” he said.

“Don’t just send a résumé; take an extra 15 minutes and write a cover letter.Likewise, after an interview, follow up with a handwritten thank-you note.The reason to do these two things is very simple: practically no one else doesthem and they will set you apart in the eyes of the employer.”

— Les O’Dell

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Elder LawNursing home resident’s representative

may be liable for lack of timeliness on Medicaid

A Connecticuttrial court refusedto dismiss a nursinghome’s lawsuitagainst a resident’srepresentative forunpaid fees,concluding thatmaterial questionsexist as to whetherthe representative

breached the nursing home’sAdmissions Agreement by failing to usethe resident’s assets to pay for her careand promptly qualify her for Medicaid.Hebrew Health Care, Inc. v. Levine(Conn. Super. Ct., No. CV085023211S,Nov. 3, 2009).

Acting pursuant to a power ofattorney, Benjamin Levine signed theagreement that admitted his aunt, GraceLevine, to a nursing home operated byHebrew Health Care, Inc. TheAdmissions Agreement designated Mr.Levine as his aunt’s representative andrequired him to use his aunt’s assets topay for her care and to promptly applyfor, and then maintain, her eligibility forMedicaid benefits. Although Mr. Levineapplied for Medicaid benefits, theConnecticut Department of Social

Services determined that Ms. Levine’sassets exceeded eligibility limits andimposed a penalty period, leaving aportion of her nursing home billsunpaid.

The nursing home sued Mr. Levine forthe outstanding balance. Mr. Levinefiled a motion for summary judgment,asserting that he had no financialliability for his aunt’s debts because heexecuted the admission agreement onlyin his capacity as her agent and becausethe agreement expressly provided that aresident’s representative was notpersonally liable for the resident’s debts.The nursing home countered that it wasnot attempting to hold Mr. Levinepersonally liable for his aunt’s debts, butrather to recover damages for his failureto comply with the terms of theAdmission Agreement.

The Superior Court of Connecticutdenied Mr. Levine’s motion for summaryjudgment. The court concluded that bysigning the agreement Mr. Levine agreedthat he was the representative under theagreement and that material questionsremain as to whether he fulfilled hiscontractual obligations to use his aunt’sassets to pay for her care and topromptly establish her Medicaideligibility.

Illinois case: Although the facts weredifferent in an Illinois case and although

the court took a different route, theappellate court in Mount Vernonreached essentially the same result morethan 20 years ago. In the Guardianshipof Mary Jane Connor, 170 Ill. App. 3d 759(5th District 1988).

There a guardian, the Shelby CountyState Bank, was appointed to managethe estate and person of Ms. Connor,who resided in a nursing home. At ahearing on the bank’s report of finalfinancial settlement, the evidenceestablished that if the bank had actedpromptly to qualify Ms. Connor forMedicaid benefits, her homestead realestate and other assets could have beenprotected from a need to spend-downthose assets, and that they could havebeen set aside for her benefit. At theconclusion of the hearing, the circuitcourt ruled that the bank had violated itsfiduciary duty to Ms. Connor and hadallowed her estate to be dissipated.

On appeal, the Fifth District AppellateCourt affirmed the circuit court’s rulingthat the bank had breached its fiduciaryduty. The appellate court ruled that thebank’s failure to fully investigate thepossible effect a sale of Ms. Connor’sresidence would have on her eligibilityfor Medicaid coverage of her nursinghome bills prior selling the homeconstituted a breach of fiduciary duty.The appellate court concluded that the

bank’s failure to seek Medicaid for Ms.Connor in a diligent and orderly mannerresulted in the need to apply theproceeds from the sale of her residenceto pay her nursing home arrearage ratherthan to benefit her.

Although the Connor case involved abank as guardian, there is no reason tobelieve that the appellate court wouldhave reached any different conclusion ifa private person had been a guardian.Similarly, there is every reason to believethat the Illinois courts today wouldreach the same result even if there wereno guardianship. Thus, for example, ifan elderly mother signs a power ofattorney form to appoint her adult sonher agent (sometimes called anattorney-in-fact) and the son fails toprotect his mother’s assets from theneed to “spend down” or fails topromptly apply for Medicaid benefits topay for his mother’s care at her nursinghome, the son could be held financiallyresponsible for his mother’s nursinghome or other medical costs.

— Richard Habiger is an elder law attorney,who focuses on asset protection, Medicaidand VA benefits, Alzheimer’s and life careplanning — all in collaboration with amulti-disciplinary staff. You may contacthim at 618-549-4529 or [email protected].

BY RICHARD HABIGERSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

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What do thefederal health carereforms mean foryour company?

Will they lead tothousands ofdollars in extracosts and morepaperwork? Or willfederal subsidiesmake this a “game

changer” for small companies that havestruggled to provide insurance plans?

If you employ 50 or more, you willface a major choice. Businesses with 50or more employees will have a choicebeginning in 2014: they can sponsor ahealth plan for 100 percent of theirworkers (even those signed up forgovernment-subsidized healthinsurance) or pay $750 per worker inpenalties to the federal government.

A business might opt to take thepenalty and do away with healthinsurance. Paying the annual penaltymight be cheaper. So that would leavethe employees uninsured, and theywould have to go to state health planexchanges to buy health coverage thatcould be more expensive.

Some analysts warn that anothermacroeconomic effect might result inyears of high unemployment. Theythink that increased insurance costs willdiscourage business hiring in the nextdecade.

The new reforms don’t put any capson health insurance premiums. Insurershave every reason to hike rates beforethe new insurance markets come aroundin 2014 with added competition.

If you employ 25-49 people, youwon’t face this choice. The governmentwon’t require companies with fewerthan 50 employees to offer healthinsurance starting in 2014, andtherefore these companies won’t haveto contend with possible fines like their

big brothers. But while firms with 50 orfewer workers would be exempt fromcoverage provisions, they will still haveto contend with rising premiums.

There is a major tax credit for smallerfirms and entrepreneurs. If you employfewer than 25 or are self-employed, youmay find that the health care reformsbring you tax relief.

Beginning in 2010, companies withfewer than 25 employees that pay themajority of health care premiums fortheir workers qualify for a tax credit upto 35 percent of their premiums. (In2014, that credit could be as great as 50percent of premiums if you arrangeinsurance via one of the Small BusinessHealth Options Programs, or SHOPExchanges). The tax break you get willdepend on a couple of variables: thenumber of employees you have andtheir average salary.

However, this tax break won’t beoffered to sole proprietorships. Thatfactor may encourage you to incorporateor become an LLC.

If you own a smaller company,insurance might become cheaper. Theidea is that small businesses can pooltogether in the SHOP Exchanges andnegotiate insurance coverage as a group.Greater buying power implies lowerpremium costs (in theory).

Businesses with 100 or fewer workers can jump into a state SHOPExchange pool starting in 2014; statesmay choose to limit the pools to firmswith 50 or fewer employees through2016.

The non-partisan CongressionalBudget Office estimates that the SHOPExchanges would lower annualpremiums for these businesses by 1 to 4percent with a 3 percent increase in theamount of coverage. That could mean asavings of more than $10 billionnationally.

If you work for yourself, you willlikely be able to take advantage ofgovernment health care subsidies in2014. If you are self-employed in 2014

and earn less than four times thepoverty level, you can qualify for thesesubsidies. (To give you some idea, in2010 400percent of the poverty levelcomes to $88,200 for a family of four.)

Some notes for 2011. In 2011 as aresult of the new law, a business willhave to report the value of anemployee’s health care coverage on W-2forms. Many companies providecoverage for employee dependents notenrolled in other employer-based healthplans up to age 22 or 23; next year, thatage limit will rise to 26.

All lifetime caps on insurance policiesoffered through employer-sponsored

plans will be eliminated in 2011.Penalties will increase for the misuse ofHSA funds, and workers with FSAs andHSAs will not be reimbursed for moneyused for over-the-counter drugpurchases.

— Scott McClatchey is a founder and LPLfinancial adviser with Alliance InvestmentPlanning Group, a Carbondale-basedinvestment firm located at 115 S.Washington St. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 or [email protected]. Securities offeredthrough LPL Financial, MemberFINRA/SIPC.


Economic ConditionsVerdict on Obamacare: Will health care reform

mean headaches or hidden dividends?

McClatchey

BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

http://www.sih.net


Formulas for SuccessBusiness networking is a necessity for success —

and there is an art to itI have always

found the statisticsinteresting thatdescribe the numberof people who wouldprefer death overpublic speaking.Given the choice Iwould choose thelatter — at least Icould recover from a

bad speaking engagement. There is also agrowing group that would placenetworking in the same light. Although I

can sympathize with those who findworking a room of hundredsuncomfortable, networking is a businessnecessity. Often the connections we makeat these events can lead to businessopportunities tomorrow. The key topulling off a successful networking eventis to remember that effective networkingis an art.

Be selectiveIn the past, I would try and make as

many business events as possible. Todaythere is more of a method to my madness.Choosing the event that is mostappropriate for you and your business isthe key. As small businesses usually cycle

through stages and are dealing with aparticular obstacle at different times inthis cycle, consider choosing an eventthat will help address the most pressingneed at that time. For instance, if yoursmall business is in phase one of a websiteredesign, try finding a business event thatbrings together some of the great mindsin Web development.

Make the right connectionsSome of the best business events I have

attended were not only specific to mybusiness needs but also came with a listof attendees. Having an attendee listallows you to identify individuals andcompanies of interest (before the event).

If you are lucky enough to get an attendeelist, be sure to do your homework so thatwhen an opportunity presents itself youwill be ready. If you happen to find thatone individual who you are eager to talk toand they are in a conversation of theirown, remember to be patient. Wait untilthey open the conversation up to you oruntil that conversation has concluded andthen strike up a conversation of yourown.

Networking remindersOne of the most important things you

can do in preparation of an upcoming

Gray

BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SEE BUSINESS / PAGE 23

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Wildfires inCalifornia,mudslides in Maine,tornadoes inTennessee, floodingin North Dakota. Itdoesn’t matterwhere you live orhave your business,natural disasters canoccur anywhere. It

doesn’t have to be a major earthquake orhurricane to spoil your business.

Much of our region was tremendouslyinconvenienced one year ago by thedevastating wind storm that ravagedSouthern Illinois. Some businesses wereclosed for most of a week, others evenlonger.

As of mid-August, the FederalEmergency Management Agency haddeclared 45 major disasters in the UnitedStates. There were 75 in 2008. Are youprepared to cope if a calamity effects yourbusiness?

The American Red Cross estimates only4 percent of Americans have taken allrecommended disaster-preparednesssteps, and 23 percent have done nothing atall. Small business owners may have takensome steps to prepare, but if you haven’tyet developed a complete plan, doing socould mean the difference between beingshut down for just a few days or losingyour livelihood.

Basic stepsHaving a workable disaster

preparedness plan can be as important asyour business plan. You can begin bygathering some basic information.n List essential production machinery,

computers and other vital equipment youmust have in order to keep your doors open.Store some supplies offsite.n Keep back-up copies of tax, account-

ing, payroll, production and customer data

stored on hard drives located far away.Consider using an online computer backupservice that stores your data on serverslocated hundreds or thousands of milesaway. Essential paper records should bekept in a fireproof safe.n Scout out a temporary location from

which you could operate if your buildingsuffers major damage.nBuy a portable generator, in case power

is disrupted.n Review insurance policies. They

should cover everything vital to your busi-ness.nConsider business interruption insur-

ance that will cover operating expenses andcompensate you for lost income if you areforced to close temporarily.n Flood insurance is almost certainly not

covered by your other policies. It doesn’ttake much standing water to do a lot ofdamage – check out coverage availablethrough the National Flood Insurance Pro-gram at floodsmart.gov.n If you don’t own the building in which

your business is located, consider workingwith the owner to evaluate the strength ofthe roof, windows and doors. You maywant impact-resistant windows and doorsto stand up to high winds.

Human factorsWhile thorough attention must be paid

to all structural, equipment and businessrecords, the human element may beequally important, depending on thenature of your business. Being able tocommunicate effectively with keyemployees can be vital to the continuationof your business.

Communicate your disaster plans to allemployees and anyone else who should beaware of them. Within the business itself,make sure everyone knows the escaperoutes, and that the routes are clearlymarked.

Devise a post-disaster communicationstrategy for employees. They’ll want toknow if their jobs are intact; you will wantto know that they are not only safe, butalso ready to work. You may need to call onkey employees first, to help you re-establish yourself in temporary quarters.

Keep safe a list of employee phonenumbers – both mobile and landline – ande-mail addresses right along with youremergency list of numbers for customers,utilities and emergency agencies. Keepnumbers for the local media, too.Depending on the nature of your business,it could be important to let the publicknow you’re still operating.

To be sure, disaster planning is time

spent making arrangements for somethingthat may never occur. But experts pointout that we plan and insure for manythings we hope will never happen. Yourworkable plan could be your best chanceto save not just your business, but thefinancial integrity of your family, of yourlegacy – and of your employees and theirfamilies.

— Michael P. Tison is an investment adviserand registered principal with Raymond JamesFinancial Services, Inc., with offices in Harrisburg and Marion. He can be reached at 618-253-4444 or [email protected].


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(every day)

Tison

BY MICHAEL P. TISONSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SolutionsRain, wind, fire — Is your business ready

to cope with a disaster?

STEVE JAHNKE / SBJThe front left portion of the CTS Technologiesbuilding along Illinois 13 was ripped off duringthe May 2009 storm.

The American Red Cross estimatesonly 4 percent of Americans have taken all recommendeddisaster-preparedness steps, and23 percent have done nothing at all.Small business owners may havetaken some steps to prepare,but if you haven’t yet developed a complete plan, doing so couldmean the difference between beingshut down for just a few days or losing your livelihood.


S O U T H E R N I L L I N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

100

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

78

90

DN D M A M J J A S O’08

N FJ A S O

98

94

’09J

88

86

84

F

82

81

80

76J’10

Chicago Fed MidwestManufacturing IndexThe CFMMI is a monthly estimate by majorindustry of manufacturing output in the SeventhFederal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a compositeindex of 15 manufacturing industries, includingauto and steel, that uses electrical power andhours worked data to measure monthly changesin regional activity. It is compared here to thenational Industrial Production index forManufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2002.Starting in November 2005, the index excludedthe electricity component.

IPMFG Feb 10101.0

CFMMI Feb 1082.6

SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO

Williamson County RegionalAirport passengers

553 205 p169.8%

1,500 566 p165.0%

Mar 10 Mar 09 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Anna 11.8 114.5 113.3 112.3 111.7 109.7 p 4.4%Benton 6.3 69.4 71.4 72.4 75.0 70.4 q 1.4%Carbondale 65.1 565.5 587.7 607.4 610.4 579.4 q 2.4%Carterville 3.7 39.9 40.1 40.3 39.9 32.7 p 22.0%Chester 4.8 52.9 51.5 51.7 54.0 51.1 p 3.5%Du Quoin 10.6 100.8 91.9 94.4 103.1 95.0 p 6.1%Harrisburg 20.3 191.9 179.3 173.6 168.5 164.9 p 16.4%Herrin 14.7 147.2 135.9 134.4 137.5 127.9 p 15.1%Jonesboro 1.2 12.5 12.4 11.3 11.5 11.5 p 8.7%Marion 70.7 676.0 673.4 662.4 592.7 545.9 p 23.8%Metropolis 7.1 77.1 75.9 79.8 74.8 69.4 p 11.1%Mount Vernon 52.1 476.7 482.8 461.5 501.0 475.3 p 0.3%Murphysboro 13.3 129.1 117.1 94.9 93.0 94.6 p 53.4%Nashville 8.5 107.9 101.8 105.2 105.7 101.1 p 6.7%Pinckneyville 3.2 37.2 39.0 35.8 41.7 38.0 q 2.1%Red Bud 6.6 70.1 77.7 73.7 82.5 82.5 q 15.0%Sparta 12.4 126.4 130.5 129.5 133.1 127.7 q 1.0%Vienna 3.5 37.1 40.5 39.8 36.9 32.7 p 13.5%West City 9.2 91.9 89.6 82.8 77.7 70.8 p 29.8%West Frankfort 11.5 111.4 111.2 111.4 106.8 102.3 p 8.9%REGION $336.6 $3,235.5 $3,223.0 $3,174.7 $3,157.6 $2,983.0 p 8.5%ILLINOIS $14,185.4 $139,593.2 $237,438.0 $180,162.7 $173,362.8 $167,459.0 q 16.6%

YTD Jan 2010City 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005% change

05-09

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

Labor force Jobless Feb 2010 Jan 2010 Feb 2009 Change month Change year

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation

Alexander 3,101 391 12.6% 13.6% 10.6% q 1.0 p 2.0Franklin 18,164 2,838 15.6% 15.7% 12.4% q 0.1 p 3.2Gallatin 2,715 335 12.3% 12.6% 10.2% q 0.3 p 2.1Hamilton 4,114 523 12.7% 12.9% 9.8% q 0.2 p 2.9Hardin 1,848 264 14.3% 14.6% 10.5% q 0.3 p 3.8Jackson 32,863 3,051 9.3% 9.9% 7.2% q 0.6 p 2.1Jefferson 20,359 2,525 12.4% 12.2% 9.0% p 0.2 p 3.4Johnson 5,317 703 13.2% 13.2% 10.2% 0.0 p 3.0Massac 7,238 805 11.1% 11.7% 9.1% q 0.6 p 2.0Perry 9,445 1,436 15.2% 14.8% 11.9% p 0.4 p 3.3Pope 1,913 265 13.9% 13.5% 10.8% p 0.4 p 3.1Pulaski 2,889 384 13.3% 13.6% 11.2% q 0.3 p 2.1Randolph 15,698 1,809 11.5% 11.3% 9.5% p 0.2 p 2.0Saline 12,999 1,624 12.5% 12.3% 9.5% p 0.2 p 3.0Union 8,275 1,314 15.9% 16.0% 11.6% q 0.1 p 4.3Washington 8,287 851 10.3% 10.2% 8.4% p 0.1 p 1.9White 7,656 851 11.1% 10.9% 8.8% p 0.2 p 2.3Williamson 34,855 4,159 11.9% 12.0% 9.4% q 0.1 p 2.5 .,REGION 197,736 24,128 12.2% 12.3% 10.0% q 0.1 p 2.2ILLINOIS 6,618,026 808,455 12.0% 12.2% 9.4% q 0.2 p 2.6U.S. 153,194,000 15,991,000 10.4% 9.7% 9.0% p 0.7 p 1.4SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED. 2,750 2,636 p 4.3%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

BUSINESSDIRECTORYCO

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IN J

UNE Help decision-makers fi nd your business.

Contact your Southern Business Journal marketing consultant to reserve your directory placement.

David Zoeller | (618) 351-5816 | [email protected]


N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

Prices at the pumpAverage price per gallon of regular, unleadedgas as of April 16 and March 16, 2010.

694Anna

Consumer credit scoreCredit scores are numeric reflections of financialbehavior and credit worthiness and they are basedon information included in a credit report. Rangingfrom 330 to 830, a higher score means a lowercredit risk. Scores are from March 2010.

692U. S.

699State

698Region

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

SOURCE: AAA

Metro East $2.95 $2.80 $2.06Springfield $2.92 $2.73 $2.00Illinois $3.02 $2.86 $2.12U.S. $2.86 $2.79 $2.05

Apr 10 Mar 10 Apr 09

208

200

204

206

A

210

‘10

212

M

214

A M

216

J

218

J

220

S O N D J F’09

F

Consumer Price IndexThe CPI measures average price changes of goodsand services over time, with a reference base of 100in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of194.5 means a market basket of goods and servicesthat cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

U.S. city averageFeb 10 216.7

Midwest urbanFeb 10 206.6

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

95949392919089

96979899

100101102103104105106107108

D J A M J J A

’07

S O N D J F MS O N D J

’08

F M A M J J A S O N

’09

F M

’10

U of I FlashIndex

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expectedperformance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings,consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicatesexpected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

Mar 10 91.8

Home sales Total units sold, including condominiums

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Alexander 4 5 q 20.0% 17 32 q 46.9% $43,500 $52,000 q 16.3%Franklin 67 56 p 19.6% 276 332 q 16.9% $40,000 $51,000 q 21.6%Gallatin 1 3 q 66.7% NA NA NA $45,000 $15,000 p 200.0%Hamilton 3 2 p 50.0% 7 8 q 12.5% $42,000 $39,500 p 6.3%Hardin 3 0 NA 0 0 0% $25,000 $0 NAJackson 79 56 p 41.1% 383 467 q 18.0% $88,000 $78,250 p 12.5%Jefferson 67 74 q 9.5% 332 381 q 12.9% $92,500 $77,500 p 19.4%Johnson 18 19 q 5.3% 78 92 q 15.2% $84,750 $75,000 p 13.0%Massac 28 24 p 16.7% 112 128 q 12.5% $74,170 $76,750 q 3.4%Perry 27 26 p 3.8% 126 149 q 15.4% $52,000 $55,000 q 5.5%Pope 0 4 q 100.0% 10 9 p 11.1% $0 $91,500 q 100.0%Pulaski 3 2 p 50.0% 13 4 p 225.0% $39,900 $19,000 p 110.0%Randolph 41 33 p 24.2% 149 136 p 9.6% $69,000 $72,000 q 4.2%Saline 22 13 p 69.2% 80 78 p 2.6% $64,250 $38,500 p 66.9%Union 34 19 p 78.9% 101 91 p 11.0% $74,000 $82,000 q 9.8%Williamson 161 142 p 13.4% 639 705 q 9.4% $97,000 $83,500 p 16.2%ILLINOIS 29,822 21,986 p 35.6% 107,075 140,378 q 23.7% $155,000 $163,950 q 5.5%

Q4 09 Q4 08 Change 2008 2007 Change Q4 09 Q4 08 ChangeMEDIAN SALES PRICE

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel statsTotal amount of revenue generated in Carbondaleby hotels and motels for room rentals only.

New vehicle sales Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed.Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

Alexander 5 4 p 25.0% 137 169 q 13.3%Franklin 63 78 q 19.2% 989 1,341 p 7.5%Gallatin 10 11 q 9.1% 184 294 p 30.7%Hamilton 14 20 q 30.0% 224 287 p 10.4%Hardin 9 3 p 200.0% 94 109 q 19.3%Jackson 83 105 q 21.0% 1,348 1,969 p 21.4%Jefferson 38 61 q 34.4% 842 1,270 p 14.9%Johnson 21 31 q 32.3% 353 481 p 14.8%Massac 13 25 q 48.0% 278 422 p 3.7%Perry 35 36 q 2.8% 565 689 p 8.0%Pope 6 8 q 25.0% 85 123 p 10.8%Pulaski 9 11 q 18.2% 124 221 p 11.1%Randolph 54 60 q 10.0% 936 1,208 p 7.3%Saline 53 36 p 47.2% 719 1,064 p 15.7%Union 30 32 q 6.3% 447 596 p 11.6%Washington 23 47 q 51.1% 515 621 p 4.4%White 39 31 p 25.8% 471 721 p 8.6%Williamson 88 149 q 41.0% 1,868 2,515 p 9.7%REGION 579 748 q 22.6% 10,179 14,100 p 11.1%

Feb 10 Feb 09 Change 2009 2008 Change

$467,018 $438,090 p 6.6%

$7,725,727 $7,520,856 p 2.7%

Dec 09 Dec 08 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

$7,725,727 $7,520,856 p 2.7%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

http://www.myuniversitymall.com/


What women want in the workplace: And what everyone else wants, too!

Considering thatwomen will soonmake up over half ofthe available talentto hire, recruitersand managers whoare well-versed inworking women’sneeds, desires, andcommunicationstyles will be most

successful in attracting and retaining thishigh-value market. Additionally, the morewomen you have, the more you willget…both in terms of talent andcustomers, as women like working with(buying from, connecting with, going tofor advice, etc.) other women.

Too bad we can’t have Mel Gibson’sability (albeit fictional and temporary perhis movie “What Women Want”) to hearwhat women think! My research providesthe next best thing…what more than 100professional women in various industriesand positions told me they were thinking.Following are a few of these insights.

Notice how these desires/demandsparallel those of Gen Y! As I’ve alwayssaid, by addressing women’s issues, youaddress the needs of all workers and yourrecruiting and retention results willimprove accordingly.

Of no surprise, women want and aredemanding flexibility. Independentresearch conducted by the HastingsCollege of Law indicates that men’scontribution to household responsibilitieshas peaked. Even at the highest levels todate, women still handle the majority ofchild-rearing and home-making duties.The incoming Millennial Generation isadding to this growing workplacerequirement of flexibility. How can yourcompany offer even a bit more flexibility?Form a task force to address this need.Then while recruiting promote thisdifference, and certainly the increasing

flexibility the job offers with seniority.Happy, less-stressed employees are moreproductive employees; few HR leaderswould argue with that benefit. Every studyI have read indicates that flexibility andperformance measured by results, not facetime, improve productivity.

And … flexibility no longer means timeoff to go to the dentist. The closer you canget to clarifying goals, duties, objectives …and then letting your employees figure outhow and when to meet them … the easieryou will be able to attract the best talentavailable.

Women want fulfillment from helpingpeople in a meaningful way. Certainlywhile recruiting, and continuing withregularity, communicate clearly andspecifically how your company helpspeople and makes a difference in theworld. Make the connection between whatemployees do every day and positivelychanged lives. Initiate a “The Good WeDo” bulletin board, e-mail newsletter, orsegment of your staff meetings and otherevents.

Women want to work where they arecared about and supported. Notmothered, but supported and cared for asan integral member of a community. Doesyour office feel like a community, a familyof sorts? Even increasing yourencouraging comments andacknowledgements can make a bigdifference. For a simple example, asmanager, do you acknowledge theirbirthdays? On a grander and criticallyimportant scale, does upper managementtalk the talk and walk the walk of acompany that is serious about supportingwomen? Are they genuine? Women,whether they realize it or not, are veryintuitive about genuineness and can seethrough lip service. Gen Y’ers don’t trustexecutives to begin with and do not havethe innate loyalty to authority that oldergenerations have.

Taking this series of questioning a bitdeeper, does the executive team evenknow how to talk to and about women in

an inclusive, respectful, sincere manner?Do they offer a meaningful and effectivementoring program for all employees?

Women want to work for ethicalcompanies that demonstrate socialresponsibility and walk their talk. Is yourcompany involved in charitableorganizations? Putting a team together fora charity event addresses these last twoneeds – for community and companypride. Again, does upper management talkabout how much they support women andwant to recruit and retain them? Are theywalking their talk and actually doingsomething about it? Something thatmatters and gets good visibility? Does thecompany truly promote and recommendwhat’s best for customers first, then fortheir profit margin?

Also of great importance, women wantto be taken seriously. They want to betrusted and respected, and they want to beable to trust and respect their leaders andmanagers. Of all the needs discussed tothis point, this one requires the mosteffective communication andunderstanding of style differences.

The bottom line: Two critical needsTwo words describe the majority of

these needs – the first is relationship.Whether or not some women recognizethis about themselves or want to admit itare beside the point. Women want to helpothers, feel respected and cared about, bepart of a family/community, be proud ofthe company they work for, and betrusted. All of this underscores their needfor connection and relationship, which is

also the main reason why women are sowell-suited for business – their naturalability to develop and maintainrelationships.

Women desire security – the secondcritical need; physical first, of course, buteven more so in modern times, emotionalsecurity. Relationship and connection givethem this security. The more yourcompany and management take intoaccount women’s communication styledifferences, the more they will be able tocreate and maintain the connection,security, and relationship women want attheir deepest cellular core.

If women feel respected, supported,part of a group, treated equally, and thatthey are truly making a positive differencein the world…they will join your companyand they will stay.

- Jane Sanders is a speaker, trainer, andfacilitator in the areas of gendercommunication, strategic business orwork/life planning, presentation skills,authentic leadership confidence, recruiting &retention of women, and selling to women.She also facilitates brainstorming, bestpractice, and strategic planning sessions andretreats. Jane’s clients include Toyota,MassMutual, Prudential, Walgreen’s, andmany more. Located in Mount Vernon, she isthe creator of the Undercover Confidante™service, offering discovery and solutions tochallenging employee issues. Jane is author of “GenderSmart: Solving TheCommunication Puzzle Between Men andWomen,” available on her website. Reach Janeat 877-343-2150; [email protected] orwww.janesanders.com.

P E R S O N N E L | P O L I C I E S

Workplace

Sanders

BY JANE SANDERSSBJ CONTRIBUTOR Women want to work where they are cared about and supported.

Not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integral member of a community. Women, whether they realize it or not, are very intuitiveabout genuineness and can see through lip service. Women want to workfor ethical companies that demonstrate social responsibility.


http://www.janesanders.com

Have you ever dreamed of

OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?Do you need GRANT $$$ to make this happen?

Choose one orientation session toattend to find out details and

eligibility requirements!!

• DuQuoin City Hall302 E. Poplar Street, DuQuoinTuesday, May 4, 2010 • 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

• Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center150 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale Thursday, May 6, 2010 • 9:00 am - 10:00 am

• Franklin Hospital Conference Room201 Bailey Lane, Benton Tuesday, May 11, 2010 • 10:00 am - 11:00 am

• DuQuoin City Hall302 E. Poplar Street, DuQuoin* Thursday, May 13, 2010 • 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

* (Box lunch provided-RSVP to 618-453-2070 by May 11)

What should I expect? • 30-minute presentation about the program • If interested, time for application & interview • Opportunity for questions

Training Session OverviewDuring the course of the 12-sessionentrepreneurship training, participants learn the skills neededto successfully start and sustain their own business. Upon successful completion of training, participants may submit their business plan created during the course to compete for up to 15 seed capital grants of $3,000 each.

Training sessions hosted in DuQuoin, beginningon June 19th and graduating on August 18th.

Call 618-453-2070 or [email protected] or

Visit our Operation Bootstrapwebsite: www.operationbootstrap.biz


http://www.operationbootstrap.biz

http://www.operationbootstrap.biz


AchievementsA W A R D S | P R O M O T I O N S | R E T I R E M E N T

Black Diamond sponsors Southern Lights

Southern Lights Entertainmentrepresentatives recently announced thatMarion-based Black Diamond Harley-Davidson is the organization’s newestcorporate sponsor.

Black Diamond is among the nation’stop-performing Harley-Davidsondealerships and has established itself as aregional entertainment destination in itsown right. Effectively mixingentertainment with great selection andcustomer service is an integral part of thedealership’s success.

Sedlacek opens Garden KeeperDenise Sedlacek has opened Garden

Keeper in Carbondale. Garden Keeper willclean up weeds, rake leaves, prune trees andbushes, plants flowers, small trees andbushes, mulch beds and prep new ones.

Weekly service or a one-timecleanup/planting is provided. Discounts areavailable and, of course, estimates are free.

For more information, call Sedlacek at618-303-9550 or e-mail her [email protected].

Guyton presents Virtual Grand Rounds

Dr. Lori M. Guyton, a board-certifiedneurologist from Herrin, recently wasselected to present the Virtual GrandRounds at GlaxoSmithKline Headquarters’NeuroScience Training Center at ResearchTriangle Park in North Carolina.

The presentation was co-presented withepileptologist Dr. Steven Chung from TheBarrows Institute in Phoenix. The GrandRounds is one of the vehicles used toeducate representatives regarding epilepsythroughout the country, providing bothinteractive and peer discussions.

Guyton has practiced at Neurology ofSouthern Illinois, Ltd. in Herrin for the last12 years.

Tison named to executive councilMichael P. Tison, a financial adviser

and branch manager of the Harrisburg andMarion offices of Raymond James FinancialServices, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC,has been named to the firm’s 2010Executive Council in recognition ofoutstanding client service and

exemplary professional growth.Executive Council honors are presented

only to those financial advisers who havedemonstrated an extremely high level ofcommitment to clients through personalservice and professional integrity.

Tison, who joined Raymond James in1996, has more than 18 years of experiencein the financial services industry. He offersa comprehensive range of investmentplanning alternatives for individuals andbusinesses.

McGrath earns specialistdesignation

Tim McGrath of the financial servicesfirm Edward Jones in Anna has achievedthe professional designation of AccreditedAsset Management Specialist.

McGrath successfully completed theAccredited Asset Management SpecialistProfessional Education Program from theDenver-based College for FinancialPlanning.

Richey, Roberts honored for salesPeggy R. Richey of Pittsburg and Larry

D. Roberts of Marion, bothrepresentatives of Modern Woodmen ofAmerica, have been named to ModernWoodmen’s 2009 President’s Cabinet.

This distinction recognizes the highestachievement in life insurance sales andranking among the organization’s toprepresentatives nationwide.

Svanda honored for salesachievement

Donald H. Svanda of Murphysboro, arepresentative of Modern Woodmen ofAmerica, has been named to ModernWoodmen’s 2009 president’s club.

This distinction recognizes Svanda’s highachievement in life insurance sales amongthe organization’s representativesnationwide.

Woodard, Middleton completecoursework

Dr. Brian Woodard and SteveMiddleton, ATC, of Woodard WellnessGroup in Carbondale, recently completed a30-hour course in the advanced treatmentand rehabilitation of the spine andextremities.

The course covered advanced diagnostic

techniques for assessing muscles,ligaments and discs in the spine. Functionalmovement assessments for the upper andlower extremities were also instructed.Hands-on components included the use ofmyofascial release, instrument-assistedsoft tissue mobilizations and Kinesio-Taping Method, as well as various types oftherapeutic exercises.

Shepard named to cabinetEric Shepard, a sales representative at

the Verizon Wireless CommunicationsStore at 2902 W. De Young St. in Marion,has been named to the company’spresident’s cabinet.

He earned the award by meeting severalcriteria, including being ranked in the top 1percent in 2009 sales, placing him as one ofthe company’s top performers among itsmore than 25,000 sales people. This is thefirst time Shepard has received president’scabinet recognition.

Shepard is a resident of Mount Vernonand a graduate of Rend Lake College.

Kelly elected ABDI directorJames Kelly, general manager of

Venegoni Distributing in Carbondale, hasbeen elected to the board of directors of theAssociated Beer Distributors of Illinois.

Kelly has been in the beer distributionbusiness since 1988. He also serves on theboard of directors of Southern IllinoisRegional Social Services and is a member ofCarbondale Chamber of Commerce.

Venegoni Distributing representsAnheuser-Busch/InBev in Alexander,Jackson, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph andWilliamson counties.

Jewett tours island for B and A Travel

Joyce Jewett, of B and A Travel Servicein Marion, recently returned from a four-day educational familiarization trip to theisland of Kauai as the guest of Blue SkyTours and United Airlines.

The trip, arranged for Blue Sky PremierAgency partners, included resortfamiliarization, hotel site inspections andmeetings with Hawaiian tourism officials.

Information on Blue Sky Tours vacationpackages to the islands of Hawaii mayobtained by contacting B and A TravelService in Marion and Carbondale or onlineat www.bandatravel.com

Sis’s Antiques & Collectiblesopens in Murphysboro

Sis’s Antiques & Collectibles recentlyopened at 1300 Walnut St., Murphysboro.

Owners Joe and Carol Green buy, sell andtrade by the piece or entire estates. Hoursare 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday throughSaturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 618-521-3412.

Two Aisin facilities receive safety award

Two of Aisin’s Marion facilities, AisinManufacturing and Aisin Electronics,recently received the President’s Award forSafety Excellence from parent company,Aisin Holdings of America.

This annual award was presented only tothose Aisin plants achieving zerorecordable safety incidents for 2009. Whilesurpassing 1 million hours worked with nolost time in 2009, Aisin Manufacturing hasalso been recognized for achieving a safetyaward for the fourth year in a row fromAisin Holdings of America.

Miller a winner in national corn yield contest

Scott Miller of Tamms is a state winnerin the 2009 National Corn Yield Contest,which is sponsored annually by theNational Corn Growers Association.

Miller placed first in the state in theRidge Till Irrigated Class with a yield of293.7946 bushels per acre. The hybrid usedin the winning field was Pioneer 33N58.

Miller was one of 525 state winnersnationwide.

The average yield among nationalwinners was 306.7 bushels per acre —greater than the 227.3 bushels per acreaverage for all entrants and more than the2009 U.S. average of 165.2 bushels per acre.

Taylor earns board certificationU.S. Army Reserve Maj. Brian Thomas

Taylor recently was recognized forsuccessfully obtaining board certificationin clinical electrophysiologic physicaltherapy by the American Board of PhysicalTherapy Specialties.

Taylor earned his clinical doctorate inphysical therapy in 2007 from BaylorUniversity. He is a graduate of GorhamHigh School and a resident ofMurphysboro.


http://www.bandatravel.com


He is mobilized in the U.S. ArmyReserves and is serving on active duty while being assigned to USAMEDDAC Company at Fort LeonardWood, Mo.

Blake completes legal seminarEdward J. Blake Jr., of the Belleville

law firm of Blake & Allen, P.C., recentlycompleted the Contested Estates andTrusts Seminar provided by the IllinoisInstitute for Continuing Legal Education.

The firm concentrates in the areas ofreal estate, business law, estate planning,trusts and estates and divorce and familymatters with offices in Belleville,Collinsville, Edwardsville and Waterloo.

B and A Travel earns Golden Agency Award

B and A Travel Service in Carbondaleand Marion recently was awarded AppleVacations’ Golden Agency Award for the10th consecutive year.

The award is presented to the top 300travel agencies nationwide for outstandingsales performance, product knowledgeand vacation planning expertise.Information on Apple Vacations’packages may be obtained by contacting B and A Travel Service in Carbondale and Marion or online atwww.bandatravel.com.

Taylor promoted to senior accountant

Sandy Taylor has been promoted tosenior accountant at SIU Credit Union.

Taylor previously was a member of theaccounting team at the credit union. She isa business management and accountinggraduate of Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale.

SIU Credit Union has more than 26,000members and $176 million in assets and isthe largest credit union in SouthernIllinois.

Bittle named 2010 Volunteer of the Year

Rhonda Bittle of Jonesboro has beenselected as 2010 Volunteer of the Year forTamms Correctional Center.

Bittle began her volunteer work atTamms Correctional Center MinimumSecurity Unit in 2005 with Oasis of Grace

volunteer group from Anna. She serves asa worship leader for the group on the firstSunday of every month.

She provided more than 70 hours ofworship ministry to inmates last year. Aplaque was presented to her at the annualVolunteer Recognition Banquet on April 18at Tamms Correctional Center. Bittle alsowas recognized with other prisonvolunteers April 21 in Springfield by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Schneider is guest of Apple Vacations

Mari Schneider of B and A TravelService in Carbondale recently returnedfrom a three-day educationalfamiliarization trip to Punta Cana,Dominican Republic, as the guest of AppleVacations and Secrets and Dreams Resorts.

The trip, arranged for Apple VacationsPremier Agency partners, focused on theresort area of Punta Cana and includedresort familiarization, hotel siteinspections and meetings with DominicanRepublic tourism officials. Information onApple Vacations vacation packages toPunta Cana, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico andthe Caribbean may be obtained from B andA Travel Service in Marion andCarbondale or online atwww.bandatravel.com.

Williams, Lence achieve top honors in sales

Tresa Williams of Cobden and JanaLence of Herrin have earned top honorswith lia sophia.

Having recently joined the fashionjewelry business, Williams and Lenceearned this accomplishment in their first15 weeks by attaining certain sales levelsand by sharing lia sophia with other newadvisers.

Labotte receives top honors Crystal Labotte of Carterville has

received top honors for outstanding saleswith lia sophia.

Having recently joined the fashionjewelry business, Labotte earned thisaccomplishment in her first 15 weeks byattaining certain sales levels and bysharing lia sophia with other new advisers.




http://www.healthalliance.org/shape

Poirier joins architect firmBen Poirier of Makanda has joined the

Carbondale firm of Eggemeyer AssociatesArchitects. He will serve as senior projectarchitect for the firm.

Poirier brings more than 30 years ofexperience in the design and constructionadministration for projects throughoutSouthern Illinois that have includededucation, businesses, transportation andhealth care. He is a licensed architect in sixstates, including Illinois.

Sievers to serve national academy

Elder law attorney Tiffanny Sievershas been elected president-elect of theIllinois Chapter of the National Academyof Elder Law Attorneys.

Sievers is owner of SI Elder Law inMarion. SI Elder Law protects the assets ofclients who are in need of long-term or

assisted-living care by finding alternativeways to pay for care, rather than payingout of pocket.

Hunsaker promotedTressa Hunsaker, a Carbondale

resident and independent consultant withTastefully Simple, Inc., is now a teamleader with this national direct seller ofeasy-to-prepare foods.

Hunsaker earned the promotionthrough sales achievements and by addingnew consultants to the team.

Burns achieves honorJohn Burns of Marion, a Modern

Woodmen of America managing partner,has earned membership in theorganization’s 2009 Managing PartnerRound Table Inner Circle.

The inner circle includes the topmanaging partners in Modern Woodmen’s

Managing Partner Round Table. Theround table recognizes outstandingleadership and is based on highachievement in life insurance sales.

Volunteer Employee of the YearMaj. Charles Roper has been selected

the 2009 Volunteer Employee of the Yearat Tamms Correctional Center.

Roper began his career with the IllinoisDepartment of Corrections 25 years ago.He was selected for the award based uponhis commitment, leadership, positiveattitude and community service.

Appointment earnedMeagan Lewis of St. Louis, formerly of

Carbondale, recently was appointed tobusiness development analyst forAmerican Medicare Counselors.

AMC, formerly American MedicalClaims, was founded in 1984 to helpindividuals, primarily those on Medicare,navigate the increasingly complex publicand private health insurance landscape.

RSP Heating and Cooling receives award

Trane Residential Systems recognizedRSP Heating and Cooling Feb. 26 with theQuest for Excellence Award for the year2009. RSP’s general office and showroomis located at 6951 E. Grand in Carterville.

Trane Territory Manager Brad Searcypresented the award to RSP team membersLisa Gentz, Marcia Golden, Jim Weihland Eric Thomas.

This award is special becauseconsumers, through a customersatisfaction survey, rate the Trane Dealeron quality of installation and service. Toreceive this honor, heating and coolingcompanies must meet stringent criteriadetermined by the customer, not Trane.Trane comfort specialist dealers mustachieve a customer satisfaction level ofmore than 90 percent.

Bill Doran Company opens branchBill Doran Company, a Rockford-based

business that has been in the wholesalefloral distribution industry for more than65 years, recently opened its newestbranch in Herrin.

Formerly known as Ridgway Wholesale,this branch will be Bill Doran Company’s

16th facility. The company distributesflowers and floral products in 14 states:Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska,Ohio, Kentucky, South Dakota, Missouri,Minnesota, Indiana, West Virginia,Vermont and New York, employing morethan 425 people.

Nearly all of the former RidgwayWholesale employees will join the newcompany, including Kenny Thompson,who has been hired to be the Herrinbranch manager.

Basi recognized for workBart A. Basi, CPA/attorney at law and

senior adviser of The Center for Financial,Legal & Tax Planning, Inc., with corporateoffices in Marion and branch offices in St.Louis and Longboat Key, Fla., has beenrecognized for his work with Lawline, Inc.,an online company based in New YorkCity that specializes in continuingeducation for attorneys.

At a recent awards ceremony at TheHarvard Club in New York City, Basi wasawarded “Best Out of State Presenter” foreducational programs he has conductedfor the company.

Basi holds the rank of professoremeritus at the Business School at SIU,having served as chairman of theaccounting department for a number ofyears.

Davis joins Edward Jones officeSally Davis recently joined the Anna

office of the financial services firmEdward Jones as a branch officeadministrator (BOA) trainee.

The title of branch office administrator was adopted for thisposition at Edward Jones because of thewide range of responsibilities associatedwith the job.


Let the region knowHave you been promoted? Has a

colleague at work completed an inten-sive continuing education program?Others in the business community willwant to know it, so please considerpassing on your milestone employmentnews to the Southern Business Journal.

Feel free to email the information [email protected] or fax a writtenupdate to 618-457-2935.



Employment LawR E S U L T S | R E S U L T S


Employees using cell phones while driving need to know the rules

Effective Jan. 1,Illinois placedlimitations on theuse of cell phonesand other electronicdevices such aspersonal digitalassistants whiledriving. Theselimitations apply toboth texting and

verbal conversations, unless the device isbeing used in a hands-free or voice-activated mode.

As to texting, it is now illegal tocompose, send or read e-mail, textmessages or instant messages whiledriving. It is also illegal to attempt toaccess an Internet site while driving. Thisrestriction does not apply when a driverpulls over and parks on the shoulder of aroadway or if a driver is stopped in theroad because of traffic obstruction and hasplaced the transmission in neutral or park.In other words, if you are completelystopped, texting is not illegal.

As to verbal conversations, it is nowillegal for a driver to use a cell phone whilein a school zone or construction zone.

What do these new laws have to do withemployment law, you ask? Maybe, a lot.Distracted driving, whether caused by cellphone use or eating in the car or talking topassengers or changing radio stations, is amajor factor in hundreds of thousands ofauto accidents each year. These new laws,of course, are intended to decreaseaccidents and injuries. The changes alsoallow you to stress to your employees thehazards of distracted driving and theliability for accidents caused by distracteddriving.

Cell phones and PDAs have expandedthe office onto the roadway. What used tobe down time for employees (andemployers as well) can now be productivetime. Also, employees may now conductbusiness by phone when they are engaged

in what are otherwise personal activities.If an employee receives a call from acustomer on a Saturday morning whilehe’s driving his kids to a baseball game,that employee is suddenly “on the job”and his actions may affect your business.

So, what happens if your employee isinvolved in an auto accident while using acell phone? If that employee is on the job— i.e., working for you at that time,regardless of whether the phone call wasabout business — your business can beliable for any damage or injury caused bythe accident. And, as stated earlier, even ifthe employee is not supposed to be on thejob, if he is involved in a cell phonecommunication that is related to yourbusiness, you can be liable for an accident.

The legal theory that makes you liablefor your employee’s actions is calledrespondeat superior or vicarious liability.Respondeat superior means, literally, “letthe master answer.” Under this theory ofliability, an employer is liable for theharmful actions of an employee if theactions occur when the employee isperforming some work duties or isfurthering the interests of the employer.

This liability is based on severalpractical reasons. First, an employee isacting on the employer’s behalf and theemployer usually has some control overthe actions of the employee.

So, the employer should share incompensating someone who has beenharmed by the actions of the employee.Second, the employer makes money fromthe employee, so the employer should alsoshare in losses caused by the employee.Finally, and perhaps, most importantly,an employer usually has “deeper pockets” or better insurance tocompensate a person damaged by anemployee’s actions.

If your company has employees on theroad as part of the business, it is importantto limit your exposure to liability for autoaccidents. It is also important to protectyour employees and other drivers. So, iffeasible, it is best to prohibit the use of cellphones while driving. Employees should

be informed of the policy and should signacknowledgments that they know thepolicy.

If you won’t or can’t completelyprohibit cell phone use while driving,guidelines for cell phone use should begiven to employees. Of course, any illegaluse of cell phones should be prohibited.Employees should be encouraged orrequired to pull off the road to use theircell phones. Hands-free cell phones couldbe required, although it is questionablewhether these really decrease a driver’slevel of distraction.

First and foremost, a cell phone policy

may help prevent accidents. Moreover, ifan employee is involved in an accident inwhich cell phone use was a factor, a policymay provide some protection fromliability if the employee was violating thepolicy.

— Edward Renshaw is a partner with theCarbondale law firm ofFeirich /Mager/Green /Ryan. F/M/G/R is ageneral practice law firm offering a full rangeof legal services, including labor andemployment law, commercial transactions,banking, real estate, workers’ compensation,municipal law and estate planning.

Renshaw

BY ED RENSHAWSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

ART SERVICESIt is now illegal to compose, send or read e-mail or text messages while driving.


The average American adult spendsnearly nine hours of their day workingaccording to the Bureau of LaborStatistics. Considering that the rest ofthe day is typically consumed bychildcare and much needed shut eye, theworkday often provides one of the fewopportunities to fit in physical activity.

Most of us only have an hour break forlunch, so expect to spend 30 minutesexercising and 30 getting ready to returnto the office. Plan ahead with these tipsfrom the exercise experts at Life Fitnessand maximize your time:

Quick time workout: Find out if yourlocal gym or office fitness facility has a30-minute, lunchtime class you can takeadvantage of. Circuit training, doing asuccession of strength-trainingexercises back to back, is well suited forthe time sensitive.

Pack your bags: Your bag shouldinclude all the necessary workout

clothes, socks and shoes as well as atravel stash of grooming necessitiesincluding deodorant, brush or comb andcleansing towelettes. Women may needto bring hair accessories as well as abasic supply of cosmetics. Find a bagwith compartments to separate yourwork wardrobe from your workoutclothes.

Lunch pail: Don’t waste time orsabotage your routine by cruisingthrough the drive-thru window. Instead,pack a sensible lunch including proteinand carbohydrates to restock yoursystem such as a roasted turkeysandwich, apple and big glass of water.Make sure to keep pre-workout snackshandy at the office as well. A handful ofnuts or serving of cottage cheese acouple of hours before your workout willprevent you from feeling ravenousafterwards.

— McClatchy-Tribune News

Take a bite out of yourlunchtime workout routine

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Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Building permitsCarbondaleHome Rentals, 406 S. Illinois Ave., $12,500Equitas Partners, 305 N. Robinson Circle,

$43,000Edgewood Properties, Inc., 401 S. Eason Drive,

$9,000Meadowridge Townhouses, 600 E. Campus Drive,

$4,000Black Trust, 304 E. Hester St., $4,000Ghada Wimberly, 622 E. Searing St., $34,000Norma and Charles Stevens, 220 W. Charles

Road, $29,000Bryant Rentals, 508 W. College St., $14,000John Whitlock, 605 W. Walnut St., $1,680Vicki Walker, 702 S. Benwood Drive, $9,000Charles Myers, 1002 S. Skyline Drive, $5,000Charlene Reed, 407 S. Emerald Lane, $7,000Carl Ervin, 1504 W. Taylor Drive, $7,000KC’s Pet Grooming, 100 N. Glenview Drive,

$2,500Blue Fish Liquor and Cigars, 2355 Sweets Drive,

$25,000Selective Site Consultants, 925 E. Larch St.,

$15,000Pointe at SIU, 900 E. Park St., $637,500Harold Hungerford, 3103 W. Kent Drive, $18,000Regina Paul, 1108 W. Chautauqua St., $70,000Charles Leming, 608 W. Owens St., $2,500Matt, Gramse, 2216 E. Walnut St., $5,000Julia Hines, 310 S. Lynda St., $31,000Campus Colonial, 908 W. Mill St., $208,000Payne, Gaertner and Associates, 334 N. Illinois

Ave., $24,000

CartervilleIla O’Brian, 516 Canary, $0John Gooden, 408 California, $10,000

HerrinSteve Seever, 1603 Kaijo Lane, $155,000Don Smith, 608 S. 16th St., $15,000James Brand, 201 Newman Drive, $5,000David Walls, 920 S. 16th St., $60,000Charles Koerner, 1208 N. Ninth St., $30,000Sergio Mendez, 1400 S. 16th St., $10,000Patrick Creek, 1001 N. 14th St., $11,000

MarionJohn Herrell, 707 N. Harper, $5,700Bill Ball, 909 Buchanan, $75,000Dax Mezo, Lot 15 Wildrose Lane, $85,000Mylinda Sullins, 703 E. Parham, $3,041Elisabeth Abbott, 1203 Enterprise, $30,000Dave Mayer, North Street, $140,000Larry Fredman, 1909 Suzanne Drive, $25,000

MetropolisDale Obermark, 6843 Midway Road, $3,000Steven W. Evans, P.O. Box 1006, $8,900Robert L. Kommer, 502 W. Third St., $1,500Larry and Jamie Schabbing, $15,000Kelly Bell, Route 3 Box 175, $3,500

Metropolis Ready Mix, P.O. Box 107, $4,000Frank Langston, 1012 Girard St., $2,000Frank Langston, 1012 Girard St., $1,500

Mount VernonPhyllis Bruce, 14991 Mick Road, $25,000Kohl’s Department Store, 141 Davidson Ave.,

$4,000,000William Carter, 17 Homestead Drive, $5,000St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, 4001 Veterans

Memorial Drive, $20,000,000John R. Jones, 229 19th St., $0The Raider Group, 821 20th St., $0Downtown Development, 809 Main St., $0Lawrence Hall, 1317 26th St., $20,000Continental Tire, 11525 N. Illinois 142,

$1,000,000Jimmy John’s Restaurant, 101 Davidson Ave., $0Quiznos, 4805 Broadway, $0Jr. Women’s Club, three locations, $0Rent One Service Center, 2325 Benton Road,

$2,500Billy Rockett, 604 Pear St., $2,930Crossroads Hospital, 8 Doctor’s Park,

$1,500,000City of Mount Vernon, 825 18th St., $0City of Mount Vernon, 814 Williams, $0Max Wood, 312 Fifth St. $0City of Mount Vernon, 2111 Cherry, $0City of Mount Vernon, 1001 Welkins, $0Arthur Dotson, 1711 Ninth St., $0Lawrence Hall, 1317 26th St., $0Melody Maurer, 1014 Mulligan Drive, $225,000Melody Maurer, 1014 Mulligan Drive, $0

MurphysboroKeith Roberts, 227 N. 14th St., $5,000James A. Cochran, 608 N. 11th St., $3,800Frank Coniglio, 1520 Spruce St., $30,000Jane Schemonia, 1828 Kennedy, $2,140Becky McIntosh, 538 S. 17th St., $2,800

West FrankfortRich Walton, 507 S. Locust St., $80,000W.F. Armory, 802 W. Main St., $768,300Tody and Ken Gray, 1515 E. Cleveland St.,

$120,000

BankruptciesChapter 7Barbara Stout, 1101 Benton St., Johnston CityTimothy Wilkerson, 23396 E. Bakersville Road,

Belle RiveRicky Scott, 303 SE Eighth St., FairfieldDarrek Parker and Tamara Parker, 12048

Katherine St., SesserSharon Ping, 465 E. Park St., Du QuoinMichael Davis, 907 N. Granite St., MarionLeslie Cobb, 119 S. Marshall St., HarrisburgLinda Wilson, 313 E. 11th St., MetropolisCarrie Galloway, P.O. Box 266, HerrinJerry Newbolds, 1014 S. Buchanan St., Marion

John Prather, 3870 Somerset Road, HarrisburgRodney Lingle and Martha Lingle, 150 Schwartz

Hill Lane, ViennaMichael Launay and Tammy Launay, 14610 N.

Illinois 37, Mount VernonPatricia Tucker, 4007 Apache Circle, PinckneyvilleChristina Mitchell, P.O. Box 988, DowellChristina Boswell, 18 S. Musselman St., Du

QuoinChad Marks and Amanda Marks, 22 Manor

Circle, FairfieldEric Smart and Brenda Smart, 810 Gore Canyon

Loop, GorevilleRoger Clem and Lisa Clem, 21511 Shawneetown

Road, ThompsonvilleRamona Walker, 1300 S. Holland St., HarrisburgMark Cashion, 101 Elm Ave., De SotoHeather Robinson, P.O. Box 181, HurstRobert Murray and Bernadine Murray, 1120 Bond

St., EldoradoJanis Leggans, 518 W. Rigdon St., CarbondaleJessica Sutton, 406 E. Ford St., HarrisburgKurt Cleveland, 1269 County Road 750 E., CarmiRobert Whiteside, 715 S. 18th St., Mount VernonDanele Young, 415 Broadway St., FairfieldTerry Downen, Route 3 Box 4, FairfieldKeith Lampley and Christine Lampley, 18452

Corinth Road, MarionHarry Morales and Michelle Morales, 9410

Montgomery Lane, GorevilleMatthew Worley and Christal Worley, 820 E.

McClurken Ave., SpartaJames Cross, P.O. Box 156, PercyAdam Lane, 310 W. Mable St., HarrisburgStanley Majors, P.O. Box 997, Carrier MillsLoretta Stout, 1690 A. Dewey Road, EldoradoScott Webb and Jennifer Webb, 33 Westwood St.,

Mount VernonCyril Austin, 1803 E. Elm St., West FrankfortScott Hefner, 703 Fairland St., BentonDennis Kirchner and Eva Kirchner, 208 E. Second

St., SpartaJustin Simmons, 18222 Caplinger Pond Road,

MarionAnthony Crews and Christina Crews, Route 1 Box

312A, West SalemIschia May, PO Box 117, ThebesPamela Huffine, 21927 W. Bobtail Road,

MacedoniaBrandi Hall, 123 W. Second St., Mount CarmelDavid Holden and Tracy Holden, 20724B N. Lucky

Lane, BlufordDarla Carr, 209 W. Elm St., OkawvilleTara Burns, 10201 Country Club Road, SpartaGeorge Most, 9397 Mullans Lane, MarionAngie Liljegren, 3835 Christian Chapel Road,

DongolaLarry Leavens, 222 N. Second St., GrayvilleAnita Womble, P.O. Box 261, CarmiDacey Galloway, Route 5 Box 242, McLeansboroLester Jordan, P.O. Box 423, CisneRandy Johnson, 1330 E. Grand Ave., CarbondaleDonald Smoot, 701 Cedar Lane, MarionLora Motsinger, 308 W. Eighth St., Johnston City

Beau Brown and Sarah Brown, 31 W. Ogara,Harrisburg

Donald Davis and Bonnie Davis, P.O. Box 342,Mount Carmel

Shon Durbin and Andrea Durbin, 1822 WaltonvilleRoad, Mount Vernon

Sherrie Morgan, 17190 E. Polk Road, EwingRaymond Bartley and Ruby Bartley, 306 S. Jessup

St., CarmiCurtis Conley and Cathy Conley, P.O. Box 36, New

BurnsideThomas Hill, 145 Opdyke Ave., Mount VernonBlair Gibbons, 249 St. Mary’s Drive, HarrisburgJacob Perkins and Ann Perkins, 80 Shawnee

Drive, GorevilleCharlene Shaw, 2047 U.S. 51, Apt. 3, Du QuoinJeanette Walker, 9004 Old State Route 14, Du

QuoinJanet Shreves, 311 Bucher Road, MoundsKevin Adams, 701 N. Main St., Carrier MillsBonita Belford, 611 S. Jarrell St., RidgwayJennifer Burk, P.O. Box 2365, Mount VernonThomas Burton, 517 S. 18th St., HerrinCassandra Aldridge, 3009 Park Ave., CairoRichard Kearney and Regina Kearney, 471 Price

Road, OlmstedDestiny Tolbert, 913 S. 16th St., HerrinClinton Underwood, 1308 Wilmoth St., HarrisburgEldon Stotlar, 313 N. McDyvy, BucknerDoris Mand, 312 N. McDyvy St., BucknerTravis Hill, 102 Lime Kiln Apt. Drive, AnnaMichael Stover, Route 1 Box 125, McLeansboroKenneth Perry and Angela Perry, 710 Tollgate

Road, AnnaStephen Prosise and Mary Prosise, 22714 State

Route 177, HoyletonJeffery Buttry and Amy Buttry, P.O. Box 351, CarmiBuck Fritchley and Felicia Fritchley, 10914 E.

920th Lane, Mount CarmelDustin Baker, 19636 Ferrell Church, MarionShelley Turner, 617 E. Superior St., IrvingtonGeorgia Modglin, 628 White Ave., Mount VernonJustin Thies, 703 N. 14th St., MurphysboroLisa Fernandez, 2006 E. Clark St., West FrankfortFredrick Dunham, 224 Crain Road, De SotoBrian Cathcart, 807 N. Sparta St., SteelevilleBeth Shaver, 21354 N. Tolle Lane, TexicoLonnie Simpson and Stacey Simpson, Route 1

Box 295, GeffBeverly Shepherd, 1368 N. Cypress Road,

CarbondaleDeborah Vincent, 2600 Cherry St., Mount VernonErik Phelps and Kimberly Phelps, P.O. Box 1223,

BentonSean Rooney and Ashley Rooney, 108 Morris

Drive, Mount CarmelMichael Billington, Route 2, Box 170, FairfieldCoy Funk, 125 Locust Road, OzarkShawn Gunn and Shannon Gunn, 540 Heern

Road, CobdenKent Jeralds, 408 N. 32nd St., Herrin

SEE FINE PRINT / PAGE 22


Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Randall Henson and Marla Henson, 17104 E.Lynchburg Road, Mount Vernon

Joyce Pennington, 702 E. McKinley St., MarionWilliam Meyer, 58 Barger Drive, MetropolisKendra Zappa, 1122 Washington Ave., Johnston

CityDana Granfeldt, 601 W. Ray St., BucknerDavid Braden and Joni Braden, 609 S. 19th St.,

Mount VernonLarry Thomason and Judy Thomason, 590

Hocbriar 8, CarbondaleJulie Tomlinson, 102 Brianne Drive, GorevilleMary Gunther, 1085 Eagle Point Bay Road,

GorevilleJames Shepherd and Melanie Shepherd, 313 E.

Seventh St., BrookportCheryl Milner, 401 E. Sibley St., FairfieldSharry Bos, 1303 E. Oak St., West FrankfortRuth Singer, 105 E. Rudolph St., CrossvilleRobert Webb and Christina Webb, 6166 E.

Dayton Drive, WoodlawnScott Williams and Brandy Williams, 19506

County Highway 18, CentraliaChristopher Stadelbacher, 675 Wrights Crossing

Road, CobdenMichael Spreitler and Emma Spreitler, 110 N.

Miller St., SpartaRandall Rockett, 303 E. Mechanic St., GeffChristine Spence, 1503 E. Parham St., MarionJames Magill, 320 N. Fourth St., AlbionAmy Beane, 151 Hoffman Road, MurphysboroLisa White, 115 N. Spencer St., MoundsShirley Baker, 1806 Pickett Lane, MarionClyde Taylor and Sally Taylor, 285 Yorkshire Lane,

Vienna

Chapter 13William Beasley and LaRhonda Beasley, 1109 S.

Buchanan St., MarionMonty Caudell and Daisey Caudell, 1879 County

Road 1200 East, CarmiJo Davis, 27 Marberry Drive, MetropolisReba Waddy, 1161 Pryortown Road, Villa RidgeGarrett Burroughs, 9830 Briggs Road, MarionBrandon Burd and Sarah Burd, 390 Rolling Hills

Road, Grand ChainWilliam Neal, 2905 Willow Road, Du QuoinBrian Hendrickson and Traci Hendrickson, 15543

Crabtree School Road, MarionNeal Gramenz and Laura Gramenz, 506 E.

Hancock St., SteelevilleJustin Brookmyer, 4264 Giant City Road,

CarbondaleTracy Campbell, 1505 W. Faust St., MarionElise Bailey, P.O. Box 612, SpartaJohnnie McKinnies, 18 S. Musselman Ave., Du

QuoinRutherford Eubanks, P.O. Box 434, ValierCorey Ward and Robin Ward, 7458 Route 37,

MarionAmy Markland,204 S. Glenview Drive,CarbondaleJustin Shelton and Alicia Shelton, 1516 Perkins

Ave., Mount VernonLarry Adams, P.O. Box 26, Villa Ridge

Harrison Erlinger and Dorothy Erlinger, 1206Highland St., Benton

Lonnie Darter and Louella Darter, 407 N.Crawford, West Frankfort

Michael Sexton, 12348 N. Ring Lane, WoodlawnHarold Smith and Barbara Smith, P.O. Box 895,

JonesboroDonald Davis and Buffie Davis, 1279 Puxico

Road, PercyCary McVey and Christine McVey, 3117 Longhorn

Road, CarbondaleRichard Halstead and Jamie Halstead, P.O. Box

432, HurstJessie LaRoe and Christina LaRoe, 203 Mound

St., Wayne CityKara Reed, 157 N. Eighth St., AlbionNeil Berkel and Juliana Berkel, 811 Main St.,

CartervilleYavone Coulibaly, 209 S. Dixon Ave., CarbondaleStephenie Wagner, 406 Schumaker St., CarmiWilbur Franklin and Edna Franklin, P.O. Box 55,

TildenThomas Mandrell and Debra Mandrell, 2765

Melvin Road, West FrankfortBrian Jones, 300 Brady Mill Road, AnnaJanice Strope, 17512 N. Old Salem Lane, Mount

VernonChristopher Bathon and Amanda Bathon, 700

Dewey Ave., Mount VernonMarilyn Ing, 709 N. Locust St., SesserVince Sneed, 703 S. Cherry St., West FrankfortDonna Staszak, 1931 Herbert St., MurphysboroBobby Gant and Carolyn Gant, 107 W. Kimmel,

ElkvilleLeslie Rodgers, P.O. Box 65, MoundsGeorge Kaminski, 1055 Eagle Point Bay Road,

GorevilleDaniel Smola, 205 Bailey Hall, 1225 Point Drive,

CarbondaleWendy Graham, P.O. Box 964, HarrisburgJames Rogers, 315 N. Delaware St., MoundsRobbie Koen, 211 24th St., CairoMary Paulk, 1300 West End St., MarionAllen Bennett and Chastady Bennett, 312 S.

Hubbard St., GorevilleDavid Sons and Elsie Sons, P.O. Box 334, FairfieldJeffery Rhein and Teresa Rhein, 19580 Downen

Road, OmahaLucas Bethel, 321 S. 18th St., HerrinRichard Schaefer and Laura Schaefer, 7462

Veath Lane, EvansvilleSteven May and Marilyn May, 1400 Hanah Lane,

MarionTeddy Vonderhide and Brenda Vonderhide, 230

Greenwood Ave., Du QuoinLeo Johnson and Shirley Johnson, 502 Hudson

St., Carrier MillsMichael Sweikousky, 1708 E. Elm St., West

FrankfortSean Newell and Julie Newell, 15197 Paulton

Road, ThompsonvilleTommy Johnson and Martha Johnson, 104 S.

10th St., HerrinBeatrice Davenport, 2127 Hortense St.,

MurphysboroJeremy Buckman, 4690 Highknob Road, EqualityAngela Jones, 50 Apache Circle, McClureShanon Arbor, P.O. Box 58, Mound CityTrucy Clark, 635 Clark Road, OlmstedRobert Williams, P.O. Box 9, PulaskiJames Todd and Edna Todd, Route Box 187,

FairfieldScott Treece and Jodi Treece, 5065 State Route

3 North, Wolf LakeChristina Neff, 527 First South St., TamaroaGeraldine Rogers, 17009 Illinois 37, Johnston

CityMichael Sendelbach and April Sendelbach,

13998 N. Parkland Lane, Mount VernonPaul Huckelberry and Krista Huckelberry, 719

Airport Road, MetropolisJoanne Arends, 406 N. Adams, West FrankfortArthur Hill and Barbara Hill, 225 N. Walnut Grove

Road, Creal SpringsMildred Smith, 943 E. Haney Road, CarbondaleStephen Pace and Nancy Pace, 115 S. Jackson

St., BentonRobert Watkins and Rhonda Watkins, 138

Sandale Lane, Ava

Timothy Duffield, 914 N. Bentley St., MarionDavid McGee and Becky McGee, 4679 Illinois 37

S., MarionAnthony Chamness, P.O. Box 323, AnnaKimberly Chamness, 2915 Boyd Road, AnnaBruce Hemphill and Susan Hemphill, P.O. Box 78,

ElizabethtownRandall Nowakowski, 903 Malone St.,

PinckneyvilleGloria Caporale, 3120 Weaver Road, HerrinKevin Ruble and Cynthia Ruble, 10773 Pasadena

Road, CarbondaleJeffery Marcum and Pamela Marcum, P.O. Box

266, HarrisburgRobert Phillips and Sheila Phillips, 15760 N.

Angling Lane, Mount VernonChrista Ragsdale, 626 N. 15th St., MurphysboroJean Aceves, Route 1 Box 5, RinardWilliam Colbert and Sheila Colbert, Route 3 Box

132A, AlbionRicky Buchanan and Kimberly Buchanan, 206 SE

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State FocusL E G A L | G O V E R N M E N T | T A X E S

Pension reform in Illinois: Why is everyone cheering?

What passes forpension reform inIllinois came withlightning speed inlate March. The bill(SB 1946) appearedsuddenly and wasapproved bysubstantialbipartisanmajorities in barely

two days and then got Gov. Pat Quinn’ssignature. After some preliminaryactions on March 23, the Illinois Houseand Senate took 71 separate actions onMarch 24, leading to the final approvalof the bill.

The bill was hailed by some editorialpages of newspapers in the state and bypoliticians as an important step towardsaddressing the state’s massive budgetshortfall by dealing with the pensionpiece of the problem — the one that hascome to symbolize the cause of andsolution to the state’s fiscal woes.

Unfortunately, the pension reformprocess was seriously flawed onprocedural ground. In addition, the newlegislation falls far short of effectivelydealing with pension-fundingproblems, not to mention the largerstate budget issue.

In a recent News-Gazettecommentary, state Sen. Mike Frerichs,D-Champaign, heralded a new day ofopenness and transparency in theGeneral Assembly. His TaxpayerTransparency Act (SB 3622), approvedby the Senate, would “put an end to thepractice of last-minute, secret budgetsin Illinois.” Further, it would mandate“that general revenue spendingproposals must be available for publicreview for four days prior to the GeneralAssembly taking a vote.”

Overcome by this spirit of openness,the Senate passed pension legislationthat few members, not to mentioncitizens, understood. By comparison,the recent national health care debatewas a model of openness and propriety.

In fact, two weeks after the legislationwas approved, no one in Springfieldcould give a definitive answer to anumber of key features of the bill. Therewere no significant hearings on thelegislation, no real input from thestate’s pension systems, and nocompetent actuarial study before thebill was approved.

It is surprising how some editorialwriters and commentators bought intothe reform idea. In a Chicago Tribunecommentary, Abner Mikva, an icon ofIllinois politics, stated: “Gov. Quinn andthe legislature deserve a lot of credit fora pension reform that is a substantialpiece of any meaningful fiscal restraintprogram. More than a faint praise, theydeserve a loud hurrah.” It isdisappointing that the formerdistinguished judge, noted for hisadvocacy of proper and openprocedures in politics, would becheering what transpired in Springfield.

The faulty process might be forgivenif the results effectively addressed thepension problem. Instead, the new billcan be viewed as business as usualsimilar to the so-called reforms of 2003and 2005 where purported saving to berealized far in the future became theexcuse for reduced current fundingefforts.

The pension bill imposes a newdramatically lower second tier byseverely limiting pension coverage andpension benefits for new employees. Forpublic school teachers and public highereducation employees (workers notcovered by Social Security), retirementbenefits would only be partially indexedfor inflation and these adjustmentswould not be compounded. The result isthat a retiree would lose around 28percent in purchasing power during a20-year retirement with 3 percentinflation and 50 percent with 6 percentinflation.

To save state funds, pension benefitsfor new employees would be based on afraction of the Social Security earningsceiling — currently $106,800 per yearregardless of the actual employee’ssalary. This, too, would only be partially

adjusted for inflation with the result theearnings ceiling for a new employeeworking 30 years would fall to 64percent of the Social Security ceilingwith 3 percent inflation and to 42percent with 6 percent inflation.

These are only two of several punitivemeasures that would reduce futurepension benefits. The fallacy of thisapproach is that it assumes that therewould be no adjustment necessary inthe hiring costs for new employees whoare offered drastically reduced benefitscompared to current employees. Cannew, highly skilled employees be hiredwith such meager benefits? This canonly be done by paying higher salariesto compensate for the lower benefits orthrough the establishment ofsupplementary retirement systems tomake up for the deficiency. What thestate saves in lower pension costs wouldbe partially offset by higher wages andnew supplementary benefit costs.

Rather than using the new pensionsavings as a means of setting the stateon a path to solvency, the new pensionbill is used as an excuse for the state tocontinue its reckless ways by reducingscheduled pensions contributions.What is overlooked in this discussion isthat the budget problems facing the

state are really the result of excessspending over several decades wheredeficits have been partially funded byshorting the state’s pension systems.For example, had the state made timelypayments (based on actuarial costs ofslightly more than 10 percent ofpayrolls) to the State UniversitiesRetirement System, SURS would befully funded with assets of around 106percent of liabilities rather than itsactual level of around 50 percent.

No reasonable observer can deny thatpension reform as well as a carefulevaluation of non-pension, post-retirement benefits such as healthinsurance needs to be part of a generalsolution to the state fiscal mess.However, these changes must beaccompanied by greater fiscal disciplineas evidenced by spending austerity andenhanced revenues. Unfortunately, theGeneral Assembly appears to view itsversion of pension reform as asubstitute for such discipline.

— J. Fred Giertz is professor of economics atthe University of Illinois and an electedmember of the State Universities RetirementSystem Board of Trustees. The viewsexpressed here are his and not necessarilythose of these institutions.

Giertz

BY J. FRED GIERTZ SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

business event is to make sure that youhave plenty of business cards. You willalways wind up exchanging more cardsthan you think and there is nothing worsethan running out at the most inopportunetime. Unless the event is a breakfast,lunch or dinner networking event, Iwould suggest eating before the eventbegins. This will help you avoid anawkward ‘food in the teeth’ look or amessy handshake. Lastly, be realistic ofwhat you hope to accomplish at theseevents. Once you have connected with theindividuals you came to meet and gotten

the information you wished to obtain,that would be a good time to leave theevent. Lastly, be sure to follow up withthe contacts you made within a week ofthe event.

— Cavanaugh L. Gray is the director ofbusiness development for The EntrepreneurCafé, L.L.C. in Carbondale. He can becontacted at [email protected] or 618-206-7013. For more ideas on better businessnetworking or for more information on howto start, grow and succeed in small businessbe sure to follow The Entrepreneur Café,L.L.C. on Twitter www.twitter.com/theecafe or at www.ecafellc.com.

BUSINESS: Networking is a necessityFROM PAGE 9


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