Illinois Issues July/August 2000 ❏ 3 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK STAFF Publisher: Edward R.Wojcicki Editor: Peggy Boyer Long Editor Emeritus: William L
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
July/August 2000 $3.95 IllinoisIssuesA publication of the University of Illinois at Springfield Natural encounters More Illinoisans are coming face-to-face with wildlife. And more of them welcome the experience CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLISHER THE BOARD CHAIR Philip J. Rock, attorney, Rock, Fusco, and Garvey, Ltd., Chicago. VICE CHAIR Doris B. Holleb, professorial lecturer, University PUBLIC TV STATIONS of Chicago. MEMBERS WEIU Michael J. Bakalis, professor, public management Charleston and policy, Northwestern University, Evanston. James M. Banovetz, professor emeritus of public administration, Northern Illinois University, WILL DeKalb. Champaign Penny Cate, vice president, government relations, Quaker Oats Corp., Chicago. WMEC/WQEC/WSEC Robert J. Christie, director, public affairs, FMC Macomb, Quincy Corp., Chicago. Christopher Cohen, attorney, Byers & Rubin, Jacksonville/Springfield Chicago. Let’s find out: Darcy Davidsmeyer, director, state government WQPT relations, Motorola Inc., Schaumburg. Moline James L. Fletcher, attorney, Fletcher, Topol & Are civic habits declining? O’Brien, Chicago. WSIU Nancy L. Ford, executive director, Institute for Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Carbondale Springfield. by Ed Wojcicki Sharon Gist Gilliam, executive vice president, WTVP Unison Consulting Group Inc., Chicago. Peoria Rey Gonzalez, home office director, diversity, Harvard University professor finds collaborating with the United Way of McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook. WUSI Ait significant that Americans are Illinois and the Institute for Public Samuel K. Gove, professor emeritus of political Olney science, University of Illinois at Urbana- attending fewer picnics than they used to Affairs at the University of Illinois at Champaign. WYCC half as many in 1999 as in 1975. We re Springfield to measure the level and Jetta Norris Jones, attorney, Chicago. Harness the power Robert J. Klaus, president and CEO, Oral Health Chicago also playing far fewer card games, forms of Illinoisans civic engagement. America, Chicago. thereby creating fewer opportunities for Our emphasis will be on participation in Jack H. Knott, director, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at of public broadcasting informal conversations about community local groups and activities, formal and Urbana-Champaign. PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS issues. And every year since the mid- informal. Joan W.Levy, past president, Illinois Association of 1960s, fewer Americans believe that More important, we intend to conduct School Boards, Winnetka. across Illinois... William E. Lowry, vice president for Human WBEZ FM most people can be trusted. far more than a research project. We also Resources and Administration, The John D. and Chicago Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago. So says Robert Putnam, a professor of want to find out why some people are Roberta Lynch, deputy director, American WCBU FM public policy whose new book, Bowling engaged and others are not. We will share Federation of State, County and Municipal Peoria Employees, Chicago. Alone: The Collapse and Revival of our findings and bring people together to M. Veronica Lynch, chief deputy assessor, Cook WDCB FM Chicago and the suburbs American Community, is destined to discuss strategies for sustaining and County. Diana Nelson, director of public affairs, Union Glen Ellyn Rockford to Carbondale stimulate critical national dialogue for enhancing civic engagement in its many League of Chicago. years to come. I hope it does, because he forms in Illinois. It s a long-term project. Dawn Clark Netsch, professor of law emeritus, WGLT FM Charleston to Quincy Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago. Normal contends that nearly every form of social Thanks to funding from two Illinois Taylor Pensoneau, president, Illinois Coal connectedness among Americans has corporations and the Woods Fund of Association, Springfield. WILL AM been on the decline in the past three Chicago, we are starting our survey this Betsy A. Plank, principal, Betsy Plank Public Urbana Relations, Chicago. decades. summer. We hope to announce initial Chuck Scholz, mayor of Quincy. Nina Shepherd, higher education governance WIUM/WIUW FM But is he right? Some scholars say findings at the United Way s Governor s consultant, Winnetka. Macomb, Warsaw he s asking the wrong questions and Breakfast this fall. Paul Simon, director, The Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. WNIJ FM looking in the wrong places for Putnam asks some compelling Hon.William G. Stratton, vice president, Associated DeKalb, Rockford, Get the undivided attention of the most influential, answers. The critics say forms of civic questions about social interaction, and Bank of Chicago. Douglas L. Whitley, Batavia, Ill. Sterling, LaSalle, Freeport educated, and affluent citizens in Illinois along involvement may be changing but not he asks whether it matters. Wim Wiewel, dean, College of Urban Planning & with the top business decision makers. declining. We think it does, and we think our Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago. WNIU FM Edward R. Wojcicki, ex officio. Rockford, Dekalb Putnam s book follows his short, civic engagement project will help Tap into public radio and television stations around controversial scholarly article, Bowling Illinoisans learn something important WSIE FM Alone, published in 1995. The catchy about themselves. Representatives of Edwardsville the state and make your underwriting dollars title alludes to his conclusion that more most groups seem to be asking, How can WUIS/WIPA FM work for you with a single phone call to the Public Broadcasting Cooperative of Illinois at Americans are bowling, but fewer are we get more people involved? While our Springfield, Pittsfield joining bowling leagues. project is not designed simply to answer MEMBERS EMERITUS About two years ago, I began asking that question, we believe it could provide (years served on board in parentheses) whether Illinoisans civic habits are the valuable insights for leaders in the William C. Harris (1986-93), David Kenney 630/585-7596 (1978-90), Louis H. Masotti (1978-92), James T. same as other Americans . No one seems nonprofit, private and public sectors of Otis (1975-94), David J. Paulus (1988-94), Carl to know. So I m delighted to announce Illinois. I ll keep you posted about our Shier (1978-87). that we intend to find out. We are progress in the months to come. ❏ www.uis.edu/~ilissues Illinois Issues July/August 2000 ❏ 3 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK STAFF Publisher: Edward R.Wojcicki Editor: Peggy Boyer Long Editor emeritus: William L. Day Circulation & IllinoisIssues A publication of the University of Illinois at Springfield marketing manager: Charlene Lambert Assistant to the publisher: Laura Hogan July/August 2000 Volume XXVI, Nos. 7&8 Business manager: Chris Ryan Statehouse bureau chief: Burney Simpson Projects editor: Maureen F. McKinney Associate editor: Beverley Scobell Sections editor: Rodd Whelpley Art director: Diana Nelson Contributing editors: Madeleine Doubek Patrick E. Gauen James Krohe Jr. Our design is more inventive Charles N. Wheeler III James Ylisela Jr. and inviting. And that benefits you Editorial assistant: Debi Edmund Public affairs reporting intern: Heather Nickel No rooms, no inns, page 21 Owls and bats and coyotes, too, page 12 Make way, page 30 by Peggy Boyer Long FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 3 Conversation t’s hard to miss, we think. This the ones she didn’t use are gorgeous, Diana has a special talent for 12 Owls and bats and coyotes, too by Alf Siewers with the Publisher I year’s annual environment issue is and some of us managed to find more integrating the visual and the written Throughout the Chicago metropolitan region, by Ed Wojcicki a stunner. than one opportunity to stop by her texts. Before she came to the more Illinoisans are getting an up-close look at nature. Color helps, of course. It’s the light table just to look at the “critters” University of Illinois at Springfield’s 4 Editor’s Notebook second time we’ve run four-color as she made the final choices. Those Institute for Public Affairs, which 18 Citizen scientists by Beverley Scobell by Peggy Boyer Long inside the magazine. (The first was she did choose appear throughout the includes Illinois Issues, she spent a Ordinary people doing extraordinary work. For free. last December’s arts issue.) For his following pages. decade as art director for another 6 State of the State enthusiastic support of this endeavor, We don’t want to pass up this journalistic publication. But we had 21 No rooms, no inns by Heather Nickel we want to thank our publisher Ed chance to thank her, too. Over the last no idea how multiskilled she would Southern Illinois could lure visitors to lush forests by Burney Simpson China vote could affect Illinois Wojcicki. Thanks also to our printer couple of years, Diana has begun to turn out to be. It’s no wonder she was and stunning waterfalls. But there are few places to spend the night. Multi-Ad of Peoria for the extra develop a distinctive new “look” for chosen last spring by her peers as a attention color requires. Illinois Issues. We believe it’s more university Employee of the Month. 24 Spotlight by Burney Simpson 8 Briefly The photographs help, too. For that, inventive and inviting and, as a result, She’s responsible for the design of our Invisible enemy by Rodd Whelpley we need to thank the many talented more informative. The photographs, Roster of State Government Officials Cleaning the pollution we can’t see from Illinois’ lakes nature photographers who shoot for illustrations and graphics complement and all of the institute’s books, 36 People and streams could hit the state’s farm economy hardest. the state departments of natural the words, sometimes telling their own including works by such scholars by Rodd Whelpley resources and transportation, as well stories. as campaign finance expert Kent as The Nature Conservancy and And that benefits you, our readers. Redfield. And she’s our Webmaster, 26 Review by Harold Henderson Lincoln Memorial electronic guru Save the planet, make money 40 Letters Garden and Nature and (endlessly Natural capitalism’s four-part solution 41 A View from Chicago Center in Springfield.