The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

A3' The Pantagraph Wednesday, March 10, 1999 torm adds to cost of winter State eyes jury duty exemption for moms fv TPs' wr Ki 1 The PantagraphSTEVE SMEDLEY Workers at the Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal used its new Oshkosh "snowbroom" Tuesday during the clearing of the runways and taxi-ways. At right, Brett Lueschen of Towanda used the machine to clear runway 29. The job of cleaning the snow was complicated by air traffic that needed to be cleared. Above, an American Eagle plane bound for Chicago taxied as the snowbroom awaited another opening in the traffic. Far right, an airplane, seen from the cab of the huge machine, departed for Atlanta, Ga.

Airport officials said that most delays were caused by larger airports not accepting inbound flights. By MARY ANN FORD Pantagraph staff This has been an expensive winter for Bloomington, Normal and McLean County. Even before Monday's storm, overtime budgets were seeing red primarily because of the Jan. 1-2 blizzard, but also because of a few smaller snovv-J falls that required salt or a plow here or there. "There's no sense trying to predict (a winter's snowfall)," 'said Bloomington Public Ser- vice Director Richard Paulson.

Instead, the city budgets for i the same amount of snow every year, he said. "The years we have little snow, the budget's lean, This year, we're in the red." Bloomington budgeted $524,051 for snow removal in-j eluding regular salaries, overtime, vehicle maintenance and chemicals for this fiscal year i that ends April 30. Paulson said that amount was topped after the New Year's bliz-I zard. While the city hopes to get about $70,000 back in Federal Emergency Management Agency i reimbursement, the rest will have to come from the general fund. It's a similar story in Normal.

Public Works Director Mike Hall said the $35,000 he budgeted i for overtime through March 31 has been surpassed by about $20,000. i The bulk of the money was paid out after the New Year's blizzard. However, he said, crews also racked up overtime pay during the June 29 summer storm. Nor-! mal doesn't have a separate get line item for snow removal. Normal hopes to get back $29,000 from FEMA for blizzard- related costs, but the rest will I have to be made up through the town's general fund, On the brighter side, Hall said supply costs are right on target.

The town expected to spend I about $73,000 on salt and other chemicals. But the figures change when you compare the Twin Cities' situation to that of the county. Even before Monday's winter 'j storm, McLean County already $21,000 over its $40,000 annual overtime budget for snow Removal. However, County Engineer Jack Mitchell estimated this week's snowfall should add only about $3,000 to that shortfall, which he said will be made up by emergency appropriations. Like Normal, the county does 2iot have a specific snow removal However, during heavy storms it routinely places 17 pieces Sf equipment and 21 highway department employees on the road.

The county has applied for $33,000 in FEMA money. Pantagraph reporter Bob Holliday contributed to this report. Snow may take awhile to melt in cooler temps By ERICA KEY Pantagraph Springfield bureau SPRINGFIELD When Renea Lundberg of Springfield was first summoned for jury duty, she sent her four children off to day care and collected her $17 paycheck for the day. The money barely covered the cost of one child. But under legislation pending in the Statehouse, Lundberg and other stay-at-home moms may no longer be I shortchanged while serving a Legislative an a jury.

roun A proposal to exempt "House wants women with tougher seat children belt law younger than PageA5 12 from serv- ing jury duty was forwarded to the Senate floor Tuesday. State law mandates that no one is exempt from serving as a juror in a trial. Every county in Illinois has its own provisions on exemptions for jury service and some counties including McLean provide partial reimbursement for gas mileage. Under the legislation, counties may also have to pick up the tab for day care and transportation expenses imposed on caregivers. That has one legal expert seeing red.

"If we start paying for day care and other expenses, how do they expect for us to pay for it?" said Jan Engblom, jury commissioner for McLean County. "It would seriously erode a lot of our base. It would cut in on the jury pool." State Sen. Margaret Smith, D-Chicago, who sponsored the legislation, said the money could come from each county or, possibly, the state could set aside a pool of money to foot the bill. If approved, parents and guardians of elderly family members and children with a mental or physical handicap also would be exempt.

County officials who violate the exemption clause could be charged with a misdemeanor. An undue burden Opponents say the bill is too far-reaching and imposes an undue burden on the state. "I don't know for sure if children under the age of 12 should be covered under this bill," said Engblom. "Twelve is a little bit too old. I could understand if the child was of preschool age and the mother has to pick her child up from school." Supporters say Smith's proposal addresses the special needs of mothers.

"We are not from this area and do not have family to take care of them," said Lundberg. "This puts mothers choosing to care for their children in a very difficult and potentially dangerous position. This would not be a problem if SB 178 was accepted." In McLean County, pardons for jury duty are treated on a case-by-case basis. "If a parent has a special needs child, then we ask them to write a letter to the judge on the case and she may or may not be excused," said Engblom. "We do give some leeway if the child is autistic." Jill Savage, national director of the Hearts at Home Ministries of Normal, a support group for stay-at-home mothers, echoed similar concerns.

"I had jury duty and I was nursing my son Austin and I also had two small children," said Savage. "To find daycare for five days was expensive. It can be a very difficult burden." Although she served one day of jury duty, Savage says the experience made her think the justice system was unequal. A similar bill sponsored by state Rep. Douglas Scott has advanced to the passage stage in the House.

The Rockford Democrat's proposal exempts parents with a child younger than 4 from jury duty. Smith's bill is Senate Bill 178 and Scott's is House Bill 384. to be really difficult to warm up," Smith said. "It's a little on the cool side but at least we'll be able to see little melting from day to day." Despite the slush and slipperi-ness, no major accidents have been reported to state or local police. Bloomington and Normal's public works crews expected to have all residential streets cleared of snow by late Tuesday.

Bloomington and Normal also lifted snow parking bans and canceled traffic collision announcements Tuesday. "We were expecting a little worse than what came along," said Mike Hall, Normal director of public works. This snowstorm lacked the weather punch that followed the 14.5 inches of snow that fell Jan. 1-2. That snow was whipped into blizzard conditions by high winds, severe drifting and sub-zero overnight temperatures.

Most schools By Pantagraph staff Students in Bloomington, Normal and many outlying public schools kicked back Tuesday after superintendents declared Tuesday a "snow day." But students at Epiphany Catholic Elementary School toughed it out. "Our pastor wanted to have school," Epiphany Principal Richard Morehouse said, explaining the school's opening. He said that about 90 percent of the students were in class Tuesday, and most of the staff made it in to work, too. Several teachers had already arranged for a day off because of professional development seminars. Several parents and adults complained that Epiphany held class Tuesday, but others were glad school was in session, Morehouse said.

Weather forecasters warned that a blizzard was coming and up to a foot of snow was expect The take day off ed. By Tuesday morning, District 87 Superintendent Bob Nielsen realized there would be transportation problems if schools opened. "At 5:15 this morning, I was told by (Ryder bus company) they were going to have real trouble going down some of the side streets," Nielsen said Tuesday. Olympla school district su- perintendent Frances Kara-novich said that as of early Tuesday morning, Illinois 9 and Illinois 122 were still down to one lane, and the side roads throughout the rural district weren't passable. Both superintendents expected school to De open today.

During the 1997-98 school year, Unit 5 used one snow day, and Olympia took three. District 87 didn't use any snow days last year. Five "emergency days" are built into a district's calendar, and each has used four snow days so far this year. David Nyweide, right, a Bloomington High School student, sat with his parents, Chris and Carol Nyweide of Bloomington, during the Student of the Year reception Tuesday at the Bloomington Country Club. David Nyweide was named the Student of the Year in the program sponsored by The Pantagraph and Bank One, Illinois, N.A.

PantagraphLORI ANN COOK By Pantagraph staff The 6 inches of snow that fell on the Twin Cities and surrounding area will be slowly melting away over the next few days, but not as quickly as it would if the temperatures were not below normal. The National Weather Service at Lincoln predicts high temperatures in the mid-30s through Friday, with the possibility of light snow today. No significant accumulation is expected. Overnight temperatures should drop into the mid-20s. "It should be pretty quiet through the remainder of the week and there are no storms heading in our direction," said Meteorologist Dan Smith.

But it's going to be a while yet before you see a real shine on your car." The normal high temperature for mid-March is 45 degrees, so the area will probably be between seven and 10 degrees below that mark. "With this snow cover it's going dent of the Year competition were Susan Elliott and Megan Hurliman, both of BHS; Jamie Myers, Calvary Baptist; Michelle Rademacher, Central Catholic; Andrea Mueller and Allison Walk, both of NCHS; Audrey Delgado and Chris Nichols, both of Normal West; and Bryson Engelen, High. The competition involved each Twin City high school nominating Students of the Week for 12 weeks. In February, all students were screened to 15 finalists by their schools. The finalists were interviewed March 6 to select the Student of the Year and those receiving honorable mention.

Selection of the nominated students was based on several criteria, including scholastics, activities, leadership and responsibility, citizenship and ambition. The independent panel of judges included leaders in the fields of education, business and humanities. a Nyweide named Student of Year i I .1.1.11 niCTM11 iwvnnxa-. BPantagraph staff David Nyweide, a Bloomington High School student, was named Student of the Year Tuesday night in the 15th an-mjal program sponsored by The Pantagraph and Bank One, Illinois, N. A.

Slyweide earned a $5,000 scholarship, while five other students were presented with honorable mention awards of $750. They are Benjamin Owens, Calvary Baptist Academy; Julie Lally, Central Catholic High School; Kristin Brouillet, Normal Community High School; Bennett BaTch, Normal Community West High School; and Tim Holbrook, University High School. The winners were announced at a rejeeption at the Bloomington Country Club. The son of Chris and Carol Nywei-dof Bloomington, Nyweide plans to pifi-sue an English-related major wjjh a goal of studying medicine. JTie other nine finalists in the Stu out mm mm ef OPPOSimiTIESATAMMlM EXCELLENT BENEFITS Group Health 401k E.O.E.

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