Blood Drive at Blessed Sacrament School on Sat, Nov 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 My son Josh's good friend, Curry Buscher, is working on his Eagle Scout project. 

Curry is trying to get folks to show up and give blood this Saturday at Blessed Sacrament School Cafeteria from 9-2.  I'm heading there myself.  Hope to see you there too!

Here are the details:

I am looking to achieve the Eagle Scout Rank in my scout troop, but in
order to do so, I must organize a service project that benefits the
community. I have decided to set up a blood drive with the Central
Illinois Community Blood Center to be held at Blessed Sacrament School's
cafeteria, on Saturday, November 8th, from 9am-2pm.

To have a successful drive, I would like at least 60 people to show up
and attempt to give blood. I would prefer to have at least half of that
in committed donors that I can count on to show up Saturday morning.
Would you, or anyone you know, be willing to make a commitment to help
me have a successful eagle scout project with a donor turnout that I can
be proud of?

Please respond to bssblooddrive@outlook.com

Most Sincerely,
Curry Buscher
Life Scout

The Most Important Quality in a Leader + The Most Important Endorsement

Over the last two weeks, I've listed shared several endorsements with you.  All very good people with great things to say in recommending me.  And I thank them.

Now comes my latest mailer.  It has two messages:

1. I listen to my closest advisers - my family, as well as to my constituents.
2. The most important and best endorsement I can ask for is from my family.  They take this election very seriously and have helped me every step of the way. Thank you, Donna, Cordelia, Virginia, Jim, Joe, Josh, Maria and John Paul!

Please come out and vote for me on Nov 4th (or before then, as early voting is now open at the county building).

Thank you for reading my blog.

And Now, For Something Completely Different - The Silly Season

This election stuff is a bit serious sometimes.  So I thought a little levity might be worth the 30 seconds to watch this video and short article from (S)Newsweek

10 Ways The Internet of Things Will Change How Our County Will Work in the Future.....Including Sangamon County

This is from govtech.com.  It reminds me of all the technology that has matured over the years at Sangamon County.  From y2k to making wi-fi available to the public anywhere in the building, we are seeing this unfold in front of us.

Many items and services are now available via a click on a web site, including paying tax bills, filing court documents, requesting an absentee ballot or looking at a zoning map.

This article and its attending link do a great job peeking into the future. Click here to read it.

Until next time.
tim

Top 10 Ways the Internet of Things Will Impact Our Cities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly growing movement of Internet-enabled devices and people who are intelligently connected throughout our communities. It is leading to many new intelligent use-cases, and is poised to make our communities more efficient, sustainable and livable in the future.
Here are the top 10 areas where the Internet of Things will impact our cities in the future -- view our slideshow above for more detail on the ways each of these areas will be affected.

1. Retail
2. Infrastructure
3. Transportation
4. Education
5. Governance
6. Homes
7. Environment
8. Health care
9. Industry
10. Energy 

• Dustin Haisler

http://www.govtech.com/photos/Top-10-Ways-the-Internet-of-Things-Will-Impact-Our-Cities.html

Who Has Endorsed Tim Moore for County Board?

My friend, Larry Bomke, former State Senator, recently endorsed me for County Board, District 22.

Thank you, Larry!

My friend, State Senator Sam McCann, recently endorsed me for County Board, District

22.


Thank you, Sam!

My friend and neighbor, John Milhiser, our State's Attorney, has endorsed me for County

Board District 22.

Thank you, John!

My friend and County Auditor, Paul Palazzolo has endorsed me for County
Board District 22.

Thank you, Paul!

Q: What Does The Community Resources Committee Do? A: Helping Our Neighbors Help Themselves!

The Community Resource Committee has oversight of the Community Resource Department and the Illinois Worknet Training Center.

As a part-time-farmer-wanna-be, I really liked the Community Gardens program (sponsored by PNC Bank), along with the Farmers Market at the Community Resources and Health Department Building.

There are many grant-funded programs this Department and its committee oversee - from rental assistance to scholarships.  Most of these are offered as a hand-up to people who are "on the edge" and just need help to get through a tough time.  Other programs are skill-based or academically oriented.  Still more are job assistance....such as dental repair! It's tough to interview if you can't :) smile!
 

The committee supervises the Community Resource Department administration of the several grant programs that flow

through the County.  These are tax dollars coming back into our county through such Federal Grants as the Community Service Block Grant Program, the  Heating Assistance, Weatherization  and other grant programs. The Community Resources Department assists clients in receive job training, rental assistance, food and clothing and dental assistance. The IL Worknet Training Center provides assistance for displaced workers and job training through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) for five central Illinois counties.
 

Fall Scholarship & SCBG Scholarship

Weekly Financial Education Workshops - Required before making an emergency rental appointment

Resources for Seniors

General Resource Guide

Local Food Pantry Guide

PNC Foundation & Community Garden

 

To Contact the Community Resources Department or the Employment Training Center,

visit or call the office at:

Sangamon County Department of Community Resources
2833 South Grand Ave. East, Suite C100, Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 535-3120

Partners in the Illinois Employment and Training Center
1300 South Ninth Street, Springfield, Illinois 62703
(217) 782-3846 Ext. 236

Now We Are Cooking: Why Volunteering Matters - Each Picture Tells The Story

What Does The Public Health, Solid Waste and Zoning Do?

The Public Health, Solid Waste and Zoning committee's job is to oversee all matters pertaining to county planning, zoning and subdivision, (but not related to highways, roads and bridges) and work with the Zoning Office and the Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission on these land-use matters.   The Committee also has jurisdiction over public health within the county including animal control.  Recently, the Committee also took  on additional oversight of Solid Waste Management, such as land-fills and hazardous waste disposal.

When someone wants to use their land for a particular purpose other than its current designated use they have to get it zoned for that purpose.  Say you bought some farm land and wanted to build several houses on it, or maybe open a bait store.  Depending on how intense your development of that land will be, you would have to apply to the zoning office to have it zoned for that purpose.  The Committee would review that process.

Often, the Committee looks a zoning policy to determine if the use of the land makes sense from a growth perspective, especially if there's something new on the horizon, like wind farms.  The Committee then works with Regional Planning to help developers and builders follow the plan of how land should be used in the County.  For example, you may not want a bean-canning operation right next to a residential subdivision.

There are many zoning classifications, but mainly you have: Agriculture, Residential,
Business, and Industrial.  Each has it's own restrictions and permitted activities (uses).

In the area of Public Health and Safety, the Committee works with the Health Department in overseeing its budget and hiring process.  Again, where policy issues are involved, the Committee provides input to the Health Department Director.

During my previous time on the Board, we were instrumental in helping the Health Department consolidate its locations into the renovated "Cub Foods" building at 2833 South Grand Avenue East, Springfield.  This is now the location for all the Public Health Department Offices.


The Public Health Department does MANY things, too numerous to detail for this single blog post.    From inspecting restaurants and water-wells to giving flu shots, to tracking serious illnesses in the County. So for now I'll cover that another time in more detail.  But here's their site and their office hours below.
(217) 535-3100
Mon & Thr:  8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.;
Tues, Wed, & Fri:  8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Until next time,

That's my view from the County!
tim






Meeting Dates: The committee meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:15 p.m. in Room 201.

Supporting Veterans Revisited: Why Do I Support Veterans?

After discussing yesterday's blog with my son, Jim, I wanted to get more particular on why I support Veteran's outside of my own family's experience and contribution.

Jim brought up the point that while he appreciated my comments of support as a family member, that it was important that I outline my support for Veterans in general.  I agree.

So here goes:  Top 3 Reasons I Support Veterans, Revisited

A veteran is an individual who has served in a military branch for any length of time. This includes all the active armed forces, National Guard and Reserve.  In these roles, veterans perform  specific duties and responsibilities which, in some way, responsible for protecting fellow citizens and this country from enemies and other crisis. Due to the nature of their job and degree of personal sacrifice, veterans deserve honor and respect, whether they were a cook, a clerk or an infantryman.

    1.   The Thin Green (Greenish Brown) Line

Our veterans, whether volunteers or (in the past) draftees, have put their lives in harms way and risked themselves to do their job.  In today’s military, they do this voluntarily, taking an oath to protect our country by:  walking into hot wars, driving over IED infested road-ways and more, to complete their mission and protect their fellow soldiers. Some veterans return home physically or emotionally wounded. Few people in today’s society are willing to take these risks.

2.   Sacrifice    Respect flows from doing thankless jobs that are often lonely and under harsh conditions and trying times. Veterans typically do not received basic recognition for

their sacrifices they’ve endured while fighting for their country. 

Generally speaking, even outside of war-time, members of the military are often means stationed far away from family members for long stretches of time. Veteran’s miss family gatherings, their children’s school activities and the comforts of home.  Members of the Armed Forces regularly are expected to sacrifice family time in order to complete their assigned mission.

 3.   Protection:    By serving their Country, Veterans have made it their duty to protect the United States  and its citizens.   As you watch the news in country’s where there are ongoing invasions and catastrophes, keep in mind that by serving, our Veterans made sure that we could enjoy the peace and tranquility and blessings of liberty rarely matched in other nations or other times.   

Keeping Veterans Top-of-Mind.  Yesterday I mentioned the Veteran's Office.  I won't repeat all of that, but to tell you that over the years, we've helped hundreds of veterans with rent assistance, filing for benefits, job placement, and more.  Make no mistake:  I am NOT taking

personal credit for this office's fine work.  But this is issue and our available services are constantly on my mind when I encounter veterans in need, or when the County is looking to add to its staff.  I want us to hire good employees and make sure that Veterans get a preference, since they bring many intangible skills to any job they fill.

Thanks for reading the follow-up!

tim

Five Main Reasons I Support Veterans

LTC Moore

A little-know fact about me:  I am crazy about Veterans and Veteran's issues.  There are many reasons for this such as having a heightened awareness that those citizens who have chosen to  serve and sacrifice their time and talents - putting themselves in harms-way, should quickly obtain the benefits they were promised (and deserve). 

In Sangamon County, we have the Veterans Assistance Commission (M-F 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) at the County Building, expressly for this purpose.  Here's some information about that Office (below).  Click here to go to their web site for forms, etc:  

               200 S. Ninth St., Room 301A

Jim (l) and Joe (r)

               Springfield, IL 62701

              (217) 753-6680 (Office)

Veteran's Clinic

               5850 S. 6th Street

               Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 529-5046 - ext. 47401 / 47402 / 47403 

               

So here are the five main reasons I support veterans:
 1.  My lovely wife, Donna, is a Veteran:  Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) from the U.S. Army and the Illinois National Guard.

Here's an OLD photo of when I was a cadet back at ISU!

2. My son, Jim, is a Cadet at the United States Military Academy.

3.  My son, Joe, is a PFC in the Illinois National Guard.

4.  My Dad, Jim, is a United States Navy (circa 1946-49, sorry, no pics).

5. I am a veteran:  I served as an enlisted man for 2 years, then was a Regular Army Officer for four years; rounding out my 10 years in the Service with the Illinois National Guard in 1992.