It’s hard to believe that I am writing my last newsletter now. The last two years have gone so fast! I can remember my mom telling me “Don’t be in such a hurry to turn 21 because time flies faster after you turn 21.” She said that to me many years ago.

When we joined Lake County Contractors, Don Henderson was President. Lyle Ehlers was President when I was appointed to the Board of Governors. Since then there have been 6 Presidents with Rick Grabowski being the most recent Immediate Past President.

So much has happened just in the last two years, good and bad. The bombing of the World Trade Center on September 11 had such an impact on our economy. The interest rates dropped to an all-time low allowing many families to refinance their mortgages and others to buy new homes. Construction work in Lake County remained strong but with all the contractors looking for work there just wasn’t enough. The good news -- the economy is on the mend. It can only get better, right?

Lake County Contractors is a premier association because of its membership and staff. There are so many individuals willing to serve on the board and on the committees. Gary and the staff are the ones who “get it done” for them.

In closing, I want to thank everyone for allowing me to serve as your president for the last two years. It’s time to turn the reins over to our next president, Mike Temple. I am looking forward to being a member for many years to come.
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Don't miss this opportunity to network and relax in sunny Puerto Vallarta during the beginning of the February doldrums! For only $1,025 per person double occupancy ($1,225 single occupancy), you get an all-inclusive five-day, four-night stay at the Premier Hotel & Spa, an intimate resort hotel right on the beach.

Known for their outstanding service, this adults-only property is sure to meet all your relaxation needs. Close to shopping, with a world-class spa and three on-property restaurants featuring both Mexican and Mediterranean specialties, this destination is the perfect epicenter for an exciting winter escape. Registrations so far include:

• Karen Johnson & Pete Tobin, Roughneck
• Jonathan & Amy Pease, J. Pease, Inc.
• Ken & Leslie Coslet, Terra Cotta Truck Service
• Christopher Mors & Laura Wagner, Pipe Freezing Services
• Don & Sheila Mors, Pipe Freezing Services
• Scott & Debby Nelson, H. H. Holmes Testing
• Todd & Penny Nelson, H. H. Holmes Testing
• Louie & Sara Pickus, Pickus Construction & Equipment
• Mike & Liz Ryan, Meyer Material
• Tim & Mikey Staples, Camosy, Inc.
• Margery & Don Newman, Ogletree Deakins

Sounds like a fun group. Registration information is included with this Newsbrief. Space is limited!
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The first option would take you to Palma de Mallorca, the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the Balearic Islands. The cost for this extension is $500 per person, including: air fare, transfers, hotel with buffet breakfast, and a half-day guided tour of the region.

Option two is a Paris getaway for $670 per person, including: airfare, transfers, hotel with buffet breakfast, and a half-day guided tour of the city.

The final option is a visit to Florence, Italy. Price per person for this extension would be $410 land only with additional airfare estimated at $245 plus a $100 air deviation charge, and includes: transfers, hotel with buffet breakfast and a half-day walking tour of the city.

If you are interested in extending, please call Lisa at the LCCA office.
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• Blue Boy Portable Toilets
• Campanella & Sons
• C.D. Chidester Excavating
• Midwest Furnace Company
• Novak Construction

You can help by making a donation – and asking your employees to commit to an employee payroll deduction plan. A contribution form is enclosed for your use.
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Our lead instructor will be Wayne Pratt, Oasis Business Group. Wayne’s career in the construction industry spans nearly 25 years. He has worked for some of the largest companies in the power industry, including Combustion Engineering and Westinghouse Electric Company. Starting as a shipyard boilermaker in the mid ’70’s building nuclear submarines, Wayne has worked in a variety of positions including commercial diver, quality control supervisor, construction manager, welding applications engineer and sales account manager. With PCI Energy Services, a Westinghouse subsidiary, Wayne served as VP of Sales, VP of Operations and President of this global provider of specialty welding and field machining services. For the last few years, he has been helping others understand the lessons he learned the hard way.

Assisting Wayne will be Gary Edwards, American Acoustics, who will provide the “real world” experience to make the course even more valuable for participants. Two experts for the price of one!

This year we have reduced the length of the course from three days to just two and will present the program in just one weekend. The course will be offered at the College of Lake County’s Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills on January 16 and 17, 2004. It will cover the following topics:

• Problem Prevention & Anticipation
• Identifying Problems
• The Decision Making Process
• Strategies for Solving Human Performance Problems
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Production Planning
• Project Wide Applications
• Handling Risk, Emergencies and Crisis

The cost will be $295 per person and will include all materials, lunch and breaks. A registration form is enclosed for your use. This is NOT for “new” supervisors/foreman. It is designed to give experienced supervision the skills to be even more productive. And the course work will be designed to be applicable for both general contractors and subcontractors. Space will be limited. To make sure that your employees get first chance at the available spots, decide who you want to send and get your reservation form in soon.
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Applicants must be high school seniors, provisionally accepted into an undergraduate degree program at a four-year accredited college and a citizen of the United States. Every applicant will be required to submit an official application form, two personal references, an official transcript of all high school records and official ACT and/or SAT test results.

Applications can be obtained by calling (630) 472-9411, faxing your request to (630) 472-9413, sending a request for application to CISCO at 616 Enterprise Dr., Suite 100, Oak Brook, IL 60523, or by emailing your request to sam@cisco.org.

Completed application along with all required materials must be received by CISCO no later than February 13, 2004. Please notify all your employees of this opportunity.
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The settlement report was based on 163 contracts covering 180,000 union construction workers. Most settlements were in the East North Central area, which includes Illinois.
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A new bond sale was executed on October 23. Funds are expected to be available soon after and checks should start going out immediately. Contractors wishing to check the status of a specific CDB voucher can do so at the CDB web site www.cdb.state.il.us, or by calling the CDB fiscal office at 217/782-1887.

Dear Governor Blagojevich:

The Illinois Construction Industry Committee (ICIC) is an umbrella organization representing 13 union contractor associations from throughout Illinois. We are becoming increasingly concerned about payment delays we have experienced as contractors working on Capital Development Board projects.

Three times this year, payments have been delayed for weeks and sometimes months while we wait for bonds to be sold or legislation to be signed. Yet, contractors have continued to work in an effort to keep their projects on schedule so that the state will not incur any additional expenses due to project delays.

We have tried to be sensitive to the state’s budget problems, but we are now being forced to borrow money, at our expense, in order to keep paying our workers. If this trend continues, we are concerned that we will be forced to shut down our projects and lay off workers. Historically, situations such as this one have resulted in higher bid prices for state projects as contractors seek to hedge their bets. Surety companies are also monitoring the situation and may become reluctant to provide bonds for state work.

The construction industry is a significant employer in Illinois. We share your interest in keeping our projects moving and our workers employed. We would appreciate your help in making sure that the state honors its obligations and that payments are made in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

Randy Perau, President

Illinois Construction Industry Committee
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The SWA has not yet been reintroduced, but an effort is being led by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association to seek its reinstatement ICIC members are encouraged to touch base again with their local legislators to remind them of the catastrophic effect that the SWA would have on the construction industry and the Illinois economy. Fact sheets and other information are available by contacting LCCA or by e-mailing ICIC at kimrobinson@frontline-online.net.
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A special thank you goes to the Lake County Contractors Association members who supported the April LCCPAC Auction. Your generosity helped LCCA more than double LCCA’s past contributions to ICIPAC.
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If one person dies as a result of the reckless driving, the penalty could be a prison term from 3-14 years and if several people die due to the act of reckless driving, the sentence could be between 6-28 years.
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