CITY BEAT: THE TRANSFER HOUSE WAS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOUNG DRIVERS AND NEWLY-MARRIED COUPLES

     Since the Transfer House was moved from Lincoln Square to Central Park 63 years ago — many of our readers are too young to remember ever seeing it there except in old photos.
     They are also too young to have been a part of the “coming of age” tradition by young people (including this former young person) that took place after obtaining our very first driver’s license.
     As I’ve mentioned in earlier writings, on the day I obtained my first driver’s license, I drove around the Transfer House several times — a tradition of area teenagers.
     Another tradition was for a newly-married couple to go to the Transfer House and have the groom push the bride around the structure in a wheelbarrow.
     That tradition was said to assure a happy, long lasting marriage.
     I’m sure about everyone reading this newspaper today has seen photos of the celebration at the Transfer House at the end of World War II.
     The Transfer House served as the physical “heart” of Decatur and was the backdrop for presidential visits and many community gatherings.
     There’s also a lot of photos of Lincoln Square and the Transfer House showing the Christmas spirit with holiday decorations that always brightened up the season downtown.
     When I lived on West Packard Street and attended Roosevelt Junior High School, I would ride my bicycle to the Carnegie Library at North Main and Eldorado.
     When I got to the front of the library’s location I loved to look south and see the Transfer House in the middle of Main Street several blocks away.
     It was an impressive sight.
     This week’s Scrapbook feature on pages 4 and 5 of the print and online editions of the Decatur Tribune is a look back at the history of the Transfer House and those days when it served as Decatur’s downtown transportation hub.
     Shoppers boarded the streetcars, and later the buses, to come and go to everything downtown had to offer back then. People also used that transportation to keep doctor and dentist appointments downtown and the Transfer House was always alive with passengers arriving and, later, departing for home.
     It was a special time in downtown’s history for many of us — and it disappeared too soon.

     • JUDGES NEEDED — Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner sent me an email during the past week with the following message: “As you know the turnout on a Consolidated Election is usually very low compared to the General Elec-tion that we just had in Nov-ember. “However, we still need the same number of Election Judges to run the election. We have a number of people who worked in November who are not available for April. I would appreciate it if you could mention the need for Election Judges in one of your future newspapers.”
     No problem, Josh.
     The qualifications necessary to be an election judge are:
     • be a registered voter
     • be of good repute and character
     • be able to read and write the English language
     • not be a candidate for any office in the election
     • not be a precinct committeeman
     • high school seniors may serve as election judges under a special program
     Call the County Clerk’s office at 217-424-1306 if you are interested in helping out or finding out more about being an Election Judge.
Josh does an amazing job as Macon County Clerk.

     • SUNDAY SERVICE —Decatur Public Transit expanded its Sunday service starting last weekend.
Sunday service was brought back in October 2022 after a 60-year hiatus to operate on limited routes from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
     Now, Sunday operations will be the same as Saturday operations, which means:
All fixed routes will operate on Sundays with hours from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
     I know that’s good news for our citizens who depend on the buses as their main means of getting them to important destinations.
Good move!

     • LIGHTS ON! — I’m still amazed, and somewhat shocked, by the number of cars I encounter on our city’s streets that do not have their headlights on in early morning or late evening when it is dark!
     I’m not sure what the drivers are thinking, or if they are thinking, but even though they may have superhuman vision, those pulling out on main through streets, from side streets, do not see the cars with no headlights coming towards them — especially if the cars are dark colored and blend in with the night and the asphalt road.
     Be sure your vehicle’s headlights are on in order to keep everybody safe on the road!

     • TARIFF IMPACT — President Trump’s tariffs could affect all Americans, but their potential impact is far from equal.
Nelson Garcia, Sr. PR Specialist with LendingTree, Inc., sent me the results of their recent study which found that Illinois is among states most vulnerable to the impact of President Trump’s tariffs.
     Nelson wrote: “My team at LendingTree analyzed data to identify which states rely most on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China. Our research uncovered the states that are most vulnerable to Trump’s tariffs and retaliatory measures. To gauge public sentiment, we also surveyed Americans on their concerns regarding tariffs. Here’s a quick look at the report:
     “Illinois ranks 11th among states most vulnerable to tariffs, with imports from Canada, Mexico, and China reaching 57.5%.
     “Montana is the most vulnerable state, with 94% of imports coming from Canada, Mexico, and China.
     “On the other hand, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Maryland would feel the least impact, as they rely the least on imports from these countries, at 13%, 21%, and 23%, respectively.
     “When it comes to retaliatory tariffs, North Dakota, New Mexico, and South Dakota face the greatest risk, with at least two-thirds of their exports going to Canada, Mexico, and China.
     “44% of Americans believe tariffs will negatively affect their finances, and a staggering 74% anticipate rising prices on everyday goods.
     “This concern cuts across party lines: 67% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats, and 73% of independents expect tariffs to drive up costs.
     You can view the full study at: https://www.lendingtree.com/business/tariffs-imports-exports-study/

     • BE CAREFUL — Last week, the Decatur Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 1000 block of East Curtis Street, with smoke showing from the roof line.
     According to the report from the fire department “The Engine 1 crew quickly deployed a handline to extinguish the fire on the 2nd floor of the house. Other fire crews searched the house for victims and fire extention, vented smoke from the house and laid a water supply line to the closest fire hydrant.
     “The house was occupied by 3 adults and 2 children when the fire started. The occupant said that they were using 3 electric space heaters in the home. The occupant found that one of the space heaters caught fire. All occupants were able to quickly get out of the home and call 911.
“The American Red Cross has been called to assist the occupants who will be displaced for an unknown period of time. The fire was investigated by the Decatur Fire Department.”
     Use of electric space heaters is pretty common in Decatur area homes as many residentsuse a space heater, or multiple space heaters, to supplement a furnace that doesn’t keep the house warm enough.
Also, in many cases, space heaters are used when the furnace in the house no longer works and electric space heaters are the primary heat source.
     With the extreme cold temperatures we’ve experienced recently, electric space heaters have been at high level use as many residents try to keep warm in below zero weather.
     Please be careful in using electric space heaters and make sure they are in good working order and are placed in areas with safe surroundings and where a family pet cannot accidentally tip one over.
     Most of the electric heaters have a safety button on the bottom that shuts the heaters off in case it is tipped over. Make sure that safety feature is working in the ones you use.
     Also, make sure the smoke alarms in your house are working in case there is a fire for any reason.
     Stay safe and warm by properly using and maintaining space heaters.

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co., every Thursday morning at 7:00 for the City Hall Insider.

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