Conklin's Theatre shuts down after claim denied

For nearly 40 years, the big red barn in Goodfield has been host to some of this area’s biggest stars, funniest performances and even an original play or two.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre ceased operations, the victim of a violent storm that left the structure unsafe and irreparable. Plans to relocate the theatre to a temporary stage in hopes the barn could be repaired were canceled because the theater is “in extreme financial peril,” a news release said.

The closure comes less than one month from Conklin’s 40^th anniversary.

“I was really hoping we could get open in the new location to tide us over, but with the insurance claim denied, we have no choice but to cease operations immediately,” owner Mary Simon said.

“I am heartbroken to have to make this announcement. The barn employees are my family and our audiences are simply the best and so supportive. But I had no choice,” she said.

Simon said the damaging storm went through Goodfield on Aug. 18, and caused severe wind damage to the barn. However, the insurance company declared on Aug. 26 that the barn was unsafe but denied the claim that it was because of storm damage. Simon protested, but the denial was upheld on Tuesday.

“The insurance company is saying it wasn’t storm damage but just the barn falling down. But as recently as April 20, 2015, the insurance company insured the business as structurally sound without riders or restrictions. With the claim being denied, we’re in extreme financial peril and I was in danger of losing everything. I have no choice,” she said.

“I just don’t understand how they could have reached that conclusion and denied the claim,” Simon added. She said her next step may include a lawsuit; for that reason she won’t identify the insurance company.

Simon said she had planned to re-open temporarily in a new location in Morton and to use the business interruption section of her insurance on the barn to make up for the fact she would not be able to perform as many nights. When the claim was denied, she had no business interruption insurance and she was unable to continue with those plans, nor was she able to continue to paying her employees, several of whom were performers at the barn.

After the barn closed, members of the company spent weeks on the phones, cancelling reservations for performances and re-scheduling reservations in the planned temporary facility in hopes that the company could continue operations with the help of insurance money. Since the insurance claim has been denied, and the proposed transfer isn’t possible, individual parties with reservations will not be called to be told of the closure of the company.

“I kept it going for seven weeks believing we’d be able to relocate temporarily and get back to the barn. This whole thing is a mess,” she said.

Simon said many patrons have stepped up with offers of help, but none can guarantee the company would be able to do more than three shows a week. With the costs involved, including salaries, “I just can’t make it on three shows a week,” she said.

However, she noted, she is still holding out hope to someday be able to reopen. “It’s not likely, but it’s possible.”

State museums, Sparta shooting fields to close Wednesday

By Mark Fitton

Illinois News Network

SPRINGFIELD -- A pause in state layoffs won’t stop the planned closures of the state’s museum system nor its shooting facilities near Sparta, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration has announced.

The state museum in Springfield, four related facilities around the state and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex at Sparta in Southern Illinois are under the control of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which reports to the governor.

The department on Friday said the the museum system and the shooting facilities at Sparta will close on Wednesday as previously announced.

Earlier in the week, Rauner’s office had announced it would indefinitely suspend plans for layoffs of unionized state employees, including 107 in the Department of Natural Resources, while those layoffs are being disputed in court.

“While employees will return to work, the facilities will remain closed to the public during the suspension,” the IDNR announced in a news release posted on one of its Web pages.

The closure at Sparta is limited to the shooting areas.

“Closure at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex is limited to shooting sports events,” the DNR statement said. “The main event center, restaurant, Amateur Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame and access to boat ramps for fishing will remain open.”

The governor’s office and DNR has cited the lack of a balanced budget.

Critics question the immediate necessity for the closures given that employees will be reporting to work for now.

The Republican governor and legislative Democrats have been unable to come to an agreement for a budget for fiscal year 2016, which began July 1. Few signs of progress have emerged, and both the House and Senate have completed their scheduled sessions for September.

Illinois News Network

Consumer Confidence Index improves in September

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had increased in August, improved moderately in September. The Index now stands at 103.0 (1985=100), up from 101.3 in August. The Present Situation Index increased from 115.8 last month to 121.1 in September, while the Expectations Index edged down to 91.0 from 91.6 in August.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was September 17.

"Consumer confidence increased moderately in September, following August's sharp rebound," said Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. "Consumers' more positive assessment of current conditions fueled this month's increase, and drove the Present Situation Index to an 8-year high (Sept. 2007, Index=121.2). Consumers' expectations for the short-term outlook, however, remained relatively flat, although there was a modest improvement in income expectations. Thus, while consumers view current economic conditions more favorably, they do not foresee growth accelerating in the months ahead."

Consumers' appraisal of current conditions was more positive in September. Those saying business conditions are "good" increased from 23.7 percent to 28.0 percent, while those claiming business conditions are "bad" declined modestly from 17.8 percent to 16.7 percent. Consumers were somewhat mixed about the job market. Those stating jobs are "plentiful" increased from 22.1 percent to 25.1 percent, however those claiming jobs are "hard to get" also rose from 21.7 percent to 24.3 percent.

Consumers' optimism about the short-term outlook was little changed in September. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased from 16.6 percent to 17.9 percent, but those expecting business conditions to worsen also increased, from 9.1 percent to 10.3 percent.

Consumers' outlook for the labor market was mixed. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead was virtually unchanged at 15.0 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs increased from 14.5 percent to 15.8 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting their incomes to increase improved from 16.2 percent to 19.1 percent, while the proportion expecting a decline inched up from 9.8 percent to 10.1 percent.

September 2015 Consumer Confidence Survey® 
The Conference Board

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org

The Red Barn is ready for another season

It’s never too early to think about decorating for Christmas. For Barb Roth and Carol Troyer, it’s a year-round thing that culminates each year with the season opening of The Red Barn Tree Shop in Morton.

This year, opening day is next Thursday, Oct. 1. And the barn at 1811 W. Jefferson in Morton is decorated, its trees are filled with ornaments and other items to give customers ideas, and the accessories are set in their places with care for the Christmas customers they hope will be there.

“It’s always exciting to open for the season. We will have people outside waiting to get in,” said Roth, who opened the shop with her husband Russ Roth 31 years ago. “It’s almost like a reunion; the ladies come out every year to see what we’ve got that’s new and different.”

“We think it looks pretty spectacular again this year,” she added.

Added Troyer, Roth’s long-time co-worker in the shop, “We never get tired of it.”

The Red Barn will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday Oct. 1 through Dec. 24 and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays after Thanksgiving. The annual Open House will be Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Red Barn started as a family tradition that became a hobby before the Roths turned it into a business. The family grew a few Christmas trees on their farm for themselves to start, then decided to plant more and make a seasonal business of it. The Red Barn came about because Barb believed people coming out to buy or cut their own trees would enjoy being able to purchase decorations and get decorating tips at the same time.

So, Russ Roth moved a 150-year-old barn across some fields to its spot on Jefferson Street, used original wood from the floor to build a staircase and second level, and then turned it over to Barb Roth to make it into the quaint and colorful showplace it is today.

Thousands of trees stand ready for cutting and the Red Barns own trees stand ready with their own themes sure to get the creative juices flowing for customers new and old. Each year, Troyer said, the Red Barn gets customers who have never been there before. “We enjoy showing it off,” she said while walking through the barn with its original beams and siding.

The family still farms crops as its livelihood, but the Christmas tree and decoration business is what Barb calls the fun part of the family business. Fun, but still a lot of work, she added.

At 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 each year, the doors are locked and the Roths and Troyer walk awak from it for a while. But it isn’t long before they are back at it, going to shows around the country to learn the latest trends, get ideas for the next season and start buying the decorations they will put up for their own customers.

Those trends are evident on each of the 10 trees Roth and Troyer decorate in the store. For example, the colors gold and champagne are popular right now as is gray, which Troyer called “the new neutral.” They are prevalent throughout the store.

Roth said each tree tells a story. Large items and ornaments are placed in each so that they stand out, better to give customers ideas.

The trees and themes this year are:

• “No-Owl! No-Owl”: It is frosty white with crystal and mint green. White owls are nesting on the branches.
• “Garnet & Gold”: Gold, which is the metallic accent for 2015, with rich shade of red. Roth said this tree is one of “elegant tradition.”
• “Park Avenue”: Soft blue, champagne and pearl.
• “Urban Holiday”: Gray and red, decorated with tin trays, wire baskets and wood snowflakes, accented with flannel ribbon and pine cones. “A repurposed, industrial look,” Roth said.
• “Merry, Merry Christmas”: Santa Claus and his elves welcome memories of Christmases past.
• “Christmas Vespers”: Christmas bells adorn this tree, ringing out the praises of the baby Jesus.
• “The Night Before Christmas”: Nutcrackers, toy train, rocking horses… The dreams of children on that magical night.
• “Snowman Lane”: Families of snowmen sledding through the trees, wearing warm and colorful hats.
• “Sleigh Ride”: A snowy tree adorned with Santa, jingle bells and nesting woodland creatures.
• “Hunt Club”: Copper and bronze, birch logs and houndstooth adorn this tree inspired by an old English hunt.

Much of what you will find at The Red Barn is traditional or at least a take on traditional. That is on purpose, Roth said. “Tradition still sells very well. People like the red ornaments,” she said.

Still, she added, most people come in because they are wanting to give their own home and Christmas tree a new look. “We can’t sell them our trees but we will help them decide what their new look will be. We can then sell them the elements. Even a new, simple ribbon can change the whole look. Ribbons help pull everything together,” she said.

“Your tastes change,” Troyer added. “It’s seeing a different kind of thing and realizing, ‘I could have this in my house, on my tree.’”

“People come in looking for something special and we provide that,” Roth said, adding it is that way for her and Troyer when they go to shows each year to see what is new.

“When you see pretty things, you know it. We go to these shows and see what is available and we pretty well know right away what we want,” she said.

After deciding what to buy, they name the trees they plan to do the next Christmas. Doing that helps them focus on each tree and what they want to use on it.

New at The Red Barn this year are items of outer wear, including hats, sweaters, scarves and toppers.

The tree cutting season is considered to be after Thanksgiving because even with watering, trees dry out. However, Roth said, the farm will accommodate people who want to have a tree up for their family gathering at Thanksgiving.

The farm expects to sell hundreds of trees each season. The Roths grow white pines, Scotch pines and a variety of firs. The pines have firmer branches for decorating, but the firs hold their needles longer, which can mean less clean-up at the end of the holiday season.

They make the wreaths they sell as well as centerpieces and the shop will also flock trees using a cellulose (water and paper) substance that is not messy and is safe for pets.