Eugene Bauer stepped down from the Coles
County Board Tuesday,
but he'll be a part of all the board's future meetings.
One of several moves to honor Bauer Tuesday was the board's vote to name
the County Board meeting room at the Coles County Courthouse in his honor.
Vice Chairman Tim Yow who now takes over as board chairman, made the motion
to give the room Bauer's name. "You are always going to be my chairman," Yow said.
Joyce Madigan, president of
Coles Together, gave Bauer a
certificate of
appreciation for his work on economic development and said a tree of Bauer's
choosing would be planted in Coles
Business Park.
Bauer announced recently that he would resign from the board because of
health reasons, namely his recovery from a recent stroke. His resignation was effective at the end
of Tuesday's meeting.
For his part, Bauer maintained his modesty and his sense of humor. He said he
thought it was "too much" when Yow moved that the board room be named
for him.
But when he was presented with a large bouquet of roses, his response was,
"I'm not dead yet." Dee Braden and Linda Podeschi of the county's Council on Aging presented
Bauer with the roses, red for his favorite color and 22 in all, one for each of
his years on the board.
Also, Sheriff Ron Scott presented a plaque honoring Bauer
for his chairmanship of the board's Sheriff and Law Enforcement Committee.
In another moment that drew some laughs, Bauer, who drives a bright red
Corvette, said he wanted the plaque to also read, "Don't worry about
getting a speeding ticket."
Yow said another plaque was being made for the board to give to Bauer. He
said it will honor him as someone who "dedicated his adult life to
bettering the lives of those who live in Coles County,"
Yow also relayed greetings from former Gov. Jim Edgar, a Charleston native,
and his wife, Brenda. Yow said the Edgars were out of the state but otherwise
would have been on hand Tuesday.
A large crowd attended Tuesday's meeting, mostly spilling over from a
reception honoring Bauer that took place just before the meeting. The
courthouse's first-floor rotunda was nearly packed with well wishers for the
hour long event.
During the reception, Bauer said his health is improving, but that didn't
mean he was about to change his mind about stepping down from the board.
"In the last three or four days, I felt very well, almost back to
normal,"' he said. "But it's time for me to step aside."
Bauer also said he was "overwhelmed" by the number of people who
attended the reception. "I am very humbled that so many have showed their
appreciation,"
he said.
