A survival guide for living in this area

The News-Gazette offers tips for moving in, getting connected:

Finding a place to live

Rental agents are listed in the telephone directory's Yellow Pages under Apartment Finding & Rental Service, Real Estate Management and Real Estate Rental Service. If you want to buy a house, real estate firms can help. You can find rentals and property for sale in classified advertisements in local publications. Listings for both home sales and rentals also are found in The News-Gazette (three editions on weekdays and a morning paper Saturdays and Sundays) and on its Web site (www.news-gazette.com).

If you have a complaint about a landlord, you can find out your rights by talking to the Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union, 44 E. Main St., Room 208, C, 352-6220. University of Illinois students should contact the tenant union office at Room 326 of the Illini Union, 333-0112.

Starting utilities

AmerenIP is the electric and gas provider. Its 24-hour number is 800-755-5000. You need to call AmerenIP; this is something a friend or a parent can't do for you. There is an activation fee for electric and gas service and another fee if you'd like someone to relight your pilot. More information is available on the Web: http://www.amerenip.com.

Water service can be started by calling Illinois American Water Co. at 352-1420. Telephone service is available from several companies, including AT&T at 800-244-4444 and McLeod USA at 800-593-1177. You can also take your pick of cell phone companies; most national firms have more than one local office.

Cable television service is provided by Insight Communications, 303 E. Fairlawn Drive, U, 384-2500. Several local companies offer Internet access, and most national Internet service providers have local dial-up numbers, too. In addition, DSL, cable Internet and wireless Net services are available in some or all of C-U.

Sending mail

Most mail posted in C-U leaves town at 10 p.m. daily. The latest you can mail a letter and get it out the same day is 8 p.m. at the main post office, 2001 N. Mattis Ave., C. Champaign substations and contract stations are at 600 N. Neil St.; Third and Green streets; and the Round Barn shopping area at Mattis and Springfield avenues.

In Urbana, the post office is at 3104 E. Tatman Court. Substations are at 202 S. Broadway Ave., adjacent to Lincoln Square Village; and in the University of Illinois' Altgeld Hall, 700 S. Wright St. If you leave town for more than 10 days, the post office will hold your mail if you notify it in writing.

Subscribing to newspapers

Call The News-Gazette circulation department at 351-5266. If you don't get your paper, call your carrier or the circulation department before 7 p.m. weekdays or 10 a.m. on weekends. The Daily Illini, the campus newspaper, is distributed free Monday through Friday and is also available by mail for a fee by calling 337-8300.

For out-of-town newspapers, check with the Champaign-Urbana News Agency, 351-7047. The Champaign and Urbana public libraries have some newspaper subscriptions, and the University of Illinois newspaper library, in the main library building at the south end of Wright Street, has papers from Illinois cities and many national and international papers, too.

Hunting for a job

Check newspapers' classified advertisements. Check job postings at the Illinois Department of Employment Security's Job Service office at 1307 N. Mattis Ave., C. Web sites also list jobs available around Illinois or nationwide. To check on jobs at the area's largest employer – the UI – call 333-6747 about academic level jobs; 333-3101 about staff jobs or extra help/clerical. The UI's Web site also has job listings: http://www.uiuc.edu.

You also can call private employment agencies listed in the telephone directory; some charge fees. In Danville, you can call 217-442-JOBS for information about openings in the Danville area or go directly to the Web site www.442jobs.com, which lists open positions in the area.

Driving legally

For both a driver's license and license plates, go to the Driver's License Examination Station at 2401 W. Bradley Ave., C (just across from the main entrance to Parkland College), or in Vermilion County, go to the license examination station at 7 E. Southgate Drive in Tilton, south of Danville on Illinois 1. To find facilities in other cities, check the secretary of state's Web site at cyberdriveillinois.com.

Some drivers can renew over the Internet; the secretary of state's office will tell you if you're eligible. If you intend to become an Illinois resident, you need an Illinois license. University students from out of state aren't required to transfer their licenses.

The offices are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Road tests end earlier than the closing times. The office is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Call the Champaign examination station at 278-3344 and the Danville examination station at 442-3177 for the things you need to take with you. The list includes birth certificate or passport, proof of address and Social Security number.

A license costs $10 and is good for four years. If you're under 21, it's $5 but expires three months after your 21st birthday. Licenses cost $5 for those from ages 69-80, $2 for those 81 to 86, and are free for anyone older than that.

For license plates, bring your vehicle's title or a copy of your loan agreement and current registration. It costs $78 to license a car for a year. Personalized, vanity and special plates are available for extra fees. License plate renewal stickers also can be bought at most financial institutions and at private licensing and title shops. It's a little faster but costs slightly more.

The secretary of state's Web site is www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

Registering a bicycle

Neither Champaign nor Urbana requires bicycle registration, but both offer it as a service. It helps with recovery if your bike is stolen. You provide the serial number, make, model and a description.

In Champaign, register your bike at any of the fire stations. In Urbana, do it at the Finance Department in the City Building, 400 S. Vine St. There is no charge. The UI strongly urges students to register bikes at the Public Safety Building at the corner of Springfield and Goodwin avenues. There is no charge.

Finding day care

Call the UI Child Care Resource Service at 333-3252 or check the phone book and newspaper advertisements.

Enrolling in schools

For public schools in Champaign, call the administrative office at 351-3800. In Urbana, call 384-3600. In Danville, call 444-1004. For private, parochial and special schools, check your telephone directory. If your child is severely mentally and/or physically disabled, call the Swann Special Care Center, 356-5164.

Being a citizen

To register to vote, visit the Champaign County clerk's office, 1776 E. Washington St., U. Bring two forms of identification with you, including one showing your permanent address. That's where you go, too, to get a marriage license or a copy of a birth certificate. Call 384-3720 for vital records or election information. To register to vote in Danville, visit the county clerk's office at 6 N. Vermilion St. in Danville. Call 554-1900 for vital records or election information.

In Champaign, you can also register at the driver's license station, 2401 W. Bradley Ave., C; Champaign Public Library, 505 S. Randolph St., C; or the Urbana Free Library, 201 S. Race St., U. In Danville, you can register to vote at the driver's license station, too, 7 E. Southgate Drive in Tilton.

You can protest a property tax assessment by visiting the Champaign County Board of Review, 1776 E. Washington St., U, or by calling 384-3758. In Danville, call the Vermilion County Board of Review, 6 N. Vermilion St. in Danville, at 554-1952.

Applying for a passport

Go to the main post office, 2001 N. Mattis Ave., C, or to the Champaign County circuit clerk's office on the first floor of the courthouse, 101 E. Main St., U. Bring proof of citizenship (certified copy of birth certificate or old passport); two full-face pictures (they must be 2 inches by 2 inches); and a picture identification such as a driver's license. In Danville, the U.S. post office is at 303 N. Hazel St.

A passport costs $97 for ages 16 and over and is good for 10 years. If you're under 16, the fee is $82, and the passport is good for five years. Children 13 and older have to come with a parent and sign their own applications. You'll normally receive a passport within four to six weeks of applying. The process can be expedited for a fee. More information is available at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.

Checking out a business

The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, 1817 S. Neil St., C, 359-1791, has information about chamber members. The Web site is http://www.ccchamber.org/. In Danville, the chamber is at 28 W. North St. in Danville, or call 442-1887.

Complaints about a business

Complaints may be lodged with the Illinois attorney general's Consumer Protection Division (800-243-0618 or http://www.ag.state.il.us/consumers/index.html) and the Better Business Bureau in Peoria, which serves this area (800-500-3780 or http://www.peoria.bbb.org/). If you have a complaint about a local restaurant, contact the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, 710 N. Neil St., C, 373-7900.

Checking a charity

Call the Illinois attorney general's office at 312-814-2595 to see if a group is OK. Beyond that, ask solicitors questions like these: Exactly how will the money be used? How much of each contribution goes for overhead? (State law requires telephone solicitors to tell you. More than 40 percent is considered excessive.) Is a donation tax-deductible? Ask for written information.

If the organization is tax-exempt, ask to see its IRS Form 990, which shows how the charity spends money.

The Form 990 is a public record. Federal law says the charity has to show you the form and give you a copy if you ask; the charity may charge you for the copy. Contribute by check so you have a record of your donation. A valuable Web site for learning about charities is guidestar.org. And the IRS has information at http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html.

Adopting a pet

Call or visit the Champaign County Humane Society, 1911 E. Main St., U, 344-7297 or http://www.cuhumane.org, or the Danville Humane Society, 1225 N. Collett St., 446-4110. Or call the Vermilion County Animal Shelter on Catlin-Tilton Road at 431-2660 or go to www.vermilioncountyanimalshelter.com.

Hunting and fishing

Anyone over age 16 needs a license to hunt or fish in Illinois. If you're older than 65 and a resident of Illinois, your license is discounted. You can buy licenses at sporting goods shops and at the Department of Natural Resources office, 1556 State Route 54, Clinton, IL 61727. The department's office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 935-6860.

Fishing licenses cost $13, hunting licenses $7.50; a combined license is $19.25. A $5.50 habitat stamp also is required for hunting. Applications are required and a $15 fee necessary to receive permits to hunt deer and turkey in season. For seniors, fishing licenses are $6.75, hunting licenses $4. Combined licenses are $10.

Safety classes are required for boating, hunting, snowmobiling and trapping; class information is available at the Natural Resources office.

Joining others

If you have a hobby, want information about an illness, are looking for a support group or want to join a civic organization, chances are there's a group in Champaign-Urbana that shares your interest. There is no central list of such organizations, but the Champaign Public Library's Web site comes close. Go to http://www.champaign.org.

Getting help

If you don't know where to start, try Family Service of Champaign County's 'First Call for Help' line at 352-6300.

Local township offices sometimes provide general assistance. In Champaign, call 352-4500. In rural Champaign, call 352-9433. In Urbana (Cunningham Township), call 384-4144. You also may call the state Department of Human Services about longer-term aid. Its information number is 800-843-6154. Food stamps are available through the state Department of Human Services. To apply, go to 801 N. Walnut St., C. Call 278-5605.

Shelters available:

– The Salvation Army, 119 E. University Ave., C, 373-7830.

– The Center for Women in Transition, 506 and 508 E. Church St., C, 352-7151

– A Woman's Place, 1304 E. Main St., U, 384-4390.

– TIMES Center, 70 E. Washington St., C, 398-7785.

– St. Jude Catholic Worker House, 317 S. Randolph St., C, 355-9774.

The Roundhouse, 311 W. White, C, 359-5276, provides temporary shelter for adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17. The Crisis Nursery of Champaign County, 1309 W. Hill St., U, 337-2731, provides emergency services for families and children 5 and under. These agencies are gathered in an online resource called 'The Help Book,' available at http://helpbook.prairienet.org.

Calling in emergencies

Call 911 for police, fire or medical help. If you need assistance, but it's not an emergency, call Champaign police at 351-4545; Urbana police at 384-2320; University of Illinois police at 333-1216; or the Champaign County sheriff's office at 333-8911. In Danville, if it's not an emergency, call Danville police at 431-2250, or the Vermilion County sheriff's office at 442-4080.