Peoria Rocks!

An interview with District 150 write-in candidate Rick Cloyd

2011-01-31T20:45:00.002-06:00

Last week brought news of a write in campaign for the Third district - District 150 School Board seat (Stowell vacancy). As you may know, the filing date for the vacant seat came and went without a single person submitting a petition or statement of candidacy. Rick Cloyd, a lifelong resident of Peoria, community volunteer, and employee of Caterpillar, Inc, announced last week that he will attempt to win the seat through a write-in campaign. Seemingly well qualified, I couldn't resist calling him and asking him to share with our on-line community a little bit more about himself. He politely obliged. Below are my questions to him and his replies, without commentary.

1. Please tell us a little about yourself, your family (if you wish), and any past associations you have had with Peoria Public Schools.

I was born and raised in Peoria and graduated from Hines Grade School and Richwoods High School. I graduated with a degree in Journalism, with honors, from Bradley University and earned an MBA with emphasis in finance from the University of Illinois Executive program in 1996. I worked for Keystone Steel & Wire in Bartonville for 25 years, and was vice president of sales and marketing from 1997 until 2001, when I joined Caterpillar.

Sally and I have been married 29 years. She is an independent writer and producer with a U of I degree was in Speech Education. Over the past three years, we’ve volunteered with Carl Cannon’s ELITE Youth Outreach program for Peoria-area high school sophomores and juniors. I’ve helped with some program content, taught at the spring retreat, and worked at lock-ins.

If we had not been involved with ELITE, I would not be running for this office. I’ve seen first hand what great things happen when young people receive support and guidance and learn that respect is a two-way street. They get to experience the life-changing benefits of courteous language, respectful conduct and appropriate appearance.

I’ve served the community in a number of capacities, including the Greater Peoria YMCA board, a volunteer with our church and several other civic and charitable organizations. Recently, I taught a Junior Achievement economics course at Richwoods, did some home repairs for Rebuilding Together, and photographed South Side Mission Adopt-a-Block families for their Christmas cards.

My daughter and her husband are University of Georgia graduates. She is in banking and they also own a small business in Athens, GA.

2. Can you tell us what may make you uniquely qualified to serve on the District 150 Board of Education.

My unique qualification for the Board is my lifelong Peoria residence and four decades of business experience in finance, marketing, strategy development, and in the leadership and development of people. I have developed and managed large operating budgets and executed cost reduction programs, when necessary.

I’ve managed two national sales and marketing organizations, an 850,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility, and two product distribution facilities. Along the way I’ve built and maintained constructive working relationships with union and non-union hourly workforces -- sometimes in difficult financial circumstances.

My current responsibilities in Strategy & Business Development at Caterpillar include enterprise strategy consulting and execution support; analysis of industries, markets and competitors; and our department’s career development and mentoring process. International travel, particularly to China and India, has provided stark evidence of how critically important it is to prepare students for success in a hyper-competitive world.

3. What would be your three highest priorities during your tenure on the School board, if elected?

Financial accountability -- Dist. 150 is a large business, spending more than $1 million per school day, based on dividing the total budget of $187 million by the 176 days required in the school year. Taxpayers and business leaders need to see a better return on that substantial annual investment.

Strategic focus – The Board and Administration must have long-term goals for student academic achievement and a financial, operating and personnel plan to achieve them. The Board’s role is to establish policies, work with the Administration to set goals and metrics and to hold it accountable for measurable progress toward those goals.

A safe and respectful educational environment – No learning takes place when students fear for their safety, are distracted by disruptive behavior, or aren’t engaged with the teacher or educational material.

4. What is your opinion of the Charter School, and what words of advice would you have for families that did or do not win the "lottery" for enrollment in the Charter School?

I supported establishment of the Quest Charter Academy, and we’ll all learn a lot as it develops.

5. Can you name 3 people that you admire, have inspired you and/or have served as role models?

The late Dr. Paul Snider, who headed Bradley’s Journalism department. He was a great educator with an unforgettable way of holding his students to the highest standards of accuracy and excellence.

Carl Cannon, for his passion and dedication to youth, and for creating job opportunities and building self-respect in those students willing to step up and be ELITE.

Blanche Peeler, my great aunt, who took my mom into her home as a teenager during the Depression. Dr. and Mrs. Peeler provide for mom’s college education and then for her nursing degree at Vanderbilt University.

6. In your press release announcing your write-in candidacy you stated "District 150 can, and must, provide a safe and respectful environment of educational excellence to help students realize that potential". Other candidates before you have made similar statements and many district observers feel that little if any progress has been made in that regard. What specific measures would you advocate for in order to be one of the first to deliver on this campaign promise?

That’s what the District should aspire to. My promise is to apply my education, business experience and passion for educational excellence to the best of my abilities as a member of the Board.

As a governance body working together, the Board should hold the Dist. 150 Administration accountable on the issues of safety and security based upon appropriate metrics, policies and statutes.

If the ELITE program can create and sustain a safe and respectful environment for several hundred District 150 students every year, why can’t the rest of our students have that too?

7. What are your concerns, if any, about running and/or serving on the school board and what would be your expectations of the families of District 150.

My concern is that many people in the community have given up on Dist. 150 and see no hope for change or improvement – and every stakeholder will suffer the consequences. My hope and expectation is that families in our community will provide a supportive home environment for learning, and make their children’s education a top priority.

8. If there is anything you would like to add please feel free to do so here.

To help accomplish anything we discussed, I need, and would greatly appreciate, your School Board District 3 readers’ write-in votes on April 5 for Rick Cloyd.

Thank you for your participation.

Live "Build the Block" Cam up and running!

2010-08-17T19:33:00.005-06:00

The Regional Museum has had it's fair share of growing pains over the past few weeks, but regardless, it is kind of exciting to see this live cam monitoring it's progress.

The Live Cam link is here.

Thanks to my friend Don at IT360 for the "heads-up" on the link, and if you are ever having computer problems, Don and Matt are the guys to see. Tell them Diane sent you. They'll laugh their heads off. We have a lot of fun!

Hello? It's Julie McArdle calling... she'd like her reputation back.

2010-04-23T16:50:00.004-06:00

"It has been almost a year to this date, April 21, that I got the call from Tom Broderick", said former Lindbergh Middle School Principal Julie McArdle today after learning that her nemesis, Mary Davis, the source of personnel reports that resulted in the termination of her contract last April, had finally been charged with multiple felony counts. "I am so happy she has finally been charged", said Julie. "This whole experience has been a nightmare. Now everyone will know I wasn't dreaming this stuff up".

Julie shouldn't have worried about that. Her many many friends, family and co-workers never had a doubt.

I love the smell of a rally in the morning!

2010-04-22T20:46:00.004-06:00

I love Democracy and all expressions thereof. There is nothing more American to me than a peaceful assembly of citizens organizing for a common interest. The outrage some feel towards the "Tea-Par tiers" is a bonafide mystery to me but fortunately, I don't care. I have attended the Tea Parties and I was equally thrilled to participate in the rally in Springfield yesterday. The participants were mostly professionals from various walks of life protesting proposed budget cuts to their industries.

I was invited to hop aboard a Peoria Charter Coach and join the Peoria Federation of Teachers as they participtated in the general expressions of discontent with the state of Illinois Government. Since I basically agree that there is plenty to complain about, and, anyone who is willing to take my kids off my hands for nine months out of the year, well, let's just say you had me at Hello. So I was happy to oblige and support our teachers! Road Trip!

Myself, the Elliott-Gardners and the Adkins- Dutro's all brought our kids. We took up the back half of one bus. Funny but the other bus without the kids was for some reason more crowded than ours. ;-)

Our little protesters

We departed Peoria Stadium around 8:30a.m. after a morning
greeting from Superintendent Norm Durflinger. Truth be told I think he may have been a little sad he wasn't going along. He had other plans however. Hopefully he had a full box of No-doz in his pocket.

I estimated the crowd at somewhere between a bazillion and a gazillion.

The issues were remarkably the same as the Tea Partiers!
The boys realized quickly that the posters made awesome jumbo jets!

As we entered the protest area, I noticed the wide variety of issues and signs. It struck me how similar it was to the tea parties. In fact, there are many many areas of common agreement between these two groups. The proposed solution to the problems is where they may part ways. For instance, one speaker who sounded like she had just swallowed a bag of unmixed asphalt chanted "Raise our taxes!" I squirmed a little bit, but then realized a little improvisation was in order. "Vote them out!" fit nicely in between the chants and added a poetic quality.

Here is my top ten list of similarities between the Tea parties and yesterday's Springfield rally:

1. They both have valid points
2. They both have the right and in fact the obligation to express themselves
3. They both are committed to their cause
4. They have all been victims of a corrupt and wasteful government.
5. They should both have the blessings of Bill and Hillary!
6. They both have demonstrated in a lawful peaceful manner.
7. They both are advocating for the issues that are important to them.
8. They both want to reduce government corruption and waste
9. They will all VOTE in November
10. They don't want to be labeled, marginalized or demeaned.

So there you go! I am qualified to make these judgements since I was at both events. I hope this puts the hostilities between the parties to rest. Everyone needs to be registered to vote. Everyone needs to know their legislators and cast the appropriate vote in November. Do not expect the same people that got us into this mess to get us out of it. That would just be stupid. Face the fact that Spingfield's and Washington's (and our) addiction to wasteful, reckless spending must end! Personally, I am heartened to see that the long apathetic slumber of the average citizen is over. We needed a wake-up call. The alarm is ringing!

Local teacher walks the walk... - UPDATED!

2010-04-21T19:46:00.002-06:00

UPDATED - Karen McDonald wrote a story as well complete with interviews with the students. Her excellent coverage is here. Hedy also reported today that since this story broke the PHA phone has been ringing off the hook from citizens wanting to make donations of supplies to the program. She wishes to thank the Peoria Fire Fighters who donated calculators, rulers and pens, and in particular, Firefighter Byron Yang who personally wrote a check for $100! Mr. Yang also asked for and received a gift card from Kroger's Foods for future supply needs.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Lao Tzu.

With the persistent bad news regarding the state of public education, it is my pleasure to write about something positive. No, it has nothing to do with shiny new buildings. Nope, it's not about new IPAD's or smart boards. Sorry, but nothing to do with the snappy new Charter School... and no, there is no latest bestest learning program to unveil. This news is about one person who wants to teach and students who want to learn.

The teacher I refer to is our own Hedy Elliott-Gardner, daughter of comedian Royce Elliott, a familiar voice at the District 150 School Board podium, and Vice President of the Peoria Federation of Teachers. Her students are residents and children of Peoria's Housing Authority, Taft and Harrison homes.

Last week I shadowed Hedy, a woman I have long admired, as she prepared for her first day of classes at Taft. Through her employment as a District 150 teacher, Hedy sought and received permission from the Regional Office of Education to create and teach an adult GED program and supplemental grade school classes on the premises of Taft and Harrison Homes. She said she had been mulling the idea for awhile, and finally approached Regional Superintendent of schools, Dr. Gerald Brookhart. From the onset he was enthusiastic about the idea, and encouraged Hedy to follow her dream. He helped her lay out a road map, and from that point forward the pieces fell in to place.

"While this was in the planning stages, many doors were opened. I had help from so many sources. ELITE founder Carl Cannon, Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools Jeff Nelson, PHA Executive Director Brenda Coates, Interim Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools Norm Durflinger, and Human Resources Director of Peoria Public Schools Debra Dimke, all played a significant role in this project coming to fruition."

Hedy is thrilled with her spacious classroom, which is located above the Administration Building within the complex. There is nothing fancy about it - all white walls, a suspended ceiling, and old linoleum floors. She has big plans to bring it to life, however, with bold colors and inspiring wall murals. She enlisted the assistance of accomplished local artist Larry Hendricks, (pictured above) who will paint at least one wall with a large educationally themed mural. He is also helping her with color choices and room design. "When my new students first walk into the classroom," Hedy said "I want them to feel like this is the first day of the rest of their life". In the top photo, Hedy is shown perusing her new workspace.

Many of her students have experienced an unrelenting sense of hopelessness - a condition described as "generational poverty" that is handed down from parents to children. Just as a middle class parents will have children that are likely to become middle class themselves, those born poor are likely to remain in poverty. According to Hedy education can break that cycle. "Education is the ticket to a better life for themselves and their children."

Last Friday was her very first day of classes at Harrison, located on the South side of Peoria near Manual High School.

"I hoped and prayed that I would have 1 - 3 people walk into my classroom today. I was shocked when people kept coming in, and I ended up with 11! They were prepared, rested and pen in hand. It was a wonderful experience. They were all so engaged and wanting to learn. It was no different from any of my other classrooms. One of my students was a Great-Gram-ma. She had 7 children, 20 grand children and 27 great grandchildren. She told me that she felt she needed to have a diploma in order to personally demonstrate to her children and grandchildren the importance of education.

So what makes Hedy tick? I just had to ask. Wouldn't life be a whole lot easier if she just worked in a classroom and punched the clock every day?

"I know I can inspire and reach these folks, and when I see a need that I know can be satisfied I can't ignore it. It tortures me. The way we currently treat this population just feels wrong to me. You know many people are willing to step up and help children. They are small and cuddly and cute. But the adults are largely overlooked. We can do so much more than just satisfy their basic needs. The key is education. We can give them the tools they need for a better life. The children cannot succeed if we don't simultaneously address the needs of the the parents."

Hedy's style is self described as "old school".

"I get back to the basics. We don't need fancy buildings and technologies and the latest in newfangled research. We need to implement the tried and true recipe of structure, expectations, rules and hard work. For children we need smaller classrooms, more individualized instruction and fewer interventions and disruptions in the school day."

I couldn't resist asking her opinion of the new Charter School. She cautioned that it is not the "magic bullet" that everyone wants it to be. "The Charter School will serve several hundred, but I am concerned about the needs of over 13,000 students in this district".

That is why I admire her so much. She doesn't bow to political pressure but instead marches to the beat of an inner moral compass - a characteristic that is becoming increasingly elusive among our leaders. With her position in the PFT, her tenured status, and the widespread respect she commands among her peers, she could most likely snag a cushy job in her choice of schools. But teaching is her passion. She wants to teach - anyone who wants to learn. What a novel concept.

Viewing Schedule for Peoria Pundit Blog

2010-02-17T08:41:00.004-06:00

Given the notoriously limited financial resources of the Peoria Pundit, aka Billy Dennis, the bandwidth of said blog is severely limited. More than a handful of readers logging in at the same time will cause the blog to go off-line for an unspecified period of time.

Below I have outlined a proposed solution to the problem. Failure to abide by the policies outlined below will result in a continued instability of the "Blog Peoria" project.

If your name begins with an A-C your log-in time will be 8:00 - 9:00 AM
If your name begins with a D - F your log in time will be 10 - 11:00 AM
G - I 11:00 - 12:00PM
J - L 1:00 - 2:00PM
M - O 2:00 - 3:00PM
P - R 3:00 - 4:00PM
S - U 5:00 - 6:00PM
V - W 7:00 - 8:00PM
X - Z 9:00 - 10:00PM

If your allotted time is inconvenient, you might consider trading with someone who is in a more preferred time slot. By no means should any user go outside of their assigned time slot or complete systemic failure of Peoria Pundit is likely.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Peoria Times Observer posts their Top Ten Stories of the Year list!

2010-01-07T12:24:00.004-06:00

You can find the story here. Yours truly is quoted in #6, a story DeWayne wrote last summer about neighborhoods that maintain their average sale prices and DOM (Days on market) in a compromised economy.

Looking back, it seems that 2009 was the year that went on forever, beginning with the big Museum referendum vote in April. I have dubbed it the year of the Bizzar-o. Hopefully in 2010 people will come to their senses about the ridiculousness of human behavior.

A blessed Christmas to all...

2009-12-25T07:47:00.000-06:00

Always remember the reason for the season.

A warning regarding caller ID....

2009-12-18T15:30:00.002-06:00

Realtor members recently recieved an e-mail from the Peoria Association of Realtors. Apparently, there have been multiple reports of "Caller ID spoofing" within the Peoria area.

Caller ID spoofing is a service that allows a caller to masquerade as someone else by falsifying the number that appears on the recipient's caller ID display. Just as e-mail spoofing can make it appear that a message came from any e-mail address the sender chooses, caller ID spoofing can make a call appear to come from any phone number the caller wishes.

Folks, this can pose a significant security risk. Please be careful and make sure the person you are talking to is who they say they are. If necessary, call the person back at the number you have for them. Only give out confidential information if you are absolutely certain of the identity of the person on the other line. If you have any questions please call me at 309-645-8608 or Brian Carroll at the Peoria Area Association of Realtors at 688-8591. As always, be careful out there!

Legislating parental involvement

2009-11-17T06:01:00.003-06:00

Here is a great article highlighted by a local blogger about how one school district is thinking "outside the box" and requiring greater participation from parents of students who are struggling academically. The key to reaching some children is by modifying the behaviors of the parent. It would be interesting to follow this school district and observe what kind of changes in student achievement they observe from this program.

NAR lays out the new home buyers tax credit rules

2009-11-10T14:44:00.003-06:00

If you have been in the real estate market recently, you are most likely aware that Congress just passed an extension of the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit. This time, however, the credit extends to all buyers of homes under $800,000, and not just first time home buyers. The credit to non-first time home buyers is $6,500. Here is how the credit works. You find a home and close on it as usual. You then request the tax credit on your end of year tax return. This time, the IRS requires the buyer submit proof of the purchase with your return. The chart below, published by the NAR, does a good job laying out the details and restrictions of the credit.

Mortgage rates are low, inventory is high, and now there are big buyer incentives to boot. If you've ever thought about moving, this is the time. Call me today at 645-8608 for a no cost or obligation home buying consultation and a free buyer pre-approval.

National Assoc. of Realtors explains the new tax credit

D150: Rules? We don't need no stinkin rules

2009-11-03T19:57:00.002-06:00

A phone call to District 150 Spokesperson Stacy Shangraw confirmed today that Administrator Mary Davis continues to be on Paid leave following allegations of theft and misconduct from fired Lindbergh Middle School principal Julie McArdle. This leave comes at such a time that we are also paying current Superintendent Ken Hinton-soon to be on medical leave, and Norm Durflinger, interim Superintendent. What Hershel Hannah's role is at this point is yet one more D150 mystery.

With this kind of payroll musical chairs, is it any wonder there is no money left to keep our schools open?

According to Ms. Shangraw, MD will remain on the payroll until the outcome of an investigation by the States Attorney's office. Ms. Davis has been on paid leave since September 8, with no end in sight.

This position by the District violates their own written board policy.

Apparently, the Mary Davis situation is not unique. Other administrators in other districts have faced similar allegations, and how a school district should respond has long been established. The written policy of our Board of Education cites case law and defines the official protocol that the district should follow in these exact circumstances:

Here are the provisions that apply:

5:120

Ethics
All District employees are expected to maintain high standards in their school relationships, to demonstrate integrity and honesty, to be considerate and cooperative, and to maintain professional relationships with students, parents, staff members, and others. The following employees must file a "Statement of Economic Interests" as required by the Illinois

5:240

Suspension With Pay
The Board of Education or Superintendent or designee may suspend a professional employee with pay (1) during an investigation into allegations of disobedience or misconduct whenever the employee's continued presence in his or her position would not be in the School District’s best interests, (2) as a disciplinary measure for misconduct that is detrimental to the School District as defined above, or (3) pending a Board hearing to suspend a teacher without pay. The Superintendent shall meet with the professional employee to present the allegations and give the professional employee an opportunity to refute the charges. The professional employee will be told the dates and times the suspension will begin and end. No suspension with pay shall exceed 10 school or working days in length.

In short, the district should have notified MD that she was being suspended and given her a specific start and end date, with the paid leave not to exceed ten days. MD would have then been entitled to a hearing. The District would put up the evidence that has already been provided compliments of McArdles lawyer and offered Ms. Davis the opportunity to refute it.

The evidence consists of (among other things) 1. documents with falsified student addresses 2. Statements showing the existance of a credit card, issued to Charles Lindbergh Middle School and used by MD for clearly personal expenses. Payments made to that credit card that are clearly shown coming from the student activity fund, an e-mail to Julie McArdle from MD stating incorrectly that the account no longer existed, and a statement by Ken Hinton saying it was not an authorized credit card.

My 8 year old can sit on the panel as he has a pretty good head for these things. She either followed our rules, or she didn't. Short of blaming it on an evil twin sister, the facts look pretty irrefutable. Do we really need the States Attorney to define right and wrong for us? Sad. If there was cause, cut her loose. It's the responsible thing to do. Follow the rules that each board member swore to uphold.

The District argues that they don't want the liability of MD suing them. If that is the case, why did they not feel the same way about the time Mr. Walvoord opened a letter stating If-you-fire-Julie-McArdle-we-will-sue-you? Where was the fear of liability then? Well the opportunity to avoid legal exposure to the district has come and gone as McArdles legal team looms in the distance, preparing subpoenas like party invitations. Thank you to whoever made THAT decision for being such a wise custodian of District assetts. [end sarcasm]

Why is the District afraid of Mary Davis but they weren't afraid of Julie McArdle? Very strange indeed. I am asking this board of Education to simply follow our written board policy. A policy position that was written to protect the interests of the children and taxpayers over the coddling of yet another administrator. What a novel idea!

Peoria Times Observer now delivered with PJStar in 61614 area code

2009-10-28T21:22:00.002-06:00

This morning as usual I opened up my daily PJStar, and lo and behold, there was a Times Observer inside! I tried to figure out if this had happened somehow by chance, or if it was a new method of delivery.

So I e-mailed my Facebook buddy and Time Observer editor DeWayne Bartels and asked him to shine a little light on this phenomenon.

DeWayne replied that the Times Observor is now being delivered inside the 61614 area code. It is an experiment, for now, he said.

I like it! You know the idea of 2 newspapers working together in cooperation to face a tough economic environment kind of warms the cockles of my heart.

Peoria Honors its Neighborhood Do-ers

2009-10-22T21:51:00.004-06:00

A good friend of mine used to say there are two kinds of people in the world - Givers, and Takers. Well tonight was a night for givers as Peoria honored those among us who work double time to make our neighborhoods cleaner and safer.

The 13th Annual Neighborhood Leadership Awards took place this evening at the Civic Center. The evening was well planned and moved quickly.

The stories were uplifting and abundant. Neighbors helping neighbors, families giving up their weekends, local businesses providing advice and financial resources, individuals standing up to crime and drug houses, city leaders responding to needs for stop lights, signage and other neighborhood concerns.

It was a showcase of resourcefulness, hard work and commitment- a very uplifting message. We do not have to surrender our neighborhoods to crime and neglect. The nominees tonight are an outstanding example of the alternative to flight!

Congrats to all the award winners, and also to those who don't win awards but work everyday to help and improve their community!

For more photos and details of the award winners please visit my Facebook page.

Roger Monroe "grades" District 150 at The Community Word

2009-10-03T04:34:00.007-06:00

Roger Monroe of recent "Royce and Roger" fame demonstrates he's still "got it" as he fires off his opinion regarding the closing of Woodruff High School by the Peoria District 150 School Board several weeks ago.

The entire article can be read here at The Community Word, where he "grades" the Board of Education members and their vote.

An interesting nugget of information contained in the article is that Woodruff's closure is not necessarily a "done deal" and hopefully Mr. Hinton isn't down at the barnyard counting fowl yet.

I've heard rumblings that Woodruff Alum will be fighting the decision and Roger lay-ed out a fairly compelling legal premise. Full disclosure: I'm no a lawyer but sleep at Holiday Inn Express on occasion.

One thing is for sure... I won't be joining Mr. Hinton in the barnyard until I hear melodious tunes emanating from a portly female.

Hat tip: Billy Dennis

Now THAT is impressive!

2009-09-28T15:35:00.004-06:00

Aaron Schock is on the national news scene almost everyday it seems. Have to say, though, that the GQ spread didn't impress me that much. Nor did the Air Force One junkett with President Obama to tour the Caterpillar Plant.

THIS, though, impresses me! Schock to throw out the first pitch at a CUBS game! THAT ROCKS!!

Hat tip: Debbie Adlof

This one is for Joni!

2009-09-09T05:07:00.005-06:00

Joni is getting tired of the seeing the same picture at the top of my blog. That is code for "update your blog you lazy *insert word of choice here*". For Joni, I am updating with a new pic. I'll work on new content ASAP. In the meantime, I am doing most of my blogging here. Yes, my husband is running for judge. Political campaigning is exhausting and all consuming. It has its exhilarating moments as well. I will leave you with this thought.... it is impossible to fully comprehend all aspects of human existence until you have experienced and lived through a campaign in the family.

Peoria Rocks pic of the week!

2009-08-16T20:59:00.003-06:00

So is this guy really funny, or really stupid? You be the judge.

New meth disclosure required from Illinois home sellers

2009-08-12T09:03:00.003-06:00

Hopefully, this will not affect any PeoriaRocks! readers, but sadly, it will affect some residential properties in Illinois. There is legislation pending right now, expected to be approved today and affective immediately, that Sellers must disclose to a buyer if they have any knowledge of the manufacture of methamphetamine on the premises being sold.

The manufacture of meth in a home creates a build up of toxicity in the home that leads to long term adverse health consequences for the inhabitants.

According to the site Methlabhomes.com

Exposure to chemicals used to make meth include the inhalation or ingestion of brake cleaners, engine starting fluid, drain cleaners,paint thinners, ammonia, rock salt/iodine, road flares, batteries, gas additives, gun cleaners, lye, and lantern or camp stove fuel.

People who are risk of chronic toxicity include not only meth cooks and those who are in the house when they’re making it, but also those who live in the home long after the meth lab has been shut down. Children living in a former meth lab are especially vulnerable to the effect of toxins on their body. Others at risk for chronic toxicity include police, firefighters, and child protection agents

The specific language on the Residential Real Property Disclosure Report will be as follows:

23. I am/am not (check one) aware that this property has been used for the manufacture of methamphetamine as defined in Section 10 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.

Your buyers agent should be aware of this requirement and make sure that the seller has complied with this new disclosure law. If you are looking for a new home, consider hiring me as your buyers agent.

Attention Tazewell County Homeowners

2009-07-28T08:33:00.002-06:00

According to the Tazewellassessments.com website:

The 2009 deadline for Board of Review appeals is August 10 for all townships in the County, with the exceptions of Groveland which is August 31, and Morton which is yet to be determined.

In other words, if you feel your property is assessed at more than it is worth, you have only until August 10, 2009 to do something about it.

Contact your Realtor for assistance in gathering comparable sales data that will support your argument for a lower fair market value.

The appeal forms can be downloaded here.

It is the homeowners responsibility to keep your property assessment fair and reasonable.

Astronaut Scott Altman talks space travel at Lakeview Museum

2009-07-27T20:56:00.009-06:00

I've often said that anyone who complains there is not enough to do in the Peoria vicinity just isn't looking hard enough. Case in point - this evening at Lakeview Museum, Scott Altman, Pekin native and space traveler, shared his adventures with a large gathering on the front lawn of the Lakeview Museum.

For about 45 minutes prior to his talk, he signed autographs and posed for photo-ops with the crowd.

It was entertaining listening to the crowd share their impressions of him with him. OK I admit I was eaves-dropping.

Here is a bit of trivia. In the movie "Top Gun" there is a scene where Tom Cruises' character buzzes "the tower". Scott was the real pilot that flew the plane during that scene. He said it took 11 takes. How cool is that!

Scott used an overhead projector and shared some of his private video footage with the crowd. He explained the complicated nature of their latest mission in May, where they upgraded and repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. Scott was the Commanding Officer of that mission and he said his greatest thrill was landing the shuttle. Here is NASA's description of Scott's last mission:

STS-125 Atlantis (May 11-24, 2009) was the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission. The 19 year old telescope spent seven days in the Shuttle’s cargo bay undergoing an overhaul conducted over five back to back spacewalks. The crew overcame frozen bolts, stripped screws, and stuck handrails to complete all mission objectives. The refurbished Hubble Telescope now has four new or rejuvenated scientific instruments, new batteries, new gyroscopes, and a new Command and Data Handling computer. The STS-125 mission traveled over 5.3 million miles in 197 Earth orbits, and ended with a day landing at Edwards AFB following two days of wave offs due to poor weather in Florida.

He also shared the daily activities of the crew and the Q&A session with the crowd made for some hilarious fodder.

It was a really cool event and I'd like to thank Lakeview Museum for their cahuna's in getting him here. My understanding is that he spent almost the entire day with kids from the summer camp. What a great event! What a hero! What an experience!

Well heres a novel idea...

2009-07-20T15:47:00.002-06:00

A District 150 board member actually engaging *gasp* the community! Get this - she wants to hear your *ideas* and solicit your *input*. OMG - some of the other board members are going to need their smelling salts!

Way to go Laura Petelle. Show them how its done.

Psst, Laura - D150 needs your pic. That gray outline just doesn't do you justice.

Debbie Wolfmeyers campaign promises

2009-07-20T11:59:00.008-06:00

Update - I may be wrong about Wolfmeyers vote on the Edison project. I'm checking into this...

District 150 Board member Debbie Wolfmeyer is vying to become the President of the School Board tonight, after a 3 - 3 tie at the last board meeting. She was absent at that meeting, and will presumably vote for herself this evening, giving her the win unless one of the original three board members that voted for her changes their vote.

Our District 150 Watch group strongly supports Martha Ross for President, because we feel she is the most qualified in both education and experience. We also feel that through her actions, she has demonstrated a high regard for the needs of the community and the students. She consistantly votes on the side of the students over the nepotistic, self preserving, money squandering policies of the Central Administration that has left us virtually bankrupt.

Debbie Wolfmeyers performance on the school board has been, to be polite, disappointing. Most feel that she has not even remotely lived up to the promises she made to her constituency during her campaign for school board.

A quick check of the PJStar archives confirms we have good reason to be disappointed. On March 17, 2006, the Peoria Journal star issued the following endorsement of Ms. Wolfmeyer:

Wolfmeyer, 54, retired from District 150 in 2004 following 27 years as an administrative secretary in special education. For a decade she headed the district's clerical union. She says School Board members don't ask enough questions of administrators, that generally the district and board do a poor job of communicating with both staff and public, that she'd be a notable change on both counts.

Oh really?? That was what she said. Here is the reality:

From an e-mail:

Mrs. Vespa - I must respectfully decline your invitation to meet with you. It is not my role as a Board member to meet with individuals or groups. None of us as an individual Board member has any authority. Our authority comes as we work as a body. Also, I am not an educator. Therefore, it is important that any ideas, solutions, etc that are presented go through the administration so that they can assess them and report to us.

Another example of her disregard for the community she serves - At a recent board meeting, Ms. Wolfmeyer voted to decrease public input sessions from 2 sessions to 1, thereby reducing public input time from 40 minutes to 20 minutes - unless an extension is agreed to by the majority of the board.

PJStar writes:

She'd terminate the Edison contract on the basis that "I have a hard time catering to the 30 percent at the expense of the 70 percent." She wants a real alternative school for chronic discipline problems and believes vocational education must return to the high schools. She'd downsize central administration. She wants local schools to emulate best classroom practices.
Section: EDITORIAL
Page: A4
Record Number: 0000727930
Copyright (c) 2006 The Peoria Journal Star, Inc.

The reality: ~~She has voted to extend the Edison contract at least twice.~~ Of course we still have NO alternative school, and Central Administration has grown like a toxic fungus under her watch.

Here is more:

From the PJStar, March 25, 2006

Wolfmeyer has said money is being wasted on administrative salaries, and she'd like to see the elimination of some positions. I don't know if we need four people with the word superintendent in their names. A lot of times School Board members don't ask enojugh questions of the administraiton, and I think it's sometimes because they don't know what to ask.

It's one thing to have a hunch that someone isn't walking the walk. It's another when it is right before your eyes! Ms. Wolfmeyer was elected by her district based on promises to do exactly the opposite of what she has been doing. For all the board members who vote FOR Debbie Wolfmeyer for President, I have to ask - What can you possibly be thinking? Her election as the representative of your body will be a bizarre tribute to everything that is wrong with you.

Peoria Rocks Hero of the Year-to-date!

2009-06-19T14:49:00.003-06:00

The winner is... Kirk Wessler, sports writer for the Peoria Journal Star. This guy hit a home run with this article. It is so on-point and comprehensive I can't think of a single comment to improve upon it.

By KIRK WESSLER
of the Journal Star
Posted Jun 18, 2009 @ 10:30 PM
Last update Jun 19, 2009 @ 01:45 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PEORIA — When the District 150 school board finally votes on which of its four high schools to close, the choice should be a no-brainer.

Say good-bye to Manual.

It won’t be that easy, of course. For some reason, Manual seems to be surrounded by a magic force field that has made the school untouchable in this debate. That needs to change. Right now.

Much as I hate to see any school close, I believe it’s a financial necessity. Reasonable people disagree and present compelling data about the “right size” for urban high schools, to support keeping all schools open. If they can find a way to do that without drowning us in debt, more power to them.

The board, however, voted in April to close a high school but deferred specifics. The vote on which school to close will come whenever it shows up on the agenda. Could be any week now.

Closing Richwoods, the only city high school north of War Memorial Drive, is out of the question. All the talk to date has focused on Peoria High, a.k.a. Central, and Woodruff.

But why has Manual been off the table? I know one board member who wonders the same thing, and I suspect there are others. It’s way past time for them to open their mouths in public and in a loud, clear voice demand rational, substantive answers before they endorse one more lame proposal from an administration that has zero credibility with the taxpaying public.

Manual’s location alone should make it the No. 1 candidate for closure. The campus is pinned into the far-southwest corner of the city, a mere three blocks from the Limestone Community school district. The growth potential is non-existent. Residents of West Peoria and the Peoria West Bluff, a sizable slice of which falls within Manual’s attendance boundaries, abandoned the school years ago.

Manual’s future as a viable high school is a lost cause.

That’s painful to say, because the negative perception of the neighborhood is overblown and unfair. I’ll grant it can be a rough area, but not once have I ever felt unsafe there. I attend church on the South Side, three blocks south of the school. I visit Manual. I’m in the neighborhood several times a week, day and night. I’m watchful, but never worried.

Perceptions are real, though, even if they’re wrong. So, parents of kids in suburban schools don’t want to schedule sports contests at Manual, and city dwellers don’t want to attend events there. Almost nobody with a choice wants their kids to go to school there. So they don’t do any of those things.

Those are facts. Here are more.

Other than basketball, Manual’s programs have become perennial failures. We’re not talking about dismal won-lost records, which have led to ownership of last place in the conference all-sports standings for most of this decade. After all, extracurricular activities are about more than winning percentages. No, Manual’s problem is that most of its sports programs lack the participation necessary to offer reasonable opportunity to compete.

It’s one thing to play and get beat. It’s quite another to have to forfeit, or to concede victory before the starter’s gun fires, or to reschedule — over and over — because there aren’t enough kids to field a varsity team, let alone freshman or sophomore development squads.

Peoria High and Woodruff fight some of the same battles, but not nearly to the degree Manual does. They remain salvageable.

First, the boundaries for Central and Woodruff still encompass thriving residential neighborhoods that have not given up on themselves, or on their high schools.

Plus, there are other factors in play.

Closing Peoria High as an institution would be crazy. It was founded in 1856 and remains the oldest continuing high school west of the Allegheny Mountains; 17th oldest in the entire country, according to the school Web site.

My best friend, a former Richwoods basketball player, is a high school administrator in Michigan now. He was back for a visit last weekend and wanted to know more about what he’d been reading in regard to Peoria school closures.

“You know,” he said, “I never had any use at all for Central. But closing that school would be nuts. You just don’t throw away history like that.”

When the Peoria Diocese merged Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute with Bergan to form Peoria Notre Dame in 1988, the Catholic community here lost a lot more than two old school buildings. A part of its soul was needlessly, stupidly ripped out and flushed away, never to be recovered.

If you don’t believe me, ask an old Spalding or Academy alum.

Another thing about Peoria High, the building. Opened in 1916, it’s the oldest in the district. It’s also the largest. And it’s a fortress. What sense does it make to increase enrollment — and crowding — at the remaining schools and shut down the biggest one?

As for Woodruff, I’ve seen more overall improvement there over the past decade than at any of the other high schools, Richwoods included. The community spirit, in an area of the city that’s too easily written off, is palpable. What Tim Thornton and his staff have done to restore the football program — on the field and in the classroom — borders on miraculous. Wrestling remains strong and won the conference championship last winter. Its teams are not all doormats.

Closing Manual would be sad. From a sports standpoint, closing it barely a decade after the Rams won a record four consecutive boys basketball state titles also would be stunning.

But closing Central or Woodruff would be wrong.

------------------------------------------------

Full disclosure here. Four generations of my family attended Peoria High. My wife works there, and I’m a member of the school’s alumni board. Also, my brother, who is a Manual graduate, teaches at Woodruff. And I still live on the West Bluff.

Take that however you wish.

KIRK WESSLER is Journal Star executive sports editor/columnist. He can be reached at kwessler@pjstar.com, or 686-3216.

Top school reformer Paul Vallas addresses Peoria education leaders

2009-06-12T17:01:00.014-06:00

UPDATE - Please see this excellent article by Dave Haney in the PJStar for some points that he grasped that I did not.

Paul Vallas drove through the night from New Orleans to Peoria as he rushed to keep a commitment made to his friend, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis. The two friends greeted each other warmly as he breathlessly arrived at Weaver Ridge country club to address local education leaders about school reform.

Mr. Vallas has a diverse and proven career reforming troubled school districts around the nation. Currently he is the Superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School district which includes schools in New Orleans rebuilding from the devastating consequences of Katrina. He has also successfully reformed, among others, Chicago Public Schools and Philadelphia Public Schools - districts that have demographics, poverty rates and academic challenges similar to Peoria. In short, it seems that Vallas has never met a district that he couldn't improve, and he is widely accepted as the "go to guy" for all the tough cases.

Mr. Vallas shared his insights with an audience of approximately 50 people including leaders, legislators, Board of education members and administrators. I was most likely invited as the token complainer, haha.

Vallas is very familiar with Peoria. He has often wondered why when wealthier suburban school districts perform well, nobody seems to notice. But when poorer, inner city school districts do well people are incredulous. "Poor school districts suffer from a racism of lower expectations", Vallas said. In other words, a community develops a complacent attitude towards poorer children and begins to believe and accept that poor children can't learn.

Mr. Vallas very much disagrees with that assessment, and has dedicated his career to demonstrating otherwise. "Sometimes you have to deconstruct before you can reconstruct", Vallas said. "Sometimes the reforms needed are so drastic that the only way to succeed is to dismantle, and then start from the ground up."

He feels that a big part of the systemic problem in the declining effectiveness of public education is the security blanket that surrounds public schools in the form of government funding. "A privately owned business that is failing must respond and change or go out of business". Public Schools on the other hand continue to be funded no matter what. There is no urgent need to change. "When you have repeated failures you must re-think your strategy."

Vallas attributes a large degree of his success in New Orleans to the fact that he was able to start "from scratch". "I had some buildings, the kids, the teachers, and the money that followed the kids, and that was it". I was able to leave behind the bureaucracy, the contracts and the establishment. Many of his early efforts in New Orleans simply focused on figuring out where he would put everyone. To his critics who have suggested that Mr. Vallas' success was due largely to an influx of federal disaster funds into the district he simply states that a majority of his funding went towards capital improvements. He feels that the dollar amount of educational funding available for each child is not the driving force behind the child's prognosis for academic success.

Mr. Vallas recommended six reforms that could be implemented immediately by any school district that would virtually guarantee positive results. They are:

1. Establish a superior comprehensive data driven curriculum that aligns with the next grade level. Provide a continuum of instruction from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

2. We must extend the school day and the school year. "The U.S. competitive advantage is deteriorating and we are getting our butts kicked abroad. We must restructure and lengthen our school day and school year to mirror the schedule of working men and women."

3. Parents must be given school choices. Poor families don't have the choices that affluent families have, and wealthier parents tend to vote with their feet. All parents should have acceptable choices so that they remain in their homes and keep their neighborhoods stable. School choice also creates competition and an entrepreneurial environment. School choice empowers parents, promotes innovation and naturally allows the school to attract a larger pool of talent.

4. Allow choice for schools. Allowing some schools to pick the best and the brightest students creates an environment of high expectations for everyone.

5. Every school must have a human resources strategy. The biggest struggle for public education is attracting the best and the brightest educators. The community should not fear alternative certified teachers. Many have extraordinary talent. They work like there is no tomorrow because they are used to a regular work day and work year. Many have unlimited energy, optimism and high expectations. Non certified teachers expand the talent pool and can be your top performing teachers. Put your best and brightest in superior instructional systems - just like the military. The better you perform, the more you get paid. He recommends Teacher Alternative Preparation Programs, or TAPP. The top performers also become your leadership team. HELLO SANITY!! According to Vallas, first teachers resist and fear these changes. They soon learn to welcome and embrace them as they see the benefits they deliver to students, the district, and consequently themselves!

6. Classroom modernization - In addition to reasonable class sizes, every classroom should be equipped with the latest in technology. At the very least the classroom of the inner city school should be equivalent to the classroom of the school in the suburbs. Smart boards, laptops - whatever it takes. I asked a question during the Q and A portion of the lecture about air conditioning in classrooms. Mr. Vallas feels that central air in our classrooms is indeed a necessity to expect peak performance from students.

If you think that these changes will cost exorbitant amounts of money, think again. Mr. Vallas says that it is entirely possible to implement reforms and cut spending at the same time. He said that as school choice emerges through the development of charter and choice schools, the schools become highly autonomous and the need for a central administration and the obstructions associated with it decrease. The central administration becomes lithe and effective, whose only purpose is to support the charter schools. No more micromanagement! He has seen districts that have central offices that are only 2% of their overall operating costs. Many districts could easily achieve a 60% reduction in their Administrative costs.

Finally, Mr Vallas noted that all of his recommendations were in line with the new directives of the Obama Administration. All of the reforms he noted would put the district in an ideal situation to qualify for the new stimulus funds. "I don't like to leave any federal money on the table when it comes to public education", Vallas said.

A lengthy Q&A session followed which was almost more revealing than the lecture itself. In addition, Mr. Vallas lingered behind after the program and addressed individual concerns. I was amazed at not only the depth of his knowlege, but also how willing he was to openly share his expertise. He told Board member Racheal Parker after the event that if the district needed anything or had any questions they should feel free to call him. What an amazing resource available to our community.

The only thing that bothers me about the whole thing is he makes it appear so easy. He speaks with such ease and confidance - oozing the common sense we have all dreamt about. Much of what he says falls into the "no-brainer" category. My neck hurts from my head bobbing up and down like a bobble head. As we look back over the past few years though, my heart sinks. How do you get this administration and this board of education to even begin making these changes? Personally, I vote for the do-over.

A new relationship...

2009-06-10T09:18:00.001-06:00

I'm in a new relationship. It is still relatively early, so I'm not sure that I can or will commit fully, but all indications are that this will be a lasting and worthwhile relationship.

Last Saturday for example, I greeted the day with great anticipation. We were going on our first road trip together. It was a little nervewracking given that the relationship was still new and somewhat tentative, but in my heart of hearts, I felt it would go well. I yielded to the excitement, threw caution to the wind and away we went!

At some point during the day we had our first moment of reckoning. We started turning down a frontage road, and off the familiar beaten path. I hesitated, and then decided that if were ever going to make it to the "next step", I would have to impart some blind trust. Without protest I acquiesed, and felt pure elation upon noticing some familiar landmarks close to our destination. Not only had our relationship advanced to a deeper, more trusting level, but I now knew a more meandering, scenic route to some of my favorite destinations.

Like old sneakers, it's hard to let go of established relationships. Yahoo! Maps has served me well. But the paper and printing had become cumbersome... and it was so unyielding if I changed plans. My new Garmin Nuvi GPS is fresh and exciting, has all the bells and whistles and I can mold it to what I want it to be. His name is Andrew. If he gets on my nerves I can turn him into a woman. He is very patient most of the time, but does get a little short if I pull rank on him and ignore his directions. Sometimes just for fun I try extra hard to rattle him. RECALCULATING! RECALCULATING, he shouts. It's kind of sinister to intentionally challenge him for my own amusement but what the heck. He never seems to hold a grudge.

The beauty of this relationship is that Andrew has an "off" switch. What a dream date. I love the new millenium!

Civility - 1, Thug Punks - 0

2009-06-09T20:44:00.014-06:00

That's the score so far for the Summer '09 Event Season.

Yesterday's PJStar reported that Holy Family Heritage Days was held without incident following the execution of a collaborative community effort to reduce teen violence. Last year unexpected random teen violence caused the same event to end sooner than planned. It's a great article and is some welcome good news for the city of Peoria.

PEORIA — If you plan to attend summer festivals this year, expect to be greeted with a list of rules: No baggy pants, no plain T-shirts, and no cursing.

Because of fights breaking out among crowds of teenagers during 2008 summer festivals, more than two dozen certified volunteers through Carl Cannon's ELITE Youth program are being called to action.

Their first stop was Holy Family Church's Heritage Days during the last weekend in May.

"We went incident free, knock on wood," Cannon said. "We raised the bar and put it on the youth to live up to the standards that we expect."

No arrests were made at the event, according to Capt. Lisa Snow of the Peoria Police Department.

Before entrance to the event, youths had to agree with a code of conduct and dress code, which were posted on signs at the entrance.

We are all quick to criticise our city leaders for their perceived shortcomings, but we tend to fall short when it comes to offering the appropriate accolades for a job well done. According to the article, the services and counsel of Carl Cannon will continue to be retained throughout the summer at Riverfront and city sponsored events. Thank you to the Peoria Police Department, Mayor Ardis and the City of Peoria, and particularly Carl Cannon and his Elite Youth Program and volunteers for their collaborative efforts, their innovative problem solving, and a willingness to continue to serve our community.

I found this point in the PJStar article to be the most revealing:

While some thought event attendance may be lowered because of these stricter guidelines, the last two days of Heritage Days saw an increase in attendance, according to Sollberger.

If people feel safe, attendance and participation will be enhanced - basic common sense we can apply to all city and school district business. The efforts undertaken to stop teen violence sends a strong message that we will not surrender our community or our schools to thugs!

Lindbergh Teachers Sound Off about Principal Firing

2009-05-23T05:28:00.030-06:00

Nearly a dozen Lindbergh Middle School Faculty and Staffers met privately with me as a group to set the record straight on some of the on-going turmoil within LMS following the unexplained firing of their new principal, Julie McArdle. A half dozen more have spoken with me on the telephone. This group considers themselves the silent majority, very concerned about possible ramifications for speaking out against D150 Administration, but also appalled at the unjust firing of McArdle who they feel has been a source of hope and strength in improving a toxic and divisive environment at LMS.

It should be noted that at NO time prior to her firing had any board member or Central Admin member contacted McArdle to intervene in any real or perceived conflict between McArdle and staff or parents. This same group who spoke to me reached out to both Hinton and the Board of Education through letters, unsigned at the time, but accompanied with a cover letter stating they would be willing to disclose their identities in a personal meeting, which could be arranged through school staff. They wanted the Administration to understand that the story they were getting from a select few was highly subjective and one-sided. No one responded.

The case against McArdle was shrouded in secrecy due to the confidential nature of personnel matters, but many teachers on the inside are calling FOUL and speaking out. Their stories and concerns all share a common theme.

According to them, the conflicts revolve around a core group of 4 teachers, a staff member, and a few easily influenced "fence sitters". They are friends and operatives of Mary Davis, the former Lindbergh principal who sits at the right hand of the Superintendent, Ken Hinton. Amazingly, McArdle ended up reporting to Davis, a situation that anyone with average sense could have predicted as trouble.

The rest of the story is oddly reminiscent of a popular 2004 movie . Sadly though, in this case, we are dealing with adult, not teenage behavior, and instead of being comedic, it is a real life situation with real life consequences.

According to the teachers, shortly after Julie McArdle arrived at the beginning of the '08/'09school year, the "Fab 5" as they had been dubbed let her know in short shrift who was in charge. All attempts by McArdle to shore up notoriously loose interpretations of State, Federal and district rules were met with a full court press by these gals who considered Julie an opponent to the leadership of Davis as opposed to a successor to.

McArdle is well known by her peers in the industry as a very competent, extremely knowledgeable "by the book and stickler for rules" principal with an impeccable record including a Central Illinois "Principal of the Year Award". The vast majority of teachers and parents felt McArdle was doing a very good job. The Fab 5, however, felt differently. According to sources, they worked double time to undermine her and complained constantly to Davis of McArdle's attempts to "even the playing field" by treating all students, parents, teachers and staff equally. Davis, instead of discouraging this challenge to McArdles leadership, seemingly encouraged and welcomed it.

Several teachers told me that as early as January, the Fab 5 would frequently roll their eyes at the directives of McArdle and mouth "She's gone" to those around her.

Mary Davis, as principal of LMS, was thought to pander to a chosen few. According to some teachers and parents, appearances and image were everything to her. She was partial to the admittance of students with high GPA's over the more academically challenged students, and would bypass the "boundary waiver" requirement by telling parents they could use the home address of one of her Fab 5 on their student admission form.

Many of Davis' actions were considered manipulative by some of the faculty. She was lavish with gifts, signature apparel and catered parties. The teachers were told that she paid for these perks with her own money. Now that the whistle blowing allegations of misuse of funds has surfaced, many teachers are beginning to worry that this lavish treatment came at the expense of the generous contributions from parents and students via their activity fund.

Other questions have arisen. One example is the annual school field trip to Springfield, Illinois. Parents have traditionally been charged $25. per student to cover the "expenses" relating to this trip. Where are the financial records for payments made for this trip? How was the $25 figure calculated? Many of the payments from parents were made in cash.

Another example: Under the Davis Administration, a Herculean effort was underway every week to sell food items such as ice-cream, nachos, pop and crazy bread from outside vendors to students at a profit. This practice was in direct violation of the contract the District had with the food service vendor. For instance, Little Caesars Crazy Bread could be purchased for .50 per serving but was sold to the students for $1.00. Likewise with soda-pop. The Kids loved this practice and it endeared them to Mary Davis. If the food vendor was scheduled to appear on the premises during lunch time the kids were told "Don't ask for crazy bread - we aren't selling crazy bread today!". The "store" (the student council storage room) would be locked up and all were under strict orders to keep it secret. Again, it was a largely cash business. Where are the records of receipts and disbursements?

According to teachers, Davis systematically bent the rules to gain and maintain popularity. One teacher described how Davis would submit a plan to Admin for how the teachers would utilize their teacher institute days, only to have it discarded and the teachers told to go home and "stay off the golf course".

She would utilize the PA system throughout the day with frequent blasts of psychological propaganda such as "We are number 1!" Many teachers found this very disruptive and intrusive.

Teachers that have declared their unquestioned loyalty to Davis by all appearances are forgiven their sins, and some of those "sins" are serious.

According to these teachers, one of the Fab 5 continues to scream and berate her students on a daily basis. "SHUT UP!" is constantly emanating from her classroom. The behavior is upsetting and shocking to the other teachers and they frequently have to close their doors. Teachers and parents have complained continuously about this teacher. At one point a parent filed a complaint with the state. This teacher, however, despite her horrid offensive behavior towards her students continues to be employed and continues to receive satisfactory reviews.

To add to the intrigue, activity fund records have been reported to the police as "missing". Credit card records filed in the Julie McArdle vs. Mary Davis court case clearly demonstrate a payment from the student activity fund to pay a credit card balance on a credit card that Mary Davis denied existed. Many of the charges on this credit card appeared to be of a personal nature. There were also several "cash advances", and the activity fund does not reflect any credit for rewards cash earned from the credit card.

According to this group, the Fab 5 along with Mary Davis regularly demonstrated extremely unprofessional and sophomoric behavior. They would regularly hang out after hours in the office, outside the gym and at extra-curricular events. They would frequently have their heads together, giggle, snicker and laugh. This behavior was very unsettling to the teachers, and the group that spoke to me said it made them feel belittled, excluded and intimidated.

A parent that I spoke to reported similar feelings. She told me she would shake when she went to pick up her child's report card, because she would see it passed among them, then handed to her, and they would burst out in laughter as she walked away.

One person told me that Mary Davis referred to a student as "dumber than a box of rocks" in front of staff.

Another teacher once said she had to unwillingly and uncomfortably sit in on a conversation where the Fab 5 discussed how awful it would be to have sex with some of the male teachers.

Many of the teachers I spoke with would describe incidents where Davis would scream at students. According to them, she was very short-tempered and would get within inches of a students face and scream so hard "she would spit". "You could see the veins pop out on her neck!" A parent that I spoke with witnessed one such incident with her child unbeknownst to Davis at the time. She described the situation as "horrifying". That same parent reported however, that under Julie's leadership, her child has had their "best year ever".

The teachers that spoke to me felt that if they exhibited independence and an unwillingness to bow to Davis, they were shunned and ignored. If they directly challenged her they would get the worst scheduling, the most difficult students, a cubby hole instead of an office - and worse, be the subject of ridicule and gossip at the hands of the Fab 5.

One teacher said she felt so stripped of her self esteem that "When Davis would leave the building, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders".

I asked the group if this affected their ability to teach. The group was quiet for a moment and lowered their gaze. It was a reflective sad moment. Then quietly someone offered "We had to continually tell ourselves that we were OK - that we were worthwhile. So much effort was put into tearing us down, we had to constantly try to build ourselves up." Emotionally, it was very challenging and demoralizing for them. The commonality of this group however, was that they had families, enriching personal lives and a relationship with God. This is how they coped.

As I looked at them, I was struck by how much they DID not fit the profile of an "outcast". They were all very well dressed, attractive, intelligent and well spoken. Truth be told, I felt a little dowdy in their company. It was obvious from the sincerity with which they spoke that they were truly devoted to their students and in their job for the "right" reasons. Could those be the very reasons they were ostracized? This writer thinks so.

This group feels that the only people that have been heard is the Fab 5 and a few easily influenced "fence sitters". Davis obviously has cultivated herself some power in Central Admin and the "how" and "why" is a burning question on more than one mind.

Appalled yet somewhat amazed at what I was hearing I asked a few probing questions. First, did any of these teachers field complaints from parents regarding McArdle? They all shook their heads. "No." However, they do think that some of the parents who had benefited from Davis' willingness to disregard rules and laws may have objected to McArdle putting a stop to it.

So how have things changed at LMS under the McArdle principal-ship? The teachers that I talked to feel very supported by her. "I saw support for my program that I have never seen before." "She sits in on every Special Ed IEP meeting", one teacher said. "We started feeling like we could be part of the leadership team." Other comments: "Julie gave us hope and courage." "My kids have really progressed this year." "Julie often comes in and sits in our classes. It makes the kids feel so proud!" "If there is a problem she talks it through with us." "Her knowledge of curriculum is amazing." "She never belittles or berates us - she is firm, but fair." "Never once have I ever seen her raise her voice to a student."

I wondered however, if the sentiments expressed were unique to the teachers before me - and I inquired as such. One teacher said that she had begun asking around, to gain some perspective other than her own. She said that she has heard from Speech, Occupational, Physical therapists, cafeteria, custodial, Social Workers, nurses, aides and support staff. They all had little to no complaints about McArdles knowlege or performance. She feels strongly that the tide against McArdle was orchestrated and embellished by the Fab 5 and the fence sitters eager to please, along with the assistance of Mary Davis.

Many feel that these individuals exploited long-lasting personal relationships they enjoyed with staff members and parents to pursue their own agenda against McArdle.

So why have these teachers come forward now? For one, they are extremely concerned that the new principal will be another Davis minion hand-picked by Mary Davis herself. One that will maintain or intensify the incredibly demoralizing and disfunctional status-quo. Secondly, their sense of honor and integrity compels them to take a stand against a situation that they know is fundamentally wrong and unfair. "If it could happen to Julie, it could happen to any of us", they said.

"Why did you not complain sooner?", I asked. They responded that they were very proud of their school and the reputation it enjoyed as District 150's finest. They did not want to air their "dirty laundrty" in public and felt they would tolerate it as best as they could for the sake of the community and their students. They also said that sometimes when you are in a disfunctional environment, you lose perspective and it becomes the new norm. At this point however, it has become just too weird to overlook, and they feel the time is appropriate to lay the cards on the table.

Work has not been easy for Julie since her contract termination. Many students thought that it was in fact her who was the subject of allegations of misuse of funds. Some students picked up on the cue's of the teachers and parents against McArdle and felt that it was OK to mirror that behavior and show disrespect.

The Fab 5 continues to challenge McArdle's authority. The students insult her audibly. I was told of a situation that occurred recently, after her termination. During a mandatory "Code Red" Safety drill, one of the Fab 5 refused to participate. That teacher is still working, under the assumed protection of Mary Davis.

A bright spot in all of this has been Asst. Superintendent Herschel Hannah, who has replaced Mary Davis as McArdle's Supervisor. Hannah has been very kind and supportive to Julie and has helped smooth over some of the difficulties and discomfort of the circumstances. Many feel that had she reported to Hannah from the beginning, much of this could have been averted.

The reader may wonder what this all has to do with the bigger picture that is D150. How can a situation like this be allowed to fester and thrive? In any properly functioning working environment nonsense of this nature would be nipped in the bud. To me, it is a perfect microcosm of all the problems we see in District 150. We have finally seen the demise of normalcy and common sense.

So many questions remain. Why would Superintendent Hinton NOT have intervened prior to the Mcardle firing? Why wouldn't they have replaced Davis as McArdle's supervisor at the first sign of trouble? Why did not a single Board of Education member do their due diligence and investigate the other side of the story (there always is one, isn't there?) prior to their vote to terminate the McArdle contract- particularly when they were warned that a major whistle blowing lawsuit was in the works? How could the District 150 legal council NOT have anticipated this? Or did they and were ignored? Did anyone in D150 leadership ever consider the legal costs to the district at a time that we are virtually bankrupt? Why is Mary Davis not on administrative leave following such serious and well documented allegations? McArdle's lawyer must be dancing a jig at the end of every single day she remains at her desk.

Julie McArdle recalled one moment when she asked Human Resources director Tom Broderick why she was being fired. Broderick's response: "Your just not a good fit."
Damn. I'll say!

Baby Eyebrows greets the world with a dazzling smile!

2009-05-22T21:28:00.000-06:00

OK, the smiling part I made up but Laura Petelle, aka Eyebrows McGee and hubby Garth are now the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy! Count on the Generation x-ers to tweet within hours of their child's birth! Here is Laura's Twitter page with the happy news! I love the second to the last tweet "Having baby - be right back". Ha ha! Congrats Garth and Laura! Hmmm, I wonder if he has thick eyebrows.

Reverse Psychology

2009-05-06T15:18:00.004-06:00

Here is some advice. If your kids know something that you don't want your husband/wife to know about, tell them to MAKE SURE they tell their father/mother. Then they will forget and not tell.

Never, I'm tellin ya NEVER, request that they NOT tell them. That's my advice. Take it or leave it.

As usual, all advice lavishly doled out on this site is provided free of charge.

My thoughts on Julie McCardle...

2009-04-29T21:15:00.004-06:00

First off, I've only spoken with her a few times. When Laura Petelle was running for School Board I arranged a PTO meeting with her. I'd like to say that Julie, the staff and Faculty of Lindbergh, and the PTO were absolutely lovely to Laura. After Laura's PTO appearance, we both agreed that the connection she felt with the folks at Lindbergh was pivotal in her campaign. For that reason, and the fact that I consider Lindbergh our "neighborhood school", I feel a special passion for its continued success.

I understand that some parents and teachers were critical of Julie's style when she first arrived at LMS. I respect that and acknowledge that I wasn't there, so my opinion may not mean squat to some people. I'm cool with that, but I'm going to say this anyway - Julie got a RAW deal.

I have spoken with enough people close to the situation that I feel pretty comfortable with my grasp on things.

It is commonly accepted that Mary Davis, the former principal was well liked by many. In hindsight, I am suspicious as to how she achieved that admiration, but will leave it at that. A commenter on the blogs reported that Julie was "divisive". However, an LMS teacher told me that Lindbergh has been that way for awhile - that a clique-ish mentality existed long before Julie arrived. There are those who are on the team, and those who didn't make the try-outs - and I ain't talking about cheer leading. In fact, several teachers had expressed a fear for how well the new principal would fare.

When Julie arrived, people soon realized she was a stickler for the rules, and had a very no-nonsense approach to things. One teacher said that although she was considered strict, she really knew her stuff. Many were impressed with the vast knowledge that she had of curriculum, testing, evaluation and laws.

As the facts seep out regarding Julie busting up students that had used fraudulent addresses with the assistance of staff, and putting an end to the "I love you" payroll, having lived a full, eventful life, I can well imagine the hard feelings she may have created for herself. Those that were unable to maintain their "preferred" status under Mary Davis were soon relegated to "ordinary" citizen, parent, staffer, whatever. Those individuals sought each other out first for comfort, and then for strength.

I have heard several compelling stories (from more than one source) about how they worked to undermine her authority by capitalizing on the friendship they maintained with now Julie's boss, Mary Davis.

But aside from that, several commenter's on blogs reported erratic, nervous behavior on the part of McCardle. McCardle has reported through friends that she felt very intimidated and bullied by this network of scorned Davis supporters. I am well aware of the affects of bullying on individuals and feel that the series of events that transpired likely played a role if in fact she exhibited this behavior. Further, if she is incompetant, she has not had a nuetral set of circumstances to demonstrate that incompetancy. In other words, the actions of Davis negates the opportunity for any claims of incompetancy. Does that make sense? It does in my head.

I realize there are two sides to every story, and my perception may be skewed. If so, I doubt it is by much. Too much corroborating evidence.

The whole situation is disturbing. First, it is such a shame that these dynamics are going on in an institution that should be teaching kids mature adult behavior. Although I'm sure staffers were careful to disguise their pettiness in front of students, kids today aren't stupid and no doubt they picked up on some of the vibes. Reading some of THEIR comments on the blogs confirms this suspicion. How do you teach children that bullying is wrong when it is being modeled in the adult world all around them?

Secondly, why is Mary Davis still working? I've seen the docs with my own two eyes. I realize the allegations haven't been proven but I can read. These are some serious documented allegations.

Third, it will be interesting to see how the loyal "friends of Davis" will react to her if she is in fact found guilty. Friendship is great but stealing from kids would super-cede any sense of friendship I could feel with pretty much anyone - including my Mom. This is not to suggest in any way that I think my Mom steals from kids. Haha.

Fourth, why in God's creation did the school board vote to dismiss Julie before the facts were in? Never mind. Don't answer that. It's too troubling. One blog commenter noted that the accused is the same person responsible for the personnel reports that resulted in McCardles firing. How wrong is that?

I have received multiple reports that the District has informed staff and employees that as of the end of this month they will begin purging e-mails - despite the fact there is an on-going criminal investigation into the activities of its central administration. I have placed a call to the FBI and informed them of that fact.

Finally, I hope that somehow Linbergh can heal. We are here for our children. In 50 years, most of us will be dead and gone, but our children will be carrying our torch. How bright that torch will burn is up to us. Put your differences aside, kumbaya in whatever way you can, and get back to the business of helping our children grow to be the very best they can be.

Teachable Moment

2009-04-29T20:20:00.000-06:00

The daughter loves to wear dresses, but she rarely wears them to school because of gym, playground and group time.

This morning, however, she had a yen to wear one to school. She picked out a pretty floral print with a loose flowing skirt.

I warned "Keep your skirt down and make sure you cover yourself up when you sit down".

Later, on the way home from school she announced she never wanted to wear a dress to school again.

Me: "Why not, honey?"

The daughter: "Because the boys kept trying to look up my dress".

Me: "I warned you sweetie, and that will never change. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. No one should ever be allowed to see under your dress, except some day your husband".

The daughter: "Why would he want to then, Mommie?"

Me: "Hmmm, I wonder what the flavor of the day is at Culvers?"

Will I ever learn when to keep my big mouth shut? On second thought, please don't answer that.

Question of the Day...

2009-04-29T08:07:00.003-06:00

If Superintendant Ken Hinton told his Board of Education to jump off a bridge, would they do it? Post your thoughts here.

Rent-a-Bully

2009-04-21T20:03:00.002-06:00

Dear Peoria District 150 Board of Education,

2009-04-19T14:41:00.008-06:00

Superintendent Ken Hinton has called upon you to tender a decision tomorrow, that, upon a majority of "yes" votes could begin the process of closing and shuttering our schools. Why the rush is a mystery, as we all know the budget is not due until September 30. There is also no urgency with the District bond rating either, contrary to what he would have you believe.

Only last week your Administration rolled out our $8,000 magic money machine, patting themselves on the back while they input the data needed to provide the desired output. Meanwhile, the public clamors to input data of their own and are rebuked. Fully realizing that all cost cutting avenues have NOT been exhausted, Mr. Hinton's illogical reaction is to prematurely call for your vote. He has represented your acquiescence to his wishes as a foregone conclusion. Since you are OUR representatives, it is your responsibility to insure that our ideas are aired as well. We trust that you will direct Mr. Hinton to give us time and opportunity to fully vet our own cost cutting suggestions through the magic money machine.

Now, according to Erik Bush, chairperson of the newly formed Budget Finance Committee, the district is following the Master Facility Plan to guide them in their closing of schools. To refresh your memory of the Plan, I have summarized it's "spirit" by highlighting the following paragraphs.

5. The school district should establish a clear commitment to making all facilities vibrant community centers for the neighborhoods that they serve (and where they are physically located). A corollary to this emphasis should be the development of a careful, detailed plan of implementation of the school closings and openings – a plan that absolutely minimizes disruption and negative impacts to the students, the educational setting, and the neighborhoods.

6. Every effort should be made by the school district to place students in facilities located in the neighborhoods where they reside. In tandem, every effort should also be made by the school district to absolutely minimize involuntary or arbitrary busing of students.

No displaced student would involuntarily have to leave his/her high school
attendance area by bus or other means to attend a District 150 school; that the
recommendations contemplated students attending a school as close in proximity
to their home as would be practicable; and, that no displaced student would be
involuntarily bussed “cross-town.”

Good schools are neighborhood anchors that attract and retain homeowners and
stabilize enrollments and property values, both of which are relied upon for the
funding of schools.

Develop and implement a comprehensive communication plan to explain the
proposed plan and its benefit to the community.

13. Continue the school planning, design and siting process by engaging all interested stakeholders in our community including students, parents, teachers,
administrators, neighborhood organizations, interested citizens, civic entities,
business community representatives and all others interested in developing
optimum learning environments for the children of District 150.

Since anyone with a degree of common sense would realize that few if any of these criteria have been met, we fully expect a "No" vote tomorrow.

However, for any of those who are vacillating, I offer the following comments:

Dr. Gorenz - Our family extends our prayers to your family as you embark upon the journey before you. May good health be yours again soon.

Mrs. Wolfmeyer - Occasionally I see the "fight" in you that I'm sure your constituents recognized when they elected you. Please channel that God-given quality towards the best interests of the children, and not the admin, the budget or any other entity. Your words in the Peoria Journal Star today were very disturbing:

“We know that these decisions we have to make are not necessarily the best interest of children right here today, but we’ve got to look at the whole district and have got to look at those (future) years to make sure that we have a district here that can serve kids in this area,” School Board vice president Debbie Wolfmeyer said last week.

We are unwilling to let ANY generation of children be the sacrificial lambs for generations before or after them. By your own admission a "Yes" vote tomorrow would NOT be in the best interests of the children that are under your care today. Therefore, a "Yes" vote will be an extreme dereliction of your duties.

Mrs. Spangler - You have paid your dues to the district- and your 5 year term is coming to an end. You have requested and received a leave of absence. Our families should always come first and your leave is well deserved. However, if you plan to resurrect yourself briefly for one vote to close our schools, after having missed months of public input and the comments of nearly 100 families, your vote can and will be challenged. The state school board code of conduct states:

6. I will encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow board members and will participate in board discussions in an open, honest and respectful manner, honoring differences of opinion or perspective.
7. I will prepare for, attend and actively participate in school board meetings.
8. I will be sufficiently informed about and prepared to act on the specific
issues before the board, and remain reasonably knowledgeable about local, state, national, and global education issues.
9. I will respectfully listen to those who communicate with the board, seeking to
understand their views, while recognizing my responsibility to represent the
interests of the entire community.

You were not at the board meetings to see, hear, and feel the input from the public. Reading about it later or watching it on tv is not sufficient. Communications to your official Board e-mail address are returned with the following message:

Due to a family issues over the next few weeks, Mrs. Spangler is not able to respond to phone calls and emails.

Your own sense of honor and duty should preclude you from making life altering decisions for these children. We should not even have to ask you to refrain from voting, but we will.

Ms. Butler, you are a public servant. This decision could rest on your shoulders. Please pray for God's divine intervention that he will in your moment of decision remind you to focus only on the needs of the children before you and nothing else.

Mrs. Parker - Your actions on the school board reflect a clearness of vision and a life of purpose. Please don't ever change.

Mrs. Ross - Several years ago you were asked to make a similar vote. Against great pressure from the status quo, you held firm to your core beliefs, voted your conscience, and you were right! Despite the promises made to you, the school closings not only didn't save the district money, but cost the district money, all borne on the backs of our students. Nothing has changed, and history will repeat itself.

Mr. Stowell, Although I appreciate your attempts to engage the public through social networking venues, much of what you say only accentuates the lack of confidence we feel in the School board. You can change that with a "No" vote tomorrow.

Mr. Hinton. You have lost your way. I do believe once the children were your primary concern, but at some point that changed. If you tender your resignation, I feel you can re-gain some of the respect that you once enjoyed. The only thing more frightening to me than you being in charge of $160,000,000 of public money, is you being in charge of almost as much of public building funds.

It is clear you seek a "do over" in your quest for charter schools, but if that is to happen, Mr. Hinton, you need to be as far away from it as possible. You may be willing to throw in the towel on this generation of children, but there are plenty of people still willing to fight for them and we will.

This is it. The future of many children rest in your hands tomorrow. Your collective decision will be pivotal. Will it fall on the side of the children, or will it be a continuum of adversity? We shall see.

District 150 Priorities: I'll report - you decide!

2009-04-16T09:47:00.023-06:00

Next Monday night Peoria Public Schools District 150 plans on voting once again for School closures. Next up on the chopping block, Kingman and Tyng primary schools. District watchers may experience a bit of deja'vu, as it was only a few years ago that they were singing the same swan song in anticipation of cost savings via the closings of Blaine Sumner and White Middle Schools.

For some background, consider the statements made in the following excerpts from the Peoria Journal Star

PJstar, Sept. 13, 2005-The facility committee in a presentation stated that consolidation was recommended because of the district's budget deficit. Closing schools and building new facilities would cut down on maintenance costs and improve the quality of education. The committee's goal is to save $5 million with the consolidation.

Some residents questioned the committee on why school renovation wasn't an option. Beth McDaniel attended the forum and said she believed the district was not focusing on the right things for bettering students' education.

"You guys jump too much. You're like a school district with ADHD," McDaniel said.

Residents said they understood the cost of maintaining a building, but thought renovating the schools would cost less than building new ones.

"I wouldn't mind a new building, but that's not going to make a better educational community," Katz said. "Renovate what we have. Keep what we have and don't look at ways to replace the buildings, but look at ways to alter the community involvement and engagement at the schools."

Sound familiar? It seems these remarks could have been made only yesterday. The beauty of history, however, is that we can look in retrospect at District decisions and see how their promises and consequences thereof held up. Although past behavior is not necessarily prediction of future, it's the best we got.

It would be reasonable to consider selling off real estate as an option for balancing a budget. At least that is what the district has argued. Is their intention to really save money, or could there be other conscious or subconscious agendas of which the public is not aware.

Peoria Journal Star, October 12, 2005
The district will try to swap vacant buildings for land to construct new buildings. If that doesn't work, it will try to sell the buildings. If no buyers are found, the district will attempt to transfer the properties to a financially sound organization with a plan for the space. If all that is unsuccessful, the buildings will be maintained or demolished.

Let's fast forward to Blaine Sumner today, closed as a middle School in 2006. Here is an exterior pic of this beautiful, all brick historic building.

The District instead of closing the school, thereby eliminating the maintenance and rehab costs as well as forfeiting its value in a sale, did in fact rehab it and moved Student Services personell in. The Student Services personell relocated from the Diagnostic Learning Center (DLC) on Wisconsin Avenue and into the Blaine Sumner School. The original DLC space remains vacant, and is still retained and maintained by the District.

Below is a pic of the Building Managers "office". His office is in a fullsized classroom the same size that my K-gartner shares with 28 other children! Next year, if Hinton gets his way, all classes will be further increased by 3.

From another angle:

This building is roughly 65,000 square feet. There are 80 employees that work out of it. According to an old Peoria Journal Star article, it had an occupancy permit for 500 people. There are approximately 2 people working out of each full sized classroom. Immediately after they closed it as a school, the district moved to AIR CONDITION it, and added FULL SECURITY complete with video monitors. There is also indication that they encapsulated some asbestos insulated heat ducts (not uncommon). In fairness, it is possible the asbestos remediation was done prior to its closing - not sure about that. Perhaps the District would clarify.

The building contains two lovely gyms. Here is the first one, used only as storage:

Here is the second one. Occassionally children from neighboring schools are bussed here to use this gym. The other gym (the one being used as storage) is definately the newer, nicer and larger of the two.

Here is the old school library. Completely vacant and not in use.

More storage:

and more storage:

Here is a room that is used by a few for child evaluations. I asked how often this room was used. Once person told us once a week for about 30 minutes, and someone else told us twice a week. It was beautful - fully lit up, furnished with play area and sofa and ready to go.

Here is a pic of the thermostat. It's hard to read, but the temp in the room was over 90 degrees. Not kidding!

Most of the employees that work there are part of the DLC. They provide support services to the students by way of speech, hearing, testing and act as a resource in recommending services. Much of their time is spent in the schools. Sources told us that over the summer, this 65,000 sq.ft. building is occupied by about 20 people. Over the Spring Break, there were about 5. This building costs roughly $250,000 year to maintain. The space they moved from - about $20K. I ask, where has been the cost savings to the district for justification of closing a school?

Some employees reported that they love the conveniance to each other for meetings and the space the building offers them to spread out. I don't blame them. Conveniant for them... too bad about the kids though. I would like to say though, that the employees that we all talked to were great. I have no problem what-so-ever with any of them or the work that they do.

Last night board member Jim Stowell posted the following on the Peoria Chronicle:

Either we drastically reduce labor costs across all functional areas, or we can’t afford to operate the current number of facilities. Those that we do operate, we hope take on the qualities of a “community center”. It is not 2005 and our costs have been greater than our revenue for an extended period. My desire is to help our district achieve financial stability while providing vibrant learning opportunities for our children. Every effort will be made to minimize hardships and inconveniences (unfortunately, there will be many), but these steps are necessary, in my opinion, to get us to where we need to go. The process will create obstacles and challenges, but it’s time to right size the district while planning for a better day.

I have a problem with this on so many levels. The excessive waste, (some of which is documented here and on numerous other blogs) overspending, and mismanagement by this Administration (and others) and this board which has given them the green light on just about everything has put this district where it is today - on the brink of financial ruin. Why is it that when the adults screw up, they look at our youngest, most vulnerable citizens - the students of which they exist to serve to shoulder the burden? My understanding is that the children that were moved out of Blaine Sumner have struggled even more academically since. I have not yet personally verified that claim yet.

It should be noted that current Board member Martha Ross voted NO to closing the Blaine Sumner School:

Peoria Journal Star November 22, 2005-Board President Alicia Butler and board member Martha Ross voted against them. "I'm fully aware that we need to cut costs. I can't in my heart of hearts look at this as a positive for our children," Ross said, adding she's concerned about the effect on displaced children, both academically and socially.

Martha is the board member that the other members felt didn't exhibit enough leadership or vision to be deserving of the board presidency.

Folks, I try to keep this blog happy and upbeat. I love Peoria and most everything about it. But when I see stuff like this, I realize sometimes, Peoria doesn't rock.

I'm not done...

Blogger fight!

2009-04-08T18:01:00.002-06:00

DeWayne Bartels of the Times Observer calls out the Pundit. Ha! Personally, I think they should have to strip down to one of those diaper looking thingy's and sumo- wrestle in the mud! Anyone wanna place any bets? This oughta be good.

Miracle on Water Street

2009-04-08T14:38:00.010-06:00

Those were the sentiments expressed by Brad McMillan as the Block-heads watched their dream for a Peoria Regional museum become a reality last night. Over 100 people crowded the back room at Old Chicago Pizza Tuesday evening to watch the election results roll in.

Supporters embrace and lovingly accept the name of Block-head at Museum wrap party

It was a nail biter till the very end. When we first arrived, they had just posted the results of early voting - which were heavily in favor of the museum. That thrill was short-lived, however, as throughout the evening the pendulum swung in one direction and then the other.

Many of us were trying to predict the trends. It appeared that the city of Peoria was voting in favor at over 60% of the vote. The county, however, was less than enthusiastic and was returning "Yes" votes of less than 40%. So not only were we focused on the number of votes, but the percentages of the county and city that had reported.

Several hours into the evening, I noticed the stats were stuck on +88 votes in favor of the museum. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife. Girls were hanging on to each other for dear life. There was very little conversation. All eyes were glued, I'm telling ya glued to the overhead. I started breathing a little easier upon the realization that almost the entire county had reported, but only 50% of the city. I felt encouraged by the knowledge that with the city of Peoria turning in an average 60% "yes" vote, it was highly likely that the YES votes would end up in even higher positive territory.

Ryan Spain, the technology guru of the evening, agreed. Young people in politics are a gift from God, and Mr. Spain was exactly that last night. He had his computer hooked up to a thingy magiggy, and the thingy magiggy hooked up to an overhead. He and an accomplice must have hit the refresh tab over 1000 times last night as they studied the Peoria Votes site. They would then type up-to-the-minute results into a thingamabob - and poof - out popped the projections on the overhead. "Oohs", "aahs" and gasps perpetually filled the air. At one point, Senator David Koehler sat with Ryan as they concentrated and analyzed results.

Finally, we saw a shift- up 180 votes, up 240 votes, up over 400 votes - and then magically - 100% precincts reporting. The room went wild. People were hugging, laughing, crying, and hugging again! It was an awesome moment. I was so happy, feeling in my heart that the citizens of Peoria had just taken a huge vote of confidence in their community, their future and their children. My mind filled with images of thousands of present and future generations of Peorian's experiencing life altering moments. Of course, I have stated from the beginning that those are intangibles you simply cannot put a price on.

There was one point in the evening when the "yes" votes were down almost 200. For some strange reason, so unlike myself, I believed at that moment (and only for a moment) that the referendum would fail. I try to hold on to that feeling to acknowledge that for many, that is how they feel today. I hope in time, they will begin to see the value in the museum, too. They may be surprised.

Finally, I would like to address the incorrect notion that the museum plan was put forth and supported only by the privileged and elite. That is preposterous. Open your eyes and look around. The museum was supported by people from all walks of life. Parents, grandparents, teachers, students, educators, laborers, execs - thousands of people see the value clearly. There is no ownership of an appreciation of the arts, history and science. The only commonality that was shared, and I noticed this last night, was a vision and a hope that we can do better for Peoria.

Although I don't want to understate my pleasure, I do want to acknowledge the disappointment of the opposition. Their strategies were remarkable, and I respect their opinions and their efforts for the most part. Every night I will add an extra bedtime prayer - Dear Lord, please don't ever let me be on the opposite side of an issue with Karrie Alms again.

Please allow me to share this thought... Imagine for a moment Chicagoans in the 1870's immediately following the Great Chicago fire. Chicago had just been devastated and it's residents left with nothing. They did not give up. They did not slink away in despair. On the contrary. They started dreaming. They started planning. They started building. Out of nothing rose the 3rd largest city in the United States. I guess you could say they were Block- heads too. Being a block head really isn't that bad. A big thank you to all of them for their relentless hard work.

Election Day!

2009-04-07T09:08:00.002-06:00

We've heard it all and it is now time for us to exercise one of our country's greatest rights - the right to elect our leaders!

I would like to wish all candidates the very best. Each and every one of them has my respect and admiration. It is one things to take pot-shots at people and issues from the sidelines (myself included)- it is quite another to actually put your life and your reputation on the line and go out there and do it.

Thank you to all of you for stepping up answering the call of the greatest system of government on the planet - democracy. My very best wishes to each of you (some more than others heh heh) and may the best ideas prevail!

Looking at last night's snowfall as the glass half full!

2009-04-06T08:21:00.002-06:00

Here is a positive benefit of last night's snowfall...

Is that you, God?

Official notice to all parents of children who play at our house...

2009-04-03T19:50:00.004-06:00

As of 12:00 midnight central standard time on April 5, 2009, I will no longer return the hats, gloves, mittens, socks and shoes that have been left at my house. No longer am I willing to trip over the perpetual stack of stuff on our stair landing. I will remind your child before they leave to gather their belongings, and the rest is up to them. Any items remaining in our home twenty-four hours after their departure will become the official property of the Vespa household. Thank you.

OK I'm kidding. Sorta. Guess we'll find out how many of my friends, neighbors and family members read my blog ;)

The perfect home staging colors

2009-04-03T13:46:00.002-06:00

In an increasingly competitive real estate market, it is more important than ever that your home is priced properly and staged to sell.

Here is a link to a pallet of colors most recommended for "home staging" by Sherwin Williams. These colors are warm and inviting and appeal to a wide range of tastes.

I have always advised my Sellers that painting is the cheapest, easiest way to add value to your home and prepare it for sale. Many of the new loan programs will disqualify your home if there is any chipped or peeling paint. Egg-shell whites are OUT, breezy earthy tones are in!

Hat tip: Bobbie Jo Ward, RE/MAX Unlimited

Free Tax Credit Seminar Saturday, April 18

2009-04-03T13:24:00.002-06:00

If you haven't owned a home in the last three years, you most likely qualify for the new $8,000 tax credit that you do not have to pay back! Learn more at this free seminar. Here are the details:

Saturday, April 18, 2009
10:00 AM - Noon
Peoria Association of Realtors Building
7307 N. Willowlake Court
Peoria, IL

Learn more about the Tax Credit, Available Financing and Receive a free credit report with your score.

Call 309-688-8591 for reservations. Then call me at 645-8608 and I will help you find the perfect home!

Peoria Times Observer endorses Regional Museum - Vote YES on public utility tax.

2009-04-01T10:12:00.004-06:00

The following endorsement for the Peoria Regional Museum by the Peoria Times Observer wins my vote for best articulated position. It is so well put, I'm re-posting it in it's entirety here:

Vote 'yes' on tax, vote for vision
“Every great work, every great accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement,” said Florence Scovel Shinn.
No quote seems more appropriate to start a discussion of why we support the sales tax referendum for the downtown museum on the Riverfront.
Vision can be suppressed by people whose only goal is to peer through the looking glass darkly.
For months, we have seen this phenomenon in those who have criticized the “It’s Better Here” campaign.
The non-stop critics of the museum project make some valid points, but nothing that can move this city forward comes without risk and cost.
We are talking about a 25 cent increase on every $100 spent.
Granted, the costs may not end there.
The on-going costs could be an issue.
But, if we demanded more of ourselves and less of government, the funds to support a museum — over and above what memberships and entry fees bring in — could likely be covered.
If we banded together as a community to resolve some of the pressing issues we could likely trim the size of government and lower our taxes.
Instead, we often wash our hands of it and say,” Let the government handle it.”
The argument, however, cannot be all about money.
Vision has to be the primary factor.
Or, do we allow fear about the cost to cloud our judgment?
The question is: Do we have vision, or do we sit on our hands for every good idea that comes along and might cost something?
This country and this city were built on an idea that, together, we can make great things happen.
Have we come so far only to fall back into a state of fear?
Peoria is the mecca of Central Illinois.
We have the hotels, the educational facilities, the parks, the restaurants and the attractions that draw people for miles.
And, yes, we have the taxes to sustain those things.
But, the money it takes to sustain all those things is money well spent to live in a city that is safe, clean and full of things to do.
Those factors both attract new people to Peoria, and retain those citizens already here.
Peoria is a great city.
It should act like a great city.
Its citizens should be proud of this city and the visionaries who try to move it forward.
We are not saying the critics of the museum plan should be ignored or scorned.
We have respect for their point of view, and, we, too, feel the effects of the recession.
But, vision requires looking past today and toward tomorrow.
“The old ways are dead. And you need people around you who concur,” Hugh Macleod, in “How To Be Creative,” said.
“That means hanging out more with the creative people, the freaks, the real visionaries, than you’re already doing. Thinking more about what their needs are, and responding accordingly ... Avoid the folk who play it safe. They can’t help you any more. Their stability model no longer offers that much stability.”
Your vote next week will reflect faith in the community, or a lack of it.
Vote with vision.

This resounding endorsement comes right on the heals of a similar endorsement from the Peoria Association of Realtors. Businesses and industries that have significant "skin in the game" realize the importance of this project to our community.

Also, I have been talking with people that have early voted. It seems that despite efforts to educate the public on the wording for the referendum, many voters when alone in the voting booth are not realizing that the very last item on the referendum regarding the *increase in public utility tax* is indeed the BUILD THE BLOCK project. Please get the word out to your voting friends and family. Vote YES on the public utility tax, the last item on your ballot. Election Day is April 7th.

Central Illinois reacts to Gorbachev visit

2009-03-31T22:31:00.001-06:00

Over 1200 guests from throughout Central Illinois gathered at the new Peoria Civic Center ballroom to see and hear former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

For full coverage of the Gorbachev visit, please see my post on the Peoria Pundit.

It was a rare opportunity for us all. A chance to be a part of history - and many are still talking about it. Dr. David Arnold, Eureka College President, is particularly pleased with how the event turned out.

I am still walking on air. In terms of preparation, the event was extremely well-orchestrated by my staff, and the campus visit was positively received by President Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina. In fact, he said it was one of the best days of his life!"

Dr. Arnold recalled a fond moment with the former president.

President Gorbachev asked what is meant by the expression "How will it play in Peoria?" The next day we were able to share with him the front page of the Saturday Peoria Journal Star. Obviously, we were able to show him that "Mikhail Gorbachev plays very well in Peoria!"

He also found him to be a very spontaneous and gracious guest. "He was always reaching out to people, asking them questions, and often showing a great sense of humor about the things he was experiencing during his visit."

Zachary Treadway is a teacher of Social Sciences at Pontiac Twp. High School. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with him and about 8 of his students at the "Witness to History" event. He sent me this e-mail:

I thought Gorbachev was excellent. The kids responded well to him, especially when he spoke about the importance of trying to understand people on a personal level and not buying in to propaganda and stereotypes. As educators we always stress to our students the importance of forming their own informed opinions about issues and people and it was great to hear one of the most important world leaders of the past century reinforce that.

Zachary's student, Shiann Poshard, a student at Pontiac Twp. High, had a somewhat mixed review on the lecture, but was very impressed with Gorbachev. He thought the first panelist was a little "out there". Overall, though, he did feel they did an effective job putting the period into perspective. Regarding Gorbachev himself, Shiann had this to say:

I thought Gorbachev did a wonderful job, and honestly I was just honored and very humbled to be in his presence. He was a very funny man, and this just reminded me that even though he is known for such a big event in history, he is also a real man who is like anyone else. What stood out to me the most of the whole presentation was that I got to really understand that even though the world was going through such a fear-full and panicked time, some people were able to keep a level head and make wise decisions that inevitably lead to peace and a better world in general. I was very moved at this banquet because opportunities to hear and see someone as influential like Gorbachev do not come too often. He changed the world in his own way, and I believe that if he can, then so can I and other people who want to make a difference.

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis was pinching himself as he walked out onto the tarmac to greet the visiting President:

When walking across the tarmac I asked Rep. Leitch if he ever imagined he'd have an opportunity like this..... welcoming the former President of the Soviet Union to Peoria, Illinois. That's what I was thinking. How unlikely. It was almost unbelievable.

Jim explained that they welcomed Mr. Gorbachev through his interpreter, and he was very tired after a long day. He had had an extended lunch with George Shultz and Henry Kissinger earlier that day! Jim was moved by his comments Friday evening as well:

I thought his comments during his speech were amazing. The one thing that struck me was how lucky we were, collectively as citizens of the United States and Russia, to have these two men leading our countries at that particular time in history. Two men with bigger egos and less ability to communicate may never have had the success that Reagan and Gorbachev did as they moved the world towards nuclear disarmament.

Hmmm. Wise words regarding a world leader, from a local leader. Finally, a giant Thank you to Eureka College, particularly Michelle Lehman, for allowing me to be part of this awesome event!

Can't wait to hear what all the cop-bashing bloggers say about this!

2009-03-31T08:11:00.003-06:00

The full story is here. A police officer in North Carolina stopped a shooting rampage at a local nursing home.

Justin Garner was the only officer on duty Sunday in the town of Carthage, population 2,021 when he saw a vehicle shot up in the parking lot of the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center. He heard shots from inside. He didn't wait for other officers; he went right in, said his uncle, William Garner.

"One of the first things he saw was someone who'd been shot," said William Garner, who said he talked to his nephew about what happened. "I have no doubt that he knew it was going to get a whole lot worse if he didn't do something." When Justin Garner came across the shooter reloading a shotgun "he gave him several opportunities to put the weapon down," the uncle said. "I think he learned that if it ever happened again, he'll only tell the person once or twice to drop that gun." Garner shot Robert Stewart, 45, a house painter who allegedly murdered seven residents of Pinelake and a nurse. Garner was shot by Stewart, getting hit with two buckshot pellets in his leg and one in his foot, the uncle said.

Damn cops. Too bad Garner didn't try to help the gunman get in touch with his feelings.

Peoria's hot Real Estate pockets

2009-03-27T12:45:00.004-06:00

Here is an article by DeWayne Bartels of the Peoria Times Observer regarding several Peoria subdivisions that are continuing to do very well in terms of Days on Market and list/sale price ratio's. An insightful article and some of the comments contained within are simply BRILLIANT! heh heh.

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis encourages supporters to get out the vote!

2009-03-26T19:48:00.004-06:00

Supporters of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis gathered Thursday for a fundraiser and "Get out the vote" rally at Brewers Distributing on Townline Road in Peoria. Jim was a little late arriving at the event. He had a good enough reason though. He was meeting visiting former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at the airport. Gorbachev will be speaking on behalf of Eureka College tomorrow night at the Peoria Civic Center.

Jim encouraged the crowd to make sure they vote on April 7th. He said that voter turnout is predicted to be very light, somewhere in the vicinity of 15 - 20%. That makes each and every vote exceedingly important.

Our boy with Mayor Jim Ardis taken this evening.

Jim also briefly mentioned the Museum referendum. He recognized that it is a personal choice, and always respectful, said he doesn't want to tell anyone how to vote. He did encourage everyone to consider supporting the museum and to "dream big". He felt it would be a big boost for the downtown area. I agree.

Jim doesn't want to tell you how to vote, but I will. Please re-elect Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, and vote YES on the public facility tax. Thank you.

A big thank you to At-large council member George Jacob for the use of his beautiful facility.

Realtors, Homeowners call "FOUL" on Peoria Board of Review

2009-03-26T09:20:00.007-06:00

The Peoria County Board of Review has come under fire from multiple sources recently regarding policies and decisions made by them at the Property tax Board of Review level.

For background, please refer to this article by Karen McDonald of the PJStar and this article and this article by DeWayne Bartels of the Times Observer. Outstanding, detailed coverage is why they get paid the BIG BUCKS! heh heh.

For the past several weeks, I have been receiving copies of letters and e-mails addressed to various county board representatives and Administrators from taxpayers pleading for their claims of unfair treatment at the hands of the B of R to be investigated and addressed by the entire county board. Apparently, this has been on-going for several years, but the county board has never undertaken any serious investigation into the allegations.

I can understand the taxpayers level of frustration. At the last County Board meeting (which I attended) many of them addressed the full board. My reaction as well as the reaction of those who spoke was that 1. their concerns were marginalized 2. blame was transferred from one county entity to another and 3. The Board attorney refused to allow any testimony that would cast the Board of Review in a bad light and 4. The few board members that did agree and sympathize with the taxpayers (Widmer, Baietto and a lady (not sure of her name)) were met with smirks and eye rolls from several of their fellow county board members. This is not hearsay, I saw it with my own two eyes!

Today there will be an important County Board real estate tax committee meeting of which I cannot attend but these are the issues as I see them. I will refer frequently to Karen McDonald's article in the Peoria Journal Star.

Shadid says: "When an individual brings a property, the result of our decision will have an effect on their neighbors. If we do lower it it has to be based on some sound evidence that the neighborhood is depreciating"

Fact: Their only task at a Board of Review hearing should be to identify the FAIR MARKET VALUE of the particular property in question. Attempting to factor in "the big picture" is being fundamentally unfair to the appellant.

Shadid says: County officials say a change in the process has prompted more complaints. "Now property owners must file standardized forms and follow procedures that did not exist before."

Fact: This is patently UNTRUE. I filed my first protest in Peoria County over 10 years ago and the appellant must still follow virtually the same procedure and fill out nearly identical grids. The current Bd of R. policies require additional documentation that has made it more time consuming for the appellant but other than that the procedure has been relatively unchanged.

Shadid says: "Some property owners are attempting to get lower assessments using distressed sales, or foreclosures, as being comparable to the worth of their property, which are deemed invalid by the Supervisor of Assessments and Illinois Department of Revenue."

Fact: The fact that a property was sold as a foreclosure does not give the Board of Review license to throw common sense out the window. Foreclosures and bank sales are becoming increasingly common these days and the fact is that many of them are sold the exact same way a non-foreclosure is sold. That is, put on the market via the MLS and sold at the highest price the market will bear. The B of R is claiming far too frequently that a recent sale price is not in fact a reflection of its fair market value when most often it is! Ask yourself this. Under what circumstances would any seller (whether it be a bank or individual) want to sell a property for less than the market will bear? The Board of Reviews ONLY mission is to identify the FAIR MARKET VALUE of the ONE subject property at issue. Much of their arguments are red herrings and are only further indication that they are not being fair to the individual taxpayer.

A few last minute points. The Peoria County Board of Review is systematically arguing in case after case that home values are HIGHER than what a willing buyer has paid a willing seller after being subject to normal competition in the market place. In simpler terms, imagine a scenario where you purchase a home for $100,000 and the very same year the Board of Review tells you your home is really worth $140,000, and THAT is what they will base your taxes on. This is what I would consider "manufacturing" home values, and should not be allowed to continue.

Further, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that if you are turned down at the Peoria B of R level, you MUST APPEAL to the state. This is the only way the local B of R will get the message that we are serious. Do not let anyone tell you that it is a long and difficult process. That would be untrue. It is certainly no more difficult, and the amount of time should have no bearing, because if you win, you will be entitled to a refund of your overpayment.

Here is an e-mail I just received from Realtor and homeowner Brian Monge of Jim Maloof Realtor:

“Fair” property taxes in Peoria? It has always been my understanding that property taxes should be based off the fair market value of your home and that figure is derived from what your home would bring on the open market. This is not how the current system works.I recently purchased a home for $72,000 (a home in very good condition, not a bank foreclosure). A home the owner had on the market for over one year, trying to get a higher sale price. The board of review changed the “fair” market value from $101,000 to $92,000 (not the true market value of $72,000). This is only one example of many! The idea of the Peoria County Board of Review members clearly inflating market values is unethical, most likely illegal, and a slap in the face to the Peoria County residents they are suppose to serve. I urge all Peoria County Board Members and taxpayers to review the current Peoria Property Tax Board of Review members and take immediate action to move this county forward in a fair and just direction.

All eyes should be on the County Board to see what if anything they will do to correct these perceived inequities. Homeowners in Peoria do not want preferential treatment, they only expect FAIR treatment. Peoria home owners should pay taxes on what their home is actually worth, not what the Board of Review hopes it will be worth.

Doug Whitley announces bid for Illinois Governor

2009-03-24T08:32:00.007-06:00

The morning after the Schwartz soiree I attended a breakfast for recently announced Gubernatorial candidate Doug Whitley. Doug is an energetic and dynamic individual and suffice it to say he is fired up! His main goal if elected governor would be to restore trust and confidence in Illinois government. He feels that our national reputation has been destroyed and it will take strong and competant leadership to rebuild it.

Doug is frankly shocked at the lack of outrage over the state of our government. "The next governor will have to literally re-build our state" Doug said. "After a decade of lost leadership, Illinois can no longer compete in a global market. Our state has turned their back on business and we need an entirely new direction. Indiana is flourishing under the leadership of two effective governors, and folks are moving from Illinois!" He also made note of the fact that approximately every 10 years Illinois loses another congressman because of our declining (flee-ing) population. As Illinoisans, we should be very concerned.

"What do you do, do you give up? flee?" Doug asked. In his case, he runs for Governor. Doug realizes that being a candidate will require a lot of personal sacrifice from himself and his family, but he feels an obligation to public service. "I am the person who has the skills, the background and the knowledge to fix what is broken. If there is someone who steps up to the plate who is more qualified than myself, I'll gladly step aside. But for the sake of the citizens of Illinois, we need strong capable leadership, and I'm the one who can deliver." Here is a brief bio:

A passionate advocate, Whitley tirelessly promotes a supportive and cost competitive business climate in order to nurture investment and job growth in Illinois.

Whitley has a long record of business leadership and expertise in legislation, taxation and regulation, which he has earned in a career spanning the public and private sectors. Before joining the Illinois Chamber, Whitley was President of Ameritech Illinois for the six years prior to SBC Corporation’s acquisition of Ameritech. Whitley served two years as Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue during the administration of Governor Jim Edgar. As president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois for 14 years Whitley built a solid reputation as the taxpayers’ fiscal watchdog in the state house.

Doug also spoke later that evening at the Tazewell County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. There is good PJStar coverage of that event here.

It it is crucial that Republicans win back the Governorship in 2010. One party rule is a recipe for broken and corrupt Government. I agree with him. He's got my vote.

Funny story. This story has been in my drafts file for awhile with a back-log of future posts. I saw Doug Crew, who is managing Mr. Whitley's campaign at the Peoria Republican Dinner last Saturday. Doug deadpanned with a slight eye roll that he read my blog post about the petrified hamburger. Being an astute blogger, I read between the lines buckled down and completed this post. Lol, Mr. Crew!!

Ian Schwartz - over and out!

2009-03-22T20:47:00.013-06:00

Friends, family, bloggers, and cast and Crew of HOI news and WEEK turned out to bid adieu to HOI news-anchor Ian Schwartz last Friday at Kellehers. Ian is relocating back to his old stomping grounds of Mesa, AZ. Sniff sniff.

I will never forget Ian's humor, fearlessness and the sensational piece he did on internet predators. He put the dude from "Dateline" to shame in a very understated, Ian sort of way. My fav memory of him is last Christmas Eve when he did the newscast as Santa Claus. I didn't even realize it was him but caught on when Santa kept talking about what a great newsman Ian Schwartz was. Guess I need to teach him a thing or two about subtlety.

One of the more notable moments of the evening was the HOI camera man telling the Bloggers a surefire way to get press passes. Heh heh. I'd tell you all, but then I'd have to kill ya! Below from Left to right is Ian, me, and the infamous Scott Janz.

Below Left to right, Paul Wilkinson, Ashley McNamee, Jen Christensen, me and Gina Ford.

Ian, We will miss your smiling face, and you deserve all the best. You better get back here often or Paul and I will come looking for you with our cameras - probably in about January. God speed!

A Message From General Parker, candidate for Mayor

2009-03-20T19:50:00.004-06:00

Below is a comment posted by General Parker on another thread. I felt its points are relevant enough to make it it's own post. I have great admiration and respect for General Parker and his wife, Rachael and appreciate their tireless efforts in making Peoria a better community. They are honest, decent and hard-working people. That said, I would like to make it perfectly clear that my husband and I fully support the re-election campaign of Mayor Jim Ardis, and endorse him. We feel that Jim is doing a great job as Mayor, and he deserves to continue his vision in a second term.

Diane,

I have sent a letter to the Journal Star and also to Billy Dennis. They seem to want to refuse to publish it. Guess I was wrong about bloggers.

Here is the letter I wrote and I just want you to know how feel and where I stand whether or not you publish it:

MAYORAL RACE

After lots of prayer and discussions with various people, I reluctantly became a candidate for Mayor of the City of Peoria when no one else was willing to challenge the incumbent. This race, and my campaign, is about issues and ideas. I believe the taxpayers of Peoria are not and have not been getting the basic city services they have been paying for with tax dollars. We need a change at city hall and I believe I can deliver the change that’s needed. The Journal Star has not been fair in its news coverage of this mayoral race and continues to assassinate my character at every opportunity. I believe that they will continue to do so. They endorsed my opponent without inviting me for a sit down interview to find out my position on the issues which affect all the taxpayers of Peoria. They also may not publish my answers to their election questionnaire. This questionnaire is very important because it gives the voter a side by side response by the both of us to specific questions of concern to the voters and the community. Hence, this letter may be my only opportunity to let the voters know my position on the key issues which affect us all.

First of all, I do support Lakeview museum and its quest for expansion and to bring a world class museum to Peoria, however I believe it should be expanded at its’ present location or another parcel of property that is already designated as nonprofit. The proposed riverfront location would result in a sales tax increase and remove prime real estate from the property tax base of Peoria.

Second, I would not have supported using 39.3 million dollars of taxpayers money to fund the private development of the new Marriott Hotel.

Third, I would put a moratorium on establishing anymore TIF districts or enterprise zones, especially in areas that abuse or misuse the incentive.

Fourth, we need to take the lead and ensure our public school system have all the tools necessary to guarantee student achievement.

Fifth, we need to ensure that our public safety workers have the adequate equipment and manpower needed to keep our public safe and make timely responses.

Sixth, I am committed to an open and transparent government. The citizens will remained informed and litigation will be kept to a minimal.

Seventh, we need to resurface all streets and sidewalks, especially in District 1, that are in serious disrepair or are nonexistent.

Eight, the City should negotiate an agreement with Comcast which would generate the most revenue for the City of Peoria while at the same time, substantially reduce the number of consumer complaints.

Ninth, we need to establish and implement strong neighborhood associations and empower them because their success is essential to taking back our neighborhoods and making them safe again.

This is a list of some of my priorities.

If elected, I will work with council to make city government more responsive to taxpayers. Some suggest that a vote for Parker is a wasted vote or more specifically “a vote in vain”. This is not true because the will of the people will prevail. Your vote is a testament of your beliefs and ideas. If my ideas outlined above are your ideas, then in no way is your vote in vain or wasted. In Missouri, John Ashcroft lost an election to Mel Carnahan, a dead man. Those voters did not believe their votes were in vain even though there was no way a dead man could serve. They voted for what Mel Carnahan stood for. Believe you me, your vote counts.
When elected, I will receive my long sought after pardon and I will proudly serve as Mayor of Peoria. If you share my concerns then I ask for your vote on April 7th.

General Parker, CCCA

More parade pics!!!

2009-03-18T20:53:00.011-06:00

Thanks to my favorite Photog Paul Wilkinson for sharing these!

This one made my heart skip a beat.

Peoria City Council Candidate Curphy Smith

Da Mayor!

Ah-hem, Ryan. You look entirely too comfortable in this role!!

Gotta have the eye candy, eh Paul?

One for the ladies!

A ticker tape parade!

It was a great day!

Thanks for the awesome photos, Paul!

They just don't write children's books the way they used to.

2009-03-18T12:20:00.007-06:00

Remember the good old days of the classic books "Fun with Dick and Jane" and of course "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish"? Apparently, those days are long gone. What has become of our children's literature these days, anyway? Seriously, check out this book title featured in our children's book fair yesterday:

So we either had some really distracted Moms set this puppy up or one with a slightly off-beat sense of humor. It wasn't me, I swear!

My apologies in advance to anyone offended by my humor.

My favorite parade photos!

2009-03-17T20:38:00.005-06:00

Every year it seems the St. Patrick's day parade gets crazier and longer. The weather was beautiful though, and it likely brought out many more people than usual. We had to park in the boonies. A big Thank you to Methodist Diagnostic Center for not towing our car. Getting back to the car after the parade was a trip. We walked through party central on Main Street and I prayed that the kids would have the image of drunken raucous college students out of their head by the time it was their turn.

Below are a few of my favorite photos from the day. This first one is dedicated to Chef Kev!

And of course who can forget my homies at RE/MAX!

A great time was had by all!

Petrified Hamburger with photos!

2009-03-13T18:32:00.006-06:00

Have you ever wondered what a 6 month old Steak-N-Shake hamburger would look like if it was left unrefrigerated and stuffed in one of the storage cubbies of a mini-van? Uh-huh. I thought so. So without further ado I give you...

Just one more benefit of being a faithful Peoriarocks! reader. The sad thing is I never even noticed the smell.

Jim McConoughey helps separate fact from fiction for Peoria Realtors

2009-03-13T15:09:00.006-06:00

Peoria Realtors have fielded a lot of concerns from clients and the public lately about the state of our economy and housing market.

So who better to turn to for answers than Jim McConoughey of Heartland Partnership, the presumed expert of all things Peoria. Jim shared his thoughts on the Cat layoffs, area unemployment, housing and retail, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum recently at the Peoria Area Association of Realtors.

Click here to watch the video. It's approximately an hour, but well worth the time investment. It puts all the state and national news in perspective, and may allay some of your concerns.

Lunch with yours truly goes to the first person who can correctly identify the individual who lobs the first question at him ;)

Opinion: It's time to Build the Block - Vote YES on museum referendum

2009-03-12T18:51:00.000-06:00

originally posted at the Peoria Pundit March 12, 2009
You’ve heard the arguments. It now boils down to a simple “yes” or “no” vote on an election day (April 7th) ballot referendum.

At issue is are you, a taxpayer, willing to pony up roughly $17. per resident per year to construct and maintain a fully interactive, state-of-the-art regional museum on the former Sears block in downtown Peoria?

After taking months to absorb the entirety of the facts, fallacies and feelings I have come to the conclusion that your answer should be a Hell, yeah. More specifically, A vote of YES to the final ballot question of:

To pay for public facility purposes, shall Peoria County be authorized to impose an increase on its share of local sales taxes by one quarter of one percent (1/4%) for a period not to exceed twenty (20) years? This would mean that a consumer would pay an additional twenty-five cents (.25) in sales tax for eery $100. of tangible personal property bought at retail. If imposed, the additional tax would cease being collected at the end of twenty (20) years, if not terminated earlier by a vote of the county board.

Below I have outlined my reasons in no particular order:

It’s not just about the numbers: Museum advocates and foes have bandied numbers back and forth to the extent that it will make your head spin. Many people realize that creative use of statistics can substantiate anything you want them to, on either side of an argument. The reality is, the whole project from a money standpoint, as in any large commercial endeavor is nothing more than what we call in the real business a SWAG – a sophisticated wild-assed guess. If anyone really knew how this thing would fly financially before it was built and operational they would have made a killing on Wall Street and be living on a private island. What museum foes have been ignoring is that for many, it is not about the numbers. It is about the opportunities the museum will offer to present and future generations of Peoria children. It will spark curiosity and imagination and broaden their understanding of our history, our universe and humanity’s place in it. These are intangible benefits that can not be bought or appraised. They are what Mastercard would consider, priceless.

The cost per taxpayer will not be burdensome: The referendum calls for a sales tax increase of 25 cents on every $100. Others have estimated it to be $17. per year per resident – or the cost of 4 happy meals or a carton of cigs. In short, nothing. No doubt someone will debate this point. If you do, I just hope I never stand in line behind you at Aldi’s as you throw a few packages of Ho-ho’s, Marlboro’s or National Enquirers in your cart. (Not that I would do that!) If you are not a big consumer of goods, you will be on the low end of the $17. per year estimated average.

Corporate CEO’s are every bit as capable of petty vindictive thought as the common worker: Caterpillar has stated in no uncertain terms that if this referendum doesn’t pass they are OUT. All investments pledged by them will be withdrawn and any and all plans for a Caterpillar welcome center will cease. Now some people don’t give a flying rats butt if that is true or not. That bravado will be shortlived however, if in fact those yellow feathers are so ruffled that they start moving corporate function out of state. You think times are tough now? That event would make 2009 seem like Happy Days.

Let’s stop choking on East Peoria’s dust: Admit it, it’s embarrassing. I have never been able to figure it out. Why do they get all the chocolate chips and we get graham crackers? You never hear a fuss or a fret. Just one day you’ll be driving over the Murray Baker bridge, look over to the right at some swanky hotel and exclaim wtf! Where did that come from? It’s not just East Peoria, either. It’s Springfield, Chicago, St. Louis, even Bloomington. Peoria is worlds ahead of comparable sized cities in terms of culture and history but why is that not reflected in our amenities?

If you can’t beat them, join them: No one hates government waste and controls more than I. As I sit here typing this post, I am watching Breaking News of President Obama signing the multi-billion dollar Omnibus bill, chalk full of pork and hundreds thousands of earmarks. Frankly, it makes me sick. Is this the future of our country? I wonder how many museum opponants who find the spending of taxpayer money so repulsive have contacted their Congressional representative and urged them to vote NO on the massive spending and bailouts? This obscene spending by the current Admin and congress will have far more reaching consequences and long lasting affects on our future than by comparison, this relative pittance of $40 million dollars. Additionally, it gives us local control which should translate to less waste. Numb at this point to government spending, I choose to regard it as our own private stimulus package.

Consider it a gift to our children, and our children’s children. The long awaited Spring Break is a mere few weeks away. As usual, Diane will log on to travelzoo.com and start looking for bargain hotel availabilites within driving distance of Peoria. We will make a quadrenial pilgrimage to a destination with cool things to do. Our children have been fortunate enough to have visited pretty much every relevant museum in Illinois and adjoining states. I love museums. The existance of the Peoria Riverfront Museum will open up opportunities for ALL children, and not just children with parents that have a wander-lust and the means to travel about. In today’s uncertain economic climate, “stay-cations” have become all the rage. As a result, I would suggest the timing for this museum could not be better.

Schlepping about Northwoods Mall and Shoppes at Grande Prairie doesn’t cut it after K-garten: Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE these Malls. Unfortunately, as winter drags on, many Peorians feel that this is pretty much their only entertainment option. The kids get out of the house, run up and down the aisles like maniacs, and will undoubtedly arrive home with some useless trinket that will be cast aside within minutes. Those moments can be fun, but are intellectually void and subliminally suggest to children that shopping is an acceptable substitute for boredom.

Can you imagine Peoria without the Civic Center? I can’t. In a few years the Museum will have a similar relevance to our perceived quality of life.

The Museum Plans are AWESOME!: Some of the criticism has revolved around the plans themselves, and not merely the existence of a museum. Have to say, they look great to me! Highly interactive and something for everyone. This post would be too long if I included a description of the plan, but please visit the site to familiarize yourself with the highlights. Of special note should be the African American Hall of fame – offering an amazing opportunity for young children to identify with and aspire to the accomplishments of great African-Americans.

I realize that this may be an unpopular stance to take in the Peoria blogosphere. I have nothing but admiration and respect for Karrie Alms and feel that if more people were like her, we wouldn’t have the systemic dysfunction that is prevalent throughout all levels of our government. She is truly a hero.

I understand her concern that many families cannot afford this expense, but it is my contention that those are the same families that will benefit from the Peoria Riverfront Museum the most. You may not be able to offer your children material wealth. You can, however, through this referendum, offer them something much greater- the gift of enlightenment and curiosity about their world, of wonder and humility. Lead them into a world that extends beyond drugs, gangs and poverty. Ignite a fire within each child that will help them realize their full potential. Our children deserve it. Don’t let a box of ho-ho’s and a double cafe latte stand in the way. C’mon Peoria, lets not screw it up.

This entry was posted on March 11, 2009 at 11:26 pm and is filed under Citizen Journalism, Uncategorized with tags downtown museum, referendum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed Both comments and pings are currently closed.

46 Responses to “Opinion: It’s time to Build the Block – Vote YES on museum referendum”

Emtronics Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 4:02 am
You are kidding? Vote NO. It’s only a little tax. Like the garbage fee and all the other little taxes we have now and if this fails, the taxpayers are on the hook. Of course I knew you, Mrs. Vespa, would be behind this project no matter if anyone posted numbers or not. The numbers do not make my head spin, they are very clear and the museum supports are the only ones doing any spinning.

To be frank, I don’t trust our local politicians to handle this in any way shape or form. We have been sold down the tubes before like Campustown, Midtown Plaza, ballpark, RenPark, and many many other projects that were going to work but failed after the developers left.

Mazr Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:00 am
I’m all for a museum……just not this one.

I feel bad on voting no because I have a close friend who’s a laid-off construction worker right now and he’s really hoping for this to pass.

You can rattle off project after project that was the “next big thing”. All the while, the city has no salt for roads, neighborhoods have no sidewalks, sewers need to be upgraded, runoff problems, bad roads, …….the list goes on and on. In this current economy with the many basics needs of the city that still need to be addressed, this isn’t the time.

I agree with Vonster. The land needs to have a for-sale sign stuck in it. If it’s the grand jewel of Peoria property, then someone will gladly pony up for it.

Mr Skeptic Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Vote Noooooo!
I guess the central question is whether this expensive experiment will generate revenue for the city or not. One only has to look at another expensive project the city plowed, the Civic Center, to determine if a museum is worth it. The Civic Center has only lost money and continues to do so with no end in sight. The newest baseball field is a loser too—no parking and bad a location. Restaurants on the riverfront continue to open and then fold up because of the lack of customers who aren’t willing to drive there. Let’s face it folks, the only successful events that ever occur on the riverfront involves beer tents and rock bands. A museum in that area will only attract winos, bums and vagrants, oops, I mean, homeless persons who are looking for a place to stay warm in the cold weather. Vote NO to show that you have an ounce of brain and a good memory!

mapleton Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:36 am
gee what a surprise…little miss wonder boy can do no wrong stumps for the hole in the ground. perhaps for spring break you can pack up the fam and go to the museum in Cedar Rapids. oh, my bad, it’s closed and broke. the same state this boondoggle will be in in 5 yrs or less if enough morons vote yes. do a little research and google closed Imax. and for the love of God, quit comparing this issue with the civic center. they are not the same thing nor will they ever be. if this was such a lead pipe cinch, the private sector would be fighting tooth and nail for the right to develop it. I won’t even start on the worthless numbers they are throwing out for attendance projections as anyone with a brain knows what a joke they are. no NO and HELL NO!

C. J. Summers Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Let’s review:

Reason 1: Nobody knows if it will be profitable, so what the heck? Let’s jump in with our eyes closed and hope for the best. It’s only $40 million.

Reason 2: Let’s forget about the public policy question of spending $40 million for a private museum that has been raising funds for 7 years and is still $11 million short in private funding. Instead, let’s look at self-interest. How much will cost me personally? Not that much? Then it’s all good.

Reason 3: Cat said to vote yes; ergo, we must vote yes.

Reason 4: East Peoria is so much better than Peoria. Just look at their beautiful riverfront with the butt end of Wal-Mart next to the water. Who isn’t jealous of that? Gosh I wish we could get all those pretty chain restaurants like they do. Lucky dogs.

Reason 5: If you hate earmarks and obscene spending on non-essentials, then you should show fiscal restraint locally gamble $40 million on a museum project instead of spending it on schools, roads, sewers, or other basic infrastructure needs.

Reason 6: What better gift to give to our children than $40 million in debt? It’s the American way!

Reason 7: Because I can afford to spend $7-$15 per ticket for each of my children to go to the museum several times during the winter, everyone must be able to.

Reason 8: It will be just like the Civic Center: i.e., it will never turn a profit; it will require perpetual funding by taxpayers; it will bring in shows that most people south of Forrest Hill can’t afford to attend even though they have to pay for the venue whenever they go to McDonald’s….

Reason 9: The museum plans are so AWESOME that excited residents have pledged or donated more than enough to build it there’s still an $11 million shortfall in private funds.

Reason 10: Think of the children!!! And try not to think of the proposed children’s museum and how much more appropriate that project might be for kids.

PeoriaIllinoisan Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 6:07 am
You point out the African American Hall of Fame. This already exists. It’s located at the Proctor Center.

http://www.africanamericanhalloffame.org/

conrad stinnett Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 6:16 am
I’m for building the block, but not this way. Sorry, Bill, but I think you’re way off on this one.

James Lansberry Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Conrad, this is Diane Vespa, not bill.

Diane, I agree with you more often than many of the commenters here, but this museum needs not to be built this way.

Everytime we use taxpayer dollars to fund something that only part of the taxpayers want, it’s simple out and out theft. And all it does is breed more power grabbing so the “public funds” can be used to support *my* project next time.

$17 or $1700–it’s wrong. Raise the funds and do it as a non-profit, and I’m all for it. No more taxpayer dollars for gambled projects like Cub Foods Midtown! Not 1 dime!

conrad stinnett Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Sorry, Bill. Diane, you’re way off on this one. Build the block, but so it the right way- fine tune the concept, sell it to the commmunity and raise $$ through private donations.

Chase Ingersoll Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Diane: You’ve still given the best argument in favor because you are at least admitting the liabilities, not overselling and not personally attacking the people that disagree with you.

You understand that it is like someone buying a house where the one they really like costs more and people will “sell themselves” on their ability to pay for it. Some end up finding a way to pay and stay in their dream home and others do not.

I think there are too many unknown, unknowns as to how the economy is going to be be on a local, national and international level really be able to be optimistic. But if people really want it, they will make it work, even if it takes making their tax paying neighbors pay for it. And that is something that a significant percentage of us seem to value – being able to make a minority pay for for what even the slimmest of majorities might want. From that perspective their are much greater assessed injustices.

mjj Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Why can noone answer these questions….

If this is such a can’t miss opportunity (numbers via bradley professors), why hasn’t a private individual/corporation picked up the tab?

Why is CAT so very apathetic all of the sudden?

Most importantly…

How much money is actually raised/needed/projected? No one knows! Everyone has different numbers. This is all a mystery! It’s no different than the 3 stooges ramming the stimulus bill through with noone having time to read it or ask questions.

Mazr Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
And check your mail folks. The “Build the Block” group did a nice little mailing today.

the Whole Truth LLC Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Congratulations Diane, it takes courage to be a positive visionary in Peoria, where parapharsing my old political hero, Spiro T. It is apparent today, that Peoria has “more than our share of nattering nabobs of negativisim”

vonster Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Seems Diane had her own Mr. Jensen moment, eh?

I’m disappointed, D.

diane vespa Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Sorry, to let you down, V, and thanks everybody for your comments. Is this a great country or what?

I understand and respect all of the dissenting opinions. I still believe it will be a very sad day for Peoria if we lose this opportunity, and will not reflect well on us as a community.

C. J. Summers Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Spiro Agnew is your political hero? Spiro Tax-Fraud-and-Bribery-Resigned-in-Disgrace Agnew? Well, that explains a lot.

Mazr Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
“I still believe it will be a very sad day for Peoria if we lose this opportunity, and will not reflect well on us as a community.”

I would say a city that can’t provide basic city services for it’s residents does not reflect well on us a community. I would think the ball park, One technology, the PeoriaNext building, Midtown Plaza, Campustown, heck look at the Riverfront now. Our prime peice of real estate and we have a pizza place and a seafood place on stilts. Have our leaders not learned anything?

And if it passes and the glitter wears off in a few years, will the schools be any better? Will crime be any less? Will we have sidewalks in every neighborhood?

nontimendum Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’m beginning to reconsider this one. While I don’t believe the pro forma financial projections, there are intangible benefits that I believe the museum would inure to Peoria. It would have been much easier to accept had they created a true metropolitan museum with some cost sharing by surrounding communities.

Floyd Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Mazr said: “And if it passes and the glitter wears off in a few years, will the schools be any better? Will crime be any less? Will we have sidewalks in every neighborhood?”

I don’t think this will change no matter which way the museum question goes.

Mazr Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Sadly, I agree Floyd.

Virginia Macentire Says:

March 12th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I vote no

I going have to stare my children starve. For the children of peoria vote no save them

When belittle the cost aggressively, it not the case, will be a nite mare of money.

No wants to be down town they hover like vultures to pick your wallet, tickets for everyone

How about a high speed train to normal instead

Christi Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 6:11 am
I’m going to put up a better reply soon Diane, you know I’ve got pretty strong feelings with regard to this issue and don’t have the time to formulate them right now. I only wanted to let you know that while I’ve aggressively argued that to build this museum would be a benefit to our city I also understand the opposition. This does not mean I’m thoroughly convinced they are right, only that I respect them enough to take pause and listen.

Having said that, I steadfastly believe that the longer we stand back and wait for improvements to happen, the longer it’s going to be before we get anywhere. This kind of procrastination is what caused Peoria to slip behind in the first place. What happened to our beautiful city? How long are we going to wait before we realize that tomorrow never comes?

If there are so many potential investors out there willing to take that project and run with it, where are they? And do you really want a for sale sign sitting over a black hole for an indeterminable amount of time? Especially while there are laid off construction workers desperately waiting for work.

Somethings got to give people, who’s going to flinch first?

Karrie E. Alms Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Christi:

Having said that, I steadfastly believe that the longer we stand back and wait for improvements to happen, the longer it’s going to be before we get anywhere.

I agree with your statement in part. First, our community needs to have a plan which is developed from the heart of our community, ie by the citizens. Our community leaders have forums and charettes and ask for citizens to participate and then spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on plans and either do not complete the plans or disregard the plans. Regrettably our elected officials do not seem to have the fortitude (aka stomach) to stay the course and deliver what the citizens say the citizens want done. Some build it now they will come silver bullet project is always going to save Peoria. Hasn’t happened in the past 15 years in which I have lived in Peoria. What do we want to give our posterity — our children and grandchildren and beyond — we are being told lifelong learning for a museum. What about lifelong learning for schools? What about living within our means and giving our posterity a debt-free future? Not the continuation of mortaging their future ad infinitum!

We can all appreciate that the construction workers are desperately waiting for work. There are many community members waiting for work and each day the number grows as more are being shown the door. What about the workers who have no jobs and will have no opportunity to get a build the block job yet get to pay more even though the higher tax would start Jan 1, 2010?

As more people are laid off, there will be less money to spend and then more people in the retail sector will be laid off and so the cycle goes. Less money spent, less sales tax revenue collected. At the most recent Peoria County Finance / Legislative Committee, a report was given that there will be anticipated revenue decreases which would impact the county. The county is being proactive and already looking to tighten their belts and act in a fiscally responsible manner. Thank heavens for that.

At a recent town hall meeting for the museum — the taxpayer next to me had called every taxing entity on his tax bill. Current debt plus approved (ie ICC new building project, etc.) was $600M. That did not include the proposed museum at $40M — plus the interest. The taxpayer continued that did not include the CSO project for the city of Peoria estimated at $150-300M which would bring the total close to $1B. That is about one billion dollars of debt WITHOUT interest.

Perhaps that has no meaning with the zeros being thrown around in the economic meltdown and billions here and billions there in stimulus money. It is deeply concerning to me and the dozens of taxpayers who have spoken with me about this issue.

Whose responsibility is it that the museum project has been stalled for private financing remains short? Even now, potential private donors are taking a wait and see approach to see what happens on April 7. As the economy appears to weaken each day, say the referendum passes, what then if the private donations do not come forward and the construction bid documents come in over budget and and and and … there are several more details to be worked our …. what then?

Would voters have approved a sales tax with the intent to fund the museum yet the state statute language is broad ‘public facility purposes’ so that a blank check would be given to the county? Perhaps there would not be enough money in this economic downturn to spend at present, but a ‘rainy day’ fund for public facility purposes would be established?

So many public policy questions unanswered because this is the last election cycle for the museum to advance their ’cause’ until April 2010. From my viewpoint, it is another rush to get taxpayer money without a truckload of details being established. You can trust us to work out all the details scenario. Hum, ever heard or witnessed the expression ” the devil is in the details’?

Since the block has been under contract since 2003 — no other plan can be considered. Missed goals, deadlines and projections have stalled this projection. Is it even remotely possible that the idea (which I have seen written elsewhere in several different forms) that the people do not like this museum plan is true? That this project competes with funding for all of the arts? with the zoo? with the Children’s Museum?

Our community today and our posterity tomorrow require that our community builds a better block. We have to create the future or others will do it for us.

Please vote no.

diane vespa Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 7:55 am
The deterioration of the heart of Peoria and the Downtown areas can be posed as a classic “chicken or the egg” question. Are people leaving Peoria because of a lack of amenities, or is there a lack of amenities because people are leaving Peoria?

I think the first scenario is at least partially true. If we can re-invigorate the downtown area and get people excited about these areas again I believe many of our financial and social problems will resolve spontaneously.

What we should NOT do, is keep doing the same things over again and expect different results. Downtown commercial development is passing us by and we must be pro-active in changing that.

How many more years do we want to look at a giant hole in the ground in one of our most visible locations? What does that say about Peoria to those visiting Peoria? How long will we have to wait before another investor steps up to take a stab at it? How much TIF money and incentives will Peoria have to cough up to lure another investor?

The museum would be something that Peorians can point to with pride. Business owners and corporate CEO’s can use it to “sell” the area to their preferred candidates. It may give Peoria a slight edge, all that is necessary to compel a buyer to relocate to Peoria over a similar community. Wouldn’t that help us all?

I just think we have an opportunity here to resolve a host of Peoria’s problems at a nominal cost. How we respond to this challenge will define us for years to come.

Diane Vespa Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Sorry, one further thought to those who argue that we need to address the issues of crappy roads, schools, etc. first. Surely you don’t think that if the referendum fails that the next morning you will wake up and miraculously our roads will be smoothly blacktopped and Valedictorians will be everywhere. The fact is that one has virtually no impact on the other. Unless you subscribe to my argument above that a healthy downtown and healthy community image will assist in resolving these very issues!

Leslie Chinn Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Why would people come stay in a big hotel with river views if there is nothing to do here?

I disagree with the notion that District 150 needs more money, they need to hire people who can manage it better. I don’t think their problems are due to funding but more of mismanagement.

I have decided that if the museum vote fails that I will try my hardest to not make purchases in Peoria. I know that will not always be possible but I can go to Bloomington, it is almost as close, and make my big purchases there. I live in Morton so instead of going to Northwoods Mall I can go to Bloomington, instead of going to Walgreens on University I will go in East Peoria. If the residents won’t invest in their own community why should I?

Super J Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Three years ago, Bloomington opened the US Cellular Coliseum. Promoted as a “sure thing” that would be profitable right out of the gate, they pitched study after study and oodles of numbers and data to show how it was going to be like a license to print money.

The public was unconvinced. The project was put to a public (nonbinding) referendum, where 70% of the public voted AGAINST the project. The city council and mayor ignored that vote and approved the project anyway. We were all told how negative we were, just a bunch of haters who had no vision.

Fast forward to today. The losses tally as follows:

2009 $2.4 million (projected, fiscal year ends next month)
2008 $1.9 million
2007 $2.5 million

So much for all those feasability studies that showed how profitable the thing would be from the get-go. It’s costing the taxpayers $195,000 a month just to service the bond debt. Ridiculous.

Then the same people who provided all those feasibility numbers trot out a bunch of “economic impact studies” to try to put a positive spin on it. But how can we trust those numbers, when their previous numbers were so remarkably perverted?

So now they’re trying to spin the whole “quality of life” yarn, but it’s hard to take that argument seriously when the biggest events on the calendar for the next three months are a WWF card, along with arena football and hockey teams that are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy due to anemic attendance. Oh, and the Doobie Brothers. Quality, indeed.

Look where our “buy now, pay later” mentality has led us. We’ve oinked our way to the brink of the cliff. It’s time to back away from that cliff, and the only way we can do it is by making responsible choices – not by throwing yet more millions after projects that may or may not be financially feasible.

“I’m sick of the mall” isn’t a good reason to build anything. And I’m tired of hearing people use the “do it for the children” argument to justify their spendthrift ways…it’s the equivalent of an economic “human shield.”

Block the Block.

Diane Vespa Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Well guess who has 2 tickets to the Doobie Brothers concert?

Your argument is a good one, but you can find sad sack stories all over the US. You can also find similar success stories. Should we all just live frozen in fear and never accomplish anything? Nothing comes with guarantees. We kiss our children at the bus stop every morning and hope they return in the afternoon.

If the only you thing you got out of my post above was that we are bored at the Mall then please re-read it.

As far as jumping over the cliff, your Congress already did it.

Diane Vespa Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 11:05 am
And Bloomington is no Peoria.

admin Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 11:16 am
I guess it all boils down to whether one is willing to risk the continued financial viability of the city in order to give people who don’t live in the city a place to play for a few hours.

C. J. Summers Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Diane said:

Are people leaving Peoria because of a lack of amenities, or is there a lack of amenities because people are leaving Peoria?

What amenities are we lacking in Peoria, Diane? We have the Civic Center, ballpark, RiverPlex, Riverfront Village, One Technology Plaza, libraries, malls, Lakeview Museum, etc., etc., etc. Peoria isn’t lacking “amenities.” It is lacking sidewalks, improved roads, separated sewer system, and other basic infrastructure needs. We just expanded the Civic Center for $55 million and extended the HRA tax. When are we finally going to have enough “amenities”? When all our infrastructure is in the crapper? When the Illinois river is filled with feces? At what point do we stop spending taxpayer money on bread and circuses and focus on basic public needs?

If we can re-invigorate the downtown area and get people excited about these areas again I believe many of our financial and social problems will resolve spontaneously.

And just how is this project going to “re-invigorate the downtown area and get people excited about these areas again”? Think it through, Diane. People are going to leave their homes in Dunlap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield, and drive downtown to the museum block, pull into the underground parking, and then take an elevator up into the museum. They’re going to take in the museum exhibits or maybe a movie. Then they’re going to go back down the elevator to their car, pull out of the museum deck and hop back on the interstate and go back home to Dunlap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield. Or wherever. My point is, it does nothing to re-invigorate downtown or get people excited about these areas again. Which is why my head explodes when you say this:

What we should NOT do, is keep doing the same things over again and expect different results.

Because that’s exactly what you’re doing!!! We’ve tried to re-invigorate downtown and get people excited about these areas again with the Civic Center, the RiverPlex, Riverfront Village, the baseball stadium, etc., etc., etc., and none of them have worked. Why? Because they leave their homes in Dunlap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield and drive to downtown Peoria for a show, a game, a swim, or whatever, and then they get back in their cars and drive back to Dulap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield. You see, they’re all single-use, event-oriented projects. They don’t energize the streets. There’s no built-in market for retail development because there are no regular patrons. There’s no feeling of safety downtown. In short, none of the conditions exist that would, in fact, re-invigorate downtown and get people excited about these areas again. And this museum project is just going to be the latest in a long line of projects that fail to revitalize downtown. Why? Because we’re doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.

Downtown commercial development is passing us by and we must be pro-active in changing that.

Yes, but the museum is not going to attract downtown commercial development. It’s simply not. First of all, the best place for commercial development would be on the Sears block. But the museum & Cat Experience is taking up the whole block. So where is the commercial development going to go now? In Riverfront Village? In the Cat parking deck? On Courthouse Square? In the old Bergner’s parking deck? Where is the commercial development going to go, Diane?

Development follows people. People don’t follow development. If you want downtown to be revitalized, you have to get people living down there. When there’s a built-in market, you have demand, and demand brings development. And there is demand for residential options downtown. Just ask Craig Hullinger in the City’s Economic Development Department. They recently did a study on it that was very favorable toward residential development downtown.

Should we all just live frozen in fear and never accomplish anything?

Who’s acting in fear? Those who vote “yes,” or those who vote “no”? Answer: Those who vote “yes.” Fear that Caterpillar will leave. Fear that we will have missed our “now or never moment.” Fear that it will remain a hole in the ground for eternity. Fear that construction workers won’t have jobs. Fear that we will lose out to East Peoria. Fear that nothing better will ever come along and this is the best we can hope for, so we need to just settle.

I’m not acting in fear. I’m acting in hope that we can develop the block the right way, that we can really revitalize downtown by doing things differently and not just building the latest tax-supported silver-bullet theory to come down the pike, that we don’t have to settle for “good enough” this time but strive for excellence, that we can stick to and deliver on the vision that was set out by the citizens of Peoria.

Don’t act in fear. Vote NO on April 7.

Karrie E. Alms Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Leslie wrote: I disagree with the notion that District 150 needs more money, they need to hire people who can manage it better. I don’t think their problems are due to funding but more of mismanagement.

Leslie: If you were referring to my comments … about schools and life long learning …. I was not referring to D150, I was referring to Peoria County schools.

Would you support a tax for Peoria County schools?

Mazr Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
“Are people leaving Peoria because of a lack of amenities, or is there a lack of amenities because people are leaving Peoria?”

Seriously? You think that people are leaving Peoria because of a “lack of amenities”?

The reason people leave Peoria is plain and simple in my opinion: District 150

“Surely you don’t think that if the referendum fails that the next morning you will wake up and miraculously our roads will be smoothly blacktopped and Valedictorians will be everywhere.”

I think you missed the point. Put a referendum on the ballot and see if the citizens would support a tax increase for road repairs or a tax increase for a revamp of the sewer systems. I have a feeling there might be a little more community support for something like that.

“Business owners and corporate CEO’s can use it to “sell” the area to their preferred candidates. It may give Peoria a slight edge, all that is necessary to compel a buyer to relocate to Peoria over a similar community. Wouldn’t that help us all?”

I think that when people are relocating the two most important factors in their minds are “Is the neighborhood safe?” and “are the schools any good?” I can’t imagine that given the current state of 150 that someone would look at a new museum and use that as a deciding factor in choosing between Peoria vs Dunlap or over the river. Wouldn’t they rather go somewhere where the schools are better and just come and visit the museum?

Diane Vespa Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I’m anxious to reply… but on my way out. Hopefully I don’t blog while drunk upon my return

Ramble On Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
$17.00 a year (for one person) is not the issue. Best and highest use of our limited resources is the issue. Open land in Peoria is rare. The city is water or land locked. Why not build a museum out Route 91 someplace. I have nothing against museums. On April 7th, my vote is a resounding, NO.

C. J. Summers Says:

March 13th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Diane — Are you implying that you were sober when you wrote this post?

Kidding.

BJ Stone Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Super J, you’re way off base about many things in your post about Bloomington. Way off. Particularly about the sports franchises. They’ve both never been in a better financial position. BTW, football season opens tonight, and as of yesterday afternoon, they’d already sold 5,000 tickets. Averaged over 4,500 last year. Fact.

diane vespa Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
CJ wrote:

People are going to leave their homes in Dunlap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield, and drive downtown to the museum block, pull into the underground parking, and then take an elevator up into the museum. They’re going to take in the museum exhibits or maybe a movie. Then they’re going to go back down the elevator to their car, pull out of the museum deck and hop back on the interstate and go back home to Dunlap, Germantown Hills, and Brimfield. Or wherever.

Your powers of clairvoyance are amazing CJ. You not only know where the visitors will come from, but also exactly what they will do while here and when they will leave. Will you please be my stockbroker?

I also wonder why you think that your level of knowlege of museum development surpasses the knowlege of the professional architects and planners that do this for a living? You must have slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I mean, its not like Caterpillar Inc. doesn’t have a proven record of performance, and surely you don’t question that they want to see it succeed?

As I scroll through my original post and its replies for and against, I realize that we are all arguing subjectively. It’s a classic glass half empty/half full debate. We all have the same information to believe or not to believe. We all see the same drawings, the same graphics, the same projections. We may all arrive at different conclusions. That is what this referendum is all about- let the people decide. No matter what the outcome on April 7, the will of the people will have been expressed and I will accept it. Democracy may not be perfect, but there’s nothing better.

Vote YES on April 7.

Super J Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
BJ – my statement was incorrect regarding the Extreme. Though their attendance is down about 15-20% from their peak (5,500 in ‘06 vs. 4,500 in ‘08), all indications are that the team is still well into the black.

Can’t back down from the hockey team, however. They are not faring nearly as well, as outlined in a Pantagraph article from a couple months ago, with problems including failure to pay vendors and players. (Be careful if you open the PDF in the article; it crashed my browser a couple of times.)
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/01/15/news/doc496fc1d3e99fc990663860.txt

The issue is that the Arena management is required to maintain BOTH a football and hockey team as part of their agreement. That’s where the confusion came on my part and I regret implying that the football team was in trouble when it apparently is not.

However, my other numbers are either close (the 70% referendum failure was actually 67%) or dead on (the total losses I cited are verified via multiple articles from The Pantagraph).

C. J. Summers Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Diane — Neither Caterpillar nor ZGF (the architects of the museum) are town planners. That’s Andres Duany’s job. And it doesn’t take a fortune teller to observe that a building/parking area that’s designed to help people avoid the street is likely to succeed. It was museum supporters who trotted out the “safety” of parking underground and entering the museum from the deck. Think that one through. The assumptions are (a) the street is not safe, and (b) it’s best to avoid it by parking in the deck and entering from there. What the museum supporters are not addressing is how their building design is contributing to the lack of safety (real and perceived) on the street.

And what was it you said? Oh yes, “The deterioration of the heart of Peoria and the Downtown areas….” You yourself are stating that the heart of Peoria and downtown are “deteriorating” and thus needs “reinvigorating.” This despite the fact that you can’t imagine downtown without the Civic Center. And despite the fact that the RiverPlex, ballpark, One Technology Plaza, Riverfront Village, etc., etc., etc., were all promised as the surefire ways to revitalize downtown.

But despite your admission that these have all been failures (downtown is still “deteriorating”) you want to add another tax-sucking facility to the roster. This time it will be different, you effectively say, despite all evidence to the contrary. We’ll do the same thing again and expect different results.

Vote NO on April 7.

Diane Vespa Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
CJ – I was against the Riverplex. The Ballpark and Riverfront Village is seasonal use only. I don’t know anything about One Tech Plaza other than its not a family destination so not sure what your point is there. And re: the Civic Center, surely you are not suggesting Peoria would be better off without it?

The Museum would fill a void that currently does not exist. I have never said it is a cure-all bullet but rather, a powerful step in the right direction.

Vote YES YES YES on April 7.

C. J. Summers Says:

March 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Diane said:

The Museum would fill a void that currently does not exist.

Truer words were never spoken, considering the fact we already have a museum at the corner of Lake and University.

Vote NO on April 7.

JTS Says:

March 15th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Vote No

You want to sell more houses Diane improve the schools, decrease crime. Building the museum will not bring enough people to Peoria to make building the museum worthwhile.

Cat has said that this project will not bring a single dime to the shareholder and that if it is not built that the world will not end. As a shareholder I want them to use the money on a project that will improve shareholder value.

vonster Says:

March 15th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
BLOCK THE BLOCK!

imtami75 Says:

March 16th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I do picture person and have for the last 2 years. The kids love it! Imagine what we can do with this museum here.

We need this in Peoria for the jobs, the opportunities for our kids to learn, etc.

“Over a 25-month construction period, beginning in late 2009, The Block project would employ 250 to 300 workers per month and contribute $1.8 million in monthly labor payroll to our economy. Also, because of the strong private funding support for The Block, the positive return on the public investment would be very high, generating an estimated $572 million in total economic impact over 20 years” buildtheblock.org

looks like quite a few jobs here.

“The Block will offer hands-on learning for people of all ages—and the ultimate field trip for school-age kids. Among its many opportunities will be: an interactive, behind-the-scenes look at Caterpillar’s past, present and future sure to enthrall adults and kids alike, five-stories-tall IMAX documentaries, cutting-edge planetarium shows, Discovery Worlds play-and-learn kids’ galleries, IHSA Peak Performance Center challenges for mind and body and Illinois River Encounter Science Lab experiments. Learning materials and classrooms will be available for teachers and young visitors”

learning opportunities for our kids

“The Block design includes retail areas for shopping and dining inside the museum and Caterpillar Experience, all accessible without purchasing admission to the facilities. In addition, 15,000 square feet within The Block along Water Street have been reserved for retail and commercial development.”

What is this? hmmm…seems to me like possibly more job opportunities

“Water Street will provide access to the museum‟s preschool,…” more jobs?

“The chosen architect of the Museum must be an acknowledged master, appropriate to the scale and importance of this civic site.” maybe this is another – high end job?…maybe…

“Using energy wisely. The Block‟s design will maximizes the use of natural daylight for lighting, helping to reduce energy use. In common areas and galleries not light-sensitive, energy-efficient windows will be used to maximize daylight. Outdoor lighting will be energy efficient and designed to contribute as little as possible to night-time light pollution.” cost cutting efforts???

I just don’t get the cave man mentality that I am seeing with this. This is progress. They plan on even making this a beautiful scenic walk for people who just want to walk along the river front. If we don’t want to support this, we are creating a huge disservice to our youth.

artlvr Says:

March 17th, 2009 at 9:48 am
The following paragraphs are excerpts from my contribution on a local message board where the museum discussion has been brought up. Being an arts advocate…you can imagine where my words turn…..

“……………Not to mention the many fine art students who work there for intern hours from Bradley and ISU. They don’t even get paid, yet their efforts help support many aspects of the museum! I believe there are many more people influenced in positive ways thru the museum today than what is accounted for in dollars. Picture Person, though competely volunteer run besides the museum educator, Ann Schmidt, touches countless numbers of students, parents and teachers every school year!”

“You cannot put a price tag on good educational, historical, cultural investments into a community. Most here are counting the revenue in dollars only. What about the many local artists that will be featured here? Having a wonderfully up to date facility to showcase and explore the history of our river town… Knowing that local schools will have a fun place to take classes on field trips that aren’t an hours drive away… Building on the very fundamentals our community (not just peoria, but the surrounding towns as well) was built on by making available a facility that this all can be viewed, learned, and built upon in the years to come. Gains aren’t always measured with dollar signs in front of them. Greed gets you no where, especially when you are looking at generations to come.

Just my opinion.

“If the fine arts and humanities don’t make a difference, then much of what we have called civilization has been a mistake….”

~Dr. James Croft

HEALTH NOTIFICATION BULLETIN - URGENT NOTICE - OPEN IMMEDIATELY

2009-03-09T20:43:00.006-06:00

Did I get your attention? Are ya scared? A piece of mail boldly marked with URGENT NOTICE written 100 times in the background arrived in our mailbox today. It was addressed to my husband. Now I never open my husbands mail. He's kind of funny about that.. but when this arrived, I was worried. The return address was 4704 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria, which I estimated to be right about where the Public Health Department was.

I kept staring at that letter and all kinds of weird scenarios started running through my head. It looked very "official". Had the kids been lead tested at school perhaps? Did we eat something that had been recalled? Was there a lice epidemic at school? Had some long lost lover... never mind. As I looked at that letter with my mind racing, I knew there was NO way I was going to wait until the dh got home to open it.

So this next part is OFF THE RECORD! Agreed? If not, read no further.

I opened the letter.

Tinnitus Health Notification. Are you hard of hearing or do you suffer from ringing in your ears? Beltone is pleased to announce a special 3-Day hearing Health event in your area. Blah blah blah... Call Now if you wish to be included in this special event.

My reaction was a mixture of 1. relief that none of us was facing imminent death 2. extreme annoyance and 3. Glad that I hadn't waited nervously all afternoon for DH to get home.

Well Beltone Hearing Care Centers here is my answer. NO. I am NOT hard of hearing, I am not interested in this event, and if I was I would make it a point to call your competitor.

If something like this comes in the mail again, I'm callin your house and leaving a vague babbling message on your answering machine to call a phone number that goes directly to an ER.

By the way, here is a link to a list of all the consumer complaints against Beltone Hearing Aids.

Peoria Camera Shop to offer Canon camera seminar

2009-03-08T21:45:00.001-06:00

It seems everyone has the photography bug these days. Now that the days of clumsy and expensive film processing are over, the sky is the limit. Don't you love the instant gratification of snapping, printing and forwarding right from home? I am no exception and have 1000's of photos to prove it!

I have to confess, however, that my camera's point and shoot feature is pretty much all I know about it. Hopefully that will change after completion of this class being offered by Peoria Camera Shop.

Here are the details:

Thursday, March 19, 2009

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Join us and camera Canon Educator Scott Alexander for a special 2 hour in-depth seminar on Canon Digital SLR cameras.

See you there!

A big Thank You to Northminster Presbyterian Church

2009-03-05T20:09:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Doug Hucke and Roy Saatkamp of Northminster Presbyterian, for allowing the Christian Center Basketball the use of your awesome gym. It was a great season, in no small part because of your generosity. From the bottoms of our heart, we thank you.

Comfort Quilts: Peorians turn out this Saturday to support families of fallen Marines

2009-03-04T09:11:00.005-06:00

Thank you to Karrie Alms for this press release. Here is a great example of ordinary citizens making a difference. Hope to see lots of faces this Saturday at Northwoods Mall in support of the families of our fallen Marines. Bring the kids and if possible some swaths of pre-washed 100% cotton material.

When: Saturday March 7, 2009 9am – 1pm

Where: Northwoods Mall, lower level outside JC Penney

What: Comfort Quilts display and activity

Who: Sponsored by Citizen SAM—Citizen Support for America’s Military

Contact person: Tammi Berry at 309-361-4794

Comfort Quilts are handmade and sent to every family in the nation who has lost a soldier in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The quilts consist of 12 x 12 squares each signed with an inspirational message. Sue Scheri from Spring Valley, IL has been a member of Marine Comfort Quilts for the past five years and will be on hand to answer questions and give direction. To date, 4000 Comfort Quilts have been completed by the organization. Citizen SAM is partnering with them to contribute to this effort. Volunteers will be cutting out quilt squares and signing messages of comfort. There will be at least two Comfort Quilts displayed on loan to us from local families who have lost a loved one in Iraq. To view a gallery of these quilts click on the following link http://marinecomfortquilts.us People wanting to become involved locally can learn more by visiting www.citizensam.org.

(Citizen SAM was formerly Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines)

Peoria Schools make the ISBE honor roll...

2009-02-26T22:24:00.002-06:00

Great news coming out of Peoria Public Schools District 150. A big Congratulations and "Attaboy" to all who made this happen. From an e-mail:

The Illinois State Board of Education announced today the 2008 Honor Roll Schools. Superintendent Ken Hinton and Peoria Public Schools is proud to announce the following awards within the district:

Six Spotlight Schools
-FRANKLIN-EDISON PRIMARY SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT
-HINES PRIMARY SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT
-ROOSEVELT MAGNET SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT
-THOMAS JEFFERSON PRIMARY SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT
-WHITTIER PRIMARY SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT
-WOODROW WILSON PRIMARY SCHOOL - SPOTLIGHT

Two Academic Improvement:
-ROOSEVELT MAGNET SCHOOL - IMPROVEMENT
-WOODROW WILSON PRIMARY SCHOOL - IMPROVEMENT

Two Academic Excellence:
-LINDBERGH MIDDLE SCHOOL - ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
-WASHINGTON GIFTED SCHOOL - ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Congratulations to all winners! Look for more information in Staff News Weekly on Wednesday, March 4th. If you are interested in reviewing the winners from throughout the entire state, visit http://www.ilhonorroll.niu.edu/index.asp

The rise of the common man

2009-02-26T21:24:00.001-06:00

First I shall state right up front that this is not an anti-museum post. Truth be told, my shallow self is rather keen on the idea. What mother of 2 young children wouldn't like the idea of another entertainment option for her family? As a Realtor, offering another amenity to an out-of-towner who is considering job offers in multiple cities may increase the likelihood of selling that client on Peoria rather than, say, the Quad Cities. I also like the idea of special projects being funded through sales tax rather than picking on the already strapped homeowner via increased property taxes. Let those who visit and work but don't live here share in the love.

That said, I am also tickled to see the emergence of Citizens for Responsible Spending for a variety of reasons. For one thing, if the proposed museum is all they say and more, it should stand up to the light of day. Hopefully museum advocates realize that Peorians are not so naive to realize that despite the onslaught of slick full color glossy photo brochures, the presence of a museum has a flip side. That flip side of course boils down to more dollars and cents out of our collective pockets. That flip side means that delivery of other city services may be compromised. For instance, my puny little mind worries that perhaps even more Peoria city streets will be coated with the oil and chip (or as I call it molten lava and shards of glass from the street to your living room) surface.

There is only so much water in the well folks, and we should know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. All projects in this day and age must be put under the microscope. Let the public hack away at it like kids at a pinata party. Examine all its warts pimples and imperfections, the good the bad and the ugly. Community leaders should not marry an idea until it has been fully vetted by all those they expect to pay for it. All citizens should have an ownership interest in the outcome. The same principle applies to our public schools who have already been put on notice. If the plans survive the process (consider it a primary) then we can consider it worthwhile. If the public feels they entered into this project with eyes wide open, when and if things go wrong, we can all hold hands and still be friends.

The days of carte blanche do-whatever-you-want management are coming to an end, not just in Peoria but everywhere. Karrie Alms, the leader behind Citizens for Responsible Spending reported on WMBD today that she asked repeatedly to be part of the town hall hearings regarding the upcoming museum tax referendum. She wanted to present the case for voting "no" alongside the case for voting "yes". She was flatly denied. It seems they didn't want a public "debate". Bad move. We must let dissension be heard... or expect more public resistance groups like this to form from anyone with a connection and a brain. It sounds messy and troublesome, but eventually the powers that be will catch on, adapt, and deliver better thought out and more stream-lined projects.

Myself, I'm not sure how I'll vote come April. I'm leaning towards "yes", given shallow reasons noted above. However, being the average finicky depends-on-the-day type voter, there's a good chance that if our street isn't swept by then, I'll vote "No". Sad, but true.

Added text 2/27: They say the increase in tax would equate to 25 cents on every $100. purchase. If that is going to be a dealbreaker for the consumer, um, maybe they should be re-considering the purchase.

Home Repair Loans and Grants available for seniors through USDA

2009-02-26T14:06:00.003-06:00

Here is an opportunity to help a Senior Citizen neighbor or loved one that is on a fixed income and in need of home repairs. USDA Rural Development has home repair 1% interest loan and up to $7,500 in grant money available. The funds can be spent on a new roof, new siding and windows, foundation repairs, new kitchen cabinets, new septic systems, furnace, air conditioners or safety hazards. Income restrictions apply and since this is a rural development program, it only applies to homes located in smaller markets. Therefore, most homes within the city limits of Peoria will not qualify. Click here to see if your home is located in an eligible area.

GRANTS

Grant limit: There is a $7,500 lifetime limit on grant funds.

Grant Applicants must:

Be 62 years of age or older

Be low income per guidelines

Use grant funds to address health, safety or accessibility issues for their home.

Be able to demonstrate in inability to make loan payments

Own and occupy the home

Agree to not sell the property for 3 years following the grant or repay the grant if the home is sold within 3 years

LOANS

The maximum loan amount is $20,000. The interest rate is 1%. Loans can be made for a term of 20 years.

For further information about these loans, first time homebuyers loans or Rural Housing loans you can call our local USDA - Rural Development office at 309-342-5138, extension 4.

If you have found this information helpful, please keep me in mind the next time you or your friend or loved one contemplates a move.

They are babies, not octopi

2009-02-22T16:37:00.004-06:00

I'm probably the only one on the planet that will come to the defense of the Mom to the most recent Octuplets...but c'mon! There is quite a bit of overkill going on wouldn't ya say?

Like what is up with calling her the Octomom? That would be fine if she just gave birth to a bunch of octopuses but the reality is that she has 8 infants, many in critical condition. Those kids are going to have a tough road to hoe as it is. Why pile on and have them bullied and stigmatized for life as the Octo-kids?

OK the mom is nuts and is bilking the taxpayers out of most likely millions of dollars. It's not exactly a novel concept and happens all the time. It's just that the decimal point is a little farther to the right in this case.

Now the sperm donor Dad is seeing dollar signs and getting in on the act. Apparently he was "tricked". I'm sorry but I really don't think his intent was to be Father of the Year if all he had to do was come in a jar.

I think the public and the media needs to back off this woman and let the State, her family and Children and Family Services handle it. Try, just try to drum up a little compassion if not for the Mom then for the babies some of which are undoubtedly struggling for every breath.

Blog roll Merry-go-round

2009-02-18T21:30:00.005-06:00

I'm trying to update my blogroll. Lots of new bloggers... I just added 3. Please let me know if you don't see yours here and would like to be added. Happy blogging.

Freezer space

2009-02-18T11:40:00.003-06:00

Whoever at work is hogging all the freezer space, will you please stop? Because when you hog the freezer space, that means that I cannot hog the freezer space. And I was the one that thought of hogging the freezer space first. You are just copying off of me. OK? Thanks

Don't believe everything you hear...

2009-02-18T10:19:00.004-06:00

This is just a general comment. If you ever hear that someone said something about you, before you repeat it or believe it as gospel, you might want to check directly with the person who the comment was attributed do. This would be true especially if the *gossiper* did not particularly like the *gossipp-ee*. Hard to believe, isn't it?

It's just a good rule of thumb, because believe it or not - people don't always tell the truth. *gasp*

"Consider the source"
My Mom

Exclusive: Obama in Peoria with photos!

2009-02-14T20:10:00.012-06:00

Once again a huge Thank you to Paul Wilkinson for his wonderful commentary and outstanding photos of President Obama's visit of last week. Paul is quite the mover and shaker and is never far from the action without capturing the moment on his Canon rebel. It is great that he so willingly shares his experiences right here at PeoriaRocks!

As a guest blogger of Diane's, I am taking some "blogger license" and including much of my personal opinion in this piece.

At work on Wednesday I was asked a few times if I was going to hear the President speak. I said that I had not heard whether or not I was going and was content either way. By the time I had gotten home, I received a call from Washington DC informing me that Congressman Aaron Schock had reserved a ticket for me and my friend, Curphy Smith, who is running for the 2nd District Council Seat.

I found the invitation somewhat of a shock (excuse the pun) specifically because I had just seen Aaron on Sunday and he didn't say a word about it. Always appreciate a good surprise. I called my boss and told her I would not be in Thursday due to this event. She, of course, is getting used to me flexing in and out of work, for political activities, and was most supportive.

I will admit that while I did not vote for the President, I have been curious as to how he would achieve what he has set out to do. Monitoring all the brouhaha about the stimulus package, reading, and listening to various opinions, I also realized that perhaps a better package could have been developed. Specifically in the transportation and infrastructure sections. I agree with Aaron, this could have been done much better. Knowing Aaron, I trust he has done his homework on this bill. We arrived at HH building. It was cold and sunny. There was a long wait to get in so I spent time chatting with some of various people I knew. Much of the city council was present, Reps Leitch and Gordon, Sens. Risinger and Koehler were present.

I very much enjoyed a chat with Arthur Perkins. An entire host of people were present from a variety of walks of life. Curphy is always fun to be around and great to bounce issues off. We talked quite a bit about his race for the Second District and spoke with a number of strong supporters who also waited in line.

We went through the usual security. I was very glad that I could bring in my camera. I probably am not recognized without it. There were a few opening remarks from Mr. Owens and Secretary LaHood. President Obama spoke about the stimulus package. He reported that it will greatly impact the economy, including ours here in Peoria. Interestingly enough in the audience were workers who are facing layoffs. The President called upon Congressman Schock to do the right thing and to vote for the bill. I received several texts from people not believing that Aaron was put on the spot like this, which were my personal thoughts exactly.

I have listened to much of the hype about this president and had not been sure what to expect seeing him in person. I hope great things for him and for the country in general. These times are tough, nationwide, although even with the layoffs, we as a community are still a little ahead of the game. I think back to the tough times in the 80's and remember that when things hit the coasts they slowly filtered into the Midwest and unfortunately they lingered here much longer after more fluid areas recovered. I hope that this is not the case this time. Here is a valuable quote that I took from the president's speech:

"In short, it means we're standing still. And in this new global economy, standing still is the surest way to end up falling behind. Standing still is not an option. It's not who we are; it's not who we have to be. Right now, we have a once in a generation chance to act boldly, to turn adversity into opportunity, and use this crisis as a chance to transform our economy for the 21st century."

I agree. With the global economy, many countries are able to undersell our products, albeit not the quality we once enjoyed. With that change in our economy, we need to develop those goods and services which are more unique to us: technology for example. as a product to sell to the world. Companies have been global for a number of years. That is not going to stop. We need to shift gears, re-educate or retrain the workforce for the new markets we must seek to balance our gross national product against our growing debt. We need strong infrastructure projects for manufacturing jobs. We need strong, responsible investment in our educational system. Businesses need to be able to reinvest in capital projects and pay our workers family wages and health care benefits.

Although excited about attending the event, I did not feel the awe and inspiration that I have felt with my other recent experiences. Perhaps because this visit from the President is on such a somber note. Perhaps subsequent interviews with Mr. Owens have revealed deeper cuts which will greatly effect our local economy and perhaps more of my friends will face more intense struggles trying to feed their families. After the speech, Curphy was able to shake hands with President Obama. It is always an honor to attend a event with a sitting president and much more of an honor to have any personal contact. For that experience I am thankful to Aaron for thinking of me once again.

I did have a chance to greet Secretary Ray LaHood after the event. I had spoken with him in Washington just prior to his appointment. He was excited then and seemed very happy in his current post.

The entire event was yet another honor for the city of Peoria and the region as a whole. For a few brief moments in time, we were the focus of an anxious nation.

Local businesses can submit their own on-line coupons for FREE!

2009-02-06T18:55:00.006-06:00

Peoria.com now has a new feature where businesses can promote themselves for FREE! Here is the link:

www.peoria.com/coupons

Check it out. You can submit a downloadable coupon for your business on line! Right now it is in the beta testing phase but as soon as Joe, our love-able webmaster has a few coupons uploaded the page will go live and it will be linked to from the homepage.

While you are there, stop by the community forums and give us a shout out.

We hope vendors and customers alike enjoy and make good use of the new coupon feature. Be sure to spread the news!

It's just one more free service brought to you by your friends at Peoria.com.

Interest free $$$ for first time home buyers!

2009-02-01T22:43:00.000-06:00

Recently, congress passed the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008". A part of that act provided for an interest free tax credit of up to $7,500 for first time home buyers that purchase homes between April 9 of 2008 and July 1, 2009. The income limits for the participant are $75,000 per year for a single person or $150,000 for married, filing jointly.

Here is how it works. You find and purchase a home through Diane Vespa. Well, actually, you can use any Realtor but since this is MY blog I'm going to take the liberty to embellish it in my favor! Lol! You finance the home through the lender of your choice and close as usual.

Come tax time at the end of the year, you claim a $7,500 tax credit on your tax return. For example, if you would have otherwise been entitled to a $2,000 refund, you will now receive a whopping $9,500 tax refund! If your tax return says you OWE $2,000., you will actually get a refund for $5,500, with the tax credit applied.

You will then be expected to pay back the loan to the tune of $500. per year for 15 years. Voila! $7,500 tax free loan for 15 years. What a great way to get a jump start on some equity, or upgrade or redecorate your new home. Hurry though! This program, if not renewed, will expire on July 1, 2009. The full details of the program are available here.

Of course, my explanation of this new program is very general. Please don't rely on anything herein as tax advice. For more specific information about this program and how it applies to your personal circumstances, please contact your tax preparer.

If you are a first time home-buyer and would like an e-mail list of homes in your price range please drop me an e-mail at dianevespa@yahoo.com, or give me a call at 309-645-8608!

Pass the buck...

2009-02-01T09:17:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, while dining at the food court at Northwoods Mall, I was forced to participate in the following conversation:

Our Son: "Dad, what color is God's skin?"

The Dh: "Ask your mom."

Me: "Huh?" (As I was rudely diverted from my enjoyment of a veggie Charlie's grilled sub.)

The son: "Mom, what color is God's skin?"

Me: (looked rudely towards DH as I took the liberty of a long, laborious thinking moment) "I think that God's skin would be a mixture of the color of every person's in the universe". That seemed to satisfy him.. although I could tell he was still thinking. "What color do you think it is?"

The son: "I think it is clear, because God is all around us."

Me: "Son, I think you might be on to something there!"

The Daughter: "I think it is green!"

End of discussion.

Road Trip!

2009-01-29T21:46:00.006-06:00

Thank you to guest blogger Paul Wilkinson for not only this newsy post, but also for his entertaining company on our roadtrip to Springfield to see one of our favorite gals!

On Joan Krupa's final day as our state representative, Diane and I road tripped to Springfield. As avid supporters of Joan, I wanted to give her a gift, namely pictures of her time in the state capital. Having organized a trip for Neighborhood leaders to Springfield to meet with Rep. Aaron Schock and Senators Koehler and Risinger, and with previous instructions from County Board Member Allen Mayer, I felt ready to tackle this task.

When one enters the capital, one sees the ornate beauty of the place and there is definitely a vibrancy in the air. Having been in the U.S. Capital with Aaron the week before, Springfield seemed almost peaceful. It was the last day of the session. Joan took Diane and I to the gallery, where we were allowed to take pictures of the House in session. There were several memorials and tributes to services to those who had passed away and those who were not returning to serve. Sometimes the speech was very solemn, sometimes filled with laughter.

It's odd when one reads on the internet people who make such disparaging and personal comments about our leaders. Witnessing the events we saw brings to reality that these are people doing their job. Sometimes we agree, sometimes not. Like most jobs, some are better at it than others.

In monitoring Joan, she exhibited a sense of style and grace which greatly fit in with the decorum of this day. She was definitely proud to serve the people of her district, even if only for a few days. Joan's participation in the historic vote to impeach the governor and her proposal of legislation to regulate predatory practices of payday loan companies, indicates her willingness to work to benefit the people of this district and of the entire state as well.

As Diane quickly found out, what one plans to happen in Springfield, seldom pans out. We anticipated a short house session on their last day, but it was not. It was wonderful that Joan was recognized for her efforts by the house floor. As a moment of the occasion, Joan gave me a an autographed copy of the the special investigation into the impeachment of the Governor. It however, made for a long day as the session ran into the late afternoon. Plans for lunch with Joan and Rep. Leitch quickly evaporate. It did allow us to explore the capital, a building I had not actually toured since the 5h grade...a few short years ago (hey it's my blog entry okay, haha).

I highly recommend to those that have not been able to witness our legislators at work to go view the process. It changes your perception and creates more realistic expectations of what can be accomplished and more importantly the work it takes to accomplish it.

I would like to congratulate Joan on her efforts and hope she has fond memories of the good experiences involved. I know she developed several lasting friendships through on this road traveled.

A word about Carpet Fresh...

2009-01-24T20:47:00.003-06:00

Don't use it. Just don't. I'd rather smell your 6 cats, last nights broccoli, even your stinky feet. Just please don't cream your house with Carpet Fresh and make me or your future buyer inhale it. Thank you.

Aaron goes to Washington...

2009-01-12T21:16:00.006-06:00

My dear friend and Guest blogger Paul Wilkinson had a birds eye view of Congressman Aaron Schock's swearing in ceremony last week in Washington, DC. Here, Paul shares his insights and his amazing original photos.

I am one of the lucky ones that was able to fly out with Aaron Schock to his Congressional Swearing in. It is an honor that I will remember for all my days. On the trip was an interesting cross section of supporters, wealthy and not, Republican, Democrat, old and young, family, friends, and a few of Aaron's mentors. Most of these people I had met on the campaign trail along the way. I did make a number of new and lasting friends.

The experience can only be described as a whirlwind. Aaron and his staff clearly had worked very hard to make the events as special to his family and guests as to himself. Those efforts enhanced the experience. Since we were only there 50 hours it still seems a surreal experience. We flew out on a chartered DC-9 with about 100 people from Peoria early Monday Morning. The sunrise was spectacular. When we entered DC we were greeted by the sights of Pentagon, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and finally the Capital Building, a short walk from the hotel.

This was my fifth trip to DC. It is always an amazing city. We received a special tour of the Capital Building, including the new visitor's center. Aaron and his staff took us on to the Floor of the House. We explored some of the tunnels under the Capitol complex to get around. President-elect Obama was in the Capital, hence security was very tight. Odd to see armed men in and around the Capital. Last time I had been there was before 9-11. It did not diminish the awe of the place. So much history, so much action in one place. It seemed every corner we turned there was a familiar face from the news or a well known leader. We were allowed on the House Floor as well.

Later that evening there was a welcome dinner and a night tour of the monuments. I did not attend these events, instead I headed out to Maryland to see good friends from high school and their twin girls. In speaking to others, the tour was no less than spectacular and led by Aaron's Chief of Staff Steven Shearer who lived in DC for a long time before he worked for Aaron. I have always wanted to see the monuments at night. This definitely invokes the need for another DC trip.

The next morning I headed back to DC where one of the fireman who came with us and I headed out to see what we could see. The subway system in DC is one of the best I have ever experienced. We headed over to the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Museums. After a brief tour, we headed back to meet the others at the Billy Goat Tavern, a famous DC landmark. Aaron's supporters filled the place to watch his swearing-in. While there, we shared stories of the trip and memories of Aaron, local events back home and simply good comaraderie. We witnessed Aaron's first vote.

We had some of the afternoon free, then met the group for another trip to the Capital. There we were privileged to attend Aaron's personal swearing-in event with Speaker Nancy Pelosi whom we all got to meet and shake hands with. Group pictures were taken, including the one gracing the papers here in Peoria. If you note, I was not in any of those pictures as I was in my usual spot behind the camera. I was able to surrender my Canon briefly to a staff member who took a couple of pictures with Aaron, Madame Speaker, and myself.

We then went to the library of Congress. Breathtaking is the only word to describe this building...truly a "National Treasure" (if you're a movie buff)...ha-ha, Aaron took us into a room reserved for Congressional members only. If I understood correctly, in this room were books from Thomas Jefferson. Again the sense of awe and the weight of history in this room was simply staggering.

The highlight of the trip was the Inagural Dinner for Aaron and his supporters in the Members Room at the Library of Congress. The view of the Capital Dome at night was a prominent feature right out the window. Congressman Bob Michel spoke. His enthusiasm was most certainly contagious. This is a man, who has loved his life of service and is completely thrilled to see the next generation follow in his foot steps. Former Congressman and Secretary of Transportation designee Ray LaHood also spoke. How wonderful for Peoria and the 18th Congressional to have Ray LaHood as a cabinet member and Aaron in Congress. I am hoping for great things. Every detail of that dinner was clearly meticuiouly planned for the benefit of those attending.

Again, my thanks to the staff for all their hard work on this event. That night we were blessed to be in the presence of great men and women, leaders at all levels of life. I fully believe that Aaron is on his way to being one of those men that history will remember for generations to come. To be priveleged to have helped him along the way and to have some small influence on his path to reaching his full potential is simply beyond words. Aaron is a good man and valued friend.

The trip wrapped up with the flight back. While waiting for take off, President Bill Clinton's plane was next to ours and I snapped off a few photos of him walking off his plane.

I only had two regrets from this trip. The first is that due to a work schedule conflict and finances I could not share this experience with someone that I care deeply about. The second regret is that I was unable to witness Joan Krupa being sworn-in to take Aaron's seat in Springfield for the last 10 days in his State Rep, term. I was thrilled that she was able to serve the people of the 92nd, even if only for a few days. She was able to cast a historic vote for the impeachement of the Governor.

Guest Blogger Paul Wilkinson is President of the Peoria Neighborhood Alliance and the current president of the Altamont Park Neighborhood Association. He is the 2008 recipient of the "Mayors award" for his work in neighborhood clean-up efforts. He was instrumental in securing state and federal tax ememptions for both organizations.

Joan Krupa goes to Springfield

2009-01-05T21:55:00.004-06:00

Residents of the 92nd District remained unrepresented today.. for a full 90 minutes. Aaron Schock officially resigned his position as State Representative effective 5:00PM today, but by 6:30PM, Joan Krupa was appointed, approved, and sworn in as his interim replacement. Although she will serve for only 10 days, it appears likely she will arrive in Springfield at a key moment in Illinois government.

All indications are that the State Legislature will move quickly to commence impeachment proceedings against embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich. It seems likely that Joan will participate in that process as well as tender a vote.

The theme of Joan's entire campaign was an emphasis on bringing about respectability and integrity to our state government. When she said that though, I doubt she meant it quite that literally! My best to Joan and her family!

Christ the Savior is born

2008-12-25T00:00:00.003-06:00

...And the angel said to them "Do not be afraid. I bring you tidings of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you: you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger." ~ Luke 2: 10-12

The Night before Christmas - Politically Correct!

2008-12-24T23:17:00.002-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck…
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose

And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.

No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.

For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football…someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere…even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth…
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth."

Notice: This poem is copyright ©1992 by Harvey Ehrlich. It is free to distribute, without changes, as long as this notice remains intact. All follow-ups, requests, comments, questions, distribution rights, etc should be made to mduhan@husc.harvard.edu .

Mortgage rates fall below 5%

2008-12-18T22:31:00.003-06:00

From Cefcu's website - a conventional 15 year fixed rate mortgage loan is now 4.675% and NO points! I never thought we'd see the day.

So although the message "now is a good time to buy" can be overly simplistic and in my opinion should not be advised without caveats, from a mortgage standpoint, it most certainly IS a good time to buy.

Chicago!

2008-12-17T09:32:00.003-06:00

With the state of Chicago (ah-hem!) being such a hot topic these days, I felt inspired to post a few photos from our Thanksgiving excursion to the appropriately named Windy City.

It all came about when Chyah of the Peoria.com forums recommended signing up for the Travelzoo Top 20 weekly best deals e-mail list. Travelzoo.com is a website that consolidates the best deals from all the major travel websites.

Thanks to Travelzoo, we booked a hotel suite a block from Michigan Avenue for $119 a night. We then spent a few days enjoying Chicago over the Thanksgiving School holiday.

The first order of business was to get a metro pass. We only had to pony up a cool $20 bucks for the 4 of us to enjoy unlimited public transportation for the duration of our stay. No cabs here. Public transportation is a hoot and the kids loved it!

I was anxious to check out the giant bean at Millennium park. OK, cool. Now I saw the giant bean. It looks like... a giant bean. I can rest peacefully. It was pretty cool though and the kids enjoyed making goofy faces and posing in it's reflection. Come to think of it, so did I.

My little brothers and nieces and nephews joined us the following day. The brave ones among us took an elevator to the top of the Sears building and the weenies (like me) kept the home fires burning at the ground-level Starbucks. They could have spent all day up there as far as I was concerned so long as they didn't insist my ass be with them!

That evening we walked from our hotel to the Cheesecake Factory in the John Hancock Building for dinner. While there, we stumbled upon a lavish Christmas Village and model train display in the lobby. It was easy to get lost in ones dreams while watching the trains winding through the village that was literally as big as a house. It made me realize how lame our "Thomas around the Christmas Tree" set really is, but fortunately, I don't think the kids made the same connection.

Thanksgiving morning we checked out of our hotel, but not before we caught the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade winded its way down State Street and we meandered through the crowd and found the perfect spot to observe. The floats were huge to the point of intimidating and there were marching bands from all over the state of Illinois. The only thing that we will do differently next year is arm ourselves with a thermos of hot chocolate and a thick blanket. Otherwise it was an awesome experience.

This was such a blast we decided to take a similar excursion over the Christmas Holiday. I see on the Travelzoo list there is an $89. deal at the Chicago Marriott Courtyard. This time though, we'll leave the car at a park-n-ride outpost. The hotel parking bill was $48. a day. Yikes! But aside from that, we are THERE!

More funny kids stuff...

2008-12-16T21:03:00.006-06:00

My hubby John and our boy Jim were leaving Independence Village yesterday after a Tiger Scout Christmas caroling gig. As they approached the parking lot John cautioned Jim to avoid a car that was backing out of its parking space.

Hubby: "Jim come over on the other side of me."

Jim: "Why, Dad?"

Hubby: "Because I don't want you to get hit by this car backing out."

Jim: "Well Dad, I don't want you to get hit either."

Upon which, John felt a warm fuzzy feeling welling up inside of him. But not for long...

Jim: "If you got hit, who would drive me home?"

Ahhh, the self absorption of a 7 year old!

Peoria rocks at the Historical Society Candlelight tours...

2008-12-06T21:30:00.005-06:00

This is the final weekend for the candlelight tours of the Peoria Historical Society's Pettengill-Morron House Museum at 1212 W. Moss Avenue. This years theme, Silhouettes of Lincoln, has been extremely popular! The attendance this year was more than double that of last year.

As we prepare to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, we thought a fitting tribute would be to tell some of the little known facts about Lincoln during our Candlelight Tours this year. Enjoy!

The house is decorated to the hilt by the Peoria Garden club. They did a wonderful job and the results were amazing! The house has never looked more beautiful. Tonight I volunteered in the gift shop, where visitors can purchase historic books, post cards, Christmas ornaments and various novelties.

Tomorrow is the final day of candlelight tours, and the house will be open from 2:00 - 4:00. It's a great experience for the kids, so don't be shy about bringing them. Tell them if they don't break anything, they'll get a cookie at the end of the tour.

Mayor Jim Ardis kicks off his re-election campaign

2008-12-04T10:19:00.002-06:00

Over 100 supporters of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis convened Wednesday evening at Weaver Ridge in a huge show of support for Jim's re-election. Many are battle-weary from November elections, but it was obvious that there are still plenty who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get back to campaigning for one of our most popular mayors since sliced bread. Below is Mayor Ardis with State Representative David Leitch, and Congressman Ray Lahood who both turned out for the event. Congressman-elect Aaron Schock was out of town for Legislative training, but I feel confidant in saying he was wholeheartedly present in spirit.

The crowd was an eclectic mix. Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and candidates were all schmoozing and making nice. The shared commonality was of course, an appreciation for what Mayor Ardis and his council have brought to the table over the past four years -a more cohesive and approachable government, decreased crime rates, and an overall enhancement of the image of Peoria.

Being the pre-election season, various petitions to get on the ballot were being circulated like crazy. Candidates for Patrick Nichting's 5th Council seat were present and working the room. Below is Douglas P. Crew, Governmental Affairs Manager for Caterpillar, running for Nichting's seat. Nice man, cute smile, firm handshake. Two thumbs up! I met his opponent too but it was later in the evening where drinks were flowing freely and well, I just can't remember his name. Nice guy. Will report back later.

Below are two of my favorite Dems, 4th District council member William Spears, and Peoria County Circuit Clerk Robert Spears. You simply have not lived until you have been to one of Bobby's 3rd of July backyard BBQ's. Bobby is pure rompin, stompin fun all the time, and generous to a fault. He is also a great single parent to his three beautiful daughters. So many of us recall the beautiful spirit of their mother, the late Regina Spears, who will always reside warmly in my heart.

One of my most fondly recalled conversations of the evening was one I had with Peoria County Board of Review Chairman Gary Shadid. Gary and I have squared off a time or two, but I think the world of him and his family, and we both understand and respect the other's task. Mine is to help keep real estate assessments fair and accurate and his is to... on second thought, guess you'll have to ask him. Ha ha.. just kidding. Sort of. Gary is running for City Treasurer against opponent Patrick Nichting. I think Gary would fill that position with competency, honesty and integrity. What more could you want from a treasurer?

All in all it was a pretty tame, laid back event, just the way Ardis likes things. Later in the evening on the drive home, John (my dh) was reminiscing about his old "Lucky Lady" days, where he worked alongside Jim as a bartender and DJ for a few years. John holds the entire Ardis family in the highest regard, and feels they were brought up with wholesome, traditional values in their shared Columbia Terrace neighborhood. John was particularly close with Jim's sister, the late Ann Ardis Centers, who answered the call from our Lord just a few months ago after a long battle with cancer.

John and I plan to work extra hard towards Jim's re-election. We feel he has and will continue to do a great job as Mayor and represent the citizens of Peoria with the utmost integrity and highest ethical standards.

From the oxymoron department...

2008-11-19T08:29:00.000-06:00

In Entertainment News, here is a little tidbit from Nov. 17, The National Enquirer,

"Girls Next Door" gang up on Hef's twin playmates.

The Playboy Mogul's ex-girlfriends, Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson, have ganged up on their replacements - the gorgeous 19 year old Shannon twins - and are begging Hef to boot them from his mansion.

Here is the kicker...

"Dump those trashy twins - they don't deserve you! They are riff-raff and they are using you."

*cough**cough* OMG this cough is just KILLING me! Haven't been able to shake it ever since I read this.

Peoria honors its veterans

2008-11-18T21:47:00.002-06:00

One week ago was Veteran's Day, and in our book, it is a day like no other. It is the day we honor the bravest and most selfless of American's - The hero's that have fought for our freedom - our Veterans. Fortunately, the kids had the day off school which offered plenty of oppportunity to demonstrate the significance of this day.

Despite the cold and rain, many Peorians turned out to watch the downtown parade. I have to say, it is my favorite parade of the year. There were at least a dozen marching bands and nothing warms my heart more than watching Kids in a marching band. All the hours they spend in practice is time they aren't out cooking up trouble. Marching bands=good! There was an entry and a Parade Marshall representing 6 U.S. wars. To the best of my recollection they were WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and the War on Terror.

The memorial service at the WWII Memorial after the parade was particularly moving. Despite the cold there was a respectable crowd and although the kids didn't necessarily understand the words, they definately understood the reverance and importance of the occassion.

You'll have to take my word that I had a lot of GREAT photos to share that somehow got lost when I synced my phone with the computer. Shit happens. Technology - it is definately a love/hate thing with me.

Friendship

2008-11-15T13:04:00.004-06:00

It's such a loose term. Bandied about way too often and almost always conditional. I try to teach my children to rely on family - spouses, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. These are the relationships that, if nurtured, will truly sustain you. True friendship is becoming a rare if nonexistent condition - another casualty of the era we find ourselves in that is defined by an almost complete erosion of human virtue. Call me jaded.

Can you get any lazier than this??

2008-11-12T21:36:00.006-06:00

Here's a tip. NEVER go grocery shopping when you feel your laziest. If you do, you just might end up with something like this in your cart...

And if you are anyone other than a college kid, and you have this in your cart on the same day, it might be time for your friends to stage an intervention.

'nuff said.

An ancient maternal ritual

2008-11-07T21:58:00.004-06:00

Today while waiting for the little Christmas train to stop at Northwoods Mall, I noticed my daughter was wiggling the crap out of her lower front loose tooth. She had made considerable progress on it throughout the day and that sucker was hanging on by its last little thread.

I asked her if I could feel it, and as I did so, was overcome by some strange mystical force. Just like my Mom did for me, as generations had done before her, I grabbed hold of that little tooth, estimated just the right amount of leverage and YANKED. Mercifully, it cooperated and out came her first little tooth.

I shudder to think how horrible it would have been had I yanked and it not come out. As Moms, we all face that moment of truth - to yank, or not to yank. Thankfully, our first experience was a good one. Time will tell if she will ever let me near her mouth again, but tonight, we have a little girl who can't wait to wake up in the morning after a long anticipated visit from the tooth fairy.

Election Epilogue

2008-11-06T20:54:00.010-06:00

Whether you love or hate the election results, I think we can all appreciate the fact it is over. The country and the world can collectively exhale, for now. President-Elect Obama has his work cut out for him, that's for sure. For the sake of the entire world, I pray he is up to the task. You have to admire the professionalism with which he ran his campaign. He stayed on point, rarely slipped up, and kept his message for the most part positive. He was clearly the country's choice, and his significant margin of victory will help McCain supporters (like me) accept his win, suck it up, and move on.

The race that is far more difficult to digest is Jehan Gordon's win over Joan Krupa. Joan was clearly the more qualified candidate for the State house 92nd District, most everyone would agree. The stars lined up perfectly this year for Gordon, and the results are, in my opinion, a perfect example of an imperfect democracy. The people that voted for her, hopefully did not realize the role that her mentors played in the fact that our state government is in the crapper. If they did, how could they possibly believe then that their representation of the citizens of Peoria will be any different?

On the other hand, Joan Krupa is one of the most selfless, loving and God-fearing people I have ever met. Her qualifications for the office she sought were beyond reproach, according to past two term Republican Governer of Illinois, Jim Edgar. As I read the daily smut that Gordon and her corrupt dysfunctional Chicago friends threw against Joan and her exemplary record of public service, it hurt me on a very personal level. She might as well have been slandering my Mom. I can overlook Jehan's shoplifting conviction. I can even almost overlook her lying about her degree, but I will never forget her maliciousness towards Joan. She may have won the election, but you can't win integrity or a conscience, and if she doesn't have it by now, it's a real long shot. Gordon is young with a long life ahead of her, but I'm afraid with her demonstrated lack of boundaries, it will not be an easy road. The problem is, citizens of Peoria are now along for the ride as well. Scary.

The Krupa campaign would also beg to differ on her claim that she won the election by her diligent and brilliant campaigning. I'm thinking the multiple debate hosts that were stood up when she didn't show for scheduled debates would disagree. You won, Jehan, so you can quit with the spin. Act like you've been there. Just give credit where credit is due and thank Barrack Obama next time you see him. While your at it you might want to apologize for capitalizing on his good name without his permission. Joan, on the other hand, told me on the phone today that she is praying for your success in Springfield.

How about that State's Attorney's race? What a nail-biter, and one I chose to stay out of. For one thing, DH, being a defense attorney would have to work with the ultimate victor. Secondly, both Kevin Lyons and the Lahood families are friends of the family and it was just tooo weird. Kind of like if your Mom was running against your sister. They both ran strong, vibrant campaigns, and the results could have been a coin toss.

The only thing I would offer in retrospect is this. It is worrisome that the City and our Police Departments took such a strong stand against the State's Attorney's Office. I don't think that can be chalked up to "politics as usual". Something is seriously wrong in Who-ville. I hope that Mr. Ardis, Mr. Settingsgaard and Mr. Lyons can extend mutual olive branches and try to resolve their differences on behalf of the city. Everyone can use all the help they can get, and since they are all stuck with each other might as well make the best of it.

Mr. Lyons, I know this is none of my business, but you seem like a nice man. You gave our daughter daisies last week for Pete's sake. Would it really kill you to participate in the Mayor's crime task force? What is it an hour a week? Even if you just go and don't utter a single word your mere presence could speak volumes to the public on your willingness to fight crime. Additionally, it just might freak out a crook or two, and if it spares even one little old ladies snatched purse, it would all be worthwhile.

Those are my thoughts for what they are worth on election 2008. All of the candidates are very brave people to put themselves out there, warts and all, to judge and be judged, with at least a 50% chance of losing. That takes a lot of GUTS, some I surely do not have. Joan Krupa asked me Tuesday night if I would ever run for public office. I told her, accurately, that if someone with her caliber could run and not win, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Inside the Schock victory party

2008-11-05T10:41:00.004-06:00

In an evening filled with angst and hand-wringing for Republicans, the Lord in his mercy offered a single bright spot - the election of 18th Congressional District Candidate Aaron Schock to Congress.

A huge crowd filled the new Peoria Civic Center ballroom to capacity as many of Aaron's friends, family, supporters and colleagues joined him in an evening of anticipation and ultimately, Victory.

Aaron spent the evening mingling with the crowd, pausing patiently for photos, doing network interviews and occasionally trolling the election stats via cell-phone. The depth to which Aaron connects with people of all ages and ethnicity's will never cease to amaze me. To be honest, it was this very quality that brought me on board the Schock train the day I met him, almost a year ago during the primaries.

Below is Aaron, enjoying a fringe benefit of the job. It's rough, but somebody's gotta do it!

I'm sure posing with me and hubby, John was quite the letdown after the prior photo! Heh heh.

Fairly early in the evening, it became evident that once again, Aaron would deliver a resounding victory to Illinois Republicans. The pride that permeated the room was indescribable. Steven Shearer, Schocks campaign manager, never took a single moment to savor the victory. He was all business, all night long. Steve, if you are reading this, log off NOW and get thyself to Cabo!

Despite the thrill in the air over Aaron's win, there was also a profound melancholy as we watched the returns come in for the darling of the Republican ticket, Joan Krupa. This is something that I find difficult to even write about, and right now I will only make a few comments. Although our system of Democracy is the greatest in the world, it is by no means perfect, and never has that been more apparent than by the defeat of Joan Krupa last night to Jehan Gordon. I will spare any further comment for a later post... but suffice it to say, her election defied any logic and common sense, and in my opinion will prolong the critical state of Illinois government.

At approximately 10:00 p.m., Schock and Company took the stage to address the crowd. Imagine my surprise when Steve Shearer asked me to join the supporters on stage. Of course, I was humbled and honored to stand with the youngest person ever to be elected to Congress. That sh** doesn't happen every day.

The program was opened with a moving rendition of America the Beautiful by local singer Pat Ward. Her deep resonant voice, coupled with the realization that other Republican races weren't going so well, brought tears to my eyes.

Shortly thereafter, Schock's primary opponents John Morris and Jim McConoughey made a few clever and poignant remarks relating to their experiences as Aaron's opponents in the primary. "Yes, I got to know Aaron well too...", McConoughey quipped with a feigned eye-roll as the crowd chuckled in empathy and understanding.

Other speakers to take center stage were Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, Campaign Chairman and Peoria City Council Member Eric Turner, several Mayors, and state representative Keith Sommer.

Aaron's remarks, although brief, were humble and powerful. Aaron thanked all those who voted, endorsed and supported him, and at the same time offered a reassurance to all that he would, as he has in the past, reach across the aisle to serve all citizens. A little Republican red meat was tendered as well when he assured the crowd that if he disagreed with a policy, he would fight it with all his heart and soul. You know what? I believe him. Whether you agree or not, this is a man that is driven by powerful conviction.

Now I realize that Schock has his dissenters. I believe that most of those that yell the loudest are people that have never met him or cared to learn what is in his heart. That's OK. I just ask that you give him a chance. I'm willing to give it to Obama. Deal? All we are say-ing, is give peace a chance. Hey! That would make a great song!

Ch-ch-ch-Chia!

2008-11-02T02:39:00.001-06:00

Do people really pay good money for a Chia Pet? I've always wanted one, but the little common sense voice inside my head would scream "loser" anytime I came close. So when my Mom surprised me with a Chia Pet she found at a Walgreen's for half price (she is good at stuff like that!), I was psyched. We couldn't wait to get him started. I decided as a a sort-of public service announcement to share the Chia experience with my readers. Who knows, there may be others out there as mystified and conflicted as I was.

First, you take the pet out of the package and resuscitate him. If you have children under the age of 7, you will no doubt have to name him. All bets are that it will be a Fluffy or Skippy or Barky. In fact, to simplify, give them those three choices. Soak Fluffy in water overnight. Simultaneously, mix the seed mixture with water and allow it to goo overnight as well.

The next day, spread the goo on the soaked Chia Pet. The kids love this part, and expect a big mess. After they lose interest, (in about 3 minutes) and aren't looking, re-do it.

In about a day you will see the little seeds sprout. After a full 2 days your Chia Pet will look like it is covered with maggots. Of course, this will not phase the experienced parent.

After 4 days, it starts looking like a Chia with a flat top, and in a week, bar the door, Fluffy! This baby needs a trip to the groomers!

Epilogue: Although it is enjoyable to watch anything flourish and grow, this dude got old pretty quick. The kids kept asking when they could play with it. As soon as they realized that Fluffy would never fetch or roll over, they moved on. The experience was worthwhile though, because at least now I can be certain that on my deathbed I won't think "Hmmm, I wonder what it would have been like to grow a Chia Pet?"

I would also be more inclined to purchase another if they offered one that grew something to eat, spice with, or smoke. Now THAT would be cool!

Unmoderated comments found....

2008-10-30T08:51:00.003-06:00

A few slipped between the cracks. My apologies to anyone who thought I was censoring.
They should all be published now.

A classic "Do as I say and not as I do"...

2008-10-27T20:08:00.008-06:00

From a Kharma standpoint, I probably shouldn't post this, but what the heck! Today, while walking through the parking lot of Gold's Gym, I noticed a busy City of Peoria Parking Enforcement Officer diligently writing tickets to naughty parking challenged motorists. I really didn't think much about it until I realized that she herself was parked illegally in the #1 handicapped spot. I wonder if she wrote a ticket to herself. Heh heh. I just got a chuckle out of it.

The Obama redistribution "plan" opens up all kinds of new doors!

2008-10-26T21:42:00.005-06:00

This was forwarded to me from the ISBA discussion group. I have permission from the author to reprint it here. The last line, although intended to be funny, is pretty frightening, when you realize its implications.

I am the president of my home owners association. The association consists of 18 homes. We usually need about $70,000 a year to cover expenses, so the typical dues are $4,000 a house for the year.

For 2009, I'm thinking about acting like Obama to collect the dues. I'm just going to ring the doorbell of the biggest house and tell them they owe $87,000. When they pay, I'm going to use $70,000 for the expenses and give $1,000 to each of the other houses.

This is going to be so much fun! Funny thing, too: We took a vote on it at the last meeting, and it passed 17-1...

Jim "Go Figure" Foley

Peoria rocks out at the Women's Lifestyle Show...

2008-10-26T08:13:00.001-06:00

Let me tell ya, ladies, if you are ever in the market for liposuction, a spine realignment or a face-lift, you can get your first, 2nd and 3rd opinions all at the same time at the annual Women's lifestyle show downtown at the Civic Center. Based on the size of the crowd, it appears that feelings of inadequacy are alive and well here in Central Illinois. Ha ha, I'm just kidding - sort of.

We actually had a great time and a side bonus was a stash of pens that will last at least through Christmas and some sack clips that you can't ever have too many of.

Lugging along my trusty Canon Rebel, I captured lots of images to share.

A crowd favorite is of course, the Cubs chow line. Who doesn't love to shove free pizza, sausage and cake into their face all at the same time.

No surprise here - my favorite booth - The Repubs! I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to my homies in the Repub booth.

Also present today was a glowing Joan Krupa, candidate for State Rep, a woman who next to my Mom and dearly departed Sister-in-Law is as close to Godliness as I've met.

We loved the VESPA booth. Actually, I think it was Illinois Cycle but the daughter couldn't resist mugging for the camera on top of the featured Vespa scooter. Here is a little Vespa on a Vespa.

States Attorney Kevin Lyons was pouring on the charm for the ladies with bouquets of Daisy's. Here is Kevin with our daughter and a smiling supporter, the lovely Renee Parker.

Here is well known and loved Blogger Eyebrows McGee, stumping for the Junior League and her fav cause - The Peoria Playhouse. I'll let you in on a little secret about Laura - she does NOT like getting her pic taken. Best strategy here is to shoot and run.

Wholesome entertainment was featured throughout the day. Unfortunately, James Buffett had a schedule conflict and was unable to perform.

The character of the various displays ranged from mundane to insane. These Monty Python characters were a site to behold.

All in all, a pretty fun day. And by the way, if I disappear for a few weeks and upon my return appear a little refreshed and 10 pounds slimmer, it wouldn't be illogical to conclude that I fell prey to some of today's offerings, would it? Ha. I can dream anyway.

...breaking....Biden out, Gordon in!

2008-10-24T21:40:00.003-06:00

Talk about rubbernecking. That's just ZACTLY what I did driving down Sheridan Road this afternoon and coming upon this Obama/Gordon sign. I was like, HOLY CAMPAIGN SIGNS BATMAN! When did Biden resign?

OK seriously, does this pass the sniff test? $50 bucks to the first person who can forward me proof that the Obama campaign approved this sign. I won't be holding my breath, and in the meantime, given the fact that anything seems to go this campaign season, I've ordered some of my own signs - you know, to kind of capitalize on the Obama Train.

First off, I think we need a town blogger. Billy Dennis, although he occasionally gets on my nerves (Lol!) wins my endorsement. So I'm having me printed up a few of these to slap around town:

Second up, I think we need a town quacker. Just to kind of liven up the place. So I nominate the old family favorite, and someone we all know and love, Mr. Donald Duck. These signs should be ready any day now as well:

I can't wait to start putting out all of our shiny new signs. The Obama campaign doesn't seem to mind. This will be a blast!!

Lets' share the wealth

2008-10-24T13:11:00.004-06:00

Today on my way to lunch, I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money". I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had an "Obama 08" tie. I laughed again as he had given away his political preference. This gave me opportunity.

When the bill came, I decided not to tip the server and explained to him I was testing the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need - the homeless guy outside. The server was pretty angry and stormed away.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy the $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I had decided he could use the money more. The guy was really grateful.

My conclusions:
The homeless guy was grateful for the money he didn't earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn, even though the actual recipient deserved the money more.
It's a matter of fairness.
People just don't understand such a simple concept.

Guest Blogger contest! - UPDATED 2XX! We have winners!

2008-10-23T22:00:00.000-06:00

The verdict is IN. My Mom has spoken. She has reviewed all of the guest blog entries and has rendered her decision.

First Place: Cheetoh's Meows! Mom sez: "Well you know how much I love cats... and I love that this is written by a cat. Very unique and original"

Second Place: Crodseth heads off the beaten path... Mom sez: "This was a cute, fun read. And I gave him a bonus for the photo's as you requested"

Third Place: A Tie! Mom loved the sentimental pieces, but probably didn't appreciate them as much as she would at other times because she has been nursing a sick husband (my Dad) and at this time appreciated the lighter pieces. She thought both were very well written and a wonderful tribute to the author's loved ones!

I will contact each of you to get your prizes to you!

Thank you to my wonderful young authors for all your guest blog submissions. Who woulda thunk we had that much writing talent lurking? The HUGE decision is now in the hands of my Mom. Lol! Please allow her a day or so to review the entries and declare the winners!

Do you have something you want to get off your mind? Do you have a funny bone that is just dying to express itself? Can you tell one whopper of a story? Have you ever thought of starting a blog but are just a big chicken? Is something sitting in your craw? Here is a chance to dip your toes in the water, exercise your right of free expression, and win an expensive and fabulous prize!

Between now and Monday, October 20, I would like to invite all readers to submit an original blog post to Peoriarocks! for publication. The post can be any length, on any topic, and can be serious, tongue in cheek, or just plain hilarious. I have the right to reject any entry that contains obscene, or slanderous material. Bonus points will be given to submissions that are Peoria-specific, and/or contain your original photos. You can use your real name or a pseudonym. Of course, I'll need your real name but will assure your anonymity.

The judging will be done by........ my Mom. She is 74, of German descent, and is Independent in her political beliefs. She's voting for Obama. We try not to talk about that though. She loves children, crossword puzzles, and is a tough old duck if you cross her.

Here are the fabulous and expensive prizes!

First prize - $25. gift certificate to Borders
Second Prize - Set of 3 Waterford Christmas Ornaments
Third Prize - Waterford Crystal Christmas Ornament - "Noah's Ark"

So get out the old Laptop, crack a few Corona's, and start typing. I will publish the entries as they are submitted. Just send your entry to me at dianevespa@yahoo.com. Hope to get lots of participation and have fun!

Governor Jim Edgar stumps for Krupa in Peoria tonight

2008-10-21T21:06:00.000-06:00

Tonight former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar arrived at a private residence in Peoria to talk to Peorian's about the importance of electing Joan Krupa as State Representative. Governor Edgar was introduced by event host Wayne Baum, who remarked, "If common sense prevailed, we wouldn't even be here tonight".

Edgar was enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd of over 100 people. Among those attending were State Representatives David Leitch and Aaron Schock, Congressman Ray Lahood, and former Peoria Mayors David Ransburg and Jim Maloof. "Springfield is in the biggest mess I have ever seen," Edgar said. "To straighten it out, we will need highly qualified, competent people in office, and from what I understand...." He never finished the sentence. The insinuation was clear. The tawdriness of the Gordon campaign became legendary this evening as the crowd embraced Joan with their support.

Governor Edgar said that in his entire career he has never seen a more qualified candidate than Joan Krupa. "I hope you all realize how lucky you are that she is willing to serve the people of Illinois. With health care being one of the most important issues of today, she is the ideal person to have working on our behalf in Springfield."

Below is my hubby, John "hob-knobbing" with the gov. It made his day! A giant Thank you to former Governor Jim Edgar and all those who travelled from Springfield and beyond to show support for the 92nd District. Please punch the ballot for Joan Krupa, State Representative on November 4.