Warehouse District set for building work

After almost three years of construction, Peoria’s Warehouse District is ready  ̶  for more construction.

“Now, the fun begins,” declared City Councilman Ryan Spain, who has been the city’s front man on the Warehouse District since its inception, during a special ceremony Thursday at the place work began, at the intersection of Washington and Liberty streets.

The ceremony was to cut the ribbon on the Warehouse District, an official declaration that it is open and ready for business. The street work, mostly paid for with a federal Tiger II grant along with city funding, is finished and the streets are more pedestrian friendly and nicely landscaped. “The funding for this came from every citizen in Peoria,” said City Councilwoman Denise Moore, whose First District includes the Warehouse District. “We can all be proud.”

Spain said work will continue.

“The construction doesn’t stop. The investments of the public sector now pave the way for the investments of the private sector,” Spain said just before he and several other political and civic leaders cut the ribbon with the Portal sculpture that marks the entryway to the Warehouse District in the background.

Spain said several developments are in the works to turn the old warehouses in the 30-block district into places of business and residence, thus breathing new life into a large section of downtown Peoria. Some projects have started; others are in the design stage and are unknown to the public.

Steven Morris, vice chairman of the Peoria County Board, said when the developments become known, it will be exciting. “This will be the catalyst for all the private business that are here and will be coming here as a result,” he said.

While the actual construction on the streets occurred over a period of about 2½ years, work on the overall projects has been ongoing much longer. The city dove in about six years ago when Spain and a contingent of officials went to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Department of Transportation leaders about the Tiger II grants earmarked for street work in America’s cities.

Since that time, Spain said, “It has been an incredible journey.” He thanked all those who joined him on the journey, from the public sector to the private individuals who helped with the project.

State Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, whose father Ray LaHood was U.S. Transportation Secretary when ground was broken on the project, said the Warehouse District will be one of those cases where the public sector spends the money and the businesses come. “The collaboration that went into this project is a testament to the commitment of everybody involved,” he said.

Jennifer Allison, a spokesman for State Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, said the senator has been a believer in the Warehouse District from the beginning. He looks forward, she said, “to the growth and endless investment it will bring.”

State Rep. Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, said this project was a top priority when she was first elected six years ago, so it was gratifying to see it reach this stage. She said the success to date, from obtaining the federal and state grants for the street work to getting it finished, shows what can get done when bipartisan efforts are put forth. “When it comes to fighting for Peoria, we all come together. Now it’s time to let businesses do what they do best, which is grow and prosper and flourish.”

To date, completed projects include a restaurant (Sugar) and office and art studio space. More restaurants are planned and many of the buildings in the district are slated for mixed uses that will include apartments and condominiums. 

Great Work Begins to present 'Antigone'

Imagination is as much a part of theatre as anything else, and that goes double for a local theatre troupe that is itself more different than anything else in the Peoria region.

The Great Work Begins Theatre Troupe, started several years ago by a group of college students and recent graduates, will perform its imaginative take on the greek tragedy "Antigone" this weekend at Camp Wokanda.

The show will be performed at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the Boy Scout camp just northwest of Mossville. Follow the signs off of Route 29.

Admission is $5.

Written by Sophocles in or about 441 BC, "Antigone" takes place during the Greek Civil War. The title character is the sister of two men who died fighting each other for the throne and she is intent on defying the orders of the new ruler regarding which of the brothers will be honored and which will be shamed.

The local version takes places in the American Civil War and the battle is fought in Carthage, Illinois, which was the site of an actual Civil War battle more than 150 years ago.

That, however, is only the beginning of where the theatre troupe's imagination comes in, said Andrew Rhodenbaugh, who is one of the founding members of The Great Work Begins, and Victoria Kapanjie, who has performed with the group and is the director of "Antigone."

"I guess you could say we abridged an abridged version of the play, then set it to a more moder time so audiences could better relate," said Rhodenbaugh, who portray Haemon in the play. "It's a short play, only about an hour, but we were able to make sure the story is told."

"We cut out the fat, basically," said Kapanjie. "It was a collaborative effort, the writing and the directing. We believe it will appeal to Civil War buffs and we are using period costumes and we even have an authentic Civil War-era musket."

In each Greek tragedy, part of the cast makeup is a small group of people who tell part of the story, known as the Greek Chorus. In this case the chorus is made up of the ghosts of soldiers and a nurse who died in the battle.

The cast of eight includes Rhodenbaugh as Haemon, the love interest of Antigone, who is portrayed by Jess Hemmis. Creon is portrayed by Charles Brown, Polyeices is Cody Cornwell, and Eteocles is Skylar Anderson.

Liz Scoville portrays Ismene, Gabe Ferriera is the guard, Hannah Shelby portrays the nurse and Nathan Irwin is Tiresias.

This is the fourth summer The Great Work Begins has performed at Camp Wokanda but the first time its opening performance of the year wasn't an abridged Shakespeare play. Last year, for example, the troupe performed "Hamlet."

"We'd always done Shakespeare because we could do it for free and make the changes we needed to to make it fit. And nobody else locally was doing Shakespeare and it is different and fun to do," Rhodenbaugh said. "This year, we just kinda wanted to break away from the Shakespeare mold."

Kapanjie said it is important that the group find plays that can be set outside, and Shakespeare and Greek tragedies do well in that environment. "One of the advantages to being outside, of course, is using the environnment around us. It makes it unique and authentic," she said.

The weather is a concern since the "stage" at Camp Wokanda has no roof. "We've bee very lucky so far. Let's hope it holds," Rhodenbaugh said.

The Great Work Begins started because many in the cast of "Angels in America" at Corn Stock Theatre's Winter Playhouse five years ago became fast friends and decided they wanted to do something out of the mainstream. "It was a way for us to do plays we wanted to do, to collaborate on and to give people other places to go and see work," Rhodenbaugh said.

Hemmis said she has learned many people don't like to go to traditional theaters but still want to see something performed live. "This is our way of giving them something," she said.

Hemmis said she did theatre in college but didn't really enjoy the experience. She hadn't planned on doing any shows outside of Bradley University until she was asked to help with the production of "Angels In America." She then joined The Great Work Begin "because I found something I can do that is artistic and fun. I like that we do things on our terms."

She and Rhodenbaugh said more people are learning about The Great Work Begins, that audiences are getting larger and more peoplee want to join the group.

One new person to the group but a veteran of community theatre in Peoria is Charles Brown, who has performed and directed at Corn Stock and Peoria Players. He said he was attracted too The Great Work Begins because of the choice of the plays it does. "That is one reason. This group is different. They do different plays, which I like, and the energy is great. It is a very collaborative group. No egos get in the way here," he said.

The group sets up stands for sitting to watch the show or patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Cat increases dividend: CEO optimistic about future

Caterpillar Inc.’s board of directors voted Wednesday to increase the quarterly cash dividend by 10 percent, bringing the rate to 77 cents per share of common stock, the company announced. The vote came while the board was in Wamego, Kansas for Caterpillar’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The new dividend will first be payable Aug. 20 to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 20, the company said.

"This 10 percent dividend increase is another example of our commitment to deliver superior returns to stockholders through the ups and downs of the industries we serve. Our strong balance sheet, cash flow and operational performance have put us in a position to reward stockholders with a higher dividend again this year," said Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar chairman and CEO. "The increase is consistent with our cash deployment priorities – maintaining financial strength, funding growth, appropriately funding pension/benefit plans, paying dividends and repurchasing stock.

"Today's announcement demonstrates a commitment to stockholders that goes back to 1925. I am proud that, despite periods of business and economic uncertainty, Caterpillar has paid a cash dividend to stockholders every year since the company was formed in 1925 and has paid a quarterly dividend since 1933. We've paid higher annual dividends to stockholders for 21 consecutive years, and the cash dividend has more than doubled since 2006. I am equally proud that our equipment and services have helped build, grow and power the world for over 90 years," Oberhelman added. 

Since the beginning of 2013, Caterpillar has returned more than $10 billion in capital to its stockholders through dividend payments and stock repurchases.

In a speech to shareholders at the annual meeting, Oberhelman touted the company’s innovative practices throughout its 90-year history. Noting the cliché “think outside the box,” Oberhelman said what Caterpillar does is, “when we talk about innovation we don’t think outside the box: We think inside and outside the machine.”

He continued, “When I say machine, I’m talking about everything that digs, powers, builds, crushes, cuts and operates. It’s every product we sell, every service we provide, and everything in between. For 90 years, Caterpillar has designed, built and delivered breakthrough innovations inside our machines and engines – from the track-type tractor that gave us our Caterpillar name, to the diesel engine, the elevated sprocket, the hybrid excavator and dynamic gas blending, just to name a few.

“In fact, Caterpillar founders Benjamin Holt and C.L. Best, two men from Northern California, were inventing and creating long before other Californians, like Hewlett and Packard, or Jobs and Wozniak, were born. And long before there was HP or Apple, Holt and Best’s inventions were the foundation of Caterpillar, a company that for almost a century has helped build, develop and power the world. We have an incredible legacy.”

Oberhelman then discussed his view of Caterpillar’s future, one he said will be filled with innovative products and services.

“We currently invest more than $2 billion each year on research and development. We’re developing and testing new products at R&D centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, India and China; and at proving grounds in North America and Asia. We’re developing advanced technologies through partnerships with universities, non-profits and government agencies – including NASA and the Department of Defense. That’s how we think about innovation inside the machine,” he said.

Innovation outside the machine, he added, “means thinking beyond the yellow iron – and these innovations fall into three main buckets: How we use data; how we adapt and develop new business models; and how we operate internally.”

Caterpillar, he said, “goes beyond the Internet of things – to the Internet of big things.” He then listed many ways in which Caterpillar is using data and developing data analytics to help the company and its customers.

“All across our company, we are driving down operating costs and increasing uptime for our customers by turning big data into valuable, actionable information. We’re investing in companies that think and act differently than we do. That’s intentional and it’s new for Caterpillar. We are trying to disrupt ourselves in our own way, before others can disrupt us. And while our enterprise business model – seed, grow, harvest – remains our core, we recognize that industry boundaries and business models are changing. We will lead those changes where ever we can,” he said.

He spoke of internal innovation, listing as an example the company’s Assurance of Supply Center. “It’s one of the most comprehensive visibility tools in the world. It simplifies our supply network, a network that involves thousands of suppliers shipping more than a million parts and components every year. Now, we can see those orders from production to delivery – by facility, business unit and cost. That’s just one way we’re going to reach our goal of right part, right time,” he said.

Oberhelman said the Caterpillar of today is a “mighty and diverse force. Think about how that diversity makes us strong now, and will make us even stronger in the future. From that diversity will come even greater innovation; innovation that meets our customers’ – and the world’s – needs.

“Innovation is Caterpillar’s promise to our stockholders, our customers and our employees. It’s how we will keep our 90-year old company forever young and strong.”

Organic farming helps protect bees

Organic farming practices are effective in maintaining the health and population of bees and other important crop pollinators, according to a report released by The Organic Center.

Titled "The Role of Organic in Supporting Pollinator Health," the report reviewed 71 studies detailing current threats to our pollinators and the impact of organic practices. It found that organic methods not only reduce risks to bees, which have been declining at an alarming rate the past decade, but actively support the growth and health of populations of bees and other pollinators. The paper outlines pollinator-friendly techniques used by organic farmers that can also be incorporated into conventional farming systems.

"Our paper takes an in-depth look at the challenges faced by honey bees and other pollinators, and we look at organic as a model for supporting pollinator populations," said Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. "We hope this report acts as a tool to educate policymakers, growers and consumers. Bee-friendly practices being used by organic farmers can be adopted by all producers to foster healthy pollinators."

Seventy-five percent of all crops grown for food rely on pollinators, mostly honey bees, for a successful harvest. But over the past decade, the bee population has plummeted. Since 2006, beekeepers have lost over a third of their bee hives. More than $16 billion worth of crops in the United States alone benefit from pollination every year. Without pollination from honey bees, many favorite fruits and vegetables such as apples, berries, carrots and onions would not be on our grocery shelves.

The Center's report notes that no one factor has been consistently singled out as the cause of the disproportionate bee declines. Instead, a number of factors – including exposure to toxic pesticides, parasite and pathogen infections, poor nutrition and loss of habitat – likely interact together, resulting in lethal consequences for bees. Large-scale chemically intensive agricultural production has been implicated as a major source of the threats to pollinators.

Organic as the solution
Organic farming, because of the practices it follows, has been demonstrated by a number of studies to support more pollinators than conventional farming.

"One of the simplest ways to conserve our pollinator populations in an agriculturally reliant world is through organic farming. Consumers can rest assured that every time they purchase an organic product, they are supporting pollinator health," said Shade.

Organic practices have been found to protect and support the health of bees in two critical ways:

• Less exposure to toxic chemicals. One of the biggest threats to bee health is exposure to toxic chemical pesticides through insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other synthetic toxins used in industrial agriculture. Neonicotinoids, a widely used class of insecticides, are found by many studies to be especially harmful to bees. Neonicotinoids can be applied not only as a spray, which is toxic to all insects, but also as a seed coating. When seeds are treated with neonicotinoids, the toxin then transfers into plant tissue and is present in the plant's nectar and sap, which bees feed on.  Organic farming standards largely prohibit organic farmers from using synthetic pesticides and require them to use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques instead of relying solely on pesticides.
• Protection of the bee's native habitat and biodiversity. Lack of habitat and nutritional food sources are key factors in pollinator decline. Bees need a diversity of plants from which to collect sufficient pollen and nectar to support their hives. Because organic producers are required to manage their farms in a way that maintains and improves natural resources, organic farms tend to have a more diverse landscape with more flowering plants to support and feed bees.

"Organic farming supports all of agriculture by maintaining and nourishing healthier pollinator communities, through practices such as crop rotations, hedgerow planting and the use of integrated pest management techniques. Our goal is to gain recognition for these important organic practices," said Shade.

The Organic Center's report follows the recent release from the White House of its official strategy to protect bees and other pollinators. The White House strategy provides funding to protect bee habitat, increase research, and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to re-evaluate neonicotinoids.

For the full report, go to https://www.organic-center.org/publications/the-role-of-organic-in-supporting-pollinator-health/.

The Organic Center's mission is to convene credible, evidence-based science on the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming, and to communicate the findings to the public. As an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) research and education organization operating under the administrative auherespices of the Organic Trade Association, The Center envisions improved health for the environment and for people through the conversion of agriculture to organic methods.