Pekin student wins Congressional art contest

A Pekin High School student will have an original painting displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for the next year.

Kamryn Gryp was named the winner in the 17^th Congressional District of the annual Congressional Art Competition called “An Artistic Discovery.”

Gryp’s painting, “Autumn’s Beauty,” was one of 55 entries from throughout the 17^th District. It will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the Capitol along with the winning entries from other Congressional districts, according to the 17^th District office of U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos.

“I’d like to congratulate all the young and talented artists from our region of Illinois who submitted their original artwork for this year’s art competition,” said Bustos, D-East Moline.

The Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide high school arts competition sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives, was started in 1982. All high school students from Illinois’ 17^th Congressional District was eligible to submit their original artwork for consideration and was encouraged to do so.

To enter, students submitted a digital image of their artwork through Bustos’ website where they were compiled in an internet gallery to allow the public to vote for their favorite.

The runners-up will have their artwork displayed in Bustos’ Illinois and Washington, D.C. offices.

The five runners-up from the 17^th District are Andrei Lareau from Moline High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Rock Island office; Enrique Garcia from Roosevelt Alternative High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Rockford office; Cecilia Ottens from Milledgeville High School, who will have her artwork displayed in Bustos’ Washington, D.C. office; Garret Kesselmayer from Pekin Community High School, who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Galesburg office and Remi Sweeney from East Peoria Community High School who will have his artwork displayed in Bustos’ Peoria office.

“As someone who appreciates the value of arts to education, I’m pleased that we had such wonderful participation in this year’s competition and look forward to displaying Kamryn’s work in the U.S. Capitol and artwork from the runners-up in our offices,” said Bustos.

To view all the artwork submitted to Bustos’ office please visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/repcheri/sets/72157644067241733/.

Rated PG: Don't let child welfare tip too far

When I hear somebody use the term “tipping point,” I usually think of it as bad news. More often than not, the person is saying something has reached the point of no return.

During my research into child abuse and neglect for the four-part series The Peorian published last week called “Who Is Protecting the Kids?” I heard the term used a couple times by people whose career is protecting the kids. And what they were saying is not good.

Child welfare workers, the people who are usually the first responders in child abuse and neglect case, are not well paid in the state of Illinois. That is especially true of caseworkers in the private sector, those working for such not-for-profit agencies as Children’s Home, Lutheran Social Services and the Center for Youth & Family Solutions.

The tipping point has been reached at some of those agencies that rely on what funding they get from the state and from United Way donations to pay the wages of their caseworkers. They cannot accept more cases without more caseworkers, yet they cannot afford to hire more caseworkers.

These are the folks who often go into volatile situations to remove a child from an abusive home. It is hard to imagine many situations that could be more volatile, more upsetting for all involved, more potentially dangerous than removing a child from the arms of his or her parents. Yet these caseworkers do not carry weapons like the police officers (who make far more money) who often accompany them.

To boot, these caseworkers are forced to make decisions, often split-second decisions, or do long range work that will affect the lives of these children and their families forever. Forever.

These agencies also pick up the tab on many other items needed for these children and their families, such as counseling and food and pharmaceuticals, with the hope the state will be able to reimburse them.

Yet since 1999, the last 15 years, the rate the state pays these agencies has increased a total of 3 percent. Not 3 percent annually, but 3 percent total. Meanwhile, the country’s gross domestic product rate has increased 27 percent in the same period.

The budget for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has often been among the first cut or at least left unchanged during this century.

The state of Illinois has cut drastically the money spent on mental health services. Of course the number of mental health problems facing residents of the state has not dropped; if anything, it has increased, particularly among young children.

What this means for the private agencies is they have to continue to find ways to be as efficient as they can, make cuts where they can, and still do as good of a job, if not better. They seem to be getting it done, perhaps out of pride but likely because the child welfare field is much more professional than it was even 20 years ago, the experts say.

But one caseworker told me if funding doesn’t increase and the private agencies have to turn away contracts, the state will have to pick up the slack, which it can’t really afford to do either. “It’s not a good situation we’re in right now. We are trying to do our best. But if we are going to keep doing our best and attracting the best caseworkers for it, the funding has to follow or somebody is going to suffer. In this case, the kids,” he said.

“The problem is that these kids don’t have any powerful lobbyists helping them.”

The last statement sounds cynical. But it’s realistic.

DCFS once again this year asked for an increase in its budget and this year Gov. Quinn actually kept it in the budget he proposed to the General Assembly. The more cynical of us might think, “Well, why wouldn’t he? It’s an election year. If it stays in he looks good. If the General Assembly cuts it out, he can point that out and still look good.”

Whatever the reason, it’s nice the increase is still in the budget. But as another child welfare worker I interviewed said, “We hope the state’s fiscal crisis hasn’t already caused some of these kids to fall through the cracks.”

Tipping something too far may cause that to happen. I hope something can get done to fix this before it reaches that point.

'Shrek' comes alive at Peoria Players

Since last July Travis Olson and Mary Keltner could have gone by Shrek for their last name. They have basically lived the popular musical by that name since Peoria Players asked them to co-direct its last show of the 2013-14 season.

Directing and staging the show for its regional community theatre premiere is the culmination of activity that, in the long run, will result in good things for Peoria Players and other theatres that want to produce “Shrek The Musical.”

“This is a big show, for everybody involved. It has been quite an undertaking,” Olson said. “But, it has been fun.”

“Shrek The Musical” opens 10-show run at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Other shows will be 7:30 p.m. on May 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and at 2 p.m. on May 3, 4, 10 and 11.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for 18 and under, but they are going fast, according to the theatre. Some performances are sold out. Tickets can be ordered by calling 688-4473 on online at www.peoriaplayers.org.

The show is about an ogre, Shrek, who lives in a swamp that suddenly becomes crowded with fairy tale characters that have been banished there from Duloc by Lord Farquaad. To get his swamp back, Shrek agrees to help Farquaad get the lovely Fiona. But along the way, funny mayhem ensues.

Songs include “Big Bright Beautiful World,” “Don’t Let Me Go,” “I Know It’s Today,” and “When Words Fail.”

“This is a popular show already. A lot of high schools are already doing it, which actually helped us.
 Olson said, explaining that Peoria Players was able to tag on to a couple high school productions (Washington and Illinois Bluffs). They all helped each other by sharing costumes and set pieces.

Most of the costumes were created by Peoria Players volunteers and were built strong enough and flexible enough that they can later be rented by other schools or community theatres. “We put a little more TLC into them than we would have if it was going to be for our show only, then done. But that also made it a more expensive undertaking, which is why we went out and solicited underwriters to help with the costs. A normal show is an expensive undertaking; this was so much more we needed to do that,” Olson said.

One costume Olson and Keltner are especially proud of is that of Lord Farquaad. That character is height challenged so the actor portraying him, Dustin Strickland, will spend the show on his knees. “But the way the costume is built, when you watch it you won’t realize he is on his knees,” Olson said. He added it is the most elaborate costume, with a tunic and cape and skirt that covers the fact the actor is on his knees, all covered with 80 yards of sequins meticulously applied by costumers.

There have been 20 costumers working on this show. “The levels of details put into this show have been quite an undertaking,” he said. “Nothing is too small for Mary and me.”

Another elaborate costume is of the 20-foot dragon, a puppet manipulated by four people that was designed and built by Paul Prest, an engineer at Caterpillar Inc.

Makeup, headed up by Erica Poch and Heather Lindsey, is another large part of the production and includes several prosthetic devices that have to be applied and removed quickly in some cases.

And all the while, he and Keltner have been rehearsing with the cast of 54, many of whom play multiple characters, and a crew of 14 to keep everything moving smoothly. “We have been able to find time to rehearse,” Olson joked.

“We had over 100 people at our auditions and we were blown away by the talent. There were some tough decisions but we are proud of our cast,” he said.

George Maxedon, who has put his rich baritone voice to use in several community theatre shows at Players and Corn Stock, portrays the title role. Mariah Thornton portrays Fiona and Bryan Blanks, a veteran director and performer, is Shrek’s trusty sidekick Donkey.

Susan Somerville Brown is the music director and conductor of an 11-piece orchestra and Danny Fisher is the choreographer. “These are two of the very best in their fields and they’ve been working the cast hard while keeping it fun,” Olson said.

Dress For Success can be the start of something big

When Diane Cullinan Oberhelman decided to start her own business and applied for a commercial loan, she was rejected. It was the mid-1980s and banks just did not offer commercial loans to women.

Obviously Oberhelman, who founded the Peoria real estate development firm Cullinan Properties Ltd., did not let that rejection stop her. Instead, she assembled a team that would help get the company started and the rest, as they say, is history. Cullinan Properties has developed some of the largest and key commercial developments in this region and beyond.

Hearing no “can be one of the defining moments in our life. How you turn it into a positive is the real key to success,” Oberhelman told an audience of about 250 during the Dress For Success annual luncheon Friday at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria.

During the organization’s third annual “The Purse and Suit of Happiness” luncheon, WalMart Corp. made a big presentation of its own. The retail giant awarded Dress for Success Peoria a $35,000 grant to enable expansion of the program, including the hiring of a program coordinator.

As keynote speaker for the luncheon, Oberhelman used the opportunity to discuss how support groups can help in many aspects of one’s life, including one’s career. But as a career moves forward, she said, one must be willing to ask for help.

“There are no careers without challenges. Just showing up is half the battle. Success comes from working hard,” she said.

But as her company was growing, she faced personal struggles in balancing career with a young and growing family that included four children. “I learned to ask for support. And that support doesn’t always come from where you most expect it. You have to find your support team, the ones who will lift you up and celebrate your successes,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to lean on them for support.”

She also cautioned those in burgeoning careers to avoid those people in their lives who only bring them down.

The kind of help one might need can very, but she said people cannot expect their support team to know what is needed without being told. “Be very specific about what you ask for. That is very important,” she said.

Oberhelman told the women in the audience that if they are already part of Dress For Success, “You have already learned what you can do and have gained the strength to ask for help. Your support team can help you get past surviving and into thriving,” she said.

Oberhelman praised Dress For Success for helping give women the confidence they need when they use the clothes given them through the program to do well in job interviews. “It is hope on a hanger and it truly can produce life-changing experiences. It is true you cannot judge a book by its cover but it is important to start by looking polished and professional,” she said.

From there, it takes perseverance and passion, she said. While Dress for Success can be a great start, “Dream big and think big. Have confidence, trust your instincts and push ahead,” she said.

Among the projects Cullinan Properties, founded in 1988, has developed in the Peoria area are the Shoppes at Grand Prairie of much of its surrounding development, the Levee District in East Peoria, Glen Place, One Technology Plaza and various other office, retail, mixed-use and residential developments. That includes WeaverRidge.

In central Illinois and other parts of the country the company has developed nearly $1 billion in projects, most recently completing the country’s largest Veteran Administration hospital in Austin, Texas.

Oberhelman, who is married to Caterpillar Inc. Chairman Doug Oberhelman, serves or has served the boards of directors of many organizations, including the Federal Reserve Advisory Council of Chicago, Ducks Unlimited Inc. and Easter Seals Foundation.