Peoria will host regional neighborhood conference
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- Published on 22 March 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
Peoria will be the focal point for 22 Midwestern cities and more than 400 of their representatives in September when it hosts the 2013 Regional Neighborhood Network Conference.
The conference, which represents a coalition of big and small cities such as Cincinnati, Indianapolis and last year's host Ft. Wayne, Ind., will be Sept. 19-21 at Four Points Sheraton in downtown Peoria. It will be the first time Peoria will host the conference since 2001, said Paul Masick, president of the Peoria Neighborhood Alliance, but he added that the city is represented at the conference each year regardless of location.
"This really is one of the most important organizations that Peoria is part of, in my opinion, because the cities represented all help each other find ways to improve their neighborhoods," Masick said after a news conference Friday at Peoria City Hall. The conference, which enabled city officials to announce the RNNC event, was attended by representatives of 11 of the member cities.
"The conference is a terrific opportunity for a city to showcase itself and show others what it does for its neighborhoods to keep them strong," said Tiffany Harding of Cincinnati. "Everybody will be coming in and sharing ideas and talking about their best practices, helping each other find ways to improve their neighborhoods."
The theme of the 2012 conference is "Driving Positive Change in Our Neighborhoods."
Peoria's participation in the group shows that the city "truly believes in its neighborhoods. We are anxious to show how important they are to the hundreds from throughout the Midwest that will be here," said Peoria City Councilman Eric Turner. He and Councilman Ryan Spain are being credited for spearheading Peoria's work to host the conference this year.
"It is an honor and pleasure to have an opportunity to showcase our wonderful city with all its amenities, including our dedicated neighborhood advocates. The city understands that an event of this magnitude will need strong community partnership with Peoria's key stakeholders to be successful," Turner said.
Spain said through the 27 years the RNNC has been around Peoria has learned much to help its own neighborhoods but also has shared ideas that have helped other cities. A couple he noted were training for landlords and improvements and strengthening of various ordinances that focus on neighborhoods. "It's a great way for all of us to take advantage of learning about and even using the best practices from other cities," he said.
Spain one thing that makes the Regional Neighborhood Network a success is that it includes representatives of neighborhood organizations as well as civic and political leaders from the cities. Also involved are business leaders, including Caterpillar Inc., Illinois-American Water Co. and CEFCU, he said.
Mayor Jim Ardis was a little late for the news conference because he'd been attending the funeral of retired Peoria Fire Chief Ernie Russell, who died earlier in the week. He mentioned the funeral, he said, "because I remember that Ernie, who lived so many years in the East Bluff, was a very strong advocate of good neighborhoods and serving the neighborhoods. He believed that in all the things we do here in city government, nothing is more important than getting people working in our neighborhoods to keep them strong."
Doing that, Ardis said, "is also the best way to keep the core of our cities strong. It's starts with the neighborhoods."
Rusty Dunn, the former mayor of Pekin, attended the news conference as a representative of Caterpillar and said the company recognizes the importance of conferences such as the RNNC "because a conference like this will create pathways to success for our residents. Caterpillar wants to make a positive difference in the cities and towns where our employees live and work and this is the type of effort we can be part of that will do that."
Karla Teasley of Illinois-American Water, the corporate sponsor of the event, said her company knows first-hand the value of private-public collaboration between business and community leaders and municipalities.
"That kind of collaboration is important not only to the neighborhoods but frankly, to the entire state because it can lead to some very meaningful private-public partnerships," Teasley said.
The Regional Neighborhood Network consists of cities from five different Midwestern and southern states — Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
CAPTION: Peoria City Councilman Eric Turner, foreground, is flanked by representatives of other cities that are members of the Regional Neighborhood Network at a news conference in Peoria's City Hall to announce the network's 2013 annual conference will be in Peoria in September.
"One Shining Moment" Our Favorite March Madness Moments
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- Published on 22 March 2013
- Written by Kevin Kizer
Hey, guess what? Not sure if you heard about this but the nation’s college (and high school) basketball teams are engaging in their annual end-of-year tournaments.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of these tournaments. Even though there are a lot of them, they kind of keep ‘em hush-hush promotionally speaking. They really don’t like to draw attention to themselves. But if you search hard enough you might be able to find the really good one: it’s called the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s annual basketball tournament. Have you heard about this? I guess they’ve been doing this for awhile.
They start with a bunch of teams and they play all around the country. But it’s not a round robin tournament or double elimination. Get this: if you lose once, you’re automatically eliminated. How hardcore is that?!? After a week or two of games, the field is whittled down to 16 teams, known as “sweet” teams, and then ultimately two teams play for what the National Collegiate Athletic Association calls their “National Championship”, which oddly enough does not involve a ship of any kind. It involves getting a big trophy, cutting up some netting and getting yell-talked at by Dick Vitale. So in support of those men and women around the country who strive to put inflated leather balls through horizontal metal circles, here’s our list of Our Favorite March Madness Memories.
Bryce's Buzzer Beater
Kevin Kizer
I grew up in a small town just outside of South Bend, Ind., known as Mishawaka where I attended Penn High School in the late ‘80s. While there, I played on the varsity tennis team and among my teammates – which included a future drummer for Faith Hill, Brooks and Dunn and Jewel (Trey Grey) and a future Indiana Commerce Secretary (Nate Feltman) – was Scott Drew, who today is the head basketball coach at Baylor.
At the time, his father, Homer, was a very successful basketball coach at Bethel College in Mishawaka, where he won a couple of NCCAA titles – that National Christian College Athletic Association. Scott had a younger brother named Bryce who was, as is the case with most younger brothers, a bit of an annoyance. Right next to our high school’s tennis courts was a blacktop basketball court. If Bryce happened to come by practice, the basketball court is where you would find him.
Occasionally this overly energetic youth would make the mistake of wandering onto our courts. This, naturally, could not be tolerated and across the sea of green courts a call would be heard: “Red Ball!!” Red Ball is a game and quite simple to play: grab a bunch of tennis balls, pick out a human target, attack, repeat. And little Bryce was usually the target. Well, he had to learn some way.
Fast forward a few years and that little annoying kid – possibly emboldened by our incessant attacks – had become Indiana’s Mr. Basketball. Since he was Mr. Basketball he probably should have played at a much larger school, but – and it was no surprise to those of us who knew the family – Bryce decided to play for his dad who was now coaching at Valparaiso University.
Jump a few more years ahead and “little Bryce” and the 13th-seeded Valparaiso University are losing in the final seconds of their first round game to 4th-seeded Ole Miss. Valpo has the ball under its own hoop, is down by two points and only has 2.5 seconds on the clock. What “little Bryce” did in those last 2.5 seconds will never be forgotten by anyone who is a fan of the sport. It was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic buzzer beaters ever in March Madness. That’s a long way from our high school tennis courts. And for one shining moment, that little kid from Mishawaka was on top of the March Madness world.
How great of a moment was it? So much so that Axe felt the need to bastardize it for their own advertising:
Hoosier Champion?
Paul Gordon
Like Kevin I am a native Hoosier so you can guess I can list many memorable March Madness moments. One is the Keith Smart shot to win the 1987 NCAA championship over
But the one that sticks out the most for me occurred in March 1981. My high school alma mater,
I was living in Galesburg at the time, reporting for the newspaper there. By luck, I was able to listen to the afternoon semi-final game on the radio, sticking the antenna of a radio outside the second floor window at my house. But for the championship game I could not get even a hint of a signal. I was very frustrated. So I called my Dad, who was in the hospital at that time recovering from gall bladder surgery (they didn’t just send you home the same day back then) and I had him put the receiver next to the television speaker in his room. I listened to the entire game that way, long distance. But hearing my team win the state championship and listening to the horns honking when my Dad held the phone up to the window and especially getting to share the moment with my Dad was worth the rather large phone bill we received the following month.
That is a memory I will cherish forever.
Since there’s no video footage of that Vincennes win, here’s “The Shot” by Keith Smart:
Best Pep Talk Ever
Tim Cundiff
It was the year 2000, my senior year at Peoria Notre Dame High School. It was senior night at old Spalding Gymnasium. PND Irish vs. Manual Rams. Along with the rest of the seniors, I just finished escorting my parents onto the court as part of the senior night festivities. As I’m tightening up my Nike shoes in the “tunnel”, the coach of the Rams came over towards our group of seniors. Coach Wayne McClain, coach of the 4-time Illinois State Champion Rams, approached to say a few words of thanks to our group of seniors. He took a minute to congratulate us on our careers on the hardwood. He wished us all well in our future endeavors. And he wished us good luck in the game that night.
Four quarters later, the Irish student body rushed the floor in pandemonium! We had defeated Manual for the first time in Peoria Notre Dame school history!! It was a 10-point victory, but it meant so much more than just that point-spread. For a team that has battled in the Mid-State 6 conference against the perennial powers of Manual, Central and Richwoods, this victory was special. For our group of seniors, who never had a chance to be basketball conference champs or never had a chance to survive deep into March Madness State Tournament, this was our victory! This was our “one shining moment”.
Afterwards, I think Coach McClain might have wanted to re-think his decision to wish us good luck.
Wooden's Last Win
By Troy Smith
One of the earliest sports memories I have is watching the 1975 NCAA title game with my dad. The game pitted Joe B. Hall's Kentucky Wildcats against UCLA and the legendary John Wooden, who was coaching the final game of his career. Kentucky had knocked off unbeaten and #1-ranked Indiana in the regional final while UCLA had pulled out a win over Louisville in the semifinal game on a buzzer-beater by Richard Washington, who would end up being named Most Outstanding Player of that year's tournament.
I remember arguing with my Dad before the game about who would win. I thought Kentucky's defeat of Indiana, plus the fact that they were ranked higher than UCLA, made them the favorite. But Pops was taking the emotional angle. He felt that the Bruins would rise up and win one last title to send Wooden out in a blaze of glory. As it turned out, the old man was dead-on. UCLA won 92-85 and I don't remember it ever being in doubt. It was a good lesson for a 7-year-old kid and one I never forgot - the most talented team doesn't always win, and that's what makes March Madness so exciting.
Community Solar System moving, growing
- Details
- Published on 20 March 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
The center of the universe has moved about four miles south. The rest of the planets in our solar system will have to move accordingly.
But at least one won't have to stop for gas to find Earth.
It may take until next fall before it's finished, but Sheldon Schafer is confident it will be a better solar system than ever before and once again become a local tourist attraction.
"Everything has to shift in its orbit and everything will be approximately 25 percent larger. It will be bigger and better," said Schafer, the self-proscribed curator of the solar system.
The topic here is the Community Solar System, which was first established by Schafer, the director of education and planetarium curator at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, in 1992. At the time the system, built to a scale of 125 million to one, was centered at Lakeview Museum. That was where Schafer put the Sun, making it the dome of the Lakeview Planetarium and painting it on the side of the building, 36 feet in diameter.
The furthest planet from the Sun, Pluto (when it was still considered a full-pledged planet) was located at Good's Furniture in Kewanee. The dwarf planet Eris is in Macomb, 60 miles from Peoria. The Earth, as per the scale model, was inside Beachler's service station at University and War Memorial.
In 1992 it was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the largest complete scale model of the solar system in the world. It was still in that spot when Guinness ended the category later, Schafer said.
But Lakeview closed when the Peoria Riverfront Museum opened last October and it presented the museum and Schafer with the opportunity to upgrade and enhance the Community Solar System with a new scale model.
The new model will be larger at a scale of 99 million to 1, with the Sun being both the dome of the new planetarium, which is 46 feet in diameter, and part of the brick pavers (those in red and yellow bricks) on the museum's plaza.
While it wasn't ready when the new museum opened it will be launched — at least in part — this weekend as part of the museum's Interplanetary 5K Race/1 Mile Walk, which begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the museum.
The event, which also includes a half-mile kids' fun run, will take participants through portions of the world's largest model of the solar system, billed by the museum as "an experience that is out of the world."
The new orbital path of the planets will put Earth, Mercury, Venus and Mars along the riverfront trail. The distance covered by the 5K runners will be equal to the distance from Earth to Jupiter... within the scale of the model, of course.
Those who follow the Community Solar System as currently configured and laid out will find Earth inside Beachler's Service Center at University and War Memorial. When the new model is completed this year, Earth will be found along the Pimiteoui Trail on the riverfront.
Models of some of the other planets will be on hand at registration for the event. Registration will be noon to 5 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Riverfront Museum. The existing models will be displayed, as well, Schafer said.
That will be the unveiling of the first of the new models, Schafer said. Some won't be ready until later spring or into summer. The largest planet model, Jupiter, will not be ready until fall when it is suspended from the rafters of the Peoria International Airport terminal. "That one is taking some engineering work to complete because of its size. But it will be one of the best Jupiters on the planet," he said.
Previously Jupiter could be found hanging in a stairwell in Olin Hall at Bradley University.
Another change of note is that Uranus will move from Mineral Springs Park in Pekin, where it is found next to the Sundance Sundial, to the new Troutman Park in Princeville. But Pekin will retain its spot in orbit, with the Pekin Library becoming the new location of Saturn, which now is above the front door of the East Peoria Kroger.
Schafer cited Tazewell Machine Works, which donated the work to put Uranus in Mineral Springs Park in a way that made it less vulnerable to the elements. That company will donate the work to move Uranus to Princeville this time. "They are one of our major donors to the project," he said.
Roanoke Motors, which Schafer said has been "a wonderful steward" of the Community Solar System while hosting Neptune, will have to lose its spot under the shift of the orbital path. Neptune is moving to Wyoming, Ill., to Rock Island Trail State Park. Those moves will be made in the summer, he added.
Lakeview, which is being remodeled to become the offices of the Peoria Park District, will continue to be a host location, The dwarf planet Ceres will move there from Forest Park Nature Center.
"Those are examples of how the new orbit will shift the planets," Schafer said. At the same time, Pluto and Eris are dwarf planets that exist in a more erratic orbital path. "So we are going to leave them where they are now, in Kewanee for Pluto and Macomb for Eris," he said.
While Schafer said keeping the model to scale isn't as difficult as it may seem, at least not to him, he will have to compromise somewhat in his placement or Neptune. If kept perfectly to the scale, he said, the planet would end up in the middle of a field somewhere outside Wyoming. "I wanted to keep it in the town and better protected, so I compromised," he said.
Schafer said he hopes the new Community Solar System will make a big splash in the public, particularly since some travel websites such as Roadside America and atlasobscura.com still list it for its readers. But he isn't sure if it will be as big as in 1992, when there were far fewer solar system scale models of this type in existence. "It's not as unique now as it was 20 years ago," he said.
Because of the way the Community Solar System is spread out there is no way of knowing how many visitors it has had or if it still gets many, he added.
The new orbital path of the planets will be:
- Sun: To the Peoria Riverfront Museum, from Lakeview Museum.
- Mercury: To the Pimiteoui Trail along the riverfront, from Peoria Camera in the Metro Centre.
- Venus: To the Pimiteoui Trail from Brown Printing, 609 W. Glen Ave.
- Earth: To the Pimiteoui Trail from Beachler's Service Center, University and War Memorial.
- Mars: To the Pimiteoui Trail from The School House, 2301 W. Glen Ave.
- Ceres (dwarf planet): to Lakeview from Forest Park Nature Center.
- Jupiter: Peoria International Airport from Olin Hall at Bradley University.
- Saturn: To the Pekin Public Library from Kroger in East Peoria.
- Uranus: From Mineral Springs Park in Pekin to Troutman Park in Princeville.
- Neptune: From Roanoke Motors in Roanoke to Rock Island Trail State Park in Wyoming.
- Pluto (dwarf planet): Remains at Good's Furniture in Kewanee.
- Eris (dwarf planet): Remains at Western Illinois University in Macomb.
CAPTION: This is currently the Sun of Peoria's Community Solar System, painted on the east end of Lakeview Museum and created at a scale of 125 million to 1 in 1992. The planets that surround our Sun are scattered throughout the region, following the scale. With the closing of Lakeview and opening of Peoria Riverfront Museum, a new Community Solar System is in the works, with the new museum's planetarium dome representing the Sun.
Wildlife Prairie State Park opens Saturday with free admission
- Details
- Published on 21 March 2013
- Written by The Peorian
Wildlife Prairie State Park will open for the season at 9 a.m. Saturday, with free admission all day.
The kick-off event for the season is called The Spring Wake-Up: Butterflies, Birds, and Bears! Oh, My! and it will include a sneak peek of what's new at the park this spring and summer.
"Join a guided hike and be "in the know" about several improvements and new additions to the park," said a news release.
Visitors this weekend can get a preview of the Kim St. John Butterfly Habitat, an exclusive to Central Illinois built with the help of the Peoria Area Master Gardners, which will officially open on May 16. A new aviary is also under construction and will open this summer.
The Merrill Woods Shelter, sponsored by CEFCU, is getting its finishing touches and will host educational programs and be a great place for fun-filled family time. The bridges in Merrill Woods are new and offer great vantage points for photographing animals.
Molly, Wildlife Prairie Park's newest black bear, has a new home thanks to a gift from Sharon and John Amdall, and there will be a dedication at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Also Saturday there will be crafts for kids, raptors on display, educational booths, and a variety of programs throughout the day. Visitors can help raise funds for the park by purchasing various items.
On Sunday March 24, Sunday Brunch at Wildlife Prairie State Park returns. "Our caterer, On The Go Catering, will be hosting Sunday Brunch every second Sunday of the month. Come out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a hearty meal," the release said.
The price, which includes admission to the park, is $19.95 for adults, $8.95 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children ages 2 and under. Members of the park get a 10 percent discount. Call the park at 309-676-0998 to make reservations.
Why I Celebrate Women's History Month
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- Published on 18 March 2013
- Written by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-17
It's Women's History Month, a time when I think of the trailblazers who paved the way to give women like myself the opportunity to serve.
I think of several Illinois women, like Jane Addams, who was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and was the founder of the Hull House in Chicago, which helped lift women and families out of poverty.
I'm also reminded of Lydia Moss Bradley, the founder of Bradley University in Peoria. And Winnifred Huck, the first Illinois woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
These women, along with so many others, inspired greatness, challenged our thinking and helped give women like me the courage and conviction to pursue our dreams.
Without the strong support of family and friends, I wouldn't be the first woman to represent our region of Illinois in Congress.
Both my parents were public servants. Following their example, I spent the first 17 years of my professional life as a journalist, covering City Hall, police and business and uncovering government corruption, political wrongdoing and shenanigans.
Later, I sought to take leadership in my community and served on the East Moline City Council, and various other civic and community groups.
I now feel blessed to be a part of a new Congress than includes more women than ever. There are 98 women in Congress: 20 in the Senate and 78 in the House. While this represents great progress, it's only 18 percent of Congress at a time when women make up slightly more than half of the American population.
Fortunately, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in resolve. Each of us brings a unique perspective, a passion for creating positive change and especially among the freshmen members of Congress, a willingness to work together. We know, without a doubt, that is how we will move our country forward.
One example of this willingness to work together is the Violence Against Women Act, which was recently strengthened and reauthorized with broad bipartisan support in Congress, after failing to pass last Congress. This bill will help better protect women and children from domestic abuse and violence. I hope the willingness to work together on this bill is an indication of more bipartisanship to come.
If I have one message for all the young women out there during Women's History Month, it is this: Think big and dream big. Get involved. Help others. And don't ever lose your confidence that you can be the one to make the difference.
Cheri Bustos represents Illinois' 17th Congressional District. She lives in East Moline with her husband, Gerry.
