Peoria Life

Courtesy of the Chronicle

2012-01-23T10:22:00.000-06:00

Couldn't have done a better job myself.

TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON !!!!!!

2012-01-13T09:51:00.000-06:00

When it's snowing and visibility is bad, don't you think it's a good idea to turn your headlights on so others can see you? The stupidity of Peoria drivers is amazing.

Pat Sullivan for Senate.....

2012-01-04T17:25:00.000-06:00

This should be interesting.

Just another day in the city?

2011-12-14T16:32:00.000-06:00

So I was able to listen to the scanner during the day for the 1st time. Very interesting to say the least.

A fight at Central which spilled out to the vacant Cubs food and into the South End. Another fight on Westmoreland. A few car wrecks. The cherry on the sundae: A woman on Lincoln Street gets her throat cut with a machete.

And in other news, Christmas is on the 25th this year.

2011-11-29T17:34:00.001-06:00

In a stunning development the "boy wonder" and career politician, Aaron Schock, has his eye on the Illinois governors job.

White House, here we come!!!!!

Overheard at the University Post Office........

2011-11-18T09:41:00.001-06:00

"I live on Grandview Drive, I don't have time to pick up my mail"

Beth Akeson, on why her mailbox was full.

Possibly the most disturbing restaraunt review in history....

2011-11-13T20:54:00.001-06:00

Check out today's paper and read the 1st review of the place on Frye.

Human vomit? Wow.

Wait till the whole story gets out........

2011-11-10T16:13:00.001-06:00

1st off, let me say how sickened I am by the defense of Joe Paterno by some in the media and by some of the sorely misinformed students who "protested" his firing.

The facts will show, I am confident, that Paterno and the higher-ups knew and conspired to cover up what was going on. Sandusky had to have dirt on Paterno, which can be the only rational explanation for law enforcement officials not to be notified.

Now the rumor is that Sandusky pimped out boys to major donors of his "charity".

Absolutely sickening. I hope all that were involved in keeping this quiet die a slow, painful death.

SILENCE !!!!!!

2011-11-03T06:13:00.001-05:00

So I go to the PJStar website and click on the articles regarding the various shootings and robberies in Peoria and I notice something.......the comment section is not available on any of the articles.

IT'S BETTER HERE !!!!!

Uh, I think I'll pass......

2011-10-27T10:01:00.004-05:00

Mayor Ardis fundraiser coming up at Weaver Ridge.

Perfect time for another candidate to run. I'm not sure what positives Ardis could possibly run on.

Peoria Theater - Independent Film and Event Center closing. Peoria in a nutshell.

2011-08-18T15:47:00.001-05:00

Once again, this area proves what I've always thought.

Nothing out of the mainstream is destined to stick around long in this city.

Peoria Theater was a great venue to see films that you're not going to see anywhere in this area. Films that you use your brain to watch, not some mainstream crap full of tired cliched situations. It was also one of the best deals in the area, where you could get 2 tickets 2 drinks and some popcorn for right around $20. And see a great movie.

Luke said that the films he brought in were some of the same ones shown in the top independent movie houses in country. But alas, enough Peorians will never get behind this kind of operation.

I guess that's just the way it is.

UPDATE: Luke will be meeting with the Apollo Theater on Tuesday. Let's hope for good news.

Peoria Journal Star Editorial Board: An Embarrasment

2011-06-29T20:12:00.001-05:00

I know it must be tough to work at a place that used to be the sole source of Peoria information. It must be tough to realize that the internet is threatening your very existence. It must be tough to read stories online that in the old days would have been covered and probably covered well by your own paper, which is now impossible due to a lack of staffing.

Sadly, it seems that a paper that once employed a great writer like Rick Baker now finds itself as the City Of Peoria's cheerleader.

Take the current situation on Thrush. I won't rehash this again but I found it disturbing and a bit odd that their analysis of the current environment in parts of Peoria, an environment that cannot be blamed on "gullible" or "dumb" council members (Courtesy Barbara Van Auken), an environment that can't be washed away with "It's Better Here" or a new Museum, that the PJStar Editorial Board would choose this reason to tread with caution regarding this:

"Second, a story like this, moving up the information chain, can undo much of the good PR that local organizations such as the Convention and Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce spend good money trying to spread to put this community in the best possible light for the benefit of those who live and work here. If something like this really happened and it gets out to the wider world, so be it. But if it didn't occur as represented and the fallacy prevails, well, how do you unring that bell, undo that damage?"

If that isn't proof enough that our paper is carrying the city's water, I don't know what is. Wouldn't the proper response of our paper be to maybe write some in-depth articles about what's going on in the South End? Or is it only considered news when someone is shot?

Let me clue you in Mike Bailey......the people with a functioning brain that "live and work here" know what the situation is. And it sure as hell isn't worrying about what the Chamber of Commerce or the Convention and Vistors Bureau is doing.

The situation is that crime is rampant and D150 is a mess......which is why people leave this town and don't move here.

Embarrassing and disappointing to say the least. What a joke.

Another great tune from the Midnight Special

2011-06-13T23:47:00.000-05:00

Another blast from the past......

2011-06-13T23:11:00.000-05:00

Boz Scaggs / Lido Shuffle (Live)

2011-06-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

New Peoria blog

2011-05-16T06:32:00.000-05:00

Jack's Peoria News is on the air.

Check it out on the blogroll.

Love the Library

2011-05-15T21:56:00.000-05:00

Went out today with the family. Kids section is awesome. Didn't get a chance to really dive into the big people's section. All the books are brand new, building is beautiful. For some reason, I thought the place was going to have a coffee/juice bar but instead it's 2 vending machines.

I've always been a supporter of libraries so I have no problems with my tax money going for this.

Anyone else find this odd?

2011-04-28T11:25:00.001-05:00

The day before the last council election there was a vote on whether or not to allow a senior living center to move into a vacant commercial property on Sheridan Road. Many of the neighbors from surrounding neighborhood voiced their displeasure with this idea and it was voted down.

Fast forward to last Tuesday's council meeting.....there was a vote to rezone property on Knoxville Avenue from "resdential" to "commercial" although, courtesy of the Chronicle, it "violates the Comprehensive Plan which was just passed last Council meeting, and which was used to justify denying elderly housing at Sheridan and War Memorial." 79 neighbors from the surrounding neighborhood signed a petition opposing this move.

And of course, being that the election was over, the neighbors wishes were ignored and the rezoning was approved by a 9-1 vote.....the 1 nay vote courtesy of the Councilman the C.O.P. can't wait to get rid of.

Same old, same old.

My personal Public Service Announcement

2011-04-19T18:53:00.001-05:00

Get the ladder out and clean the gutters BEFORE the storm.

That is all.

"Moneygrabber"

2011-04-15T15:35:00.000-05:00

Late to the party on this one, but just heard it on 99.9 today. It has a Wall of Sound-Motowny feel to it.

Enjoy.

Congratulations City of Peoria voters!!!

2011-04-05T21:01:00.001-05:00

Well from the early (48%) returns, it can be gathered that enough people didn't really give a shit about changing the direction of this city.

The top vote getter so far? Yep you could have guessed it. Chuck Weaver!!! Remember the guy who hosted the POTUS fundraiser for Schock at his farm? I believe it was the 500 a seat dinner. The guy who spent more money than probably all the candidates combined? Thank goodness the white wealthy business owner finally has a voice in this city.

And the other newcomer: Chuck Grayeb.

Spain (Schock Jr.) and Turner somehow are coming back.

Thank God Sandberg looks to be the 2nd highest vote getter. We will count on him to try and be the sensible one on the horseshoe.

I'm convinced that people just don't care in this city. I guarantee if there was a vote to kick Wal Mart or McDonalds out of Peoria, there would be a 50% or higher turnout at the polls. But when it's something as inconsequential as where the City of Peoria is headed, why bother?

If you didn't get out and vote today, you should be ashamed. And keep your damn mouth shut when the same shit is passed around the horseshoe.

Very disappointing, Peoria.

UPDATE: The good news is Beth Akeson was one of the 5 winners.

The circle is now complete.

2011-04-04T20:18:00.000-05:00

We got home today after a overnight trip to St. Louis and what's on my answering machine?

A robocall from Ryan Spain.

I've now been officially bombarded by the Weaver/Spain campaigns.

And the people I did vote for don't have their signs all over Peoria and haven't called me 1 time.

So who are the "Friends of Chuck Weaver"?

2011-04-02T15:27:00.001-05:00

Okay so the sun comes up today which means another Chuck Weaver mailing.

I'll say it again: I have big doubts about a guy who has spent the amount of money on a City Council seat that Weaver has. The almost daily mailings and the absolute proliferation of signs throughout the city tell me that the "Friends of Chuck Weaver" have some ideas for this city and are trying to buy this election.

For some reason, I have a feeling the "Friends of Chuck Weaver" were also probably behind the great Museum project.

today's candidate update

2011-03-31T14:37:00.000-05:00

Check your mailbox!!!! Chuck Weaver and Ryan Spain are working their magic again!!!

Good reading on this whole Caterpillar thing

2011-03-30T20:16:00.002-05:00

Read it here courtesy of the Chicagoist.

Another observation

2011-03-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling ~~Schock Jr.~~ Ryan Spain will soon be on the Weaver saturation level. Just received my 2nd mailing from him in less than a week.

Also received a mailing from the boy wonder himself touting Eric Turner. One of Turner's attributes listed by Schock is that Turner served on the council after 9/11.

I'm not quite sure what that has to do with anything.

Too bad you can't notify all the candidates and tell them that you have already voted......so cease with the mailings.

This always makes me wonder

2011-03-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Has anyone noticed the abundance of Chuck Weaver signs around the city?

How about the newspaper-like mailing, in color no less, from Chuck Weaver?

Did anyone else receive the robo-call from Chuck Weaver?

All this for a council seat?

Geno Ford is the new BU coach....

2011-03-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

At face value, seems like a good hire. Nice to have a coach with actual head coaching experience.

Another day in the city

2011-03-17T16:16:00.003-05:00

Shots fired on Greenlawn. Missing 14 year old from Peoria High. Another fight at a 150 school. Just heard that a friend of mine was nearly robbed at gunpoint at the new South Side Bank on Sheridan while making a drop. He took off, nearly running over 1 of the perps, and luckily was not shot at.

The beat goes on.........

Please..........get out and vote

2011-03-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

I would say this is going to be 1 of the more important elections in recent memory for the City of Peoria. It's time for fresh ideas on this Council. I know some may say "we thought we were getting that last time". Well then, time to change again.

If you sit on your hands and do nothing, you have no one to blame but yourself.

P.I., Eye in the Sky, what's going on with your blogs?

2011-03-13T08:38:00.002-05:00

Every time I click your links I get a blank screen. Is there a problem with Blog Peoria?

Hyvee by the Shoppes?

2011-02-26T18:25:00.003-06:00

My wife just said she heard this.

Anybody else hear this one?

Thanks to the Peoria Peepers and Anonymous who corrected my posting.

It's Schnucks, not Hyvee.

3rd hand news

2011-02-23T23:09:00.000-06:00

I like a good rumor so here's one that came across my desk last week:

Coach Les will be leaving after this year to move the family down to Florida where his son will be playing ball.

I'm sure not really heartbreaking news to anyone.

How does the Rave stay open?

2011-02-16T16:50:00.002-06:00

So we go to see Black Swan (excellent, by the way) which unfortunately was only playing at the Rave.

I've been to the Rave maybe 3 times since it's opening a while back. Last night's tally for a Popcorn Combo and 2 tickets: $36.75.

Suffice to say, that will be the last time we go there. Peoria Theater and Willow get 99 % of our business, it's just the 1% that I go to the Rave really pisses me off.

Lesson learned, again.

For the dad's taking out the car seats......

2011-02-15T16:22:00.000-06:00

this one's for you, especially if you have leather seats.

Upgraded the car seat today and you know what's under the old car seat.......I've got a different car now that has leather seats and I used Rustic Touch to clean the leather seat. We had some in the closet and I didn't have time to run out and buy some fancy leather cleaner. Rustic Touch contains melaleuca oil which is a natural solvent and because it is an oil, will not dry out the leather. Rustic Touch is Melaleuca's Furniture polish that can be used on leather, car interiors, leather/vinyl furniture as well as wood.

It did great and made the car smell good. I don't sell the stuff but just thought I'd throw it out there.

GREAT JOB CITY OF PEORIA SNOW CREW!!!!!

2011-02-02T12:35:00.001-06:00

Now maybe it's a different story in your part of town, but our entire subdivision had one path down the middle of the road and Northmoor and University were in great shape. Those drivers must have worked a killer shift overnight.

My hats off to them.

UPDATE: Randolph Street, which was apparently the only street in Peoria to not be plowed, has been cleared of snow by the City of Peoria. For further updates, click the Pundit link on the right.

The bore on 74

2011-01-25T15:37:00.000-06:00

Is there anything that gets your basketball juices flowing like a matchup between an 0-9 team and a 1-8 team?

Little green guy? More like the little red guy

2011-01-20T19:40:00.000-06:00

Some potentially bad news for theater and radio figure Lee Wenger. Read about it here.

He must have a lot of pent up rage after listening to classical music for years on end.

Well that's too bad

2011-01-18T14:31:00.001-06:00

I woke up this morning and noticed that our sidewalk and driveway were clear of snow and that there had been a tiny bit of snow melt.

Unfortunately, the snow that melted off our street unveiled a complete sheet of ice that covers the whole street. Not a patch of ice here and there but a solid covering of ice. I'll wait to see if any salt or sand is put down by the City. It's kind of fun doing the slow slide past the driveway followed by the reverse/drive driveway arrival.

I just came home and noticed that the city did put salt down. I'm going to guess it's too cold for it to work because there are only spots that seem to be thawing.

Cubs fans, it's going to be another long year

2011-01-13T15:06:00.002-06:00

For those of us that still read the Journal Star hard-copy:

If you read today's sports page, did you notice anything odd on the front page? A Bradley loss? No, that's not really odd.

The Chicago Cubs have taken out an ad on the bottom of the page pimping their 13 game ticket pack. Can anyone remember the Cubs taking out an ad for ticket sales in the Journal Star.....ever?

Also, the Cub Convention is not sold out. It's been a long time since that's happened.

I was very hopeful when the Ricketts family took over, but I have a feeling that they are verrrry stretched financially. Of course, it doesn't help that they have a total dunce as a GM that has financially hamstrung the team. If he would fire Hendry, he could maybe buy back some fan goodwill.

Another store closing

2011-01-10T12:54:00.000-06:00

Marshall's in Evergreen Square will be shuttering up.

I hope Evergreen Square can survive. I'm sure K-Mart is on the way out. Won't be a lot left eventually.

K-Mart in Washington

2011-01-06T15:31:00.001-06:00

is closing.

Granted they are probably considered a "big-box store" but for some reason I was hoping they could hold out against the runaway Wal-Mart train. They stayed open a lot longer than I thought they would.

I have a bad feeling the Evergreen Square K-Mart isn't far behind.

April looks to be the closing date for the Washington K-Mart.

Hat tip to the Pundit.

2011-01-05T06:02:00.000-06:00

For this interesting post on the strong-arm tactics of the Komen Foundation.

Like Bill said, doubtful this will covered by the local media.

Gerry Rafferty RIP

2011-01-04T17:11:00.003-06:00

Click, watch and enjoy. One of the all-time great songs.

So long, old friend......

2011-01-01T06:09:00.003-06:00

Haddads in West Peoria, pretty much a landmark, burned to the ground last night.

Very sad for me.....I bought my 1st home across the street from the store and spent many early evenings and nights on my front deck with buddies drinking beer and watching the folks go in and out. West Peoria is where I met my bride. We shopped at Haddads as boyfriend/girlfriend then as husband and wife. I was just in there buying sausage dip and spinach dip for the holidays. I came and told my wife how nice it is to still have a hometown store like that. How everyone was standing in line at the deli talking and customers and other store employees were discussing their holiday plans.

That look and overall atmosphere of the store was old-school and that's impossible to replicate. I think Mark just bought a home in West Peoria, so I assume he's going to rebuild. As a community, we can only hope. And I'm going to make it a point to shop there even more when he does.

UPDATE: Per the Peoria Chronicle via WEEK's website (thanks Sharon), owner Mark Whrel says the building was insured and will be rebuilt. And just to be factually correct, Whrel lives in the Uplands, not West Peoria as I thought.

Goodbye snow!!!!

2010-12-31T06:32:00.000-06:00

I awake this morning to the sounds of a late December thunderstorm. I look out the window and see that all the snow has been washed away. Good times. I don't care how cold it gets....I just hate snow.

Now I hope the sump pumps are working.

Seriously, Tucker?

2010-12-29T15:46:00.001-06:00

Here's the link.

Page down a little for this windbag's analysis of Michael Vick. Try and guess my favorite line of the bow-tied blowhards statement.

Thank you Chef Kevin!!!

2010-12-26T06:53:00.000-06:00

This has been completely stolen from Chef Kevin's blog. (Link on right) Genius. Must read for every driver in this city:

1. When driving 28 mph in the left lane going east on War Drive, you should:
A. Immediately text the Peoria Police Department and tell them that someone is riding your ass.
B. Continue singing "Roxanne" at top lung totally oblivious to your surroundings
C. Turn on your right signal, check traffic, move to the right lane .
D. Same as C, but then pull into Schooners, have a refreshing beverage and some wings, drive home at midnight when there is less traffic and no one cares you are going 28mph in any lane.

2. Routinely, and even weekly this time of year, you should:
A. Pack your car full of empty fast food wrappers that you can toss out into your least favorite blogger or councilperson's front yard
B. Inspect your automobile to ensure your lights, signals and other safety features are working properly.
C. Drink heavily before driving so if you get stuck in a snow drift you'll be passed out and won't care that nobody is trying to rescue you.
D. Call your insurance agent to check if your towing insurance covers sliding into a ditch because you were yapping on your cell phone and not paying attention to the snow packed road on which you were driving.

3. It is OK to run a red left turn arrow:
A. At all intersections involving War Memorial Drive.
B. If the vehicle in front of you did.
C. Never.
D. I am the most important driver on the road so red arrows don't apply to me. As this is the longest answer, it has to be the correct one.

4. When turning left onto a divided four lane road you:
A. Turn into the far lane causing a collision with the guy turning right on red.
B. Go straight.
C. Turn into the closest lane.
D. Run over pedestrians or people selling candy.

5. While driving, your cell phone rings. You should:
A. Put down your coffee, Egg McMuffin, lipstick/razor and answer the phone.
B. Try to Google the unfamiliar number to see if you want to answer it while driving with your knees.
C. Bitch that they are calling you instead of texting you.
D. Let the damned thing go to voicemail.

6. The lever that extends from the left hand side of the steering column is:
A. ?????? but it is awfully dusty.
B. A handy dandy thing that holds miscellaneous things like rubber bands, hair ties, extra key rings and other assorted "looped" things.
C. Up calls the maid, down calls the butler.
D. Signal light indicator.

Essay Question: You are heading west on Main Street in Peoria. You need to turn right onto University. Please explain how the hell you are supposed to turn your Hummer into that tiny, narrow little lane without taking out the curb, One World and pedestrians.

Extra Credit Question: When is it permissible to drive 50 mph across a fairly full parking lot.
A. Trying to stop a wayward shopping cart from running over a little old lady.
B. Attempting to get a parking spot within the first 4 spaces within a row closest to the store.
C. Spotting a city council member who voted for the museum, hotel and gas tax and trying to run them over.
D. Never
E. D when C doesn't apply.

I wish my few remaining readers a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and hopefully safer driving this holiday season.

City of Peoria street crews

2010-12-23T16:25:00.002-06:00

I noticed that the City street crews were out today putting fill down in potholes.

I am by no means any kind of expert but is it common to fill potholes in the winter with snow on the way?

Any info on this subject would be appreciated.

UPDATE: Well as you can imagine with our odd weather, the fill is gone and the potholes are back to normal. Still don't understand the thought process on that one.

Chick fil a

2010-12-22T16:28:00.000-06:00

Given this city's love for chain restaurants I thought I would throw this out there.

Chick fil a is interested in opening up where the old Pizza Hut on Sterling is currently but the owners of the building are asking a ridiculous price that Chick Fil A will never pay.

That is all.

Chicago Bears

2010-12-21T06:23:00.000-06:00

The fact that this team won the division proves once and for all that anything is possible. It's going to be nice watching my team in the playoffs, finally.

What A joke....

2010-12-18T06:22:00.000-06:00

I see some on the council are instructing us on how to decipher our next tax bill.....i.e. "we didn't raise property taxes...not the city's fault."

A fee is a tax no matter how you spin it.

Good Luck to C.J. Summers......

2010-11-23T16:40:00.000-06:00

One of the people I always hoped would throw his hat in the ring for council has done so.

I'm really hoping for a victory for C.J. Maybe this would signal a new way of doing things in this town.

He's got my vote.

Roger Ailes....very nice.....

2010-11-19T08:34:00.000-06:00

From radio-info.com:

"Former Nixon White House media guru Roger Ailes is apologizing for comparing NPR's attitude to the Nazis and now says "'Nasty, inflexible bigot' would have worked better." He tossed around the "Nazi" word several times while being interviewed by Howard Kurtz of The Daily Beast. Speaking of NPR, he said “They are, of course, Nazis. They have a kind of Nazi attitude...These guys don’t want any other point of view.”

If there is one sure way to support your argument while looking completely sane, it's to use the word " Nazi ".

Wow.

See ya, Mayor Ardis !!!!

2010-11-17T06:05:00.002-06:00

I'll say one thing, this guy is consistent. Read about it here.

"Ardis said Tuesday it never was nor is it now his intention to attempt to use undue or improper influence. He said he respects the courts and the process.

Ardis never implied the City Council or City of Peoria supports Campbell, he said. It's a letter signed by him, Jim Ardis, as mayor, as an individual.

"I think that the effort to almost micro-analyze the ability of this person to use that letterhead for things like this . . . the appearance of impropriety has almost taken on a life of its own," Ardis said. "There definitely wasn't, as far as I know, anything illegal about it. There wasn't anything to my knowledge unethical about it."

I think the fact that he doesn't see a problem with it is the biggest problem of all. If you're not trying to influence anyone, why are you writing the letter on C.O.P. letterhead? Can he really be this dense?

The Who said it best: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

Happy Veterans Day.......

2010-11-11T09:20:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all who have served our country.

Double door etiquette

2010-11-10T18:37:00.000-06:00

If you are walking into a business with double doors, which door do you enter through? I've noticed that for some reason, people do not want to put forth the effort to go in through the right and exit through the right.

The reason: because the door on the right, the one you're supposed to go through, has a pull handle. And who the hell wants to actually exert yourself when you can just push open the door on left?

The overall laziness of people never ceases to amaze me.

I love Beer.......

2010-11-06T17:37:00.002-05:00

that is all.

3rd hand news................

2010-10-30T05:47:00.000-05:00

Heard that one of the new hot restaurants in town is having some difficulties paying their contractors and the case is in court. Somewhere in the $500,000 ballpark. Heard from a friend of a friend, so take it for what it's worth.

Aaron Schock's new mailing..........

2010-10-21T06:16:00.001-05:00

"Earning Back The Majority"?.........really Aaron?

I would say that neither party has earned the majority.

I would love to see the abolishment of the two party system. Nothing will ever change until the big money aspect of politics is gone.

"Race To Nowhere"

2010-10-14T06:03:00.000-05:00

Saw this last night. This should be required viewing for all members of the Department of Education, all teachers and administrators.

Check it out here.

A City Council canidtate I'll gladly support......

2010-09-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

From today's PJStar Word on the Street:

"Former Heart of Peoria commissioner C.J. Summers, a local blogger, also is circulating petitions for council."

Count me in.

What happened to the City of Peoria scanner feed?..............

2010-09-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

I emailed the folks at Radio Reference, which is the spot where you could listen to the feed.

Strangely, when the crime wave this summer was in gear and the police put their extra forces out, the feed disappeared.

"I don't see that feed listed in the directory any longer, the volunteer that used to provide it must have decided to stop doing so or they're no longer able to do so due to computer or scanner problems."is the response I received.

That sucks.

Why is this not surprising?........

2010-08-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

From today's PJStar Word on the Street:

We received a pretty printed flier in the mail Friday announcing the groundbreaking celebration for the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
It's planned for 3 p.m. Sept. 7 at The Block on Water and Main streets. On hand will be Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, Caterpillar Inc. CEO Doug Oberhelman, County Board Chairman Tom O'Neill and museum President and CEO Jim Richerson.
That was quick. The City Council approval for the museum came on Tuesday. Caterpillar still must approve certain agreements, though there's no indication that it won't.
Sandberg, who's pushing a petition drive to effectively stop the project, noted there hasn't even been a public hearing yet to issue the planned $41 million in general obligation alternate revenue source bonds.
Summers, who is with the group Citizens for Responsible Spending, which is involved in the petition drive, said it doesn't come as a surprise.
"The county consistently is putting the cart before the horse in this entire project," he said.
If enough signatures are gathered, it would lead to a binding referendum in February or April. By then, construction will have already begun on the project. (K.M.)

Don't like how the museum shell game is being played ???

2010-08-28T05:59:00.001-05:00

Another chance for those who didn't vote the 1st time around?

Click here and find out!

Thanks to all involved who got this going.

The Fresh Market

2010-08-25T18:31:00.000-05:00

is awesome.

Went this afternoon. Even on opening day it wasn't really hard to park or maneuver around the store. My wife, who is the fresh/healthy/organic expert in our house said they had brands she had never heard of.

I've been to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and I'd say this ranks right up there. It's probably in between the two stores. Pricey, but pretty much knew that going in.

And the parking lot is pretty cool too.

Congrats Peoria citizens!!!!!!!

2010-08-25T06:16:00.001-05:00

In this bit of shocking news, the Museum is a go thanks to the City Council.

Thank you to Gary Sandberg and C.J. Summers for being the beacon of light in the darkness of this debacle.

And big props to our local paper for devoting about 3-4 paragraphs of a 40 paragraph article to the objections raised about this project. Nice to know we have a fair and balanced approach to our local stories. What a joke.

Window tinters?

2010-08-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

Just got a new used car and I need the windows tinted.

Wizards on Main was the first choice......any others?

I like throwing out these types of questions.......it lets me know if anyone actually reads this blog.

Congrats to the COP and PPD........

2010-07-17T06:09:00.000-05:00

Just going by the last two nights of listening to the scanner, I'd say the increased police presence is working. I heard one robbery call and no shootings the last two nights I listened. Granted I only listened till about 10:30 both nights, but that's a hell of an improvement.

You think there are a lot of shootings in Peoria?.........

2010-07-12T21:15:00.002-05:00

Just click on this link and listen for a few nights in a row.

It is amazing the amount of "shots fired" calls you will here on any given night. And like "Eye in the Sky" says, you'll also get a lot more info than what you read in the paper. God bless everyone sticking it out on the south end and in the east bluff.

What a fricking mess.

.

The Big Box takeover continues........

2010-07-08T07:52:00.002-05:00

Great piece on one shopowner's view of what will happen when Wal Mart moves into the neighborhood.

Read it here.

Dude....seriously, it's OK.........

2010-06-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

You might even be considered a trailblazer for your party. A "New Era" for the Republican Party.

Stacy Peterson found?.......

2010-06-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

First off, the source is TMZ. They've been right on some things, but who knows..

I'm sure everyone remembers Drew Peterson, everyone's favorite girlfriend/wife killer who also was a cop.

Well, turns out Drew's accomplice told authorities that Stacy is stuffed and buried in a metal barrel on some hunting grounds outside of Peoria and allegedly the law will be digging today.

AT&T? Later..........

2010-05-30T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well.....we gave AT&T a chance but it looks like we're going back to Comcast.

Our phone/internet bill was screwed up 3 months straight.....we upgraded to Elite speed when we were too far away from a central office for it to work, which is something the Service Rep might have filled us in on before we made the switch. And because we were too far away, our internet slowed waaaaaay down. To top it off, we were quoted an incorrect price when we did switch.

Comcast? 44.99 + 3-7 bucks for tax monthly for 1 year for phone and internet. Way cheaper than AT&T. Granted that will double after the year is up, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.

Boy, this gets old................

2010-05-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

To our fearless city leaders (especially the genius council members who voted for the "next big thing") I have a news flash.

I hate to beat a dead horse (comparable to you wasting taxpayer funds on pet projects) but the things that are going to revitalize this city are NOT a:

Museum
Ballpark
"Technology Plaza"
Strip mall
Walking Trail
New Hotel

The things that are going to revitalize this city ARE:

A low crime rate
A good school system

PERIOD!!!!!

The mindset of the majority of the decision makers is putting more frosting on the cake; sadly the actual cake is spoiled.

I think the easy thing for the Council and city leaders is to not tackle the basic services but just go ahead and keep funding projects while crying poor-mouth.

Maybe in my lifetime this city will turn it around. Maybe the next Council election will change everything.

Maybe.

Here's what Peoria needs................

2010-05-19T07:11:00.000-05:00

Not happy with the PJStar? Feel newspapers are on the way out?.....This might be something someone in Peoria should look into.

First from Radio-Info.com:

“It took us two years to beat a 175-year-old newspaper” with a new online paper.

Tom Davis and his two stations are all about Williamsburg-Yorktown, VA – and so is “WYDaily.com”, staffed by savvy local journalists. (“Don’t hire radio people for this”, says Davis). He says they’ve beaten the local printed paper in a short time by reaching 54% market penetration. They’re blowing through sales goals, "pacing up 27% this year, and we have already reached our third quarter goal.” Furthermore, he insists that WYDaily “has not cannibalized one dollar from our radio stations.” Davis clearly agrees with Fisher CEO Colleen Brown that it’s good to “share” with others, and here’s part of what he’s got – Davis cares about “TSC, not TSL.” That’s “Time Spent Connected” to any of the Davis/Tide properties, whether broadcast or Internet (“we don’t care” which one). He believes that “digital platforms require a driver, and radio stations are a perfect driver...Want to know more about the news story you just heard on the air? Go to the online newspaper. We say that over and over.” But Davis warns that you can’t phone it in – “you have to be local, do it local, have local people.” Would this work other places? “You can do it in any market where the local daily newspaper is under siege, which is…all of them.” WYDaily even links to Craigslist, the newspaper classified-killer. By the end of the panel, the RAB’s Jeff Haley, situated between Davis and Erik Hellum, says “if we could bottle” what they’re doing “that’s at least $1 billion in incremental revenue for radio.”

And the actual website is here.

Looks pretty cool.

One More Time.......

2010-05-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

when it's raining out and your wipers are on.....YOUR HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON!!!! STATE LAW!!!

And another thing: if you're going to run a red light, don't meander slowly through the intersection.....HIT THE GAS!!!! YOU'RE ALREADY BREAKING THE LAW SO GET A MOVE ON!!!!!

That is all.

Avanti's.............

2010-04-25T16:36:00.004-05:00

I left a comment on the Anti-Pundit's posting about Avanti's, which spurred me to my own posting on this place.

What's so great about Avanti's?

If I'm getting a gondola, I'll take LaGondola or Michael's any day of the week.

The "italian" food? Uhhhh....no thanks. My old joke was to sing the jingle: "Avanti's is fake italian food".

The one halfway decent thing IMO: the pizza. And hell, if I'm going to get pizza I'll take Mickies over Avanti's anytime.

And the delivery? Spotty would be way too generous. The last time my in-laws ordered two pizzas for delivery, one was wrong. They've screwed up my delivery orders at least three times that I remember. I've pretty much given up on them.

This place seems to be the perfect example of a place that has been living off it's press clippings. Packed parking lots don't really motivate a business to react to customer complaints.

What could have been................

2010-04-25T09:22:00.001-05:00

Just got back from St. Joesph, Michigan.

Granted, they have Lake Michigan as a drawing point....but they've done some interesting things with their lakefront.

The Amtrak train picks up and drops off in the beachfront area. It's a setup similar to the River Station building. They have a very popular locally owned pizzeria in their old train depot. Just past that is an enclosed beautiful hand-painted carousel which is open year round. From what I could tell, it's a pretty popular attraction. Attatched to the carousel building is a scaled down version of their childrens museum, with a climbing wall, a water-play area and an area for any traveling exhibits-Grossology was the one being featured. Their original childrens museum is in a converted two story brick house a short distance away from the beachfront.

The downtown area is also very cool. Many locally owned shops and eateries, which were busy on the Saturday that we left. The shopping part of the downtown area is made up of brick streets (one way) with parking in front of the stores. Also many, many free city owned parking lots.

Really makes me wonder what our riverfront could have been.

Great place for a family weekend. About a 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Peoria.

Safety Town..............

2010-04-14T06:03:00.003-05:00

The whole family went to Safety Town last night around 6 P.M. 1st thing we noticed when we pulled in was the unusually high number of kids that were there. I figured at that time it would be pretty sparse, but that was wrong.

I noticed many of the kids, and some parents, were wearing matching t-shirts. Upon closer inspection, it was some sort of group from Keller. Also there was about 5-7 parents who were having some sort of meeting in the bleachers while their kids rode around.

If there was ever an experience that would sour someone on Safety Town, this would have been it. The parents sat and ate and visited while their children rode their bikes waaaaay too fast and wildly. I personally witnessed 3 wipeouts (kind of funny since the place is called Safety Town), kids cutting each other off on the road part and kids starting at the top of the hill....IN THE GRASS...... and riding as fast as they could down the hill.

And all during this the parents sat and socialized. Congrats to all those who now find that Safety Town is a place you can bring your kids while you catch up with your friends.....all while instilling bad bicycle habits in your children.....AT A PLACE CALLED SAFETY TOWN!!!!!! If you want to let your kids ride like maniacs, DO IT AT YOUR OWN HOUSE!!!!!

And something else I forgot: NO SCOOTERS!!!!! IT'S POSTED!!!!

The New Nike Tiger ad?..........

2010-04-09T05:52:00.003-05:00

Creepy

FYI for all of us "aggressive" drivers........

2010-04-07T18:24:00.000-05:00

2nd hand from a Peoria Policeman:

No more of the "5 miles over the speed limit" grace period.....in order to generate revenue, police have been told to write a ticket for anyone speeding....be it 15 miles over or 1 mile over.

Just passing along what I've been told........

Happy Opening Day !!!!!!!

2010-04-05T05:58:00.001-05:00

Baseball begins today. Baseball on the radio is one of the signs that summer is on the way. Plus, it's going to be a beautiful day today, which also adds to the joy.

As a Cubs fan, I would like to say "Wait till next year". I don't have a good feeling about the 2010 Cubs.

Not really going out on a limb, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

UPDATE: Cubs with 3-0 lead.....lose 16-5. Some predictions are just too easy.

Put the phones down and drive......

2010-03-27T23:45:00.002-05:00

After the past few days on the road, I'm absolutely convinced: It's time to outlaw cell phones while driving.

I'm not one for government intervention on things like this, but I can't deny it any longer. People are bad enough drivers as it is, without the added distraction of talking or texting on their cell phones. I've lost count of the people I've been behind at stoplights who won't proceed when the light is green because they are talking or the drivers who won't use their turn signals because they are talking.....and the winner was the guy I saw who was holding his phone in one hand while unwrapping a wire wrapped around his rear view mirror while steering with his knee. Nice.

99.5 percent of any talking while driving can probably wait until you are at your destination.

That is all.

Spring's coming!!!! The D150 Cesspool is open for swimming!!!!

2010-03-15T06:05:00.003-05:00

Seems to be another bad situation brewing at D150 (#13 in a series of 112). Apparently, there are some very entrepreneurial employees who are confiscating district computers and selling them on the internet.

Hopefully the employees erased the hard drives containing the incriminating emails before selling.

Check out the comment section on Billy's posting regarding this. Interesting. I think the "just some unhappy parents" defense is pretty much rendered moot at this point.

150 is beginning to remind me of the Nixon White House. Maybe we need a "All of Hinton's Men" movie?

Councilman Spain......WAKE UP !!!!!!!!

2010-03-07T13:19:00.005-06:00

Nothing like a totally asinine idea by the next "golden boy" to get one's blood boiling on a Sunday morning.

Councilman Spain.....here's an idea....free of charge:

Have an informal meeting with some residents of Washington, East Peoria, Dunlap, Metamora, hell even Germantown Hills. Preferably those who work on the Peoria side of the river. Ask them why they don't live in Peoria.

Do you think the most common answers would include the following: The lack of a downtown museum, the lack of a downtown hotel............. inadequate branding of Peoria? (Didn't make that one up)

Let me help you out, Councilman Spain (off topic-does he strike anyone else as a Schock wanna-be?), the answer would be no.

What would the most common answers be? Perhaps crime and the school system? I'm going to guess yes on those two.

Focus on fixing the real problems keeping people from moving here and keeping people from moving away. That's how to be an effective councilman. Not by "branding".

I'm usually not a big fan of Councilwoman Van Auken, but I do agree with her view of this: ""You want the city to put its best foot forward, but you have to be careful to make sure it doesn't get out in front of substance," 2nd District City Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken said. "I don't think it's unique to Peoria, but communities sometimes get an inferiority complex, and they forget that isn't the view that people who are several steps back from it have. If you read the various news from around the country, Peoria does quite well, and its image is good."

Peoria is what it is. And it will not change until the basic problems are dealt with. All the "lipstick on the pig" won't change that.

And for anyone wondering what Spain does for a living: he's the managing director of the Heartland Foundation at Heartland Partnership, which , in it's own words, "provides strategic leadership, coordinates resources, and brings to life initiatives focused on developing, growing, and nurturing the heartland economy." In layman's terms, the movers and shakers who will decide what projects will benefit this city, regardless of cost or need.

So 150 has problems?.....how about this?........

2010-02-24T21:13:00.003-06:00

Supposedly, as told to me, this took place at Concordia Lutheran: a 10 year old was given 5 subjects to choose from to write a paper.

One of the subjects: Euthanasia
Another subject: Abortion

Seriously?

What the hell is this all about? I wouldn't want my grade schooler even aware that either of these words exist, much less be instructed to actually research and write about either.

Wow.

And now for something completely different......

2010-02-06T05:43:00.004-06:00

or not.

Just when you thought Illinois politics couldn't possibly get anymore cesspooly, along comes Scott Lee Cohen. Please save the "he was elected fair and square" b.s.

And Governor Pat Quinn? Cue the Sgt. Schultz audio: He knew nothing about Cohen's past until last Tuesday. Right Pat, and Tony LaRussa just found out about Mark McGuire's steroid use.

Check it out here, at the great Capitol Fax blog by Rich Miller.

A hooker girlfriend, he abused steroids.....I could go on, but I don't want to be a spoiler . This Cohen guy is piece of work. He's got a reality show in his future.

Why do citizens have such a bad opinion of politicians in general?

UPDATE: Cohen dropped out of the race.

Start saving up everyone!!!!!!

2010-01-25T18:31:00.003-06:00

She's coming!!!! She's coming !!!!

I wish this were a joke, but it's not.

I'm going to guess those that shelled out the cash for the Weaver Farms Bush/Schock fundraiser will be first in line.

Maybe she could help with the stalled museum project!!??

Hello 102.3....goodbye 'MBD......

2010-01-15T16:08:00.004-06:00

I'm sure many of you have read on the Pundit's blog that Markley and Luciano are moving to mornings on 102.3 Max FM and taking their place will be self-professed conservative, longtime Peoria radio guy Scott Robbins. Also back on the roster is the hate monger himself, Michael Savage. Markley and Luciano were the one show I did listen to on 'MBD.

'MBD's official listening dress will be blue blazer, white shirt and blue and red striped tie. And of course the obligitory U.S. Flag lapel pin.

Looking forward to hearing M & L on mornings. I'll give Robbins a try, unless he parrots the other shows on before and after him.

You know what would be great listening?: If Robbins or Greg and Dan or whoever would start barbecuing the local figures who deserve it. All the big shots in Peoria are pretty much treated with kid gloves by the local media; it would be nice if some of them were called out.

I love UFS..........

2009-12-10T05:47:00.002-06:00

I took the son down to UFS. We don't go every week, but it's pretty close.

The first thing I noticed is that the caskets have been moved. There is now only one on display and it's sitting up about four feet in the air. I wondered why it had been elevated from it's former center aisle position. I then noticed a sign taped to the casket which answered my question.

It reads: Due to the respect of others please stay out of the caskets. Thank you, management.

And the variety of products in the store is unmatched.

Our shopping cart consisted of:

1 case of various beers.
1 rubberband-powered race car.
1 "decorate it yourself" purse.
2 shower curtain liners.

And no, I wasn't planning on slamming the beers, wrapping myself and my newly decorated purse up in a shower curtain liner while playing with the race car. There was a gift for everyone in the family.

One of the crown jewels of this city. Long live Pierre and everyone who works there.

That's some nice paper........

2009-12-06T06:55:00.003-06:00

No, not the Bradley Scout which is where I got this info.

This: Salaries: University President JoAnne Glasser 421,000/yr.
Head Basketball Coach Jim Les 419,000/yr.

I know, I know this is how the "game" is played in college sports. And I know part of Les's hiring would be his ability to get the red-sweatered dinosaurs to pony up for the new buildings on campus. Just kind of surprised me that he was making that kind of jack.

Hey Brother, can you spare a temporary promotion?

2009-11-23T05:59:00.002-06:00

You would think that with the Mayberry-like goings on with the County Jail, Mike McCoy might want to lay low for a while.

After the capture of the prisoners from the county jail, there was a press conference trumpeting the great police work involved in catching the escapees. Point taken, but given the circumstances surrounding the escape it seemed a bit odd.

Of course, there is still the looming re-election problem of the Sheriff's son. McCoy hopes it won't be a factor in the campaign. Probably like he hopes the prisoner breakout won't be an issue. Or maybe, in McCoy's words, "We've been too lax on rules and regulations" won't be used as an issue.

Now word comes out that his brother, who for the record has been the assistant jail superintendent for 12 years, has been named the interim jail superintendent.

This is probably the right move. But on the surface, given all the problems this department has had lately, this looks kind of bad. And it makes it kind of impossible to name him permanently due to nepotism.

I'm curious how many more McCoy's are employed by the county.

More funding for that Super-dee-duper amazing riverfront museum!!!!!

2009-10-31T06:27:00.002-05:00

And guess where it's coming from?

Our pockets!

I guess this means that this amazing cure-all for the cities ills (never mind the declining school system and basic city services) is going to be built come hell or high water.

I know what you're saying: Wait a minute, weren't we already paying a separate tax for this wonderful project?

Well....yes.....but see the powers that be found themselves only a few (6) million short of their funding. So even though the state is broke (hell, this city is broke) they found 5 million laying around to help out the cause.

Thanks State of Illinois.....I mean the citizens of Illinois.

"It Might Get Loud".......

2009-10-16T05:57:00.002-05:00

Went and saw this last night.

Great, great documentary about three guitarists (Page, Edge, Jack White) who, in a casual round-table format along with individual scenes, discuss their love for and influences regarding music and guitars in general. Outstanding Zep, U2 and White Stripes, Raconteurs footage.

It's pretty interesting watching and listening to Page. I think he's in his 60's and the guy is still passionate about all things music. You can really tell he loves his craft. And he's just a bad-ass.

White and The Edge are interesting in their own right, but Page steals the scenes.

Must see for music lovers.

It is his blog but.........

2009-10-15T06:01:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty disappointed in C.J.'s decision to ban kcdad, using the "internet troll" labeling as his reason.

When one decides to do a blog, an assumption should be made that you will have someone leaving a comment or opinion that will go against your beliefs, values or morals. That doesn't happen a lot here because this site doesn't have the intelligent, well-written and researched posts that the Peoria Chronicle has.

From what I've observed, C.J. doesn't agree with a lot of things that kcdad posts. You can either debate or ignore these points and even delete posts that you find offensive. But banning that person? That's a little overboard, IMO.

Carry on.

Preferential treatment?.....Naahhhhh.....

2009-10-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Here's what we know so far, from the details of the police report. Oh and by the way, this wreck happened on September 27th. This story was in today's paper, but according to Mike McCoy "we're not trying to hide anything".

Mike McCoy's son, a MEG agent and deputy, wrecks the company car at 5:30 A.M.

He said he swerved to avoid a deer.

He admits to drinking, and is not given any sort of sobriety test. Because that was the "officer's discretion".

He calls his boss who then, according to Mike McCoy on WMBD, transports him back to his house. Another one of his MEG supervisors, Dale King, also showed up at the scene. No tickets have been issued.

I just finished listening to Mike McCoy being interviewed by Markley and Luciano. I would have to say his explanation was comical at the least. McCoy said "this case wasn't handled any differently than any other case" and "we weren't trying to hide anything about this. I mean, everyone in law enforcement knew about it."

Tell me if this whole scenario is even plausible if you are a regular Joe:

You get in a wreck at 5:30 A.M. You admit to the officer that you were drinking and are not given any sobriety test. You are allowed to call a couple of people who then transport you back to your house from the scene of the accident.

Sound believable? I didn't think so.

The Journal Star continued their practice of turning off the comment section on stories of their choice, this story falling into that category.

Thank you Richard Daley!

2009-10-02T19:42:00.000-05:00

No I don't live in Chicago.

But I couldn't bear to watch what would have happened up north if Chicago would have landed the Olympic bid. This is a city that can't even get it's streets plowed and potholes filled. It would have been the equivalent of a city the size of Peoria building a museum when there are so many other.......errr....never mind. I'm sure the cost overruns would have been felt throughout the state, somehow.

I already heard various reports that the construction contracts were already signed, sealed and delivered. I'm sure no one in Daley's inner circle would have benefited from that. Hizzoner won't be able to go undercover in the dark of night and start building Olympic stadiums, much like he did concerning the whole Meigs Field debacle. It's nice to see him get one stuck up his "Chicago Machine".

Also from what I've read and heard, without the President and his wife this entire presentation would have been a debacle. So thank you Mr. Mayor for your input, it was greatly appreciated to those of us who didn't want Chicago to win the bid.

Perhaps the end of Daley as we know it is just around the corner........

No cable? No problem.....

2009-09-25T21:59:00.001-05:00

I posted previously about our plans post-satellite TV. Here are the results:

Antenna+converter box=7 stations. 3 PBS's, which is cool.

The kids have not made a peep. And it was very easy to hook up and setup. Picture is awesome! I was watching the Bears game last Sunday and Fox 43 kept pixilating in and out. I talked to my buddy who said the same thing happened to his Comcast picture, so at least it's not my current setup.

If anyone is going to get rid of their cable/dish, let me know and I'll let you know how to figure out what antenna to buy and what converter box I went with.

The Orchid Awards....

2009-09-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

Is a business like Avanti's on Knoxville really deserving of a Orchid Award?

I think it's been open for maybe 2 years.

Heritage Square was another curious choice...since it's actually in Peoria Heights.

These awards should probably be reserved for business who have taken a old business or their current business and remodeled the exterior.