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January 2006
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Comments

  • Virgil Mowen: Great blog! Sorry to change the subject, but, I’m new to town and I’d like to find a great auto repair...
  • Dennis in Peoria: According to May 16th PJS, Jim Richerson is out as PRM CEO, with Debbie Ritschel named interim CEO....
  • 50+Peorian: Anyone know what Doug Oberhelman’s dog is named? I was told it is Dozer. Yep, he named the stadium...
  • Imagine: Imagine, this hotel being recently purchased. New investors & owners doing an extensive 5 million dollar...
  • J: People like MBD can cry about consolidation all they want. There’s no doubt that Peoria would have had an...
  • AnneC: And even MORE not-so-shocking news: http://cinewsnow.mlnwap.com/ar ticle.html#!/76660/3d5b84a0...
  • mbd: this isnt just happening in peoria either.
  • mbd: You do realize that this are privately owned companies right? They exist to make money. Local tv stations are...
  • concerned citizen: Joe Dulin is a liar. unfortunately, code enforcement for profit already exists. Property owners in...
  • ProudPeorian: A little “Rock Island Rocket” history for the masses. http://csanders429.wordpres...
  • ProudPeorian: Sorry for the typoes in my previous proclamation…Peoria and its surrounds (communities) are short...
  • ProudPeorian: Forget Bloomington/Normal. Remember the awesome days of the Rock Island Rocket.I know thats it’s...
  • Carmen: Merle, I wish you and Karrie and CJ would write that book! I watched it all play out on the blogs over a...
  • Emtronics: Yes that was my point Fred. Apples and Oranges Why does our Museum think it’s Chicago?
  • merle widmer: Pardon the typo errors. NASA, not MASA

Open Forum: What did you think of the State of the City address?

WCBU (89.9 FM) is replaying Mayor Ardis’s State of the City address tonight at 7:00, followed by an interview with Bill Dennis and me on our reaction to Ardis’s address.

One of the things I love about blogging is the dialogue that takes place in the comments section.  I learn a lot from those [...]

New Peoria Blogger

No one knows more about trains–specifically Peoria trains–than my friend David P. Jordan. I’ve been part of the PeoriaRails Yahoo Group for quite some time now and have enjoyed his insight into this little-reported part of Peoria’s transportation system.  Now David has established his own blog to report “news, information and analysis of local rail transportation [...]

Why hasn’t Peoria fired Central Illinois Railroad Company?

Let’s recap Central Illinois Railroad’s less-than-stellar operation in Peoria.

The Contract.  On April 27, 2004, the City of Peoria signed a contract with Central Illinois Railroad Company (owned by DOT Rail Service of LaSalle, Ill.) to replace Pioneer Industrial Railway as the common carrier provider on the Kellar Branch.  There was quite a bit [...]

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I Wanna Be Like Kalamazoo

Another plan I will pursue this year is one we may call the “Peoria Promise.” It is based on a similar successful program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The premise is this: Any student graduating from Peoria’s Public Schools will be eligible for a scholarship to any Public University or College in Illinois. Maybe it [...]

How about if Peoria buys the naming rights?

I got to thinking about my last post, and I have an idea.

Do you remember how the federal government regulated speed limits in the ’70s?  They told states they could have any speed limit they wanted, but if they wanted federal money to maintain the roads, the speed limits had to be no faster than [...]

Naming the Civic Center

The Journal Star reports that any renaming of Carver Arena may need City Council approval. Whether or not that’s true, what do you think of selling the naming rights for the Civic Center and Carver Arena?

I personally think it stinks.  The reason they need to sell naming rights is because they don’t have [...]

State of the City

Mayor Ardis delivered the State of the City address today at the Holiday Inn City Center.  HOI News and 1470 WMBD each have good reports. If you’d like to see it for yourself, Insight Communications will be rebroadcasting it tomorrow, January 26th, at noon on cable channel 22.

UPDATE: Jonathan Ahl has informed me that a podcast [...]

Rumor Mill

I just heard today that All That Matters Christian bookstore in the Metro Centre is closing, possibly by the end of the week.  Can anyone confirm or deny?

More propaganda from the Journal Star

There are few things in today’s Journal Star editorial about the Kellar Branch that deserve a response:

The park district, unable to act, has watched about half of a $400,000 state grant evaporate.

It’s worth pointing out that the park district applied for that money prematurely–before going to the STB, building the spur, etc.  [...]

Firefly Energy given military contract via controversial “earmark”

The Associated Press reports that Peoria-based Firefly Energy, Inc., has “landed a $2.5 million contract to develop its new generation of lighter, more powerful batteries for the military.”  Firefly is a pretty new company, founded in May 2003.  They use technology developed by Caterpillar to replace the lead plates found in batteries with a [...]