Archive for October 12th, 2006

No surprise: “Peoria Riverfront Museum” wins

Posted by C. J. Summers on October 12th, 2006

Here are the vote totals from www.namethemuseum.org:

  • TOTAL VOTE NUMBERS -5328
  • PEORIA RIVERFRONT MUSEUM - 2658 - 50%
  • ILLINOIS [RIVER VALLEY] MUSEUM - 1389 - 26%
  • PORT OF EXPLORATION MUSEUM - 617 - 12%
  • MUSEUM ON THE SQUARE - 375 - 7%
  • HEARTLAND CENTER - 162 - 3%
  • WRITE IN’S - 127 -2%

I find it funny that “Peoria Riverfront Museum” got 50% of the vote in a five-way race despite the fact that museum names with “Peoria” in them “didn’t test well” in focus groups. I suppose that should give us all pause as we consider the value of such groups.

Thank you to the museum collaboration group for listening to the public on this one. There were some really good choices this time around (second place winner “Illinois River Valley Museum” was a good name, too) and it’s clear the winning name has a lot of support.

Now, let’s see if we can’t listen to the public some more and get that design to conform to the Heart of Peoria Plan….

Museum Block | 15 Comments »

Thousands for administrators; not a cent for truants

Posted by C. J. Summers on October 12th, 2006

Peoria Public Schools logoFrom today’s Journal Star:

District 150’s truancy assessment center is in danger of being shuttered this December because its grant money will run out.

But the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is stepping forward to raise $40,000 necessary to keep the program alive this year, and the chamber intends to raise enough money to keep it running for three years.

[...] The district can’t afford to foot the bill right now, but Associate Superintendent Cindy Fischer said in three years, the district should be in better financial standing and able to do so.

Ironically, Fischer is one of two administrators (Herschel Hannah is the other) the district is budgeting to give a $30,000 per year pay raise. That’s approx. $60,000 between the two of them per year. So, the district is in great financial standing to give an extra $60,000 to administrators, but not in good enough financial standing to fund the $40,000 needed to continue their successful truancy program.

You can draw your own conclusions on the district’s priorities.

Peoria Public Schools | 9 Comments »