Monthly Archives: August 2008

Caterpillar, City of Peoria, Museum Block

Bryant continues to make case for museum

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I got my latest issue of Illinois Business Issues, and I have to say that it looks really good. It’s now full-color, and all the whole thing has been reformatted and updated. Kudos to the folks at Peoria Magazines for a fine makeover.

If only the museum folks would do the same with their plans for the Peoria Regional Museum. Instead, we have yet another article from W. Michael Bryant on why building the museum is critical.

It has been well communicated by Caterpillar that the Visitors’ Center will not be built on the Sears Block without the Peoria Riverfront Museum being built alongside—the company’s vision is that the combination of these two will be spectacular. To that end, Caterpillar has committed $51 million toward its Visitors’ Center and the Riverfront Museum. Without question, we as a community must do everything possible to match Caterpillar’s commitment.

…We must demonstrate our commitment that the future of Caterpillar should remain in Peoria. We will never get another opportunity to partner with Caterpillar like this again—we cannot afford to lose it!

Translation: Heed the dire warning, peasants. If you don’t give your tribute money to this project, you will offend the gods.

This sounds like a veiled threat to me. The implication is that if we don’t want to build the proposed, poorly-planned, overpriced museum, then we will somehow be demonstrating our non-commitment to “the future of Caterpillar…in Peoria.” Hogwash. Peorians can both affirm our desire for Cat to stay and reject a museum development proposal that is flawed and needs revision.

It’s worth noting that Cat hasn’t made any threats. All they’ve said is that they won’t build their visitors center if the museum isn’t built next to it. Fair enough. But they haven’t said that building or not building the museum would have any impact on their “future…in Peoria.” It’s the museum officials that are making that leap.

This article tells me that the museum folks are getting desperate. They obviously don’t feel that the museum can be sold to the public on its own merits, or else they wouldn’t need to resort to this kind of breathless rhetoric about the future of Peoria’s largest employer.

If we have to be motivated by fear to hand over our money to this project, then the project isn’t worth it.

Weather

“Hi, boss? I’m going to be a little late….”

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No, this is not my car or my house, thankfully. But I do feel bad for whoever woke up this morning and discovered this sight as they were getting ready for work:

The tree was not only on top of the car, but also blocking westbound Columbia Terrace, just west of University St., in the Uplands. To make matters worse, the whole neighborhood was without power this morning due to the storm.

2008 Campaign

On the ‘net: Experience comparison

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I’ve been seeing this comparison crop up frequently on websites and in my mailbox:

Candidate Congress Military
John McCain 26 Years 22 Years
Barack Obama 143 Days 0 Years

The “143 Days” is a bit misleading, as it’s evidently comparing days Congress is in session for Obama with calendar years of service for McCain. Obama has served in the Senate for three and a half calendar years.

Nevertheless, it’s an apt comparison. If there’s any value in experience, McCain certainly has the upper hand. And it’s kind of funny to me that military experience for the commander in chief isn’t more of a campaign issue when we’re in the middle of a war. It certainly was a campaign issue four years ago.

Peoria Public Schools

It doesn’t take much to be “remarkable” these days

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On the stage of history, it takes tremendous achievement to be considered “remarkable.” Abraham Lincoln (preserved the union), Martin Luther King Jr. (fought segregation), Orville and Wilbur Wright (first in flight), Theodore Roosevelt (what didn’t he do?) — these are just a few truly remarkable men.

But here in Peoria, you can be “remarkable” by simply taking your child to school. One day. And it doesn’t even have to be your child, actually. Here’s the Journal Star’s explanation:

Peoria School District 150 is trying to get men involved in the education of the district’s students. It is launching an initiative called “1,000 Remarkable Guys,” in which men accompany children to school on Aug. 27, the first day back at classes.

“Remarkable” means “notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary” and “worthy of notice or attention.” So, evidently (and regrettably), adult male involvement in children’s education is so “conspicuously unusual” that the mere act of walking a child into the general vicinity of a classroom is now “worthy of notice or attention.”

They’re not asking these guys to help with homework, or to stay with the mother of their child, or to be a good role model in general, or any of the things that would have a real impact on these kids’ education. They’re simply asking some adult male relative to take the child to school the first day of classes. I find that neither remarkable nor effective.

Perhaps it would be better to emulate a program like this one in Baltimore, Maryland:

Here are some things the high school seniors have done:

At the beginning of the school year, they sponsored a “Teacher Appreciation” banquet. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, they fed hundreds of families and distributed donated gifts to area children. They mentor students at Windsor Mill Middle School to help them prepare for the transition to high school. They tutor each other and others who need help at school.

During a six-week leadership camp last summer, they painted bathroom stalls at the school, planted a garden at the building’s entrance, got pest control with the help of experts, plastered encouraging posters along the hallways and invested in combination locks for every locker so students could use them for storage.

Now that’s remarkable.

Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Pundit, Peoria Times-Observer

GateHouse Media continues to spiral downward

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GateHouse Media, the parent company of the Peoria Journal Star and Peoria Times-Observer, saw its stock fall to just 44¢ per share at the close of trading today. Also, according to Compliance Reporter:

GateHouse Media’s corporate family rating and probability of default rating was downgraded last Monday by Moody’s Investors Service, on concerns the Fairport, N.Y.-based publisher is facing possible default on its credit agreement. The corporate family rating was dropped to Caa1 from B2 and the probability of default rating was dropped to Caa2 from B3.

And, of course, Billy Dennis has been outdoing himself in his coverage, even getting an interview with analyst Lauren Rich Fine.

But you won’t hear about this in the local media. No coverage from radio or TV, and certainly nothing in the Journal Star or Times-Observer. I guess mum’s the word on their imminent demise. All analysts agree that GateHouse will need to sell off a lot of the newspapers they’ve bankrupted themselves buying. Who knows what that portends for our newspaper of record here in Peoria. They’re certainly not telling.

City of Peoria

Question of the Day

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The City of Peoria is working on revitalizing the area now known as “Sheridan Triangle.” That’s the portion of Sheridan Road bounded by Hanssler to the north and McClure to the south. Some of the businesses in that area include Dudley’s (ice cream stand), Craig Upholstery, Whitey’s Tip Top Tap, and the Sports Page. One large business that moved out was Lippman’s furniture store.

Some of the things the City has been doing to revitalize the area: giving the area “enterprise zone” status, implementing a facade improvement program where the city helps pay part of the cost of beautifying the public face of the business, and improving the streetscape to make it more pedestrian friendly and new urban.

So, my question is — and this is the “question of the day” — what kind of store(s) does this area of town need? What should be established in these empty storefronts? I’m especially interested in hearing from those who may live near this district, but anyone can feel free to give their opinion as to what kind of store(s) should be established in this area.

2008 Campaign

Darin LaHood to Create an Urban Advisory Committee

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From a press release:

LaHood to Create an Urban Advisory Committee to Improve Communication
State’s Attorney candidate cites disconnect between community and the Courthouse

Peoria, IL – Since launching his candidacy last October, Darin LaHood has been touting the importance of ‘partnering with community leaders from our urban and high crime areas to rebuild a level of trust.’ The challenger for Peoria County State’s Attorney has taken another step in fulfilling that proposal by announcing his intention to form an Urban Advisory Committee (UAC) made up of leaders and activists from Peoria’s African American community that would meet with and advise him on a regular basis in addressing issues of concern. The Committee is a way for LaHood, as State’s Attorney, to be pro-active instead of re-active on issues and concerns facing the African American Community

LaHood hosted a gathering of over 60 community members, predominantly African Americans, on Thursday at Chef Leo’s Bistro 320 in Peoria to announce the plan and to begin the formation of his UAC. Patti Polk, a longtime leader in Peoria’s African American community said the LaHood plan is needed to provide residents better access and ability to be heard by County government and specifically the State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Too often, the community voices are shut out of the process,” said Polk referencing the relationship between citizens and the local government. “Darin LaHood has made a concerted effort to be available to all Peorians and to listen to their concerns about the criminal justice system. His commitment and attention to these issues as a candidate will undoubtedly translate to an accessible and attentive State’s Attorney’s office – something sorely needed. I am honored to assist Darin with his efforts and when he is elected in November I will proudly serve on the UAC.”

Discussing the disconnect between the present States Attorney’s office and the Peoria African American community, LaHood told those assembled at Chef Leo’s that there has been a ‘collapse of trust.’ He said to rebuild that trust, it is important to have a diverse office staff, provide citizens accessibility and to simply ‘show up’ and let the residents know that you care about the issues that affect them.

“Law abiding citizens in many parts of our community have lost faith in the local criminal justice system,” said LaHood. “It is critical that we re-establish this level of trust and the obvious, simple first step is to improve communication. That’s what I intend to do with the UAC and I am very excited about the positive response this announcement has received.”

Darin LaHood, 40, was born and raised in Peoria. He is a former Chief Terrorism and Federal Prosecutor who served four years with the U.S. Department of Justice in Las Vegas, Nevada. LaHood was also an Assistant State’s Attorney in both Tazewell and Cook counties. LaHood and his wife, Kristen, returned home to Peoria in 2005 to raise their three children: McKay, Luke, and Teddy. LaHood currently practices with the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall, & Triggs. Darin and Kristen are active in numerous Peoria charitable and civic organizations and are members of St. Vincent de Paul Church. Visit www.DarinLaHood.com to learn more about Darin, volunteer opportunities, or to contribute to the campaign.