Monthly Archives: September 2011

St. Louis Cardinals

Yes, I’m still rooting for the Cardinals even though I don’t like the Wild Card

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The St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League Wild Card Wednesday night and will be going to the post-season. I’ve written before about my disdain for the Wild Card system that Major League Baseball has been using since 1995.

Naturally, the question I get asked often is whether I’ll be rooting for the Cardinals now, since they are the Wild Card this post-season. And the answer is, of course, YES!

There’s nothing logically contradictory about that. In the same way that you can criticize the Patriot Act and still be a patriotic American, I can criticize the current three-division-plus-wild-card arrangement and still be a loyal Cardinals fan. On the positive side, if there were no divisions or wild cards, and instead the four teams in the National League with the best records advanced to the playoffs, the Cardinals would still make it. It’s not like the 2008 season where the Dodgers — the eighth-place team overall in the league that year — went to the playoffs because they won a weak division.

The Cardinals face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series starting Saturday.

City Council, City of Peoria

Our money is burning a hole in the City Council’s pocket

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I wasn’t able to attend the City Council meeting tonight, but I heard it on WCBU. The big news is, of course, that they voted 8-3 (Sandberg, Weaver, and Akeson voting “no”) to rescind (rather than ratify) the City Manager’s letter of cancellation of the hotel redevelopment agreement. So, the project lives on as the Council just can’t pass up a chance to throw $37 million of your tax money down a hole. If you were putting together a soundtrack for the executive session, I don’t think you could do any better than including the Genesis song “Tonight, Tonight, Tonight”:

Here are some of the lyrics that are particularly poignant:

I got some money in my pocket, about ready to burn
I don’t remember where I got it, I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone ‘cos I keep calling
But you’re never home, what am I gonna do?

Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh, I’m gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh

You keep telling me I’ve got everything
You say I’ve got everything I want
You keep telling me you’re gonna help me
You’re gonna help me but you don’t

But now I’m in too deep, you see it’s got me
So that I just can’t sleep, oh get me out of here
Please get me out of here, just help me, I’ll do anything
Anything if you’ll just help get me out of here

Television

Channel 31 now offers Bounce TV

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WMBD-TV, channel 31, has been the only terrestrial television station in the Peoria market not to offer a digital subchannel — until today. Starting today, WMBD will begin broadcasting Bounce TV, “the nation’s first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network designed exclusively for African-American audiences.” Here’s part of the new network’s press release:

The new network […] will target African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sporting events, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series, original programming and more. Bounce TV will air twenty four hours a day, seven days a week as a digital terrestrial network designed for carriage on the digital signals of local television stations. […]

Live sports and events will be part of the Bounce TV schedule and the network today announced a multi-year rights agreement with Urban Sports Entertainment Group (USEG) to televise both football and basketball games from the nation’s largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA.) Bounce TV will air the CIAA Championship football game and select quarter- and semi- final CIAA tournament basketball games as part of the agreement.

Bounce TV’s Founding Group includes two legendary figures of recent American history and the network’s leadership team is filled with veteran entertainment industry executives. The Founding Group is led by Ambassador Andrew Young, Martin Luther King III and Andrew “Bo” Young III. Rob Hardy and Will Packer, co-founders of Rainforest Films, one of the top African American production companies in the world, will also play important roles with Bounce TV. Hardy will serve as Chief Content Officer while Packer will be Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer. Former Turner Broadcasting executives Ryan Glover and Jonathan Katz will serve as Executive Vice Presidents. Bounce TV will be majority owned and operated by African Americans, with Ambassador Young, Andrew “Bo” Young III, Rob Hardy, Will Packer and Ryan Glover part of the initial ownership team. The network is leveraging the marketing, digital, post production and operational resources of Atlanta-based CSE, one of the country’s leading independently-owned sports, entertainment and television production agencies. […]

Bounce TV will be an ad-supported network with half of that time being available for insertion of local advertising by affiliates. Former EVP of U.S. Syndication Sales for Sony Pictures Television, Jeffrey Wolf, currently head of The Lobo Group, will handle network distribution of Bounce TV.

Wikipedia says the name “Bounce” was chosen to signify “a network that is ‘going somewhere with energy,'” and lists 56 channels on which Bounce TV will premiere, including WMBD. The following digital terrestrial channels are now available in the Peoria area:

19.1 WHOI-TV (ABC)
19.2 The CW
25.1 WEEK-TV (NBC)
25.2 WEEK-WX Weather First
31.1 WMBD-TV (CBS)
31.2 Bounce TV
43.1 WYZZ-TV (FOX)
43.2 The Cool TV
43.3 The Country Network
47.1 WTVP-TV (PBS)
47.2 PBS World
47.3 Create TV
59.1 WAOE-TV (MyNetworkTV)
59.2 Antenna TV

Education, State of Illinois

Question of the Day: How should Illinois fill the NCLB void?

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While the goals behind No Child Left Behind were admirable, experience has taught us that the law has some serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping them. Teachers are being forced to teach to a test, while subjects like history and science are being squeezed out. And in order to avoid having their schools labeled as failures, some states lowered their standards in a race to the bottom….

Yesterday, I announced that we’ll be giving states more flexibility to meet high standards for teaching and learning. It’s time for us to let states, schools and teachers come up with innovative ways to give our children the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future.

— President Obama, Weekly Address, 9/24/2011

States are going to be able to get waivers from the federal standards of “No Child Left Behind,” but in order to get those waivers, they will have to present another plan for improving school performance. Illinois is reportedly looking at applying for a waiver (WJBC, Chicago Tribune). Nearly all educators agree that the federal No Child Left Behind standards were unrealistic. But now that states have a chance to write their own standards, what should they be?

The question of the day is: What standards should Illinois put in place to replace federal NCLB requirements and improve school performance?

Peoria Civic Center

‘Expected’ Civic Center net loss a matter of interpretation

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How do you put a positive spin on a $4.33 million loss for the Civic Center? Observe:

Peoria Civic Center net loss less than expected

The Peoria Civic Center is not immune to a wicked economy.

But having budgeted for a net loss of $4,764,988 for the 2011 fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, the actual total of $4,332,368 seems less egregious.

More than $432,000 less egregious.

“I would say it’s below budget and we hope to always make budget,” said Jim Wetherington, who was promoted to Civic Center general manager on May 1 upon the retirement of Debbie Ritschel.

“Considering the market that was out there, I think staff did a phenomenal job cutting expenses.”

That’s one way to look at it. Here’s another:

When the $55 million Peoria Civic Center expansion was proposed in the early 2000s, consultants confidently stated the Civic Center would have a net operating income of $1.5 million once they reached a stabilized year of operation. That should be now, since it’s been four years since the expansion was completed in March 2007. Instead, the losses have been and still are trending downward. Rather than $1.5 million in net income, they ended FY 2011 with a $4.33 million net loss — a difference of $5.83 million.

So, the headline could just as accurately have read, “Peoria Civic Center net loss $5.83 million more than expected.” It all depends on which expectations we want to reference.свети георги

Kellar Branch, Peoria Park District

Exploring the new Kellar Trail (UPDATED)

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My dad and I rode our bikes from Alta to downtown on as much of the vaunted new Kellar trail as we could find. Getting from Alta to Pioneer Parkway was easy enough. Then we followed the blacktop sidewalk/trail to Sommer street, and rode down to Candletree. There we got a little confused, as there’s a green sign that says “Bike Route” with an arrow pointing to the right. However, the Kellar trail actually continues to the left.

Once we got that figured out, we were able to ride down to the intersection of Knoxville and Northmoor. There, we were unable to figure out where the trail went, so we followed the old rail corridor as best we could up to and across Knoxville where we found another paved portion of the trail — this one with a broken yellow line down the center. That took us as far as Glen Avenue, where the trail ended, never to be found again.

From there, we followed the old rail corridor to Prospect in Peoria Heights. After that, the corridor was choked with weeds (which is surprising since Peoria Heights made such a big stink about the condition of the corridor when the rail line was there), so we had to ride on streets parallel to the “trail.” Looking at the description of the Kellar trail that appeared in the Journal Star last November, it doesn’t look like any progress has been made since then. That’s also surprising, since I thought the Park District had sufficient grants to cover this rail-to-trail conversion — grants they were afraid of losing if they didn’t get used right away. Why is so much of the trail unfinished?

There were some other people on the trail between Alta and Peoria Heights. I counted 13. Given the hype of how popular this trail is supposed to be, and given the pavement markings creating lanes for traffic, I expected to see more people. I also expected to see more signs of commerce, since this trail is supposed to be an economic catalyst. It didn’t look like any of the people we passed had been shopping. I didn’t see any new commercial developments along the trail, either — no apartments or condos or McDonald’s.

As I encountered large and small gaps in the trail, I couldn’t help but wonder whatever happened to all those green signs demanding, “Build the Trail … NOW!” The project is incomplete, and there appears to be little or no progress, but we’re no longer hearing any angry demands to complete the project from the Friends of the Rock Island Trail or the other supporters. Perhaps the wanton destruction of a working rail line was success enough for them.

UPDATE: Mike Friberg, bike trail project manager for the Park District, explained the status of the project:

Just to let you know, the trail section from Northmoor to Candletree is actually still under the final phases of construction (the punchlist). We’re currently working with IDOT – our funding source- on the design for the trail section from Glen Ave. south to Springdale Cemetery. We’re still working on the temporary connection crossing Knoxville – that will go through Junction City and cross Knoxville at the Northmoor light. I fully agree that things are confusing right now, but give us a bit of time and we’ll get it worked out -the asphalt has barely cooled!

For current information (ok, yes, I need to update it more frequently!) you can look on the Park District’s main website and follow the links to the bike trail web page. I’m not sure on CJ’s restrictions on advertising here, so I’ll let you find the link on your own. [Here’s the link –C.J.] I also have a FAQ discussing some of the questions you raise above.

If anyone has any questions on the trail that the FAQ doesn’t address, or you just want to send fan mail, please feel free to contact me – my contact information is at the bottom of the bike trail page. Thanks!

My thanks to Mike for the additional information. Here is Mike’s contact info:

Mike Friberg
1314 N. Park Road
Peoria, IL 61604

(309) 686-3386
mfriberg@peoriaparks.org

City of Peoria, Peoria County, State Legislation, State of Illinois

Smoking prohibited

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This week’s Word on the Street column reports that the City and County have been doing smoking ban stings lately: “The county performed 203 compliance checks and wrote 45 tickets. The city performed 123 checks and wrote eight tickets.” And, “The effort was funded by a [$15,000] grant the Peoria City/County Health Department received from the state Department of Public Health.”

Meanwhile, there’s a new documentary miniseries premiering in October on PBS about Prohibition. Promotional material for the new film by Ken Burns describes the Prohibition era: “The culmination of nearly a century of activism, Prohibition was intended to improve, even to ennoble, the lives of all Americans, to protect individuals, families, and society at large from the devastating effects of alcohol abuse…. Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system … permitted government officials to bend and sometimes even break the law, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisy that corroded the social contract all across the country…. The film raises vital questions that are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago – about means and ends, individual rights and responsibilities, the proper role of government and finally, who is — and who is not — a real American.”

File the modern, popular smoking bans under the heading, “History Repeating Itself.”

Bradley University, City of Peoria

Students complain of broken promises at Main Street Commons

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Bradley students and nearby residents of Main Street Commons, the new student apartment complex at the corner of Main and Bourland, have something in common: disappointment.

The Bradley Scout reported earlier this month:

Last year the apartment complex was announced as a new housing option for Bradley students and many were excited about the promises of free tanning, a swimming pool, furnished apartments, private bathrooms and flat screen TVs.

Roommates Jori Lee and Shabre Jones, both juniors, said they noticed differences between what they were told and what they actually got.

“They didn’t have a lot of the things they promised,” Lee said. “We’re going to have to use our own money to buy a router for internet when it seemed like WIFI was going to be everywhere in the building.”

Nearby residents have also noticed differences between what they were told and what they actually got. For instance, the artist’s rendering of the building showed an all-brick exterior, but what was actually put up was fiber cement siding made to look like a mix of brick and lap siding. No one was expecting it to be used partially as a freshman dorm, either.

City Council, City of Peoria

Council brings Wonderful Development back to life, for two weeks at least

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It’s alive.

The agreement was cancelled. The developer didn’t perform. The letter had been sent. All the Council needed to do was ratify the action. They could have definitively ended the hotel deal last night. They should have supported the City Manager driven the final stake into the heart of the Wonderful Development.

But they didn’t. They voted to defer the cancellation of the agreement for two weeks. During that time, the City will meet with developer Gary Matthews and try to work out their differences so the project can move forward. If they can’t, then supposedly the Council will end the deal at their next meeting on September 27. (But who can believe that, really? It’s more likely they’ll just defer it again if Matthews misses yet another deadline.)

One must seriously question what difference two more weeks can make considering he’s already nine months past the deadline. But they think they can work things out and allow this project to proceed. They want to bring it back to life.

And who made the motion to keep this project alive? One of the newest council members, Beth Akeson, who ran on a basic services platform in April’s at-large election. Given the opportunity to vote down this expensive white elephant, she led the way in keeping it alive. So it appears it only took five months for her to be assimilated into the Council’s dysfunctional culture of spending gobs of tax money on foolish projects.

On a positive note, though, the other new council member, Chuck Weaver, voted against the deferral, preferring to cancel the project. He can recognize a bad deal when he sees one.

I shouldn’t be surprised by all of this, but I really thought there was a good chance the deal would really die because the Mayor and the City Manager were in favor of killing it. But last night, even the Mayor did an about face and voted for the deferral, speaking in favor of keeping the project alive after all.

Just when there was hope that the City had finally come to its senses, it’s back to business as usual for the Peoria City Council. And the roads continue to crumble. And the police department continues to be stretched thin. But we’ll jump through hoops to give a millionaire developer $37 million of our tax money as a gift.

City Council, City of Peoria

Peoria City Council 9/13/2011 (Live Blog)

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Hello everyone. It’s 6:00 and I’m here in Council chambers at Peoria City Hall. The meeting is scheduled to start at 6:15 with several proclamations. As usual, I will start live coverage once the business portion of the meeting begins. Then, refresh your browser every so often to see the latest updates; I’ll be updating this post frequently.

The place is already getting crowded. Lots of union workers have pledged to be here tonight to support the Wonderful Development. Council members are trickling in, and the City Manager is at his desk and ready to go.

All the council members are here — Gulley was a little late, but now that he’s here, we have a full council. Gary Matthews is in the audience, as well as some other investors in the hotel project.

Here’s tonight’s agenda:

Continue reading Peoria City Council 9/13/2011 (Live Blog) →