All posts by C. J. Summers

I am a fourth-generation Peorian, married with three children.
Peoria Public Schools, Taxes

D150 to raise property taxes again

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From the Journal Star:

The School Board on Monday voiced a consensus seeking what amounts to about $69 million in local property taxes next year, an increase of about 1 percent, but far less than the 6.5 percent increase requested last year…. The proposed levy would add about $18 [to a $100,000 home]…. Prompting that increase is District 150 has 15 schools in need of a mandated 10-year safety survey yet this year and another 11 schools next year.

According to 1470 WMBD:

[Interim Comptroller/Treasurer Dave] Kinney says the levy would allow for about $700,000 more to be collected toward the life safety inspections – which are required by law – but it’s just a start. “With the first eight schools on the list it’s looking like about a $6-million price tag over a five year period,” says Kinney. “It’s not anything we have to address immediately but going forward we know we’re going to have to address it at some point.” …Kinney says the levy alone does not completely solve the district’s budget deficit. “There are going to have to be other decisions made to help not only balance the budget this year but next year, too, “says Kinney.

In other words, once again we’re going to be paying more for less. It will be interesting to see how current school board member Jim Stowell votes on this tax increase, and how that decision affects his run for Peoria City Council.

General News

Mayor wants you to buy local this Christmas

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From my inbox:

Mayor Jim Ardis is encouraging the community to support small business merchants by declaring November 27th as Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are traditionally the busiest shopping days of the year.

“Peoria is fortunate to have a unique mix of small businesses and I would like to encourage everyone to shop locally not just during this busy holiday season, but throughout the entire year,” said Mayor Ardis.

It is important to raise awareness about the critical role small businesses play in Peoria. Small businesses have created a number of new jobs for individuals in the Peoria area and their success is tied directly to the support they receive from the community. Let’s spend a little time on the 27th visiting and supporting our local small businesses.

General News

Budweiser Clydesdales coming to Peoria

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From my inbox:

WORLD-FAMOUS BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES TO
APPEAR IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

PEORIA, IL, NOVEMBER 15, 2010 – The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the symbol of quality and tradition for Anheuser-Busch since 1933, are scheduled to make several appearances in the area on Wednesday November 17, Friday November 19 Saturday November 20 and Sunday November 21. All appearances are subject to change and are weather permitting.

On November 17, 20 and 21st the “Gentle Giants,” as they are often referred to, will participate in the “Hitch against Hunger” in Peoria and East Peoria, Illinois. “Hitch against Hunger” is a joint effort between Brewers Distributing Company, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales and the Peoria Area Food Bank to provide necessary food to the community just in time for the Holidays.

The “Hitch against Hunger” campaign begins on November 20, 2010 at the Peoria Hy-Vee store. The Clydesdales will be on display from 1:20 to 2:00 PM. The hitch will then parade to Peoria Schnucks where they will be on display from 2:20 to 3:20 PM. Volunteers from Brewers Distributing will be on hand at each site to collect non perishable food.

The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red beer wagon in downtown Peoria on Wednesday November 17 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The schedule is:

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Hitch arrives at Kelleher’s Irish Pub and Eatery, 619 SW Water Street, Peoria, IL
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM Display at Kelleher’s Irish Pub and Eatery
5:30 PM – 5:50 PM Parade to Sully’s Pub and Café, 121 SW Adams Street, Peoria, IL
5:50 PM – 6:00 PM Parade to The Locker Room Bar and Grill, 112 SW Jefferson Street, Peoria, IL
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Hitch Arrives at Peoria Civic Center, 201 SW Jefferson Avenue, Peoria, IL

The eight-horse hitch will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red beer wagon in Wyoming, Illinois on Friday November 19 from 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM. The schedule is:

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM Hitch arrives at Wyoming Parade, 108 E. Williams Street, Wyoming, IL
4:45 PM – 6:45 PM Display / Parade

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20
12:20 PM – 1:20 PM Hitch arrives at Hy-Vee, 4125 North Sheridan Road, Peoria, IL
1:20 PM – 2:00 PM Display at Hy-Vee
2:00 PM – 2:20 PM Parade to Schnucks, 4800 North University, Peoria, IL
2:20 PM – 3:20 PM Display at Schnucks

The campaign continues on November 21, 2010, as the Clydesdales will be on display at East Peoria Kroger from 12:45 to 1:30 PM. The hitch will then parade to the Silver Bullet Sports Grill and Bar and will be on display from 1:30 to 2:45 PM. Volunteers will again be on hand to collect non perishable food items.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Hitch arrives at Kroger, 201 South Main Street, East Peoria, IL
12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Display at Kroger
1:30 PM – 2:45 PM Parade to Silver Bullet, 135 North Main Street, East Peoria, IL

Brewers Distributing is accepting cash donations to allow us to purchase food for the Peoria Area Food Bank. Some of the participating stores will be building bags of the most requested items and allowing us to purchase these through your donation to add to the campaign. For more information on the Peoria Area Food Bank, please visit http://www.pcceo.org/foodbank.html. Enclosed is a list of the requested food donations.

Checks may be made payable to Peoria Area Food Bank to allow for your tax deductible donation.

Donations may be mailed to (must be received by December 1st):

Brewers Distributing Company
Hitch Against Hunger
2421 W. Townline Road
Peoria, IL 61615-1540

The Clydesdales’ appearance in central Illinois is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling hitches. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800’s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show.

Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands – or six feet – at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white legs, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.

A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.

The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser-Busch breweries in St. Louis, Mo.; Merrimack, N.H.; and Ft. Collins, Colo. They also may be viewed at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and at Warm Springs Ranch, the 300-plus acre Clydesdale breeding farm located near Boonville, Mo.

Museum Block

Putnam looking to maximize revenue; will Peoria do the same?

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Back in August, the museum group gave a presentation to the Peoria County Board in which they explained their philosophy regarding how they want to use their giant screen theater:

[Ryan] Beasley went on to say that the museum is “a mission-driven organization,” and that the theater has to fit with their mission, which is “to inspire lifelong learning for ALL, connecting art, history, science and achievement through collections, exhibitions and programs.” In order to do that, the museum has three “negotiating terms”: control over programming, technology, and exclusivity. The biggest obstacle is control over programming. The museum wants to show “classic” (i.e., educational) films during the day and second-run movies on evenings and weekends. That has been IMAX’s traditional model. However, IMAX is apparently interested in seeing their theaters run more first-run movies — what they call “day and date DMR” movies — that would require multiple showings for the first two or three weeks the movie is out. “DMR” is IMAX’s proprietary large-screen film process. The museum’s concern is that agreeing to “day and date DMR” would be more profitable, but violate their mission. They’re also concerned about being required to show some films that are R-rated or otherwise not family-friendly.

The museum’s pro forma used the Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre in Davenport, Iowa, as a benchmark for attendance estimates, and as an overall example of what we could have here in Peoria. I recently ran across this article in the Quad Cities Times, which included this little nugget of information:

Dean Fick, director of theater operations at the Putnam Museum IMAX Theatre, moves a reel of film for “Shrek Forever After,” which opens Friday. It will mark the first time in the theater’s eight-year history that it opens a Hollywood blockbuster on the day it premieres nationwide. […] “For the future of the organization overall, the museum and the IMAX Theatre, we need to be maximizing the revenue we bring in,” [Putnam president and CEO Kim Findlay] said.

I wonder if local museum officials will follow Putnam’s lead and try to maximize revenue — for the good of the organization overall, and for the taxpayers.

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

So far, five people are definitely running, and two definitely aren’t

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City Council hopefuls have six days to file petitions to be placed on the ballot. Today, five candidates filed:

  • Ryan Spain (incumbent)
  • Eric Turner (incumbent)
  • Chuck Grayeb (former councilman)
  • Chuck Weaver (Zoning Board of Appeals chairman)
  • Jim Stowell (District 150 School Board member)

Two incumbents are definitely not running:

Potential candidates have to collect a minimum of 165 signatures to be placed on the ballot, and they have until 5 p.m. next Monday (Nov. 22) to file. Incumbent Gary Sandberg is expected to file at 4:59 p.m. on Nov. 22, as is his usual practice. He likes to be the last name on the ballot. As for who will be first on the ballot — we’ll find out tomorrow. It will be one of three people: Spain, Weaver, or Grayeb. They filed at the same time, so their names will be placed in a lottery to determine their order on the ballot.

If more than 10 people run, there will be a primary on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The general election will be held Tuesday, April 5, 2011.

Streets, Traffic

Quote of the Day

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[Motorists] only perceive congestion as a problem they face rather than a problem they cause, and they cannot imagine changing their own travel patterns to benefit others.

–Todd Litman, Planetizen

When I read this, I immediately thought of all the angry reaction from motorists when Peoria restriped Main Street earlier this year. Litman’s article is called “The Selfish Automobile,” and he goes on to say after the above quote, “If motorists were generous and rational they would say things such as: ‘Let’s create a transportation system that serves everybody.’ ‘Automobile travel does require a lot of road space, so it makes sense to favor more space efficient modes under congested conditions.’ ‘I support bike and bus lane development. Even if I do not use these facilities now, I benefit if other travelers shift to these modes, and I may want to use them sometime in the future.'”

Blogosphere, City of Peoria

PeoriaIllinoisan looks at Peoria then and now

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Local blogger PeoriaIllinoisan has started a new series of posts he’s calling “Peoria Then & Now.”

Using old photographs and postcards, I will attempt to recreate the shot using as close to the same angle as possible to show how much things have change, and sometimes maybe even stayed the same.

It’s both interesting and disheartening to see a lot of these transformations. You’ll see plenty of public gathering places in the older pictures — retail stores, cafeterias, movie theaters, etc. The newer pictures show vacant buildings, private offices, assorted blank facades with greenery, and lots of parking lots/decks. Downtown has functionally turned into a suburban office park, for the most part.

The stark contrast between what Peoria was and what it has become, as so vividly portrayed by PeoriaIllinoisan, should spur us to question whether these changes were good or bad, inevitable or preventable, reversible or permanent.

Click here for the first Then & Now entry.

Kellar Branch

So-called nature enthusiasts to celebrate removal of rail line

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From my in-box:

First Organized Hike on former Kellar Branch line on Nov. 21

The Pimiteoui Trail Association at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21 will join other hiking and nature enthusiasts in the first organized hike on the former Kellar Branch rail line as it is being converted into a recreational trail.

The event will begin on the trail at Prospect Road near the former Cohen Warehouse, and will end at the Junction City shopping center, a distance of about three miles, then return to Peoria Heights, to celebrate at TNT Sports Bar and Grill, 4319 North Prospect Road, Peoria Heights (309/ 688-6000).

Members of the Peoria Heights Village Board are expected to be present, and drawings of the trailhead to be constructed at Marietta and Columbus near Prospect will be available.

The public is invited to this free activity, which is scheduled to take place rain or shine.

Those not up to the entire round trip can park at the Peoria Heights Library, 816 E. Glen, and walk the blacktop section from Glen to Knoxville, a distance of about two miles, then back.

Dogs are welcome, but the section of the trail from Prospect to Glen is gravel instead of blacktop, and thus unsuitable for strollers or bicycles. The trail is being converted into a hard surface, as weather and financing allow, in sections.

I find this so funny. The national Sierra Club says that “freight trucks are only 4% of the vehicles on the road, but spew more than 21% of all global warming pollution from transportation,” and that “we must begin to shift freight to rail.” Meanwhile, local “nature enthusiasts” are celebrating their successful efforts to completely eliminate a rail line to Pioneer Industrial Park. Not only have they ensured that we can’t shift freight to rail, they actually caused freight to shift from rail to truck. Lumber that used to be delivered via rail now has to be moved by semi to Pioneer Park. It seems that only in Peoria do we have “nature enthusiasts” who actively fight for more inefficient and polluting forms of freight transportation.

Even more exciting is the plan for their next step backwards — getting people to make extra car trips by driving to a trailhead to walk or bike instead of just walking or biking from home.

Psst! Hey trail fans! Mother Nature just called. She said to tell you, “Stop trying to help.”

2011 Election, City Council, City of Peoria

Add Spain to the list

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The Journal Star reports that Ryan Spain announced he’ll be running for reelection to the Peoria City Council.

“The city of Peoria needs leadership that is not afraid to make difficult decisions to position Peoria for the years ahead,” Spain, who was first elected to the council in 2007, said in the news release. “This means living within our means, streamlining services and investing in the future.” […]

Spain said he pledges to continue to “work hard to improve economic competitiveness” of Peoria and stimulate economic development and job growth.

Mr. Spain voted to continue funding ArtsPartners, advocated for development of regional branding (just imagine how much that would cost), and voted to give an East Peoria developer nearly $40 million to build a private hotel next to the Civic Center with an attached pedestrian bridge. Living within our means, indeed.

2011 Election, Amtrak, City Council, City of Peoria, Transportation

Quick comments on the news

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Scanning over the Journal Star this morning, there are several interesting articles:

  • Transportation Symposium — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had some words of wisdom for Peoria about the possibility of getting passenger rail service: “Get your act together…. Get your priorities. Put them on a list. Agree on them,” he said. “Make sure your elected representatives know what those priorities are.” Those priorities should be to establish direct passenger rail service between Peoria and Chicago. The Peoria Passenger Rail Coalition advocates for that outcome.

  • Another City Council candidate announces — Andre Williams is going to run for the Council, joining Chuck Weaver and Chuck Grayeb who have already announced. I imagine there will be more surprise candidates next week. If more than 10 people run, there will be a primary in February to narrow the field to 10; the general election is in April. Williams is a strategic planner who wants to see the City clarify its vision and compete against larger cities like St. Louis for economic development instead of East Peoria. It will be interesting to hear how he thinks we ought to do that.

  • Carnegie’s closed –Not to be nitpicky, but I believe the restaurant is actually called Carnegie’s 501 now, a shadow of its former glory when it was known simply as Carnegie’s. This comment from hotel manager Bill Carter was telling: “We’re temporarily closing to make some improvements. Depending on what happens with the new hotel [emphasis added], it could reopen as a remade restaurant or it could just reopen with some improvements.” Wait, I thought Mr. Matthews had all his plans finalized and all his funding secured? That’s what he told the council months ago. Why all the uncertainty?