No, you never were inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you brought joy to millions of Cubs fans (and foes) through your radio broadcasts and irrepressible passion for the team you loved. You will be remembered. You will be missed.
From the PACE website:
The 123rd Annual SANTA CLAUS PARADE – the longest running holiday parade in the country – steps off at 10:15 AM on Friday, November 26th…. Please join us in this great Peoria tradition as the parade takes a magical journey through the downtown streets of Peoria. The 88 units of costumed characters, novelty walking units, horse units and decorated floats will surely get you in the holiday spirit and certainly delight the children along the route.
We are honored to have as our Grand Marshall the 16th Secretary of Transportation “The Honorable Ray LaHood”. As Secretary of Transportation, LaHood leads an agency with more that 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions. LaHood served for 14 years in the U. S. House of Representatives from the 18th District of Illinois (from 1995-2009). Secretary LaHood was a junior high school teacher, having received his degree from Bradley University.
The theme of the parade is “Adventures in Toyland”…. The parade is telecast live on WMBD-TV Channel 31 sponsored by South Side Trust and Saving Bank for the past 53 Years. The telecast area will be on the corner of Main and Adams (in front of South Side Bank).
The parade route will start at Monroe and Bryan, travel southwest on Monroe to Main, then southeast to Jefferson, southwest to Liberty, southeast to Adams, and finally northeast to Hamilton where the parade ends in front of Courthouse Square.
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.
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, ILThe 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 / ParadeSATURDAY 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 SchnucksThe 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, ILBrewers 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 61615-1540The 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.
From my in-box:
A press conference will be held on Tuesday, November 9th, to announce the purchase of the Peoria Castle Lodge, the former Jumer’s building on Western Avenue. Petersen Health Care will announce the opening of Courtyard Estates of Peoria, a supportive living facility like The Residences at Plainview.
“Supportive living” is an alternative to nursing home care, according to the Courtyard Estates website: “By combining apartment-style housing with personal care and other services, residents can live independently and take part in decision-making.” Amenities include “three family-style meals a day, daily medication reminders, in-room dining during minor illnesses, free transportation to and from medical appointments, weekly housekeeping and linen service, daily trash pickup and bathroom cleaning, and a 24-hour emergency call system.” If you noticed that there are Signs of Nursing Home Neglect in New Haven, Connecticut, contact a lawyer immediately. There are currently supportive living facilities in Canton, Sullivan, and Monmouth like Summerfield Of Redlands. Petersen Health Care is working on another facility in Peoria, too, according to July’s InterBusiness Issues:
Petersen Health Care is developing an upscale senior living facility, to be known as the Courtyard Estates at Junction City. The four-story building will add a residential component to the expanding center, which will complement the rest of the site nicely. Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2011.
Despite the similarity in names, the Junction City project will be an “independent living” facility. You can visit the Carlton Senior Living official website to get an idea of facilities.I think they should just call the new place “Jumer’s Estates,” because the place will forever be known as Jumer’s anyway. It hasn’t had Jumer’s name on it for at least eight years, but even in today’s press release it’s identified as “the former Jumer’s building.”
The New York Yankees are leaving the postseason today. The Rangers are moving on to the World Series. I only know of one person who will be sad about that.
WEEK/WHOI reports that Lakeview Museum lost $1.1 million last fiscal year (Jul. 2008 – Jun. 2009). Lakeview Director Jim Richerson says that’s because (a) they were “spending [money] for architects and engineers to advance the [Peoria Riverfront Museum] project,” and (b) donations “were down in 2008 because many were waiting to see what would come of the new museum project.”
Well, he’s certainly right about donations being down. Lakeview reported receiving $1,424,740 in donations, down 59% from $3,467,217 the prior year. As far as expenditures for the PRM, they say they spent $1,772,196 on the project. It doesn’t say how much of that went to “architects and engineers,” but it does say $704,847 was spent on “Public Awareness/Refere[ndum].” That means 40% of the money Lakeview spent on the PRM went toward an advertising campaign that promised (among other things) an IMAX theater and the use of 100% local union labor to build the museum — promises the museum group has signaled they may not be willing or able to fulfill now. They also reported $83,973 in “lobbying expenditures to influence a legislative body (direct lobbying).”
In other semi-related museum news, the slowly-disappearing Journal Star reports that Peoria Regional Museum Chairman (and former Peoria Mayor) Dave Ransburg is accused of committing fraud against Rubbermaid Inc. when he sold his company, L. R. Nelson Corp., to Robert Bosch Tool Corp. in 2008. Allegedly, Rubbermaid didn’t get paid the money L. R. Nelson owed them, but Ransburg and a couple other board members were compensated. So… Ransburg’s pledge toward the new museum may be in jeopardy.
Cub Foods at the Glen Hollow shopping center will officially become a Shop ‘n Save this weekend. The store will close Saturday night for the last time as Cub Foods, then reopen Sunday morning as Shop ‘n Save.
Cub Foods opened in January 1994 as one of the original tenants of Glen Hollow. The grocery store replaced Randall’s in Westlake Shopping Center as both stores were owned by Randall Stores of Mitchell, South Dakota, at the time. Randall’s Cub Foods stores were acquired by Minnesota-based SuperValu, Inc., in 1998. SuperValu also owns Shop ‘n Save, Save-a-Lot, Jewel-Osco, and several other chains. Cub Foods in Midtown Plaza closed in March 2009, and the space is still vacant. Save-a-Lot in Campustown closed in January of this year, and the space is currently being used by Bradley University. Glen Hollow, Midtown, and Campustown were all developed by David Joseph.
The Glen Hollow store is changing brands in order to be more competitive on prices with discount grocers such as Wal-Mart. Shop ‘n Save will offer lower prices, while still offering a mix of brand-name and private-label products.
The Journal Star has the not-so-surprising scoop that IMAX is coming someplace other than the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Oh, IMAX “may” still come to the museum says perpetually poker-faced Dave Ransburg. Now we know it’s not going to happen.
“Build it for me,” she pleads about the “big-city” prospect of getting an IMAX. The PRM won’t build it for her, but Rave will. And without a dime of taxpayer assistance. Imagine.
On 11/17/2009, Gary Matthews of E. M. Properties contributed $10,000 to “Taxpayers for Quinn.” Previously, Matthews had given no more than $500 in a single contribution to any political candidate, most of them Republicans, according to campaign disclosures currently available online.
In a completely unrelated matter, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 2534 on June 19, 2010, giving Gary Matthews’ Wonderful Development a 25% income tax credit for qualified renovation costs with a cap of $10 million. The legislation is designed to be a “pilot” program for possible statewide historic tax credits of a similar nature, meaning that, for the time being, Mr. Matthews is the only developer in Illinois who benefits from this tax break.