Obama’s Former U.S. Senate Seat Up for Grabs
Leaders on both sides of the aisle are touting their platforms as they prep for the face-off in February’s upcoming primary.
With a nearly decade-old war, an egregious federal deficit, and a health care bill floundering in conference committee, public servicemen and U.S. Representatives on both sides are vying to make an impression with voters, promising job creation, tort reform and government transparency. With a passel of unresolved issues flooding Washington, D.C., both Republican and Democratic candidates face a febrile climb to the top of Capitol Hill. Continue reading ‘Obama’s Former U.S. Senate Seat Up for Grabs’ »
February is American Heart Month! Learn about the dangers of cardiovascular disease
Since 1963 the President has proclaimed February as American Heart Month, which is an entire month devoted to education and awareness about the dangers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The term cardiovascular disease includes heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and other conditions related to the heart, and it is a lot more common than most people think. The American Heart Association estimates that 81.1 million Americans have some kind of CVD. CVD has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1900 (excluding the flu epidemic in 1918), and CVD caused approximately 830,000 deaths in 2006.
The good news is that the rate of death related to CVD is decreasing, but the bad news is women are unaware of the high risk of developing CVD. Due to lack of education and awareness, many women assume CVD is more common among men, and that women need to worry more about other illnesses, like cancer. This could not be further from the truth.
One in three adult females has some form of CVD, and in 2005 approximately 454,600 women died from CVD, accounting for almost 52.6 percent of all female deaths in the United States. The rate of death among women from CVD is greater than lung cancer and breast cancer combined, and more women than men die from a heart-related illness.
To increase awareness to women about the dangers of CVD, the American Heart Association is sponsoring the Go Red for Women campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about heart disease among women. This campaign has been around since 2004, and its goal is to educate women that CVD does not only affect men. The Go Red for Women movement hopes to decrease the risks associated with coronary heart disease and risk in women by 25 percent during 2010. Continue reading ‘February is American Heart Month! Learn about the dangers of cardiovascular disease’ »
Unbelievable! Out-of-towners on Chamber of Commerce meddling in District 150 affairs
How sad it is to watch as people with good intentions do bad things to others. That’s what has happened in Peoria as a group of people successfully worked to bring a charter school to District 150 while quietly applauding the closure of Woodruff High School. Those people should be ashamed, including the elected members of the school board. Shame on the Caterpillar executives, past and present, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, and others who first met and planned privately, and then gleefully celebrated in front of the TV cameras over a charter school as Woodruff students, their parents and teachers wondered where they’ll be next school year. Gone from the northside of Peoria, the former Averyville area, its grade school and high school, apparently with the blessing of its city council representative as well. But then, this area consists primarily of low income people and supporters of the charter school are upper income so they don’t give a damn. Continue reading ‘Unbelievable! Out-of-towners on Chamber of Commerce meddling in District 150 affairs’ »
Are Abe and Teddy still bigger than Mark and Aaron?
Bill Knight
As the February primary approaches, one wonders whether candidates who decide to identify with a party research its platform and claims made by its current champions.
For instance, GOP apologist Rush Limbaugh praised U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as “a man who escaped the bonds of poverty” without using methods contributing to “the dependency cycle” such as Affirmative Action, but Thomas – admitted to Yale Law School under an Affirmative Action plan – conceded “but for them, God only know where I’d be today. These laws and their proper application are all that stands between the first 17 years of my life and the second 17 years.” Continue reading ‘Are Abe and Teddy still bigger than Mark and Aaron?’ »
Science Literacy: It’s Not Rocket Science
DALE's COLUMN by Dale Goodner
It was so cold for a couple weeks in January, a teenage girl declared, “Global warming, my a_ _!” Aside from the derriere reference, this attitude actually reflects a recent poll indicating increasing numbers of Americans do not believe the planet is warming or that human generated greenhouse gasses are a problem. This is in spite of a spate of scientific evidence to the contrary. Continue reading ‘Science Literacy: It’s Not Rocket Science’ »
Peoria citizen media takes its next step
CITY BEAT by Bill Dennis
The Community Word publisher Debbie Adlof and myself have started a news business. It’s called TellPeoria Online Media. You can visit our business site at http://tellpeoria.com and see some recent press releases to see what we’re all about.
But the best short explanation is this: There are thousands of blogs and other Websites that are published by people who live and work in Peoria and surrounding communities. There are also thousands of businesses, both large and small, who need to advertise their goods and services. Fewer businesses are choosing to spend money to advertise on newspapers and broadcast stations, and more are chosing to advertise online.
TellPeoria.com connects Peoria-area businesses with the bloggers and other Website owners who can run their advertising.
Debbie and I are believers in the free market. We are doing this to make a profit. But we’re also fans of community-based citizen journalism. TellPeoria will help people survive the transition away from print and broadcast media to online.
This is our contact information:
Website: http://tellpeoria.com
Ad website: http://tellpeoria.com/ads
Directory Website: http://tellpeoria.com/directory
Phone number: Bill Dennis: (309) 863-5748. Debbie Adlof: (309) 692-0644
Email: sales@tellpeoria.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tellpeoria
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tell-Peoria/183533011582 Continue reading ‘Peoria citizen media takes its next step’ »
Support for Peoria County Board Position
by Diane Vespa, Peoria, IL
Although I cannot vote for Rachael Parker in a Democratic primary, I still very much support her in her bid for County Board.
As I lobbied aggressively for changes within District 150 (School Board), Rachael Parker was one of the few board members who addressed regularly the concerns of parents and taxpayers.
Many times I would call her at home. She would always return my calls and I always felt she was truthful and transparent.
Most importantly, she always kept the needs of children and families first. I believe she would bring these same qualities to the Peoria County Board.
Please join me in supporting Rachael Parker for County Board.
More Support for Peoria County Board Position
by State Rep. Constance A. “Connie” Howard, 34th District of Illinois
Unfortunately, I am not a resident of that political sub-division. However, if I lived in that locale, I would be totally supportive and work to encourage others to be so as well.
Having spoken to the candidate and heard about the issues she has intentions of addressing when elected, I am convinced that her overall objective is one that will result in improvement of the quality of life for her constituents.
I wish her well and I hope that area voters will make hers a resounding victory on February 2nd.
Peoria County Democrats Playing Plantation Politics in 2010 County Board Races, Candidates Say
By Jim Perez
Communications Director
Rachael Parker for County Board
With the Feb. 2 primary a few days away, voters are being left in the dark about the political backdoor dealings that are manipulating the Peoria County Board races to help the status quo remain in power.
In the 1st District, Bonnie Hester didn’t want to run for re-election, but was strongly urged to run by leaders of the Peoria County Democratic Central Committee.
Why? Because former County Board Chairman David Williams is running for her 1st District seat, and it’s common knowledge that Williams and Billy Halstead, Peoria County Democratic Committee Chairman, do not get along. Their differences stem from Halstead trying to manipulate Board committee appointments and Williams refusing to play along during Williams’ tenure as Board chair.
Halstead has even gone so far as to question Williams’ loyalty to the Democratic party, suggesting Williams may be a Republican because he forged relationships on both sides of the aisle during his 14-year tenure on the board.
Susan Yvette Cagle, who was on the ballot for that same 1st District seat, was pushed to withdraw from the race. Through backdoor dealings by Halstead, Cagle was allowed to withdraw after the deadline.
Cagle said she was asked to run, and was then intimidated and harassed to withdraw by Halstead and Jackie Petty, another Peoria County Democratic leader. She has phone records and saved messages showing numerous intimidating calls to her.
Halstead told Cagle she could use the Democratic Committee office to compile a list of voters and for whatever else she needed for her run. But Halstead never told Cagle he was supporting Hester, never said Hester was going to retire even though that was the message the 1st District incumbent was putting out. Hester said she felt overwhelmed with the demands of the position, a heavy workload at her full-time job, and health issues, which is why she did not want to seek re-election.
Hester hasn’t really campaigned. The Democratic Committee is basically running her campaign for her. When Cagle found out Hester was going to run again, and that Halstead would support Hester, not her, “I really felt like I was used,” Cagle said.
Another candidate, who possibly has the strongest credentials of all three women, is treated like a Republican outsider.
Rachael Parker was never asked to speak with the Democratic Committee about her candidacy or her qualifications, despite the committee’s and other groups assurances that they would support all Democratic candidates.
Other than Williams, all three candidates are black women.
At a candidate’s forum, Halstead was hostile to Williams and Parker, peppering them with questions, as if he were questioning Republicans, not members of his own party. Even though he told Cagle he would meet with all candidates before the races took off, he never met with Williams or Parker.
To add even more layers of craziness, the Peoria Journal-Star interviewed all the County Board candidates except for Williams and Parker.
“This is the strangest race I’ve ever seen,” Williams said, wondering why the media will report on every other race except the County Board races.
The question voters should be asking on Feb. 2 is: How racist does the Democratic Committee need to be? How sexist does the Peoria Democratic Committee need to be, said General Parker, Rachael Parker’s campaign manager.
Sweet Lips
Doors and Windows
I embarked on a journey this month; a journey to sweet lips. Now, unless you have done a word study in your Bible on the word “lips” you may not get where I’m going with this. God’s Book has much to say about the use of our lips, tongue and mouth. One overall statement it makes is “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
Not one of us can say we don’t understand that verse in some measure. Who hasn’t been on the receiving end of a sharp, sarcastic comment? Which of us has not shed a tear or two over something someone said to us or about us? In fact, if it could be measured, I’m sure that the source of over 90% of all pain suffered in this world can be traced back to a tongue. World wars, regime changes, holocausts, factions, religions—the tongue has set them all aflame.
It was through the lying tongue of a serpent that Eve was deceived; it was through the tongue that Adam blamed Eve when God confronted him, and so here we are, killing each other with angry, bitter, resentful and caustic words. Here we are judging and accusing one another.
It was through tongues of fear that Jesus was accused of heresy and tongues of hate that nailed him to a cruel cross.
But on his tongue was love. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. This from a man dangling from a tree by nails, his perfect blood dropping silently to the ground. That blood, shed for you and me, was so powerful the earth shook in fear. We crucified the Living Word—the One who spoke all we see and know into existence.
This is not an easy topic to examine. It’s easier to discuss when we only point out the pain that other tongues have caused, the problem is, we each have a tongue.
Sweet, sincere and soft words heal; they give life and build trust. Sour, sharp and self-centered words kill and tear down trust.
The tongue has power, the Bible says. Can you imagine what this world would be like if each tongue-owner exercised self-control? That’s why I created the 28-Day Sweet Lips Challenge. It’s simple, really, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it, right?
Okay, it’s not that simple. But it can be done by the act of our will and God’s help. And so here I am on this journey. Starting February 1st, I’m choosing to only allow sweet, soothing, sensible and soft words past my lips. That means that when any sour, sharp, sarcastic or self-centered word forms in my head I will consciously stop it before it slips past my lips—be it blurt or whisper.
There’s much more I have to say on this but there’s not enough room in this column. So if you want to join me, you can see the details on my Facebook profile, or e-mail me and I’ll send you the cards I created with the rules and the Scriptures that will help you get sweet lips that please God and give life to others.
It’s time to love one another.
