The West Peoria Firefighters’ Association is planning their annual raffle and fund –raising hog roast at Crusen’s, 2117 Farmington Road on Sunday, October 16th from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Your firefighters will be going door-to-door selling the fund-raiser tickets. Tickets are $1.00/ea or 5 for $10.00. The sixth ticket is the meal ticket and includes a pork sandwich, side dishes and one beverage. Carry-outs are available. There are raffle prizes of $500, $250 and $100. You do not need to be present to win the drawing which will be held on the following Wednesday at the fire house. Additional raffle tickets are available at the door.
The date for the new West Peoria Library bake and book sale was moved to October 1, 2011 at the library location at 2018 W Kellogg Ave. It had previously been scheduled for an earlier date.
All residents are required to sign up for garbage service with Waste Management. Call 1-800-796-9696 to be started with the service; you will be charged for this service. Landscape waste pick up is included and is available from April through the end of December. No open burning of trash or landscape waste is permitted. To report a violation of this policy, please call: Peoria County Sheriff at; 672-6011. Fall is here: Do not rake or blow leaves into the street as it causes the storm sewers to clog and back up. For more information visit the City website: www.cityofwestpeoria.com.
Many West Peorians, community leaders and others attended the ground breaking of the new Peoria County senior care facility on September 6th. Included in the crowd were current Belwood residents, sisters from the Sisters of St Francis of the Immaculate Conception who originally ran the St Joseph’s Nursing Home. One special participant was Sister Concepta Marie Nudo who had also attended the St Joseph’s Home dedication at the same site in the 1950’s. It was an exciting event because the completion of the facility in 2013 brings a new level of care for seniors in Peoria County. The building is scheduled to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver-certified project, making it the first senior care facility in the state to earn this designation. It has taken much diligence and effort on the part of many people to have this project in West Peoria and to be in the construction phase. The new site was chosen, in part, because the largest group of seniors in Peoria County lives in the nearby area of west-central Peoria. A new name for the facility has yet to be determined. The Belwood designation – being geographically based – is unlikely to follow when the new facility opens. The county is in the midst of soliciting bids for marketing the home, which is likely to include possible names. Rooms will generally be larger than those at BelWood, with greater privacy added even to those rooms in which two people are living. Individual wings and floors – short-term and long-term care, plus Alzheimer’s will have individual dining rooms, so residents don’t have to travel as far at mealtimes. The central part of the building will feature laundry, dietary and physical therapy services as well as an activities area and chapel.
The first Calvin Coolidge Mothers Club Reunion was a huge success. It was a dinner at the Lariat Club with 58 mothers attending. The Calvin Coolidge Mothers Club originated in 1937. Represented were ladies who had children attended school and they attended Mothers Club in the 1950’s through 1980’s, plus a few who had been both a student and a parent at Coolidge. Many past presidents attended the reunion. Principal Mr. Tom Blumer, sent old year books to view with teacher and former mothers club member, Karen Engel, Lois Walker, Alice Nash and Mary Hamm also had some old memorabilia. If anyone has any old Calvin Coolidge school memorabilia that they are willing to give to the principal, he will appreciate anything to represent the school. He is unable to locate items representing Coolidge before it became a Middle School. The women attending voted to have yearly reunions. Hope to see more people next year.
Are you interested in a unique lunch opportunity and in helping distressed families in the Peoria area? Save the date of October 19th and attend the second annual Waffles & Wings fundraiser for the 24th annual Stuff-a-Bus campaign. All money collected goes to Peoria Friendship House Food Panty. The increased need for food this year is critical. The menu includes fresh, crisp Belgium waffles that are served with dollops of butter and warm maple syrup. Also mouth-watering crisp honey-glazed chicken wings and friend chicken wings, fresh collard greens enhanced with thick cut bacon and savory onion. Grits are served with: gouda and bacon, roasted pepper, or plain. Gold ol’fashion buttered corn bread, fresh fruit and a choice of iced tea or coffee finishes the menu. (I was fortunate to attend a tasting of this year’s fare and it is delicious and warms the soul.) Historians credit Thomas Jefferson with first bringing a waffle iron from France with this southern tradition. This soul food brings a whole new way of looking at lunch. Register online at: http://peoriafriendshiphouse.givezooks.com/events/waffles-and-wings. If you have questions, contact Dustin Swigart at (309) 671-5200. Reservations are required.
October will be a busy month for the West Peoria Lion’s Club with several fundraisers and events scheduled: including Walk for Sight at Lake Storey, Galesburg, Il, Sunday, October 16; Candy Day, Friday, October 21 and 28; Farmington Road and Route 8 clean-up October 8 and 29. Peoria Area Dining Tour Books are available as well as Christmas wreaths, garland & table center piece baskets & other greens with a November delivery. For more information on any listed projects or becoming a Lion – call 673-6207 or 673-0536. The Lion’s Club meets the 2nd & 4th Monday each month at Champ’s West, dinner at 6:00 p.m. meeting at 6:30.
Deputy Middlemas will give a review of the specialized training sessions he has attended this spring & summer for the October Neighborhood Watch Association. He will also give an update on any criminal activity in the area. Their meeting is Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The public is welcome
The West Peoria Residents’ Association will meet October 20, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Guest speaker is Gene Pratt, West Peoria Economics Development Coordinator. The public is welcome.
Cub Scouts Pack 11 members started selling popcorn September 24th. For more information or to order call any Cub Scout or Bob DeSutter @ 674-6668.