Anticipation over shopping and festivities sometimes over shadow more important, long-term issues pertaining to the holidays such as the safety of those you love.

“There are several more reports on Christmas and Thanksgiving than any other day of the year,” said Matt Sheets, a Peoria area Firefighter. He mentioned even more are called in during the holidays than the 4th of July when people are susceptible of bodily harm with firecrackers or grilling related accidents.

“It’s never boring during the holidays around here,” Sheets said about the number of instances his department receives during Christmas and Thanksgiving only.

He added that his department receives triple the amount of calls for help during Christmas.

During the years of 2001 to 2004, there were seven fire related deaths in the Peoria area during the holiday seasons. While it is unclear whether or not they were holiday related deaths like oven fires, it is still no reason to not take the numbers seriously.

“I don’t understand how so many people have problems during the Holidays,” said Chad Harrison, a Peoria area citizen.

According to Sheets, one reason of accidents during the holiday season is people not paying attention to possible hazards like an ill maintained or outdated fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers should be properly maintained on a regular basis.

One way to keep fire extinguishers in good shape is to make sure that it free of dents, leaks, rust, chemical deposits and other signs of abuse.

If there are dents present, then it is recommended to replace the fire extinguisher as soon as possible because there is a chance of the extinguisher being unusable after damaged.

Any chemical residue spotted should be whipped off immediately because it may produce an erratic reaction when used.

Some manufacturers recommend tipping the extinguishers upside down once a month so the particles do not settle and become inactive as well as to prevent the powder inside from compacting.

“I think people lack common sense sometimes with safety,” said Frieda McBride, a Peoria area citizen.

Sheets said many rational and intelligent people still run into trouble because they don’t want to deal with situations that may or may not happen.

He adds that many of the fire victims previously mentioned were probably as intelligent as the average person but felt that they felt either accidents wouldn’t happen to them or had trouble dealing with the notion that they would be involved with a fire emergency.

Another major cause of fire during holidays is faulty wiring on decorative lights. This sometimes causes electrocution or a fire.

Many manufacturers go to great lengths to make electric derived decorations as safe as possible.

However, whenever electricity is involved, there is always a chance of danger if the person or persons using the device are not careful.

It is recommended that tree lights be unplugged every night before bed so the wires will not overheat causing a reaction.

It is also advised by fire officials that if a multiple outlet strip is used that it be used in moderation. The more plugs, the more danger of the main socket which the strip is plugged into becoming overwhelmed.

If antique decorations are used they should be monitored closely as there have been many safety updates since the original production date.

Make sure that when unwrapping presents the paper is disposed of or kept out of the vicinity of electrical outlets. If outlets spark, it could ignite the paper even more than regular paper because of the chemicals used to make the bright festive wrapping paper. Also be aware of tree skirts or pin needles being too close to a socket.

Make sure an activated smoke detector is in every room as this can warn people out of the room where the fire is occurring that there is a need attention.

To test a fire detector, press the button on the detector to make sure it is properly working. If the batteries have not been changed in awhile, make sure to change them because a fire detector is always active, always using battery power, regardless of if there is smoke or not.

If food is being prepared, which in many cases it is during the holidays, make sure to not leave the food on the stove or in the oven for too long. Sometimes, if food is left on the stove or in the oven for too long it will catch fire because of it overstepping it’s maximum heat range and catches on fire.

Be aware of the safety information on turkey fryers and use them outside in an open, high ceiling garage or outside if the space in a garage is not adequate or no garage is available.

If a fire or accident does occur call emergency personnel immediately. Many times people think they have fires and accidents under control, when often they do not.

Undoubtedly, you have heard rumblings about new passport laws. Passports are now needed for any kind of travel outside of the United States, even to Mexico and Canada. However, these laws seem to be coming in fast and are changing constantly, so it is of no surprise that many people are confused. Hopefully this outline of current laws, upcoming laws, and how to obtain a passport help lessen some of the confusion.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other countries in the western hemisphere to hold a valid passport or other WHTI-approved document to enter or depart the United States. This initiative is included in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and is a result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission on ways to strengthen border security. Government standard documentation, like passports, allows travelers to easily enter and leave the United States by confirming a person’s identity and nationality. The Department of Homeland Security is able to quickly and accurately identify legitimate travelers, giving the department more resources to deter travelers who may pose a security threat.

A U.S. passport is the most common WHTI-compliant document for travel, but other documentation includes a not-yet-released passport card. Once it becomes available, this pocket-sized card will allow land and sea travel between the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

The initiative is being put into place in two phases: air travel and land/sea travel. The air travel phase of the initiative was implemented earlier in the year when anyone traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean by air was required to have a passport (or other WHTI-approved document) to enter or depart the United States. Due to an increase in passport processing times, the Department of Homeland Security accommodated travelers by allowing an “official proof of passport application receipt” to substitute as a passport; however, this period ended and, as of October 1, all air passengers must have a passport. By Summer 2008, the full implementation of WHTI will occur, which requires all citizens in the western hemisphere to have a passport or other ap proved document when entering and leaving the United States. The exact date is yet to be determined, but the public will be given a notice of 60 days.

As a result of this initiative, passport applications have increased tremendously. There were over 16 million passports issued in fiscal year 2007, compared to 12.1 million issued in fiscal year 2006. There are currently over 9,000 locations across the country that accepts passport applications, including three in Peoria: the County Clerk’s office, North University Post Office, and the main post office branch on State Street.

Last month, the Post Office hosted a Passport Day at Bradley University’s Student Center, and another one was held at the North University Post Office. Both events gave the public an opportunity to submit applications for new passports, as well as provided official passport photos for $15. The purpose of the events was to educate the public about the application process and to make it easier to submit all the required documentation.

Applying for a passport can be painless and easy if all the proper information is known before starting the process. First time passport applicants must apply in person. It is also necessary to apply for a passport in person if your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged; expired and was issued more than 15 years ago; or expired and was issued before you were 16.

An Application for Passport (otherwise known as a Form DS-11), proof of U.S. citizenship, and proof of identity are all required to apply for a passport. Form DS-11 is available for download at travel.state.gov or from any passport agency, including post offices.

Documentation proving U.S. citizenship includes a previous passport that is not damaged or altered, naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship, or a certified birth certificate, which is the most common way to prove citizenship. Certified birth certificates may be obtained through the Peoria County Clerk’s office, and requests may be made in person office during normal business hours, which is Monday through Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. The office is closed on county holidays. If you’re unable to visit the office, requests may also be made via the Internet. To receive birth records within two weeks of order by standard U.S. mail, visit www.illinoisepay.com. Expedited delivery, with an option for overnight delivery, is available through www.vitalcheck.com. Birth records cost $9 for the first copy and $6 for additional copies and can be paid by cash, debit card, money order, or cashier check—no personal checks are accepted. If paying by a debit card, a $2.50 usage fee will be added. Additional charges may apply to orders made over the Internet.

Documentation showing proof of identity may include a previous passport that is not damaged or altered, valid current driver’s license, state-issued identification card, military card, or a naturalization certificate.

Additionally, two passport photographs must be presented when applying. They need to be identical, color photos that measure two inches by two inches. Many drugstores and photography places offer passport photos that meet the requirements. Also, the North University Post Office and main post office branch offer onsite photos.

The cost of a passport is a combination of the application fee, which includes a $12 Security Surcharge, and an execution fee, which helps pay the costs of the agency processing the applications. Passports issued to anyone under age 16, the application fee is $52 and the execution fee is $30, bringing the total to $82. Passports issued to people over age 16, the application fee is $67, the execution fee is $30, making the total passport cost $97. Both the fees are combined into one payment made payable to the U.S. Department of State.

Processing a passport using standard service usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited service is available for those wishing to receive their passport within three weeks. To ensure the three-week timeframe, choose overnight delivery for both legs of the trip (sending out your application and mailing the passport to you) and write “Expedite” on the mailing envelope. Expedited service is an additional $60 per application, plus delivery costs.

For more information, visit the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs at travel.state.gov. or contact local post offices: North University Station Post Office at (309) 692-9817 or the Main Post Office at (309) 671-8848

It’s important that donors make an informed choice and know to whom they are giving. “All too often people want to quickly clear out the things they can no longer use, and simply drop their unwanted items at the nearest collection box,” says Patty Fuchs, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois. “People typically assume they are making a charitable donation, but that is not always the case.”

Donors can be sure their donations will benefit the people who need them most by asking a few questions:

• Will my donation be used to support a cause I believe in?

• What percentage of the revenues generated by my donation will directly support the mission of the organization?

• If the collection bin is owned by a for-profit organization, how will my donation help people in my community?

“Give to charities you know and trust,” says Fuchs. “Fraudulent charities often modify the names of established groups, so be sure to read carefully the name of the charity on the box before giving. Avoid donating to organizations that can’t immediately provide you with information about the causes they are asking you to support in your community.”

I’m smiling at the latest developments regarding the “Get Jeanette Mitzelfelt Campaign.” You’ll recall our local newspaper virtually ignored the efforts by election commissioners to keep Mrs. Mitzelfelt from collecting due unemployment compensation AFTER the two fired her. Mary Harkrader and Camille Gibson not only fought to keep the married woman of six children from receiving compensation, they appealed the decision by the Unemployment Compensation Board after she had received the benefits. They even went to court, of course, using taxpayer monies. As exclusively reported in this column last month, that appeal by Harkrader and Gibson was to come to an end. State’s attorney Kevin Lyons, in an act of good judgment, told those involved, it was time to terminate any and all legal objections against Mrs. Mitzelfelt. And so they have. Mitzelfelt has received a “Motion to Dismiss Granted” notice from the Illinois Attorney General’s office after receiving a “Motion to Dismiss” notice from the Peoria County state’s attorney’s office. Bah Humbug to Journal reporter Andy Kravetz. He claimed County Administrator Patrick Urich made the decision. Not so. Kravetz also resorted to a common journalistic rumor tactic used too often today by saying, “It’s been hinted that her (Mitzelfelt’s) resistance to folding the commission into the county clerk’s office might have played a factor,” in her dismissal as the appointed head of the City Election Commission. Hey Andy, “Who hinted this?” And since when can the executive director or any election commissioner “fold” a city agency into county government? That’s like saying someone is going to fold the city police department into the county sheriff’s department. Kravetz gets a bag of coal on Christmas morning from Santa for this shoddy piece of reporting.

State’s attorney Lyons made another significant decision says my source. Lyons told officials to seek another source for legal services for the City Election Commission. He wants to end the relationship. I’m sure he feels his staff has other priorities. Santa told me, with a twinkle in his eye, that Kevin will be rewarded for his good work in 2007.

Meanwhile, Jeanette Mitzelfelt has filed a complaint against the City Election Commission, as in Harkrader and Gibson. Both have already appeared in a preliminary conference. Mitzelfelt is awaiting word from the state’s agency on discrimination.

SIX YEARS AND STILL GOING

It was a momentous occasion Friday morning, November 16 at Louie’s Sterling Family Restaurant across from Northwoods Mall. Broadcasting live, although some would debate that contention, Royce and yours truly celebrated, or at least, observed six consecutive years doing the morning show on 1350 WOAM. Despite an excellent turnout of some of the faithful listeners, Louie did say the three hour show paled in comparison to the visit to his eatery by President George Bush. Still, there was Mayor Jim Ardis, reading with a straight face, a most complimentary proclamation about the work of the two morning guys who haven’t changed a thing on their morning show; not even any of Royce’s long-standing, and I mean long-standing, jokes. The Mayor was also joined by Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy, State Senator David Koehler and others in their praise for the program’s format of clean humor, fascinating dialogue about the city’s history and the good morning music. All the kind comment was music to our ears. Journal Star writer Steve Tarter also was nice enough to stop by and later write in his Sunday Journal column about the six year old program.

Over the years, we’ve been blessed with interviews featuring some very important and influential people, both locally and nationally. Our local heroes are our veterans like Dick Reynolds, Karl Schmidt, Bob Lehnhausen, Jason Adams, Tom Maher and others. Our national heroes, guests on the program, are people like singers Andy Williams, T.G. Shephard, and Lou Rawls, New York Yankee players Bobby Richardson and brother, Zack, as well as Chicago Cub stars Ryne Sandberg, Randy Hundley, Ferguson Jenkins, St. Louis Cardinal announcer John Rooney, Cub announcer Pat Hughes, former Pirate manager Jim Tracy and so many other notables. And we give special thanks to our terrific sports staff, our stable of local sports personalities Ed Murphy, Ed Dwyer, Phil Salzer, Bob Sulaski, and the perky Alicia Butler. Wow! What an exciting six years with many more, we hope, to come. And we owe it all to our great listeners, our wonderful sponsors, and to Kelly Communications and WOAM. Stay tuned for more including music of the holiday season. And by the way, we’re not afraid, to play patriotic music or music with a spiritual message. When appropriate, we focus on God, country and our men and women in the military.

ENDING HEALTHCARE FOR METHODIST RETIREES

A most interesting development on the local health scene comes from Methodist Medical Center. Retirees of Methodist learned, as 2007 comes to an end, so will their health care plan. In a letter to a core of former employees, Dallis Howard, senior vice president and human relations guru, announced, “After a great deal of review and research, the decision has been made to discontinue the group Comprehensive Plan offered to employees and retirees effective 12/31/07.” In an historic decision, a local healthcare provider has decided not to make available a health plan for those employees who worked for decades as caregivers. Instead, Methodist has referred retirees to outside health plans offered by commercial and for-profit companies, Health Alliance and Personal Care. Howard emphatically notes, “Effective 1/01/08, your (Methodist retirees) healthcare premiums will NOT be taken out of your pension check.” Howard advises, “If you decide to enroll in either plan (mentioned above), you will issue payments directly to them.” This means Methodist is out of the business of healthcare for its retirees. A chat with a couple of retirees indicated they were scrambling with such short notice to select another health plan. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

NEWS NOTES

The Peoria Journal announced the retirement of Jack Brimeyer, the “big tuna” at the newspaper and then quietly dropped the daily humorous quips of comedian Royce Elliott. Readers complained they missed “Royce’s Crispies” and so do I. Is the newspaper in financial trouble or are the new editors opposed to clean humor?

Mayor Jim Ardis is already gearing up his re-election. Jim is planning a “Holiday Fundraiser” Wednesday, December 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Weaver Ridge Golf Club. Does anyone think Ardis will have any viable opposition?

CHRISTMAS IN PEORIA

Congratulations to WMBD-TV and news anchors Bob Larson and Amy Paul for coverage of America’s longest running Santa Claus Parade. It’s always a treat for those who want to watch the parade from the comfort of their homes and for shut-ins, especially those in nursing homes and assistive living facilities. There are a lot of beautiful Christmas decorations around Peoria and central Illinois. And the area abounds with special holiday events and programs. For me, nothing compares to Christmas past when our downtown was alive with store after store. There were huge groups of people crossing at the intersections or standing with little children in front of the wonderfully decorated windows at Bergner’s and Block and Kuhl. As a child, I was in awe of the wonder of Christmas with its color, sounds of the season, the stores and all the holiday decorations. Later, when married, it was a joy for my wife and I to sit and enjoy lunch or a snack with our children in the small café at the rear of Bergner’s as we talked about what the boys wanted from Santa. I’m not sure whether they actually believed in Santa, but we still did. We’ll never recapture those wondrous days. Downtown has changed, and not for the better.

We have new and modern shopping centers and strip malls. The nature of shopping has changed dramatically. Shopping will continue to evolve differently with so many people shopping by internet. For some, Christmas shopping has become a bore, a challenge, a pain instead of fun. And for some, Christmas has lost its meaning. The story, though, remains the same and continues to stand the test of time.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

–St. Luke, Chapter 2

MAY YOU HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

December is a wonderful month of mystery, a time with a lot of religious holidays and secular good will to others, but a time of tension, friction and foolishness, too. Some of the most outlandish foolishness seems to come from the Bush administration’s Bureau of Prisons and - in a bit of bipartisan boobery - Presidential candidates from the Democratic Party as well as the GOP.

It’s unsettling to see federal intervention continue to prohibit prisoners from reading many religion books; it’s annoying to see people vying for the White House proclaim their spirituality yet ignore Scriptures’ teachings.

Of course, besides Christmas - which dominates the culture in commercial as well as religious terms - December has Hanukkah (for eight days and nights early in the month), Bodhi Day Dec. 8 (when Buddhists mark the day when Prince Gautama attained enlightenment), Islam’s Hajj pilgrimage (concluding with Eid el Adha on Dec. 20), Yule/Litha (ancient days to celebrate energy poured into the service of life, the “rebirth” of the sun, and the winter-born king [somewhat appropriated by the early Christian church in dating Jesus’ birthday], still celebrating by some Christians, Wiccans and neo-pagans on Dec. 21), Zarathosht Diso Dec. 26 (the Zoroastrian anniversary of the death of their prophet Zarathushtra), and Kwaanza (the mostly secular African-American holiday to celebrate family, community and culture, marked from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 2008).

December is more than three months since the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prohibited prisoners from reading 99 percent of the books about religion and church, having drawn up a list of “acceptable” texts - and having drawn the ire of a couple of upstate New York inmates who filed a class-action lawsuit. Plaintiffs including Protestant Christian John Okon, Jewish Moshe Milstein, and Muslim Douglas Kelly note that the BOP banned “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Rabbi Harold Kushner, books by Robert Schuller (the televangelist familiar from Sunday morning shows), Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, Hebrew theologian Moses Maimonides (the centuries-old “Code of Jewish Law”), and best-selling author and mega-church pastor Rick Warren (”A Purpose-Driven Life”)

At stake are the already-limited First-Amendment rights prisoners retain. Obviously, penitentiaries strictly limit the rights to Assemble, but they maintain remnants of the freedoms of Speech, Press, the right to ask for a redress of Grievances, and, until now, Religion. Before this charge against prison chapels, chaplains screened books, mostly to filter out hate literature - much of it white-supremacist screeds purporting to be Christian, but some of it extremist tracts from other faiths.

The justification - as in many of the more onerous changes in society since 2001 - is the war on terror generally, and a 2004 U.S. Department of Justice report on religious services for Muslims in particular.

“The presence of extremist chaplains, contractors or volunteers in the BOP’s correctional facilities can pose a threat to institutional security and could implicate national security if inmates are encouraged to commit terrorist acts against the United States,” the report said.

Now, instead of relying on people of faith working in prisons to remove inappropriate publications for reasons of common sense and safety, bureaucrats in the federal government are defining what’s suitable for different faiths. The government purge is institutionalized as the BOP’s Standardized Chapel Library Project, which lists titles for 19 religious groups. For some, the number of permitted books and audio-video items is more than 300, while other lists are severely cut. A list for “Other Religions” for example, contains only two books - both on Christian Science. Catholic and Protestant Christian lists are among the longest. The Jewish list is shorter with 134 items, although separately Messianic Judaism gets 60. Separate lists are maintained for Islam and the Nation of Islam.

“We would have hoped that our prisons would be well-stocked with books advising how to live ethically, religiously and morally,” said evangelical Christian advocate Jeremy Gunn, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

Religion can be a meaningful route to rehabilitate federal inmates - many of whom are incarcerated for drug or other nonviolent offenses.

Elsewhere in the public realm, the Presidential campaign treats religion as all form and little content. In forum after forum, some twit newscaster attempts an ambush question and asks someone about their faith, and the candidates dutifully play along. OK, they’re devout, they attend, they believe, and so on. But what do these self-described Christians specifically plan to do about what the New Testament calls its works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting prisoners, visiting the sick, etc.?

* Fifty-nine percent of 23 major U.S. cities reported an increase in requests for emergency shelter for families last year, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

* More than 35 million Americans live in hunger, including more than 12 million kids, according to the faith-based Bread for the world.

* “Giving drink to the thirsty”? The country’s water supply is at risk from local contaminants and global warming alike.

* “Most inmates had scant opportunities for work, training education, treatment or counseling because of taxpayer resistance to increasing spending on prison rehabilitation programs,” reports Human Rights Watch.

“The question is not ‘What do each of these candidates tell us about how religious they are’,” writes Catholic Sister Joan Chittister. “The question is: ‘What do each of these candidates plan to do to make the corporal works of mercy a living sign of the (faith)?’ ”

It’s difficult to be disappointed without being a scold, which is a step or a stumble from the intolerance practiced by extremists wearing beards and birkas or ties and toupees. It helps to hope that the universal yearning for More - shown in the presence of the Golden Rule in all faiths - or the logic of common sense will help devotion overcome intolerance. Reform might start small, with open libraries for prisoners, and end up big, with national leadership so comfortable with their faith that it’s unnecessary to force it on others, any month of the year.

Bill Knight is an award-winning journalist who teaches at Western Illinois University. Contact him at bill.knight@hotmail.com.

The sound was awful. After all these years I can still remember it. “Ka-CHOOK…” and suddenly there was a very damaged and very dead baby bunny. The nest had been so well concealed I had no idea I was about to run the lawnmower over it. Fortunately for the others, I was able to somewhat repair the damage… carefully putting the nest back as it was. This was the proverbial ‘unintended consequence;’ yard maintenance momentarily morphing into mayhem. We’ve all had the opportunity to cause something we didn’t foresee. Life is full of unintended consequences (some of us are living examples). Technology produces a plethora of them. A classic example is DDT. Here was a miraculous chemical that got rid of mosquitoes, lice, crop pests, etc. Who would have thought it could be implicated in bird extinctions and breast cancer? Our magic potions have a way of getting into the food chain and yielding unexpected results. Robins and red winged blackbirds, both carnivorous, can be victims of herbicide or fungicide poisoning, resulting from our attempts to green up the lawn. For their sake alone, raggy lawns are desirable.

The Navy, in testing sophisticated high powered sonar, is doing such damage to the sensitive ears of whales and dolphins, they are literally being driven onto beaches, where they die. The Natural Resources Defense Council is currently spearheading a campaign to get the military to help us protect whales and other sea life, by curtailing the use of such sonar where it can impact sea life. Go here and you can add your name to the growing list of concerned citizens:

Melting ice caps, and the deaths of Arctic wildlife, are unintended consequences of our oil, coal, and gas consumption. Intended or not, these consequences can be devastating. Only in America is human caused global warming considered controversial. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent here in an effort to discredit the science that puts the blame squarely on us. Why? The regulations that would result in an honest effort to clear the air, imply huge expense. But as everyone knows, it’s nothing, compared with the eventual expense associated with our failure to act. It may still be possible to ease human caused global warming, despite the Bush administration’s failure to lead in this vital area. The fact is, it won’t happen without the U.S. and China committed to the project. Make your opinion on this known to your Senators and Representatives.

During the Vietnam era, the military coined a word for unintended consequences, “collateral damage.” This could be casualties caused by “friendly fire,” the accidental killing of non combatants, and/or the destruction of their property. It can make the winning of hearts and minds quite difficult. In Iraq, the term ‘collateral damage’ applies to civilian casualties that occur when smart bombs aren’t so smart.

As 2007 draws to a close, there are other examples of unintended consequences of our activities, which could be thought of as collateral damage. In November, a ship “bumped” a bridge in San Francisco Bay and tore a 90 foot gash, opening its fuel tank. Tens of thousands of gallons of fuel spilled out into the bay, leading to the deaths of numerous birds. Also in November, a storm in the Black Sea resulted in the spilling of millions of gallons of oil, killing tens of thousands of sea birds and other animals. Russian officials have stated that the damage is so huge that it can hardly be evaluated. It’s been called an ecological catastrophe. They’ve estimated 30,000 dead birds, but don’t know how many other animals have been killed. It’s impossible to quantify the loss of fish. What makes it still worse is that the spill is located in the middle of a major bird migration route.

Transporting oil and fuel isn’t meant to kill off wildlife and foul beaches. But we are constantly reminded of this impending hazard. Today the battle is ongoing over reparations owed by Exxon for an oil spill resulting from the accident with the Exxon Valdez. It occurred on my daughter, Sarah’s, fifth birthday; March 24, 1989. She is now in graduate school. Hopefully these settlements can be completed before she retires from the workplace. Meanwhile, Exxon gave their retiring CEO a three hundred million dollar severance package.

Several Republicans, VP Dick Cheney in particular, continue calling for the ‘development’ of fossil ‘fuels’ from Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to help with energy independence (as well as revenue flow). Cheney goes so far as to downplay the role of conservation as not appropriate to national energy policy. Think about that for a moment. Twenty-five miles per gallon average fuel economy in the U.S. would result in an Arctic Wildlife Refuge size oil savings each year. Truth is, exploitation of that oil would only meet about 2 percent of our demand. The real goal is to exploit protected land, providing a precedent. This could actually make Yellowstone National Park an ‘exploitable’ resource, rather than a sacred piece of Americana.

Far from protecting our environment, the Bush administration’s energy plan is a testament to corporate clout. To be sure, they have no intention of harming migratory birds or marine mammals or Arctic wildlife. Then again, neither did any of the other petroleum transporters.

But there’s another unintended consequence of our enthusiastic consumption of oil. It isn’t just a “fuel” per se. It is sequestered carbon. It’s currently being held out of Earth’s atmosphere in a large pool tucked away in Earth’s crust. Burning it releases an immense amount of carbon (which has been there for millions of years) back into the atmosphere. It then contributes to global warming, which is real, and which has catastrophic potential of Biblical proportion. Imagine going to see the Statue of Liberty in glass bottom boat…

A less dangerous alternative is to use atmospheric carbon. This is what biofuels are all about. An example was explained to me by Irene Cull, a botanist many years ago at the USDA Lab. She was a proponent of raising milkweed and converting it to diesel fuel. Not sure how practical this might be, but it has several up sides. It’s a perennial and hence there’s no need for yearly plowing and planting. It takes carbon from the atmosphere and makes it available as fuel. According to Irene, milkweed is a very efficient producer of ‘stuff’ that can be used for fuel. The point is we need to invest in practical alternative energy and get over our addiction to oil, regardless of who makes, or doesn’t make profit.

There’s another problem with burning fossils for our energy needs. Producing electricity by burning coal in power plants was intended to make life easier, not to enhance mental illness among children. Evidence is beginning to show, however, that pollutants such as mercury, produced by coal-fired power plants, get into the food chain, possibly contributing to various types of autism. We seem to be caught up in a Faustian bargain where we gain convenience at an increasingly costly and harmful expense.

Ironically the term, collateral, means security. Damaging this is really our unintended consequence. Look at biodiversity as ecological infrastructure. We all know that a diverse environment is fundamental to long-term stability. When our behaviors as a society endanger various species, do we simply accept that as collateral damage and go about our business? Or do we have the wisdom, the humility, and the common sense to do the appropriate thing and take care of our broader responsibilities? In the case of DDT, we did something about it, and in the process, saved the bald eagle from certain extinction. An unintended benefit had to do with our own health.

Now we are faced with another huge challenge. The United States releases some twenty five percent of the total carbon dioxide pollution to the atmosphere. China is the next biggest polluter. Are we going to work with the United Nations and participate in such projects as the Kyoto accords? Or should we take a wait and see approach, protect our own short term profits, and try to live with the unforeseen collateral damage?

I wouldn’t want to be a mainstream reporter these days. It was tough enough of a job back when I was doing it. These days, I sometimes wonder if it’s ethical to even offer college journalism programs, considering that newspapers are laying off reporters as profits drop. The newspaper industry blames the Internet for sucking up all the classified ad dollars. And then the Internet has given us blogs, which have proven to be quite a headache for the mainstream media.

There have been plenty of examples of these trends here in the River City.

In nearby Springfield, the well-respected State-Journal Register sent letters to staffers trying to induce them into taking early retirement. A few weeks after that, the publisher, editor and managing editor decided to quit, effective on the same date. Not that this has anything to do with the bloodletting, they assure us. It’s a development that should trouble Peorians, because both newspapers are owned by the same outfit, GateHouse Media, whose business model is designed around buying up all the newspapers in a region and cutting staff, regardless of the effect on quality.

Not that there hasn’t been some churn at the Peoria Journal Star already. Since GateHouse took over, more than a dozen staffers’ newsroom staffers have retired and moved on. None of have been replaced. Managing Editor Jack Brimeyer announced his retirement. Assistant ME John Plevka will take over.

And then there is the grief that blogs - including my own - have been giving Journal Star reporter Karen McDonald. The biggest story in the 18th District Congressional has been State Rep. Aaron Schock’s statement that he wants to U.S. to sell nuclear weapons to Taiwan. That story was broken by a columnist from the State Journal-Register, not McDonald, the J.S. reporter who was at the scene when Schock made the announcement. To make matters worse, what little subsequent reporting the JS did on the issue didn’t carry McDonald’s byline … except for a very routine story saying that Schock had announced her was no longer advocating selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan.

While the Journal Star virtually ignored this controversy, it was played up in newspapers across the state and on blogs across the world. Much of the coverage on the blogs (including my own) was very unkind to McDonald.

The end result was a week-long, juicy controversy that offered a ton of opportunity for voters to compare and contrast the three candidates for the GOP nomination - not to mention the Democratic candidate, who is unopposed - before the February primary election. So far, there’s not been not much difference among the Three Amigos of Schock, Jim McConoughey and John Morris on the issues, leaving it to voters to figure out for themselves who has the gravitas for the job. In what is a very rare case, the Journal Star Editorial Board blistered Schock with a comprehensive recap of the controversy, including details not touched by its own reporting staff.

November wasn’t a kind month to Schock, nor to the Journal Star. Hopefully, he’s learned a lesson. As outgoing Congressman Ray LaHood told WEEK: “Words matter.” If you are running for an office that can affect foreign policy, you can’t just spout something off to seem tough to your party’s right wing.

The Journal Star and reporter McDonald learned their lessons too, hopefully: The era in which a reporter can show up, transcribe a few quotes and dash off to cover other assignment are over. Reporters’ work is being fact checked and bias-checked, not only by competing mainstream media, but also by the blogs, which grow more influential with every passing election. And if the media keeps producing the kind of lackluster political coverage the PJS has been providing, look for more and more voters to be looking toward blogs to fill in the blanks.

A tale of two city departments

At the Nov. 6, City of Peoria budget hearing, city council members Bob Manning and Barbara Van Auken were very critical of the city’s inspections department. Manning wanted to know why some inspectors have hundreds of cases in housing court, while some have virtually none. Van Auken said this (and I’m paraphrasing): ‘Week after week, month after month, we have individual who do no cases at all. That cannot be a reality that there are no violations. I am suggesting with you we have a problem with personnel not performing. I would like for us to explore setting standards.’

Inspections director Kunski replied that they have made adjustments already by stopping warning notices for environmental and housing and limiting limited the number of warning notices an inspector can give in a two year period. Van Auken replied that there needs to be more specific performance standards based on the area of the city in which the zoning inspectors operate.

It’s funny, because I heard similar complaints during the budget hearings last year. I somehow do not think creating new performance standards will be high on the to-do list at city hall.

Compare this exchange with the words that came out of Peoria Police Chief Settingsgaard’s mouth when he gave his department’s presentation during the budget sessions. He brought up the subject of the so-called ticket quota. He makes no apologies for demanding that his officers turn in no less than ten traffic tickets a month. He recently informed officers that he wants to see similar ticketing done for “quality of life” violations. There is no reason at all that every single officer cannot come across ten obvious violations, he says. When should officers give out these tickets? Whenever they see them, and have the time to do them, and it doesn’t make them late to a call.

And don’t think for a moment that council members do not appreciate this attitude from the police department.

Pulling a Meigs

In case you missed it, the folks who want to rip out the Kellar Branch rail line (that would be the City of Peoria, Village of Peoria Heights and the Peoria Park District) lost again. They tried to get the Surface Transportation Board to kick Pioneer Railway off the line, thereby ensuring that the only operator is Central Illinois Railway, the company the city hired to operate the line and, one presumes, willing to so the city’s bidding and quit operating on the line, allowing the city to destroy it and build a walking/riding path.

A smart person would admit defeat and give up. The STB is never going to allow a working rail line to stop operating, leaving customers in the lurch, to let someone build a trail. But the people who really, really, really want a trail won’t give up - why should they, it’s just taxpayers who are footing the bill for constant appeals. So I fully expect there to be an appeal to the appellate court, not to mention endless pleading to congressmen and senators to intercede and made the mean old STB make a decision contrary to mission and let them build the thing.

But that’s not enough for Peoria City Council member Pat Nichting. More than any other member of the council, Nichting can be counted on to represent the interests of developers, especially those who operate in his fifth district. And as I’ve noted before, the fierce determination to ram this trail project cannot be explained simply as a desire for more walking and biking. If that was the real concern, they would be pushing for the Peoria Park District to maintain the trails they already have. No, it’s apparent that there’s money to be made by developing land alongside the trail, and the developers want the rail line removed. Period. They want no discussion of a trail alongside the rail line. They simply want the line removed.

This brings us back to Nichting, the developers’ pal. As of this writing, he was planning to bring a motion to the council calling for the city to just go right ahead and build the trail, regardless of the fact that the STB had ruled that it cannot be closed as long as there are customers using it. To quote the article:

“He said the city should consider a ‘Meigs Field operation,’ referring to when Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in 2003 ordered private crews to destroy a Chicago airport’s runways in the middle of the night.

” ‘There are options,’ Nichting, a trail proponent, said after learning that the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), which has exclusive domain of the nation’s railroads, denied a request from Peoria and Peoria Heights to keep Pioneer Industrial Railway off the eight-mile line. ‘(The options) include litigation and possibly doing a Meigs Field operation. There one day and gone the next.”

Well, isn’t that just lovely? Not one month ago, the city was all up in arms about a small group of teenagers who were ignoring the law and walking down the middle of the road. Now, we have a sitting city councilman who is demanding that if the city can’t get its way legally, that it break the law in the middle of the night. Does Nichting think that should be an option when someone wants a zoning variance from the city and is denied?

Feh. Rail fans are all up in arms about this. I’m laughing, because it won’t happen. Oh, I’m sure, there are six votes out of eleven on the council to keep stringing the trail-supporters along by pretending this thing has a shot. But there are NOT six votes on the board in support of ordering the city manager to order anything remotely like this to occur. Even if the council were to order the kind of Meigs field strike that Nichting suggests, I rather doubt that City Manager Randy Oliver would follow that order. Losing one’s job is NOTHING compared to being arrested on federal charges.

And I am also sure that someone has sent a copy of this Journal Star article to the powers-that-be in the federal government, who are no doubt eager as Hell to lock up city council members who might conspire to demolish a rail line that the federal government has adjudicated what remain operational.

In the recent spate of national and local news concerning women teachers being sexually involved with young make students, a recurring question arises: isn’t there gender “discrimination” in the public’s reactions and in the legal sanctions involved? There’s no question that there’s been a detrimental long-standing attitude on the part of the public. Remember such movies as Summer of ‘42, which perpetuated the stereotypical “a consummation devoutly to be wished” sexual initiation idea.

But evidently forgotten in all the reaction and discussion in recent months, is the disastrous Supreme Court Decision some twenty years ago, with Chief Justice Rehnquist leading the vote, which said that Statutory Rape Laws were chiefly intended to protect girls. He clarified it by saying that it was because girls could become pregnant.

Most feminists were outraged at the time, as many of us have sons as well as daughters. Since then, the states have had to deal with protecting young boys as best they can.

– Dolores M. Klein

The West Peoria Residents’ Association is hosting their annual Christmas gathering on December 2, 2007 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Franciscan Center. Join them for an evening of Christmas music, hot chocolate, cookies, hay rack rides, and a coloring contest. Santa will be there as a special guest. The 2007 annual West Peoria Holiday Lighting Contest is sponsored by Haddad’s Market and the Medicine Shoppe of West Peoria. Judging will run from December 10th - 19th. Anyone who enters needs to have their outside displays lighted during those evenings. Nomination forms can be picked up at Haddads starting the first week of December; residents can nominate either their own displays or someone else’s. Only houses within West Peoria’s city limits are eligible. Categories are: Religious, overall religious theme; Simplicity, short and sweet; Vegas Style, over the top; Holiday, who’s got the spirit? and Judges’ Overall Favorite, the can’t miss house of the year. Winners will be posted in Haddads. Winners will receive a $5.00 gift certificate from Haddad’s Market and a large plate of Christmas cookies.

Landscape waste pickup for this year ends Friday, December 28. Also, please have lids on your garbage cans as required by City ordinance. And remember, if it poops, you scoop! Please be courteous to your fellow residents and pick up your dog’s waste.

The Code Enforcement Office would like to remind residents they are responsible for cleaning and maintaining their alleyways and disposing of all garbage and debris. The Code Enforcement Officer will send out violations and fines to all who fail to comply with city ordinances in a timely fashion. Most fines start at $50.00; legal action will be taken against violators who fail to pay the fine.

With winter approaching, the City would like to remind all residents in the case of snow storms, the snow removal policy is CURB-TO-CURB PLOWING, as there is a need to clear streets so that Fire & Rescue vehicles can travel safely, and for the availability of on-street parking. Priorities are to ensure that Swords hill and the main thoroughfares in the community are cleared for emergency vehicles. Emergency snow routes in West Peoria are: Heading, Rohmann, Ayres, Callender, and Waverly Avenues. As those routes are cleared, the City will focus attention on clearing secondary routes and side streets. Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding. When a snow fall is imminent, you can help the City by parking your vehicles in your garage or driveway, and by shoveling the sidewalks in front of your residence. Please assist by shoveling out fire hydrants wherever you may see them. Thanks again and please drive safely this winter season.

The City of West Peoria has an interest in pursuing a beautiful, clean and safe community. Community leaders continually strive to make West Peoria a better place to live and hope this is a goal shared by all community members. Thus, an initiative to improve the quality of life for residents has begun by focusing on one target area at a time. The code enforcement officer, community police officer and animal control specialist will be inspecting your neighborhood in the future. This team will survey the neighborhood, provide resources, issue violations if they deem necessary, and will be available to answer any questions. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact West Peoria City Hall at 309.674.1993.

The Jamboree Race is back and we want YOU! In order to give the race a running start, volunteers are needed to help coordinate and organize the event. If you would like to be a part of next year’s success, please contact Krystiana Bronny at 309.674-1993.

The City of West Peoria and the Greater Illinois Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation are working together to create an exercise program for West Peoria residents. This program will use gentle activities to help increase joint flexibility and range of motion, to maintain muscle strength, and to reduce pain and fatigue. The Arthritis Foundation will provide training for anybody interested in leading this exercise program. For those interested in helping initiate this program, leading the exercise classes or becoming a participant, please contact Krystiana Bronny at West Peoria City Hall 674-1993 or Heidi Koll at the Arthritis Foundation 682-6600.

You can help make a difference in your community! West Peoria’s Americorps VISTA, Krystiana Bronny, is starting a volunteer program to assist the elderly, disabled or otherwise incapacitated. This program would help the elderly and disabled with outdoor tasks they may find difficult or impossible. Volunteers will be needed on a minimal basis to perform services such as raking leaves or shoveling driveways. If you would like assistance from this program or to volunteer for this program, please call Krystiana Bronny at (309).674.1993. Your minimal commitment can have a huge impact.

Neither the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch nor the Residents’ Association will meet in December. Their next meetings will be January 17, 2008 at 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. The public is invited.

Welcome packets for new residents are available at West Peoria City Hall.

Instead of a regular meeting in December, the West Peoria Garden Club will have their annual holiday party at the home of Hazel Thomas. 2008 dues remain $10/individual and $18/families. If you are interested in joining please mail a check to Pat Sharp, 609 N Swords Ave, West Peoria, IL 61604. Plans for next year include building containers, learning about raised bed gardening and touring local gardens.

West Peoria Township thanks the following individuals for their help in making West Peoria Litter Clean-Up Day a big success: Krystiana Bronny, Sharon Kennedy, Maggie Moore’s Neighborhood Watch Group, students from Mrs. Monk’s Calvin Coolidge Middle School class and Boy Scout Troop 11.

Your West Peoria Lions Club continues their efforts to help the visually and hearing impaired, plus many other things through the community. Christmas is just around the corner and the West Peoria Lions Club has some Christmas gift ideas for you. They have Peoria Dining Tour Books for sale through Christmas. These books offer a gift that will give all year round. At a low cost of just $30 per book. If interested, call Lion Emil at 693-1191.

West Peoria Lions are also selling soy candles, soy air fresheners, and soy soaps. Soy candles burn cleaner, longer, and the scent lasts through the whole candle. If you would like some soy products please call Lion Carolyn at 673-6207 for more information.

The Club is also giving back to the community and will have Christmas food baskets for families or individuals who could use some extra help around the holiday season. If you know someone in the West Peoria, Bellevue, or Norwood area, please contact Lion Linda by December 6th, at 673-6409.

The Lions also have a recycling program for a variety of different items that are greatly needed and include everything from used glasses, hearing aids, keys, ink cartridges, and cell phones. If you would like to donate any of these items to the West Peoria Lions Club, please contact Lion Jim at 673-6207.

Did you know that the Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world, so come join the fun and rewarding club, and become a part of a family. The Club meets the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m., in the basement of the United Disciples Church, at 2018 W. Kellogg. Please contact Lion Linda for more information and about coming to a meeting or joining the West Peoria Lions Club at 673-6409.

This writer wishes you all a safe, healthy and happy holiday season. Let us count among our blessings the dedication of the people in West Peoria who give many hours of work and effort to continually be improving our community.