The Community Word

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!