Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 24 in the state of Illinois, according to Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley, Katie Jones.

Nationally, it is the third leading cause of death in that age group.

“Suicide prevention among our young people is not a topic most people want to address,” said Jones in a recent telephone interview. She is the first one to admit that it is a complicated issue and not one easily dealt with; however, she and her staff of six covering a six-county wide area are dedicated to long-term solutions involving and serving the whole community.

Jones says it is an accurate estimate that only 20 per cent of children and adolescents with a mental illness are identified, leaving the other 80 per cent unidentified and thus leading to possible suicides and other lesser mental health problems.
One of those “identification solutions” being implemented for the first time in Illinois is a program started by Jones in 2004 at Brimfield High School called Teen Screen.
“Teen Screen is the nation’s model program for early identification of mental health problems and it includes linkage to services,” explains Jones. “It is not enough to just define the problem but you need to connect the people who need the help to solutions. Out of all we do, it is probably the most effective program for actually securing services for the people who need support.”

According to Jones, Teen Screen was created, developed and researched by Columbia University and implemented in New York City before it was expanded nationally. It currently is in 400 sites in fifty states.

Jones adds there are no adverse effects from the Teen Screen Program: It has been well researched.

“First, we make sure we do no harm,” cautions Jones. “So, we go in with identification skills training programs like QPR and Yellow Ribbon (those are the two we utilize right now) and then we provide Teen Screen and have done this at Brimfield and at Princeville in Stark County.”

The QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer which is provided to schools’ staff prior to Jones’ programs: “This is like emergency psychological first aid for helping somebody that is in a suicidal crisis.” says Jones, who adds that her staff has provided this training to several primary and secondary schools in the area. Specifically, they trained the District 150 social workers and special education providers in 2005.
“We have been working with District 150 schools with this program and they have been very receptive, plus the City of Peoria Police Department and the juvenile Detention facility,” she adds. She feels they also need to talk to doctors and nurses and the court system about this program.

The second program with which they train educators, social workers and administrators is called Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program that Jones claims has helped over 40,000 individuals internationally. It is a simple early identification program which arms kids with a very easy way to ask for help.

So, Jones sees her total program of Children’s Mental Health Matter as an umbrella organization that implements the two screening processes of QPR and Yellow Ribbon which then segues into Teen Screen for help.
Jones sees this multidisciplinary approach where you educate the adults, the youth and then screen the young people and connect them to clinical services is a necessary ecological approach to mental health problems.
“We have taken an ecological approach. We are all part of the same environment. How do we work together to support kids in crisis who have thoughts of suicide because largely mental health problems like depression have gone untreated?” Jones explains. “People are afraid to get help or they don’t know where to get help.”

Jones believes Americans need to realize that mental health is an important as taking care of themselves physically. She and her “stretched to the limit staff:” which covers Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Stark, Marshall and Fulton counties, are especially concerned about the underserved rural populations who are more unlikely to search for help with mental health problems.

“Rural teens are at a greater risk than urban teens,” she states. “There is a much higher rate of suicide in rural areas,” she adds.

She believes that a greater access to firearms in rural communities can be a contributor. Jones feels another contributing factor is: “Asking for help from outsiders, particularly ‘fuzzy-headed’ liberals who live in town with strange values are not to be trusted,” she surmises. “There is wisdom behind that idea, but unfortunately, there is also isolation that results from that.”

Another outreach in place in Central Illinois for teens is the “Teens Need Teens” hotline which can be reached at 1-800-273-TALK. This hotline allows tri-county teens to confidentially talk about their problems with people their own age. This is connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.org on the internet.

“If you call from Peoria, you will get someone in Peoria, if they are busy, the technology will bounce your call to the next closet hotline in our state.
“Everyone answering these calls is accredited through American Association of Suicidology (AAS) or another accrediting body,” she states. Locally, they currently have 30 volunteers and six staff manning phones 24 hours a day.

“As we see the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline get co-marketed with websites and TV commercials, we see the rate of calls increase, so that is a good thing,” says Jones.
She states men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, so they have developed a campaign called “Real Men, Real Depression.”

“We are ‘first thing’ locally in stigma reduction in the vein of focusing on men because they are top priority in terms of their highest risk through promoting a speakers bureau call ‘Stories of Recovery,’” says Jones. “This bureau provides speakers young and old from all different walks of life that speak in churches, schools, local businesses and police departments that say, ‘Hey, I suffered from mental illness and I am in recovery.’Jones realizes with her limited staff, she can’t be everything to everyone.

“We have to target the most at-risk populations with the most science-based effective approaches and then expand from there,” she says.

A study released in November, America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for People and Their Communities, ranks the overall health of each state. The 18th annual report places Illinois at 27th in the nation, which is two places lower than in 2006.

The report was sponsored by United Health Foundation, an independent and not-for-profit foundation funded by United Health Group, and the American Pubic Health Association, an organization of public health professionals from around the world. Vermont tops the 2007 list, with Minnesota, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Connecticut rounding out the top five. The bottom five includes Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, respectively.

The study ranks states based on numerous factors, including the prevalence of smoking, binge drinking, and obesity; and the number of poor mental and physical health days.

The study ranks Illinois 27th in the nation in prevalence of smoking, with 20.5% of the population who are at least 18 and smoke on a regular basis.

Illinois is ranked 47 with 19.5% of the population age 18 and over participating in binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least five drinks for a male and four for a female in one sitting.

Both the prevalence of smoking and binge drinking give an indication of the amount of drug and alcohol use in the population, as well as the presence of addictive behaviors.

With a ranking of 24th in the nation, 25.1% of the population of Illinois is obese, which is having a body mass index of 30 or higher. Obesity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and various other diseases.

The study also looks at a population’s number of poor mental health days. A poor mental health day, as defined by the study, is when daily activities are limited due to a person’s mental health difficulties. Illinois has the 13th highest number of poor mental health days in the country, with 3% of the population experiencing such difficulties each month.

Similarly, poor physical health days are days when a person’s ability to perform daily activities are limited due to physical health difficulties. The study ranks Illinois 17, and 3.3% of residents experience poor physical health each month. Both of these are general indicators of a population’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis.

Despite all the above issues, there have not been any significant decreases in the health of Illinois in the past year; however, there also have not been any significant increases. As it turns out, the nation as a whole is remaining stagnant in health improvements. Between 1990 and 2000, the health of the nation increased an average of 1.5% annually, but since 2000 there has not been any nationwide improvement. In fact, the average health of the nation decreased by 0.3% since last year.

The health community constantly reminds us of this dismal news with reports of our declining health and increasing waistlines. Many people may be trying to become healthier and have specific health goals but are having trouble making the changes. When taking steps to live a healthier life, it is important to remember to make any health-related goal realistic and possible. Trying to attain an impossible goal will ultimately lead to surrender, which only makes it harder to set another goal.

The next step to leading a healthy lifestyle is to eat right and get plenty of exercise. This step may seem obvious, but with the popularity of crash diets and fad weight-loss drugs, many people lose sight of the fact that becoming healthy requires changes that need to last a lifetime.

The food pyramid is a list of recommendations from the Department of Agriculture aimed at cultivating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and is aimed at the general public over age two. Those with chronic health conditions may need a more appropriate diet and should consult a health provider.

According to the food pyramid, a healthy diet is rich in fruits and vegetables. An average person should consume approximately two cups of fruits and vegetables in a day, along with three cups of calcium-rich foods (like non-fat or low-fat dairy products). Additionally, it is recommended to eat whole grains, as opposed to processed or white grains. Protein is also an important part of a healthy diet and should include lean meats and poultry, fish, beans, and nuts.

Alcohol should be avoided since it contains a lot of calories with little or no health benefit, but f you choose to drink alcohol, limit it to one drink a day for women and two drinks for men. One drink counts as 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of liquor.

A common problem with weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is portion control. Many of us are not fully aware of portion sizes. For example, an entire bagel may contain five or more ounces of grain, which may equal the recommended amount in a day. A good trick to maintaining portion control is to use smaller plates, bowls, and glasses. Also, it’s a good idea to measure out food beforehand to gauge how large a serving should be.

The exact amount of food and calories a person should consume depends on various factors, like age, weight, and amount of physical activity. The standard measurement is approximately 2,000 calories per day but it may be more or less, depending on the individual.

A healthy lifestyle is not only what a person eats but also how much physical activity is present. At a minimum, one should strive towards doing moderate exercise for 30 minutes at least three days a week; however, 60-90 minutes of exercise every day is recommended to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Moderate exercise is any type of activity where the breath and heartbeat quicken slightly, like what one experiences during a brisk walk. For the average person, moderate exercise is walking three miles in approximately 30 minutes.

Daily exercise not only helps with weight loss and maintenance, it also improves self-esteem, flexibility, and posture; helps build muscle and strong bones; and decreases feelings of stress and anxiety.

Most people should be able to start a moderate exercise program without seeing a doctor, but if you are hesitant or have any medical problems, please see your health care provider.

With the stress of everyday life, many of us do not feel there is enough time to exercise daily. A day’s worth of physical activity can be done all at once or can be divided up into smaller increments throughout the day, as long as each session is at least ten minutes. Incorporating exercise into daily life does not have to be expensive or time consuming as taking a class or going to the gym; it can be as easy as walking during lunchtime, playing with kids, walking the dog, washing a car, cleaning the house, or using a treadmill or stationary bike while watching TV.

It is important to remember that exercise does not give anyone the excuse to eat excessively. While an increase in physical activity may allow an increase in calorie intake to prevent unwanted weight loss, do not go overboard with calories or an unhealthy diet.

Visit www.mypyramid.gov to learn more about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. The site has resources to build a personalized My Pyramid Plan outlining what and how much to eat based on age, weight, and activity level.

Ten new short stories by Illinois writers, illustrated with original art, are featured in the 2007 edition of Downstate Story, Peoria’s only literary magazine. The downstate Illinois writers in this issue are Pepper Bauer of Mapleton; Connie Stepe of East Peoria; Dick Quinn of Macomb; Eric Strand of Bloomington; Bud Bartlett of Springfield; Susan Srikant of Urbana, whose story won an award in Illinois Emerging Writers Competition sponsored by the Illinois Center for the Book at the Illinois State Library; and Robert McKown of Decatur, currently an inmate in the federal prison at Pekin.

Illustrations are by Peoria area artists Ed Levene and Amy Frasca, along with Bill Whitney of Wheaton. Other writers are Kimberley Donald of Kankakee, Lorie Kolak of Chicago and Robert McEvilla of Gurnee.

Published by Downstate Story, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, the magazine aims to present original fiction by Illinois writers and writers with ties to the Midwest as a quality alternative to today’s mass-market publishing. It costs $8 and is available at bookstores and gift shops, or can be ordered from the publisher or website.

The publication makes an interesting gift from the region, and is easily mailed.

THE FACTS

1. Limited edition. Probable collector’s item. Original art.

2. Politically correct. Contributors paid for their work. No government funds used. Union printer.

3. Something for everyone. Stories reflect diversity of authors, and include romance, horror, fantasy, mainstream fiction.

4. Promotes quality reading. Content realistic but not X-rated.

5. Promotes Illinois and Midwestern writers and artists.

6. New concept for the arts. Provides outlet for local writers and artists to reach local audiences.

7. Original work. None ever published before.

8. Quality work. Stories and art comparable to work in Harpers, Atlantic , The New Yorker.

9. No poetry.

For more info, call 688-1409.

It was another wonderful Christmas. So much happening in the community and on television and radio. Special thanks to East Peoria for the splendid Festival of Lights including another spectacular parade and for returning the beautiful lighted wreath to the hillside for all to enjoy. Peoria’s longest consecutive running Santa parade was a big hit as well, although I don’t understand how a red pickup truck with an American flag qualified to be in the parade. Ugh! Whoever approved that entry ought to be horse-whipped with a real horse, as Royce would say. There were a lot of terrific Christmas music and drama programs on television. The best shows were on the Hallmark channel. The happy, positive and inspiring themes made the shows most enjoyable. And the same might be said for those radio stations programming all of the Christmas music. Special accolades to WOAM-AM, 1350. Kelly Communications featured Christmas music 24 hours a day seven days a week, with the exception of Saturday mornings.

Congratulations to the Peoria Journal for its sponsorship again of the 60th annual Christmas Sing at the Peoria Courthouse Plaza. It marked the return of song leader and former mayor Jim Maloof. Sir James missed last year while recovering from injuries he suffered in an automobile accident. He was in his usual fine voice. Due to the cold temperatures, attendance was around 150.

Politics was the only disappointment during the Christmas season. The constant political news, the debates, the stories, and the presidential candidates were boring. It supports the argument against those who moved up the primary dates in Iowa and New Hampshire. They shortened the campaign season by moving the primaries to April and the general election to November. Spare us all of the campaign news in December. We have better things to think about and enjoy. Hopefully.

GOOFS & GOOF-OFFS IN 2007

As we look forward to the News Year, permit me to review the year that just ended with some special awards.

FIBBER OF THE YEAR

No contest here. Democrat Senator Harry Reid. He wins for stating, “The surge isn’t working.” It was and is. Britain just turned over a province to the Iraqi government.

Virtually every one, including another anti-surge spokesman, Colonel Klink, I mean John Murtha, has acknowledged that the surge was working. Another Reid fib was obvious when he announced that global warming had caused the California fires. Later, a teenager admitted he started the fires. Reid should submit to a urine test.

ELECTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

A number of people qualified for the award. My choice is Peoria County Board chairman, Bill Prather. Despite an overwhelming Democratic majority on the board, Prather divided board chairmanships evenly. The result has been virtual elimination of the backroom wheeling and dealing that took place for too many years by former board chairpersons Dave Williams and Sharon Kennedy. County government is much healthier and cooperative.

2007 LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

The winner is Patrick Ulrich, Peoria County administrator. Ulrich has done an outstanding job attacking county problems from Bel-Wood to finances. This year’s budget, guided by Ulrich, his staff and department heads, was approved in record time, primarily because it was reviewed and discussed in a professional and bipartisan way by all parties concerned. Ulrich deserves much of the credit. Runner-up is Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgard. Steve has established an excellent working relationship with just about everyone including Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy. He has an open mind and makes himself available to the community.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Peoria and Central Illinois are fortunate to have so many fine people coaching in our schools. Bradley University soccer coach Jim DeRose wins this award and will also probably win the Tri-County Coach of the Year award from the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame. He took his unranked Braves team to the Final 8 of the NCAA. Though shutout in their loss to Ohio State, DeRose and his players can be proud of their record setting season.

SCAM OF THE YEAR

Thanks to the left-wing national media, the Scam of the Year featured Republican Senator Larry Craig. Poor guy got caught playing “footsie” in a men’s restroom stall with an undercover detective who apparently thought the accused gay was more important than a potential airport hijacker. Craig first resigned and then changed his mind … perhaps after talking to Barney Frank, admitted gay, who was accused of once having a gay prostitute ring operating out of the house he owned.

Tied for first place with the Larry Craig media scam is the ongoing effort to convince the American people the economy is terrible, or as the Associated Press said, “a bleak economy.” But, here are the facts to counter that media scam:

*4.7% unemployment one of the lowest ever

*productivity up nearly 5%, fastest in 4 years

*more jobs have been created by President Bush than any other President in the country’s history - 8.4 million jobs since the 2003 tax cuts

*GDP up 18.5% since Bush was elected

*deficit reduced from $401 million to $163 million

*discretionary income for U.S. consumers grew to a record high $1.7 trillion.

FOX NEWS & POOR TASTE

Fox News is the clear leader among cable networks, but they were scraping the bottom of the barrel Sunday, December 16. Appearing on the morning show was a female porn starlet, Mary Carey. She was being interviewed and praised for raffling off a bit of her anatomy for breast cancer research. It was poor taste and ill-timed during the time of the year we celebrate the birth of Christ. Shame on Fox News. And shame on the male and female Fox hosts for their jolly and tasteless interview.

WELCOME RYNE SANDBERG

Pete Vonachen had it right. He privately suggested that Ryne Sandberg just might be returning as manager of the Peoria Chiefs. Vonachen told this writer a couple of months ago that there had been no apparent managerial changes in the Cub farm system. This meant there was no place for Sandberg to move up.

So, that’s good news for local baseball fans. Sandberg’s presence last season helped the local ball club to set an attendance record. He’ll do the same in 2008.

Vonachen and Peoria Chief executive Ralph Converse were guests on WOAM’s “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” Wednesday, December 19.

ELECTION COMMISSION MAKES IT OFFICIAL

As exclusively reported in this column last month, the City Election Commission has new legal counsel. You’ll recall Mary Harkrader and Camille Gibson fired long-time commission counsel, Bob Day and then hired the county state’s attorney’s office. State’s attorney Kevin Lyons notified election officials his office was bowing out of those duties. The law firm of Howard and Howard has been hired. No surprise there.

INTELLIGENCE?

The CIA has been roundly criticized for allegedly misreading and misinterpreting intelligence in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction. However, three well-known liberal CIA officials have announced Iran doesn’t have the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons. That dangerous conclusion was rapidly accepted as “gospel truth” by the left-wing media and some Democrats. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence has a different opinion. They’ve announced the American NIE report is flawed and inaccurate. So who do you believe? Senator Kit Bond, the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, says Iran is continuing to enrich uranium “which is a long pole in the tent of getting towards having a nuclear weapon, and they are continuing to work on a missile program which could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon by missile.” I ask again, “Who do you believe?” Which reports makes the U.S. safer?

A LOOK BACK

While Christmas shopping, I ran into former Manual athlete Gene Waller, one of the really nice guys in our community. An end on the 1951 Manual football team, Waller recounted a game with Kewanee. He said at half-time the Rams were trailing 12-0. Manual coach Bob Jauron told his players if they came back to beat the Boilermakers, he would name his soon-to-be-born son after Manual. Waller said Manual did come back and win and Jauron fulfilled his promise to the team. He and his wife named their son, Richard Manual Jauron. Dick Jauron was to coach the Chicago Bears and is now coach of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.

GOOD LUCK CHANNEL 47

As everyone knows, local public broadcasting is in financial trouble. The station and its staff are rallying for support from central Illinois in the hopes of saving it from bankruptcy and acquisition by the bank. People want to know what happened and why? The short-term explanation failed to convince some people during the televised appeal. A fairly good sum of money has been pledged. It’ll be interesting to see whether the effort will impress bank officials. WTVP needs Jimmy Stewart to come running in from the snow and “It’s A Wonderful Life” to save the station.

NAMES IN THE NEWS

New Bradley University president Joanne K. Glasser has only been in Peoria and on the Hilltop for a short time, but has already won the hearts of many. Her unabashed enthusiasm for Bradley basketball and soccer and everything red and white has installed her as a winner. Word is she has moved the talented Dave Snell from Development, as in fund-raising, to kind of a special assistant to the president. I’ve also heard that former PJS editorialist Shelley Epstein, employed at Ameren CILCO, will be writing speeches for Glasser. If that rumor is true, that’s a surprise decision.

Mocha Joe’s in the Metro Center reportedly will close its door December 31. Apparently, the nearby Starbucks had a devastating influence on revenue. Too bad. Mocha Joe’s was a favorite stop for a lot of coffee and hot chocolate drinkers who enjoyed the brews at competitive prices.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way; if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

A medical test was recommended. Insurance cards and forms were completed, and competent health professionals conducted the procedure. A follow-up exam was urged and completed. Good news. Time passed. (More than six months.)

The first notice that hundreds of dollars was past due came as an initial statement from the medical center 26 weeks later. A kind woman answered a phone call, looked up the account, and noted that a Preferred Provider plan applied the first charge to a deductible, then denied the second charge. The secondary insurer, an HMO, never responded to the medical provider.

Contacted, the HMO said they’d not received an Explanation of Benefits from the PPO. Called again, the PPO - which sent no previous notice about anything - said they’ll send one.

The balance remains unpaid.

Health insurers that drag their feet like turtles on sedatives are familiar - for people fortunate enough to even have health insurance.

In fact, according to the state Office of Legislative Research in Connecticut (where several insurance corporations are based), such practices aren’t uncommon, with some actions “arbitrary, reckless, intentional, malicious [and] fraudulent.” States supposedly regulate insurers through laws like the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Acts, which mandate that insurers process claims promptly and prohibit requiring unnecessary or repetitive reports or forms. Still, some health insurers don’t handle claims promptly, delay settling claims, deny claims without reasonable justification, require duplicate information, cancel policies or increase premiums - all to avoid paying and to boost profits.

The problem with health care is less about health providers than insurance providers.

Nevertheless, timid reformers in Springfield and Washington are confusing proposals to provide health insurance with providing health care. Only Democrats John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich advocate plans addressing the need to efficiently provide health care to all Americans: a single-payer system.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has pushed an expansion of health-care coverage despite misgivings by public advocates, his own party, and an increasingly divided labor movement. The California Nurses Association strongly supports single payer, as do more than 350 union locals, as well as 80-some members of the House of Representatives on record as backing such as bill (HR 676), plus millions of regular Americans.

“Single-payer” describes a way to run a program in which one entity administers it - a government, in the case of Canada’s health-care system. The single payer collects all fees for the goal, like health care, and disburses all payments. Incidentally, “universal health care” isn’t the same thing. It may be single-payer, but it needn’t be. Universal health care refers to programs intended to guarantee that everyone in a certain place - state or nation - has access to most types of health care, and in theory that could be arranged through existing health insurers.

But they are part of the problem - financially more wasteful than skyrocketing hospital costs, redundant (and expensive) medical equipment, malpractice insurance and the lawsuits (and malpractice itself) that cause it, and exorbitant salaries for a few medical professionals.

Amazingly, AFL-CIO leader John Sweeney and leaders of the breakaway Change to Win labor coalition in November spoke out in favor of Blagojevich’s employer-based state health insurance reform plan, similar to one introduced by Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.), Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) and Ed Rendell (D-Pa.).

Such employer-based “reforms” are criticized by the California Nurses Association (CNA), Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and other progressive groups as undermining a better solution - a single-payer system.

“Blagojevich [first] proposed to raise taxes, which Illinoisans would then pay to insurance companies - but private insurers are the problem, not the solution,” said Dr. Quentin Young, an Illinoisan who co-founded and leads PNHP. “The only effective solution is a single-payer public insurance program.

“We pay the world’s highest health-care taxes already,” he continued. “While Canadians live longer and healthier, they spend just over $3,000 per capita, compared to our $7,000. Because we rely on private insurers, we pay more for less.”

Blagojevich says his plan is the best that can be done - echoing Hillary Clinton when she spearheaded the doomed “managed care” reform in the early 1990s.

“So much of what you do in government is done through political realities,” said Blagojevich, quoted in the publication Corporate Crime Reporter. “The art of politics in government is the recognition of what is possible. The choice is between whether you take an existing structure - an employer-based health care system - and build on that, shore that up, or whether you scrap the whole thing and create a whole new system that historically has not taken root in the United States.

“In a perfect world and in theory, the single-payer system is one that I could certainly support,” he added. “As a practical matter, I don’t think it is something we are going to achieve in the near future.”

Sweeney recognized single-payer’s popularity, but he seemed to surrender, too.

“I recognize that there is tremendous support for single payer,” he said. “But as the Governor has said, it is important that we move on health care coverage now with what we have the political will to achieve. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to continue to strive for a single-payer health care system.”

However, other interests threaten to derail single-payer before it ever gets on track.

Behind the retreat-as-reform press conference with Sweeney were two (labored-backed) insurance companies, Union Labor Life Insurance Co. and American Income Life, plus PhRMA (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America lobby), a Blue Cross Blue Shield consultant, and former Democratic Congressman Richard Gephardt, now with the world’s largest law firm, DLA Piper (which represents more than half of the top 250 companies in the Fortune 500). The appearance was put on by “America’s Agenda: Health Care for All,” whose board includes a few union leaders, attorney Joseph Bock (a campaign contributor to Republican and Democratic candidates alike) and PhRMA vice president Jan Faiks.

Young, the PNHP doctor, said other proposals for reform are inferior, “patch-quilt failed systems that won’t work.”

Only Edwards’ proposal even comes close, he continued, and Clinton in particular “is ultimately duplicitous. People are being ripped off and these liberal Democrats are doing nothing to ease their pain.”

Independent-minded progressives and conservatives see the problem with relying on insurers.

Daniel Gallington in the conservative Washington Times newspaper last month wrote, “Private insurance companies are licking their chops over national insurance ideas that would have billions of dollars paid to them - no matter who pays.”

Young summarizes the real choice - one ignored by all Republican and most Democratic Presidential candidates and a troubling number of labor leaders.

“Replacing private insurers with a single public coverage program - a kind of Medicare for all - would recover enough funds currently lost to administration to cover all Illinoisans without additional cost to the state, businesses or consumers,” Young said.

For details on single-payer health-care, go online to -http://www.pnhp.org/facts/what_is_single_payer.php.

Also, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has a valuable Frequently Asked Questions page - http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

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

* Mark Serreze may have finally gotten through to even some of the most oblivious American politicians. He simply stated that, “the Arctic is screaming.” Dr. Serreze, senior scientist at the government’s snow and ice center in Boulder, CO, could have pointed out that Greenland’s ice sheet this year lost some 19 BILLION TONS more than previous high mark, or that the Arctic sea ice at this summer’s end was half as extensive as it was just 4 years earlier (and much thinner). But statistics haven’t seemed to budge the United States (largest greenhouse gas emitter) into action. The planet continues to warm. This is nowhere more evident than in the Arctic. Many scientists now fear global warming may have already exceeded previous worst case scenarios, and we may have passed a tipping point in which this process could now speed up dramatically. It is becoming increasingly obvious that a quick change in direction is needed, if we are to have a chance to influence consequences.

* In a remote jungle in the Papua Province of New Guinea, scientists discovered several new species, but two are of particular interest, because they are mammals. A giant rat, five times larger than our city pests, was found, along with a tiny opossum. Both species are new to science. The rat, apparently has no fear of humans and wandered into the scientists’ camp several times.

* Vitamin D may save your life, not just your bones. It’s long been associated with rickets (softening of bones) in children. Now rickets is being referred to as “the tip of the iceberg.” Other maladies associated with vitamin D deficiency include cancers (colon, prostate, and breast) and tuberculosis, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis. It now appears this vitamin is needed for overall optimal health. The body produces vitamin D from sunlight exposure. With our increasingly indoor lifestyle, added vitamin D supplements may be recommended.

* Not quite ready to resurrect a dinosaur, but amazingly, paleontologist, Mary Schneider has isolated proteins from a 68 million year old T. Rex fossil. When the protein sequences were compared to others, the T-Rex most closely resembled the genome of today’s chickens (partly because they happened to have those proteins for comparison). This is more validation of the connections between dinosaurs and modern birds.

* Australia is suffering under what is being called the worst drought in a millennium. The intergovernmental panel on climate change warned that the water shortage will intensify there. Ross Young, executive director of the Water Services Association of Australia, states, “Australia is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the impact of climate change on water resources…. The lesson from Australia is that the shift has been very dramatic and has occurred in a very short period.”

* Several reports in 07 make the case that the Bush Administration stifles scientists and attempts to alter their research findings. An internal order by Dept. of Commerce in April, requires scientists in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to obtain permission before speaking about scientific matters “of official importance.” Undoubtedly this pertains to climate change. All employee utterance is subject to “official review.” This chilling of the free flow of ideas damages the scientific process itself. According to Francesca Grifo, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Scientific Integrity Program, “Science works by building on research results and discussion of what’s working or not working. It’s part of this administration’s reluctance to base decisions on information.”

* Medical workers who had been accused of intentionally giving AIDS to children in Libya, and who had been sentenced to death by firing squad, were freed this past July, based largely upon evidence from viral DNA. They had been under arrest since 1999. Using genetic data from the virus in the children’s blood as a molecular clock, biologists from the University of Oxford proved the outbreak had occurred long before the accused medics even started working at the Libyan hospital.

* Bees have been disappearing for no apparent reason in the U.S. Referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a mysterious affliction has had many in the food industry very concerned, and has wiped out over 50 percent of colonies in 35 states. Bees, after all, pollinate a third of our food crops. In September entomologists came closer to tracking down the culprit. They’ve found a link to Israeli acute paralysis virus. Whether this might be a cause or a symptom of CCD isn’t known. The stress on colonies, for example, of moving over vast distances by semi truck for pollination purposes, might actually trigger the disorder.

* New genetic evidence indicates recent evolution in the human genome. In fact, as much as ten percent of the human genome has continued to change over the past hundred thousand years. Evidence shows recent selection, including genes that affect muscle tissue, hair, hearing, immune-system function, skin pigmentation, sense of smell, and response to heat stress. Some changes seem obvious. A change that provides an immune advantage would likely spread throughout a population. Some forces of change, however, such as hair follicle genes, are more difficult to explain.

* The appendix may not be as useless as had been assumed. In September surgeons and immunologists at Duke University offered a reason for this strange structure located near the beginning of the large intestine. Biochemist, William Parker had been looking at closely bound communities of bacteria called biofilms. In the gut, biofilms aid digestion, produce nutrients, and crowd out harmful invaders. In humans the greatest concentration of these occurs in the appendix. It’s been suggested that when diarrheal illnesses like cholera deplete the microflora of the intestine, the appendix may play an important role in restoring protective bacterial populations back into the large intestine. This would convey a survival advantage.

* A three hundred million year old forest has been indentified in Illinois. All told the fossilized forest floor covers some four square miles. The leafy layer is held up by columns of coal, affording a vole’s eye view from beneath. Because sediment had slowly crept in over these plants over several months, tiny plants, including mosses and ferns, have been preserved in detail.

* For many years the disappearance of some thirty five genera of animals from North America had been blamed on Native American hunters. Now it appears there is an alternate explanation. A team of scientists announced in May that about thirteen thousand years ago, a miles-wide comet seems to have exploded just north of the Great Lakes, triggering wide spread fires, immense clouds of debris, and a thousand year cold spell. The result was the disappearance of numerous animals along with many of the human inhabitants.

The New Year, 2008, will see an election. Usually there are some implications for science in America. Keep this in mind in November.

With the start of the new year, I thought it appropriate to take a look back as some of the news that caught my eye during 2007:

The race to replace Congressman Ray: First, U.S. Representative Ray LaHood’s decision to retire caught everyone by surprise. He was one of the first GOP members of the House to call it quits this election cycle because, as LaHood himself says, it’s no fun to be a member of a minority party. It threw re-election plans for a loop throughout the 18th District. State Rep. Aaron Schock essentially blew off LaHood’s suggestion that everyone wait before endorsing anyone. But Schock sprung into action. Behaving like he was following a pre-planned strategy, Schock worked the phones and contacted all party leaders and got their endorsements.

From the moment he decided to run, Schock has gone out of his way to make it appear that he’s the inevitable nominee. The other two guys in the race - former Peoria City Council member John Morris and Heartland Partnership CEO Jim McConoughey aren’t playing along with this scheme, however. They both have put up viable campaigns. And Aaron hasn’t helped his own cause with numerous foot-in-mouth incidents. Yes, it’s true: He really did suggest selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan. Yes, he really did get kicked out of county party headquarters for running a national campaign out it (it’s a campaign spending violation). Yes, he really did send out literature suggesting LaHood as endorsing him, when LaHood isn’t. It’s really making Schock look out to be too immature for the job.

There wasn’t a shortage of folks considering seeking the Democratic nomination. But in the end, it was as hard getting a viable Democratic candidate as it usually is in the 18th. Dick Versace - the guy who coached B.U. more than two decades ago - tossed his hat in the ring. But he took his hat out of the ring a few months later, too late for anyone to get into the primary. There are some folks reconsidering their decision to not be considered.

A big gulp of racism: Black people weren’t getting inside the 4 a.m. bars in downtown Peoria. In fact, there were often very large numbers of them hanging outside the bars. Some complained the bars’ rather silly dress codes were keeping them out. Some have suggested that occupancy rules were keeping them out. Sure. Whatever. In any case, large groups of black people loitering in Peoria isn’t exactly conducive to promoting convention trade. Eventually, the Peoria City Council added one bar to the 4 a.m. liquor zone. It’s owned by a black person and caters to black people. This is supposed to lure some of the loiterers there.

The whole mess made Peoria look bad, but I can’t really call it racism when the city gives a minority business owner a coveted 4 a.m. license. Of course, the puritans in Peoria were aghast. If the latest a bar could stay open in Peoria was 2 a.m., they would complain that any bar was allowed to stay open past midnight. Hell, these folks are upset that grocery stores can stay open on Sunday. In my humble opinion, the city’s decision works, even if it is inelegant, and codifies what I think is a form of racism being practiced by some of these bars. But I don’t want the city putting itself in a position of trying to decide where and when some business is discriminating. Let the state and federal courts do their jobs for a change.

A study in contrast: A passenger in a car on Interstate 74 is killed by a brick tossed from an overpass. A Bradley University student died in a fire started by his roommates. These two stories are related, in that they happened at approximately the same time frame, and the public linked them. As soon as news of Katrina Kelly’s death hit the streets on July 14, people were calling it cold-blooded and calculated murder. This was the general public’s conclusion before anyone knew anything about how or why this happened. But when Danny Dahlquist died on Aug. 12 in a fire set by his roommates, the public almost immediately seemed to clamor for forgiveness and mercy. Rakiem Campbell pleaded guilty in Peoria County Circuit Court to vehicular endangerment in exchange for a 15-year sentence - the maximum under law - for tossing the concrete block that killed Kelly. As part of the deal, a murder charge was dismissed. Much of the public considers the sentence too lenient.

Nicholas Mentgen, Ryan Johnson, David Crady, Daniel Cox are still awaiting trial on relatively minor arson and fireworks possession charges for their lethal, drunken prank. Their sentences, even if they go to trial, will almost certainly not approach the ten years that Campbell is likely to serve. I’m guessing if these people serve any time in prison at all, it will be condemned by some for not being lenient enough.

So what are the differences? Well, the roommates knew their victim and tried to save his life when their realized their prank went wrong. In Campbell’s case, this was just the last in a long list of violent behavior. He didn’t know his victim, and there’s no evidence he expected anything other than harm to come to someone.

But there’s another difference: Campbell is black. The BU students were white. Only a fool would think these cases are identical. But only a fool would think that race played no role in the differing reactions by the public and the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s office.

Kellar Branch re-opens to Pioneer Rail Corp: It’s over folks. The Keller Branch rail line - which runs from the river to waaaaaaay out in North Peoria beyond Pioneer Parkway, is NOT coming down. Period. End of story. The Surface Transportation board has had its the final say. Pioneer Rail Corp (who the City of Peoria wanted to kick off the line) and Central Illinois Railroad (who the city hired to oversee the line until it’s demolished) has long since turned on the city and wants to be the lone provider. The folks who wanted to rip out this line and replace it with - I kid you not, a walking/biking trail - are flabbergasted they aren’t getting their way. They are just soooooo used to the fact that developers usually get what they want in Peoria.
Manual 22: Twenty two students at Manual and ten at Woodruff High School were given jaywalking tickets. And it was a huge story for about a month. Community activist Rita Ali, who witnessed the incident, said students were not walking down middle of the street. Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard stood by his officers, who reported they were jaywalking. The whole thing collapsed, and the tickets were dismissed after the students attended assemblies. The vehemence at which white people wanted these kids punished surprised me, as did as the insistence by black people that the police are targeting them in a deliberate effort to keep black people down. I don’t buy the conspiracy theories. And I am also fairly certain that black drivers are more likely to be stopped that white drivers. But I’ve also talked to whites and blacks who have encountered the aggressive, confrontational style of jaywalking that so frightens people.

GateHouse Media buys the Journal Star, other central Illinois Newspapers: It took them little time to offer buyout agreements to veteran staffers. They’ve refused to replace reporters who quit to take other jobs or those who were promoted to fill vacancies. They laid off support personnel. I’ve lost track of the number of lost positions. In my humble opinion, I’ve noticed a decline in enterprise reporting, shorter articles and bylined articles that seem more like press releases. I think it’s due to having an overworked staff. GateHouse Media has also bought out newspapers in Galesburg, Springfield, Lincoln, not to mention local weeklies in the Times Newspapers chain. This includes my old stomping grounds, the Peoria Times-Observer. If this continues, Peorians can forget about being able to get quality print journalism from their one and only newspaper of record. Putting out a quality newspaper requires people with enough time and resources to do the job. GateHouse seems intent on gutting the paper to nothingness.

District 150 caves: Last year, District 150, the Peoria Park District and the Peoria Housing Authority made a behind-closed-doors agreement that would have shuttered Glen Oak School and led to the construction of a huge new school on land adjacent to Glen Oak Park. Essentially, the park would become the school’s de facto playground. The nearby community freaked, because they didn’t want their kids walking that far and across Prospect Avenue; they didn’t want to lose any more park land to development; and they didn’t want to see GOS shuttered, as it would continue to destabilize the neighborhood. After a long and bitter fight, the park board declined to participate, but not before the allegedly cash-strapped school district paid top dollar prices to buy some property on Prospect. THIS YEAR, the district did it right. Rather than have no public input, they had public input on steroids. They held a series of public hearings, moderated by an outsider, and ended up deciding to follow the advice they were given consistently at these hearings: Build TWO schools to replace the total of four schools that will be closed. The only question that remains is where the East Bluff School will be built.

Predictions:

1. There will be new taxes coming into Peoria City Hall’s coffers to pay for additional firefighters, additional police officers and other projects. City Council members are sick of saying “no” to reasonable requests for sidewalks and lighting projects (among other things). This new tax revenue might come from taxes on liquor and on drive-thru fast food (it’s an idea I heard once proposed to pay for litter cleanup). There might, perhaps, be some sort of public service fee attached to utility bills, one based on usage, that might get institutions like BU and the hospitals to pay their fair share for the services they receive.

2. There will be BIG changes proposed for Peoria School District 150. At least, there will be if they don’t get their heads out of the clouds and apply some common sense to their decision making.

3. Peoria School District 150 will pick the current Glen Oak School site as the location for its new East Bluff school.

As a girl I spent a lot of time in church. My dad had a key to the building and we often arrived early so he could check the sound system and set up mikes. During those seemingly endless hours, I explored every crevice of the sanctuary, participated in races under the pews (the sanctuary was 3/4 of a city block long) and learned how to say “test, test, test, test 1-2-3″ in a microphone until my voice boomed from the rafters.

I loved being at church so much I began hiding under the pews when it was time to go home. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had a kid brother who kept blowing my cover, I believed I could’ve stayed forever.

I soon found myself praying, “Please God, let me live at your house.”

I don’t remember how many times that request formed in my little heart, but somehow it got buried under the hundreds of thousands of prayers I’ve uttered since. In fact, I forgot all about it until just last month when God chose to answer my childhood prayer.

Now, let me state that I honestly never thought that a prayer like that would ever be answered. I mean, children don’t really know what they’re asking for, and their prayers can seem pretty silly. After all, church is not a real “house” that we live in. It’s a metaphor, right?

Of course it is. That’s why my prayer wasn’t answered in the way my juvenile mind had perceived. Instead, the answer came in an inconceivably, unbelievably incomprehensible way - in other words, God’s way.

It all started with a job interview in 06 for a church secretary position. I wasn’t hired, but the position was only part time so I couldn’t have accepted even if it had been offered. I thought that door was closed for good, but in God’s prayer-answering department, a silly, childhood wish was about to come true.

November 07 was falling off the calendar when God set in motion a series of unique circumstances that culminated in a full-time job offer with that church - my church. The moment the offer came, God brought to mind my little prayer and I realized something that I had been taught all my life but never quite believed: God knows the desire of my heart and he takes it very seriously.

As a child, I thought that physically staying in the church building meant that I would always feel good and always make God happy. Now I know that my desire was not for a building, but for a relationship. I wanted to always be with, and work with, those who love and seek God with their whole heart.

This long-time desire has been sustained through the years on several scriptures that I’ve always loved, but never realized until now that they became the pillars that have held firm this desire my entire life.

“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.

There are so many, many more verses like those, but this column could not stretch far enough to contain them all. Suffice it to say that the pew races were the humble beginning of a deep and enduring love for God’s house.

Editorial note: the author does not endorse pew racing as an acceptable form of church behavior; please do not send this article to her parents.

The Central Illinois Jazz Society, Serving Central Illinois Since 1978 presents Illinois Central Jazz Train at 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. and the CIJS House Band at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, January 20, 2008 at the Radisson Hotel in the Mozart Room, 117 N. Western Avenue, Peoria.

The Illinois Central Jazz Train, directed by Larry Harms, is the newest performing group-in-residence at Illinois Central College. The Jazz Train was formed in August of 2004 and includes some of the finest young and seasoned jazz musicians in Central Illinois. They performed for the Ameren CILCO Summer Serenades in Peoria and Springfield this past summer. They were also the featured band at the Morton Pumpkin Festival this past fall.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the West Side Story premiere on Broadway, the Jazz Train will play a suite of new arrangements of the Mambo from West Side Story and from the Buddy Rich library. They will also present a March 25 concert at the ICC Performing Arts Center. The Tazwood Dance Company will provide choreography to the West Side Story numbers in the program.

They play selections by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and George Gershwin, as well as some original music by David Hoffman. One of the original members, Adam Larson, will graduate from University High School in Normal. He plans to continue his jazz studies in Manhattan. You’ll want to be sure to catch this very talented group. For more information call 692-5330 or 691-3259 or visit www.peoriajazz.com or www.midil.com/cijs.html.

The Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band will perform during the middle set, under the leadership of Larry Harms. The CIJS House Band features outstanding jazz musicians from the area. They will entertain you with a mixture of jazz styles. This talented group is the heart of our monthly jazz offerings for the jazz fans of Central Illinois. We are grateful to them for their variety of live jazz offerings. Come out, support them, and enjoy Live Jazz.

• Admission: $5.00 Members $7.00 Non-Members
• Children 14 years and under are free with an adult