Approximately 400 students in the high school graduating class of 2008 will be the first to experience and reap the benefits of a brand new scholarship program offered by the city of Peoria. Peoria Promise is Mayor Jim Ardis’ program to help every student residing in the city to receive a college education. All Peoria residents who graduate from a public high school (including Peoria Alternative and other specialized public schools) are eligible to receive the scholarship. Additionally, students who do not reside in the city of Peoria but attend and graduate from a District 150 school are eligible.

The program provides students with a scholarship to attend Illinois Central College (ICC) for up to two years or once a degree or certification program is completed, whichever comes first. Extensions of the scholarship may be available if a degree program requires more than 66 semester credit hours or if a student needs remedial classes. Students are not required to use the scholarship immediately after graduating; it is good up to two years after graduation.

While there is no minimum GPA for a student to take advantage of Peoria Promise, students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA while attending ICC and attend class full time (minimum of 12 credit hours).

Peoria Promise will cover tuition and mandatory fees, along with a book allowance. The scholarship program works on a sliding scale based on a student’s length of attendance, which is based on continuous enrollment in an eligible school and residency of the city. For students who reside in Peoria and have attended a public school for 13 years (K-12), the program will cover 100% of tuition at ICC. The percentage of tuition covered then decreases by 5% for each year not in attendance at a qualifying school.

Students who want to benefit from Peoria Promise must fill out the scholarship online application through the ICC website between January 1 and April 1 of each year. Also, qualifying students must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form (www.fafsa.ed.gov) to apply for any government grants and scholarships available. Also, ICC offers 350 scholarships to help students cover any remaining costs.

Peoria Promise is funded by private donations from citizens and companies around the Peoria area. The cost per student by the city will vary based on the percentage of tuition covered, but (calculating $75 per semester hour at ICC) the program is estimated to cost between $800,000 and $1 million for the 2008-2009 school year. So far, Peoria Promise has earned about $500,000 in contributions for this school year, which is short of their needed goal.

Julie Hammond, project manager of Peoria Promise, says the program has a “very good commitment from the business community, but [we] are still short of our projected needs.” Some companies around the Peoria area that have made significant contributions include: Ameren ($10,000), CEFCU ($100,000), Commerce Bank ($10,000), David Vaughn Associates ($15,000), ELM ($50,000), Illinois American Water Company ($50,000), OSF St. Francis ($50,000), and RLI ($67,000). The largest contributor to Peoria Promise is Caterpillar Inc with a promised donation of $100,000 per year for three years, as well as an additional $100,000 per year community match donation.

Ideally, the program will become self-sustaining and won’t always rely on fundraising and donations from others; however, the program will need a $45 to $50 million endowment to reach that goal.

In the meantime, organizers are reaching out to area businesses and holding fundraisers to boost the endowment. Peoria Promise is the beneficiary of the Hotel Pere Marquette’s annual Pere Gala event held May 2, which has been known to raise $100,000. The gala will feature artist Michael Israel and his “Art in Concert” show.

In addition to monetary donations, the program needs volunteers to help with a range of activities, including fundraising and clerical support.

Peoria Promise is modeled after the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan. Like Peoria Promise, Kalamazoo Promise uses a sliding scale based on a student’s length of residence in the community; however, the scholarship pays for tuition at any public community college or university in Michigan, up to four years. Costs of the Kalamazoo Promise are covered by a self-sustaining endowment made possible by anonymous donors, similar to what Peoria Promise hopes to achieve.

Kalamazoo Promise is still relatively new, so the long-term effects are unknown, but many short-term effects have been seen. After about 40 years of declining secondary education enrollment, Kalamazoo has seen increases in enrollment. Additionally, the graduation rate of students has remained positive: only 10% of university students and 30% of students at community colleges have not maintained the program’s requirements and have had their funds taken away. The city has also seen rises in real estate and development. Organizers of the Peoria Promise hope to enrich and develop the community and economy in much the same way as the Kalamazoo Promise.

Peoria Promise may be seen solely as an educational program, but it is also intended to be an economic program. One of the main purposes of the program is to help develop the city’s economy. There is a direct correlation to the education in a community and the development of its economy. The program is expected to produce a larger and better-educated workforce, which brings related increases to income level. Scholarship programs like Peoria Promise afford low-income students the same opportunities as higher income students. Supporters of Peoria Promise believe about half of the students who take advantage of the program otherwise may not have been able to financially do so. This smaller gap between income and education will also have positive effects on the economy.

Organizers hope the program will increase the chances of students staying in the local area, thereby increasing real estate values into the community. The program’s website states that 70% of students who benefit from the scholarship stay in the area. As a result, home values may rise 7%, and median home prices may rise 4%.

Peoria Promise is still a new concept practiced by few communities across the nation. No one knows exactly what the long term, or even short term, effects will be, but Mayor Ardis and supporters of this program envision a better educated and enriched community for all. And that’s exactly what the residents of Peoria hope to see with Peoria Promise.

For more information, visit www.peoriapromise.com

Statistics reveal that Peoria lacks in the area of minority participation in suppliers of city construction services and general procurement. Therefore, in October 2007, the Peoria City Council approved and allocated $15,000 for a small business development program to be aimed at building capacity of such local firms. The City has made a commitment to enhance diversity among suppliers of construction needs. The City plans to educate contractors on how to improve their business operations in order to enhance the likelihood of success in the bidding process.

A short-term result should be an increase in the number of minority subcontractors that can perform various scopes of work for the upcoming 2008 construction season. Another goal is to multiply networking and contract opportunities. A long-term goal is to have a sustainable model program that enhances communities, maximizes growth in employment, provide educational opportunities and stimulates business development.

This initiative has resulted in the upcoming launching event, “Building Capacity & Bridging Communities,” will be held on April 14, 2008 at the Hotel Pere Marquette. Panelists include: Senator Dan Risinger, Councilman Bill Spears, Dan Silverthorne, Councilman Clyde Gulley, Dr. Amir Al-Khafaji, and Dawn Henson. The goal is to enhance development opportunities for the target audience and open a dialogue regarding critical success factors and potential barriers. The keynote speaker will be Herman J. Russell of H.J. Russell & Co of Atlanta, Georgia.

Contact Dawn Henson, Equal Opportunity Specialist for the City of Peoria at 494-8529

Where can people go to learn about area small business owners? Where can small business owners meet potential new customers and network with other small business owners? Where can small business owners go to learn more skills about successfully running their businesses?

How about the annual Women’s Business Owners Expo/Conference? This Expo, now in its 5th year, propels women as new entrepreneurs and existing business owners into seeding, growing, and accelerating their businesses. It provides an opportunity to make valuable contacts by networking, showcasing businesses, and making business contacts with those who can help with marketing, capitol, advertising, technology, wellness, branding, and IRS regulations. The Expo/Conference mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its small business owners and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; and to build strategic alliances with SCORE, DCEO, SBDC, and women affiliations; and to influence women with a business dream.

This 5th Annual Women’s Business Expo/Conference is May 31, 2008 at the Peoria Civic Center. Workshop presenters include Cindy Byrd on Business Branding, Learning QuickBooks Software by Wendi Ramsay, and IRS Regulations for Small Businesses by Katie Beard–a 30 year IRS veteran. The public is invited. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. (Registered guests receives free QuickBooks software) Visit www.peoriawomenexpo.com for more information.

The 5th Annual Women’s Business Owners Expo is pleased to announce Commerce Bank Small Business Program has renewed its partnership for 2008. WBO Expo and Commerce Bank formed this business relationship to help new entrepreneurs and existing business owners achieve and accomplish their personal and professional business goals.

“I am delighted by our partnership with Commerce Bank which will bring more business tools to striving women entrepreneurs.” said Doris Symonds, WBO executive producer. J. Boger Hessing, vice president and business banking specialist along with Cindy Hermann, Grand Prairie branch manager and assistant vice president, have demonstrated a strong commitment to educate women business owners on services directly in line with their needs as to the small business program resources, products, and services. Cindy continues to host the monthly Ladies Who Lunch Their Business to Success for women business owners to be better educated, more connected, and professionally mentored to grow their businesses to the next level. The luncheon is held on the third Thursday of each month. It is a forum where women can share information about their business.

“Commerce Bank Small Business Program recognizes the value and importance of women business owners and believes in Doris Symonds’ goals of accelerating women entrepreneurs in the community. We understand the individual needs of small business owners and are committed to providing a full range of resources, products, and solutions uniquely tailored to help many small businesses succeed,” says Cindy Hermann.

Commerce Bank offers a full range of products to meet small business needs, including business credit and debit cards, business loans, lines of credit, and business checking accounts. Commerce is a SBA preferred lender and provides specialized support designed to make it easier for business customers to manage their finances so that they can focus on what’s important to them. Information on Commerce Bank’s business products is available online at www.commercebank.com, or you are welcome to contact Cindy Hermann at (309) 999-3258.

CONTROVERSIAL HIRING

The hiring of former Caterpillar executive Henry Holling as interim City Manager was controversial. The long-time Cat official had previous experience in city management in Peoria that provided some wisdom for the recommended hiring. However, critics point to his drunken driving arrest within the last year and failure of the council to apparently consider other possible candidates with greater experience and no tickets for DUI.

Former Peoria County administrator David Krings told this writer he would’ve considered coming to Peoria only as an interim City Manager had he been asked. He wasn’t. Krings left Peoria many years ago to become administrator for Hamilton County in Cincinnati. He led that county government for many years and received accolades for his leadership during a time when two large stadiums were constructed for the baseball Reds and football Bengals. Today, Krings is busy serving as consultant for city and county governments around the country. He’s highly respected in his profession.

Other names tossed around included former Peoria Public Works Director, Steve Van Winkle; former District 150 Superintendent, Harry Whitaker; former State Senator George Shadid; and former Caterpillar CEO Glen Barton.

Bottom line is Holling was hired and I wish him well.

CLOSING THE BARN DOOR

The board of School District 150 made a landmark decision that’s the talk of the town, of central Illinois, if not the entire state. In changing the grade for a student and her family, the board is rightly being roundly criticized in virtually every segment of the community.

Even former superintendent Harry Whitaker was critical of the board’s action. Appearing on “Breakfast with Royce and Roger,” Whitaker said he was surprised the board didn’t support the teacher or the superintendent. “Had that happened when I was superintendent, I would probably be working somewhere else.”

Anyone who has served on a board knows its primary function is to develop policy.

Administering that policy is the job of administration and its staff. The board over-stepped its responsibilities. Big time. They all should be replaced. Voted out. Former Richwoods High School student Sarah Nichelson hit the nail on the head when she wrote, “I think now it is time to turn the tables and grade the School Board, which deserves an ‘F’ in meeting the needs of the students and teachers they serve.”

To save face, the board then voted to change its policy leaving grade appeals to the people in the trenches. Good idea, but a little late closing the barn door.

ELECTION RESULTS

As this column predicted, Aaron Shock ran away from his worthy opponents. It wasn’t close. I predicted Johan Gordon would defeat Al Mayer in a close race. It was. I also said Carol Van Winkle would beat her opponent, Kent Rotherham, for County Auditor. Since Rotherham was far more qualified as a CPA, I thought that race would be close. It wasn’t, nor was the race for County Coroner. The incumbent, Johanna Ingersoll, once again easily defeated George Blackburn.

LAY-OFFS COMING AT COMCAST CABLE

Comcast is the new cable company in town after its purchase of Insight. The purchase didn’t create any excitement, but it has caused anxiety among employees. Employees at Insight Media Advertising on Dries Lane and in Bloomington have learned they’ll lose their jobs come June. About eight are affected in Peoria and up to 12 in the Twin Cities. I’m told the employees were offered positions in Detroit where the local operations will be moved. Who wants to move to Detroit, the Baghdad of America, what with all the violent crime there? The Comcast lay-offs will affect some cable employees with over 20 years of longevity.

THE REST OF THE STORY

A few folks gathered for a Civic Center news conference last month to pat each other on the back for relocating over 200 plaques belonging to the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame. Actually, many of the old plaques were sold. New plaques, reduced in size, were installed on the outside of the concourse walls at the Civic Center. Previously, the Hall of Fame plaques graced the inside concourse walls. They were removed to make way for Bradley and Rivermen pictures.

New Civic Center Authority Board President Dr. Peter Couri was on hand for the glad-handing event and stated, “This exhibit was given top priority. The Civic Center is our sports center, so it was important to keep it here.”

Not so. I like Dr. Couri and worked closely with him, but he fudged on the truth and he knows it. There was never any intention for the Hall of Fame plaques to be relocated anywhere, especially on the walls of any Civic Center structure.

The truth is in 2005 Civic Center director Debbie Ritschel sent a letter to Michael Higgins, president of the sports board, announcing the pending removal of all of the plaques…..forever. The essence of the Ritschel letter was, “come and get your plaques. They’re no longer wanted at the Civic Center.” After Higgins read the Ritschel letter to Hall of Fame board members, the room was quiet. An air of resigned acceptance filled the room as Higgins moved to the next item of business, failing to ask for comment or voicing any objection or resistance. There was none until this writer said, “Wait a minute. Let’s talk about this. We need to discuss this move by the Civic Center.” Phil Salzer then joined in and so did fellow member Ed Murphy. With support from other board members, the three of us decided to object to Civic Center plans and seek another possible location for the plaques.

Hopes for a compromise to the Civic Center’s administrative decision were dashed early in discussions. The Civic Center suggested production of a video for its kiosks. The video would show pictures of plaques. The board objected, but the Civic Center insisted. Finally, I asked Mayor Jim Ardis for help. To his credit, a meeting was held September 2, 2005, in City Hall. The Mayor was there, so was Councilman Bill Spears. On hand for the Civic Center were Ritschel, Marc Burnett, Dr. Couri and Ken Goldin. The Civic Center people were adamant. The plaques were being removed and they would be replaced by a video installed in lobby kiosks.

It was not a peaceful meeting as Murphy, Salzer, and this writer strongly voiced objections. Finally, Mayor Ardis changed the entire mood, tempo and flavor of the meeting when he simply, but powerfully said, “I don’t think the kiosks are a good idea for the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.” Now folks, after first Ritschel, then Couri and Goldin repeated the same argument that there were no walls for the Hall of Fame plaques, Mayor Ardis literally changed the complexion on the faces and minds of those Civic Center officials with that simple statement. The meeting ended with a sense of expectancy for Salzer, Murphy and Monroe thanks to the Mayor. Subsequent meetings were punctuated with cooperation and, yes, confrontation. A couple of times we thought we had an agreement only to be disappointed. All of the hopes, disappointments, arguments, suggestions, discussions, and compromises, culminated in development of the new location that showcased Friday, January 25. Congratulations to Mayor Jim Ardis for making it possible. And now you know the rest of the story.

MY BUDDY ROYCE

In response to the many personal inquiries by letter, phone, and email about my buddy Royce Elliott, let me say he has been experiencing a variety of significant health issues.

Royce has been struggling with these problems for over two years. It hasn’t been easy for him, but he has tried his best to join me each morning for “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” on 1350 WOAM. So many people have expressed their concerns for him. Among those was East Peoria native and new manager of the New York Yankees, Joe Girardi. Joe called our morning show, not once, but twice, asking about Royce. The first time Royce was home sick. The following morning Royce was on hand when Joe called while driving to Spring training in Florida. The former Peoria Chief, Cub, Cardinal, and Yankee player joked with his long-time friend and definitely boosted his spirits. What a class guy! Always has been and always will be!

There’s more than one way to skin a (voter) cat.”

QUOTE OF THE MONTH?

“For the first time in my adult life-time, I’m proud of my country…” — Michelle Obama

How sad that a potential First Lady of the United States, has thought so poorly of her fellow Americans, past and present. The noun “country” means people, in this case, Americans, including those who fought and died in World War II to save Europeans, in the Korean War and in Viet Nam. Americans are typically the first to respond with aid around the world when disaster strikes. I’m saddened that someone would think so badly of America and Americans that finally at age 45, she is proud of the USA.

A BETTER QUOTE

American engineers were attending an international conference in France with others from around the world. During a break, one of the French engineers loudly announced, “Have you heard the latest dumb stunt President Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied, “Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they’re nuclear-powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day; they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day; and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships. How many does France have?”

A BIT OF IRISH HUMOR

The story is told about Paddy O’Flaherty who was working in the town brewery. Town folk were saddened to learn one day that Paddy had fallen and drowned in one of the large vats filled with beer. A fellow worker said, “I thought he was going to make it since he got out twice to go to the bathroom.”

— Comedian Royce Elliott

Listen to “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” on 1350 WOAM, St. Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17. For the fourth consecutive year, we’ll be talking with officials in Clonmel, Ireland, our Sister City.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, but one of its key provisions is increasingly ignored, hurting working Americans and U.S. society.

The last major piece of New Deal legislation, that law guaranteed a minimum wage, banned child labor, set the maximum work week at 40 hours, and made the 8-hour day standard. But that standard has virtually vanished in an economy that values corporate profit over individual well-being, and that requires households that want to keep up with rising prices to work multiple jobs or as many hours as possible – or as ordered.

Neither organized labor nor the political parties are helping enough, although there’s a little promise in the Presidential campaign. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) supported 24 of 26 proposals advocated by Take Care Net, a nonprofit group that surveyed all Presidential candidates. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) backed 21 of 26.

No Republican responded to the survey, which asked about initiatives such as limiting mandatory overtime and indexing the minimum wage to productivity or inflation.

The 8-hour movement has deep roots in Illinois, where it first was a demand during the Civil War. The state legislature in 1867 passed an 8-hour day law, but it had a huge loophole letting employers “contract” with workers to work longer days — foreshadowing future laws with other loopholes.

By the late 19th century, the 8-hour day was a key issue of America’s growing labor movement, centered somewhat in Chicago. Almost six decades of organizing, agitating and lobbying culminated in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It finally legalized the notion expressed in labor’s rally cry, “Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.”

The FLSA was supposed to work through an indirect financial penalty on employers who made people work overtime: “time-and-a-half” pay. That was not meant to enrich those who worked a lot of hours as much as encourage employers to hire more people to meet their needs.

Today, of course, one of modern civilization’s greatest achievements – earned leisure – is almost gone. In fact, U.S. workers spend more time on the job than workers in any developed country because they’re exempted or compelled to worker longer days and weeks and months and years.

The FLSA didn’t cover farm workers, domestic workers, employees and management. So many companies now call some workers assistant managers and escape their legal obligations, pay time-and-a-half because it’s cheaper than hiring full-time employees, improperly demand overtime as a condition of employment, require overtime for sometimes-elusive “compensatory” time off, create high-falutin’ schemes like “flex time” or “alternative schedules” that compress weeks into days of 10 or 12 hours, or just play to the increasing dependence workers have for any extra income they can earn to pay rising costs for utilities, gasoline, housing and consumer goods.

Take Back Your Time Day — an initiative of the Simplicity Forum, part of the Simplicity Movement promoting “simple, just and sustainable ways of life” — is a project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University. TBYTD studied the American workplace and found that:

* Millions of Americans are overworked, over-scheduled and stressed out.

* We put in longer hours on the job now than we did in the 1950s — despite promises of a coming Age of Leisure by the year 2000.

* Mandatory overtime is at near record levels, in spite of an economic downturn.

* Americans work an average of almost nine full weeks (350 hours) longer a year than Europeans do.

There are obvious and well-documented increase in likelihood of accidents or injuries that can result from longer hours and worker fatigue, which is why there are regulations limiting work days for jobs like pilots, train crews, air-traffic controllers, and truckers. (That said, the American Trucking Association last year got the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the courts to relax rules for long-haul truckers, so companies can make truckers spend 11 hours a day driving 35-Ton rigs instead of the previous cap of 10-hour days.)

Time stress hurts all of us in other, different ways, the TBYTD says.

* Time stress threatens health, cutting time for exercise and encouraging consumption of calorie-laden fast foods. Job stress and burnout costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion a year.

* Time stress threatens marriages, families and relationships as there’s less time for others, to care for children and elders, or to just relax.

* It weakens communities. There’s less time to know neighbors, supervise youngsters and volunteer.

* It reduces employment since fewer people are hired.

* It even contributes to the destruction of our environment. Studies show that lack of time encourages use of convenience and throwaway items and reduces recycling.

If Big Business can’t control itself, citizens must pressure employers to abide by the 8-hour day or lobby elected officials to curb mandatory overtime.

Employers can “rent” workers for 8 hours; we need 8 hours to rest; and we need 8 hours for our families, communities, world and future.

(For more information or TBYTD’s most recent newsletter, go online to www.timeday.org/)

(Take Care Net’s Presidential Work Family survey is posted at http://www.takecarenet.org/)

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

What do an asteroid, a giant volcano, and an electric hair dryer have in common? Each can be associated with cataclysmic events in Earth’s history that mark the end or beginning of significant stages in evolution or planetary development. At least that seems to be what Paul Crutzen is implying. The Nobel Laureate has suggested that we are now in a brand new geologic age he calls the “Anthropocene,” characterized by human activities and influences.

According to Crutzen, our species has so impacted the planet that we have brought about an end to Earth’s most recent Geologic Epoch, a 12 thousand year interglacial time span known as the Holocene, and have started a whole new one. In February 08, an international team of Geologists agreed. They believe that humankind has now caused the end to one epoch of Earth’s history and marked the start of another. This is a monumental accomplishment when considering the vast planetary scope of the science of geology, and our almost viral smallness when compared to the entire planet, though it’s not an accomplishment of which to be particularly proud.

Changes in Geologic epochs are often brought about by major catastrophes such as an asteroid impact; for example, the one that ended the Cretaceous, and caused the extinction of dinosaurs, some 65 and a half million years ago; or extensive volcanic activity that likely characterized the end of the Permian Period some 250 million years ago, in which over 90 percent of life became extinct. At that time there was enough carbon dioxide released to raise the average temperature 6 degrees Celsius. Toxic gasses, ozone destruction, and ultraviolet radiation conspired to exacerbate the problem.

We’ve impacted the planet by “being fruitful and multiplying” to such an extent that we are a hundred times more numerous than any animal ever of comparable size. Our population is now at six and a half billion and has shown no sign of leveling off. In just 12 years we will add a billion more. Everyone uses fuel, impacts habitats directly or indirectly, and together we release vast amounts of carbon dioxide. The resulting species loss from habitat destruction, and global warming from atmospheric pollution characterize the “Anthropocene.” It’s clearly not sustainable.

The Geologic Time Scale is immense. For example, in the past 4 and a half billion years, life has appeared and thrived on Earth. In this time, both life and the planet have undergone amazing changes. These changes are organized into various periods of transition identified as eons, epochs, eras, and periods. These transitional phases help place Earth’s history into meaningful perspective and are separated by cataclysmic events such as asteroid impacts or extensive volcanic activity. The resulting story is written in the rocks and is there to be read and interpreted, providing a glimpse into the dynamics of the planet and the amazing adaptability of life, within the immense abyss of time.

It is in this sedimentary saga that we gain insight into the depths of our own primordial beginnings and come to understand and appreciate our ultimate present day dominance of Planet Earth, along with both the positive and negative consequences. This casts light on the all important context of the global warming dilemma in which we find ourselves today.

There is a quote attributed to Chief Seattle, which poetically interprets this dilemma: “Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

Seattle points out that the Earth is our mother. The scientific view of this is interpreted nicely by Paleontologist, Neil Shubin, who takes you back through some 3.5 billion years of history of the human body in his new book, “Your Inner Fish.” It’s a fascinating journey and paints a detailed picture of evolution showing our intimate connections to the planet and to the life around us.

For example: within the lobed fins of a primitive fish are found the bones that comprise the template from which arise not only the wings of bats, and legs of horses, but also human arms and legs. The comparative anatomy and genome map provide an increasingly clear picture of exactly how we are not just on this Earth, but of it, as well.

But what about the hair dryer? It simply represents our many uses for electricity. Of all the contributors of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, from automobiles to home heating, none is more significant than coal fired electric generating plants. The United States currently uses more electric power than anybody else in the world… from lights to toasters to TV’s to hair dryers. In just a couple centuries human activities have managed to increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 275 parts per million to 383 parts per million and it’s still rising, along with our population.

The solutions to this dilemma are simple: consume less; recycle more; reduce pollution; reduce our population to a level that is sustainable; and restore Earth’s depleted ecosystems. But can we do it? The future of our species, along with most others depends on it.

According to Dr Andrew Gale, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, “Human activity has become the number one driver of most of the major changes in Earth’s topography and climate. You can’t have 6.5 billion people living on a planet the size of ours and exploiting every possible resource without creating huge changes in the physical, chemical and biological environment which will be reflected dramatically in our geological record of the planet.”

Today’s sediments will be tomorrow’s rocks. Will there be geologists around to interpret our story written in those rocks?

Try to contain your grief, Community Word readers. Red Zin, the upscale eatery in the Twin Tower’s building in downtown Peoria, is going to close. I know. I was stunned too. I think I’ve eaten there, oh, I dunno, three times in my life. The last time was some sort of political function. I liked the place, kinda. The food was top notch, and the place was swimming with muckety-mucks. A couple of them remain good sources for inside information to this day. I also fondly recall suit-and-tie-guy who couldn’t keep his eyes averted from my platonic dining companion’s cleavage. Hey, we’re all human.

The newspaper article on the closure implied that the joint just couldn’t compete with all those new restaurants opening up on the other side of the river next to Super Wal-Mart. It’s nonsense, of course. If you are inclined to dine at Red Zin, you ain’t gonna be lured away by the corporate-style rustic charm of Corky’s Ribs & BBQ.

The sad fact is that restaurants open and close all the time. A lot of times, they are not well capitalized, which means they ran out of money. Sometimes the owners just get burned out because it is damned hard work. Sometimes, the owners are crooks. Other times, the owners just don’t know what the hell they are doing. Some eateries close because they no longer serve their purpose as tax write-offs.

The result is that most people have fond memories of their favorite joints.

The Red Zin story got me thinking of places I’ve eaten in days gone by.

Heritage House: Of course, there are a lot of chain eateries that lay out a big buffet. But the Heritage House — located on North Knoxville just north of Pioneer Parkway — was called a smorgasbord. I grew up thinking that this was fine dining, probably because my folks were especially concerned that my siblings and I dressed nice and were on our best behavior. And we were, because we didn’t want our parents to turn the car around and take us home. The food was great, and there was lots of it. The place had two levels, and a lot of wood. I remember that the guy who played Salty Sam on afternoon television was the host. I thought that was just the neatest thing in the world. When I got older I realized it wasn’t an upward career move for him. They even had a GIFT SHOP, and we drove Mom and Dad nuts trying to get them to waste money on the junk in there.

Leonardo’s Pizza: Yeah, I had to mention this place, and I am speaking of the location at the corner of War Memorial Drive and Wisconsin. Leonardo’s was cool. Not only did it serve the best friggin’ pizza in Peoria, there was a tree in the middle of the poorly lit joint. And fake grapes hanging from the walls. More than one after-school function ended at Leo’s. And here’s a bit of local history for the record: One of their cooks was a friend of the family. And we would call to see if she was on duty before we ordered carry out, because she always loaded up our pizzas with extra ingredients.

Lums: To be truthful, Lums’ food never really moved me. Nothing wrong with it. It was … OK. The Ollie Burgers were tasty. But that’s it. What was cool about Lums — and I am speaking of the location on North Knoxville south of Nebraska — was that it was open all night, and it was a blast to watch the drunks and druggies. Another Lums’ claim to fame — it was one of the last sit-down, family eateries that hired union workers.

Pizza De-Lite: I’m not sure I’m spelling that name correctly. It was located on Abington Hill just north of Woodruff High School. Sometimes on a Friday night, Dad would call in a carry-out order and return with a huge pie, covered with wrapping paper. Dad and I would get mushrooms on our half. We ate it as we tried to stay awake to watch “Creature Feature” at midnight on WRAU (those used to be the call letters form Channel 19) To this very day, I compare carry out pizza to the wonderful taste of Pizza De-Lite. I don’t remember exactly when it closed. The store ended up moving to Sunnyland, breaking my heart.

Famous Recipe Fried Chicken: Chicken joints come and go here in Peoria. I fondly remember this one for one reason: Chicken BBQ sandwiches. Oh, sweet mama, these were good. Obviously homemade and smothered in a BBQ sauce that was distinctly different than the BBQ sauce that usually smothered chicken. There were two locations. The first was a sit-down joint located at the corner of West Nebraska and North Knoxville, in the same oft-remodeled building that now houses a second-rate Chinese take-out joint and one of those stupid title loan places. The other place was on Wisconsin and Forrest Hill, across the street from Von Steuben School. Once, feeling myself deprived of BBQ chicken for far too long, I gathered my allowance and walked from my house at the corner of Frye and Maryland to the Famous Recipe on Knoxville. I plopped down a handful of coins and ordered a sandwich and a water, knowing I would have to do without comic books that week.

Jimbo’s Jumbo: Oddly enough, I was a college graduate — actually several years out of college — before I tasted the best sandwich that Peoria has ever produced, the Italian Steak Sandwich from Jimbo’s. To this day, I regret those years in which I could have enjoyed the occasional Jimbo’s Jumbo, but never did. This place was located inside an impossibly tiny brick building at the corner of West Richmond and Knoxville. It was actually located in the tiny corner of the Burger King parking lot there. I used to stop there and stand at the counter and watch the cook/counter-person make these great sandwiches. In addition to the juiciest, most savory Italian beef, they made a meatball sandwich that they actually put on the grill, then covered with a tasty marinara sauce. They also has a great sausage sandwich. And they could make a half and half sandwich that combined multiple tastes. Jimbo’s abandoned Peoria, for reasons I never learned. I found myself in Pekin one day and passed a new Jimbo’s Jumbo while trying to make a quick getaway out of there. I literally made a U-turn and was late to my next appointment because I HAD to buy a combo. What a gross disappointment. It wasn’t fresh, it wasn’t juicy and it wasn’t spicy. Feh. Bland. Like everything else in Pekin. How fitting.

Pepe Taco’s: I grew up at this restaurant. This place had two locations, one on Western Avenue and the other on North University, a half-block south of Pioneer Parkway. Which one we ate at depended on exactly where one specific employee was working. They had the one manager, and it seemed like the location he wasn’t working at the time was the one with the worst service. Apparently, the owner kept moving the guy back and forth depending on the emergency. Anyway, the food was great. It was just standard Americanized Mexican Food, but very well made. Dad was fond of the chili, which was unlike chili you could get anywhere in Peoria. My brother Eric gorged on tacos. I usually ordered the combination plate. When the last Pepe Taco closed, he had a card in his pocket that would have given him a free taco if he had ordered just one more. He swears that he will one day find the last owner and make him give him that one free taco.

A&W Root Beer: This is the one and only true national chain restaurant on this list. I am adding it because it was the coolest thing, as a kid, to actually sit in the car and order your food. And then they brought it to you, served in this nifty silver-colored tray that hung onto your car window. I grew to love the chili dog with half chili and half onion. But I really, really loved the frosty mug of root beer. Back in the day, a fountain mug of A&W was a thick and foamy and delicious. Not at all like that stuff that’s posing as A&W in the plastic bottles at the grocery store. There were two of ‘em here in Peoria. One was located on North Prospect near East Tripp, I believe. The other was on Meadowbrook, just off of War Memorial Drive. The Prospect located seemed to employ cute girls from Woodruff High School, a deliberate hiring decision on the part of the boss, I think. Of course, the girls at the Meadowbrook were pretty neat, too. And this one was open year-round, and their walls opened up like a garage door during the summer months. Of course the corporate culture came along and destroyed little root beer stands like this.

March is Women’s History Month. It’s a time to celebrate the accomplishments and feats of all women before us, of all current women and of all women of the future. It’s also a time for us to take an inventory of sorts of the status of women. There have been some wonderfully courageous and unselfish women that have fought to gain women the rights they currently have. They fought for and won the right to vote, the right to be property owners, the right to inherit, as well as reproductive choice rights. They’re still working on the right to equal pay as well as other issues. Women (as well as men) have recently lost some of those rights during the tenure of the current administration. “They” have very consistently chipped away at those rights and it will be years, perhaps decades before they will be restored.

So, how far have women come? American women are considered to be a “minority.” Interesting, but factually untrue. As of 2006, American women actually outnumbered American men with 151,963,545 women and 147,434,940 men. So, what’s the deal, huh? If it’s not the actual population count that makes women a “minority,” what does? Could it be that they’re still considered to be second class citizens in their country? They’ve never had full and equal status with their male counterparts. But, will they ever? Women of previous generations have had to fight for every single right women currently have and women of this and future generations will have to continue to do so.

In the meantime, everyone should celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments of women. After all, EVERYONE has been impacted by women in their lives: their mothers, sisters, wives, aunts, grandmothers, etc. Celebrate and appreciate!

In November, a new administration will take office. Whether it is led by the Democratic or the Republican candidates now seeking office, it is the duty of American citizens to hold the new leaders of our beloved Country to an important mission, restoring the balance between the three branches of Government.

In order to direct our leaders, the trio of books written by John Dean are MUST reading for all of us; Conservatives Without Conscience, Worse Than Watergate, and Broken Government. The ghost of Barry Goldwater will haunt this country until his honor as the father of modern Conservatism is restored.

By Dolores M. Klein
Peoria, IL