Archive for March, 2008

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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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