The Community Word

ROYCE IS BACK!

After a brief bout with his health, my radio co-host, comedian and good friend Royce Elliott, is once again bringing smiles and laughter to those who participate and listen to “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” on 1350 WOAM. Everyone knows how funny and witty Royce is and he was sorely missed while struggling with health issues.

TIM WILES SCORES WITH NEW BOOK

Speaking of “Breakfast with Royce and Roger,” former Peorian, Tim Wiles, was a guest on the show. Tim is director of research at baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

A graduate of Bergan High School, Wiles is co-author of a book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the writing of the song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Titled, “Baseball’s Greatest Hit,” the book traces the history of the music composed by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. The colorful book is filled with fascinating photos and even includes a CD with a variety of versions of the song. Obviously, our favorite version is by Harry Caray sung in the 7th inning during the first Cub night game. The book sells for $29.95 and would make an excellent gift.

BRADLEY STUDENTS

Students in Bradley’s public relations classes were busy in March and April planning campaigns for the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and City Beautiful Committee.

They held a Carnival for the Cure on behalf of JDRF at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Lake Street, Friday, April 18. Bradley basketball coach Jim Les was there as was Sam Singh. Sam may not have been a star on the court this past year, but he sure was with the kids and parents at the fund raising event for juvenile diabetes. He was friendly and cordial and was engaged with everyone signing autographs and joking with kids and parents alike.

Meanwhile, another group of p.r. students organized a clean-up of the grounds around Taft Homes on Saturday, April 19. Congratulations to the students and their instructor, Ron Koperski, for putting the classroom in the community.

LOCAL HEROES

One of the highlights of my public service career was serving on Peoria County’s World War I and II Memorial Committee.

Last year that committee dedicated the memorial that remembers the supreme sacrifice made by Peoria County veterans in those two world conflicts. It was satisfying to see completion of the memorial after years of planning and working with a group of outstanding people, particularly some special veterans. One of those was Tom Maher, a veteran of the Vietnam War who now serves as a Service Officer with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. He spent close to a year and a half in Vietnam as a Corporal in the Marines.

I’ll bet you didn’t know a jeep toy has been named after him. Corgi, a British toy maker, designed a steel jeep from the Vietnam era and asked Maher to describe his experiences driving the vehicle. Only 7,000 of the toys were manufactured and each one contains a narrative written by Maher.

REMEMBERING SSG. MATT MAUPIN

They held a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin at Parkview Cemetery, April 9. Maupin was murdered while serving with the 724th TC from Bartonville.

You’ll recall he was captured by terrorists and held for several weeks before he was killed. As I sat reflecting on Maupin’s death, I remembered all of those stupid signs in yards that say, Support Our Troops End The War. Translated it means, “Support our Troops, Surrender.”

Maupin surrendered and was murdered. It’s too bad there are so many who fail to understand what Abraham Lincoln said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This is especially true when we’re fighting a war. God bless all of our men and women in the military!

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

Don’t be surprised if Peoria County officials soon announce plans to build a new new Bel-Wood Nursing Home. As noted in previous columns, the existing structure has a number of life and safety issues.

It would be a far wiser decision to build a new facility than make band-aid renovations.

Republicans say any one of the two defeated candidates in the Congressional primary election for the 18th District are far better qualified than who Democrats finally have to offer. Colleen Callahan decided to run for that office after former Bradley basketball coach, Dick Versace, dropped out. Both John Morris, former Peoria City Council member, and Jim McConoughey, have superior credentials than former radio farm reporter, Callahan.

“INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE”

An interesting book is out blowing the allegedly “nice guy” cover off former President Jimmy Carter and his wife. Author Ronald Kessler has written, “Inside the White House: The Hidden Lives of Modern Presidents and the Secrets of the World’s Most Powerful Institutions.” Based on personal interviews with former White House staffers and Secret Service agents along with military personnel, the book paints a revealing picture of a mean and self-centered president who put the United States in a risky position. Carter would not allow the “nuclear football” near his home in Plains, Georgia, where he would occasionally vacation. The “nuclear football” is a briefcase used by the president to authorize the use of nuclear weapons when away from fixed command centers. The person carrying the “football” had to stay ten miles away from the vacationing Carter, thus making difficult a counter attack in the event the U.S. was attacked.

When elected, Carter ordered all alcohol removed from the White House, Air Force One and Camp David. According to Bill Gulley, former director of the White House military office, “The first Sunday they are in the White House, I get a call from the kitchen saying, ‘They want bloody mary’s before going to church.’ Funny. Reminds me of Bill Clinton having sex with Monica in the Oral Office before attending Easter Services

Code named “Deacon” by the Secret Service, Carter was considered moody and mistrustful. The book reveals that when Carter left office, he would occasionally stay in the townhouse for former presidents. While there, Carter would remove photographs of Republican presidents Ford and Nixon and decorate with a half-dozen photographs of himself. So shallow was this president, he would tell staffers who could and who couldn’t use the White House tennis courts.

UNDERCOVER SMOKERS

All three hospitals don’t allow smoking on or off the job, in or on hospital grounds. So some innovative Methodist employees, who smoke, now take refuge under the I-74 overpass on Glen Oak Avenue. It’s a little bit of a walk, but not a bad location. Employees are undercover when it rains and out of sight of Methodist administration while meeting hospital requirements. Now all they need is for the state or city to place butt cans on the walks for their convenience.

RIGHT-WING RADIO?

Recently a writer to the Journal Star complained that WMBD radio was filled with right wing, conservative, Republican radio personalities like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. It was funny to read his letter on the left-wing editorial page of our local newspaper on the same day the cartoon bashed President George Bush and carried hate-filled columns by left-wingers Trudy Rubin and Gene Robinson. Combine those with national media leftist outlets like NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC and the really radical MSNBC along with every major newspaper in the country from the New York Times to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and you have a virtual monopoly on political communication. Yet, there are those, like the letter-writer, who want to prevent the opportunity to be exposed to another viewpoint.

There’s no argument that WMBD is filled with right wingers. So be it.

Obviously, Peorians love it, including local businesses. The station is loaded with sponsors from all of the car dealers to restaurants to electronic stores. One can rightfully argue owners of those businesses are all right wingers and/or they want to reach right wingers.

According to Arbitron, the remaining company doing radio surveys, WMBD is one of the top three stations in the local market. Liberals may complain, but right wing radio appeals to local business owners and listeners.

MR. EGO, RUSH LIMBAUGH

I like Rush Limbaugh. He, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Bill O’Reilly have done more to create somewhat of a counter balance to the liberal monopoly on news and entertainment than anyone or anything else. Having said that, I do get bored with Limbaugh’s self-adoration. The constant sound bites he plays about himself and his daily self-adorned credits sometimes are just too much. At one time it was considered funny. With a record of failed marriages, I think it’s become his own therapy prescription. Last year I received a gift subscription to his newsletter. Every issue had his picture on the cover. In one issue alone, I counted his photo 23 times. But the Limbaugh ego was never more prevalent when he had a brief interview with President Bush. Unfortunately, Limbaugh did all of the talking. Those who wanted to hear the President of the United States were treated to Limbaugh’s thoughts about the Pope’s reception at the White House. While he may have a huge ego, he is vastly successful and provides a welcome diversion to all of the liberal and left-wing crap we’re subjected to in radio, TV and in print. But Rush needs to stop patting himself on the back before he breaks his arm.

A NEW DECK OF CARDS

Newsmax.com is a conservative organization that publishes a magazine and has an interesting web site offering a variety of items.

It was Newsmax that produced a deck of cards listing all of the Iraqi leaders and killers under Saddam Heussein.

They’re now selling a new deck of cards called the “Deck of Weasels.”

These cards depict the enemies of America and the war in Iraq in a satirical way while revealing the evidence of their hatred through their own quotes. The deck features such infamous people as Ted Kennedy, Babs Streisand, Michael Moore, Tim Robbins and Kofi Annan.

You find out such things as what rock star raged, “We x#&*# deserve to get bombed….bring it on. I hope the Muslims win.” The cards are available at Newsmax.com.

SUGGESTION BOX

With the dramatic increase in the price of crude oil and the resulting jump in the cost of gas, perhaps it’s time for the government to consider improving and expanding rail service, especially for freight.

While driving to and from Champaign recently, I counted hundreds of trucks. I wonder how much money and fuel could be saved if we returned to the days when we transported freight by rail. Delivery of freight from rail to local destinations might take longer, but would surely reduce gas consumption.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The pessimist may be right in the long run, but the optimist has a better time during the trip.

DID YOU KNOW?

Three of the first five presidents, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, died on July 4th.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have.”

Abraham Lincoln