Happy birthday

On numerous occasions I’m reminded by other people what a great man my father was. Recently, I received an invitation to appear as a guest on the cable program, “Neighborhood Views,” from the host, Lorraine Carter.

Lorraine said she not only graduated from Dad’s school, the Peoria Barber College, but was the first African-American woman to attend. “Your Dad thought so much of me, he asked me to stay on at the school after graduation to help other students,” she told me. Lorraine added, “He touched so many lives in a positive way.” And so he did and in so many ways. What was so amazing about his achievements was how he did it.

Dad was born May 4, 1906, in Sullivan, Illinois. His parents were poor. His father barely made enough money to put food on the table. He spent much of his youth working on his grandfather’s small farm outside Sullivan at Dunn’s Station. To help the family, Dad worked as a shoe shine boy in a barber shop where he picked up the barbering trade. He managed to save enough money to buy shears, clippers and combs. Leaving high school in his freshman year, Dad came to Peoria with 25 cents in his pocket to find work as a barber.

People today would find it hard to believe, but he slept nights in a boxcar in Bartonville until he found work. A barber who had a shop on Bourland, agreed to let Dad work on Sundays. He told him he could keep any money he earned. Eventually, he “graduated” to a regular chair, working daily. As Lorraine and many others can tell you, Dad was a hell of a barber. One thing led to another and he wound up with his own shop on the north side in what was known as Averyville. He was instrumental in starting the Northside Businessmen’s Association and was even Sunday School Superintendent at Madison Avenue Methodist Church.

Dad was first elected 10th Ward Alderman in his first political venture in 1945 and was re-elected in 1949. In 1953 he was elected Peoria Township Supervisor, known then, as Overseer of the Poor. He served for forty years helping thousands of families throughout the city while also providing job opportunities for men and women of all ages through the Peoria Barber College. His school, the oldest barber college in the nation, at one time had an enrollment of 100 students participating in the nine month program. It would be fair to say most barbers in central Illinois are graduates of our school.

To accommodate students who came from distances outside Peoria, Dad bought a former house of prostitution on Walnut Street and converted it into a dormitory.

For many years, Dad was a familiar sight walking downtown Peoria from the Relief Office to the barber school. That’s one of the reasons he didn’t retire until he was 87 and why he lived to be 96. Sadly for the family and his friends, there were no front page stories when he died or three days of stories on television and radio about funeral services. There were no editorials or columnists writing about his greatness. As a matter of fact, the one column PJS story called him “an uneducated man.” But the media slight didn’t diminish his accomplishments and his reputation to his family, friends and the thousands of lives he touched like Lorraine Carter.

On Tuesday, May 4, we’ll be singing Happy Birthday Dad!

WHAT DID IT COST?

Peoria’s finest were everywhere when Vice President Joe Biden came to town. At the North University overpass I counted five police cars and another five on War Memorial Drive. Who knows how many police were stationed here and there to make sure the country’s #2 man was safe and secure. Another top Washington man, Senator Dick Durbin, was also part of the Democrat, I mean Washington, entourage. The next day, the Peoria branch of the DNC, the struggling Journal Star, gushed with story after story about Biden and Durbin, along with the usual p.r. for President Obama.

Somehow, though, I apparently missed the story about what it cost the City of Peoria to provide the security. And there was no story about how the Democrat Party should pay for the added police protection as when President George Bush came to town.

Days later, though, PJS reporter John Sharp let Peoria taxpayers know they will foot the bill for close to $50,000 and that figure doesn’t include Fire Department costs. Councilman Gary Sandberg thinks the agency that benefited from Biden’s visit should reimburse the city for some of the costs (as Congressman Aaron Shock did for the Bush visit). Perhaps the local Democrat Party should pay for the unnecessary p.r. visits to get a shoe shine and some ice cream.

Those were nice, but hardly something taxpayers should have to pay. I have a suggestion for such future “fund-raising” events. Use the electronic technology available for teleconferencing. Biden could’ve stayed in Washington and delivered his speech via satellite at no expense to local taxpayers. Try it. You’ll like it.

EMBARRASSING

Joe Biden has had more than his share of embarrassing comments and slips of the tongue. But Democrat Phil Hare takes the cake and the top prize. Chances are you haven’t seen Hare’s down right silly and sad remarks. Caught on tape and shown on Fox News, Hare angrily stated he didn’t care about the Constitution of the United States. Then he got confused about the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and finally sputtered, “People are dying every day without health care.” I’m not sure how he can substantiate his claim, but people are dying every day with health care. And people are dying every day in Canada, England and Germany where they have national health care. Making everyone have health insurance isn’t going to stop people from dying, especially if you have to have a government health plan. Hare’s remarks are almost as bad as Nancy Pelosi’s statement, “We have to pass this (health) bill so we can find out what’s in it.”

A LOCAL HAREM?

The April 3 advertising insert in our local newspaper was interesting. Advertisers paid a tidy sum to have their pictures taken with their employees. I’m so jealous of Jim McConoughy. What a guy! First, was his photo surrounded by seven lovely women with the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. Then Jim appears with six other women for the Economic Development Council. No other male is in either photo, which leads one to believe both organizations are sexist. Two organizations with 15 employees, but only one is male. The dictionary says a harem is “a group of females associated with one male.” I wonder if EDC and/or Chamber job applications ask anything beyond female or male. It certainly appears they fail the “Equal Opportunity” test.

TOYS FOR TOTS

The U.S. Marines each year sponsor a wonderful program as they collect toys for children at Christmas time. Peoria County board member Mike Phelan would like to start a similar program for fellow board members at taxpayer expense. He wants each county board member to have a lap top computer. The expensive suggestion is laughable for many reasons. First, the economy is reason enough to oppose the suggestion. Secondly, board members are part-time and have no right to expensive computers. Thirdly, if they want such “toys” they can buy one themselves. Fourth, board members already make too much without adding another “perk” to their part-time job. Fifth, claims that the computers would improve communication are hogwash. It takes a sender and a receiver for communication. Owning a computer doesn’t guarantee the member will use it or even read all available material. Before leaving this silly subject, I want readers of the PJS article by Karen McDonald to know she and Phelan were blowing smoke regarding monthly packets for board members. Quoting Phelan, she said he gets “several-inch packets for full board meetings.” In the 22 years I served on the county board, members never received such large packets. Assuming “several inches” is more than two or three inches, take out a ruler and see what a gross exaggeration that is. I’ll save you the time. A ream of 500 sheets of paper is exactly two inches thick. Bottom line, Phelan and McDonald are peddling baloney to justify buying computers at taxpayer expense. Hopefully, fellow board members will leave “toys for tots” to the Marines.

NEWS NOTES

In a recent column about Bernie Shelton, writer Phil Luciano stated the reputed gangster was shot dead outside the Parkway Tavern on Farmington Road. Not so. He was shot as he left the tavern, but staggered back inside. Ace Ambulance was called to take him to the hospital. On the way, he told the attendants to “watch the Green Chevrolet that was following them.” He died, says author Norm Kelly, 40 minutes later.

A full page ad in the Peoria Journal by Commerce Bank bragged about a letter of praise the bank received from Congressman Barney Frank. Isn’t he the same guy who told the Bush administration not to worry about the financial stability of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

RAISE TAXES?

I’ve heard it all. Those teachers, state employees and their union leaders, were in Springfield recently chanting, “Raise taxes. Raise taxes.” Of course, they’re trying to save their jobs. That’s how people who get paid by taxpayers react when they get laid off. When was the last time nurses who got laid off demonstrated in front of their hospital chanting, “Raise room rates. Raise room rates.” Or laid off workers at a restaurant chanting, “Raise burger prices. Raise burger prices.”

LAST CALL?

The Woodruff High School Alumni Association is holding, perhaps, its last alumni banquet, Saturday, May 1, at the school. Highlight of the event will be the awarding of $26,000 in scholarships. Not too shabby for a school being closed thanks to Laura Petelle & Company. The following day Woodruff will hold an Open House. Some alumni would like to know what will happen to the scholarship fund.

Meanwhile, they’ve named the new charter school that essentially is replacing Woodruff High School. It’s called the Quest Academy and its sponsors, like the Peoria Chamber of Commerce, were successful in conQUESTing and dumping close to 1,000 Woodruff students. The new school, I mean academy, will have 75 students. That’s quite an educational achievement—dumping on 1,000 predominantly minority students for 75 children. By the way, graduates of Woodruff have not quit seeking legal means to stop the transfer of students to Central, Manual and Richwoods.

RADIO SCOOPS TV

AND NEWSPAPER

The Associated Press and local TV news were scooped by WLS radio in Chicago. All day, Friday, April 23, WLS reported the impending takeover of Broadway Bank in Chicago. It was big news because its owned by the family of Alexi Giannoulias, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate. The hot political topic for AP and local TV news was State Senator Bill Brady’s release of his income taxes. Finally, the Giannoulias story was covered Saturday, the 24th. Missing, though from the story, was the fact that the Giannoulias family had taken $140 million in profits from the failing bank. Also missing was the fact that Giannoulias is a close friend of President Barrack Obama. You’ll recall such associations were always mentioned when George Bush was president. Thank you WLS for being fair and balanced.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“One advantage of growing older is that you can stand for more and fall for less.” Monta Crane



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