The Annual West Peoria Firefighters Hog Roast and Raffle is scheduled for Sunday, October 17th from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Crusen’s on Farmington Road. Tickets are $1/ea, $5/five tickets. Your sixth tickets will be your meal ticket and includes a pork sandwich, side dishes and one beverage. Raffle prizes are $500, $250, and $100 and will be drawn on the Wednesday evening after the Hog Roast. You need not be present to win.

Jared Diehs was named both Firefighter of the Year and Emergency Medical Technician for 2009. He is a prime example of what makes West Peoria such a special place to call “home.”

A Candidates Night is scheduled for October 21st from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at City Hall and is hosted by the West Peoria Residents Association. It will be a chance for you to meet candidates who are running for office in our area. It affords an excellent opportunity to greet and meet many of the candidates running for the November 2 election.

The City of West Peoria has been working with Prakash and Ratna Babu for over a year to annex and rezone property owned by them and the Hindu Temple of Central Illinois. On Aug 26, 2009, the West Peoria Plan Commission agreed to recommend an R-2 zoning classification for a 50-acre tract of land west of the City. The annexation agreement was completed on April 12, 2010. The project includes two major components. The first is a 2,640-foot, 30 foot-wide access road off Kickapoo Creek Road that would be built by the developer, and then turned over to the city to be maintained. The plans for the road are complete and work could begin yet this year. The new road will allow practical access to the temple, taking traffic off Hilltop Road and Prairie Lane. It will also benefit residents throughout the area with improvements to water, sewer, and fire-protection services. In addition, it will allow development of condominiums along the bluffs of the Kickapoo Creek.

The second component is the development of high quality condominiums and duplexes open to elderly regardless of race, color, national origin and religion and will be a Green Development nestled in Kickapoo Bluff. The plan is to build a 169 unit complex designed to accommodate baby boomers as they age. The development will also include three lakes, a park with pavilions and jogging/walking trails. These are high-end, modern condos with “Age in Place” functionality for the Baby Boom Generation. The concept of aging in place will provide the amenities for empty nesters who want to remain independent as they age.

“The demand for this type of housing is growing with the retirement of the baby boomer generation,” Prakash Babu said. “And this land is perfect for this use. It’s picturesque, tranquil, close to health centers and shopping centers and great leisure activities.” Now that the annexation is complete the City is moving forward with plans to create a second TIF district. This second district will be contiguous with the existing TIF district and extend

Waste Management is the trash pickup provider for the City of West Peoria. Residents are responsible for establishing an account with them. Call them at 1-800-796-9696 to set up your account. You will be billed for this service. Landscape Waste Pickup is included in your Waste Management bill and is picked up every Friday until the end of the year. No Open Burning is allowed in the City of West Peoria, as of October 1, 2007. Do not rake or blow your leaves into the street as this causes the storm sewers to back up. Recreational burns are allowed for a limit of four (4) hours until 10:00 p.m. in an approved fire pit container

Recycling Service is offered by Waste Management for $5.75 per month. This is picked up at the curb every other Friday all year. If you wish to sign up for this service, please call: Waste Management at: 1-800-796-9696. Recycle Bins can be purchased at City Hall for $5.00 each.

Guidelines for keeping your neighborhood clean: keep your section of the alley free of trash, the grass mowed and weeds trimmed at all times. Be sure to check your section of the alleyway for branches, weeds, trash etc. Garbage must be kept in a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. Plastic bags are not allowed to replace trash containers, or for lawn waste use. There must be enough garbage cans/lids for all trash on the property. Please make sure to clean up after your animals. Animal waste attracts rats and other rodents.

New residents may pick up a Welcome Packet at City Hall Monday – Friday / 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This packet contains vital information for new residents.

This is a busy time of year for the West Peoria Lions Club. They are involved with: selling Peoria Area Dining Tour books, soy candles, Christmas Wreath’s & other greens. planning a bus trip to Jumer’s on October 31st, volunteering at Peoria area Blind People’s Center Fundraising Dinner Oct.1st. Lion’s Club Candy Day Oct 15th & 16th, final 2010 highway clean-up, and bell ringing for the Salvation Army in November. For information on any of these please call 673-6207.

The Club needs your help. You can get that warm fuzzy feeling when a child comes to you and says “Thank You” for the special glasses, and tells you he saw his Mother’s face for the first time, or the child that can now hear when someone speaks to him. The Lion’s Club assists the visually and hearing impaired in our community, while participating in many area events. The amount of time that you give to the Club is completely up to you. Just come see who we are and what we do. We meet the 2nd & 4th Monday nights at 6pm Champs West on Western Ave. Call 673-6207