U.S. Federal Judge Joe Billy McDade spoke at the graduation of the Peoria Park District’s Elite program recently and called for establishment of a student CCC program like one implemented as part of the New Deal during the administration of…
Author Archive for Community Word Staff
He captured the pulse of central Illinois
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BY DAVID ZALAZNIK Ben Dwyer died May 26, 2021 of ALS. I don’t remember exactly when Ben and I met. He was a photographer at WMBD-TV for almost 40 years here in Peoria and I started in late November 1989…
Labor Roundup | July 2021
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Workers’ Rights Amendment on Illinois ballot next year. A labor-backed Workers’ Rights Constitutional Amendment passed the House in May on a bipartisan 80-30-3 vote. Having earlier passed the Senate 49-7, the amendment is set to go before voters in the…
OpEd | Partnering with pollinators
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BY DALE GOODNER We have a growing dilemma, a potential catastrophe, that is hiding in plain sight. Insect populations all over the world are disappearing. What we are losing are the “good guys,” –– countless beneficial insects, such as bees,…
Art Alerts | June 2021
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Peoria Riverfront Museum is host to the worldwide traveling debut of “T.REX: The Ultimate Predator” created by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Now through Sept. 6. The Peoria Art Guild will be hosting live demonstrations…
Science Briefs | June 2021
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Environmental Racism: “Toward the Fossil-Free Future: Food, Farming, Fracking, Climate & Justice” was the topic of a recent zoom lecture by scientist and writer Sandra Steingraber. Fossil fuel extraction is a form of environmental racism, Steingraber said. Factories, refineries and…
Labor Roundup | June 2021
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Elon Musk added to list of labor-law violators. Tesla Motors and owner Elon Musk, have joined the ever-lengthening list of rich corporate moguls breaking labor law. In Musk’s case, it was with a tweet, and his Twitter account had at…
Bill Knight | “Punks in Peoria”
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Given the general characteristics of status-quo Peoria and youths’ attraction to exciting punk music on both coasts, those forces were destined to Clash. (So to speak.) Out in June, “Punks in Peoria: Making A Scene in The American Heartland” from…
The Watch | May 2021
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Government business slogged forward in March as a fourth corona-wave appeared imminent. On March 9, after several delays, Peoria City Council updated the city code for short-term rental uses. Before this action, short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO were…
Inland Art | Welcome, Nichole Gronvold Roller
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Editor’s note: After more than four years writing Inland Art for Community Word, Paul Krainak is focusing on other projects, notably a blog “Bad at Sports” accessed at http://badatsports.com/2021/sub-rural/. He recommended Nichole Gronvold Roller as his replacement. Her column will…