Columns

Spring on the Wing

May has finally arrived! The overwintering patience of the many a “cabin fever” shut-in has paid off with an April full of bluebells, birdfoot-violets and hoary puccoon flowers. Now May is upon us and new flowers will soon greet those…

Articles and advice about downsizing abound. Becoming a minimalist, reducing clutter, seeking simplicity all are aimed at attracting interest in what is fast becoming a lifestyle. It’s very engaging, and some would insist necessary, particularly when certain details and difficulties…

West Peoria News

The annual West Peoria Memorial Day Celebration in honor of those who have served and are serving our country in the military is Saturday May 28. A memorial was built to replace one that had been at the firehouse and…

Being Thankful

On April 11, I was pallbearer for my first and only God daughter Artiana Faith Parker. I was the last person to carry her. It was an honor, and it was a great sadness. Artiana was just 1½ pounds and…

Heights News

The anticipation is multiplying for connoisseurs of the sights, sounds and smells which has become synonymous with Trefzger’s Bakery. Speak with businesses in Peoria Heights and many are drawing attention to the outside transformation of the old Rouse-Hazard bicycle factory.…

Political writers are fond of using “Kabuki dance” to refer to various tactics and machinations during political battles. We have unfortunately had too many examples of this during the past several years with government shutdowns, bailouts, failed grand bargains and…

Art in Peoria is looking up, figuratively and literally. The past few years have seen an increasing amount of public art after decades of art drought. Thankfully Preston Jackson’s islands of aesthetics around the city brought new life to our…

Labor Roundup

Low-paid workers stage another mass 1-day walkout April 14. Low-paid workers, fast-food workers, retail workers, adjunct professors, health-care workers and others from coast to coast staged another one-day walkout on April 14, again demanding “$15 and a union.” The protests…