Pete Vonachen, Peoria’s “Mr. Baseball,” celebrated his 86th birthday, Wednesday, August 31. Mayor Jim Ardis proclaimed that day “Pete Vonachen Day” in honor of Pete’s leadership and community service. Few people remember his many years on the city’s Liquor Commission…
Columns
Progressive – and proud of it!
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
For progressive-minded radio fans who love variety in their music and local personalities on the dial, the Peoria area can be frustrating. It’s worse when stations licensed to certain communities ignore those towns. So increasingly, listeners seeking voices and tunes…
Keeping the Parts
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
My sister, Lora, was absolutely right. When her mother-in-law, Oma, died this past July, she said, “It was like losing a library…” That’s a perfect way to put it. Having lived through almost all of the twentieth century, Oma had…
What were you doing ten years ago today?
by Billy Dennis • • 0 Comments
On Sept. 11, 2001, I awoke at about 9:00 a.m. local time. I was living with my brother on Samuel Street in the Heights. I stretched, wandered over by my computer and went to a Usenet newsgroup I visited regularly.…
Musings for September 2011
by Joanne Fought • • 1 Comment
September is coming up, and it’s hard to believe that the year 2011 is drawing to a close. Children are back in school, and hopefully the weather is going to cool off. It will be good if this is the…
The Un-lived Life of Russell Stone a novelette, part nine
by Cheryl Courtney Semick • • 0 Comments
Rachel’s court date is delayed. She stuffs Mrs. Stone’s journal in her briefcase and heads out. It’s 9:05 AM. The first poem in Mrs. Stone’s journal was short, but drenched with pain—my pain. Betrayal and lies all wrapped up in…
West Peoria News for September 2011
by Sharon McBride • • 0 Comments
West Peoria is hosting their 11th annual Night Against Crime on Saturday, September 17th from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. at Franciscan Park. Traditionally, these events are held in August but this was changed in order to avoid the heat of…
We did it again
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
Thanks to editor, Debbie Adlof, I’ve had the pleasure of writing this column for over ten years. Much of what I write comes from friends. They represent various aspects of life in Peoria and central Illinois from politics to business…
Progressive – and proud of it!
by Bill Knight • • 0 Comments
Patience is a virtue, it’s said, and that might be especially true when reform is sought. If progress seems slow, impatience can lead to frustration and worse.Patience is particularly important when conventional wisdom, stereotypes, etc. become obstacles to change. For…
Fear Factor
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
If little Miss Muffet had sat on her tuffet and refused to be frightened away, that lone little spider that sat down beside her could never have ruined her day. In reality, Miss Muffet had nothing to fear, but fear…