Yes, you can, when you join us at Peoria Zoo for a light breakfast in Africa! We’ll teach you more about the King of Cats while watching the lions enjoy their breakfast too. You’ll also learn what makes Arthur and Lizzy so special.

You can register for either morning: Saturday, September 7 or Sunday, September 8, 9:00 am-10:00 am. Cost of this event is $7.50 for Zoo members and $15.00 for non-members.

For questions or to register, call the Peoria Zoo Education office at (309) 681-3513 or check our website at www.peoriazoo.org.

Come one, come all! Clean out your closets, cupboards, attic, basement, garage or office! Please consider donating your gently used items to the St. Marks Rummage Sale! Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same! St. Marks needs your donations!

Drop off location: St. Marks Rectory – Corner of Bradley Ave. & University St.

Drop off date/time: Monday, August 19th,
Tuesday August 20th &
Wednesday August 21st
8:30 am – 6 pm each day

THEN JOIN US FOR THE RUMMAGE SALE!!

Location: St Mark’s Church parking lot, Corner of Bradley Ave. & University

Date/Time: Thursday, August 22nd
Friday August 23rd
Saturday August 24th
8:30 am – 6:00 pm each day

Questions?: Call St. Marks Rectory at 309-673-1263
Or D’Arcy Conley at 309-363-3931

Jupiter has hung in the north stairwell of Olin Hall on Bradley’s campus for 20 years as part of the Community Solar System. At 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, August 15th, Jupiter will officially be removed from its orbit at Bradley University.

In this scale model of the Solar System, the sizes and distances of the sun and the planets are represented throughout Central Illinois with the sun being housed at Lakeview Museum. Since the center of the universe (the Sun) has been moved from Lakeview to the Peoria Riverfront Museum, the planets are officially out of alignment.
The media is invited to join us as we move the planet from Olin Hall to its temporary home at the Peoria Riverfront Museum where it will be refurbished and eventually moved to a new location in the local orbit.

The disassembling of Jupiter will begin promptly at 7:00 a.m. and should take less than 30 minutes. Olin Hall is located at the corner of Elmwood and Bradley Ave. Parking is available on Elmwood near the north stairwell of Olin Hall.

For more information about the Community Solar System please contact Sheldon Shaffer at 309-863-3027 or sschafer@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.

Meet Me in St. Louis is a rare treasure in the musical theatre. It is the classic heartwarming story of a happy family and their life at the beginning of the 20th century. The year 1904 marks the World’s Fair coming to none other than St. Louis — the very first time electric lights will be shown at night! Mary Ellen plans to re-create the awe and wonder and the simple pleasures of that era and a close-knit Irish family living in St. Louis, who also face the changes that could occur if they indeed must move to New York.

The production includes wonderful, old-fashioned songs such as “Meet Me In St. Louis,” “The Boy Next Door,” “You’ll Hear A Bell,” “A Touch of the Irish” “The Girl Next Door,” and of course, “The Trolley Song.” This show is a favorite tale of a gentle era gone by. It is for perfect for families, and requires a large cast of all ages.

Auditions will be held on Friday, September 6 at 6:30 pm and Saturday, September 7 at 10:30 am. All auditions will be held at First Christian Church, 6400 N. University in Peoria. Show dates are November 8-17.

A PSA campaign and push for traffic accident awareness from Ghantous & Almasi.

Peoria Il, August 13, 2013: The Center for Accident Law is being launched by Ghantous & Almasi Law Firm with a promotional and public awareness campaign. The Center is meant to give tips and advice to local drivers with regard to being safe on our roadways. A newly launched website gives information on how to avoid accidents, as well as what to do if you’ve been involved in an accident.

This new push is an effort to return to the public the knowledge that Ghantous & Almasi have gained in their nearly 50 years dealing with traffic accident cases. The new Center for Accident Law website at www.centerforaccidentlaw.com gives information on accident statistics, how to avoid an accident in the first place, tips for if you’re involved in an accident, and other topics related specifically to motor vehicle accidents.

In conjunction with this new website, Ghantous & Almasi have contracted with CityLink to have a full size bus wrapped in a graphic promotion of the website and law firm.

Philippine Arts and Culture: Focus of Filipino-American Society of Central Illinois

With September almost upon us, Peoria’s various ethnic groups are gearing up for the 10th Annual WorldFest, the biggest celebration of cultural diversity in the area. This year’s event is set for Saturday, September 14th at the Civic Center. Record crowds are expected.

WorldFest – launched by the Civic Center Authority’s Cultural Diversity Committee to recognize Peoria’s different nationalities – is held in conjunction with Youth Doing the Right Thing. Festivities include live entertainment, wonderful ethnic food, cultural displays, and unique items for sale at world market booths.

The Philippines will be represented by the Filipino-American Society of Central Illinois (FASCI) for the 10th consecutive year. Guests at the FASCI booths will be treated to attractive exhibits highlighting aspects of Filipino arts and culture. Among them are native arts and crafts made of bamboo, seashells, wood carvings (including a “bahay kubo” or nipa hut), dolls and miniatures of the country’s modes of transportation – jeepney, kalesa (horse-drawn carriage), tricycle. In addition several traditional costumes like the Maria Clara, Barong Tagalog, Mestiza dress, Balintawak, kimona, and terno will be on display.

FASCI will display posters about the Philippines – historical and geographical sites as well as tourist spots. There will be biographical information on two of the country’s most renowned patriots: Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the national hero; and Manuel L. Quezon, “Father of the Philippine National Language” and the first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Capping the Philippine cultural presentation is a fashion show of Filipino costumes, a re-enactment of the time-honored “Santacruzan/Flores de Mayo” and folk dances. The FASCI dancers will perform Sinulog, a fast-paced folk dance relating the story of the conversion of a province in the Southern Philippines to Catholicism and “Recuerdo.”
The traditional “Parade of Nations” will open WorldFest ceremonies, featuring local dignitaries and representatives from many cultures. Aside from the Filipino-American group, the following will be in the parade: Chinese American, American Indian, Indo-American, Irish American, Italian American, German American, Croatian American, Korean American, Lebanese American, Hispanic American groups.

WorldFest 2013 starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. at the Peoria Civic Center, Exhibit Hall D, 201 SW Jefferson St, Peoria, IL. The Central Illinois Black Expo will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Exhibit Halls A and B.

Parking and admission are free.

(Peoria, IL / August 13, 2013) –The Emergency Department at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center has been named a recipient of the Lantern Award presented by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). The award recognizes emergency departments that exemplify exceptional practice and innovative performance in the core areas of leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.

OSF Saint Francis is one of only nine hospitals nationwide, and the only one in Illinois, to earn the prestigious honor this year. Only 37 hospitals nationwide have earned the designation since its inception.

The Lantern Award designation exemplifies a culture of excellence in emergency care and recognizes an emergency department’s commitment to quality, safety, a healthy work environment, and innovation in nursing practice and emergency care.

“Receiving the Lantern Award from ENA is an illustration of the depth of commitment the Emergency Department staff has for its patients and families,” says Sue Behrens, Director of the OSF Saint Francis Emergency Department. “Our staff is empowered to create a work environment that is innovative using best practices in emergency care. The ultimate outcome is a positive experience for our patients and families.”

The Lantern recognition is good for three years. The emergency team will receive the award at the 2013 ENA Annual Conference in Nashville in September.

The Lantern Award is named in honor of Florence Nightingale, who is credited with changing nursing from an untrained job to a skilled, science-based profession. She is referred to as the “Lady of the Lamp” for her actions during the Crimean War when she worked deep into the night, bringing a lantern with her as she tended to wounded British soldiers as they slept.

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Duck Race, Associated Bank is sponsoring
The Inaugural 5K Duck Dash / 1 Mile Waddle to benefit The Center for Prevention of Abuse.

Who: All runners and walkers
What: 5K run / 1 mile walk
When: Saturday August 17, 2013

6:30 – 7:30am – Late registration & packet pickup
7:30 – 7:45am – Free on-site yoga session warm-up!
8:00am – 5K Dash
8:05am – 1 Mile Waddle
After Finish – Refreshments and Awards

Where: Peoria Park District Riverfront Trail
From Marshal Plaza to Detweiller Marina

Why: In celebration of our 25th Annual Duck Race

How Much: $30.00 – Children under 5 are free to participate with registered adult.

To register and for additional information go to www.centerforpreventionofabuse.org.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) will encourage Illinois residents to buy local by making the first Saturday of each month “Eat Local, Buy Illinois Products Day.”

Illinois Products Days will fit into the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s larger challenge to get more people to buy Illinois products. According to the department, if each household in Illinois spent $10 on Illinois products each week, the people of Illinois would be reinvesting more than $2.4 billion in the state economy each year.

“When you buy Illinois products, you put money right back into your friends and neighbors’ pockets,” Koehler said. “People talk a lot about outsourcing – think of this as insourcing.”

Several years ago, the General Assembly passed a law creating an Illinois products logo – a special design used to indicate products grown or produced right here in Illinois. Now that it’s easy to identify Illinois products, Koehler wants to encourage people to do more.

“Even if it’s just once a month, try to go to a restaurant that cooks food raised by local farmers,” Koehler said. “Go to a farmers market. Go to a grocery store that labels the food it gets from local producers. There are so many ways to give back to local businesses. Let’s create jobs here in Illinois.”

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill into law Aug. 13.

Free Weekly Newsletter/Website is the “Go-To Place” for Area Kids and Families

August 14, 2013: Macaroni Kid, a free weekly e-newsletter and website that highlights all of the great things for kids and their families to do in our community, has exceeded 1,000,000 page views.

Under the stewardship of Melissa Hucal of West Peoria, Macaroni Kid has become a go-to source for all things family.

“I’m excited that families are seeing this as a valuable resource in our community,” says Hucal. “There are so many great things for families in the Peoria-area and I love that Peoria Macaroni Kid has become a resource to keep parents informed and excited about raising their kids in the Peoria area.”

Macaroni Kid covers the spectrum of things to do with kids – classes, shows, events as well as things to do at home, cooking projects, book reviews, arts and crafts and more. In addition, the newsletter provides articles and resources to make the job of parenting a little easier and even more fun.

Parents, grandparents, childcare providers and anyone interested in family-friendly activities in Peoria and surrounding communities can subscribe to the free, weekly e-newsletter by visiting www.peoria.macaronikid.com. Ideas for articles and event listings can be sent to melissah@macaronikid.com.

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Through an ever-growing network of Publisher Moms, Macaroni Kid delivers weekly email newsletters and creates websites that provide all of the skinny on events and activities for kids and their families in communities across the country.

Additional information about Macaroni Kid, LLC can be obtained by calling 631.726.1412 or emailing joyce@macaronikid.com