Due to inclement weather, the July 8th Jr. Open #4, to be played at Newman Golf Course, was post-poned. The tournament has been rescheduled for July 15th, at Newman Golf Course. The first tee time is 7:00 AM. Tee times will remain the same and can be found online, http://www.ppdgolf.org/tee_times/

App-Plause for 10 Millionth Customer to Check In Online!

(June 24, 2013) – The Internet has created many superstars, such as the illustrious Grumpy Cat and You Tube sensation and “Gangnam Style” singer Psy. And now, Great Clips, the world’s largest salon brand, has its own Cyber Celebrity. Jed Bauman, 21, from Deer Creek Ill., earns the digital distinction of becoming Great Clips’ 10 millionth check-in using their revolutionary technology, the salon industry’s first online check-in app.

“This is exciting news. I’m surprised and honored,” says Bauman, a machine operator from Deer Creek. “That day I had just downloaded the Great Clips’ Online Check-in app, checked in from my cell phone, went to the Peoria Great Clips and got my hair cut right away with no wait. You can’t beat that.”

Bauman says he’s been a Great Clips customer since he was learning to drive and drove his dad to Great Clips for a quick haircut. Soon, Great Clips cuts became a great father/son tradition that Bauman says he’ll continue. “The haircut is great. The price is great. Now the convenience is great,” says Bauman. “I won’t go anywhere else to get my hair cut.”

App-plause for Local Salon
“We’re thrilled to have a digital milestone set in our salon, says Dave Hands, owner of the Great Clips salon in Peoria, Ill. “Our customers like Jed love Online Check-in, and once they use it they keep coming back because it’s so convenient and cuts wait times. Online Check-in really separates Great Clips from its competitors and shows how we are always trying to make our customers’ lives easier.”

Great Clips gave Bauman a great big thank-you gift basket that included an Ogio backpack; travel coffee mug; iPad travel case; flashlight; Great Clips NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne #5 hat; certificate for a free haircut and Solutions by Great Clips® Tea Tree Shampoo, Conditioner, Gel, Texture and Lip Care.

Cyber Success Story
Great Clips recognizes customers want convenience right at their fingertips, so in 2011 the company made huge advancements in mobile marketing by creating the innovative Online Check-In App. This app, which is available at 3,300 Great Clips salons across the U.S. and Canada, allows customers like Bauman to remotely log-in from a computer or smart phone and view estimated wait times at surrounding salons. Customers click the “check-in” icon to add their name to the list at the Great Clips salon of their choice and, by the time they arrive, they are likely next or almost next in line – saving precious time they may have spent waiting in the lobby for their haircut.

• More than 800,000 customers a month use Great Clips’ Online Check-in. With this rate of growth, the company expects to reach an average of 1 million check-ins per month by the end of the summer.
• Customers have downloaded the Great Clips’ Online Check-in app for Android and iPhone more than 1.5 million times. By the end of 2013, the company expects to reach 2 million app downloads.
• Due to the success of Online Check-in, many Great Clips salons across North America have installed in-salon monitors to show customers where they are on the wait list, how many customers have checked in online and how many have yet to arrive.

Jim Maloof/Realtor will be hosting a Grand Opening for its new Metamora office on Tuesday July 16 from 4-7 p.m. The Metamora Area Business Association will hold a ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m., followed by a Peoria Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at 5 p.m.

The new Metamora office is located at 119 E. Partridge Street, with Mark Lockwood serving as Managing Broker.

“At Jim Maloof/Realtor we are proud to be in-place and an active member of the Metamora community,” said President Michael Maloof. “We hope the community will come out to our grand opening to see what our company has to offer.”

The company was founded in 1969 and has consistently been rated the most trustworthy and productive brokerage by the thousands of clients they have served.

Being situated in most or all of the residential living centers in the six counties they serve, Jim Maloof/Realtor took over the #1 position in dollars and units several years ago. Additionally, their full-service Corporate Relocation and Destination Services Division is downstate Illinois’ largest.

PEORIA, IL – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) is highlighting legislation recently signed into law aimed at assisting veterans and encouraging employment.

“Our nation is fortunate to have so many brave men and women who have chosen to defend our country, we must strive to assist them when they return from service,” Gordon-Booth said. “Often our veterans put their education and professional training on hold while they are serving in the military. As veterans re-enter civilian life and search for a new job, we should to everything we can to ease this transition.”

Gordon-Booth supported multiple measures allow veterans to use the training and experience they gained in the military to meet the requirements of some skilled jobs. House Bill 2563 waives the driver’s skills test needed to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for veterans who received the same training and drove commercial vehicles. Subject to federal requirements, this new law would eliminate the cost and training that is currently necessary to obtain a CDL.

House bill 3186 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to recognize EMT training completed while in the military. When applying for their EMT license, veterans will now be able to use previous training to meet state requirements, instead of participating in the training again.

Currently, veterans who have been honorably discharged from the military and have received an Afghan or Iraqi Campaign Medal are able to have college education requirement waived when applying to the Illinois State Police (ISP). Senate Bill 204 expands this waiver to include those currently serving in the Illinois National Guard or Reserves, and veterans who have been honorably discharged and received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Koran Defense Service Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

“Members of the military have sacrificed so much to protect us and our loved ones,” Gordon-Booth said. “These changes, to help qualified individuals obtain employment, are the least we can do for those who have served our country. I will continue pushing for other common-sense reforms and policies to help our nation’s servicemen and women find jobs after they leave the military.”

For more information about this or other pieces of legislation, please contact Gordon-Booth’s constituent service office at (309) 681-1992.

Jim Maloof/Realtor® is proud to congratulate the residents of Morton for being named one of the “10 Best Towns for Families” by Family Circle magazine. The designation is awarded to cities that focus on “less crowding, concrete and stress; more serenity, nature and neighbors you can count on.”

“At Jim Maloof/Realtor we’ve always recognized that Morton is one of our perfect family communities,” said President Michael Maloof. “This award further underscores all those great qualities that make Morton a wonderful place to raise and educate children – and we always encourage families who are looking for a home in central Illinois to include Morton in their search.”

Jim Maloof/Realtor has been in the business of helping people make their dreams come true since 1969 when it was founded by Jim Maloof. Today, Jim Maloof/Realtor is central Illinois’ largest real estate company with 17 branches in six counties with over 230 agents and support staff.

Peoria County – The Peoria City/County Health Department is reporting the first West Nile virus positive mosquito sample detected in Peoria County for 2013. “The positive mosquito pool is an indication that West Nile Virus is circulating in our area. These mosquitoes are not the same as the nuisance mosquitoes that we saw after recent flooding conditions. We are now seeing these disease-carrying mosquitoes and individuals should take appropriate preventive measures to protect their health,” states Wil Hayes, Director of Environmental Health for the Peoria City/County Health Department.

“As we enter the hot temperature season, we will start to see more mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in the Central Illinois region,” said Hayes. “The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Precautions include practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel and report.”
• REDUCE exposure – Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night. Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
• REPEL mosquitoes – When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
• REPORT mosquito breeding grounds – In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common West Nile virus symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. However, four out of five people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 50 are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile Virus.

For more information on public health issues, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department’s website at www.pcchd.org.

Peoria Players Theatre presents All Shook Up directed by Jeremy Kelly. After a successful run in 2008, this energetic musical returns to the Peoria Players stage! Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, this musical is a love story about a roustabout and a small town girl that features such classics as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Performances are August 7, 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 pm, and August 11 at 2:00. Tickets are $18 for adults; $12 for youth 18 and younger. We are offering special rates of $15 adult tickets and $12 youth 18 and younger tickets on Wednesday, August 7 only. To reserve tickets with a Visa or MasterCard, please call 309-688-4473. Tickets will also be available on our website on Monday, July 15.

Peoria Players Theatre is proud to open with its 95th consecutive season this September! Season tickets are on sale now for just $85. The package includes the following 6 terrific shows:
Les Miserables (September 6-8, 10-15, 2013)
Barefoot in the Park (October 4-6, 10-13, 2013)
Meet Me in St. Louis (November 8-10, 13-17, 2013)
Oliver! (February 7-9, 12-16, 2014)
The Miracle Worker (March 14-16, 20-23, 2014)
Shrek The Musical (May 2-4, 7-11, 2014)
To purchase season tickets, please call our box office at 309-688-4473.

Director Liz Landes Reed announces auditions for the Neil Simon classic, Barefoot in the Park. After premiering on Broadway in 1963, this story was made into a film in 1967, which starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. The play focuses on newlyweds Corie and Paul Bratter and their adventures living in a minuscule sixth floor walk-up apartment in a Greenwich Village brownstone. Paul, a straight-laced, hard-working young attorney just doesn’t understand Corie. Vivacious bride Corie says Paul is too boring and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous, running “barefoot in the park” would be a start. The cast calls for 4 men and 2 women. Auditions will be held at University United Methodist Church (2818 N. University, just south of Peoria Players) on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, both days at 1:00 pm.

At 6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 10, the City of Peoria’s Public Works Department will host an information meeting on the reconstruction of University Street, between Nebraska Ave and Forrest Hill Ave. The meeting will be held at University United Methodist Church, 2818 N. University Street. The current design will eliminate the center turn lane through the segment to stay within limits of Public Right-of-Way (ROW) while providing city-policy wider sidewalks. The following designs will be discussed to assess Public input:

· 5-lane segment of road, with 6’ wide curb-line sidewalks, requiring ROW Acquisition
· 4-lane segment of road, with 6’ curb-line sidewalks, and removing the center turn lane
· 3-lane segment of road, one lane each direction with a center turn lane, bike lanes, and detached sidewalk

Proposed cross-sections, construction time lines, and other relevant details will be presented with a Question and Answer session at the end of the session.

For more details on the Public information meeting, contact Scott Reeise, Public Works City Engineer, at (309) 494-8800.

Get in the swing of things with the Peoria Park District’s fall Adult Slow-Pitch Softball Leagues. This 7-game season begins August 19 and will be held on Sunday through Friday evenings at Peoria Stadium. Team fees are $190 for residents and $210 for non-residents. Teams that register after August 2 must add $25. Player fees are $11 for residents and $16 for non-residents.

Registration packets for these programs are available at the Recreation Office in Glen Oak Park Pavilion and at www.peoriaparks.org/softball. Softball registration is now open and continues until leagues fill.

For more information, contact Nick McDuffee at 681-2867 or visit our website at www.peoriaparks.org.

Ages 9-16 can learn the art of magic July 22-25 from 6:15-8:15 p.m. or July 29-August 1 from 1:15-3:15 p.m. at Bicycle Safety Town. Cost is $24/residents, $28/non-residents.
Participants learn how to perform a wide variety of magic with playing cards, money, rope, common items, mind reading and special props. Amaze your friends and family! All supplies and a class handbook are included.

For more information or to register, visit www.peoriaparks.org or call (309) 688-3667.