Lawmaker invites constituents to participate and to see if the state if holding any of their property

PEORIA, IL- Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) will be teaming up with the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer to host a I-Cash Day at various locations throughout the area on March 25.

“The State Treasurer’s Office is holding approximately $1.5 billion dollars in unclaimed assets that belong to citizens throughout Illinois,” said Gordon-Booth. “While families across the communities are tightening their belts, every extra dollar makes a big difference. I encourage everyone to stop by to check and see if they have any unclaimed property.”

Staff from the State Treasurer’s office will be on hand for this free public event to help people search the online I-Cash database and offer assistance in filling out the necessary paperwork to receive found assets. Common forms of unclaimed assets include: unpaid wages, overpayments on bills, life insurance policies, and even safety deposit box contents.

Gordon-Booth is planning three I-Cash Day stops that will be available to the public on
Monday, March 25:

Kroger Grocery Store from 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
1405 W. Garfield Ave., Bartonville

City Link Transit Center from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
407 S.W. Adams St., Peoria

Kroger Grocery Store from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
3311 N. Sterling Ave., Peoria

If you have any questions about I-Cash or any other upcoming events, please contact Rep. Gordon-Booths’s constituent services office at (309) 681-1992 or by e-mail repjgordon@gmail.com.

Peoria, March 18, 2013—Northmoor School will be the 11th Peoria School District 150 school to be added to free book distributions for students in grades kindergarten through fourth by the all-volunteer organization, “Look. It’s My Book!” Each child in the designated grades will be able to choose from age appropriate books to keep for their own reading enjoyment.

Since it was founded by Janet Roth in 2008, more than 200 volunteers have participated and by the beginning of this school year, nearly 50,000 books had been distributed. The program was started to help increase reading skills for primary school students. Research shows that children reading at grade level by the end of third grade has a direct correlation to subsequent academic success. The “Look. It’s My Book!” curriculum is devoted to learning to read through grade three and reading to learn after that. Other Peoria School District 150 schools included in the program are Franklin, Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Lincoln, Whittier, Hines, Thomas Jefferson, Harrison, Glen Oak and Trewyn.

Peoria Players Theatre announces auditions for Bus Stop directed by Caleb Finley. In a rural Kansas diner on a wintry night, stranded passengers of a cross-country bus learn about love and relationships in this enchanting comedic drama. The cast calls for 5 men and 3 women. Auditions will be held in the Peoria Players lobby on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 at 1:00 p.m. Scripts are available to check out from our box office. Show dates are June 6-9.

We will hold our semi-annual Vintage Clothing & Collectibles Sale in the theatre lobby on Saturday, April 13 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Many unique items will be available at very reasonable prices. If you have paid your Peoria Players company membership dues, you may shop early on Friday, April 12 from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The 29th Morton Community Prayer Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, April 10th from 6:00-8:00 am at the Ashland House in Morton. Tickets are $20 each. Guest speaker is First Officer Steve Scheibner, Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and First Officer for American Airlines.

After his service as a U.S. Navy pilot, Scheibner joined American Airlines as First Officer flying Boeing models 757 and 767 out of Boston’s Logan Airport. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Steve had requested to be First Officer on American Airlines Flight 11 out of Logan which later struck the World Trade Center. You will find his story to be compelling and inspiring. Tickets are available at any of the three Morton Community Bank locations or by logging onto www.mortonchamber.org. Reservations are required. Seating sold out early last year so purchase your tickets now!

Peoria – Bel-Wood Nursing Home is hosting its last Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30. The Easter Egg Hunt begins at 11:00 a.m. at Bel-Wood, 6701 West Plank Road, Peoria. The event allows nursing home residents to continue an experience they had always enjoyed while living on their own: sharing the Easter holiday with children. Next year’s event will be held at Heddington Oaks, the new elder care home opening later this spring in West Peoria. For more information on Bel-Wood’s Easter Egg Hunt, please call 697-4541.

Tuscarora Road at U.S. 24 in Peoria County will be closed Monday, March 18 – Friday, March 22 due to a water main leak. Motorists may take Airport Rd or LaFayette to Tuscarora, or U.S. 24 to Cameron Lane to Tuscarora during the closure.

Belleville, Ill. (March 15, 2013) – Illinois American Water has partnered with the EPA to promote its annual “Fix a Leak Week” campaign, starting March 18-24. Little leaks can be a big problem. The average American house hold can waste 11,000 gallons of water each year due to running toilets, faucets and common household leaks. These minor leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, according to the EPA.

First created five years ago by the EPA, “Fix a Leak Week” brings awareness to homeowners to check plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for small leaks and other water waste that may be occurring within their homes. Small, leaky faucets and garden hoses may not seem like a big problem to an individual homeowner. However, these minor leaks add up to vast amounts of water wasted each year.

Through the “Fix a Leak Week” campaign, Illinois American Water is encouraging its customers to repair dripping faucets, running toilets, and leaky showerheads. Illinois American Water recommends using the following tips to help detect and repair leaks:

– Leaky toilets are most often the result of a worn toilet flapper. Replacing the rubber flapper is a quick fix that could save a home up to 200 gallons of water per day.
– Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense-labeled model.
– For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
– Landscape irrigation systems should be checked each spring before use to make sure they were not damaged over the winter and checked monthly when in use.

Generally, these leaks are very small and are easy and inexpensive to repair and can save thousands of gallons of water per household each year. For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak. In addition, customers can follow Illinois American Water on Facebook and Twitter to receive water service updates throughout the year.

About Illinois American Water
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

On Thursday February 21, 2013 Chief Information Officer Sam Rivera was presented a certificate by the Illinois Policy Institute in recognition for achieving a 84.9 percent score on the Local Transparency Project. With a 36.9 point increase the City of Peoria website is now the 5th highest rated website for transparency among the top 25 largest cities in the state. Special thanks to Rachel Cook for her leadership in this project and to CSE Software for developing a new website for the citizens of Peoria.

January 2013 unemployment rates increased but so too did the number of jobs in the Peoria MSA. The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the Peoria MSA increased to 10% in January 2013 from 9.1% in January 2012. In Dec 2012 the rate was 8.3 percent. According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), this increase was predicted. “Increases in the unemployment rate and newly created jobs are expected each January. The new year encourages employers to hire and workers to re-energize their work search,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said. “We now need to better understand how the federal budget reductions through sequestration will pressure the economy, especially consumer confidence and hiring efforts.”

On the jobs front…the Peoria MSA saw non-farm payroll employment increase by +800, led by Educational-Health Services (+1,300), Wholesale Trade (+200) and Government (+200). Declines occurred in Manufacturing (-400) and Professional-Business Services (-400).

EAST PEORIA, Il. — Join the Penguin Project and Costco for an evening of fun and entertainment! The Penguins are holding a special event called “Don’t Stop Believin’” to celebrate its 10th anniversary from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27th at the Baum Family Center at 4313 North Voss St., Peoria Heights.

The members of the original cast of its first show, “Annie Jr.,” will be back to perform a selection of songs. The Penguin Project is excited to announce several activities with an emphasis on replicating the successful program to other cities. Costco will be providing refreshments and snacks as well as opportunities to sign up for Costco memberships.

For the past 10 years, the Penguin Project has served Greater Peoria, Bloomington, Barrington and DeKalb. Started by Dr. Andrew Morgan in 2003, the Penguin Project has been dedicated to giving children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to participate in performing arts. The performers put on outstanding shows and develop essential communication skills and gain lifelong friendships.

Dr. Morgan and the Penguin Project team are hoping to extend their project to the Greater Illinois area and beyond. There are future potential “Penguins” waiting for the chance to perform across the United States. The Penguin Project hopes to replicate itself in as many locations as possible to give these children a chance to shine.

There is no admission fee or donation required. Everyone is encouraged to come and bring family and friends who have not yet experienced the magic of the Project. It is going to be a wonderful night for a good cause.

The Penguin Project is a nonprofit organization that services children and young adults with disabilities and their families. Every year, the Penguins put on a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical. There are currently projects in East Peoria, Bloomington, Barrington and DeKalb. For more on The Penguin Project, visit their website at http://penguinproject.org.

Since 1979, Costco has been dedicated to providing quality brand name merchandise to its customers. It is a worldwide member warehouse club, dedicated to convenience and excellent service. It is publically traded on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit Costco’s website at http://www.costco.com.

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