In the Spirit of the Season, the American Red Cross – Central Illinois Chapter Offers 12 Holiday Safety Tips
With last-minute gifts to buy, social events to attend and family and friends to visit while the weather outside is frightful, the American Red Cross-Central Illinois Chapter has 12 days of health and safety tips to make the holiday season safe, happy and bright.

1. Prepare your vehicle for traveling to grandmother’s house. Make an extra emergency kit and include items such as blankets or sleeping bags, jumper cables, fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C type), compass and road maps, shovel, tire repair kit and pump, extra clothing, flares and tow rope.

2. Drive your sleigh and reindeer safely. If severe winter weather is forecasted, avoid driving in a storm if possible. If you must drive in a storm, keep your gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing. Let someone know your destination, route and when you expect to arrive.

3. Help prevent the spread of the flu. Wash hands with soap and water as often as possible, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Use sanitizing wipes to disinfect hard surfaces such as airplane tray tables, luggage handles, cell phones, door handles and seat armrests. Learn More About Flu Safety & Prevention – http://www.redcrossillinois.org/flu-preparedness

4. Stay warm by following Santa’s lead. Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing, which will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears. If you’re spending the holidays in snowier climates, watch for signs of hypothermia. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering, as these are symptoms of hypothermia.

5. Use a Red Cross-trained babysitter when attending holiday festivities. Red Cross-certified babysitters learn to administer basic first aid, take emergency action when needed, monitor safe play and actively engage your child. Some babysitters may also be certified in infant and child CPR.

6. Avoid danger while roasting chestnuts over an open fire. Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking and be alert. Keep anything flammable — such as potholders, towels or curtains — away from your stove top. Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drinks are prepared or carried.

7. Be a lifesaver during the holidays and always. The Red Cross recommends at least one person in every household should be trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED skills. The American Red Cross has conveniently scheduled courses and can have you trained and certified in a few hours. Sign Up for a First Aid or CPR Class – http://www.redcrossillinois.org/take-a-class

8. Designate a driver or skip the holiday cheer. When you designate a driver who won’t be drinking, you help make sure a good party doesn’t turn into a tragedy. A good host ensures there are non-alcoholic beverages available for drivers. The designated driver should not drink any alcoholic beverages, not even one. More information on the chapter’s Designated Driver Program – http://www.redcrossillinois.org/dd-program

9. When the weather outside is frightful, heat your home safely. Never use your stove or oven to heat your home. Never leave portable heaters or fireplaces unattended. Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them once a month. Learn More About Fire Prevention & Safety – http://www.redcrossillinois.org/heating-fires

10. Cut down on your heating bills without being a Grinch. Get your furnace cleaned by a professional and change your filter regularly. Make sure heat vents aren’t blocked by furniture. Close off any rooms you aren’t using and close heat vents or turn off radiators in these rooms. Use either insulating tape or caulking strips to surround your windows and door moldings.

11. Don’t move a muscle until they buckle. Each person in your vehicle should have their seat belts securely fastened before driving off. Ensure children are buckled up and their car seats are installed appropriately based on their age and size. Children 12 and under should always sit in the back seat. Learn More About Seatbelt Safety – http://www.redcrossillinois.org/buckle-up

12. Resolve to be Red Cross Ready in the New Year. You can take one or more actions to prepare now, should you and your family face an emergency in 2010. Make a plan. Get a kit. Be informed. Check Out Our Free Be Red Cross Ready Online Training – http://72.3.171.147/#SITE

Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) calls attention to a state law that will ban citizens from placing obsolete and used electronic in the trash.

“Hardly a week goes by without some new announcement about a bigger and better phone, TV, or computer being introduced. As we buy new items for our use and enjoyment, our old ones become obsolete and eventually find their ways to the garbage bins,” Gordon said. “Please make sure that any electronics you dispose of are deposited at an electronic waste collection site.”

The law going into effect January 1, 2012. Residents are prohibited from putting computers, monitors, keyboards, fax machines, and other electronic devices. Electronic waste will now have to taken to a registered recycler to be properly disposed.

Some locations in the Peoria that are electronic waste collectors include Advanced Technology Recycling (8202 N. University), American TV & Appliance of Madison, Inc. (5802 W. War Memorial Drive), and Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois (2319 War Memorial Drive). Please visit, http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/electronic-waste-recycling/consumer-education.html, to find more locations near you that will recycle electronic waste. If you have any questions, please contact Rep. Gordon’s constituent services office at (309) 681-1992 or via e-mail at repjgordon@gmail.com.

Legislation aimed keeping neighborhoods safe, which was sponsored by Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria), will become law on January 1, 2012.

“Over the past few years it has become clear that one of the priorities in the community is to reduce crime and violence in our neighborhoods,” Gordon said. “To do this effectively we need to make sure our law enforcement officials have all of the necessary tools. I will continue to support legislation that allows our police officers to keep our streets safe.”

Effective January 1st a new law will allow the secretary of state’s office to suspend the vehicle registration for individuals who have been convicted of gun running. The suspension will last for 90 days. Gun running is when an individual knowingly transfers guns unlawfully. This is a common component of gang activity. Suspending a vehicle’s registration means that the vehicle cannot be used on the road and, in this instance, it cannot be used to transport any guns illegally.

“We need to do everything every possible to keep our community safe from senseless violence. This legislation will allow law enforcement and the secretary of state’s office to keep vehicles off the streets and from putting guns into the hands of the wrong people,” Gordon said. “One of my biggest priorities is to help keep our communities safe in order to allow students to grow up and get a education; to encourage companies to bring good, high-paying jobs to the area; and to make sure Peoria is some where people want to raise their families.”

For more information on this or any of Rep. Gordon’s legislation, contact her at her constituent services office at (309) 381-1992 or via e-mail are repjgordon@gmail.com

Peoria County’s Purchasing Agent Jim Smith has earned the Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) credential from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC). Smith was among only 137 professionals nationwide who successfully completed the certification exam in October.

Established in 1964, this prestigious certification is an outstanding honor for individuals in the public procurement profession and is an asset to their specific division of governmental administration. To become certified as a CPPB, candidates must complete an application process that requires formal education, procurement related coursework, public purchasing experience, and functional management experience. A comprehensive written examination confirms the candidate’s knowledge of public procurement procedures and best practices. The CPPB certification recognizes only those professionals who have fulfilled these standards of competency in public procurement.

Ron Bell, President of the National Association of State Procurement Officials, emphasizes the importance of this credential: “Achieving UPPCC certification is an importance milestone on the path of recognition as a procurement professional and one for which the individual achieving it can be justifiably proud. This designation signals that the individual is not only highly trained in the procurement field but is serious in executing his responsibility to protect the public’s trust.”

Jim Smith has been with Peoria County for 19 years; the last five as the County’s purchasing agent. He is responsible for implementing the County’s Purchasing Ordinance and facilitating all bids and Requests for Proposal administered by Peoria County. Earlier this year, Smith was named Professional Buyer of the Year by the Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials (IAPPO). He served as the Committee Chair of IAPPO’s Fall Conference and is currently Secretary for the state association. In addition to IAPPO, Smith is also a member of the National Institute for Public Procurement.

Employees of the American Red Cross Heart of America Blood Services Region based in Peoria are leafleting today outside the “12 Hours of Giving” blood drive.

All day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Red Cross workers and their supporters from the community are welcoming blood donors, thanking them for their support of this important cause, and raising awareness of the long anti-worker campaign and illegal practices of Red Cross management.

WHAT: Leaflet to demand that management of Red Cross Heart of America respect its employees, end its illegal anti-worker practices and settle a fair contract.

WHO: Frontline Red Cross workers and their union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, plus community allies and other local unions.

WHERE: Outside the “12 Hours of Giving” blood drive at 405 John H. Gwynn Ave. in Peoria.

WHEN: Leafleting all day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m..

WHY: Red Cross management has been found guilty of breaking federal labor laws and ordered to pay back wages to employees it illegally denied raises after a union election held more than four years ago.

Bradley University is one of only nine institutions nationwide to be awarded a grant from The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to offer clinical research experiences for high school students.

The $194,400 grant is part of more than $1.5 million the Foundation provided to give high school students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to participate in mentored, clinical research activities. Each institution will select up to 10 students per year to participate in its program.

Bradley’s Center for STEM Education has conducted the 10-week Building Excellent Scientists for Tomorrow (BEST) research internship program each summer since 2005. The BEST program is designed to increase the number of economically disadvantaged, underrepresented students pursuing careers in science and engineering. It will be expanded as a result of the 3-year grant from the Foundation to target students interested in health and medical sciences. Working with the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Bradley’s Center for Collaborative Brain Research, and Bradley faculty in a number of departments, clinical research internships and training, particularly in the neurosciences, will be created for underrepresented high school students.

Bradley, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, Stanford University, Temple University, University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Wisconsin Foundation were selected to receive the grants from 63 proposals from 27 states.

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child abuse.

All post offices will be open Christmas and New Years Eve, but many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon. Regular mail delivery for Christmas and New Years Eve will be unaffected by the change. All local post offices will close at noon on Christmas and New Years Eve except the North University Station, located at 6310 N University, which will remain open until 3:00 P.M. Revised hours will be posted at each post office and commercial customers are asked to check with their bulk mail acceptance unit for Christmas and New Years Eve hours of operation. In addition, mail should be deposited into blue collection mailboxes by noon for early pick-up on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, except for the lobby drops & collection boxes outside the N. University Station. Post offices will be closed the day after both Christmas and New Years Day. Express Mail will be delivered Christmas and New Year’s Day. Regular mail delivery will resume the Tuesday following these holidays.

Self-Service kiosks are available at select post offices which are open 24 hours 7 days a week.

Using credit and debit cards, the Self-Service kiosks enable customers to:
* Buy e self-adhesive forever stamps (Most have Holiday stamps).
* Weigh, calculate and purchase postage in any amount for items weighing up to 70 lbs.
* Send items via Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, First-Class Mail®, and Parcel Post® services.
* Look up ZIP Codes™ and obtain Postal Service mailing information.
* Obtain Express Mail, Certified Mail™, and Return Receipts.
* Purchase Delivery Confirmation™ service.
* Obtain a receipt.

Please visit usps.com to locate a Self Service Kiosk, Post Office or a Contract Postal Location.

Mystery Author Julie Hyzy – January 12 – Julie Hyzy, national bestselling author of the White House Chef Mystery series and the Manor House Mystery series will talk about her work and sign books on Thursday, January 12 at Peoria Public Library North Branch at 6:30 p.m. Anthony and Barry Award winner Hyzy will introduce her latest White House Chef mystery, Affairs of Steak. More about Hyzy, who is from Chicago, can be found at http://www.juliehyzy.com

Peter Caras Book Signing – January 21 – Local author Perer Caras will sell and sign copies of his book on Saturday, January 21 at Peoria Public Library North Branch to benefit Friends of Peoria Public Library. Peter Cara, former Federal Judge for the State of Indiana, brings many years of experience to his first work of fiction, In Remembrance of Me, A December Killing. On a cold December morning in a small Midwestern town, two teenagers brutally murder a wealthy store owner for reasons or motives not fully known until the shocking end of the book. The case results in the most bizarre trial in the state’s history. With minimal physical evidence and witnesses disappearing or dying, it becomes clear that a conspiracy exists to thwart the prosecution.

RACHEL’S HIPPO HEADLINES NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH

2012 is just around the corner and it’s time to make plans to bring in the New Year at Coyote Creek Golf Club in Bartonville. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the music gets underway at 8:00 PM.

Tickets are $45 per person in advance or $50 at the door and include hors d ‘oeuvres, unlimited draft beer and soda with a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. A cash bar will be available.

The New Year’s Eve Party will feature Rachel’s Hippo, a five member pop/rock band based out of Peoria, featuring the music of the 80’s, 90’s and current hits that brings people to the dance floor.

For reservations and information contact Stephanie at 309-323-1667.

Coyote Creek Golf Club in Bartonville is a stunning 18-hole championship golf course designed by the late Bruce Borland. Coyote Creek offers full banquet facilities as well as limitless activities and social events throughout the year.

Coyote Creek Golf Club and Catering Peoria encourage everyone to drink responsibly and urge the use of a designated driver.

Who: Coyote Creek Golf Club & Catering Peoria
What: New Year’s Eve Party
Where: Coyote Creek Golf Club, 8201 West Lancaster Road, Bartonville IL 61607
When: Saturday, December 31, 2011, Doors open at 7:30PM; Music at 8:00PM

Contact: Stephanie Leafgreen at 309-323-1667

Take a break from your last minute shopping this Christmas Eve and watch the most recent three Peoria County Board meetings on Comcast Cable Channel 22. Beginning at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, Comcast will air the County Board’s November 10 regular meeting, November 17 budget meeting, and December 8 regular meeting consecutively. Due to technical difficulties, these meetings were unable to air during their normally scheduled times. The County Board’s December 8 meeting will also air this Thursday at noon.