The Peoria Public Library Board of Trustees will open Peoria Public Library McClure Branch at a 10:00 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, January 7.

After a ceremony with short remarks, the public is invited to come inside and begin using the newly remodeled and repaired branch. This grand opening falls one day short of the building’s first opening on January 8, 1937.

The branch has been refurbished and repaired and upgraded with all the same technologies as other Peoria Public Library locations. Although the building could not be expanded as it sits in a flood plain, users will note that the signs of wear of 75 years have been erased and interior spaces thoughtfully rearranged to eliminate the previous cluttered look.

The brick exterior has been cleaned and returned to its former attractive look. Inside radiators have been eliminated and every window now has a window seat where readers can curl up with a good book or laptop. With wifi throughout the building and study tables with power outlets, as well as six public computers, access is available to the Internet for all. Catalog-only computers, self-check stations and information desks are located both upstairs and down. Outside there are 20 parking spots.

Construction costs totaled just under $600,000 for the 4,270 square foot building which closed February 19, 2011 for remodeling. While construction was complete, a problem with delivery of shelving created a delay in reopening the building.

McClure Branch, known when it first opened as “the East Bluff Branch” was built on land donated by the Peoria School Board and cost $20,000 to build. The separate children’s room in the basement did not open until the next October. Crowds flocked to a January 29th evening open house hosted by the Library Trustees. According to newspaper reports of the day, visitors marveled at the new hot water heat system that was assured to keep the temperature stable and patrons comfortable.

One of the latest innovations was “anti-glare lighting” and everyone was pleased with the curtains. Curtains were exciting because they eliminated, “flapping roller shades that suddenly slip and rocket to the top with a fearful rattle, frightening the patrons.” Window shade technology has come a long way and McClure Branch now features the latest technology in window shades as well.

Hours for McClure Branch will be Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Food Basket Distribution Monday & Final Week of Kettles

Monday, December 19, The Salvation Army will hold its annual Food Basket Distribution at its downtown warehouse. About 3,000 baskets will be given to families and individuals from about 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The baskets are funded through donations to the Journal Star Christmas Fund. This week also wraps up the red kettle portion of the Christmas campaign. And for last minute shoppers, the Salvation Army Gift Wrap booth will be open through Saturday, December 24.

For more information on these upcoming events, please contact Rich Draeger at 655-1348 or 253-9909.

These events are part of the 2011 Tree of Lights Campaign, which has a goal of $1,575,000. To date, $650,868 has been donated, or about 41% of the goal. To donate, drop a donation in any red kettle, donate online at www.usc.salvationarmy.org/heartland.

Call (309) 655-7220 to donate with your VISA, MasterCard, or Discover Card, or mail your donation to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box . PO Box 1468, Peoria, IL 61655.

Work on the new clock face on the clock tower in historic Westlake Hall on the campus of Bradley University will begin today. Contractors will remove the old faces today and cover the openings with plastic. The new faces will be set on Thursday. That work will start after 9:00 a.m. and will continue through the day.

The new clock is part of the $22 million renovation and expansion of Westlake Hall which was started in the Spring of 2010. The renovation and expansion is expected to be completed in the summer of 2012.

The new clock face will have Roman numerals similar to those on the original clock put in place when Westlake Hall was built in 1897. The clock will be backlit and have a white finish.

The History of Westlake Hall – Henry Ives Cobb, architect for the University of Chicago and several buildings at the Columbian Exposition, was the architect for the building originally named Horology Hall. Horology is the art of making timepieces. Contracts for construction were awarded in April 1897 and construction was completed in October of the same year. The building was the only one in the United States that was erected solely for use as a horological school, a department of what then was Bradley Polytechnic Institute. The building was renamed in 1946 to honor Allen T. Westlake, who served as dean of horology. In 1961, Westlake Hall became the home for the College of Education.

The Greater Peoria Region continues to rise in national rankings. The Milken Institute’s annual survey of Best-Performing Cities reveals that the Greater Peoria Region jumped 19 spots on the list from last year. We now rank 68th on the list of the top 200 largest cities in the nation.

Jim McConoughey, President & CEO of The Heartland Partnership says this news proves we are bouncing back from the recession quite nicely and this region is a good place to do business. “Seeing the Greater Peoria Region rank highest in Illinois and outrank many of our Midwestern competitors is great news because it proves that we are doing things right. We have a constant, collaborative and focused effort on growing our regional economy and enhancing our regional business climate and it is working. But we can’t stop now. We have to continue our efforts throughout the entire region, in order to remain competitive.”

The Greater Peoria Region received the highest ranking in Illinois and only a handful of Midwestern cities outranked the Greater Peoria area.

• 13 Cedar Rapids IA
• 22 Omaha NE
• 33 Des Moines IA
• 45 Lexington KY
• 60 Springfield MO

Texas cities snagged four of the top five spots while Michigan, Indiana and Florida all had several cities at the bottom of the list.

The 2011 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The components include job, wage and salary, and technology growth.

Peoria Area SeniorNet, the local chapter of a national organization that promotes computer literacy among seniors, is offering a free seminar on Electronic Tax Preparation on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. The workshop will be held in the McKenzie Room of the new North Branch Peoria Public Library at 3001 W. Grand Parkway west of Allen Road near Walmart. Registration in advance is not necessary and the workshop is open to all ages. Bob Picton, an AARP tax aide, will demonstrate many of the common features and functions of the PC version of TurboTax. The knowledge gained can also be applied to using other software if that is your choice.

What’s the big deal with electronic tax preparation? If you are in your twenties or thirties it has always been around. But to an old timer, it still seems like something new. The IRS web site has a section on e-File that gives some interesting facts that show e-Filing has been around quite a few years. Electronic filing began in 1986 when about 25,000 refund-only forms were filed by five tax preparation professionals. Each year since then the system has been expanded to reach more and more taxpayers. In 1992, filing from home began with the 1040 TeleFile research test in Ohio. By 1994 over 14 million individuals filed electronically. In 1996 the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) was implemented allowing individuals to pay their taxes electronically. Payment by credit card was begun in 1999. The IRS goal is to enable all forms and schedules to be filed electronically, along with electronic payments and refunds.

For 2003, tax professionals (H&R Block for example) filed 37 million returns electronically and a total of 53 million returns were filed electronically. The number keeps growing. In 2007 139.3 million returns were filed in total and 79.98 million were filed electronically. In 2011 the number of forms files electronically passed the 100 million threshold.

Several software companies offer tax preparation software for individuals. TurboTax by Intuit is perhaps the most popular. TaxCut by H&R Block and CompleteTax by CCH Tax and Accounting are two other packages. TaxACT by 2nd Story Software is free to individuals. These are just examples of available software. There is a fee for electronic filing, but for many of the software packages, the fee is included in the software price.

For more information about the seminar, call 1-800-872-4651, extension 1510 and leave a message. A SeniorNet volunteer will return your call and answer any questions you may have. You can also contact SeniorNet by email at PASeniorNet@yahoo.com.

Peoria Area SeniorNet is sponsored by Illinois Eye Center and PNC.

What: Gold Coin Auction
Where: Coin can be seen online at www.usc.salvationarmy.org/heartlandWhen: December 17 – December 23

Phone Bids accepted M-Friday only 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online bids via “contact us” on website

“We will be assisting the Corps Community Center in an auction of the gold coin beginning today, with daily updates on our divisional website, with proceeds going to the Tree of Lights Campaign,” said Rich Draeger, Assistant Development Director for The Salvation Army. The auction will start at $195, the appraised value of the coin. All funds benefit The Salvation Army Tree of Lights Campaign which supports seasonal and year round programs for those in need.
The kettles are heading into their last full week, and to sign up to volunteer, visit www.ringbells.org.

Donations can be still be made by mailing a donation to The Salvation Army, PO Box 1468, Peoria, IL 61655, or by calling (309) 655 7220 to charge on American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Australia (the night before our New Year’s Eve) with an old-fashioned barn dance, Friday, December 30 at Shore Acres in Chillicothe. The fun begins at 7:00 p.m. Callers Jim Hicks and Gail Hintze teach all the dances so beginners are welcome. Chillicothe’s own champion fiddler Emmy Holmes-Hicks returns from the East Coast to lead the ever-popular Rusty Pickup String Band.

Admission is $5, with a $20 maximum for families. You are invited to bring a snack to share.

For more information and directions, call 274-5358 or 274-2228.

Contact person: Gail Hintze 309-274-5358 or 868-7163

The Peoria Zoo received a male Northern Tree shrew in October and he has now been successfully introduced to the female. These small forest-dwelling animals from Asia resemble squirrels with a pointed snout and small ears. The species has the highest brain to body mass of any animal (including humans)!

Northern Tree shrews are exhibited at only 18 AZA accredited facilities in North America and there are only 41 individuals. It is the hope of the Zoo staff and the Species Survival Program that our pair will reproduce and help increase the captive population.

Being diurnal, or active during the day, Zoo visitors can see one or both of them at all times in their exhibit located across from the meerkats in the entry building. Although the male is shyer than the female he can still be seen exploring on the ground while she sits on her favorite ledge. Watch the Youtube video of Adrian meeting Rocky. Rocky Meets Adrian: Tree Shrew Introduction at Peoria Zoo

The Peoria Zoo remains open year round with hours of 10: 00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and you can visit to see the animals for yourself. The Zoo will be closed on Christmas Eve & Day and New Years Eve & Day.

Website visitors can also click on the “Zoo Tube” box on the home page to see video taken of memorable events at the zoo. One of the most current posts shows the event Breakfast with Santa. Viewers can also see the two young Colobus monkeys wrestling in the new mulch place in their exhibit or one of the Burmese python lay eggs.

Fans can also following us on Twitter and Facebook where happenings, specials and other news is posted. For more information, call Yvonne Strode at 309-681-3509.

Bradley University announced today that Dr. Darrell Radson has been appointed dean of the Foster College of Business Administration. He will begin his duties on May 1.

Dr. Radson is currently Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University, a position he has held since 2008. Prior to his appointment at Michigan Tech, he served in administrative and faculty positions at Drexel University, John Carroll University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, he has served as a consultant to numerous national and international firms in the areas of quality management and statistical process control.

“Dr. Radson has the background, creative vision and leadership skills to move the Foster College of Business Administration and our University toward further national distinction,” said Dr. David Glassman, Bradley Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “He has an excellent record of success as a skilled and motivational academic administrator with a visionary understanding of business education, including interdisciplinary business and engineering collaborative learning. He is a strong proponent of entrepreneurship education and will contribute greatly to our prominence in this area.”

Dr. Radson has published research in the area of statistical methods for quality improvement and has received teaching awards at two universities. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University, and three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan.

“I am excited to accept the position as the new dean of the Foster College of Business Administration,” Dr. Radson said. “Bradley is to be commended for courage and foresight with its business and engineering convergence model that promises to transform both business and engineering education and move both colleges to increased national recognition. I am honored to have the opportunity to provide creative leadership in this important endeavor along with President Glasser, Provost Glassman, and the deans. I look forward to working with the faculty, students and staff and becoming a part of the vibrant Bradley and Peoria communities.”

Bradley is developing plans for a unique business and engineering convergence center on its campus that will provide the critical infrastructure to support business and engineering student education to meet the highly competitive and changing global markets of the future.

Dr. Radson succeeds Dr. Robert Scott, who is serving as interim dean of the Foster College.

A new clock face will be installed on the clock tower in historic Westlake Hall on the campus of Bradley University on Monday, weather permitting. Contractors will replace the faces on the north, west and south sides of the clock tower starting Monday morning and continuing through the day. Work on the east face will be done on Tuesday completing the closure of the clock tower.

The new clock is part of the $22 million renovation and expansion of Westlake Hall which was started in the Spring of 2010. The renovation and expansion is expected to be completed in the summer of 2012.

The new clock face will have Roman numerals similar to those on the original clock put in place when Westlake Hall was built in 1897. The clock will be backlit and have a white finish.