Late Tuesday evening, the General Assembly took action to partially restore human services funding, avert state facility closings, and prevent mass layoffs. They achieved these goals by reprioritizing state spending—not spending additional taxpayer dollars.

“This action is good news for people throughout the state of Illinois, particularly for the families of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled,” said State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). “During the holiday season, no one wants to worry about finding care for a loved one or the possibility of getting laid off.”

After Governor Quinn approved the General Assembly’s budget last summer, he claimed that he did not have adequate funding to keep all of the state’s mental health and developmental disability centers open. He threatened to close seven state-run buildings throughout the state. This legislation, Senate Bill 2412, allows the facilities to remain operational for the rest of the fiscal year.

It also partially restores funding for mental health grants that go to local mental health centers, alcoholism and substance abuse programs, burial services for the homeless and very poor, homelessness prevention programs, and need-based financial aid for college students.

To pay for these restorations, the General Assembly sustained many of the governor’s budget-related vetoes, shifted money from other state funds, and reduced a number of lower-priority grants.

“I think this budget more closely reflects our state’s priorities,” Koehler said. “It helps protect the people who are least able to protect themselves. And, while I will admit that we may need to explore facility closures in the future, we need to make sure we plan ahead and transfer mental health patients and developmentally disabled people into safe situations. Closing their facilities without a plan in place could result in unreasonable hardship for these people and their families.”

“I think this is the way budgeting should work,” Koehler added. “We set our priorities, re-examined the budget, and then lowered spending in some areas to allow us to pay more in others.”

The Central Illinois Agency on Aging (CIAA) will be at Bel-Wood Nursing Home tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to honor Bel-Wood resident Mabel Van Dusen for being elected into the Senior Hall of Fame by the Illinois Department of Aging. Ms. Van Dusen was nominated by the CIAA and subsequently inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame on October 24, 2011.

Mabel is and has been a pioneer for aging services in Peoria County . She worked with the CIAA to write procedures for the Community Care Program services. Van Dusen also served as the first Executive Director for the Rural Peoria County Council on Aging after having started the organization on her back porch as a Case Coordination Unit. She is currently the Executive Director of The Peoria Area Blind People’s Center, Inc., overseeing administration and financing to enhance the work of the organization. She also serves the blind and partially-sighted by assisting them in completing applications for Illinois Cares Rx.

The General Assembly initiated the Illinois Senior Hall of Fame in 1994 to honor residents age 65 and older who excel in four categories: community service, education, performance and/or graphic arts, and the labor force, which is in connection to employment. Each inductee is chosen through a statewide nomination and selection process. Since its inception, 83 people have been inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame, including the four 2011 inductees.

Members of the Glen Oak Business Watch will host a community meeting entitled, Taking Back our Neighborhood! at Glen Oak School on Thursday, December 8th, from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to collaborate with residents on approaches to maintain peace and order in the East Bluff.

Peoria County State’s Attorney Gerald Brady and Third District City Council Member Tim Riggenbach will host the event. Nuisance Abatement Officer Elizabeth Hermacinski will present information about police procedures and reporting crime. Residents are encouraged to attend so they may contribute to discussion on how to address nuisance behavior and crime. Food and door prizes donated by business watch members, and child care, will be available.

Co-sponsors of Taking Back Our Neighborhood include: Boys & Girls Club; M&M Recycling; East Bluff United Neighborhood Association; Glen Oak Neighborhood Association; Glen Oak Christian Church; Kroger; Peoria Opportunities; Burdess & Associates; Peoria County Citizens for Equal Opportunity; New Beginnings Ministry; Glen Oak School; and Prince of Peace Church; and East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services.

The Glen Oak Business Watch includes representatives from businesses within the boundaries of North Prospect Road, McClure Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, and Nebraska Avenue.

For information, contact Peggy Shadid at 685-3066.

The Peoria Park District’s Newman Golf Course and Kellogg Executive 9 Golf Course will be closed Monday, December 5 for the season. Newman’s greens and collars are being seeded and top dressed, and both courses will be winterized.

Detweiller Golf Course is already closed for the season. Madison and Donovan will remain open through December 31, 2011, as conditions permit.

For more information call golf operations at (309) 689-3329.

Steven Spielberg produced and Joe Dante directed 1984’s “Gremlins,” a comedy horror yarn about a teen who gets an unusual holiday gift that backfires on him – and his community.

The offbeat movie will show at downtown Peoria’s non-profit Apollo Theater on Saturday, Dec. 10.

A Chinatown shopkeeper warns the teen’s dad about the furry, adorable “mogwai” creature: “Don’t expose him to bright light. Don’t ever let him get wet. And don’t ever, ever feed him after midnight.”

That all happens, of course. The result is that the cute, fuzzy Gizmo spawns a nasty mutation, Stripe, and more – which wreak havoc on the idyllic town of Kingston Falls on Christmas Eve.

Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates star, with an interesting supporting cast ranging from Hoyt Axton and Keye Luke to Corey Feldman and Judge Reinhold.

Written by Chris Columbus, the 106-minute film also features Howie Mandel as the voice of Gizmo.

Show time at the Apollo is 7:00 p.m. Donations are $5 and $4 for kids, students and seniors. For details call (309) 673-4343.

Doll & Bear Tea, Bears vs. Packers Kettle Challenge and Coats for Kids Night w/ Peoria Rivermen Headline Events

The Salvation Army is holding its annual Bear Tea Wednesday morning at the Corps Community Center at 2903 W. Nebraska in Peoria. Each year, new teddy bears are purchased by The Salvation Army and dressed by volunteers who donate their time and materials.

The teddy bears will be judged according to various categories with awards being given during the “Doll Tea” at 10 am Wednesday morning at The Salvation Army Corps Community Center at 2903 W. Nebraska. Dress categories include bridal, sports, business wear, storybook, holiday, historical, night time, formal/party wear, and knit/crochet.

The award-winning teddy bears will be sold through a silent auction to benefit the programs and services of The Salvation Army. The remaining teddy bears will be given to area children as Christmas gifts through The Salvation Army Christmas Toy Shop program in December.

On Saturday, December 3 at the HyVee in Sheridan Village and the Bass Pro Shop in East Peoria, fans of the Bears & Packers will square off in the 17th annual Bears Packers Kettle Challenge. Fans dress in their favorite team colors and ring bells to collect money for The Salvation Army. Over the previous 16 years, the Packer fans hold a 9-7 edge in the annual competition.

Later that same evening, on Saturday, December 3, the Peoria Rivermen will hold their annual Coats for Kids collection at their game. This collection will wrap up the collection portion of the annual Coats for Kids Campaign.

For more information, contact Rich Draeger at 253-9909 or 655-1348.

On Saturday, December 3, the Peoria Humane Society is hosting a Howliday Boutique and Open House of Peoria County’s animal shelter from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Visitors can shop for gifts for their pets, tour the shelter, and enter to win prizes. In addition to the many great pet toys and accessories available at low prices, there will also be door prizes, raffles, and free refreshments at Saturday’s event.

Shoppers and visitors to the Howliday Boutique are encouraged to tour the animal shelter to meet adoptable pets. Donations for the shelter are also appreciated, including canned kitten and cat food, Kong toys for dogs, small dog biscuits, tearless puppy shampoo, and guinea pig and rabbit food.

For more information on the Howliday Boutique and Open House, please call the Peoria Humane Society at 682-9015 or visit www.peoriahs.org.

During its Thanksgiving STEP Campaign from November 14 – November 27, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office supplemented its regular patrol schedule by thirteen (13) additional hours with a focus on impaired driving enforcement. As a result of the increased enforcement, the extra patrol details made two DUI arrests, issued three speeding tickets, and made one arrest for a suspended driver’s license. Regular patrol units issued 12 speeding tickets, 16 moving violations, and made three other DUI arrests.

Financed through a Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office was able to increase traffic safety enforcement – namely impaired driving enforcement – during its Thanksgiving campaign. This effort marked the first in a series of similar campaigns the Sheriff’s Office will be conducting during the holiday seasons over the next year. The Sheriff’s Office was awarded $7,659.45 from the State’s Division of Traffic Safety to be used for these enhanced safety restraint and impaired driving enforcement efforts. This is the second year the Sheriff’s Office has received funds through the STEP grant.

The purpose of STEP is to lower the incidence of motor vehicle crashes – and their resulting injuries and fatalities – through increased highly visible enforcement of safety belt use and impaired driving during national and state enforcement campaigns. The stepped-up, year-long traffic enforcement focuses on specific times of year and on specific times of day when data shows impaired driving and unbuckled fatalities are highest. The increased patrol presence deters potential impaired drivers and potential unbuckled drivers. Through the STEP campaign, increased traffic enforcement has a positive impact on reducing serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.

For more information on the STEP grant, please call the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office at 697-8515.

The Peoria Park District ELITE Holiday Choir and Drumline will be performing this holiday season and the public is invited to listen. Several performances this season will be public:

Tuesday, December 6
9:00 am Peoria Central H.S., 1615 N. North
11:00 am Manual H.S., 811 S. Griswold
12:45 pm Trewyn Elite Grade, 1419 S. Folkers

Wednesday, December 7
10:45 am Easter Seals, 507 E. Armstrong Ave.
12:30 pm Hy-Vee Grocery, 4125 N. Sheridan Rd.
2:15 pm Busey Bank, 6699 N. Sheridan Rd.
4:00 pm South Side Mission, 1127 S. Laramie St.

Friday, December 9
9:00 am Maui Jim, 8300 N. Allen Rd.
1:00 pm McDonalds, 2920 NE Adams St.
2:00 pm Peoria Police Dept., 600 SW Adams St.

Friday, December 16
10:00 am RiverPlex, 600 NE Water St.

For more information on the ELITE Holiday Choir and Drumline, please call Heidi at 309-589-5923.

MASHIE’S IN PEKIN DONATES 10% OF EVENING’S REVENUE

CWTC, Community Workshop and Training Center, is hosting “Trivia Night” at Mashie’s Pub & Eatery, Wednesday, December 7th starting at 7PM. Mashie’s is located at 1620 Summit Drive at Sunset Hills Golf Club in Pekin.

Patti Gratton, Executive Director for CWTC, says “We are so happy to accept Mashie’s invitation to host their Trivia Night! Their generosity to help CWTC with a fun night of food, drinks and trivia is greatly appreciated. Invite your family and friends! ” Mashies donates 10% of the evening’s revenue and CWTC will also get all of the dollars from their trivia collection bucket.

For more Information contact Alissa Juenger at 685-6523.

CWTC provides programs and services to adults with disabilities; enriching their quality of life, promoting social change, and optimizing their potential for independence.

Who: CWTC, Community Workshop and Training Center
What: CWTC Trivia Night
Where: Mashie’s is located at 1620 Summit Drive at Sunset Hills Golf Club in Pekin
When: Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:00PM