CWTC Begins Clean Up of Kellar Branch Section of Rock Island Trail Thursday

Community Workshop Training Center, the first to join with the Friends of Rock Island Trail in the “Adopt-A-Trail” program, begin its efforts this Thursday afternoon.

CWTC Community Integration Manager Don Rulis and a crew from CWTC will be at the first trail cleanup event, Thursday at 4:00PM, meeting at Northmoor and Knoxville Roads. In addition to the inaugural event, volunteers from the CWTC Community Integration program will help to pick up trash on the adopted portion of the trail on a regular basis. Rulis added, “Friends of CWTC are welcome to join consumers and staff to help show support for the trail!”

CWTC Executive Director Patti Gratton says, “One of the goals of CWTC is to help our consumers integrate into the community and with that, give back to the community. There is no better way to teach it than do it. Our consumers truly enjoy being a part of the community and look forward to working with the Friends of The Rock Island Trail.”

Once an abandoned and derelict railroad, the Rock Island Trail is now a peaceful haven for hikers, cyclists, and cross-country skiers. The Friends of Rock Island Trail work to maintain the 29 mile trail through donations and the support of the community. For information on the Friends of the Rock Island Trail, check out their web site: http://www.ritrail.org/

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

Silent Auction & Gala to Commemorate 125 Years of service for The Salvation Army in Peoria

The Peoria Salvation Army is celebrating 125 years of service in Peoria and that will be the focus of the “Be a Shield” Gala and Silent Auction to be held at the Four Points by Sheraton at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11.

Tickets are now available by calling 655-1341. Tickets are $75 each or a table of 8 for $600. The event will be headlined by music from harpist Sally Hoerr and the Richwoods High School Gospel Choir, a talk from Lt. Colonel’s Merle and Dawn Heatwole and a Silent Auction. The black-tie optional event will help kick-off the 2011 Tree of Lights Campaign and celebrate the work and mission of The Salvation Army in the Peoria Tri County area. There will be a historical slide show, video messages from past divisional leaders and the keynote from the Heatwoles, who are past divisional leaders who now serve at The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The Silent Auction will include:
A handcrafted ruby bracelet from Chas. Schoenheider Jewelers valued at $2,700, NASCAR ticket packages, paintings, pottery from children from The Salvation Army Child Care Center, photography packages, golf foursomes from Mt. Hawley and the Country Club of Peoria and much more.

For more information, please visit our website at www.usc.salvationarmy.org/heartland or call Rich Draeger at (309) 655-1348. For tickets, please call Susan Moore at (309) 655-1341.

The Heartland Partnership and members of the regional business community congratulate Glen Barton for being awarded the 2011 National Outstanding Director of the Year. This prestigious national award is given out each year by Outstanding Director Exchange (ODX). It recognizes leaders of publicly traded companies who go above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrate judgment, courage and integrity while acting in the interests of shareholders. Barton is being recognized for his work on numerous boards of directors including Caterpillar, Newmont Mining and Inco. After a 43-year career with Caterpillar Inc., Barton retired in 2004. Since then, he has been called a guiding force at two North American mining corporations — Newmont in the U.S. and Canada’s, Inco. He served as lead independent director at critical points in each company’s history.

Beyond his corporate roles, Barton is an independent civic & social organization professional in the Peoria Region who donates his time, expertise and financial assistance to multiple projects and programs. Barton was former chairman of Board of Directors of The Heartland Partnership Foundation and he has been a driving force behind community projects like Quest Charter Academy and many others.

Since its inception in 1998, the ODX Outstanding Directors Program has honored more than 100 independent directors from across corporate America. Outstanding Directors are identified by their boardroom peers for the key role they have played during a crisis, a business transformation or a turnaround. They are selected after consulting with members of the Outstanding Directors Advisory Board – sitting directors and CEOs from a cross-section of U.S. industry – and completing extensive research into their companies and career

The Peoria Regional community is pleased that one of our local leaders is being recognized for such a prestigious national award. To learn more about ODX visit http://www.theodx.com/and for more on Glen Barton’s award visit http://www.theodx.com/outstandingdirectors/BartonGlen_OD_fnl.pdf.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Every invention starts with an idea. Do you know how to protect yours? Leroy Hagenbuch – Owner of Philippi Hagenbuch and inventor with over 50 patents, will be presenting this informative 2 part series providing an overview of Intellectual Property Protection.

Part one: (6pm – 7pm) General Overview
Part two: (7pm – 8pm) Patenting Workshop (optional)

WHEN: Thursday, November 17th ~ 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Peoria Next Innovation Center ~ Located at 801 W. Main St.
($10 admission fee includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks)

TO REGISTER: Go To www.novusnetworking.com

You have a standing invitation to NOVUS. Many of our attendees have previously started a business, are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur or provide services to entrepreneurs.

Peoria County’s Interim Director of Economic Development Denny Kief will present a free public workshop entitled “Growing the County” on Thursday, November 3, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Illinois Central College ‘s North Campus. This workshop, offered through the ICC’s Adult Community Programs, will help the public understand how projects such as the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Bass Pro Shop help grow the region and support public services by bringing new business, residents, and visitors to our community.

Participants who attend this workshop will learn about local initiatives for minority and small business owners and entrepreneurs, business retention programs, and financing opportunities. Whether business owner or resident, you have a vested interest in the success of our community and a future that hinges on economic development. Retaining local business and developing new business stabilizes the economy and creates jobs for residents of Central Illinois .

“Growing the County” is the third and final of three fall Adult Community Programs presented by Peoria County . To register for this free workshop, please call 690-6900 or visit www.icc.edu/acp; select “special interests.” Seating is limited.

Green View Nursery, an expert in plants and landscaping, will host a canned food drive starting November 1st and ending November 30th. The goal of the food drive is to raise at least 500 lbs of food for Midwest Food Bank a local shelter based in Peoria. Items needed are canned fruits and vegetables, canned meat, canned meals, boxed meals, cereal & peanut butter. Customers can bring their items to the store anytime in November and their will be designated drop off boxes for the donations.

Green View will also be hosting their Holiday Open Houses on Saturday, November 5 and Saturday, November 13. Customers will have the chance to get the first look at this year’s designer theme trees, wreaths, garlands and greenery. A wonderful selection of ornaments, permanent pre-lit trees and other holiday decorations will also be on display. Green View’s holiday designers will be available each day.

Starting November 5th through December 17th Green View will hold free holiday decorating seminars at 10:00 a.m. each Saturday.
The food drive, open house and seminars will take place at the Dunlap facility, located at 2700 West Cedar Hills Drive.
Seminars are free and open to the public. For more information call Green View’s Garden Center at 309.243.7761 or visit Green View’s web site at www.greenview.com.

The evening of January 31, 2011 … The beginning of a historic snowfall that would paralyze the region for days. It was also the beginning of a changed life for three Chillicothe children whose mother, Teresa Greiner Moore, was brutally slain in their home. Two of the children witnessed the death.

While still grieving the death of their daughter, Ray and Linda Greiner are adopting Teresa’s three children and have moved to Chillicothe to provide continuity for the children. Ray Greiner is retired and Linda Greiner has taken a leave of absence from work since her daughter’s death. A fundraiser called “A Celebration of Teresa” is being held for the benefit of her children on Saturday, October 15th in Chillicothe. Activities are as follows:

Crossword Cafe: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Carnival Activities
• Bake Sale
• Silent Auction

American Legion: 11:00 a.m. – Midnight
• Bags Tournament Registration: Begins at 10 am
• Bags Tournament: 11 am – 6 pm
• Supper: 4 pm – 8 pm
• Band: 8 pm – 12 am
• Silent Auction: 4 pm – 11 pm

Legion Hall
pulled pork sandwiches and Kenyon’s spaghetti from 4:00 -8:00 p.m.

For more information or to register for the Bags Tournament, please contact Jenni Sullivan at sullivanjm41@gmail.com or (309) 453-0272. You can see updates on the Facebook page In Celebration of Teresa.

Peoria Regional High School: “Bringing Education to Life”

The Peoria Regional Office of Education will celebrate the inception of its newest educational program, Peoria Regional High School (PRHS), with a dedication ceremony on October 17, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. The dedication will take place on the patio of the school located at Wildlife Prairie State Park .

The public is invited to join PRHS students, families, and staff in this celebratory event.

Held adjacent to the park’s prairie viewing area, the ceremony will highlight the school’s unique focus on learning within a natural environment. The program will include music and art in addition to comments by local dignitaries. Members of the local Native American community will take part in the ceremony, as well as the students of Peoria Regional High School .

An alternative high school that offers high-quality education to at-risk students from throughout Peoria County , this innovative program equips students through applied learning and esteem-building opportunities.

“Like the ‘Field of Dreams’ concept, we are building a ‘Field of Hope’ for many marginalized young people in our community,” said Dr. Gerald Brookhart, Peoria Regional Superintendent of Schools. “That hope is anchored in academic rigor, relevance, and relationships.”

The program utilizes an experiential learning model that values all major components of the school: learners, educators, and environment.

According to school officials, the partnership with Wildlife Prairie State Park provides a learning environment with limitless student benefits that are academic, physical, vocational, social, and emotional in nature.

The Peoria Regional Office of Education, through extensive programming, supports community’s efforts to reach educational goals. Regional Office of Education programs ensure child safety, provide learning opportunities to all citizens, and maintain accountability for the high-quality education needed to thrive, compete, and succeed. To learn more about services provided by the Peoria County Regional Office of Education, read the “State of the Region Report” at www.peoriacounty.org/ROE.

For more information about the October 17th dedication event at Peoria Regional High School , contact Shanna Shipman at (309) 267-7223 or sshipman@peoriaroe48.net.

Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at The Heartland Partnership, and the Economic Development Council for Central Illinois (EDC) invite area women owned small business owners who are interested in selling goods or services to federal agencies such as the USDA, US Army, US Navy and the Illinois National Guard to attend this event to learn more about the newest certification program called WOSB.

This workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18, 2011 1:00 – 4:00, at the Heartland Partnership, 100 SW Water, Peoria, IL.

Please contact Linda Krendick, lkrendick@h-p.org, 309-495-5907 to determine if you are eligible for the federal SBA WOSB certification.
Pre-registration is required to accommodate seating and materials. Seating is limited, and no walk-ins will be accepted. Pre-registration deadline is Friday, October 17, 2011.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Linda Krendick, lkrendick@h-p.org, 309-495-5907 to make arrangements.

IL PTAC at Heartland Partnership is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the US SBA.

Proctor Health Care is pleased to announce the association of Pat Schmillen, Director of Performance Improvement. Schmillen joined the Proctor team on October 4. She received her MBA from Illinois State University, a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University and a B. S. in Speech Communications from Southern Illinois University.

She is a Certified Master Black Belt and comes to Proctor from Illinois Central College where for the past eight years she successfully led the Six Sigma performance improvement initiatives.