Breakfast with Royce and Roger returns August 8th

WOAM Radio (1350am) is back on the air! Focusing on local talk, news and information, the station is known as “Peoria’s Hometown Radio”. The radio station has been on the air for about two weeks, playing popular music from the likes of The Beatles, The Carpenters, Neil Diamond and Michael Buble. The same type of music will continue to be played.

Beginning this Monday, the popular local radio morning team of Royce Elliott and Roger Monroe will return. The show airs from 6:00am till 9:00am weekdays. More commonly known as “Breakfast with Royce and Roger”, the team returns to the same airwaves that they last broadcast on two years ago. The morning show will feature local celebrities as well as local news, talk and information.

The station will also feature local programming like high school football and basketball. Local news will be offered throughout the day along with weather reports from Meteorologist Mike Spiel. Business news will be heard throughout the weekdays and thirty minutes of farm news will be broadcast Monday through Saturday beginning at 5:30 a.m.

WOAM Radio was purchased earlier this year by Nelson Broadcasting, Inc. The media conglomerate is comprised of a television station and radio stations around the collar counties of Chicago.

Nelson Broadcasting, Inc. President, Larry Nelson, said, “We are proud to bring WOAM Radio back to Peoria. With the combination of Royce and Roger and other great local programming, we feel that we’ll become Peoria’s Hometown Radio. We’re not done adding programming and we look forward to further announcements in the near future”.

WOAM Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day with offices and studios at 7326 North University in Peoria, IL.

The BUILD THE BLOCK CAM website has been upgraded. IT360, the trusted technology advisor for small and mid-sized businesses throughout central Illinois, has added a second camera on top of the Chase Bank building overlooking the Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar Visitor’s Center construction. Rather than just a series of still video captures every five seconds that is provided by the original camera (located above the Waterfront Place building on Water Street), this new camera streams live video, enabling viewers to watch the ongoing transformation of the former Sears block. The camera will pan across the construction site throughout the day, pausing for ten minutes after each tour and will occasionally take snapshots for the future time lapse video.

In an effort to protect homeowners, Peoria County is requiring asphalt contractors to secure a permit for all residential and non-residential projects in the county. This requirement, effective August 15, will ensure work is being completed by reputable, licensed contractors and the asphalt used meets minimum specifications for hot mix asphalt (HMA) as described in IDOT’s Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction. This permitting requirement aligns with the County Board’s goal of providing a safe and healthy community for those who live, work, and visit Peoria County.

When hiring an asphalt contractor, homeowners and business owners are reminded to ask whether the contractor is licensed. Licensed contractors have passed a certification process and are familiar with the County’s ordinance regarding asphalt paving. In addition to mix specifications, the ordinance provides for minimum thickness standards. Homeowners may request a waiver from the ordinance requirements through the Department of Planning & Zoning. For more information please call (309) 672-6915.

ILLINOIS CHAPTER 19 of the RED KNIGHTS MC, HOST AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY FUNDRAISER

Illinois Chapter 19 of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club (MC) are pleased to announce their First Annual River Valley Ride to be held Saturday, August 27, 2011, in memory of Captain Lonnie Williamson. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.
Williamson was a 36-year veteran with the Chillicothe Fire Department. He lost his battle with kidney cancer November, 2007. He was also an avid motorcyclist. All proceeds from the Ride will go to the American Cancer Society.

The Red Knights are a motorcycle club whose 10,000 global members are Firefighters and represent professional, volunteer, industrial and retired firefighters. Red Knight members are committed to charitable causes that support their profession, members, and their respective communities.

The First Annual River Valley Ride is a 100 mile ride along the Illinois River with stops at: Henry Harbor, Henry; Ray’s Place, Hennepin; Linda Lou’s 119, Lacon; and Firehouse Bar & Grill, Peoria Heights. The final stop will be at Castaways Bar and Grill located at 1707 N. Fourth Street in Chillicothe, with the last bike in at 5:00 p.m. Door prize drawings begin at 5:15 p.m.

The public is welcome at Castaways from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. for music, food and door prizes. Donations welcome.

Admission is for the First Annual River Valley Ride just $20.00 per driver and $10.00 per passenger. All pre-registered riders will receive a Ride t-shirt. Pre-registration forms are available at: www.IL19.webs.com

Pre Register by August 13 to secure T-shirt size and availability

Day-of registration and Check-In will be from 11:00 to Noon at Chillicothe Fire Station 4 Rt. 29 at Rome West Road.

CONTACT: Chuck at (309) 472-4021 and RKMCIL19@yahoo.com

A relatively small piece of synthetic turf has made a huge difference for the athletes and their families at George Washington High School (GW). Faced with the challenge of finding adequate practice space for their growing athletic programs, the Redskins Booster Club looked online and found their solution in Turf Solutions Group (TSG).

“I saw that they were from Peoria, Illinois and thought ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where that is.’,” said booster club member Pam Workman, who has three children attending the school. “But once I made the call, I was very impressed with them.”

Workman said the school had been trying for years to convert its entire field to synthetic turf, but couldn’t find the funding or the design to satisfy all programs.

TSG consultant Gary Olson and project manager Mike Ryan met with administrators at GW, and it was decided the best course of action was to build a practice area with synthetic turf adjacent to the on-campus football field.

“We couldn’t afford to do the entire field, but they treated us like we were their biggest client,” Workman said of TSG. “They did everything they said they would do for the price they said they would do it.”

TSG installed just more than 17,000 square feet of TSG Pro-4200 at a total cost that stayed within the booster club’s budget. The result has allowed the football, soccer and lacrosse teams increased practice time with the added benefit of preserving the actual playing field for home games.

Previously, the football team – annually one of the top programs in Class AAA – played its home games at a shared, municipal facility in downtown Charleston. For the 2010 season, coach Steve Edwards’ Redskins played home games on campus. The Redskins posted a regular-season record of 10-0.

“It did a lot for our community and our school,” Workman said. “Being able to play at home, especially in rivalry games, it feels like our house now.”

As the legislature has adjourned for the summer months Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) would like to talk to her constituents about the actions taken by the General Assembly this spring at a town hall meeting in Peoria Heights. This meeting will be held at Peoria Heights City Hall on Monday, August 8 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

“Some of the biggest problems facing the state were addressed during the past legislative session, including reforms to the budget, the workers compensation system and education. I want to share the outcomes of these bills and other issues I championed while in Springfield,” Gordon explained. “I also want to hear from my constituents about what should be next on my legislative agenda.”

Gordon was the lead sponsor for an economic development tool to help development along Peoria’s riverfront, instrumental in passing key reforms to our educational system, and sought tougher registration requirements for dangerous sex offenders.

For more information about Gordon’s upcoming town hall meeting, or to learn more about other upcoming events, please contact her constituent services office at 309-681-1992 or e-mail her at repjehangordon@gmail.com

What: Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Jehan Gordon
When: Monday, August 8 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Peoria Heights City Hall, 4901 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria Heights

Jeff Kolbus, President of Traders Realty is pleased to announce Sheryl Grider-Whitehurst as the Managing Broker of the 721 W. Lake Street , Peoria office. Sheryl, currently serving as the President of the Illinois Association of Realtors and Director for the National Association of Realtors, has been licensed since 1981 and has earned ABR, GRI, and CRB designations. Sheryl can be reached at 309-686-5000.

he Morton Chamber of Commerce announced that Nestle USA’s national brand Libby’s Pumpkin will feature the Morton Pumpkin Festival on their national website, www.verybestbaking.com. “Their website gets over 8 Million hits each year,” said Jennifer Daly, Executive Director for the Morton Pumpkin Festival. “We were thrilled when their marketing director agreed to add our logo and link to their page along with some information about the festival. That is huge!” That announcement was a great kickoff to the marketing efforts underway for the festival, which is celebrating 45 years this September 14-17.

“Last year we added billboards and an insert in the Peoria Journal Star along with radio spots in Bloomington-Normal,” said Jennifer Daly, Executive Director for the Morton Chamber. “This year we are expanding our regional focus and also pursing an overnight market. We can’t wait to examine the results.”

Regional advertising for the festival this year will include radio, billboards, Facebook ads, an ad in the Peoria Park District Playbook, and a newspaper insert in the Peoria Journal Star. In addition, the official Pumpkin Festival Booklet will be distributed to every household in Morton and Washington through The Courier Newspaper. “We are really excited about the partnership with The Courier,” said Daly. “Getting the booklet to every household in Morton and Washington will really help us promote the festival to our most avid audience.”

Rack cards are also being printed for distribution to every hotel in a 30 mile radius of Morton. The cards will be featured at hotels during the week of festival. “We are adding a personal URL and a special coupon to these cards so we can see how many people were attracted to the festival because of the piece.”

Drawing a family to the festival for an overnight stay is a much more challenging feat, but one desired by local hotels. “We are working with the Peoria CVB on a fall package that features the festival and includes specials from our local hotels and Ackerman Farms,” said Daly. “The newspaper insert and Facebook ads will be distributed in the Chicago suburbs via the Sun Times News. The printed piece will also include a coupon and a personal URL for tracking purposes.”

In addition to the overnight package, an electronic piece will be sent to all of the individuals planning to attend the local band competition, which occurs during the Festival. “We are very thankful to the Band Boosters for their willingness to include an electronic piece about the festival to the band families,” said Daly. “These families are ideal targets for our overnight campaign since they are coming from a farther distance.”
The Morton Chamber is also doing some local marketing updates for the festival including new logos and signage for major festival venues and new festival banners for the downtown district. “It is a lot to juggle, but the marketing is critical if we want to continue to grow the festival and the positive economic impact it has on our local businesses,” said Daly.

For more information on the Morton Pumpkin Festival, go to www.mortonpumpkinfestival.org and www.facebook.com/mortonpumpkinfestival

State Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) will visit Leaves ‘N Beans on Thursday, August 4, from 9 AM to 10 AM. Gordon will meet with constituents while they enjoying their morning coffee. Gordon will greet patrons and be available to answer any questions that they might have about the state.

“Being able to stop at coffee shops, like Leaves ‘N Beans, allows me to meet constituents I might not see anywhere else,” Gordon explained. “People have concerns about the state and they should be able to talk to me about the work that has been done during the last legislative session.”

If you have questions or concerns and are unable to see Gordon at the Coffee Stop Shop, she will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting at the Peoria Heights Village Hall on August 8, 2011 at 6:30 PM.

For more information about Gordon’s Coffee Shop Stop or for information about upcoming events the lawmaker is hosting, please contact her district office at 309-681-1992 or e-mail her at repjehangordon@gmail.com

What: Coffee Shop Stop with Rep. Jehan Gordon
When: Thursday, August 4, 2011 from 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Where: Leaves ‘N Beans, 4800 North Prospect Rd., Peoria Heights

[Editor’s Note: This is a letter from State Represenative Jehan Gordon about her 3rd Annual Community Shred Day event on August 13th!]

“As your State Representative, it is one of my most important duties to ensure that the citizens of my district are taking all the proper precautions in order to protect themselves. Everyone needs to be familiar with the dangers that exist in having one’s personal information exposed to others.

One way for an individual to illicitly gain access to your identity is by rummaging through the trash for personal information, such as social security numbers and credit card statements. With your personal information, a criminal can create accounts under your name and it may take years to recover your stolen identity.

In an effort to reduce identity theft, I’m hosting my 3rd Annual Community Shred Day on Saturday, August 13 in the North Parking Lot of the Landmark Recreation Center, located at 3225 Dries Lane in Peoria. The free event will run from 9 AM to 12 PM.
Residents are encouraged to bring any papers, computer disks, tapes or hard drives to be securely destroyed by AAA Confidential Security Corporation, a NAID Certified shredding company, with a 10 box limit per person.

The Community Shred Day will be a great way to be environmentally friendly and ensure personal information does not get into the wrong hands. For more information about my 3rd Annual free Community Shred Day, please contact my constituent service office at 309-681-1992, or e-mail repjehangordon@gmail.com.”