August 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the PEORIA HEIGHTS LIBRARY
Free Public Discussion of Current Proposed Landfill Expansion

Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste (PFATW), Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club (HOISC), and Global Warming Solutions Group (GWSG), are hosting a free public discussion of the current proposed landfill expansion for the City/County landfill on Cottonwood Road in Edwards.

The groups will provide an update on the landfill expansion plans, the siting process, discuss opportunities for public participation (comments, witness, and input) and provide information on upcoming meetings and events.

This issue concerns every citizen in the county, and the health and environmental safety of our children and grandchildren. This expansion will set local landfill policy for the next 40 years – and this opportunity to provide citizen input is a once in a generation chance to ensure good management and stewardship for all county residents. Citizens have a chance to protect the environmental safety of their landfill, and help promote recycling for years to come.

The discussion is free and open to the general public.

About Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste:
PFATW is an ever-growing group of mainstream citizens who live and work in Peoria County and are concerned about the health and safety of our families. We are compelled and unified by a common sense of concern. We seek to do what we see as our duty as concerned residents—to inform our neighbors, impact the public process, and protect our health and the safety of our entire community.
Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste – http://www.pfatw.org/

About Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club:
Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club is a local volunteer group affiliated with the Illinois Chapter Sierra Club and the national Sierra Club. Sierra Club’s motto is to protect the environment, for our families and for our future. The HOI Group board endorses steps to provide the maximum protections and best long-term options possible regarding the PDC Hazardous Waste Landfill.
Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club – http://illinois.sierraclub.org/hoi/

About Global Warming Solutions Group:
Global warming is a very real crisis of incredible dimensions. There is a proven connection between global warming and increased levels of greenhouse gases. Reduction of levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases must occur as rapidly as possible. We are a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to an 80% emissions reduction over the next 40 years, through promoting energy efficiency and developing renewable energy sources.
Global Warming Solutions Group- http://gwsolutionsgroup.com/
(309) 339-9733

State Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) dances with neighborhood children while visiting the National Night Out Against Crime hosted by the Moss-Bradley, Uplands, Arbor District and Cottage District Neighborhood Associations. Gordon joined neighborhoods throughout Peoria as they came together to promote safe communities.

‘A Night at the Majestic’ Will be held on August 19, 2011 6:30 p.m. at Four Points by Sheraton 500 Hamilton Blvd. Peoria, IL 61605. Experience an evening in Peoria during the days of Vaudeville. Theme dress encouraged but not required. Tickets are $85.00 for members and $95.00 for non-members. Contact The Peoria Historical Society for reservations 309-674-1921. peoriahistoricalsociety.org.

‘A Victorian Funeral’, a step back in time to the days of at-home funerals and elaborate mourning customs, will be featured at John C. Flanagan House Museum, 942 NE Glen Oak Ave, Peoria, Oct 15 and 16, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Adults $7.00, Students 6 – 12 $3.00.
Call 309-674-1921 or go to: peoriahistoricalsociety.org

Quality Quest President and CEO Dr. Gail Amundson has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors for the Network of Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI). NRHI is the national membership association for Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives, in which Quality Quest for Health of Illinois is a member.

Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives are characterized by bringing all stakeholder groups ─ physicians, hospitals, health plans, employers, patients, and families ─ together to improve healthcare. NRHI supports the efforts of 31 Collaboratives across the United States.

“Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives provide the neutral forum for regional stakeholders to work together to solve what, to date, have been unsolvable challenges,” said Amundson. “Our country has much to gain from successful RHICs. It is vitally important that we are effective change agents and that we are viewed as such nationally.”

Amundson will serve a two-year term through June 2013. She recently completed a two-year term as Vice Chair.

Gather your friends and get a team together for Adult Slow-Pitch Softball. Get in the swing of things with this seven-game season starting August 7. (Please note the revised start date from what was published in the summer Playbook.) Leagues are offered Sunday through Thursday evenings. Games will be played at Peoria Stadium.

Team fees are $185 for residents and $200 for non-residents. Teams that register after July 22 must add $25. Player fees are $11 for residents and $16 for non-residents.

Registration packets are available at the Recreation Office in Glen Oak Park Pavilion. Softball registration begins June 27 and continues until leagues fill.

For more information, contact Nick McDuffee at 681-2867 or visit our website at www.peoriaparks.org.

“Remarkable Times for Young & Old” is the topic of next week’s CAPtions Cable TV show, Peoria’s longest-running TV issues program.

The 1st segment is the 4th edition of “Remarkable Times,” produced in partnership with Peoria Public Schools District 150. Dr. Grenita Lathan provides information about the upcoming school year, while Chris Coplan, Marketing & PR Director, interviews several principals on changes in their respective school. Also, a video tour of the renamed “Woodruff Career & Technical Center” provides viewers the many changes at that facility.

The 2nd segment includes two board members from the Central Illinois Agency on Aging. Topics include continued support for elderly citizens, which is growing in population; various services of CIAA, and information about their upcoming annual Golf Tournament that raises funds for CIAA. Host is Andre Bohannon.

CAPtions will air on Sunday, August 7th at 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, August 10th at
7:00 p.m. and later at Midnight on Comcast Cable 22. The Remarkable Times segment is available now on YouTube. The rest will be loaded by August 10th.

CAPtions is produced by the Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunities, Inc. Media Services Department, and is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

We are thrilled to announce our third and final Pack the Place “Big Event” of 2011 will take place at the Peoria Zoo. Please join us August 11th at 10:00 a.m. at the Peoria Zoo for an announcement about the upcoming event.

Thank you for your support of Project Pack the Place this year and we hope you will join us for this announcement and help make this community event even bigger and better than the rest! Event speakers will include representatives from the Peoria Zoo, Methodist College of Nursing (project sponsor) and The Heartland Partnership. See you August 11th at 10:00 a.m. at the Peoria Zoo.

The Kevin Lucas Orchestra, one of the winners of the 2011 Billboard Magazine Songwriting Contest, will be performing at the Taste of Peoria on the CEFCU Main Stage at 7 PM on Wednesday, August 10. Their song, “I’m Not Ready,” has been chosen as one of the three winners in the “Americana/Folk” category for the Billboard Award. Of the tens of thousands of submissions received worldwide, only 36 winners in 12 categories were chosen. The emotionally charged song, written by Andy Waldron and produced by Kevin Lucas, placed 3rd in the Americana/Folk category, securing a spot on Billboards coveted 18th Billboard Songwriting Contest Winner’s CD.

The Kevin Lucas Orchestra will get a share of the $30,000 in prizes that are awarded to the winners. “This is by far the most prestigious award the Kevin Lucas Orchestra has ever received,” says Lucas. “The last three awards we received were from various small music publications. While we were very grateful, receiving this honor from Billboard magazine is a huge step for this group.”

Woodford County’s Heartline/Heart House homeless shelter has a new Executive Director, Trixie Jones. Jones joined the organization with hands-on experience in the nonprofit sectors at the Department of Mental Health in West Plains, Missouri; and work experience at a nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Southern Missouri. Jones said, “I did the ‘corporate thing’–making money for other people–but I’m at the point in my life where I would like to serve others in my community.”

President of the organization’s Board of Directors, Junius Rodriguez said, “Trixie was selected from a pool of nearly fifty qualified applicants. She impressed board members with her energy and ideas during the interview.”

Jones liked the longevity of Heartline in the community when she learned of the position at Heartline/Heart House in Eureka. Heartline will celebrate 30 years in 2012; 20 years for Heart House. “Heartline is a pillar in the community,” said Jones, “and I could build on that stability.”

Heartline served 727 different famlies with assistance last year. Not all of it is funded by Heartline, but they partner with similar organizations to use well-established programs and funnel it to people in need. Jones said, “I think there is a gross misconception that ‘homeless’ or ‘needy’ people stand with a sign on the side of the road.”

Jones said in Woodford County the needy are living in cars, in garages, sleeping on couches at a friend’s house. “We do have needy in Woodford County. We have people living well below the poverty level, we have an aged community that struggles, and people a paycheck away from being homeless.”

The new director in April, Jones has received a lot of positive feedback in the community. “It is blowing me away, the amount of people in the community stepping up and helping.”

Heartline/Heart House has some new programs they are releasing in September. Their goal is to be more creative in how they help their clients, looking at ways other than cutting a check to help people.

“We feel that Trixie Jones is the ideal director at this point in the history of Heart House/Heartline,” said Rodriguez, “She will build upon our past achievements.”
Heartline provides services to help meet basic needs of those in the Woodford County community, as well as Heart House providing shelter for those who are homeless and a safe haven for victims of domestic violence. Heart House serves Woodford County and Washington Residents. The shelter relies on fundraising events and individual and organizational donations, and does not receive any government funding.

For more information call 467-6103 or the website at www.heartlineandhearthouse.org.

As Central Illinois Angels (CIA) prepares to celebrate its second anniversary, the group announced today investments in two more local start-up companies. CIA president Dave Parkinson said in the organization’s two year existence the nearly 50 members have closed eight deals and invested over $2.3 million in six companies. Today’s investment announcement includes a $525,000 investment from 21 members in Lumec Control Products and a $310,000 investment from 13 members in Endotronix. “That $2.3 million in investments equates to about $100,000 invested each month and 90% of it has remained local. That’s an amazing stat for the current economic climate. It’s proof that this group is committed to helping entrepreneurs in this region succeed and helping formulate a climate that is conducive to the entrepreneurial spirit” said Parkinson.