On Friday, April 25 at 10:00 am, the Southwest Kiwanis Club is sponsoring the annual tree planting ceremony honoring Arbor Day. The City will assist in the planting that will take place at the corner of Washington and Eaton, next to the Citadel Broadcasting Building.
Traditionally, the South-West Kiwanis has presented a tree to the city for a number of years on Arbor Day.
For more information, contact Mr. David Johnson at (309)494-4295.
HANNA CITY, IL – Saturday and Sunday (April 26th and 27th) Wildlife Prairie Park will be hosting an array of activities and vendors pertaining to Native American culture. Starting at 10:00 am, Seven Circles Heritage Center will perform the Bison Blessing Ceremony at the Bison Pasture Overlook. Those interested in seeing the ceremony should arrive promptly at 10:00 am.
Following the Bison Blessing Ceremony will be the PowWow. The PowWow will feature numerous Native American crafts, activities, and live demonstrations including drum circles and dancing. Vendors will also be set up selling related merchandise.
“The Bison Blessing is a custom of preparing the land for a good and healthy year, and the PowWow afterwards is the celebration of the Blessing. There are plenty of activities and engaging things for people of all ages to enjoy,” says Melissa Sauder, event coordinator.
The event is free to all Wildlife Prairie Park members. Those in attendance who are not members at the Park will need to pay the general admission price. Two-Day Passes for the event are available for non-members. The passes can be purchased for the cost of general admission plus the cost of half another day’s general admission. The two-day pass must be purchased before Sunday, April 27,
2014.
In addition to the PowWow, Wildlife Prairie Park will also be hosting free public programming at normally scheduled times. More information on free programs can acquired by contacting Wildlife Prairie Park at (309)676-0998 or visit us at www.wildlifeprairiepark.org.
Wildlife Prairie Park is a 501c3 not for profit 2,000 acre zoological park located just 10 miles west of Peoria, IL in Hanna City. The Park’s mission encompasses conservation, education, and recreation development in this unique habitat in the Midwest
Annual Walk Raises Money for Research and Support of People Affected by Multiple Sclerosis
Chicago, April 22, 2014 — Walk MS, the largest annual fundraiser of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Illinois Chapter, is less than two weeks away. The event takes place on May 4 at 11 locations statewide, including Bloomington, Chicago Lakefront, McHenry County (Lake in the Hills), North Shore (Glenview), Northwest Suburbs (Palatine), Rockford, St. Charles, South Suburbs (Orland Park), Southwest Suburbs (Lockport), Springfield and West Suburbs (Naperville). Walk MS brings people together across the country to celebrate the progress and powerful connections made in the movement to end MS.
“Walk MS is truly an amazing event,” said Deb Ibarra, who participates in the Southwest Suburbs Walk. “As a person newly diagnosed with MS, it really was the best experience. We got to meet people at all different stages and the support from the volunteers who came up, asked about my story, provided hugs and words of encouragement was just incredible.”
Event participants have the option of walking 1–6 miles (depending on the site) on one of the fully accessible routes. Registration and start times vary based on location, with registrations ranging from 7:30 a.m.–noon and start times from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
“For many people living with MS, this is one of the best and most important days of the year,” said John Blazek, Greater Illinois Chapter President. “Whether it’s through participating at one of our Walk sites, volunteering, fundraising or recruiting a friend or family member to be part of the movement, the amazing turnout of thousands of supporters for this signature event helps bring us that much closer to our ultimate goal of a world free of MS.”
Last year, more than 20,000 people participated in Walk MS throughout Illinois, raising over $2.7 million to fund MS research, programs and services, making it one of the largest MS fundraisers in the nation.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease that interrupts the flow of information in the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. The Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of more than 20,000 individuals in Illinois and 2.3 million worldwide affected by MS.
To find out more or to register or make a donation, contact Samantha Edidin at 312.423.1156 or at samantha.edidin@nmss.org, or visit walkMSillinois.org.
We wanted to provide you an update regarding the water main break on University Street and subsequent affect to traffic from West Shenandoah Drive to West Glen Ave. The southbound lane of University in this area is closed. We were able to create a detour via the left turn lane, but encourage motorists to avoid the area for their safety and the safety of those working in the area.
Crews continue to work on repairs to the water main. The shoring process, which is critical to safety, is taking a little longer than expected. The team continues to work and expect to have water restored to the affected customers by 9 PM. Those affected will be under a boil water order. They include about 14 businesses and 2 residential customers. They were contacted directly about this work and subsequent boil order. Restaurants affected include Subway and Fish House. We contacted them as well as the Health Department. They will follow Health Department policies regarding boil orders.
Road restoration will take place once the water main is repaired. Due to weather, restoration could take a week to complete. Lane closure information will be provided throughout the process. You should expect to receive these updates from Carmela Johnson, Matt White or me. We will let you know if anything changes.
When: Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 4:00 P.M. and Monday, April 28, 2014 at 9:30 AM
Where: Sunday – Peoria Riverfront, in front of the Gateway Building; Monday – Peoria Civic Center Theatre
SUNDAY
What: The Sun Foundation’s 21st Annual Clean Water Celebration will kick off on the Peoria Riverfront. Local and state officials as well as area environmental stewards and educators will be in attendance. This year’s theme is “STUDENT IMPACT: Think globally, Act locally”. The keynote presentation is offered by Pontiac Township High School Teacher Paul Ritter and his students. They will discuss how local efforts can impact the world including their P2D2 program, which is used locally to help dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals, as well as their endangered species program to save the alligator snapping turtle. Opening ceremonies will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Gateway Building with a Native American Blessing of the River and a Parade of Waters. The public is invited to attend
and bring water for the blessing.
MONDAY
The Clean Water Celebration will continue on Monday, April 28 at the Peoria Civic Center with an emphasis on educating local students, grades 4 -12, their teachers and the community as a whole. A VIP Tour is offered to the media, key stakeholders and anyone interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at this event which has educated over 42,000 participants over the last two decades. The event is free for registered classes and offers the keynote presentation, green presentations, storytelling and hands-on exhibits. Participants will have the opportunity to experience Illinois American Water’s Mobile Education Center for the first time in Central Illinois. The 18-foot learning center, which uses science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related concepts, will offer hands-on experience by testing water through various lab tests.
Information on topics like the water cycle, water quality, water conservation and the value of water service will also be shared. Attached is a fact sheet about the Mobile Education Center.
Peoria – This Saturday, beginning at 8:00 a.m., Peoria County employee and board member volunteers will assist with home improvement projects at 1638 Park Ave in Norwood, Limestone Township. Peoria County has adopted the house in partnership with the not-for-profit “Rebuilding Together-Peoria,” an organization that rehabilitates the homes of low-income homeowners who are elderly or disabled so that they may continue to live in warmth, safety, and independence. This is the organization’s 21st annual Rebuilding Day. Saturday’s improvements at the property include painting, general cleaning, yard work, and miscellaneous small repairs. If you have any questions about the Rebuilding Together-Peoria project, please contact Kathi Lowder, Peoria County’s Assistant Director of Planning & Zoning, at (309) 672-6915.
Belleville, Ill. (April 23, 2014) – Illinois American Water announced today that the company’s 2013 Consumer Confidence Reports (Water Quality Reports) are available to customers. Messages included on upcoming water bills provide customers with a URL address to access their service area’s specific water quality report. Reports are also available at www.illinoisamwater.com.
The annual report measures the quality of Illinois American Water’s drinking water to the state and federal quality standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Illinois EPA. The annual report details drinking water sources, testing conducted on the water, and substances detected in the water. Commonly asked questions and answers concerning drinking water are also included.
“We are pleased to report that the water supplied to our customers is of higher quality than required by state and federal drinking water standards,” said Karla Olson Teasley, president of Illinois American Water. “Our team of water quality and plant operations professionals works hard every day to ensure the highest quality water service for our customers. These results are a testament to their dedication.”
Printed copies of the report will be available to customers who cannot — or do not wish to — access it online. Customers can call the company’s customer service center at 800-422-2782 and request a copy of their local district’s report and it will be mailed to them.
In January 2013, the U.S EPA announced that water utilities had the option to inform customers of the annual report’s availability at a specific website address as opposed to printing and either direct mailing or including the annual report as a bill insert. Illinois American Water acted swiftly to take advantage of this more efficient and environmentally friendly option for delivering reports on our 2012 water quality information.
About Illinois American Water – Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,600 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 40 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
Pekin, IL April 23, 2014 – Area Junior Girl Scout troops are invited to participate in a Junior Badge Night Lock-In, Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. to Sunday, May 4, 2014, 9:00 a.m. The event will be held at the park’s SoldwedelProgramCenter, just off Route 98, adjacent to McNaughtonPark, and the Rockin’ “P” Riding Stables.
Participants in the program will have the opportunity to spend the evening earning multiple badges, completing requirements for the Jeweler, Flowers, and Animal Habitats badges. Upon registration, girls will be provided with information on what to bring for their overnight stay. The cost to attend is $20 per girl. *Multiple troops may attend this event, however registration is limited to 30 people. The Lock-In is subject to cancellation if a minimum registration is not met.
For further information or to register call the Pekin Parks and Recreation Office at 309-347-PARK (7275).
Radio Peoria Participates in an Innovation Workshop Hosted by Startup Peoria
Peoria, IL. (April 23, 2014) – On April 17, 2014 Startup Peoria hosted an innovation workshop for Radio Peoria at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center. The workshop was designed to inspire innovative thinking, idea production, and strategic implementation within the Cumulus Media affiliate. This was the pilot program for Project | Rocket Science, a 21st Century Learning Lab driven by Startup Peoria that focuses on creativity, technology and collaboration. Project | Rocket Science aims to assist new intrapreneurs in established companies through project-based classes, study groups and action teams in on-site learning labs and off-site workshops.
The one-day workshop was organized into segments to better guide Radio Peoria employees through the process of generating new ideas for their company. Speeches from Founder of Startup Peoria, Jake Hamann and Co-Founder of Startup Peoria, Amy Lambert kicked off the event. They both shared their personal journeys as entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, and provided participants with a clear understanding of what it means to be an intrapreneur. Intrapreneurs, as defined by Lambert, are “the people within a company who continually have ideas, think a little bit differently and drive shifts that enhance the organization’s ability to innovate and profit.”
After this concept was introduced, participants were divided into brainstorming groups and were asked to develop as many ideas as possible. From here, raw ideas were shared and participants had the opportunity to re-select any idea, group or work on an idea alone. After new groups or individuals had selected a single idea to focus on, they were asked to develop a process to make their idea viable and easily implemented. Ideas ranged from new events to new internal processes for Radio Peoria. The final stage of the innovation workshop consisted of groups or individuals presenting their full idea, and participants voting on an MVP idea to be implemented.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when we began our session, but once we got started it was actually really interesting,” says Jennifer Smith, Morning Drive DJ on Nash 97.3. “It’s rare in the hustle and bustle of the radio station that we get the opportunity to just sit down and do nothing but brainstorm, so this was a pretty cool way to think out of the box.”
Implementation is now in the hands of Radio Peoria, but Startup Peoria will be involved in guiding them through this new journey. “I’m interested to learn more from my employees and Startup Peoria in order to help our company grow,” says Joan Williams, Vice President of Sales for Radio Peoria. “I couldn’t be more excited about moving forward with some of the ideas presented.”
For more information about Project | Rocket Science, Startup Peoria, or the April 17 workshop,contact Amy Lambert at amy@startuppeoria.com or (309)321-0033.
About Startup Peoria – Startup Peoria exists to develop, encourage and promote the entrepreneurial startup community in the Central Illinois region. Our vision is to provide entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs with the tools, resources and ecosystem to ideate, collaborate and launch successful businesses that contribute to the long-term growth and prosperity of the local economy.
About Radio Peoria – Radio Peoria is the local affiliate of Cumulus Media and is host to WIXO-105.7 the X, WFYR-97.3 Nash FM, WGLO-95.5 GLO, WZPW-Power 92.3, and WVEL 1140 AM. Cumulus Media provides high-impact local marketing solutions in 110 metropolitan areas.