WHAT’S THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF MORALITY? Words that obfuscate: Cut the Illinois income tax surcharge: This really means a tax savings bonanza for high-income earners and a miniscule savings for middle- and low-income earners. Right to work: This really means…
Fundraiser to save one of last labor temples in U.S.
Community Word’s editorial office is in the Peoria Labor Temple. The building, at 400 NE Jefferson St., is one of the few remaining cooperative labor headquarters remaining in the country. Construction began in 1925 at a cost of $110,000 financed…
Nature Rambles
A Prairie Ghost I’ll never forget the day when an old self-proclaimed “river–rat” came by to show me some bones he had found in the Illinois River when the water was particularly low. Hollow eye sockets stared back at me…
Reflections from the Clergy
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM Sharia law … the hair on the back of Nancy Kelleher’s neck bristles on edge at even the thought of it. Although she can’t fully explain what it is, Nancy knows from tuning into her favorite…
Serendipity
Catalogs were often part of our daily mail when I was growing up. My mother was not fond of shopping downtown, the only choice in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, but she wouldn’t have enjoyed a mall either, had that been an…
West Peoria News
The West Peoria Residents’ Association is sponsoring a community-wide yard sale 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16. If you are interested in participating, contact either wpnewsadvertisements@westpeoriaresidents.org or Maggie Moore at 673-0535. At the time of this writing, residents…
Arts Beat
MUSIC May 1: Cousin Eddie. “Live at the Five Spot.” 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6822. May 1: Bradley Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band. 7:30 p.m. BU Michel Student Center. 677-2595. May 2-3: “A Few of Our Favorite Things.”…
Art. What is it Good for?
Why Wondering Matters What if there were a place for children to discover the world around them unlike anything they have seen before? What if kids could use real tools to build something? What if children could play and learn at…
The Magnificent Invalid
Corn Stock closed its winter season at the end of March with “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” by the Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It was the boldest choice of material for any of our theaters this past year and was well…
Widow completes her husband’s dream:
“He was a warrior for historic preservation” Local architect Leslie H. Kenyon, founder and president of Kenyon & Associates architectural firm, was a long-time historic preservationist in Peoria. After he died in 2011 at 88, his widow Theo Kenyon worked…
Neighborhood Notes
Oakcliff frustrated with lack of action on bridge. Residents of the Oakcliff area along Knoxville Avenue north of Lake Street say they’ve been waiting for more than a year for repairs to a deteriorating bridge on Oakcliff, plus removal of…
News Brief
Peoria Call to Action: Save the Monarchs Bonnie Cox is an enormously busy retiree, but when the Peoria Garden Club asked her to organize a committee to save monarch butterflies, Cox recognized the urgency and agreed to take on the…
Labor Roundup
Labor Roundup Building Trades’ McGarvey: ‘Politics is not a marriage. It’s a business.’ AFL-CIO Building Trades Department President Sean McGarvey told the 56th annual Michigan Building and Construction Trades legislative conference last month “the strength of the labor movement is…
Is Vitamin D The Wonder Vitamin?
Vitamin-D deficiency is linked to a long list of problems including bone weakness (osteoporosis), heart attacks, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, falls, muscle weakness, nervous system diseases including multiple sclerosis, psychiatric problems including depression, pregnancy problems. After reading this…
Aaron Schock: What Lay Beneath; What Lies Ahead
By George Hopkins Political scandals come mostly in two flavors: money and sex. Sex is more survivable than money because it’s less likely to wind up in criminal court. That’s the key to understanding the sudden downfall of Congressman Aaron…
Growing Coalition Fights to Save Public Schools in Peoria
Going door-to-door on the campaign trail, the first question people ask Ryan Spain is “What are you going to do about the schools?” Spain, a 7-year, at-large city council member up for reelection, said the wrong answer would be “I…
Government assistance or entitlement: County Board recipients see no hypocrisy
At the March meeting of the Peoria County Board, Dist. 14 Board member Brian Elsasser wore a white striped tie and light purple shirt, a natty complement to his customary two-piece black suit, attire befitting a prosperous business man;…
WE DID IT AGAIN!!!!!!!
Another scoop by “Straight Talk” and the Community Word with news that Chris Reynolds has been hired as the new Athletic Director by Bradley University. This columnist announced that Reynolds was under serious consideration over two months ago not only…
COAL: Edwards plant improves but still pollutes
The E.D. Edwards Energy Center in Bartonville along the Illinois River reduced the amount of toxins it released in the last decade, but it continues to spew dangerous chemicals and is still burning coal. Further, according to both environmental activists…
College Adjuncts Paid Below Minimum Wage: UNIONIZE
Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on adjuncts rather than full-time faculty. Adjuncts are part-time teaching staff who often have master’s or doctoral degrees. They are usually paid a set amount per course taught. Adjuncts don’t receive health insurance or…