Once again we have an annual opportunity to honor fellow West Peorians who have spent many hours improving their yards which in turn improve the neighborhoods. Nominate someone who has noticeably changed and improved the community through their hard work.…
No Justice or Mercy in Donald Trump’s Department of Justice In the introduction to his book, “Just Mercy,” Bryan Stevenson writes: “This book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It’s about how easily we…
Teachers’ President Weingarten links school privatizers to segregationists. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten tied the so-called school privatization movement to the racists and segregationists of the 1950s and before. School privatization features taxpayer-paid vouchers for parents of private…
It’s easy to pass by reminders of our local architectural history even when they are clearly marked. That can happen with the Pettengill Morron House at 1212 West Moss Avenue. The house seen today is actually the second one constructed…
Unions drive economy
BY DAN SILVERTHORN Retired executive director West Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council Labor unions and the workers they represent helped secure the largest middle class in American history. It’s no coincidence that union membership is declining at the…
Living grains: From local fields to local flour
BY CLARE HOWARD Warthog Wheat stretched to the horizon and chattered in a breeze as storm clouds banked in the distance. Harold Wilken and his son Ross were anxious to get out into the field to start harvesting their organic…
Bill Nolden: “Indomitable. Indomitable. Indomitable.”
BY TERRY BIBO Assuming life is a banquet, as Auntie Mame famously said, virtually every Peorian with an appetite for theater has had a chance to feast on the artistry of Bill Nolden. Now 90, Nolden has graced local stages,…
CW & BU host anti-hate speaker
An upswing in hate and extremism is sweeping America, targeting immigrants, African Americans, Muslims and LGBT groups, but another significant victim is the American democratic ideal of social decency. Southern Poverty Law Center has been fighting hate since its formation…
ILLINOIS HAS A BUDGET; IT IS ABOUT TIME Finally Illinois has a budget. Two years without a budget has made Illinois look incompetent to deal with fiscal issues. Certainly, the passage of this budget is long overdue, and there is…
QUICK THOUGHTS The editor has requested a short column this month, so I’m going to share some thoughts about my morning show, “Breakfast with Roger and Friends,” that started in 2002 as “Breakfast with Royce and Roger.” We lost Royce…
As the Black Lives Matter organization prepares to receive an international peace prize this fall, the issue of how police treat some people differently than others seems as unsolvable as ever, so that can lead to history’s foundation for policing.…
Jim Crow=Mass Incarceration Hate Speech=Violence “Sundown Towns”=Colonization Law=Suppression Fear=Hate Police=Control According to Chris Hayes in his new book “A Colony in a Nation,” America is approaching conditions that mirror those that sparked the American Revolution. We have two castes, one…
Genius of Frank Lloyd Wright tempered by his antisemitism Once again, Professor Paul Krainak has shown why he is recognized as our foremost authority on the history, value, influence and cultural significance of American inland art and artists. His informative…
Be A Force For Change BY DALE GOODNER The dandelions were pretty much invisible. As I looked across my lawn from a distance, here in July, that distinctive green foliage blended in perfectly with the grasses, clovers, and dozens of…
As a general rule of thumb, country music is one of my least favorite genres. Before you turn the page and leave me behind, you need to know, dear friend, occasionally there is a song that sneaks through and touches…
The partnership of Edward Heidrich and Martin Kingman in 1888 to form the Peoria Cordage Company showed the growth of the American agricultural industry. The new company would specialize in producing binder twine and other similar products, and through another…
The road to redemption; a change is coming soon Two of the greatest mysteries that still haunt us as Americans are who killed JFK and Dr. King. What is not a mystery is how we have treated each other so…