Columns

Serendipity for January 2015

Oh, New Year’s Resolutions, how I love you! Let me count the ways! Maybe prior to counting, a more realistic assessment of my affection for you is necessary. I love the thought of an entire new year ahead, and the thrill of speculating…

A Little Birdy Told Me…

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, there was a long tradition of pushing oneself away from the table on Christmas and finding an excuse to go traipsing off through the woods. Part of the tradition was to take…

West Peoria News for January 2015

Peoria County Deputy James Middlemas will become police officer for the City of West Peoria on duty Tuesday through Saturday from 6:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. beginning Jan. 5, 2015. We are fortunate to have a day officer on duty.…

Arts Beat

MUSIC Jan. 2: Rooster Alley “Live at the Five Spot.” Contemporary Art Center. 674-6877. Jan. 9: “Blues Caravan 2015: Girls with Guitars,” featuring Eliana Cargnelutti, Sadie Johnson and Heather Crosse. 7:30 p.m. Limelight Eventplex. 693-1234. Jan. 9: Soft Spoken “Live…

Peoria’s return to national prominence

There is a small group of community leaders hard at work to put Peoria back on the art map. “In the 1930s, Peoria had a national arts reputation. It’s possible to have that again, and that’s what we are working…

Neighborhood Notes for January 2015

* Three new neighborhood associations this year registered with the City, bringing the total of registered neighborhood associations to 105, reports Neighborhood Development Specialist Steve Fairbanks. Also, four new neighborhood watch groups were established, meaning that more than 75 neighborhood…

Labor Roundup

Union-owned Bank of Labor to open DC branch.    The Kansas City-based union-owned Bank of Labor will open a branch in the nation’s capital in the spring, making it one of the few worker-friendly financial institutions in D.C. When it…

Screening for breast cancer

(part 1 of 2) Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women except for skin cancer. More than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. There are more…

Teachers must be defended

Time magazine last month had a cover story bashing teachers that was not just one-sided, but as misleading as less-respected voices on radio and TV. This month, such ill-founded resentment may echo in grumbling about schools’ holiday breaks or misinformed…

Dark days at Bradley

GIVE CREDIT TO . . . . These are dark days on the Bradley hilltop on and off the athletic fields. Once known as a nationally competitive school in basketball, Bradley is now losing to, well, everyone, regardless of D-1, D-2,…