Whatever 2020 throws at us, your government leaders are finding a way to grind it out. Springdale Cemetery Authority met Aug. 18, using Webex. Manager Mark Matuszak reported the number of burials and cremations is up considerably over last year.…
Columns
Nature Rambles | A Swift Autumn
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | A Swift Autumn
Back in the August issue of Community Word, this column mentioned the fact that the Chimney Swift Tower at the Peoria Park District’s Tawny Oaks Field Station had a pair of swifts take up residence and build a nest. I’m…
Inland Art | Chicago’s Hubbard Street district
by Paul Krainak • • Comments Off on Inland Art | Chicago’s Hubbard Street district
Chicago’s Hubbard Street district was a coalescent site of experimental art in the ’70s and ’80s. For artists and designers, the street had a radical presence that was distinctive, nurturing and pleasurable. Loft buildings and raw spaces hosted enormous crowds…
Reflections From A Secular Humanist | Religion and fear
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Reflections From A Secular Humanist | Religion and fear
As a Secular Humanist, I don’t believe in Gods, Satan, heaven, hell, condemnation, salvation, souls, sin, karma, reincarnation, life after death, supernatural beings, inerrant scriptures, miracles, magical thinking or messages from Gods. The virtues of religious people are also found…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Will Illinois State University’s Reggie Redbird Get a Green Vest?
by William Rau • • Comments Off on Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Will Illinois State University’s Reggie Redbird Get a Green Vest?
As climate wildfires rage and the world burns, we ask: who is rising to the challenges of the multiplying climate catastrophes? Illinois State University (ISU) has not. Instead, ISU has retreated from past climate commitments. The retreat begins in earnest…
Reflections From A Hindu Perspective | Restoration of one of the holiest sites of Hindus: A story of loss and recovery
by Dr. Mandar Pattekar • • Comments Off on Reflections From A Hindu Perspective | Restoration of one of the holiest sites of Hindus: A story of loss and recovery
Seldom does an event occur in the history of civilization that is the culmination of centuries of struggle and sacrifice by hundreds of thousands of people and perseverance in the belief in a system of law and order. Such an…
West Peoria News | Township dissolution on the ballot
by Sharon McBride • • Comments Off on West Peoria News | Township dissolution on the ballot
A referendum to dissolve West Peoria Township will be on the ballot Nov. 3. West Peoria Township Trustees voted unanimously at a special meeting Aug. 13 to place the item on the ballot. This meeting followed a public hearing Aug.…
The Lion’s Den | Voting Rights
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on The Lion’s Den | Voting Rights
All eyes are on the United States as we approach the next presidential election on Nov. 3. As we approach the election, now may be a good time to review the history of voting in this country. Initial voting rights…
Straight Talk | No more Peoria history
by Roger Monroe • • Comments Off on Straight Talk | No more Peoria history
Our good friend Norm Kelly is gone, another victim of cancer. A few months ago, I wrote about my high school friend and his special writing accomplishments. I did it then because he told me he was not long for…
Bill Knight | Columbus statue
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Bill Knight | Columbus statue
People aren’t stupid. We learn. Sometimes lessons are fanciful fables that reassure us; sometimes they’re difficult realizations of our past, and ourselves. Columbus statues aren’t symbols of humanity’s progress, one man’s courage or Italians’ intelligence. However, they represent racism and…