As I write this article, I am reminded of a conversation I once had with my wife. The question that I posed to her was this: “Can you imagine a world without sports?” She laughed and said, “No.” Well, here…
Columns
Reflections From The Clergy | Interfaith endeavors build bridges and make communities thrive
by contributor • • Comments Off on Reflections From The Clergy | Interfaith endeavors build bridges and make communities thrive
When Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (a great Islamic figure) was on his death bed, a Christian pastor of his community visited Imam Ahmad and said, “O Imam, your life was not only a blessing for Muslims, it was a blessing…
The Watch | Mailed ballots
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on The Watch | Mailed ballots
Peoria County’s first vote of 2020 returned via Singapore, according to Local Government Observer (LOGO) reports from the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria. By the time Peoria County Board of Election Commissioners met on Feb. 11, about 150…
Nature Rambles | April flowers
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | April flowers
Anyone who wanders through our parks in April can’t help but notice the emerging spring. As Emerson penned, that the “earth laughs in flowers,” and indeed April is rich with such laughter. Wooded trails are alive with the hues of…
Inland Art | Andrea Ferrigno
by Paul Krainak • • Comments Off on Inland Art | Andrea Ferrigno
Under her designation of “Systems and Structures,” Andrea Ferrigno plots the stratosphere in graphite. In dizzying constellations, like the drawing “Static Search,” delicate contours arc from one dark polestar to another. Passages compress and then re-open as they flow across…
Art and Justice | African American artists – “the true historians of our culture”
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Art and Justice | African American artists – “the true historians of our culture”
Jonathon Romain sees the world with a clarity that stems from his unique perspective. “I started going to jail before I was 10 years old. I remember vividly the first time I was handcuffed and tossed into a squad car.…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Heat Wave Denialism: Shooting Craps with Mother Nature
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Heat Wave Denialism: Shooting Craps with Mother Nature
Tri-County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which covers Peoria, defines heat waves as relatively inconsequential. History tells us differently: Chicago 1995, 700 dead; France 2003, 15,000 dead; Western Russia 2010, 50,000 dead. Before Tri-County releases its 2020 plan, it could consult…
Reflections From The Clergy | Where is wisdom to be found?
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Reflections From The Clergy | Where is wisdom to be found?
When the topic of wisdom comes up, so do the usual images. Walls and walls filled with dusty old books. Elders with the wisdom of many years carved into the wrinkles on their faces. Diplomas framed and filling one’s office…
Real Talk | Searching for little messiahs
by Kamara Taylor • • Comments Off on Real Talk | Searching for little messiahs
How can we see through the lies of others when we are longing for the truth? The way our mind is set up, we look for others to lead us to the truth. This path for truth comes in different…
West Peoria News | Annual clean-up day
by Sharon McBride • • Comments Off on West Peoria News | Annual clean-up day
April is a busy month for local governments. West Peoria Township has two annual events that can impact all West Peorians. First is the Township’s Annual Meeting which is mandated to be held on the second Tuesday of April to…