As the year draws to a close and the final pages of the calendar turn, the city of West Peoria officially ushers in the holiday season. The spirit of community is vibrant, with festive events planned to bring residents together, even as we collectively navigate essential improvements to our local infrastructure.

APRIL SILVER

The festive cheer is already visible throughout West Peoria. The Christmas tree proudly on display at City Hall serves as a warm beacon for the season. In a beloved annual tradition, the West Peoria Lighting District and the West Peoria Residents’ Association are once again sponsoring the popular holiday lighting contest. This friendly competition encourages creativity and neighborhood spirit, offering a chance for residents to showcase their decorating talents with cash prizes awarded to the top three dazzling displays.

A special acknowledgment and sincere thank you go to the West Peoria Lighting District and the dedicated staff of the City of West Peoria for their hard work installing the beautiful snowflake lighting that now graces the light posts throughout the city. These shimmering decorations add a magical quality to our streets, enhancing the festive atmosphere for everyone.

CAUTION: While the joy of the season fills the air, the community is also managing the reality of necessary infrastructure improvements. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced that the resurfacing of Farmington Road is currently underway. This significant project focuses on the busy stretch of road between Kickapoo Creek in West Peoria and Main Street.

This essential work, while a long-term benefit to our community’s travel and safety, does require temporary adjustments to our daily commutes. Motorists should be aware that the project necessitates daytime lane closures, which will be carefully controlled by flaggers. This phase of the construction is currently in progress and is expected to continue into early December.

Now, for a bit of holiday reality: we have to share the road with some very hard-working people — the construction crews making our roads better. IDOT’s resurfacing project will be humming along right through early to mid-December. Dealing with the daytime lane closures and flaggers requires a collective effort of patience and good humor.

Consider this a perfect opportunity to practice some genuine holiday cheer and community spirit. If you are heading out, please remember to add a generous buffer of extra time to your commute, or maybe take the opportunity to rediscover a favorite alternate route.

Let’s collectively send a little holiday cheer (and a respectful, wide berth) their way. In the true spirit of “Neighbors Serving Neighbors,” let’s celebrate the season, support our local groups, and give a collective, good-natured groan and a knowing smile as we patiently wait for the flaggers to guide us through. Our strength is in our people — and our ability to find humor and patience, even when navigating a construction zone during the holiday season.