Judy Rosella Edwards

The National Organization for Women – Peoria celebrated National Women’s History Month at Lakeview Library with their annual awards ceremony. The event included a silent auction to help raise money for the Betty Friedan Tribute.

For the first time ever, the Peoria chapter of the National Organization for Women presented their annual award to a group. The Women’s History Month Award has traditionally gone to individuals “in recognition of exceptional contributions to justice, equality and the empowerment of women.”

Recipients:

Popularity: 3% [?]

Several years ago Illinois Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup signs went up on West Richwoods, between the Sterling Bazaar and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  when the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria erected their new building.

The UU church joined the Illinois Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup program and IDOT painted signs announcing that the church had adopted that stretch. They were a welcome sight to the neighborhood of nicely kept homes with manicured lawns and two schools.

The litter in this reserved neighborhood never seems to end from fast food restaurants and other businesses on Sterling. Even neighbors on the side streets admit it is just something you have to live with.

IDOT posted the AAH signs at either end of the section the UU church committed to clean up. It was a 1.3 mile stretch, quite a bit shorter than the minimum two-mile sections normally assigned by IDOT.

The Illinois Adopt-A-Highway program provides trash bags and orange safety vests. They also provide video training. Anyone over the age of 10 is allowed to participate.

Participating groups commit to cleaning their section four times during a two-year period. The UU church conducted cleanups over the years but, due to lack of volunteers, the church chose not to renew its contract with IDOT.

The Adopt-A-Highway cleanup signs have now been removed from West Richwoods. But, the cleanup will continue with the one committed volunteer – who was never part of the West Richwoods Illinois Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup nor a member of the UU church.

Cleanup on Richwoods

Bob Allen retired from Caterpillar a number of years ago. He worked in the purchasing department and he said he bought millions of dollars worth of steel for the area’s largest manufacturer during his career there.

About eight years ago, Allen decided he should get out and do something with his retirement years. So he began walking. While walking, he realized he could pick up litter on his treks.

The West Richwoods area is one of his prime targets. In a personal interview with Allen today, he said, “This is a nice part of Peoria and I like to help keep it that way.”

Allen is one of those regular people who do good because it is the right thing to do. He doesn’t need a group, although he would appreciate some help.

He doesn’t use any fancy equipment to collect litter except for a handheld gripper. He foregoes the orange safety vests and he well-exceeds the minimum age requirement.

The IDOT program instructs their participants to bag up trash in special orange trash bags and leave them by the roadside for pickup. Instead, Allen reuses old Morton salt plastic bags to collect trash in and recycles everything he can.

For Allen, cleanup is a work of love. You’ll often see him on West Richwoods or on Sterling. He is usually on foot but on occasion you’ll see him strap his Morton Salt bags onto the handlebars of his bicycle.

I live in the Sterling Bazaar area and I personally appreciate him cleaning up my neighborhood since my knees are so bad I can’t jump in the ditches like he does. The Adopt-A-Highway signs are gone but the litter cleanup continues.

Honk the next time you see him. His name is Bob Allen.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Culture Change Coalition of Peoria brought attorney Steven M. Levin, of Levin & Perconti (Chicago) for an enlightening presentation on Thursday. Perconti has been involved locally with the East Peoria Gardens lawsuit where a business decision to mix the elderly with a younger, more vibrant population turned disastrous.

Read more…

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Few people, even native Peorians, realize that Betty Friedan was born in Peoria, Illinois. In 2007, a small group of local women felt it was time to honor Friedan locally, in a significant way. Many of the opportunities available in the business world today are a reflection of Friedan’s influence.

Friedan was a a feminist crusader and author. Her book The Feminine Mystique ignited the contemporary women’s movement in 1963. She was a revolutionary who envisioned a society where men and women deserved equal opportunity and received equal rewards.

Read more…

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This is a repost of a message from Environment Virginia. It applies to the entire country, so I thought I’d pass it on.
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The U.S. Senate has stalled on President Obama’s major priorities, including repowering America with clean energy and stopping global warming. We know there’s no time to waste, so we’re organizing a broad effort to tell the Senate to act now.

You’ve seen the headlines. America is struggling through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Americans are losing their jobs, and businesses are closing their doors. It’s a vicious cycle — but it’s one we can break.

There’s no question that we have the power to do it. With help from the Senate, we can create millions of well-paying clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas.

Next week, we are joining with dozens of organizations, representing millions of Americans, to call on the U.S. Senate to pass clean energy and global warming legislation that will jumpstart our economy, foster innovation in new, cleaner technologies, and create millions of jobs.

Over the course of 72 hours, from March 2 to March 4, we want the Senate to hear our voices loud and clear.

The Senate is hearing from Big Oil and King Coal, which want to keep us dependent on dirty energy that pollutes our environment and sends billions of dollars overseas.

We can overcome their reign if enough people join us next week to demand the Senate passes legislation to repower our economy with clean energy and stop global warming.

While the Senate stalls, China is moving forward and investing billions into new green technology. But America can still be the leader in the new energy economy.

Plan to call with us next week on Tuesday night from 5 – 9, or anytime in between.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Accountability was the word for the day on Saturday when the Peoria League of Women Voters hosted a presentation on redistricting. The event marked the official kick-off in Central Illinois, distributing petitions in favor of the Illinois Fair Map Amendment Coalition’s proposed redistricting reform.

“Our Illinois legislature has done such a poor job of redistricting,” Mary Jane Crowell, president of the Peoria League of Women Voters said. Throughout the meeting speakers reiterated that 98% of all incumbents are re-elected to the Illinois state Assembly.

Brad McMillan, a former aide to Congressman Ray LaHood, and current director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Studies at Bradley University shared the podium with Jan Czarnik, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Illinois and an expert in election law, who worked to pass Illinois early voting and deputy registrar laws.

Together they explained that the current process does not serve the best interest of the state of Illinois. As an example, Distrct 38 has a “tail” on the map that is barely continuguous – because the incumbent’s fiancee resides there. McMillan also noted that Effingham, with only 34,000 residents in the entire county, is represented by three state senators.

The Proposal

The proposed redistricting is remarkably simple and calls on a very specific skill set that we assume our elected leaders already have: fairness, accountability, and transparency. The redistricting map will be drawn by a nine-member Bipartisan Advisory committee.

The majority and minority leader of the house and the senate each select a redistricting committee member, seating eight members in total. The ninth member, a Special Master, will be appointed to the committee.

And, there is the rub. All eight of these members must agree on the appointed Special Master.

In the interest of accountability, the Special Master’s qualifications are designed to eliminate any chance of influence. As Jan Czarnik explained, “They cannot be an Illinois state employee, a legislator, lobbyist, contractor, immediate family member, public or political official.”

An added protection stipulates that, regardless of how the redistricting map is drawn, the Special Master is not permitted to run for the legislature as long as the map is in place or be appointed to any state board or commission that requires senate confirmation.

Failure Is Not An Option

McMillan said, “To recap the current proess, if we don’t do anything to do change it, after the 2010 census, the politicians behind closed doors, in secret, will chose their own voters. Then if the Republicans and Democrats disagree they put a name in the hat and whichever name is drawn gets to control the map drawing process.”

However, unless an amendment on the ballot guarantees the right of the public to insist that redistricting be done fairly in order to hold legislators accountable, a federal court will impose a map following the 2010 census. If that happens, the public will have no say in the matter – and neither do politicians.

According to Czarnik, grassroot efforts are no longer effective. “The only message Springfield is going to understand any more is this — You don’t get to draw the district guaranteeing your election any more.”

The Change Process

There are two ways to change redistricting in the state of Illinois. One method is a legislative constitutional amendment. State Senator Dale Risinger (R), who was present at the meeting, noted “There are proposals on redistricting being introduced in Springfield but I find it highly unlikely that the general assembly will pass the amendment. The bottom line is that citizen’s need to get this done.”

That means a direct citizen-led constitutional amendment. If sufficient signatures are collected prior to May 1, 2010, the proposed redistricting will appear on the ballot in November. It will require 282,000 signatures by April. Czarnik explained, “Our goal is to get 400,000 or 500,000 signatures, since we have a tradition in Illinois of people challenging petitions.”

Accountability

Sen. Risinger shared a refreshing perspective. “It is really difficult for a Democrat to come in and challenge a Republican – because the districts are drawn that way, he said.

He then challenged, “How does that make me accountable? Legislators ought to be accountable.”

Risinger then joked, “98% (of legislators) are incumbents in a state that is in trouble. You’d think you’d kick us all out!”

Roberta Parks, President at Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, quipped about urging citizens to sign the petitions, “Things can’t get worst – just sign it!”

For More Information

The language for the Fair Map Amendment framework are based on concerns of both Republicans and Democratic. To read more about the redistricting issue and to download petitions so you, too, can collect signatures, visit their website at http://www.ilfairmap.com.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Regional chambers of commerce are uniting to create one voice to work on legislative issues that affect our regional businesses community.  The chambers in Chillicothe, East Peoria, Morton, Pekin, Peoria and Washington have created a coalition called CIRCLE (Central Illinois Regional Chambers Legislative Effort). CIRCLE is sponsored by AT&T.

CIRCLE has identified five key issues that affect this region’s business climate and members plan to work closely with legislators in Springfield to bring about forward movement on those topics.  The issues are:  pension reform, funding of the capital bill, worker compensation, timely payments to vendors from the state, and education. 

Roberta Parks, Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce president, says there are over 7,500 companies in the combined service area employing about 185,000 people.”Those businesses care less about the geographical boundaries and more about the issues that affect their business. For example, a manufacturing company in Peoria is impacted by state government no differently than a manufacturing company in Chillicothe,” according to Parks.

Bill Fleming from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce says chambers need to capitalize on combined strength and CIRCLE will allow that.  “This allows our regional chambers to work together on issues and projects that impact the local business community and we have more clout and influence than any one of the chambers could have individually.”
CIRCLE has coordinated a trip to the state capital on March 2nd from 8am to 2:30pm. 

Regional residents are invited to meet with key leaders on key issues.  “Most of our local legislators already know how important these issues are for our region, this event will give us a chance to meet with other influential leaders from around the state and share our concerns and our ideas with them” and Karen Moewe from the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce. 

The event will include a delegate breakfast and luncheon, issue briefings with legislators, and delegate materials. A charter bus will transport delegates and the cost is $75 per person.  If you would like to participate in this event or get more information, click to contact the Peoria chamber.

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Reprinted by permission of Greenspace Genealogy:

Individuals have an almost overwhelming number of options for donating private land. In last Friday’s edition of Greenspace Genealogy, we visited Beardsley Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Donated in the late 1892, Beardsley Park was an early example of how a family can continue living on a property even after it has been donated to the public. 

Ongoing support is an important factor in protecting donating land. Financial support is always critical. Greenspace requires maintenance, especially if there is trail maintenance and vehicle access required. There is the cost of controlled burns, vehicular access as basic as a trailhead parking lot, and signage expense.  read more….

Popularity: 15% [?]

Popularity: 15% [?]