Peoria Pundit | News, politics and the media in the River City

Local: Events raise cash for riding therapy program

(Press release)

AUGUST 22, 2008 WRANGLER ROUND-UP WEAVER FARMS

Enjoy dinner, live & silent auctions and dancing with the locally popular West MacQueen Street Band, under the tent and stars at Weaver Farms. Dinner is $50/person or $400 for a table of ten with full bar available. Dress is casual. Doors open at 6pm, dinner at 7pm, live auction at 8pm and dance at 9pm. From 9pm-midnight, those not wanting to attend the dinner are encouraged to come out and join in the fun for a $5 donation at the door to benefit CIRT. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased by contacting CIRT by phone or email. 100% of the proceeds will benefit CIRT.

AUGUST 23, 2008 FESTIVAL OF HORSES & POLO ON THE GREEN WEAVER FARMS

Gates open at 11am for a full day of affordable family run right here in Peoria! Free parking at RL Nelson with free shuttles running continuously until approximately 7pm. Admission is $5 per person or $20 per family. Day long activities will include: a vendor tent featuring some of the Peoria Riverfront Artists; concessions including Echo Valley grilled meats, snack items and full bar service; Silent Auction and raffles. The kids can have a great time on inflatable’s by Fun on the Run, face painting and “down on the farm” inspired interactive games. Armbands for unlimited kids’ activities are just $5 and adults are free with a paying kid! The horse demonstrations, Parade of Breeds and CIRT demonstrations will take place on the Polo Field and in the indoor arena and will begin at approximately 1pm. The Polo match begins at 4pm and will run until approximately 6:30pm. Tickets for upfront “Box Seats” are $10 per person or bring your lawn chairs or blankets (no coolers please) and sit back to enjoy the day. This event is a great and affordable way to introduce your family and friends to the beauty of Weaver Farms and the wonderful world of horses all while benefiting a great local cause.

ABOUT CIRT:

Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT) is a non-profit organization that provides horseback-riding therapy to benefit individuals with disabilities. CIRT was established in 1983 and is a North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Premier Center.

CIRT allows individuals age three through adult with a variety of physical, emotional and mental disabilities including: Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, head trauma, learning disabilities, strokes, visual and hearing impairments and others.

CIRT’s staff includes a director, office staff, barn manager, certified instructors, over 100 volunteers and is in operation year round. We have the capacity for twelve (currently have 11) horses and the costs to care for the horses has nearly doubled in one year to nearly $4000 per horse.

Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT) is located in Newmann Park, adjacent to FonDuLac Farm Park. Our address is 305 Newmann Drive, East Peoria, IL 61611. We can be contacted at 309.699.3710, emailed at www.cirt@cirt.info, or visit our website at www.cirt.info.

The economy has taken its’ toll on many businesses and organizations and ours is no exception. The success of our annual benefit is crucial to the survival of the organization. We hope that you are able to help us in spreading the work about our upcoming event while also raising awareness of our cause.

August 20, 2008 in Uncategorized
| No Comments »

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

Loading ...

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

Peoria Pundit is now operating at pundit.blogpeoria.com.

Please adjust your blogroll.

August 11, 2008 in site news
Tags: blogging, blogpeoria, blogs, WordPress | Comments Off

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Local: Elliott’s is now licenced … almost

I hear that Elliott’s picked up its spiffy new City of Peoria-issued liquor license today, shortly after 3 p.m.

But they still have to travel to Springfield pick up their retailer’s license.

The first legal drink will likely be served Wednesday night.

So where will Peoria area 18-year-olds go to see their first live naked girls? Again, Springfield.

August 11, 2008 in Uncategorized
Tags: liquor license, strippers | No Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Site news: I surrender

Please direct all Blogger Bash inquiries, suggestions, insults, etc to Cory. He has assumed responsibility for planning the next bash, which is set for the fifth Tuesday in September.

I promise that I will keep my complaints to myself. And no excuses about not being able to find a babysitter.

August 11, 2008 in site news
Tags: Blogger Bash | No Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Local: School is still out on charter schools

I see from tomorrow’s Word on the Street column that Peoria City Councilman Jim Montelongo is eager to get the city government involved in efforts to create charter schools in Peoria. Failing that, at least get the council to endorse the idea.

On one hand, I’d like to see the city take a more active role in running the schools, but given the sentiment of the current council, that won’t happen. And I certainly believe that there needs to be more accountability, and the current system afford voters few opportunities to make change.

But I am not convinced that charter schools are the answer. I went looking for articles, and I found a transcript of a discussion on the Jim Lehrer NewsHour in which the value of charter schools is questioned. It seems that once other factors are taken into consideration, there’s no indication that the results are any better than ordinary public schools (I note that this segment is from August 2004).

And then there’s a 2006 article from the New York Times that also questions the effectiveness of charter schools.

Still charter schools seem to afford parents greater control, demand more accountability and supposedly lets educators avoid a lot of red tape.

I remain unconvinced. One of the allures of charter schools is that some people really want to get rid of teachers’ unions, and charters might let that happen. Well, Edison Schools didn’t have to worry about teacher contracts, and they haven’t shown us anything exceptional in the area of student achievement.

District 150 has tried a lot of other stuff too. They seem to be jumping on one fad after another, and not really sticking with anything. One day they are convinced that a park-like campus setting absolutely necessary. Why? Because kids need to learn about nature. Or they want to cut hours out of the school day so teachers can make lesson plans together.

The last thing the school board seems willing or able to try are those things parents seem to want: Better and more discipline, longer school days and a longer school year and more arts and music. Charter schools aren’t necessary to get these things, and there’s no guarantee that the people chosen to run any new charter school won’t be just as enchanted with shiny new fads and nifty new theories and research as the the people running the schools now.

August 11, 2008 in Local
Tags: charter schools, district 150 | 3 Comments »

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

Loading ...

Media: Winning headline keeps readers on their tip-toes

I don’t give the folks who toil away on the copy desk enough credit. So, I am pleased to give the award for Best Use of a Pun in a Headline to whatever evil genius created the one that ran atop today’s Peoria Journal Star article about the Peoria Ballet’s new facility:

“Tutu to-do.”

Like I said … genius.

August 10, 2008 in On the Media
Tags: headlines, Journal Star, puns | 4 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Not my ancestors

A tree in Gettysburg, PA, which has been standing since before the Civil War, was felled by a storm this weekend.

I found this quote interesting:

The huge honey locust tree on Cemetery Hill fell Thursday evening.

and then a little later park historian John Heiser said.

“I have no doubt that Union soldiers sat under it for all three days of the battle,” he said.

No offense to John Heiser, but I hope the Union troops were a little smarter than that.

August 10, 2008 in Uncategorized
| 3 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Sports: Bush likes what he sees at the Olympics

Caption: President Bush gestures toward the back of Misty May Treanor as he visits the practice of the U.S. beach volleyball team the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, China Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. At right is Treanor’s teammate Kerri Walsh.

August 9, 2008 in The Sports Page
Tags: Kerri Walsh, Misty May Treanor, Olympics, volleyball | 8 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Politics: ‘To Kill an American’

I dare anyone to watch this and disagree with the sentiments:

Hat tip: Stix Blog.

August 9, 2008 in Uncategorized
| 8 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Links: OMG! There are two of them!

All I have to say is thank God for the Internet. Because if it weren’t for this miraculous series of tubes, I would not have learned of this wonderful news: There are TWO Scarlett Johanssons! The following comment was left at this Indian Website’s article about something or other to so with Scarlett:

By: Serge On: 08 Aug 2008 10:26 am

Hello dear ladies and gentlemen!
I would like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person, who has nothing with acting career. That clone was created illegally by using stolen biological material. Original person is very nice (not d**n sexy), most important - CHRISTIAN young lady!
I’ll tell you guys more, those clones (it’s not only one) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, it is in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, North Bavaria, Mr. Helmut Kohl home town. You can not even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning! Helmut Kohl clone staff 100% controlling all their clones spreading around the world, they are very accurate with that, some of them are still NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled clones, so be careful get close with clones you will be controlled as well. Apparently those clones are very actively shown on your website. Original person is not happy about those images and video, rumors and etc., it would be really nice if you try slow down that ”actress” career development, original Scarlett’s parents will really appreciated that. Please remember that original family did not authorize any activity with stolen biological materials, no matter what form it was created, it all need to be return back to original family control to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Original Scarlett is not engage, by the way!
Her close friend Serge G.
P.S.
H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2003. After discussion, it was passed on February 27 by a vote of 241-155. It now moves on to the Senate for consideration. This bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to perform or participate in human cloning, or to ship or receive embryos produced by human cloning. The penalties are imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $1 million or more.

Imagine! We have the technology to clone hot actresses. Think about it. We could have new Marilyn Monroes. We could have new Ingrid Bergmans (think “Cassablanca” not “A Woman Called Golda.”). Hell, we could also clone the entire cast of the original Star Trek. This way, we could remake the original series with people who actually look like and sound like the original cast.

Modern science is wonderful.

August 9, 2008 in links
Tags: clones, Scarlett Johansson | 2 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Media: Apparently, that really was Sir Paul hangin’ out in Springfield

Anyone catch the report in the Springfield Journal-Register about how Paul McCartney was spotted in Springfield at a Circle K gas station, driving a 1989 Ford Bronco.

Hell, he posed for photographs. But I thought it was a lookalike, and the newspaper the victim of a pretty good prank.

Apparently not:

Former Beatle Paul McCartney and girlfriend Nancy Shevell made Oklahoma City one of their stops on a cross-country tour along famous old U.S. Route 66. They’re driving a 1989 Ford Bronco.

They spent the night Tuesday at the downtown Skirvin Hilton Hotel and dined at Nonna’s Euro-American Ristorante and Bar in the Bricktown entertainment district, restaurant employees told the Oklahoman for a story on the paper’s Web site.

And:

McCartney and Shevell began their journey from his holiday home in the Hamptons, N.Y., on July 31, picking up the old Route 66 in Illinois on a vacation trip that will take them to Santa Monica, Calif.

I knew it was him all along.

I mean, how cool is this! The world’s greatest living rock star is traveling across the United States in a 20-year-old car, buying Big Gulps at the Circle K and eating at local joints he and his girlfriend find along the way. You just know there’s gonna be a song or two out of this.

Damn! Paul McCartney! At the Circle K!

The biggest celebrity I ever met was the guy who plays Roman Brady on “Days of our Lives.” Yeah, I can’t think of his name either, even though he was also on “The Hogan Family.”

August 9, 2008 in Local
Tags: Paul McCartney, springfield | 7 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Local: Here’s something else you can pick up from Whole Foods: Boody diarrhea (UPDATED)

Bad mouth Hy Vee all you want, grocery snobs, but I’m not seeing stories like this about the moderately-prices grocery store:

Massachusetts health authorities are warning consumers not to eat ground beef bought from Whole Foods Markets over the last two months after seven infections have been linked to meat bought there, some after a national recall.

The state Department of Public Health today confirmed the seventh E. coli case linked to ground beef. The people who fell ill — five of whom were hospitalized — had all eaten ground beef from Whole Foods last month. Preliminary results indicate that the ground beef products were part of a nationwide recall of meat produced by Nebraska Beef Ltd. because of possible E. coli contamination.

And:

E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Yeah, you might be bleeding from the anus, but at least you’ll that smug sense of superiority you get from shopping at a trendy store.

This reminds me of what people say about trendy, expensive restaurants. They are supposed to have the filthiest kitchens.

UPDATE: Here’s some new information that might stick in the craw of snooty, trend-sucking Hy-Vee bashers:

As the European Union seems to be tightening up its laws on food irradiation, in the US more and more supermarkets are starting to stock irradiated meats. Hy-Vee Supermarkets has just become the latest US retailer to stock SureBeam irradiated meats.

Hy-Vee, with 188 stores in seven states, is the first major food retailer in the Midwest region to offer case-ready fresh ground beef processed with SureBeam Corporation’s electron beam technology, a process that uses ordinary electricity to safely eliminate the threat of dangerous bacteria from food products.

I kinda doubt Whole Foods would ever irradiate their food. Sure, every bit of legitimate science says it’s healthier because it kills bacteria that can kill people (or make them bleed out of their anus), but they would prefer to pander to the irrational fears of health-food nuts. At least e.coli is natural, while everyone knows radiation can cause mutations, like Godzilla.

But who am I to argue with free market forces? Let the consumers decide.

August 9, 2008 in Uncategorized
Tags: Hy-Vee, Whole Foods | 5 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Media: WEEK’s ads intruding on Olympic coverage

I’m sitting here watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games, and I’m growing increasingly annoyed at the annoying pop-up ad for Sherman’s that WEEK is running. It’s bad enough during regular television shows because they tend to make it hard to get lost in the story. But the graphics are covering up the information that NBC is running across the bottom of the screen.

WEEK is the highest-rated station in the Peoria market. Granite Broadcasting cannot be so hard-up for money that they must run these ads. Stop it. It’s the Olympics for crying out load.

If you feel the same way, contact the general manager.

August 8, 2008 in On the Media
Tags: Advertising, Olympic Games, WEEK | 5 Comments »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Media: JS reports on GateHouse quarterly statements, CEO predicts recovery

In an un-bylined article, the Journal Star reported on parent company GateHouse Media’s 2nd quarter statement and conference call. It’s the first coverage the PJS has given the company since the company’s stock prices fell below $1.

The article stated that GateHouse was suspending dividend payments and was going to use the money to pay down debt instead.

GateHouse Media Inc., parent of the Journal Star and several other central Illinois newspapers, posted a loss in the second quarter, but did experience revenue growth, the company announced today.

Also:

CEO Michael Reed said the decision to suspend cash dividends to pay down debt “makes sense in these tough economic times” and said it did not take away from the company’s goal to deliver a profitable product to its shareholders.

He told analysts during a conference call that the company remains strong, that it would be able to weather the current economic storm because its existing credit facility doesn’t mature until 2014.

“We have time to operate through this. It’s important we not panic or lose confidence in our assets,” Reed said.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts about how some analysts believed that GateHouse was making a mistake by continuing to pay generous dividends even though it was in great debt due a constant stream of acquisitions. Other analysts said that the dividend was the only reason for owning the stock.

I am NOT a market analyst, so the following observations are those of a layman: I’d think the beating the stock has taken would have shaken out the chicken-hearted. Some folks might sell because dividends have been suspended, but I think most of those folks are gone. And it’s better to have a plan to pay off debts than otherwise.

So, perhaps Reed is right and GateHouse is on the road to recovery.

August 8, 2008 in On the Media
Tags: GateHouse Media, Journal Star, stock | 1 Comment »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Local: Events benefit riding therapy program

(Press release)

AUGUST 22, 2008 WRANGLER ROUND-UP WEAVER FARMS

Enjoy dinner, live & silent auctions and dancing with the locally popular West MacQueen Street Band, under the tent and stars at Weaver Farms. Dinner is $50/person or $400 for a table of ten with full bar available. Dress is casual. Doors open at 6pm, dinner at 7pm, live auction at 8pm and dance at 9pm. From 9pm-midnight, those not wanting to attend the dinner are encouraged to come out and join in the fun for a $5 donation at the door to benefit CIRT. Tickets for the dinner can be purchased by contacting CIRT by phone or email. 100% of the proceeds will benefit CIRT.

AUGUST 23, 2008 FESTIVAL OF HORSES & POLO ON THE GREEN WEAVER FARMS

Gates open at 11am for a full day of affordable family run right here in Peoria! Free parking at RL Nelson with free shuttles running continuously until approximately 7pm. Admission is $5 per person or $20 per family. Day long activities will include: a vendor tent featuring some of the Peoria Riverfront Artists; concessions including Echo Valley grilled meats, snack items and full bar service; Silent Auction and raffles. The kids can have a great time on inflatable’s by Fun on the Run, face painting and “down on the farm” inspired interactive games. Armbands for unlimited kids’ activities are just $5 and adults are free with a paying kid! The horse demonstrations, Parade of Breeds and CIRT demonstrations will take place on the Polo Field and in the indoor arena and will begin at approximately 1pm. The Polo match begins at 4pm and will run until approximately 6:30pm. Tickets for upfront “Box Seats” are $10 per person or bring your lawn chairs or blankets (no coolers please) and sit back to enjoy the day. This event is a great and affordable way to introduce your family and friends to the beauty of Weaver Farms and the wonderful world of horses all while benefiting a great local cause.

ABOUT CIRT:

Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT) is a non-profit organization that provides horseback-riding therapy to benefit individuals with disabilities. CIRT was established in 1983 and is a North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Premier Center.

CIRT allows individuals age three through adult with a variety of physical, emotional and mental disabilities including: Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, head trauma, learning disabilities, strokes, visual and hearing impairments and others.

CIRT’s staff includes a director, office staff, barn manager, certified instructors, over 100 volunteers and is in operation year round. We have the capacity for twelve (currently have 11) horses and the costs to care for the horses has nearly doubled in one year to nearly $4000 per horse.

Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT) is located in Newmann Park, adjacent to FonDuLac Farm Park. Our address is 305 Newmann Drive, East Peoria, IL 61611. We can be contacted at 309.699.3710, emailed at www.cirt@cirt.info, or visit our website at www.cirt.info.

The economy has taken its’ toll on many businesses and organizations and ours is no exception. The success of our annual benefit is crucial to the survival of the organization. We hope that you are able to help us in spreading the work about our upcoming event while also raising awareness of our cause.

August 8, 2008 in Local
Tags: charity, press release, riding therapy, Weaver Farms | 1 Comment »

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

Local: Events raise cash for riding therapy program

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

Local: Elliott’s is now licenced … almost

Site news: I surrender

Local: School is still out on charter schools

Media: Winning headline keeps readers on their tip-toes

Not my ancestors

Sports: Bush likes what he sees at the Olympics

Politics: ‘To Kill an American’

Links: OMG! There are two of them!

Media: Apparently, that really was Sir Paul hangin’ out in Springfield

Local: Here’s something else you can pick up from Whole Foods: Boody diarrhea (UPDATED)

Media: WEEK’s ads intruding on Olympic coverage

Media: JS reports on GateHouse quarterly statements, CEO predicts recovery

Local: Events benefit riding therapy program

Advertisers

Highest Rated