Three victims went to the hospital after a Sunday morning shooting in Peoria. It happened at the Southern Valley 66 on Western Avenue. Authorities say soon after a victim went to the hospital with a gun shot wound to the stomach, two more people showed up with bullet wounds. Police won’t say if the three victims are connected, they are still investigating. The conditions of the three victims are unknown.

Nothing yet on PJStar, WEEK, HOINews.

Today’s Journal Star article reminds up that the disease is still out there in the United States, still killing people, still causing health problems for those who are living with it. And there’s still the issues of bigotry, ignorance and misunderstanding, judging by the stories told in the article and some of the comments made by Journal Star readers.

Why in the world would someone like it their compassion to those who get sick in some ways, but not others?

Kudos to PJS reporter Clare Howard for the reminder.

From a press release:

(CHICAGO)(May 16, 2008) Illinois Republican reformer Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Friday, May 16th to announce he has filed a lawsuit to stop corruption at the Illinois Republican Party’s 2008 state convention. ‘The behavior of most Republican Party leaders is disgraceful,’ Martin will state. ‘They are conducting an election for National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, and refusing to release the names of the voters for this office, who are the delegates. Why are delegate lists and members-of-committee lists being held in secret? In a word, LaHood and his coconspirators are trying to fix the convention to elect him.

A copy of the lawsuit is a part of this posting (below).

‘How can anyone justify an ‘election’ in which the names of the ‘voters’ are being concealed or a convention in which the names of members of convention committees are secret? If this is not a blatant attempt to rig the vote and elect Combine Candidate Ray LaHood I don’t know what it is.

We have to face the reality that the Republican Party is being mismanaged into the ground.’

Martin is the reform Republican candidate for National Committeeman.

Martin will be seeking an emergency court hearing.

‘At some point, Republicans are going to get sick of Combine control of their party. Ray LaHood was one of the cabal of leaders that forced U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald out of office-and paved the way for the election of Barack Obama. No wonder LaHood was salivating when Obama visited the U. S. House earlier this week; LaHood’s dirty tricks and backstabbing helped elect Obama by removing the incumbent Republican. If Obama is elected president, we will have LaHood and his hoods to thank.

‘Peter Fitzgerald was pilloried because he fought corruption. What does that tell you? The evidence to support these claims is in testimony in the Tony Rezko trial, where ‘Republican leaders’ were mired neck deep in corruption. The Combine is real and the Rezko trial testimony blew the lid off the Republican Party’s past and present ‘leadership.’

‘Most Illinois Republicans are honest, hardworking, law-abiding citizens. How did we end up with a party state committee and party leadership and party employees who are sickos and crooks? How? Who wins? We know who loses: Main Street, mainstream Republicans.

‘I am doing my best to fight corruption and to return control of the Republican Party to the people,’ Martin says.

• You know, if I had a bullet wound in the gut, I’d be a tad uncooperative, too.
• Ken Hinton is in rare form. Bull-headed, condescending … come to think of it, that’s not rare for him at all.
• Here’s my big dream: A new board and administrators at District 150. Visualize, visualize, Visualize …
• The Peoria Park District will have to hold a public hearing before it screws around with the old Spanish cannon at Glen Oak Park Lagoon. I suggest people want to seem preserved better pack this hearing when it’s held.
• I say if the pumps CAN’T show a price higher than $3.99, then let them. In fact, let’s make old mechanical gas pumps mandatory.
• The award-winning (snicker) editorial page of Peoria’s one and only newspaper complains about a lack of maintenance on the Kellar Branch. It blames the carriers, not the bull-headed decisions by the rail owners — positions advocated by the this same newspaper — that kept the rail users from being able to USE the rail until very recently. Because, as you know, it makes perfect economic sense to maintain the a rail line you aren’t allowed to use. No doubt other bloggers will further deconstruct the editorial.
• This drunk, anti-social, violent knucklehead could very easily have ended up shot a couple dozen times. Instead his sorry-ass is in jail and faces a long prison term. And two cops get injured bringing him in the hard way. Get well soon, officers. And in case no one else says it: Thank you for your service.

Rockwood from Farrelly to Eugenie will be closed starting immediately and continuing at least through the day tomorrow.  Traffic will be detoured to Julia St to allow for an emergency utility repair.

Dear St. Mark’s Families,

Today at approximately 9:00 AM there was an incident reported that a threatening message was left on a bathroom stall. We followed the Diocese of Peoria and the St. Mark School response protocol. We immediately evacuated the school moving everyone to the church as well as calling police to investigate. The Peoria Police did a thorough investigation of the threat using all their resources available to deal with this type of situation.  After the investigation was complete, the Peoria Police determined that the threat was unfounded.

During the entire incident Father Klamut was present in the school and/or church. He was consulted on all decisions made. The Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Peoria was also made aware of procedures and was also consulted.

At approximately 11:00 AM I made the decision for the students, faculty and staff to return to school.  I want you all to know that the safety and security of your children is our top priority here at St. Mark’s School and always will be.

Thanks and God Bless! 

Steve Hagenbruch

The chicks really hate to be called “sweetie,” especially when they are the masculine type who don’t want to stay home and cook and clean for her man.

End sarcasm.

After all, there isn’t a mini-mall, mega-mall or a hot-dog stand that isn’t forced to comply with strict standard that state exactly how many parking spaces must be provided. The number of the spaces is set my ordinance. The number of handicapped spaces is set by ordinance. The width and length of the spaces are set by ordinance. The cannot just say that their customers and employees are going to park on the street. They have to either buy enough land to build their own lots, or make arrangements with nearby property owners who have a surplus.

But not if you are Caterpillar. For them, the free-market is a concept to be trotted out to argue that it should be able to do business anywhere, with anyone, without restriction from pesky rules and regulations.

But when it suits their interests, they are like pigs at the public trough.

So, Caterpillar simply went to the city of Peoria and announced they wanted to pave over the ground at the former Sears Block and have it’s minions park their cars there. Don’t worry, we’ll pay for the costs and cover the cost for providing security at the site. This would be roughly equal to the rental space the city otherwise would be able to get from the spaces.

Well, that was the theory when this was discussed during an executive session following the last council meeting.

Caterpillar didn’t need to pay rent, the thinking was, because it was “a wash.”

Council member Gary Sandberg now says that he was told that the process would take about five mnths. But the agreement presented to the council for approval Tuesday stated that it would take as long as 7 1/2 months, a 50-percent increase. In other words, the city was losing 50-percent more rent that the council had been led to believe.

Sandberg lectured the council:

“We are going to have to start treating our business assets with some business sense, like Caterpillar does,” he said.

“I guess I misunderstood the math” and “didn’t understand the length,” said City Attorney Randy Ray, adding that the “wash” was based on “rough math.”

“It’s not lost OR found money,” Ray said.

Mark Johnson of Caterpillar (I can’t find his title right at this moment; I’ll get it later) told the council that the company doesn’t know exactly how long the repairs will take. The deck, he said, is 45 years old.

“Instead of just patching it up, we want to do a major overhaul,” Johnson said. “I expect it (the length of the agreement) was extended so it could a a little cushion.”

Council member Barbara Van Auken, who earlier expressed doubts the longer length of the agreement made it a wash, said she trusted Johnson’s word and was among those who voted to approve the agreement.

But the biggest defense came from Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis.

“I have absolutely no problem with the agreement,” Ardis said, “considering all the good Caterpillar does for our community.

“I don’t think this is one we need to dig our heels in on, folks.”

The vote to approve was 9-1, with Councilman Eric Turner abstaining (he works at Caterpillar) and Councilman Pat Nichting, who was absent.

Sandberg told me after the meeting that the city essentially gave up about $100,000 in revenue by not renting Caterpillar the space. And then there is the revenue that the owners of privately-owned parking decks lost because Caterpillar didn’t have to rent spaces from them on the open market.

So the council not only screwed the taxpayers out of incoming revenue, they screwed some private businesses out of some cash as well. It’s sorta like if the city is standing outside of restaurants handing out free hot-dogs and soda.

And here’s my last comment/question about this whole mess: I assume these improvements to the Sears Block include paving it over and laying down some parking stripes. Exactly what good will these improvements be to the city once Cat’s own deck is completed? After all, aren’t they going to have to tear it our to build their museum and Caterpillar’s visitor center?

A wash? This thing sounds like a hosing from day one.

NOTE: Corrected to change weeks to months.

The meeting started at about 6:15 p.m., but the real city business didn’t start until about 6:45 p.m. after all the proclamations were over. Which was about when I arrived. cagey veteran that I am, I knew that the first half-hour would be a huge waste of my time, so I intentionally arrived late.

The council essentially whipped through the 33-item consent agenda, taking only five of the items out for individual votes, three of which were were to defer to later meetings. Also deferred:

1. A recommendation to approve a Class B-1 liquor license to the owner of J.J. Ryan’s to open a restaurant/tavern at 7719 N. University.
2. A recommendation from the  city’s liquor commission to deny a Class A liquor license to Elliott’s, the strip-tease joint located at 7807 N. University, a few doors north of where J.J. Ryan’s wants to relocate.

Here’s why I think the city is hesitant to approve the license for J.J. Ryan’s: If it does, it would weaken the city’s argument that it isn’t denying Elliott’s owners their rights by refusing them a liquor license solely because they are providing adult entertainment.

A recent federal court decision says that cities cannot deny an otherwise qualified applicant a liquor license only because they have nekkid women prancing about inside. So if the city denies Elliott’s a license because of (wink, wink) “neighborhood” concerns, then it can’t very well approve J.J. Ryan’s when they are located two downs down. But denying J.J. Ryan’s makes no sense because the owner ALREADY has a liquor license and simply wants another one for a building that has recently been used for a tavern/restaurant, located on a block that is littered with restaurants and bars.

But there’s hope. The city and Elliott’s have agreed to federal mediation. Perhaps the process just isn’t over, and that’s the cause for the delay. I’m sure the nice law-abiding lady who owns J.J. Ryan’s doesn’t mind one little bit while her business is being held hostage while her little psychodrama plays out.

After all, it’s only her livelihood.

Obama likes to paint himself as an opponent of the war. He reminds voters of his one — and only one — speech opposing it. But he swiftly changed his mind. Obama told the Chicago Tribune on July 27, 2004, that “there’s not that much difference between my position and George Bush’s position at this stage. The difference, in my mind, is who’s in a position to execute.” Obama added that he “now believes U.S. forces must remain to stabilize the war-ravaged nation, a policy not dissimilar to the current approach of the Bush administration.” Obama wants to leave an estimated 50,000 troops in Iraq to protect our superbases and the Green Zone, our imperial city, to fight terrorism, and to train Iraqi forces. He traveled to Connecticut to campaign on behalf of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a leading proponent of the war and an advocate of airstrikes against Iran, when Lieberman was challenged by the anti-war candidate Ned Lamont. And when Obama talks about the Palestinians he reads dutifully from the script handed to him by Lieberman and the Israel lobbying group AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

To be perfectly truthful, the idea that Obama doesn’t advocate a withdrawal reminiscent of out shameless abandonment of South Vietnam likes him ore attractive to me as a candidate.

But it gets worse. Peoria’s own medical gadfly, Dr. John Carroll, links Obama to accused influence peddler Tony Rezko, who Dr. Carroll then links to members of Peoria’s medical establishment. It’s too long for me to post here without replicating the whole thing.

Remember, too, that Dr. Carroll accused me of succumbing to Peoria’s Medical Mafia because I wouldn’t let him libel people anymore here on this site. So take it with a grain of salt. I would be shocked if ANY person in public life doesn’t have SOME dealings with corrupt individuals. Peoria is no different.

Hat tip: Elaine Hopkins.

In the days since the school board voted to slash the school day, there has been something of an uprising underway. Methods for replacing the board have been discussed. Suggestions include simply getting better candidates to run for the board, reducing board terms from five years to as few as two, electing the board all at once rather than staggered terms. The “doomsday weapon” in all this would be to demand a city or even a state takeover of the district, perhaps with educational guru Paul Vallas or his associates helping out.

No current school board members attended, which was wise considering the foul mood that D150 has created among parents. However, Bud Collier attended. He’s the former superintendent for Dunlap schools. Since his retirement, he’s been acting as a sort of go-between for Peoria city government and the city’s many school systems, the largest and most troubled of which is D150.

Collier came bearing a message: Stop all this nonsense and D150 might rescind its decision.

Via Diane Vespa:

But Mr. Collier insisted that we “had the Admins attention” and that they were willing to put options on the table. Ultimately, we were persuaded to “call off the dogs” and place them on a back burner, for now. In the interim, we will meet a few more times to explore options for saving $600K. We don’t anticipate this to be too difficult of an undertaking given the fact that it is less than 1/2 of 1% of their budget. There is a meeting scheduled with the District for May 22. The goal: a full rescission of last Mondays vote.

,,,

I am pleased with the outcome of the meeting, and although there exists an innate sense of unease with the Administration given the callousness they have exhibited towards the expressed will of the community, I, personally, am willing to put differences aside and work on behalf of the children as well as every citizen of Peoria.

The bottom line is this. It is one thing to not think things through, buy property, sell property, randomly knock down and build new buildings. But taking school time and fine arts teachers away from our youngest children to compensate for the lack of vision is fundamentally impacting the very foundation of the city of Peoria. Monday’s decision, if it stands, would have far-reaching consequences that go way beyond the boundaries of District 150.

Elaine Hopkins reported:

“I personally believe there will be something that will work. I’ve been told if you come up with legitimate solutions they would take a look at it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t find an option by next week. They’ve gotten smacked pretty good,” he said.

Collier said Hinton is willing to meet with four members of the group on May 22 and May 27 to consider options. The board next meets on May 19.

He urged the group not to attack school officials personally, and to focus only on the shortened school day issue and not other grievances.

And C.J. Summers:

I think it’s a good idea to try negotiations first, but we must, at the same time, keep the heat up. We won’t let the administration razzle-dazzle us like they did the school board last Monday night.

The fact that the District 150 board and the administration have shown in the past they they will sputter indignantly when people with common sense stand up to them, but in the end they will back down.

Peoria School District 150 hasn’t had decent leadership since Superintendent Harry Whitaker left. We’re not going to get decent leadership with Ken Hinton at the helm the administration we have now. And we’re not going to get rid of THEM until we get rid of the current school board. The very, very least that needs to happen is a change in how board members are elected. The current system doesn’t allow for adequate change, and it discourages new people from seeking election. I mean, who wants to be the only new board member on this group, especially if you oppose how the board operates? Being the lone gadfly is no fun.

The inference I draw from all this is that the board is willing to go back to a full school day and not fire the music and arts teachers IF the efforts to get rid of the current board stop.

Feh. Rescinding the decision they made last week should just the first step of what needs to happen. and I’m worried that if the board decides to rescind, if might lessen the motivation behind the insurrection. I mean, where would America be right now if King George III had rescinded the stamp tax?

We need to fight the disease that infects District 150, not just the most recent symptoms.

Seriously, what do the parents, city leaders and property owners in Peoria plan to do about the fact that our school district seems perfectly capable of single handedly ruining this town? Will we wait until there is not a single self respecting family left in the district? Will we wait until we realize that the children of Peoria are not keeping up with their Dunlap (or Edison) counterparts due to the fact that they spend 18% less time in school? Will we wait until we see a reduction in our property values? Seriously, folks - all the City great news in the world won’t make a hill of beans difference if our schools are in the crapper.

Soon you will be offered opportunities to voice your opinion and make a difference. Please stay tuned. I call upon the Mayors of Peoria and West Peoria, The Council Members of same, The Regional Superintendent of Schools, Gerald Brookhart, a wonderful man, to stand up, look Mr. Ken Hinton and his merry band of rubber stampers in the eye and say “STOP THE INSANITY!” C’mon people, put down the remote, pul-lease check my math (and I’m serious), engage thyself, and lets get busy. This is our children’s future we are talking about!

I think D150 ticked off the wrong person in Diane Vespa.

Expect changes.

But when they ran a story today casting doubt on the success of a committee that’s just getting off the ground, this is the first paragraph:

As Mayor Jim Ardis’ Race Relations Commission begins its work, there are some black leaders in the community who are skeptical on how much the group can accomplish.

My two cents: Expect more of this bias the closer we get to municipal elections.

So why even bother complaining to the city council? It’s not like our city government — unlike other communities — has any official role in running the schools. Here’s why? For all it’s faults, Peoria City Hall is fairly responsive to the community. I’ve been observed the council as reporter and blogger for many years, and I’ve seen the council change course in the face of public opinion. Not so much with District 150.

• This had to happen right after the Journal Star finally acknowledged Peoria’s murder rate is down dramatically from last year.
• I think that any crime that happens within four block of Club Apollo will now be described in the Journal Star as happening near Club Apollo.

About this time last year, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis had the audacity to stand up for Peoria and complain about how Peoria’s one and only daily newspaper was portraying his city. He complained that the newspaper over-emphasized bad news the city, including an unusually high murder murder rate.

The response from the editorial page was typical of the Journal Star. They started a silly little jihad against the mayor. They complained that Ardis had the audacity to use graphic images to make Peoria’s rising murder rate an issue during his run for mayor in 2005, which is supposed to make him a hypocrite for complaining about the Journal Star’s negative coverage of Peoria two years later.

I saw the attack as a way for the Journal Star to start campaigning on behalf of whoever decides to run against Ardis in 2009 (which is less than a year away, folks). Remember that Ardis was most definitely NOT the Journal Star’s choice for mayor. Instead, the PJS endorsed then-incumbent David “The Liar” Ransburg, as well as two members of the Peoria City Council who were part of the “progressive” wing of the council.

But the Journal Star will never admit that it’s criticizing Ardis out of spite or to soften Ardis up for the next election. Instead that say they are simply criticizing a politician for pandering to fears to get elected and then backtracking once he’s in charge.

Well, the PJS knows about pandering to fear. That’s what they did in the months prior to the 2005 election when their editorials suggested Ardis and other essential-services-first candidates were racists. What fears were columnist Pam Adams pandering to when she suggested Ardis and at-large councilman Eric Turner were also pandering to racists by making crime as issue? And even the news side got into the act by counting black faces at staged, invitation only political events and commercials.

Today, there’s a front-page article about how the city’s murder rate is way down from last year. The funny thing about this and the other three articles (here, here and here) is that Ardis isn’t mentioned once. It’s a striking contrast to just 11 months ago, when the city’s newspaper of record was all over Ardis for reigning over a city with a rising murder rate. And even if there wasn’t this back story, wouldn’t it be considered, well, good journalism to ask a mayor what he thinks of a massive drop in crime in the city’s he’s leading?

And today’s editorial page? They are running an editorial how people should thank their mothers. If there is ever an editorial out of these people praising Ardis in the slightest for the drop in murder and crime, I’ll let my readers know. I suppose anything is possible.

Most of the praise for the improved crime stats should go, I believe, to Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard. He’s made personnel and scheduling changes that have put more cops on the street at the times they are needed. He has the respect of the council, which is essential when one is bringing charge to a police department that had been ill-run for so many years. I give Ardis credit for leading the council in supporting these changes. His calling for a 40 days of prayer against crime and violence provided an opportunity for the community to buy into the city’s crime-fighting efforts.

For these and other reasons, Ardis is popular and well-respected among Peorians who don’t work at One News Plaza. Anyone so inclined to run is going to have to take this into consideration. With a significant drop in the murder rate, the PJS has one less tool in its tool belt as it works on behalf of whatever future opponent pops up.

He’s a bit miffed at the powers-that-be because the problem hasn’t stopped. I told him there could be any number of reasons that the animals weren’t taken away, from a lack of manpower at the time his call was made, and the lack of physical evidence at the time police stopped by. I’ve spoken to PAWS director Lauren Malmberg on several occasions and found her to be deeply concerned about this issue. Without tougher laws and licensing requirements, they have to rely on luck to get there in time to stop the righting before it happens. She says the police have been very helpful.

UPDATE: I just spoke to Lauren and she’s going call my friend and touch base. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some extra enforcement on that street.

After a three-week break, the Peoria City Council will meet at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. And judging from the agenda (viewable here), it looks to be a long meeting. Bring a pillow, as I would not be surprised if this thing doesn’t end until after 10 p.m..

There are seven proclamations scheduled. There are 31 items on the consent agenda that could, theoretically, be approved with a single vote. Fat chance. At a glance, I can easily envision half of these items being taken off the consent agenda for additional discussion.

Here’s one I noticed: Staff is recommending spending $6,227 to fully fund neighborhood association newsletters. This program was cut last year, much to the consternation of neighborhood associations. This year, they have decided to forgo spending $2,500 on the “Citizen Academy” and instead divert the money to the newsletters. No doubt there will now be complaints about that, as some have praised the program for helping neighborhood groups learn how the city bureaucracy works.

And the issue of whether to issue a Class A license to Elliot’s is scheduled to be taken off the table. As I reported earlier, the matter may be resolved after federal mediation.

In my defense, it was a post out of character. Even though I’ve been critical of the way the powers-that-be in this city run things, I’ve consistently advocated activism and participation in the process. I loathe the White-flight attitude so many people possess. Anyone inclined to pack up and leave Peoria didn’t me to give them the idea.

The fact is that there are many things that can be done to fix District 150. All of them begin with replacing the board and the current set of administrators. The decision to eliminate 45 minutes of instruction time from the district’s grade schools may just have been the tipping point. There are a lot of angry People out there and they are getting organized.

Expect change.

So, as an advocate for Peoria, what do I do now? It’s apparent the people who run District 150 do not know what they are doing. They stood before the public and told a bald-faced lie: That they can cut 45 minutes out of the school day, eliminate teachers who teach art and music, and still provide an education that’s equal if not better than, what they are getting now. It’s an obvious and shameful lie. And out clueless school board either buys into this nonsense or they are in on the lie.

I can’t use this blog to tell young parents that despite the problems, D150 schools are a fine place to send their kids. They won’t be. They are getting worse, and not because of outside influences. The people who run the district WANT the schools to be worse next year than they were before. All because they want to save a few dollars that that want to spend on other, educationally useless crap.

So my advice to parents: Get the hell out. D150 has reached the tipping point. Send you kids to private school, if you can. If you have to, move to Dunlap or Washington or Metamora. I’m sure these districts have their problems. But these districts seem to be run by the community and not by administrators who are determined to starve your children’s minds to feed their bloated egos and fat paychecks.

The City of Peoria will have a FREE MULCH give away on May 10, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the city’s Facility Operations Center, 3505 N. Dries Lane.

Mulch can be loaded into pick-up trucks, cars and vans at the Public Works facility, 3505 N. Dries Lane. A Loader will be available.

City crews will deliver mulch to Neighborhood Associations if arrangements are made in advance. To schedule a delivery, please call (309) 494-8851.

The Mulch is free for Peoria residents on a first come/first served basis.

But Diane Vespa, herself a Kellar Primary School parent, illustrates perfectly the lack of respect the district shows parents by essentially telling them they are just to stupid to understand why teaching students 45 fewer minutes a day is a good idea.

The audience sat patiently as Asst. Superintendant Cheryl Sanfilip presented the changes to parents as an amazing and unlimited opportunity for our children. Although parents were asked to submit their questions in advance of the meeting, Ms. Sanfilip did nothing more than wave the 3 page list of 44 questions in the air as she repeated her talking points. She did take a few questions afterwards, but unfortunately, her answers seemed to only give rise to more questions. In her defense, the questions and commentary were relentless and completely devoid of any appreciation of the “unlimited opportunities” she was offering. Many of her answers were defensive but she was facing quite a perturbed gathering. She persisted as best as she could despite the “unprofessional” conduct of some of the audience members as described by Board Member Jim Stowell.

Well, we’re quite familiar here with Jim Stowell here at Peoria Pundit. He’s in no position to lecture anyone, let alone concerned parents, about “unprofessional conduct.” And it’s utterly typical of D150 school board members to believe it’s their job to sell the public on whatever schemes vomit forth from school administrators than to represent the wishes of the taxpayers/voters/parents they are supposed to represent.

This is the same top-down, take-it-or-leave it attitude they showed to residents of the East Bluff and the Near North Side when they wanted to close all the schools in these neighborhoods, and build one super-sized school inside Glen Oak Park. And they continued to show these residents this lack of respect … right up to the moment the Peoria Park District said “no.” And it was only because of pressure from the Peoria City Council (especially Bob Manning) that made them finally listen and agree to two new schools, one at the site of the current Glen Oak School location.

And this is what makes me unsure that the forces of common sense and reason will inevitably prevail here. I’m not sure that there’s anything the Peoria City Council or any other agency can do to force D150 to stop this mess. If there is … please do it, guys,

Some months ago, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis publicly put the kibosh any any suggestion the city would even consider a takeover of District 150, an action I’ve advocated for a long time. Maybe this most recent episode of ignorance, ineptitude and arrogance will convince Peoria’s powers-that-be that these folks don’t really want the type of high-quality, family-friendly programs that Peoria needs, and that some sort of city or state take-over is needed.

The result of the hearing/council vote could be Class B license for Elliott’s plus a cash settlement of some sort.

I contacted Fred Jackson, one of Elliott’s owners and the guy who runs the place, and he declined to comment on the record. He did forward me a redacted form of a letter sent to members of the Peoria City Council, the contents of which he says might have led the council to be more amenable to mediation. In the letter, he spells out the history of how Elliott’s came into being, and describes how it is in the city’s best interests to approve a liquor license.

The letter states that Elliott’s could be sold to others who have a history running non-alcoholic clubs in a way that nearby residents would even more objectionable. The letter states that new owners likely would put flashing neon signs on the building announcing all-nude dancing.

One of their strip clubs is houses in a building that is shaped like to gigantic pink breasts, I’ve learned.

The mediation will likely settle the issue of whether or not Elliott’s should get an A or a B liquor license. The club originally applied for a type B restaurant style license, which would limits alcohol sales to 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. (2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) but lets the business remain open past those hours, and also allows entrance to those 18 and over. The A license prevents license holders from remaining open beyond the 1 a.m. or 2 p.m. and prevents entry by those under 21.

It’s my understanding that Elliott’s believes it has a good chance of proving the company was denied equal protection under the law because they met all the qualifications for the type B license. Recent court decisions prevent denying otherwise eligible applicants from being denied a liquor license simply because they offer adult entertainment.

The case before the mediator doesn’t include Elliott’s long standing suit against the city for its original denial of a liquor license.

Here is the letter:

I want to apologize if this letter seems lengthy, it only prints out to a little over two pages. I would like to ask that you acknowledge receipt of this email after you have read it, so that I don’t have to hand deliver it tomorrow before council meets.

My name is Fred Jackson,. I am a corporate officer and the majority shareholder of Brimstone Steaks/Big Bad Wolf Inc. I am a native of Peoria, and have lived and done business here most of my life. I am a graduate of a local private school and have a degree in Mass Communications from ASU. Before I sold my company, I was one of the largest cellular agents from ’96-’03 in Central Illinois/Iowa with 22 outlets.

In 1985, Duane Cassano acquired Big Al’s. This was the epitome of a tasteless “biker-chick strip club”. Because of the experience I had in one of the nations premier Gentleman’s Clubs in Florida, he hired me to turn Big Al’s into a similar atmosphere. I was there until 1996, making it one of the most famous clubs in the nation.

In August 2002, my partners at the time decided to expand their downtown operation “Richards Downtown” to the North End. We worked out a deal with Mrs J’s Inc. to operate the old Big Johns Barbecue under the name of “Richards Uptown featuring Big John’s Barbecue”. This venture seemed to be very successful until Grandpa Johns owner started a lawsuit (which still exists) against us for the use of Big Johns name. They were granted a temporary injunction in December of ‘02 and we were forced to pull the name of Big Johns. This was a huge blow to business, and we had a long term deal on the building.

Since both of my partners were also long time employee’s of Big Al’s, the natural choice for a change was the adult entertainment venue. This was also compounded by the disappointment of what Big Al’s had become after its new ownership. It was no longer mass appeal adult entertainment. Most of its focus was now on its one on one “private dances” in closed off areas. We had a vision of a whole new cabaret style entertainment, with a cross between Hooters and Dave & Busters. This would require us to focus on a sports bar environment with a great menu, the adult entertainment would be secondary. This location was prime for this idea because of the nature of the surrounding business. With all the industrial and car dealers in our area, it could be the most popular lunch and after work hot spot in the North end.

To be competitive with both of the other successful clubs in our area, the B license was the only choice, and still is our desired license. Not because it allowed a wider age range, but because it is the only license that allows us to stay open beyond 1am. We have operated successfully for 4 years now without alcohol, but we aren’t operating as we envisioned it, and we certainly aren’t proud of what we have been limited to. Elliott’s has a very loyal following and can operate as it is forever. Contrary to popular belief, only 20% of our business is under 21. We don’t survive off of cover and drinks, we make our money from house fee’s and dances. Don’t let the daytime empty parking lot fool you either. Because of the visibility of our parking lot, our patrons park in all of the lots surrounding us, we also have a rear entrance. No one wants their car seen at the “strip club” in the daytime! No one seems to realize we already exist and have for 4 years. We are already successful in the volume of customers, liquor is only going to make us more profitable.

I am not going into all of the facts of our lawsuit on how the city derailed all of our attempts on the original cabaret license by changing laws and ordinances during our application process. But I will raise your attention to this supposed location dispute. We met with Randy Ray two years ago about a location downtown and a resolve to this whole problem. No one on the council wanted to entertain the idea. Where is the opposition to this location?? The only people who showed up to complain at the liquor commission hearing were Mrs Fritz, and two business owners who came to the neighborhood AFTER we were established. The Journal Star and the Observer informed me that no negative letters came to them on any of their editorials or articles, in fact, the only response was in favor of us. So please tell me where is all this opposition? If we do end up in court, our attorneys plan to show that this opposition may be coming from a generous supporter of a select few council members. This generous supporter could be one that owns the buildings that house Big Al’s and is majority shareholder of the adult club in Creve Coeur. One of his key employee’s also serves on the Peoria liquor commission.

It would not have mattered what location we chose in Peoria, we would have the same opposition. Our location affects no one. In fact, 3 years ago, 5 gas stations in Peoria applied for package liquor licenses. Only one was allowed a license. It is the station next to us. The quote in the paper from Eric Turner was that it was granted because “it is not a budding neighborhood”. Oddly enough, there are more occupied buildings in our area since we opened. The Thompsons plaza is now full, which was empty when we moved in, it is now full of professional offices, a health club and surprisingly a church!…and now a teen club is fighting to get in! The strip mall behind us is at capacity, it was half empty when we came. The only vacant spots are the old Chantilly and the Long John Silvers, and they were failing long before we came. This same scenario happened with Big Al’s, there was nothing but empty store fronts until Big Al’s became a mainstream operation. Within a year of my arrival at Big Al’s, there was not an empty building downtown. In 2003 when we decided to open a club we already had a location, but that would not have mattered because Peoria had downtown locked up for adult clubs. There was no building in the zone that wasn’t within site of a church or another adult license. (Note: this is why Fantasyland won out against Peoria county, they had no available area for adult use) Now there is available space, would you like us to open next to the waterfront across from the museum??

I have no idea where people come up with these myths about adult clubs and their secondary effects. Peoria has 4 clubs within 10 miles and not one of these secondary effects have materialized. We have already started the research for our case and in all 4 locations none of the alleged secondary effects exist, so what basis are you going to rely on that we will affect this neighborhood? Non-religious funded independent studies have debunked most of these secondary effects. In most cases it is the exact opposite, areas have thrived and the ones that have problems are from clubs that don’t have alcohol. Lets use a little common sense, a club that is profitable from alcohol doesn’t have to cross the line by making its money from questionable activity. This was the case in Apopka, Fl in the early 90’s. The city banned alcohol from its adult clubs to put them out of business. This area was surrounded by cities with clubs that had alcohol. These clubs that lost their liquor did whatever they could to survive, drugs and prostitution soared in an area that never had these problems. Needless to say the city gave back the liquor licenses to the ones that survived. The secondary effect arguments do not fool a federal court any longer.

That is not to say that some adult businesses don’t stir these effects, adult bookstores and body shops are notorious for affecting area’s. The reason is simple, as of the mid 90’s, Cabarets have become mainstream entertainment. There are no longer ‘strip clubs” of the 70’s and 80’s except maybe in rural areas and cornfields. To prove this, there is no longer a “gentlemens club” section at any of the three national Adult XXX Conventions. They have now gone on their own with a separate convention and are also included at the annual Nightclub & Bar convention. There are still huge misconceptions of what goes on in strip clubs based on TV and movies. But here is the simple truth, adult bookstores and etc. show and sell X-rated materials depicting, and in some cases, showing live sex acts. A Cabaret is R-rated, there is nothing you see in a Cabaret that you don’t see in an R-rated movie. Elliott’s, from day one, has never allowed full nudity on stage, except for feature traveling entertainers. That is our own policy. We also do skits, plays, gameshows and have live comedy. Is that what you thought a strip club was?

We have kept a high standard of cabaret style entertainment at Elliott’s in hopes that one day we would be granted the license we should have had all along. For 18 months we operated Fantasyland with this entertainment and thrived. You can check with the county to see that we ran an exceptional operation without incident. By operating Fantasyland we have the numbers and accounting to back up our losses at Elliott’s. In addition, we also know the value of having later operating hours since that was a 2am license and we currently operate til 4am. Not everyone in our situation would have operated in the same manner. There are much more profitable ways to operate a non alcoholic adult club, including running x-rated video and materials, peep show booths, private bed dances, etc. But my partner and I are from this area, and refuse to go that route. The reason we are NOT a burden to our neighborhood is that we refuse to be the kind of “strip club” that you unknowingly have been trying to make us!

But be aware that adult clubs are a valuable commodity and we have turned down offers from Déjà Vu, Larry Flynt’s Hustler club and most recently, [REDACTED] from New York. He owns a chain of clubs called the [REDACTED] that are all non alcohol and garnished with bright neon that states XXX LIVE NUDE GIRLS. He is one of the most successful operators on the East Coast and has visited our location on two occasions with an offer. Attached is a photo of one of their more subdued locations.

We have great plans for a club that we can be proud of and hopefully retire on, which was the original plan. But should our court case not go as we feel it will, we will still make our retirement by selling out to one of the offers. If that happens, you WILL get the “strip club” you have tried to force us to be.

In closing, here are a few things to consider. The judge we drew for our federal case is Mike Mihm, he is an extremely fair judge when it comes to these matters, you might want to read his ruling in the Mapleton, IL. “Shooters” adult club concerning its award of a liquor license. You might also want to read the California case that settled 4 years ago for 3.2 million dollars in a case similar to ours where a city changed ordinances while a club was trying to open. The judge said in his order that they “might as well named the club in all of these new ordinances”. We sent that case to you four years ago, I’m sure Mr. Ray has a copy. And I’m sure you are well aware of the recent Washington Park, IL. Ruling, where Mr. Ray wrote a conclusion on record that you should change your current ordinance, as it may not be able to stand up in court…he dismissed the other point of that case, being nepotism, but our attorney’s plan to explore the possibility of outside influence on select members of the council. Also look around the horseshoe, 3 of the 4 most vocal members against us are no longer there… Ransberg, Teplitz and Thetford. Most notably Mrs. Teplitz, who went on record to say “take their liquor away, that’ll take the fun out of them”…I might also mention that her husband is sole council for Fantasyland, which was a competitor. Don’t mistake moralist opposition for voters, obviously the real voters spoke. Mr. Nichting is the only vocal member remaining, but it is his district and we understand the direct pressure he was under.

We ask that you vote in favor of the A license for this site. But know that we will appeal the denial of the B license all the way to federal court. By granting the A license now, you will be limiting further monetary damages to the city.

Fred Jackson

There were additional differences among the candidates in response to questions about sustainability, especially of our water supply (Mr. Oliver was very specific about tiered water rates, for example, while Mr. Kolb talked about the use of porous asphalt to build parking lots that didn’t increase runoff, and Mr. Salerno was more general about the “interdependence of the environment, the economy, and social justice.”) and about the use of economic incentives for attracting new business. Mr. Oliver talked about how Peoria got stock options from Caterpillar in exchange for policies easing the creation of the Caterpillar spinoff Firefly(i feel like i’m talking about little known science fiction TV shows here) which makes environmentally friendly(er) lead free batteries. I guess if the business is successful, the city cashes in its options and makes more money than it gave away in incentives, which is certainly innovative. I wonder if that’s legal in North Carolina.

There’s nothing in my posts about any stock options given to the city. I’ll have to make some phone calls, but perhaps also some readers might shed some light on this.

UPDATED: The answer is … no. I got this email from Randy Ray, which confirmed what my commenters said:

The Firefly arrangement was approved by Council on May 22, 2007. In exchange for pledging revenues to guarantee Firefly’s bank loan, the City received  a warrant, valid through Sept. 7, 2017, to purchase up to 333,334 shares for 72 cents per share.

My thanks to Mr. Ray for the prompt reply.

So, let me see if I have this straight. Manual was not doing well academically, so they’re restructuring — that is, making changes that will help improve the educational experience there, which will manifest itself (hopefully) in higher test scores. One of those changes is a longer school day.

Furthermore, Superintendent Ken Hinton recommended just three months ago a longer school day for the new school that will be built in the East Bluff, replacing Glen Oak Primary School. I presume he recommended this because he thinks it has pedagogical benefits. Isn’t that also why Edison schools have a longer school day than other District 150 schools?

Good catch C.J.

Despite less time at school, many principals say the proposed schedule change improves classroom instruction by eliminating interrupted teaching, allows for more classroom flexibility and gives teachers common planning time in the morning before students arrive.

“It’s 45 minutes less, but there’s more student contact without that broken-up time,” said Angela Stockman, principal at Woodrow Wilson.

Oh bull. The lack of “broken-up time” come from the fact that the people teaching art and music won’t be people who are trained to teach art and music. Instead, their regular classroom teacher might have them draw a picture to turn in with their assignment. Maybe music instruction will now consist of singing jingles while they work on math problems.

And “common planning time” means teachers will be grading homework at the same time in the teachers lounge before the start of class.

According to one parent who did the math, losing 45 minutes each school day comes close to losing the equivalent of one month of school attendance.

Feh.

If this scheme was such a boon to children’s education, they would have done it before the district found itself a little short on cash.

By the way, Superintendent Hinton, how much did the district spend on those houses on Prospect Road? How much is the district spending to teach Chinese at the behest of Caterpillar? How much as those two associate superintendents earning every year? How much does the district spend paying for dinner for school board members every time they meet?

And since the Journal Star article didn’t bother mentioning it, I’ll repeat it: District 150 administrators will meet with parents at 5:15 p.m. today at Kellar Primary School, 6413 N Mount Hawley Rd. Since the PJS managed to report on this issue without talking to ONE SINGLE PARENT, perhaps one of their reporters out to attend and find out what they think of this mess.

She took it as a threat that her kids’ school would somehow suffer as a result. As if losing 45 minutes out of the school day, as well as giving up art and music programs isn’t enough damage to their children’s education.

The kids are already upset, as they believe they are somehow being punished because their music and art programs are being taken away.

It’s almost as if the school board and administrators WANT to scare away any parent who can possibly afford to move or send their kids to private school. It’s as if they won’t be happy until they’ve frightened away everyone who isn’t too poor and unconnected that they can’t fight back.

My advice: When someone warns you to not take your complaints to the public, that’s when you absolutely HAVE to take your complaints to the public.

There is nothing new about this. It’s standard operating procedure at District 150 to threaten to retaliate against a school when parents object to school district plans. Remember when the folks who live in the East Bluff rose up and opposed plans to close Glen Oak School and build a new one in Glen Oak Park? When the Peoria Park District finally said “no,” Superintendent Ken Hinton said that if the people who live in the East Bluff oppose progress, then they won’t get a new school at all.

What ended up happening was that the East Bluff will get a new school, constructed right next to the old one. And the North Valley gets a school, too. Both neighborhoods rose up, fought back, and demanded to be heard.

My advice to parents: Show up at the meeting scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Thursday (tomorrow) at Kellar Primary School, located 6413 N. Mount Hawley Road. School administrators will be there to answer questions. Parents and taxpayers from throughout the city are invited to attend. I’m willing to bet school board members will attend too. And by all means, show up at the next school board meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the district’s headquarters at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Forrest Hill Drive.

Beginning Monday, May 5th, Allen Road will be reduced to one lane of traffic in the vicinity of Northmoor Road for approximately two weeks. 
 
Starting with the northbound inside lane the week of May 5th, and the outside southbound lane the week of May 12th, the contractor will be installing the left and right turn lanes into the Mandalay subdivision.  Be cautious of trucks entering and exiting Allen Road during this construction.  Please plan an alternate route to avoid delays. 

I have been told that parents from other schools are welcome to attend as well. The more people who show up to express their concerns, the less likely the school board will approve this plan.

HOINews has an article here. C.J. blogged about it here. My original article is here.

The following announcement from the Kellar PTO was posted on Peoria.com:

You may or may not be aware that the members of the District 150 School Board are preparing to vote on proposed changes that may substantially impact your child’s elementary school education.

Part one of the proposal calls for SHORTENED SCHOOL HOURS. If passed, school hours will be reduced by 45 minutes each day. The proposed new start time for Primary schools (at least for Kellar) will be 9:15 a.m.

Secondly, specialized instruction in gym, science, music and computers is on the chopping block. Primary schools will only be allowed the equivalent of two full time special teacher positions. The home room teachers must then assume responsibility for these subjects, regardless of their training or background.

Our initial reaction, as parents, is one of concern that our children’s education may be compromised as a result of these changes. We feel that there are alternative cost cutting measures that can and should be taken first that would not put the burden of the deficit squarely on the backs of our young children. As parents, we have the right to expect adequate education and exposure to the arts and sciences in our public schools.

The School Board argues that these proposed changes, in addition to saving the district money, will actually enhance the educational experience. They feel that less time will be spent transitioning children between classes, and that classroom time will be more devoted to learning.

You be the judge! We have arranged an informational meeting to take place at Kellar this Thursday evening, May 1st at 5:15 p.m. District Administrators have confirmed that they will be present to answer your questions and address your concerns.

Time is of the essence. This proposal is being fast-tracked and may very well be voted on at the next School Board meeting on May 5th.

It is our responsibility to watchdog the School Board and Administration to make sure that the Districts limited resources are being allocated in a way that is most beneficial to our children. We cannot entrust this responsibility to teachers or school staff, as their very employment is dependent upon the actions of the aforementioned entities.

We hope to see a very large and concerned presence of District 150 parents on Thursday. We then hope to have a very large group of informed parents at the School Board meeting on May 5th.

Meanwhile, C.J. Summers scooped the mainstream media with details and commentary on a federal lawsuit filed by OSF.

Starting Monday, May 5th, the intersection of Loucks Avenue and Hanssler Place will be closed to all traffic for approximately one week for sanitary sewer replacement.

Road closed ahead barricades will be placed on Loucks Avenue near Sheridan Road and near Willcox Avenue as well as on Hanssler Place near Sheridan Road and near Broadway Street.

Traffic beyond these barricades will be limited to local traffic only.

Please plan your alternate route to avoid time delays.

Three former Bradley University students convicted of manslaughter for a fatal college prank learned recently they would not be allowed to return to the college, a family member said.

The parents are livid, because they say they were promised their offspring would be allowed back in school after their finished their six-month sentence for killing their friend and fellow soccer-team member Danny Dahlquist. Naturally, the parents of these convicted killers think their kids are the victims. Here’s the money quote, as far as I am concerned:

Ron Mentgen [one of the parents] agrees Bradley officials have not fully explained their reasoning.

“The thing that is pretty amazing and shocking about the whole situation is if the other parents didn’t reapply for readmission, we probably would not know anything about this until the three students got out of jail,” he said. “That’s the really sad part about it.“

Oh, bullshit. The “really sad part” is that Danny Dahlquist doesn’t have a future. Your son does. But thanks to your son’s OWN actions, it includes a six-month stint in jail (a sentence many people consider lenient) and probably not a college degree.

But don’t worry. I saw a help-wanted ad in today’s PJS. They are hiring down at the car wash. Maybe the job will still be open when your precious little darling gets out of the clink.

Moment sago, I was part of a three-block long line of cars stuck on Main Street trying to get home. Thanks to the barricades they put off to keep low-life scum like ME out of their neighborhoods, I couldn’t pull off Main and hightail it up to Armstrong.

And on University between Columbia Terrace and Main, there are multiple city trucks and multiple city employees filling up potholes. But, I saw more workers standing on their shovels than using them, but it was late in the day … 3 p.m. Backed-up traffic made me and, I am sure, hundreds of other Peorians, waste gasoline as we sat through multiple traffic light changes,

Absolutely smashing example of the brilliant city planning we’ve come to expect here in the River City. It sort of reminded of two summers ago, when the closed down West Nebraska, Gale and Forrest Hill Drive at the same damn time, preventing anyone from being traveling east to west the the city.

Keep up the good work folks. It’s always nice to see some things never change in the ol’ River City.

I’ll try to be there at least by 6 p.m. This is an event held in a public place, so anyone can show up. Creators of Peoria blogs, commenters and readers are especially invited. We sometimes have newsmakers and politicians show up to schmooze too.

Some background: While others may disagree with me, During past several years, I found Insight technical support to be friendly and well-trained. It wasn’t perfect (as their tech support telephone menu could be a little off-putting).

But we don’t have Insight any more. We have Comcast now, which doesn’t have a reputation for decent technical support.

This was the second time I called these people for help. The first time was when I tried to install a Vonage wireless router. At that time, they quickly washed their hands of me send sent me to Linksys, the makers of the router, and they were just about as worthless as worthless could be.

But this time, Comcast bore full responsibility for solving the problem. And I was less than impressed. It took three phone calls. The first time, my cell phone cut out. I think. OK, that was my fault. The second time, the tech support person knew nothing about Macs, so she tried to palm me off on her Level 2 support, but disconnected me during the transfer. Strike 1

Finally, the third person managed to get me connected. But not before she TWICE tried to get me to hang up and go to the Comcast Website to learn how to reset my modem, clear my cookies, cache, etc. THAT wasn’t the issue, so I asked the nice young lady to let me speak with her supervisor. Strike 2

Heh. THAT prompted her to do some actual troubleshooting, such as finding the MAC address for my cable modem, which for some reason didn’t match the address in their system. It took seven minutes on hold (no doubt ruining her talk time stats for the day) but they managed to get me connected again.

I have no idea what caused the problem. I’m tempted to think it was related to the switch from Insight to Comcast, but on the other hand, I was online for months without any problems.

I commented on Randy’s situation here in Peoria, but he would like to hear from Peorians. I’d imagine some details about the other two finalists would be appreciated.

My comment on Randy was that he was friendly and helpful to citizen journalists, and that he had his pluses and minuses in other areas. I also mentioned that Peoria is rough on it’s city managers, who sometimes end up taking the heat for the failures of the elected folks.

Caterpillar Inc. doesn’t plan to stop at being the No. 1 construction equipment maker in the world.

It’s aiming for the universe, with NASA as its partner.

Caterpillar and NASA - the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - are getting closer to having the right earthmoving - er, moonmoving - equipment available to put on the moon in less than a decade to build habitats, roads and other infrastructure that could sustain life on the lunar surface.

Excellent. I am reminded of that scene in Aliens, where Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) hops into a exo-suit power-loader designed for moving equipment on a star ship, and does battle with the Alien Queen. And what giant corporation’s logo adorned that exo suit? Caterpillar.

Aliens owes a lot to “Starship Troopers” (the book, not the bad movie) ) and you all know what a fan I am of Robert Heinlein. Two recurring themes in Heinlein’s work are the settlement of the moon and the commercial exploitation of space. He was in favor of both, and so am I.

We NEED to expand onto other worlds. It’s the only way to guarantee our survival. Right now, all our eggs (pun intended) are in one basket: Earth. And one reason space exploration is stalled is because we’ve let government have a monopoly.

Parker’s attorney says Lyons had no business filing the charges.

Really? There were eyewitnesses that said Parker was behind the wheel of the boat. There is Parker’s inconsistent statements about who was driving. There’s the fact that it was Parker’s boat, and that Parker, a police officer, acted like a perp caught in the act,

And if the evidence of Parkers innocence is so overwhelming, and evidence of his guilt no non-existent, then  Parker should have insisted the case go to trial. The fact that Parker is no longer a police officer is no great loss to mankind.

I’m no fan of Lyons. I think he’s a crummy state’s attorney. But to this non-lawyer, I don’t really see an ethical violation here.