Peoria Illinoisan

Tonight I dropped off my friend at his house, which is in a neighborhood that most people don’t care to frequent. The south end. On his little dead-end street consisting of 7 or 8 houses, two of them had big orange stickers on the front doors indicating that they are uninhabitable. I drove home wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, going past Manual and up Western, thinking about the gun shots I heard a few years back from below the bluff while playing Madison Golf Course, and what a treat it was watching the kids play basketball on a lonely street just the day before.

An hour later I find myself in a suit and tie driving past Junction City and down Prospect, admiring the beautiful view of the river from the bluffs and all the new houses along Prospect. I turn down Grand View Drive, and wind slowly past the grand mansions, eventually pulling into the Country Club of Peoria for a conference.

As I walked up to the entrance, the disparity of where I had just been and where I am now really hit me. The BMW SUV being valet parked, the door man, the coat check lady, and the members only dining room full of finely dressed elders enjoying their dinners. I ordered a $7 martini and mingled a little during the ‘coctail hour’ before eventually being seated to listen to a couple of speakers tout our fine city as a high-tech, biotech and logistics leader.

If you haven’t been to the Country Club, it really is a gorgeous place. It sits high up on the bluff and looks down over river, but I couldn’t get the poor neighborhood I had left not long ago out of my head and I had the guilty feeling that I was just looking down on the working stiffs in the valley who are just trying to get by. The original mansions on the bluffs in Peoria were very wealthy people who, as the Country Club does, looked over the poor worker’s homes down in the valley. Literally and figuratively. In 100 years, has that really changed?

In Peoria the bluffs are historically the great divider between the haves and the have-nots. I grew up in the north end and whether or not I was specially told, it was assumed that I wasn’t to visit the area below the bluffs because that’s where the ‘bad’ people live. I followed that rule for a long time, but as I grow old and wiser (laugh amongst yourselves) I am learning what wonderfully vibrant, diverse and historical areas there are below the bluffs.

Dear Customer,

Here we go again- with any luck the river will rise enough to give us an island green at Detweiller GC’s #7. That’s always fun.

Forecast:
Today: Showers and Thunderstorms Likely
Tonight: Showers and Thunderstorms Likely
Saturday: Showers and Thunderstorms Likely
Saturday Night: Showers and Thunderstorms Likely

A little Trivia- the nursery rhyme Rain Rain Go Away is believed to be traced back to 1588 with the defeat of the Spanish Armada during the Anglo-Spanish war.

“The Spanish Armada consisted of many Spanish galleons and was sent to invade England. The Armada was led by Duke of Medina Sedonia and the the fleet numbered over 130 ships. The English fleet, under Admiral Lord Howard, totaled 34 small Navy vessels and 163 armed merchant ships. But the great Spanish Armada was defeated. Only 65 Spanish galleons and just 10,000 men returned to Spain. The attempt failed, not only because of the swift nature of the smaller English ships but also by the stormy weather which scattered the Armada fleet.”

Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again.

The Who - Marquee Club - March 2, 1967

Hilary Duff - unknown date

…or any other night, for that matter.

I gotta admit, I was somewhat excited about the new restaurant “Tavern On The Water,” previously Roxy’s which is in the old Cilco substation along the riverfront and owned by Al Zuccarini of Big Al’s fame. After two reviews by Eyebrows McGee and many interesting comments, unless I hear otherwise, I will never be a patron.

I wish the Tavern on the Water the best of luck; and they’ll need a lot of luck if they keep up their snobbish ways.

Links:

Eyebrows McGee: Tavern on the Water
Eyebrows McGee: Memo to Self-Styled “Hottest Restaurant in Town”: Counterfeit Buzz Is Not Buzz
PjStar: Tavern on the Water Surprises

Situated on Peoria’s Riverfront, an office here at the Riverfront Village Office Complex will put your company on the map. Offering a commanding view of the Illinois River and the East Peoria Super Walmart, this location is sure to impress. Within easy walking distance to the Amaze-o-Sphere at Museum Square and except when the river floods, parking is always free and plentiful. Click [here] for more details. Space is filling up fast, so don’t delay!

With all the recent rain and me struggling to clean out my gutters that are way past my “height tolerance level”, not to mention that I’m spending more time de-flooding my place of employment than actually working, I wondered at exactly what point does the river crest over the banks in Peoria.

Here’s the info I was looking for, courtesy of NOAA:

30.0 water overtops the levee at the Pekin sewage treatment plant as well as Komatsu Dressers levee
29.0 water overtops Pekin and LaMarsh levee at railroad crossing
28.7 water inundates four blocks of Water Street in Peoria
27.5 Peoria Sanitary District Levee top @ 27.5 feet.
26.5 Several houses in Rome and Chillicothe become isolated.
26.0 Water inundates road by railroad track north of the Pekin treatment plant. Overtops East Peoria Sanitary District @ 26 feet.
25.2 parking lot in Peoria’s Riverfront Village and 1 block of Water Street are flooded
25.1 a portion of Layne Crossing and North Street closed in the Rome and Chillicothe areas. Poplar Lane floods in Peoria Heights
25.0 Damage begins at Pekin sewage treatment plant. Minor property damage in Peoria by river.
24.5 a portion of River Beach Drive and Second Street become flooded in the Chillicothe and Rome areas
24.4 Wabco Levee overtopped.
24.0 water begins to cover some streets in East Peoria
23.0 Some secondary roads affected in Peoria county and damage begins to buildings in Rome.
22.7 Flooding begins to low lying areas in Peoria Heights and Peoria’s Riverfront Park.
21.4 Some flooding begins to affect Edgewood Terrance.
18.0 Some flooding begins to bottomland not protected by levees.

As I write this, the river in Peoria is officially at 18.38ft and is expected to crest at just over 23ft Wednesday or Thursday.

Just for fun, here’s the top ten crests in Peoria:
28.80 ft on 05/23/1943
28.70 ft on 03/23/1979
28.40 ft on 03/07/1985
27.40 ft on 12/09/1982
27.10 ft on 03/23/1982
26.90 ft on 03/03/1997
25.90 ft on 05/19/1970
25.50 ft on 05/18/1933
25.25 ft on 05/18/2002
25.23 ft on 06/02/1995

…and the historic lows…
0.0 ft on 01/19/1875
5.3 ft on 09/25/1900

0 feet? What’s up with that!?

Best of luck to all of you who have clogged gutters, leaky basements or moved to Rome for that beautiful river view.

Sit back, relax and scroll through this post. Well worth the time.

HIDDEN IN SUBURBIA: A PHOTO-ESSAY ABOUT LATHAM, NEW YORK
AND ITS ENVIRONS.

I don’t care where you stand politically, you gotta admit this is pretty damn funny.

stolen without permission from the Merguez Frites blog.

As reported in the Journal Star, The American Institute of Architects, Illinois Chapter released their list of “150 Illinois Great Places” which focused on the best of Illinois architecture.

AIA’s press release says this: The recognition program was designed to broadly include the “built environment,” which includes civil, landscape and engineering places, as well as architecture.

The list includes schools, churches, offices, court houses, museums, and planned communities. Though half of the places are historically designated, many others were built in the late 20th century.

They must be publicly accessible, pedestrian-friendly, designed on a human scale, and provide vibrant, public spaces, among meeting other requirements.

Peoria City Hall was our only inductee. Springfield has five, including the Lincoln Museum. The official web site is pretty slick, but lacks any real data. By looking at the map, it appears Chicago got 75% (round number) and pretty much all of downstate got the shaft.

The John C. Proctor Recreation Center should absolutely be on the list as it is a gorgeous building and vital public space that has, and continues, to serve the public. It was probably disqualified for being on the south-end.

Irving School, the Pettingil-Morron House, St.Mary’s Cathedral, and St.Ann’s Church all come to mind as beautiful and vital architectural structures in Peoria which seem to fit their criteria. The list doesn’t have to stop there- what about the Cornerstone Building, Spalding-Academy, High Street or Grandview Drive, the Glen Oak Pavillion Building, or what used to be the Shrine Mosque?

I’m sure Glen Oak’s Palm House would’ve been a shoe-in, if it still existed. Same goes for the Japanese Gardens in Bradley Park.

There are several beautiful old Theatres on the list. Dare I ask why none of Peoria’s are listed?

Stop me now, before I go off on that sore subject…

Thanks to a Journal Star reporter who would prefer to remain anonymous, I have a copy of their official map of Peoria designating how they classify sections of town in their articles.

“Attached to this email is the official JS neighborhood map. It illustrates what neighborhoods we (at the paper, at least) consider to be where. I’ll admit, our definitions are a bit loopy (I agree that the West Bluff should not extend north of I-74) but having this map should help clarify things in the future for you and your readers.”

This won’t end the debate as to what each section of the city’s boundaries are, but at least it will end the debate as to what the boundaries are in the Journal Star’s eyes.

1. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts : I Love Rock ‘N Roll
2. Journey : Open Arms
3. Stevie Wonder : That Girl
4. The Go-Go’s : We Got The Beat
5. Diana Ross : Mirror, Mirror
6. Olivia Newton-John : Make A Move On Me
7. The Police : Spirits In The Material World
8. J. Geils Band : Centerfold
9. Buckner & Garcia : Pac-Man Fever
10. Air Supply : Sweet Dreams
11. Bertie Higgins : Key Largo
12. Vangelis : Chariots Of Fire
13. Pointer Sisters : Should I Do It
14. Oak Ridge Boys : Bobbie Sue
15. Rod Stewart : Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)
16. The Cars : Shake It Up
17. Huey Lewis & The News : Do You Believe In Love
18. Bob & Doug McKenzie : Take Off
19. J. Geils Band : Freeze-Frame
20. Stevie Nicks : Edge Of Seventeen

Journal Star: Three men allegedly broke into a West Bluff home Thursday and threatened two women at gunpoint. One of the men accidentally shot himself in the foot during the crime, police said.

Lewis Miller, 21, of 903 E. Frye Ave., Michael E. L. Hayes, 21, of 414 W. Nebraska Ave., and Ramone P. Williams, 21, of Chicago all were arrested and booked on charges of home invasion, armed robbery and residential burglary. Miller also was booked on a charge of possessing a controlled substance.

About 11:40 p.m. Thursday, three men forced their way into 808 W. Virginia Ave (which is not in the West Bluff, as the Journal Star would like you to believe - P.I.). They yelled at the occupants, ages 18 and 19, to give them money and ransacked the kitchen looking for cash.

During the robbery, one of the men reportedly hit the 18-year-old victim in the head with a gun. She was not seriously injured and declined medical attention.

The men left penniless after one of them fired the gun.

Police arrested Miller, Hayes and Williams in a car seven blocks away from the house about 20 minutes after the crime. Williams was transported to Methodist Medical Center for treatment.

Williams later admitted to accidentally shooting himself in the foot, police said.

http://namethispeorialandmark.blogpeoria.com/

From the BU Scout:

Members of the Interfraternity Council have put a moratorium on house parties until rules regarding third-party vendors that sell alcohol can be sorted out.

Teniell Trolian, the associate director for fraternity and sorority life, said IFC realized it was in violation of a Peoria city ordinance that requires all third-party vendors to hold catering licenses.

Third-party vendors currently used by fraternities didn’t hold the appropriate licenses, she said.

IFC members wanted to determine the best course of action before resuming parties.

“[The parties] are delayed,� she said, “but they’re not going away.�

IFC Director of Risk Management John Simpson said IFC isn’t aiming to squelch fun by abiding by policy. “We’re not trying to kill the party atmosphere,� he said. “We’re actually trying to keep it safe.�

Fraternities are required to register parties when the number of guests attending exceeds the number of members living in the house.

IFC President Ilya Polyakov said fraternities will continue to have activities. “We’re pretty much asking our fraternities that want to have activities to take them off-campus,� he said.

Translation: Find a bar or a neighborhood party - as long as you’re off-campus, we don’t care.  Party On!