Peoria Illinoisan

Journal Star:

A statement released Tuesday by the Dahlquist family did not run in full in Wednesday editions. Sports Editor Bill Liesse felt it appropriate it run now. We have deleted a third paragraph regarding Danny’s wake and funeral that is no longer applicable:

What is the mysterious third paragraph that they find no longer applicable?  Here it is:

“Based on the intrusive behavior we have experienced the past two days, we will be very disappointed to see television cameras and reporters at the visitation and funeral for our son, Danny.”

Let me ask the Journal Star staff a question.  Was the third paragraph ever applicable?  Based on the fact that they had a reporter taking notes at the funeral mass and a photographer waiting to capture the family walking out with the casket, I would say no.

Kudos to the other media in town who DID respect their wishes.

For all of you arguing what the just punishment should be for the four young men charged with aggravated arson, consider what the victim’s family had to say:

“Though this unspeakable tragedy hurts us tremendously, please keep in mind that there are five families that need your prayers.”

Now consider that the accused not only attended, but were welcomed by the victim’s family at their son’s funeral.

Think about that for a minute and tell me what good will become of ruining four more lives.

Son, 10, answering my question of what he thought of one of my favorite classical pieces, Tchaikovsky’s 6th symphony, which I was listening to on repeat:

“It’s not too bad. At least nobody’s singing.”

Daughter, 9, in the car equipped with XM Satellite Radio: “Can you change the channel to 20 on 20?”

Daughter, 7, upon hearing “Here Comes The Sun” on the radio shouts out “Hey! That’s the song from The Parent Trap!”

1. Drive down this gravel road just off of Lorentz Ave near the water works and park under the McCluggage Bridge.

2. Find a small path in the brush which will lead to you to this opening in the fence.

3. Walk south down this private road.

4. Hang a left at the cess-pool.

5. Find this gate and go through it.

6. Walk down this path through the woods.

7. Continue under the forest canopy towards the river.

You will eventually find this oddity perched on a small hill at the water’s edge. The stairway leads down to a sandy beach:

[NameThisPeoriaLandmark #164]

Summer hours at the Downtown Library blow. I knew that it was closed on Sundays and I have a hard time getting out on weekday nights after work, so I planned ahead and sliced out some free time to pay a visit to one of my favorite childhood hangouts.

I drove on down, plunked some spare change into the parking meter, walked up to the front door and proceeded to stare dumbfoundedly at the operating hours with a few other people who had the same idea as I did.

Main Branch operating hours:

Monday-Thursday: 9am - 9pm
Friday & Saturday: 9am - 6pm
*Closed on Saturdays Memorial Day through Labor Day

I certainly hope part of the $35 Million Dollar library expansion that I voted for includes being open on weekends when us working stiffs actually have some free time!

As I’ve said before, most of the comments on the Journal Star’s web site are useless rants by citizens who can barely put a legible sentence together, but every once in a while a little nugget appears. This comment appeared in the “You Page” section, where the editors try to find worthwhile comments amongst the drivel.

I think it’s worth reprinting again.

“Well, Citizens, I guess you’ve got me figured out. I seem to fit neatly into the category you placed me in. I’m stereotyped, characterized, standardized, classified, grouped and always typical. ‘I’m the Lousy Cop.’ Unfortunately, the reverse isn’t true. I can never figure you out. From birth you teach your children that I’m the bogeyman and then are shocked when they learn and identify me with my traditional enemy, the criminal. You raise cain about the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and it’s picking on you. You know all the traffic laws, but you never got one single ticket you deserved. You accuse me of coddling juveniles until I catch your kid doing something. Then it’s badge happy.

“You take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer if you see me having just one cup. You pride yourself on your polished manners, but think nothing of interrupting my meal with your troubles. You’ll shout ‘foul’ if you observe me driving too fast to an emergency, but complain to the Peoria Journal Star if I take more than 10 seconds responding to your call. You’re a witty conversationalist, but you bore me stiff with your vast knowledge of law enforcement and what occurred on traffic stops when you weren’t even there. You call it ‘part of my job’ if someone strikes me, but it’s ‘police brutality’ if I strike back. You wouldn’t think of telling your dentist how to pull a decayed tooth, or your doctor how to take out your appendix, but you’re always willing to give me pointers on law enforcement.

“Your language and actions towards me would assure a bloody nose from anyone else, but you expect me to take it without batting an eye. You cry, ‘Something has to be done about all this crime,’ but, of course, you can’t be bothered with getting involved — or claim you’ll get a gun and do it yourself and cause yet another murder in our great city of Peoria. You’ve got no use for me at all, but of course, it’s OK if I change a tire for your wife, deliver your child, resuscitate your family member or work overtime to deal with your problems.

“So, Citizens, you stand there on your soap box and rant and rave about the way I do my job, calling me every name in the book, but never stop for a minute to think that your property, your family, or maybe your life might depend on one thing, me the lousy cop.”

More proof that The State of Illinois is just slightly overbearing… the “pooch plunge” has been canceled indefinitely.

The pooch plunge is the year end event where dogs, and dogs only, are allowed to dive into and swim around in the Peoria Park District pools just before they are drained at the end of the swimming season. Unfortunately, this unique event will not take place this fall because of a “one size fits all” state law.

Peoria Journal Star:

For the last four years, the park district invited dog owners to bring their pets for a swim at the end of the regular outdoor pool season, a date which varies depending on the weather. Chlorinators were turned off; only the dogs were allowed to get in the pool. Afterward, the pool was drained for the year.

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued letters in 2004 and 2006 to discourage the practice. The Park District Risk Management Agency told IDPH that most, if not all, such events are after the season, with no people in the pool. When the department responded that made no difference, the group recommended its members cancel any events for fear of losing their pool licenses.

Noble pointed out that cities in states all around country have “doggie dips,” but this state is the only one to ban them.

For the record, I am not a dog owner.

Recently featured as NTPL #164, this structure is located just a pitching wedge South of the McCluggage bridge (not north as has been surmised) along the Illinois river. It was photographed by Scott of O’Brien’s Briarpatch and is visible by boat but not by car. If you want to get up close and personal you’ll have to take a hike through the woods, as I plan to do this weekend.

.

My question is … WHAT IS IT?

Surely someone out there knows.

Update: According to commenter Anon E. Mouse, there is a similar structure on the North side of the bridge. I have no reason to doubt him.

PJStar comments should typically be used for entertainment purposes only as they inevitably always turn into rants about racism, sexism, or why Peoria blows.

But once in a while the comments can be quite interesting.

Under the article “BU candidate garners praise” are these comments about new Bradley’s new president Joanne Glasser:

I hope you are not an administrator that will be under her. If you are, you will most likely be looking for a new job by next week. In fact, most of the administrators at Bradley will be looking very soon. Whether she fires them, or they figure her out on their own, most administrators will be cleared out soon. She has had 6 different Provosts at EKU and too many other administrators to mention.

If you really want to know about Joann contact all the former EKU administrators that either left or were fired since she arrived. Beware of a mean, nasty snake. She is not what is appears in interviews, students who are around for 4 years think she’s great, faculty and staff who have to live with her for a long time cannot wait for her to leave.

Amen, you’re preaching to the choir. Good riddance to bad rubbage. Administrators of Bradley beware. You have taken on the worlds worst micromanaging control freak in the world.

I’m not here to judge, she sounds like a breath of fresh air to a University that has severely damaged it’s ties with the surrounding neighborhoods (or what’s left of them) after the Broski era. Maybe a little house cleaning isn’t such a bad thing.

Glad I’m not a Bradley administrator, though.

I recently received a few comments on some old posts that I found interesting enough to point out and reprint. Since I don’t have a “recent comments” plug-in on my sidebar, these would otherwise go un-noticed.

On my post about feeling ripped off by the Iowa Steak Co.:

I’ve not only sold for Iowa Steak, but I’ve ate them. Ain’t the greatest in the world, but they ain’t bad…on par with a Ponderosa steak. They come from “Stampede Meat, Inc.” - http://www.stampedemeat.com - who sells a lot of bulk frozen meat to restaurants, institutions, and, of course, “home delivery” companies.

At the shop I worked at, the pallets arrived twice a week, and were stored in a deep freeze at about -20 F. Each steak is marked with a “Julian” packing date.

If you find a desperate salesman, you can knock the prices pretty low. And, if you are going to store them, the individual vacuum pack does a good job of preventing freezer burn.

What’s funny is people who say they never eat frozen meat - but then say they go out to Applebees, TGI Friday’s, etc.! Guess what? You are eating frozen steak!

NTPL #115 - The John C. Proctor Recreation Center

I am a descendant of John C Proctor and recently visited the Recreation Center for a tour. The Center is a beautiful legacy to Uncle John, as he was known, the Endowment Board entrusted to build the Center, and the Parks District and users for their continued usage and care. I have a number of current photos of the facility which I would be glad to share if you would like them. Please let me know. Appreciate your interest and publicity regarding the facility. I shared your suggestion about having an open house with the staff, but would also encourage anyone interested to call about scheduling a tour on their own. Very nice staff. Dave

NTPL #122 - Peoria State Hospital Patient Cottages

I work in this building!! And yes there are ghosts in it.

I know it’s been on an extended hiatus and I seriously came this close (hold up your hand and put the tip of your index finger right next to your thumb but don’t let them touch) to shutting the whole thing down for good.

But I didn’t. Couldn’t let it go.

To review, here’s how it works:

1. I take a photo of something in the Peoria area.

2. You guess what it is.

3. When someone gets it right, I update the post with the answer and usually a little history or trivia.

That’s it in a nutshell.

With that being said, I encourage all comments and even trolls because the reason I do this is for the stories and tidbits of info that come out through the comments. Stories, history, rumors, snide remarks - that’s what makes the blog interesting. Besides, do you really think I know the history behind all this stuff? If you do, you’re fooling yourself; I often rely on my commenters to fill me in.

So update your bookmarks, put on your thinking caps and come on over.

A few side notes: I will try to update the site at least once a week, but there is no specific timetable. You can generally count on an update over the weekends because that is when I have the most free time. Also, the site is not perfectly formatted yet; I need to work on the header and the blogroll hasn’t been updated in quite some time.

[NameThisPeoriaLandmark]

Shocked at what I read in Thursday’s Journal Star:

Smolley, now 19, was only 15 when he was charged with the 2004 double murder of Kelly Houser and daughter Amy Allen outside a North Valley ATM. He argued that a life sentence was “cruel, degrading, and so wholly disproportionate to the offense committed that it should shock the moral sense of the community.”

Having a young punk shove a loaded gun in the open window of a car at an ATM resulting in the point blank murder of a Mother and her 14 year old daughter who withdrew $10 for ice cream is what shocks the moral sense of the community.

I have no sympathy for Martize Smolley.

OK, one more time:

The Cubs Are In First Place.

…and we’re in August…

Now you Cardinal fans, I don’t want to hear you blabbering on and on about being the defending World Champions, how many World Series Rings your team has won, yadayadayadayada. You can’t live in the past forever, you know

Known as one of the greatest golfers in Peoria history, Ron Ghidina died on Sunday, July 29 at the age of 70.

Peoria Men’s City Championship, Newman Golf Course, 2002:

I was in the semi-final match in the C Flight, and quite proud of it. As I looked towards the 16th fairway I saw a large gallery comprised of at least a couple dozen golf carts and many more on foot flanking either side of the fairway following what I thought must’ve been an exciting match in the Championship flight. I turned to my opponent who, knowing what I was going to ask, said “Oh, that’s [Ron] Ghidina.”

In reading about him in the Journal Star, he is described as the consummate gentleman. When I was a young boy, a friend of the family mentioned to Ron that I was picking up the game. Mr. Ghidina reportedly said I could call him anytime and he’d be happy to take me out and give me some lessons. I never did.

I never met the man, but everything I’ve read has confirmed what I thought. He was a great golfer and an even greater man.

As always, it was good to see the usual suspects at the Blogger Bash, and it was nice to finally meet a few I had not met previously. It was a little rowdier than usual and rumor has it that CJ was double fisting Coronas, though as we say, what happens at the blogger bash stays at the blogger bash.

Speaking of, Peoria.com alum “Brick” has started a blog, aptly titled The Usual Suspects. Welcome to the club- maybe we’ll see you at the next bash!