Peoria Illinoisan

Don’t SCARE me like that while I’m watching ‘A Haunting‘ on the Discovery channel.

Instead of constantly trying to police what is uploaded to YouTube, you should embrace it. Had it not been for my accidental stumbling across this video I would have never heard of or bought a Feist album.

You rarely stock anything I want to buy in the music section, but I did see that you had a good supply of the newly remastered Beatle’s CDs, including the White album for $19.95. You also had a copy of the un-remastered White album for a mere $29.95.

I didn’t buy either of those, but I did buy Abbey Road and it sounds glorious.

You lost a sale today. After paying my AmerenCilco bill at your facility I thought I would pick up some libations but you had all of the aisles blocked. Deciding against walking in a big circle to get to the area that I was standing right in front and not wanting to hurt myself by jumping over the obsticles you placed in my way, I decided to leave. Sorry. Open the aisles next time.

I love oddball roadside attractions as much as the next guy, so using RoadsideAmerica.com as my guide, I compiled a top 10 list of attractions that I would like to visit.

[All text is reprinted from RoadsideAmerica.com]

10. Cathedral of Junk, Austin, TX.

Wrapped in years of subtropical Texas vegetation, the Cathedral is a hollow framework of improvised trusses, around and within which Vince has wired and packed all manner of mass-production cast-offs: lawnmower wheels, car bumpers, kitchen utensils, ladders, cables, bottles, circuit boards, bicycle parts, brick-a-brack, and a lot of stuff that is frankly unidentifiable.

Illuminated beer signs, clocks, and other electric do-dads still operate, powered by unseen cables and outlets hidden within the shadowy silvery-green. Walk through the Cathedral’s passages, and one is eerily reminded of scenes from the film Aliens, where half-organic walls are built of humans waiting to be sucked dry.

“Some people recognize junk that they used to have. Women, mostly,” Vince tells us. “A few people get overwhelmed and have to leave. Sometimes people get weird. Some people cry. Women again. They just get overcome or something, I dunno.”

9. Truckhenge, Topeka, KS.

“I don’t try to be nice to the county when they’re morons,” [Ron Lessman] tells us, showing us his signature creation, Truckhenge.

8. Giant Lady’s Leg Sundial, Roselawn, IN.

Dick had big ideas: he renamed the place Naked City, made it the home of the Ms. Nude Teeny Bopper Contest and the “Erin Go Bra-less” Dance on St. Patrick’s Day, and had built the giant lady’s leg sundial, 63 feet long and properly positioned to tell time — a useful feature for wristwatchless nudists.

Naked City closed in 1986 when Dick was run out of Indiana on child molestation charges, but the leg remains and so does the resort, now under new management.

7. Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot, ID.

At the World Potato Exposition, you can “Learn about the agricultural, historical, social, scientific, educational, artistic and economic aspects of the world-famous Idaho potato.” A giant chunk of Idaho gold — the world’s largest Styrofoam potato — lies next to the parking lot, like something that fell off a flatbed truck on a novelty postcard.

There are displays on how the industry grew in Idaho, and exhibits of farming and sorting equipment.

A tribute to Mr. Potato Head sits behind glass.

6. Museum of Bad Art, Dedham, MA.

“Talented artists can make bad art,” said Louise. “Incompetent artists can make bad art, too, but mostly what they make is just boring.”

And what about people who intentionally make bad art? Do their creations qualify for exhibit space in MOBA? Louise said no. “If you do it bad deliberately, you’ve accomplished what you set out to do. You’ve done it good. It’s not bad any more.”

5. Kansas Underground Salt Mine, Hutchinson, KS.

If ever there was a mine tour designed for Mr. and Mrs. Armchair American, this is it. The Kansas Underground Salt Museum doesn’t even have the word “mine” in its title, and that’s no accident. There are no claustrophobic squeezes here, no deadly gasses, not even any dirt. A tour here is like a drive inside a parking garage — except that it’s 67 miles long and sealed inside of a 400-foot-thick block of salt.

4. Arm of General Stonewall Jackson Grave Site, Ellwood, VA.

In the early days of the war, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia surprised the oddsmakers by winning battle after battle. In Chancellorsville, though, Jackson was mistakenly shot by his own men. He had his left arm amputated, and died eight days later.

In 1929 it [the arm] was exhumed from a nondescript crypt and reburied in a steel box on a plantation known as Ellwood in the Wilderness Battlefield. Little has changed around the field in which it now lays. There is only one gravestone, the one belonging to Jackson’s arm.

3. Presidents Park, Lead, SD.

The 43 heads are arranged chronologically along a path winding up into a rocky knoll of tall pines. George Washington, generally accepted in history as the first President of the USA, looks over the snack bar.

The busts are16-20 feet tall, with the seven greatest Presidents’ heads rendered at about 12 times life-size. Each head is accompanied by an informational display.

2. Eastern State Penitentiary Tours, Philadelphia, PA.

Eastern State Penitentiary was the largest building in America when it opened in 1829. Its grounds still cover a dozen acres; its 30-foot-high walls extend for nearly a mile.

There’s a second floor view from Cell Block 7 (”one of the most beautiful cell blocks”), and the well-appointed cell of former star prisoner Al Capone, and Cell Block 12, “the haunted cell block” where people pay to be locked in overnight to see ghosts (It’s also the location for “Terror Behind The Walls,” one of America’s creepier Halloween attractions.)

1. Carhenge, Alliance, NE.

A family reunion in 1987 produced what has become America’s best-known quirky Stonehenge — “Carhenge,” built in a dusty field outside of Alliance, Nebraska, under the supervision of farmer Jim Reinders, who meant it as a memorial to his dad. What made Carhenge unique was that it was made of, well, cars — 38 of them, rescued from nearby farms and dumps. The Reinders family spray-painted the cars a flat gray to make the monument more accurate. Two foreign vehicles were originally part of Carhenge, but they were subsequently dragged away and buried, replaced by models from Detroit. The “heel stone” is a 1962 Caddy.

The residents of Alliance at first wanted to tear down Carhenge. The Nebraska Department of Highways wanted to label it a “junkyard” and erect a big fence around it. But the animosity has long since passed, and signs on the outskirts of town now proudly identify Alliance as the “Home of Carhenge.”

WHEN: Friday, October 30, 2009 – 7:00pm ‘til midnight
WHERE: Ravina on the Lakes, 5326 W Charter Oak Rd, Peoria, IL
WHY: To benefit the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, a project of The Junior League of Peoria

FEATURING:

• The Breakfast Club – Chicago’s favorite 80’s band.
• Haunted Hayrack Ride – enjoy a linen-covered ride through scenes from the former Jaycees haunted house!
• Festive Fall Bonfire
• Costume Contest (costumes optional-cash prize awarded)
• Silent Auction & Gem Raffle
• Hors d’oeuvres and spirits included (beer & wine) – cash bar available

Order your tickets ($55 individual, $100 per couple) by calling 309-685-9312, online at peoriajaycees.org or at The Costume Trunk

Oh yes they are.

Over the weekend our family did something that I had never done in all my years living here – take a riverboat cruise on the Illinois aboard the Spirit of Peoria. Most of the passengers sat on the upper levels, but because my daughter had a bum foot and wasn’t real comfortable with crutches yet, a crewman pulled out some chairs and let us sit outside at the very front of the boat on the main floor, away from the crowd.

The cruise lasted an hour and a half, taking us from the downtown dock north to around the Ivy club, where it turned around. The captain told stories and gave some history lessons, but since where we sat wasn’t meant for passengers we couldn’t hear much of it, so we just sat back, relaxed and watched the river go by.

The last sightseeing cruises are Oct 24, but there are special themed cruises that continue throughout the year including special holiday cruises that run in December. For those shopping challenged people such as myself, a gift certificate for a future cruise would make for a nice Christmas gift.

This may have been our first cruise, but I promise it won’t be our last.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to vote for your favorite PjStar advertiser. This year there are 44 categories out of which 28 are uncontested. Congratulations to the following predetermined winners of the coveted Readers’ Choice Awards:

• Benson’s Appliance
• National City Bank
• Joann’s Metro Pole Barber Shop
• Bathrooms Plus
• 1 2 3 You-N-Me Preschool
• Fitness For All
• Crawford & Brinkman
• Terry Bullock Garages
• Halloween Express
• Nena Hardware
• P&W Builders
• Home Health Care Plus
• Hotels @ Grand Prairie
• Wieland’s Lawn Mower Hospital
• Don’s Music Land
• Peoria Symphony Orchestra
• Wildlife Prairie State Park
• Preckshot Professional Pharmacy
• Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
• Arnonld & Sons Plumbing
• LFG Compost
• Dynasty Buffet
• Pitcher Perfect Siding & Windows x2
• The ShedQuarters
• Moser’s Shoes
• Schrock Premier Tree Farm
• Oreck Vacuum

So there you have it – National City Bank is the best bank in town, the Hotels & Grand Prairie is the best hotel, Don’s is the best music store and Dynasty is the very best Chinese Restaurant around these parts, or so they would have you believe.

Really, would it be so hard to allow write-in candidates? Who knows, the real winner might actually advertise in the future and it would make this ‘contest’ a bit less of a joke. Voting ends November 8.

If you haven’t heard, the Peoria metro area came in at #5 among mid-sized cities.

The last time we wrote about Peoria, investors had pledged nearly $2 billion toward renewable energy ventures, and city officials were launching government-funded programs to help foster green growth.

Since then, Peoria’s small business sector has boomed — even during the bad economy. More than 100 businesses have graduated from startup mode this year in industries like agriculture, medical device development, and the support-services sector, which includes HR and IT companies. Fueling the growth was a recent mass exodus from Caterpillar, the city’s largest employer, which offered voluntary buyouts to dozens of middle managers in January.

Lured to the city by its affordable housing and comparatively cheap commercial real estate — lab space goes for about $18 a square foot in Peoria vs. $45 in Chicago or St. Louis, both a three hours’ drive from Peoria — entrepreneurs can leverage a vast network of startup assistance. Half a dozen organizations, such as the Heartland Partnership and economic development centers at Bradley University, help small companies access capital. The city has seen an uptick in new angel investment groups. Glen Barton, former chairman of Caterpillar, recently launched a network of 25 high-net-worth individuals looking to invest in Peoria-based high-tech businesses.

There has been a lot of banter back and forth on my Iowa Steak Co. post from over two years ago. So much so, I hardly bat an eye anymore at the personal attacks and stereotypes tossed around by both complaining consumers and company representatives. That being said, I found this comment interesting.

DEAR MEAT LOVER FROM IOWA,

You are now among the hundreds of customers that have been FUCKED by the IOWA STEAK COMPANY.

Let me tell you how the system works. The salesperson who sold you, has to turn in to the manager his case price ,which could be from $90-$120 a case, the difference in price is comission to the sales person.Now 85% of the companies independent contractors/salespersons are DRUG ADDICTS OR ALCOHOLICS.So that money is GONE.So to get a refund you first have to get the money back from the salesperson then the company.WHICH WILL NEVER HAPPEN!They will give you the runaround until like everyone else.You chalk it up to a learning experience.

Now if you are like me call up the U.S.DEPT OF AGRICULTURE OF IOWA. By law all mobile food sale companies have to be registered and by law they have to give you their address.I would personally go over there and get my FUCKING HARD EARNED MONEY BACK.CONTACT
Cathie Graves
Position Field Services Representative
Address 502 E 9th St
City Des Moines
ZipCode 50319
Phone 515-281-5853
Fax 515-281-6170
Bureau Field Services

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PURSUIT FOR VENGENCE!

It’s not unique in content especially (or grammar) but it is unique in that the expletive laced comment came from a representative of the Iowa Dept of Agriculture.

If you are a fan of Randy Newman, especially if you are familiar with his live performances, you’ll get a kick out of this.

…of course I can’t have a Randy Newman post without putting up one of his most powerful songs; while based on history and recorded in 1974, it became an anthem for New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina relief.

I was perusing the Journal Star archives today and found an article from 1993 where a private investment of $12 million dollars was nixed in favor of $880 thousand dollar outlay of cash from the City of Peoria for a Prudential Cullinan Property project. The $12 million dollar privately funded project was for a “water-bottling operation, museum and microbrewery” at the site of the Peoria Mineral Springs. The approved $880 thousand dollar outlay from the city was for infrastructure to support the proposed Spring Grove subdivision.

I’m not saying the development of Spring Grove subdivision was a bad decision – it looks like a nice place, and I don’t recall what was there before – but I can’t get over the thought that we could have had a water-bottling operation and microbrewery based on the Peoria Mineral Springs and the Zealy Moss home, similar to the Peoria Mineral Springs Bottling Works which was founded in 1850, not to mention a small museum. Really – how cool would that have been?

Charles Traynor knew something was going on across the street from his house at 701 Martin Luther King, but he said did not realize the plans drawn by Prudential Cullinan Properties Ltd. overlapped his plans for a bottling and entertainment project.

The Peoria City Council approved a redevelopment agreement with Prudential Cullinan on Tuesday, providing $880,000 in public money for roads and other improvements in the Southtown project, bounded roughly by King, Elliott, Fifth and Sheridan.

Cullinan Executive Vice President Michael Wisdom said the 49-lot, single-home development, named Spring Grove, will provide a unique, affordable subdivision within walking distance of downtown and Bradley University.

Homes, including lots, would start at $60,000, Wisdom said, with plans either provided by the developer or the buyer.

Hours before Cullinan’s plans hit the City Council floor, Traynor approached the city administration about his plans for developing a water-bottling plant, museum and microbrewery, all in conjunction with the adjacent and historic Peoria Mineral Springs.

“What we’re talking about is a tourist attraction that could go on a thousand years, or more,” Traynor told the City Council.

Though not opposing the Cullinan plans, Traynor said he was not aware of the housing project boundaries until Tuesday. Traynor’s development, backed by up to $12 million in private investment, would extend as far south as Sixth Street, overlapping significantly with the housing plan.

“I knew (Cullinan) was working on a project, but I had no idea it was coming up that close,” Traynor told reporters after the meeting. He said he spent a year studying the project, including label trademarks.

Backers include an investment group headed by David Puterbaugh, Traynor said.

The council approved the Cullinan agreement by an 8-1 vote, with 2nd District Councilman Gary Sandberg opposed and 4th District Councilman Steve Kouri abstaining.

The council also approved a planning and negotiation agreement for a second phase of the Cullinan project, adjacent to Spring Grove. The agreement gives Cullinan exclusive negotiation rights for a year on city-owned property to the east of the initial Spring Grove project, with the goal of developing multifamily housing.

Traynor and Wisdom vowed to cooperate on their Southtown ambitions, though city staff indicated that Traynor’s industrial plans might be incompatible in a residential area.

Sandberg questioned the terms of the Cullinan agreement, particularly provisions that guarantee Cullinan a 10 percent developer’s fee of the $800,000 improvement but require Cullinan to build as few as six houses.

“Apparently, some of us have forgotten what Southtown looked like 10 years ago,” Mayor Jim Maloof said in response to Sandberg, adding it would be risky to set aside the Cullinan project in favor of a fully private venture such as Traynor’s.

As it stands today, an estimated 30,000 gallons of water continues to flow out of the spring and into the sewer system. Unfortunately for Charles Traynor, he didn’t have his plan as well laid out as Prudential Cullinan nor was he even aware of the project, and likely didn’t have the political and personal connections that sometimes are necessary either, but all I can say after reading Mayor Maloof’s comment on the matter is that the more things change, the more things stay the same.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Prairie Folklore Theatre’s presentation at Springdale Cemetery and enjoyed it so much I decided to put together this short video.  If you missed it, the performance repeats this weekend, October 10th & 11th at both 2 and 4pm.  Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, or $20 for a family.

Tuesday evening was Illinois American Water’s open house. Naturally, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that, so I went down, pictures in hand. After touring the museum and grounds, I pulled out my pictures and asked one of the representatives if they recognized what was in them, and he pointed me in the direction of a gentleman who could.

Turns out my picture is of one of four abandoned water intakes (anyone who previously suggested that may now pat themselves on the back.) I instantly recognized my tower to be the same as one in a picture taken during the flood of 1926. I cannot put a date on when this tower was built, but a circular structure most resembling the intake called the “main well house,” was built in 1890.

If you’re curious about the whys and hows of water tower intakes, as I was, this is an interesting read.