PeoriaStory

Five worthwhile coming attractions

PEORIA -- Here are some interesting events taking place soon:

1. Want to march in Detroit to commemorate Martin Luther King's march there 50 years ago? A group is going from Peoria, leaving on Friday, June 21.  They are carpooling to Chicago to catch a bus, and it's all free including breakfast and lunch.  Call Gary Hall at 309/369-3676 or email him at [email protected].

2.  Take on Monsanto and the Farm Bureau: A legislative hearing on labeling genetically modified food is set for 10 a.m. on Thus., June 20 at the Bone Student Center on the ISU campus in Normal.   Activists from Peoria are planning to attend. Contact Larry Jones at [email protected] for more information.

3. Progressives are looking for good people to run for office. Learn how at Camp Wellstone, which runs a workshop in the Chicago area in August.

4.The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria will celebrate 100 years of women voting in Illinois with a party and wine tasting, from 5 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, at Wine Country, 4600 N Prospect Road in Peoria Heights.  The public is invited.

 A century ago, Illinois Governor Edward Dunne signed the Illinois law enabling women to vote for president, the first women east of the Mississippi River to get the privilege.  Governor Dunne grew up in Peoria and graduated from Peoria High School.

To commemorate the event, women are encouraged to wear suffragist costumes and hats, though casual attire is also welcome.

A $30 donation includes generous wine tastings, a souvenir wine glass, and light appetizers.

 Mystery wine bags will be available for a $20 donation. A portion of sales of bottles of wine and dinners that night will go to the League.

 Dinner will be available at Wine Country after the Celebration by calling Mary  at 686-0234. (Dinner reservations start at 6:30 that night.)

Prepayment is preferred, with checks sent to LWVGP  623 W Stratford Dr, Peoria IL 61614.  For questions, call Cheryl at 253-9594 or email her at [email protected]

5. The Farmington Road Entertainment District and the Friends of Rocky Glen are sponsoring FAMILY FUN DAY on Saturday, June 22, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm at seven business locations along Farmington Road in Peoria and West Peoria.  The event includes:

• A variety of items including games, food and soda, all for one $2 ticket.
• Free guided 2-hour hikes to Rocky Glen, the area’s newest public park.
• A 50-50 raffle to benefit the Friends of Rocky Glen.

Participating businesses will be linked by a shuttle service with a $2 ticket good for the whole day that includes games, food and soda.  A separate free shuttle providing the hikes to Rocky Glen will originate and return to Jimmy’s Bar, 2801 W. Farmington Road.  Other events:

• Kartville will offer 18 holes of miniature golf.
• Kenny’s West Side Pub will give away a free game of pool, free soda and an order of their West Side pretzels.
• Dave’s Billiards will offer a free game of pool.
• Crusens and Cam’s will offer various free games such as darts, pool and bag toss.
• Jimmy’s Bar will offer a free hot dog and soda after 12:00 pm.
• Sky Harbor Steakhouse will host a Family Bag Toss Tourney with cash prizes for the winners, and non-cash prizes. Registration begins at 10:00 am and the bags fly at 1:00 pm.  The cost is $25 per team.

The Farmington Road Entertainment District is an organization of businesses from Main Street to Kickapoo Creek Road within Peoria and West Peoria striving to provide high quality entertainment for the community.

The Friends of Rocky Glen (FORG), is a non-profit group dedicated to the  preservation and promotion of a 70 acre natural area that includes a box canyon with 80 foot sandstone walls covered with carvings, seasonal waterfalls, rare plant communities and a history of coal mining and early labor union organizing efforts in Peoria. Fundraising is focused on providing funds to build a parking lot near the Rocky Glen trailhead.- 30-

 

Bicycle advocates -- attend these events!

PEORIA --Thanks for these announcements to the Friends of the Rock Island Trail:

•  Trails for Illinois is sponsoring a fund raiser July 20 and 21 called GITy Up on the Illinois Prairie Path & Fox River Trail. Riders will bike up to approximately 25 miles each day. $85/person entrance fee yields a t shirt, overnight camping, dinner, campfire with s’mores, breakfast plus transport of your gear each day.  For more info go to website [trailsforIllinois.org/gityup]
  

•  IDOT is holding an Illinois Bike Transportation Plan session on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at the offices of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission at 211 Fulton Street, Peoria from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. This is very important that bicyclists show that we want to create a bicycle friendly city.

Good meeting June 22

ELMWOOD, IL. - From a news release:

Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water Meeting ICCAW
Elmwood Illinois

Discussing  factory farming and fracking in Illinois

MORNING COFFEE AND TREFGERS COFFEECAKES
FREE LUNCH VEGETARIAN AND NON VEGETARIAN PROVIDED Grassfed Beef
 
Illinois Citizens for Clean Air & Water
Weekly Newsletter

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ICCAW MEETING  JUNE 22, 2013 AT 10:00 AM

  You are Cordially Invited to the2013 Annual ICCAW Meeting
  Saturday, June 22nd at 10:00AM
Please RSVP to Karen Hudson at 309-742-8895 or [email protected]

Maple Lane Country Club, Elmwood, Illinois 701 North Magnolia Street Elmwood, Illinois 61529
Please join us for an exciting day, featuring a list of expert speakers, fellowship, food, door prizes and more.

Among the many things we have in store...
We will be hosting world-renowned factory farm activist and 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner, Lynn Henning, who will teach us about the strategies she uses in her work to identify CAFO pollution.

We will also be welcoming

Dawn Dannenbring of

Illinois People's Action, a true community activist organization that has worked for over a decade to organize for justice in rural and urban communities throughout the state. 

Dr. Kendall Thu of Northern Illinois University will present a new technique from Public Laboratory that we can all use to investigate factory farm pollution concerns, and

Dr. Stacy James of Prairie Rivers Network will discuss our collaborative goals to further our campaign to improve the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act.


Together, as always, we WILL make a difference!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mnAN8CiuAdsh2nsIWSVtaHY_jWdti_VP1WePNI7rw18/edit?usp=sharing

Action Alert
As you may already know, the EPA has been working on new national rules that address CAFO's. The Pew Charitable Trusts' campaign to Reform Industrial Animal Agriculture is teaming up with coalition partners who hope that the revisions will include stricter regulations on non point source runoff, lowering the threshold of what qualifies as a Large CAFO, increased transparency in permitting/water quality monitoring and more.  (Please see details in the letter pasted below). We are trying to encourage as many organizations as possible to join the letter below to show strong support for reformed CAFO regulations. To Sign-on click the link below
https://docs.google.com/document/d/181JS17kSK_8F32ZzvSGyFT3BdcbXlv6IUF8kxb-Pk4I/edit?usp=sharing

ILLINOIS NEWS
 
Illinois Department of Agriculture approves permit for hog confinement near Lima
Herald-Whig
May 29, 2013
By Matt Hopf
http://www.whig.com/story/22446545/illinois-department-of-agriculture-approves-permit-for-hog-confinement-near-lima#.UaYzfzYT7Oo.email

Department of Agriculture Approves Permit for hog confinement
Herald-Whig
May 29, 2013
By Matt Hopf
The Illinois Department of Agriculture has approved a permit to allow the construction of a 4,960-head hog confinement facility 1.9 miles southwest of Lima. Jerry Gallamore, who owns land just southwest of the site ives on a bluff where possible manure runoff will go across his property to the Mississippi River.
http://www.whig.com/story/22446545/illinois-department-of-agriculture-approves-permit-for-hog-confinement-near-lima#.UaYzfzYT7Oo.email

Large industrial swine farm approved in Adams County
Rock River Times
May 29, 2013
Staff Report
A plan by D & B Farms, LLC, to build an industrial hog facility that will house more than 4,900 hogs was approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), overshadowing tremendous public opposition in Adams County in western Illinois.
http//rockrivertimes.com/2013/05/29/large-industrial-swine-farm-approved-in-adams-county/

Lima Residents say hog farm approval stinks
KHQA
May 29, 2013
By KHQA Newsdesk
http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=903598#.UapuSOvsoXw

Antibiotics in livestock raising concerns up the food chain
Chicago Tribune
May 26, 2013
By Monica Eng
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-05-26/news/ct-met-antibiotics-in-meat-20130526_1_important-antibiotics-antimicrobial-resistance-health-groups

Environmental Activists Demand A Fracking Moratorium, Stage Sit-In At Quinn's Office
Progress Illinois
May 23, 2013
By Ashlee Rezin
http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2013/05/23/environmental-activists-demand-fracking-moratorium-stage-sit-quinns-of

NATIONAL NEWS

As Factory Farms Spread, Government Efforts to Curb Threat From Livestock Waste Bog Down EPA Delays Action on Regulations for Animal Agriculture
Fair Warning
May 30, 2013
By Bridget Huber
http://www.fairwarning.org/2013/05/as-factory-farms-spread-government-efforts-to-curb-threat-from-livestock-waste-bog-down/

China buyout of Smithfield could be game changer
Forbes Magazine
May 30, 2013
Simon Montlake
http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmontlake/2013/05/30/why-chinese-buyout-of-smithfield-could-be-game-changer-for-pork-trade/

Is the US About to Become One Big Factory Farm for China?
Food Safety News
May. 29, 2013
By Tom Philpott
For Smithfield itself, the deal is savvy according to the story because Americans are already eating less meat. China has also generated many food safety scares recently.
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/05/chinas-biggest-meat-c-swallows-us-pork-giant-smithfield

Delta County Commissioners Approve Hen House, Plaintiffs Vow to See Them in Court
KVNF Public Radio
May 29, 2013
By Marty Durlin
Travis Jardon says he and other plaintiffs will continue their lawsuit against a hen facility in Colorado.
http://www.kvnf.org/post/delta-county-commissioners-approve-hen-house-plaintiffs-vow-see-them-court

Underground manure pipeline closer to reality
Daily Globe Colorado
May 23, 2013
By Julie Buntjer
http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/64932/

How Undercover Animal Rights Activists are Winning the Ag-Gag War
The Village Voice
May 22, 2013
By Pete Kotz
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-05-22/restaurants/how-undercover-animal-rights-activists-are-winning-the-ag-gag-war/

Groups Urge Continued Focus on Faulty Permitting Process for Factory Hog Farm Near Buffalo National River
National Parks Conservation Association

May 21, 2013
By Perry Wheeler
http://www.npca.org/news/media-center/press-releases/2013/groupsurge-continued-focus.html

EPA Delays Action on Regulations for Animal Agriculture
Pew News
May 21, 2013
By Rachel Brittin
EPA and state agencies have implemented programs to better control manure pollution, but significant gaps remain.
http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/other-resources/epa-hits-the-snooze-button-on-regulations-for-animal-agriculture-85899477232

George Washington Graduates Make Policy Recommendations
George Washington Today
May 20, 2013
Environmental Resource Policy program capstone projects involve real-world research. Students from the ENRP class of 2013 worked on four projects. One group investigated the effects of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on water quality in seven different states and conducted interviews with stakeholders to compile case studies.
http://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-graduate-students-make-policy-recommendations

Mysterious Poop Foam Causes Explosions on Hog Farms
Mother Jones Magazine
May 15, 2013
By Tom Philpott
There have been about 6 explosions of hog barns in the Midwest after mysterious foam in manure pits ignites. Visit this link for more on this story and photos of the ugly looking greenish gray foam which scientists think contains methane. In 2009 a hog barn was lifted a few feet off the ground and the operator blown twenty feet backwards.
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/05/menace-manure-foam-still-haunting-huge-hog-farms

NRDC Health Director: Antibiotics Bill Will Help Protect Public Health
News With tags
May 8, 2013
By Jake Thompson
http://newswithtags.com/Factory%20farming/nrdc-press-release

PEW Responds to Op Ed in Rapid City Journal
The PEW Charitable Trusts
Apr 24, 2013
By Joshua S. Reichert
http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/opinions/pew-responds-to-op-ed-in-the-the-rapid-city-journal-85899471008

Fourth grade filmmaker sneaks a camera into the cafeteria to document his gross school lunch
Grist
May 2013
By Sarah Laskow
Zachary Maxwell sneakily recorded the gross lunches at his school, and from that footage was born his aptly titled documentary, Yuck. The film will be shown in June at the Manhattan Film Festival.
http://grist.org/list/fourth-grade-filmmaker-sneaks-a-camera-into-the-cafeteria-to-document-his-gross-school-lunch/

YOU TUBE VIDEO

Ag Gag Law Now Prosecuting Activists
Activist Post
May 3, 2013
You Tube
http://www.activistpost.com/2013/05/ag-gag-law-is-now-prosecuting-activists.html
 
RESOURCES/RESEARCH

The Raw truth of factory farming
Raw
This website features factory farming news around the world and more.
http://www.raw.info/the-problem/pollution

The Effects of Large-Scale Hog Production on Local Labor Markets
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 2013, vol. 45, issue 01
Stacy E. Sneeringer and Thomas Hertz
http://purl.umn.edu/143637 (application/pdf)
 link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:joaaec:143637


Karen L. Hudson, Farmer
Consultant, Socially Responsible Agricultural Project ( www.sraproject.org)
Co-founder, Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water ( www.iccaw.org)
Founder, Families Against Rural Messes
Elmwood, Illinois
309-742-8895  (hm)
309-208-8841 (cell)
[email protected]

 

 
 
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Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water · 22514 W. Claysbaugh Rd. · Elmwood, IL 61529
 

 

Karen L. Hudson
Farmer
Socially Responsible Agricultural Project consultant www.sraproject.org
Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water www.iccaw.org
Families Against Rural Messes FARM
Elmwood, Illinois 61529
309-742-8895  309-208-8841  309-208-8843
[email protected]

Read 'Animal Factory', a compelling narrative of three individuals fighting the social irresponsibility of industrial animal factories
http://animalfactorybook.com/?p=530

Watch "The Hidden Price Tag of Industrial Ag" TEDxManhattan  Talk 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRE9HA0sJMM


AND -- Here's a good piece by Karen Hudson that ran in a newspaper recently.

LWV ditches pension 'reform' resoution

NORMAL, IL -- The League of Women Voters of Illinois, meeting in Normal for its 56th biennial convention on June 7-9, did more than celebrate a century of women voting in Illinois.

It also ditched a resolution for pension 'reform' that would have cheered on benefit cuts for retired state employees and those still working for schools, universities and in other public service jobs.

The resolution, which had been approved by the LWV's executive board, was tabled indefinitely by a strong convention vote after a lively debate.

League members raised concerns about whether cutting cost of living benefits violates the Illinois Constitution, and about the vagueness of the language in the resolution.

A minority of League chapters had studied the pension issues last year before the board voted its approval of the resolution, but complaints also were raised about the way the study was conducted and the issues it focused on.

My take:  I was a delegate and voted to table the resolution. It could have been a death warrant for the LWV, which has many retired teachers as members.

Taking away their retirement funds could make them unable to afford the organization's dues. As someone pointed out, the average pension check is only about $35,000.

It was also a poorly worded resolution, and as I pointed out at the microphone, discriminates against the elderly. 

A clause in the resolution stating there should be "shared sacrifice" to fix the financial problems in Illinois was ill advised, I said, since gigantic tax loopholes remain in Illinois including the state's refusal to tax IRA withdrawals.  That money is pre-tax money and is taxed in most states and by the federal government. But not in Illinois.

There's no shared sacrifice, just an attack on the elderly to get money from those less likely to fight back.

The League, a non-partisan group that generally favors liberal issues, also voted to continue to work for a moratorium on fracking, and if fracking  becomes law, to closely regulate and tax it.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

UPDATE 6/10/13 -- Fred Klonsky's column today quotes a report by the premier Illinois financial organization, the Center for Budget and Tax Accountability, about the state's fiscal situation, and how tax reform is what must occur to solve its problems.  But that might mean really hard work for the General Assembly, much harder than attacking pensions.  And much less profitable for their campaigns.

Bach Festival is World Class

PEORIA -- The Peoria Bach Festival got underway this week, and is better than ever.  World class, actually.

The June 7 performance was worthy of New York or Chicago, with operatic soloists and a brilliant chamber orchestra and chorus, singing in the original German. At only $15 it was an incredible bargain. 

The festival takes place at the beautiful and historic Trinity Lutheran Church, 135 NE Randolph, the perfect setting for Bach.

It continues on June 8, then on June 9 at two Sunday worship services, where the admission is free.

The June 7 event was very diverse, and began with a familiar, lovely chamber piece, Concerto for Oboe and Violin, with Jennet Ingle on the oboe and EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks on the violin.

Then came three choral numbers, all different, all georgeous but not as well known, and a pleasure to encounter.

Mezzo-soprano Denise Gamez, a faculty member at Wheaton College, sang Cantata No. 170 (Joyous Peace, Beloved Delight of the Soul (1726) with the chamber orchestra, featuring the organ, flute and oboe, shining along with the soloist.

Afterward, Gamez said the piece was new to her.  "Learning it was tough but so satisfying. It's so beautiful." 

Next the chorus performed "The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness," (1729) with only organ accompanyment, making the piece almost a capella.  This is another georgeous number, brilliant as only Bach can be.

Finally the chorus and orchestra performed Cantata 131, "Out of the Depths" a better known piece, likely composed when Bach was in his early twenties, lovely and amazing. Soloists were Gerard Sundberg and Trevor Mitchell, both powerful singers.  

The audience was full of praise for the event. "It's like stepping back into the 18th century," said one.

"If you were in New York, you wouldn't hear anything better," said another.

"I loved it. It's a beautiful, beautiful piece," said a woman of the Concerto for Oboe and Violin.

The Bach Festival reveals the strength of the classical music community in Peoria, demonstrating again and again their brilliance and professionalism.

The June 8 concert at 8 p.m. features different Bach pieces, Overture No. 2 for Flute and String; Brandenberg Concerto No. 4 for two recorders and violin, and Cantata No. 70 with four operatic soloists.

On June 9 worship services at 8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. the festival choir will repeat "The Spirit Also Helps Us."  Then, audience participation: there will be hymns for the congregation to sing that Bach and his congregation would have sung.

 -- Elaine Hopkins  

Bluffs Literary Magazine begins

PEORIA -- A new literary magazine debuted June 6 with a celebration at the cozy, independent Peoria Heights bookstore I Know You Like A Book.

The 44-page magazine called Bluffs contains mostly poetry with one short story and one essay that reads like a short story. It's a classy publication, with art, put together by Danielle Hatch, a Peoria Journal Star journalist with a degree in creative writing, and Jim Sullivan, who teaches English at Illinois Central College.

It features 15 central Illinois writers, and includes two poems by Kevin Stein of Bradley University, poet laureate of Illinois.

The bookstore event included not only selected readings from Bluffs, but interesting discussion. When someone asked, "What makes a good poem?" the answers were evocative.

"Poems hit an emotional sweet spot with a reader."

"Word play."

"Something surprising that I have never seen before."

My take:  Like a good piece of journalism, a good poem slaps you in the face. You remember the phrases, and may see them oft repeated. 

Poetry is sometimes ignored in today's fast paced world.  That's a mistake. Every song, almost every book title,and even many ads contain poetic phrases that will be recognized and recalled by an educated person. Poets change our perceptions and our memories of history. They are worth reading and cherishing.

Bluffs costs only $5, and can be contacted via Facebook or at [email protected].

  - Elaine Hopkins

Schock's bad record on seniors

PEORIA -- Around 20 people gathered in front of Cong. Aaron Schock's office on June 3 to admonish him for his horrible record on senior citizen issues.

The Alliance for Retired Americans organized the protest.  Schock, R-Peoria, scored a zero on the group's analysis of his voting record.

According to the analysis, Schock has voted against every initiative to help seniors, the same as Illinois Tea Party guy Joe Walsh, who lost in November to a Democrat.

Among the votes was one to privatize Medicare, and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. 

His votes also would harm veterans, said Don Bencher, who spoke at the rally.

Nancy Gardner said the group wants to persuade Schock not to support the chained CPI, Obama's plan to cut Social Security cost of living increases.

(If Obama is for it, will Schock be against it?)

A petition on the chained CPI with hundreds of names was presented to Schock, who was not in the office. It was left with his staff.

My take:  Why are state and federal elected officials of both parties attacking retiree benefits? Because retirees are not well organized, or too old or sick to take to the streets to fight back?  That must change.

A candidate with enough money to publicize Schock's awful voting record to his constituents, many of whom are elderly, might have a change to beat him. Most don't know about his real voting record.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Ballet, art and dogs mark Heartland's final concert of the season

WASHINGTON, IL -- The creativity of the Heartland Festival Orchestra seems limitless.

In it's final concert of the season, the orchestra presented an eclectic program that included several dogs, art and ballet, along with fine music.

The canines were therapy dogs representing the charity partner of the evening, the Peoria Humane Society.  They ranged from a 195-pound English mastiff to a lovely white poodle and smaller dogs, all well behaved while they were on stage.

Then came an artistic treat, the georgeous photochoreography of Doug and Eileen Leunig, on the big screen as the orchestra played Erik Satie's Gymnopedies, Nos. 1 & 2. These are lovely landscape photos, altered artistically by light.

Next a Peoria Ballet Ensemble of Melissa Becraft, Lark Commanday, Alyssa Golden and Allexe Slevin danced to Igor Stravinsky's Puicinella Suite. The  choreography by Servy Gallado was created for the concert. 

This was beautifully done by these skilled dancers in colorful costumes, and masks at times. What a treat!

Two other orchestral pieces, Richard Wagner's Siegfried Idyll and Johannes Brahams' Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11, completed the evening. Lovely.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

The underdogs win the first pension battle, but the war remains

PEORIA -- The Illinois General Assembly has adjourned for now without destroying the pensions and benefits of state employees and teachers. 

An amazing battle has been won, but not the war.

Fred Klonsky sums it all up brilliantly in his blog.  It's a must read.

It tells how the Democrats and the unions tried to sell out the retirees, and failed for now.  But they'll be back for more.  

Why?  Here's my take: the Demos apparently have sold out to the Chicago financial interests who usually work through the GOP.

Guess the Demos are hoping for campaign contributions, even though the big sell-out may cost them control of the state.

What's the way out of this mess in Illinois?  Answer: a total revamping of the tax system, including closing the many tax loopholes along with correcting some minor pension abuse,(which might save some money, not much).

It's not depriving retirees of the pensions and benefits they honestly earned over the years they worked and contributed to the system.

It's not depriving all those college towns like Macomb of retiree incomes that now go to support community organizations and the university foundations.

That's what the so-called pension reforms pushed by Democrats would do. And for what?  More revenue to build an unwanted airport in Peotone?  And other unneeded projects?  Construction magnates would love to kick back some of their profits to the politicians that made those projects possible.

The same is true of the health insurance companies that would profit when retirees are forced off state benefit plans and onto Medicare supplemental insurance, where state bargaining can't lower the costs and Obamacare does not apply.  Guess they would have lots of dough for the Demos that engineered that.

The answer beyond tax reform?  Redistricting by a nonpartisan commission, Iowa-style.

The League of Women Voters and others will be launching a drive for a referendum to put that on the ballot before 2020.

I was a lukewarm supporter until the pension issues appeared, thinking that the Demos, for all their fiscal  faults, at least support liberal social issues.  But they can't even pass gay marriage, and will they protect abortion rights if someone waives money in front of them?

It's time for non-partisan redistricting, and let the chips fall where they may.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

UPDATE 6/3/13 -- Here's a terrific post which names names on who voted for what on the pension issues in the General Assembly.  It also spells out the tax restructuring required to fix the pension situation. In addition, it calls out the lazy journalists who continue to frame the pension situation wrongly.