PeoriaStory

Glen Oak School concerns

PEORIA, IL --Concerns about changes at Glen Oak school
dominated the public comments at the Peoria District 150 School
Board meeting  on February 22. They included the cafeteria
and gym use that would be overcrowded and the start time of
7:30 am which would cause more tardiness.

Supt. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat responded that the reorganization
would decrease the enrollment at the school.  The transition to a
7:30 am start time will be managed, she said. "We're looking at the
best of the the kids," she said. 

Bradley University professors have recommended that the district's 
schools go to K-8 and 9-12 she said. But that would require new
buildings. "This is a start," she said.

Other comments included a complaint about the 3 minute comment
time. Sevino Sierra said the time for comments should be 5 minutes.
 
Activist Terry Knapp said he was pleased with the reorganization plans
because it would cut bus time, that is wasted time, for the students.

Here is a recording of the comments. 

Download D150 Feb 22

   

Activist Sharon crews talked about the need for family wages for the
poor. Her comments are reproduced below.

-- Elaine Hopkins

 

On Facebook, I asked Manual grads to give their opinions about my comments at the last board meeting. A 1974 grad offered these depressing but all-too-true observations: Social programs have removed the males from the homes, in order for the women to receive benefits to raise our children. If men can't go out and get jobs, then how will their children receive the money to sustain their everyday needs?

I'm sure if young men could count on good paying jobs, they would rather feel empowered, knowing they can bring home a decent paycheck rather than risk the criminal consequences of selling drugs to get the things a single mom can't afford with a government check.

It's time to remove the bandages and devise concrete goals to facilitate skills and opportunities to put these young people to work! What they are doing is working, though it may be illegal, so is the alienation these young people are forced to accept when they can't get sustainable salaries, to sustain and maintain a family. These observations are reality.

The day of good paying jobs for unskilled labor is gone. After dropping vocational training, the district made the mistake of putting all our hopes on making students college ready. Many grads go out into the world with few job skills.

Our high schools have the obligation of providing our grads with marketable skills so that they can earn money and go to college at the same time. Without the secretarial skills I learned in District 150, I would never have been able to go to college. At best, many college students have to spread their college education out over more than four years to earn money to live and pay tuition.

In 2014 the Obama administration, recognizing the need for job training, announced initiatives aimed at better training students for "in-demand jobs of the future" at both the high school and college levels. The so-called Youth CareerConnect grants provide funds for school districts to create career academies and early college high schools that focus on high-demand industries such as health care, technology and engineering. 

A 1990 Manual grad offered a suggestion that I believe would be very beneficial to students. He recommended bringing in graduates who have made a good living in ordinary jobs—quite often without a college education. These more realistic motivational speakers might offer hope of job opportunities more within the immediate reach of students.

Many students will not make giant leaps but, with gradual steps, will find success. Certainly, what is going on at Woodruff, Lincoln, and Harrison is a great effort in the right direction. Remember that Hedy and Melvin, the Marine that is motivating Harrison students, are Manual grads. - 30 -

 

Thinking about Hillary...

PEORIA, IL -- Hillary or Bernie? Head or heart?

I love Bernie Sanders’ ideas. He’s right about taxing the rich to fund basics such as health and education.

Allowing the rich to escape taxation has funded the oligarchy that now controls most of the think tanks, the media and the elections, especially statehouse elections, where the awful gerrymandering has taken place. (Though not so much in Illinois.)

But let’s be honest: the gerrymandered U.S. House will never work with Sanders as president. The Obama stalemate will continue, so Sanders’ ideas will go nowhere.

Moreover he’s too old to be president, at 75 when he takes office, and he’s unlikely to run for a second term if he wins.

There’s a fabulous cartoon that ran recently, showing Hillary Clinton walking into a dorm room where two young women sit on the bed, one on her cell phone, the other with a ‘feel the Bern’ t-shirt. There’s a poster of Sanders on the wall.

Hillary says to them “When you get done mooning over a guy who’s way too old for you, I could use a little help.”

The girl with the t-shirt replies “Gawd, she sounds just like my mother.”

And there you have it – young women who should be supporting Hillary are rebelling against her because she reminds them of mom. Let’s hope they get over it.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is brilliant, has great detailed plans to help the public, is more familiar with foreign policy, however flawed, and luckily has been pulled to the left by Sanders. That’s his real achievement.

She gets my vote.

Can Hillary be elected? I think so. Her ideas are so much better than any Republican ideas. All she has to do is communicate them to the public, and she will do that, despite sexist and other attacks against her. Those likely will generate sympathy.

I also believe that if elected, she can govern by charming enough Republicans to get legislation passed. Watch her on TV and listen, really listen to what she says.

Meanwhile, there’s a fabulous analysis of the election campaigns so far. Here is the link.

Basically the author says there are 3 ideologies at play in 2016. Bernie Sanders represents the social welfare left in the tradition of FDR and the Democrats until Reagan was elected in 1980.

Hillary Clinton and the establishment Republicans represent the neocon or neoliberal tradition in economics which has basically left the USA with increasing inequality and lower class discontent. Globalism and free trade policies come from this tradition. There are left and right versions of neoliberalism.

Trump and Crews represent right wing nationalism, thus blame immigrants, wrongly, for US problems. They are racist bullies, in the European tradition of fascism. Trump reminds me of Mussolini as he struts about the stage.

Some voters understand what Trump and Crews represent, but others apparently do not.

Recall the crowds cheering European fascists in the old newsreels and photos, oblivious to the dangers such candidates represent.  

I believe only Hillary can defeat them because the Democratic voters will realize that only she can govern if elected. She will need Bernie’s help in the campaign, as he rouses young people from apathy. Despite the ‘feel the Bern’ rallies, statistics show that only Trump has brought in substantial numbers of new voters, so defeating him will be tough.

Here’s a bit of fun: Will Trump next turn on Rubio and demolish him as Chris Christie did recently? Or will he pick Rubio as VP?

Some say the Republican establishment will not allow Trump or Crews to get the nomination. Marco Rubio seems to be the choice, and a Rubio/Kasich ticket, Florida/Ohio, would be formidable. Their ideology seems to be right wing neoliberal but awful on social issues such as women’s reproductive rights, LGBT rights, union rights.

Can they defeat Trump and win the GOP nomination? Maybe.

But I predict Hillary vs. The Donald. Fasten your seat belts.

-- Elaine Hopkins

Peoria County primary races, continued.

PEORIA, IL -- Here's the second and final edition, hopefully, of my coverage of the Peoria County primary races. It follows the third candidate forum I have attended, held Feb 20, and sponsored by the Greater Peoria League of Women Voters.

The election is March 15, and early voting and grace period voting, where you can register and vote at the same time, has already begun. Information from the Election Bureau can be found here.

Every Democrat voting in the primary will choose between two women for Peoria County judge, with the winner to face Republican Tim Cusack in November.

The two candidates are Jodi Hoos and Sonni Williams. Both are qualified by their experience, but both have troubling conflicts of interest and questionable law cases in their pasts.  See my story on them below for the details.

            
Williams                               Hoos                                                                                               Photos by Al Harkrader

At the League forum they were asked whether they would recuse themselves if asked to sign a warrant involving one of their conflicts -- for Hoos the Peoria County State's Attorney, and for Williams, her husband's law firm and the city of Peoria, now her employer.

(The background:  three judges signed warrants so the city of Peoria could conduct a police raid on a citizen's residence for the supposed crime of posting Twitter comments mocking the mayor of Peoria.  Guess they had never studied the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and its clause on free speech. Let's hope whoever wins this judge race has learned a lesson from the Twittergate fiasco, also well covered in this blog.)

At the candidate forum, Williams said she would recuse herself.  Hoos was vague saying "it wouldn't be a conflict" under Illinois law, for her, as a former Peoria County prosecutor, to sign warrants from the police, with the  implication they could be backed by the State's Attorney's office.

State's Attorney Jerry Brady has endorsed her, and held a joint fund raiser with her.

So -- who to vote for?  Williams is preferred.

(Compare this coverage with the lame story in today's Peoria Journal Star -- no mention of the real issues in this race.)

Here is the recording of the judges race. 

Download Judges

The Republican race involves a doctor vs. a lawyer!  They are competing for the nomination in District 11 of the Peoria County Board, a far north district gerrymandered for the Republicans.  No Democrat is competing for this seat, though one could be slated after the primary. 

The lawyer is Chris Crawford, late of the Peoria District 150 School Board where he served a five year term, rarely speaking, looking bored, and supporting the disastrous superintendent who resigned before she could be ousted after a board election in 2015.  This service does, however, give him somewhat valuable experience as a public official.

His opponent is physician Gregory Adamson, an orthopedic surgeon who told the League audience that he also holds an MBA. He apparently has never served in a public office.

              
Crawford                                Adamson                      Photos by Al Harkrader

Both want lower taxes and spending cuts where possible.  Crawford would sell the county's nursing home.  Adamson said it loses $5 million a year, a sum that apparently is not true, according to board member Allen Mayer, who attended the meeting in the audience. He said it made a profit of half a million dollars last year, and had figures on his cell phone to show the budget information.

The nursing home is valuable, in that it charges somewhat lower rates than other nursing homes in the area, and is their competitor, at least in theory, keeping rates low for everyone.

Adamson was more nuanced in his answer to this question, saying selling "should be looked at" along with other options including a change in management.

Adamson also did not know what a TIF district is, when asked a question about TIFs.  The widely used term means tax increment financing districts, that deny governments such as school districts and the county, most of the tax funds from development for 23 years, using the money instead, at least supposedly, for other development.

Crawford is suspicious of TIFs, from his school board experience. Adamson then responded, questioning "sweetheart deals" such as the city's Warehouse District, and said he's "skeptical" of these deals. 

Crawford promised to attend every committee and board meeting and study the material beforehand, which can take a lot of time. Adamson didn't comment on that, and that may be problematic for him if he has a busy medical practice.

So -- from this one forum -- Adamson has not attended the other two forums -- he seems preferable, but can he do the service this position requires?  He needs to be pinned down on this by his constituents.

Here is the recording of the County Board candidates:

Download County Board

The candidates for Peoria District 150 School Board in District 3 did not attend this forum, but have been at previous forums in person or on the phone.  Dan Walther has been endorsed by Change 150, and that's good enough for me to prefer him.His opponent is Terry Spayer.

The winner will be elected in this non-partisan race.  That means a voter can take a non-partisan ballot to vote only in this race, if the voter does not want to take a Republican or Democratic ballot.

Recordings of the forum will be posted here later, along with photos of the candidates.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Scalia and the law: another view

PEORIA, IL -- Are we all sick of the commentary praising Antonin Scalia as brilliant?  It's not true. 

There are also many questions about his death, such as who was at the ranch when he died (lobbyists?).  The owner even had a case before the Supreme Court, according to news reports.

But back to his so-called brilliance.  Here's another view by Randy Fritz, a retired teacher of history and social studies.

 

With the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, it is time to look back at his tenure with a more critical eye. Yes, I’m sure his reputation as a raconteur was well deserved. His judicial philosophy was, wanting, however; at least to me.

Let’s start with “originalism,” his cherished doctrine of the Constitution. To put it bluntly, there is no such thing, at least not in the sense he means it. It is a figment of the man’s imagination. His outsized personality was able to convince others on the Court of its validity; especially those with weaker minds (I name no names).

 A single example will serve to illustrate. The year was 1791 and Alexander Hamilton had convinced Congress to pass a bill creating the (First) Bank of the United States. It was to be capitalized 1/5 by government revenue and 4/5 by private investment.

Hamilton saw the law as a way to carry out several of Congress’ powers, as delineated in Article I, Section 8. Among them were: the power to borrow money, collect taxes, coin money and regulate the value thereof. Hamilton concluded, through his reading of the “Elastic Clause” or “Necessary and Proper Clause” (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18): “[Congress Shall have the power to:] make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

Let us remember that Hamilton was at the Constitutional Convention and influential in writing the document. “No,” he argued to president Washington, “we are not limited to the powers specifically created in I, 8 because the Elastic Clause allows us to” (of course I’m paraphrasing here—what he actually wrote would take pages to relate here you can find the actual report online).

Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, disagreed. He wanted a small national government and a rural society; he wanted, therefore, to limit the powers of the national government and therefore denied the “broad interpretation” espoused by Hamilton. The two were beginning to hate each other. Let us further remember that Jefferson was not at the Constitutional Convention. At the time of its writing he was the American ambassador to France.

George Washington, President and, earlier, president of the Constitutional Convention, signed the bill, thereby codifying the broad interpretation. There are other examples from the Washington/Hamilton era (like the Report on the Public Credit), but we needn’t go there.

In short, the broad interpretation is “originalism.” Any attempt to paint the Framers as “narrow” believers is completely wrong. From much other writing, other framers constantly saw changes in the document’s meaning, as situations warranted. Beyond “broad,” there is little original intent. I’m convinced this idea of “narrow Originalism” is a modern contrivance to limit federal power in the modern conservative mold.

Another point is germane here. Much of the Constitution is extremely vague. The framers knew the first president and Congress would begin the process, through precedent, of “forming” a new national government. Indeed they did so. The interpretation continues to this day, and Scalia’s claim that the Constitution is “not a living document [but] dead, dead, dead has no basis in reality. Read Article II and think about presidential power. There is almost nothing about it there. The framers left it to George Washington to fill in the blanks.

Finally, I would argue that Scalia’s argument is specious at a far more basic level. Would he deny the presidency’s ability to commit troops overseas? The Constitution gives that power exclusively to Congress. Should we not have an Air Force? It’s not mentioned anywhere in the document (for obvious reasons). There are a thousand other examples of agencies, boards, and applications in law that are necessary in a 21^st-century American government that would be impossible with a “dead” Constitution.

Antonin Scalia was indeed powerful in his 30-year tenure. I’m not convinced that power was well exercised or historically based, as he so often claimed. -30-

 

This film looks good

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

Free public screening of “Merchants of Doubt”

Illinois Central College Performing Arts Center

1 College Drive, East Peoria, IL    

   7 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2016

“Merchants of Doubt” is a major documentary revealing the secretive campaigns launched by major corporations, often with funding from the Koch brothers and other wealthy coal, oil and gas magnates, to spread misinformation and confusion about critical public policy issues.

The list is long from climate change to cigarette smoking, the safety of vaccinations, health care, toxic chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Using “spin doctors,” lobbyists and scientists-for-hire, the goal is to advance the corporate agenda by confusing the public, sowing doubt and heaping ridicule on scientists and organizations that stand in the way.

This critically acclaimed documentary goes inside this world of disinformation. It offers a satirically comedic yet illuminating view of spin.

In a commentary on the film, environmental historian Jeffrey Kosiorek wrote it was during a period of growing public understanding of the legitimate scientific evidence of global climate change that the fossil fuel industry pushed back, “mobilizing a disinformation offensive of epic proportions. Backed by Charles and David Koch and other wealthy coal, oil and gas magnates, the campaign employed the same tactics and, in many cases, the same lobbying firms and ‘experts’ the tobacco companies hired to deny the harmful effects of their product for half a century.”

“Merchants of Doubt” was an official selection at the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival and New York Film Festival. Director Robert Kenner also directed “Food, Inc.”

Peoria School Board hears obscene public comment

PEORIA, IL-- A public comment delivered to the Peoria District 150 School Board at its Feb. 8 meeting shocked the room, but ultimately was ignored. 

"Pastor" Harvey Burnett complained about the district's sex education program with a graphic description of what is being taught, according to him, to 8th graders in a mixed classroom. These were "how to put on a condom" and "what foods men should eat to enhance the taste of semen."

He said there should be more "parental involvement" in this program, and asked why parents didn't know what was being taught.

No board members commented on his remarks.

Actually parents are allowed to opt their children out of the sex ed program.  It was begun because the former abstinence-only program was not working.  Peoria has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Illinois.

Here is a recording of the comments:

Download 150 Feb 8 2016

The board heard a program on reconfiguring school boundaries and making Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center a pre-school only, with kindergarten and first grade students sent to their home schools. Here is a link to the Journal Star story.

The plan would add pre-school pupils to Hinton.  There's a waiting list of over 400 to get into that program, officials said.

In the public comments, activist Terry Knapp urged the board to study the students Valeska Hinton has produced over the years to see whether they succeed beyond their peers attending other district schools.  He also called on the board to ban out-of-district students and limit the program to at-risk students.

Activist Sharon Crews discussed how teachers learn to cope with urban schools and pupils.  "I learned on the job," she said.

See a copy of her remarks posted below.

  -- Elaine Hopkins

From Sharon Crews:  I agree that preparing teachers to teach in urban schools is necessary. By now, I would hope that all universities include such training in teacher prep courses. In the dark ages of my education, future teachers were prepared to teach in ideal situations by professors who knew little about teaching in urban areas.

My inner city education was completed through interactions with students, summer jobs with Head Start and Urban League, and my tutoring jobs with District 150 all of which took me into the community and into homes, where I quickly learned that our similarities as human beings are much stronger than any differences in our cultures or economic level. Hopefully, new teachers learn or already know that skin color is not the basis for any differences in our human attributes or qualities. Actual diversities in our cultures enrich our lives.

Fortunately, I started teaching before drugs and gangs became major problems in Peoria or District 150; therefore, I did not make the mistake of assuming that drugs and gangs were part of black culture. I fear that today many in our society, including teachers, operate under that misconception. I recognized that drugs and gangs were actually plagues that infiltrated poor communities to take advantage of young people already victimized and harmed by racism and segregation.

About ten years ago, some members of this board did not even realize that the influence of drugs and gangs was to blame for many of 150’s discipline problems. Woodruff was closed, ignoring the problems that would be created with rival gangs. I think all efforts should be made to educate people into understanding that drugs and gangs are society’s ills that actually plague inner city communities and that schools should do everything to work with the communities to help eradicate these negative influences that entice our young people. Nobody can convince me that any parents want their children to be caught up in the violence that is produced by gangs protecting their drug turf. They need our help.

When I criticize discipline policies, my motivation is not to punish children for punishment’s sake. I want our communities and schools to be free of the violence created by drugs and gangs. Unfortunately, as long as there are buyers, there will be sellers, and inner city kids too often are the low level sellers. I don’t have the answers but the community and the district need to come together to seek solutions. I just ask that you make discipline a priority and that the results of punishments, consequences, and incentives be studied so that you know what works and what doesn’t—and keep trying until something works. Good intentions could be enabling bad behavior. Personally, I believe that expulsion in abeyance has had its day and failed. - 30 - 

 

 

Democratic primary candidate forum: the judge candidates

PEORIA, IL -- The most interesting local race in the Democratic primary here is the contest between two women for Peoria County judge, Jodi Hoos, now an appointed judge, and Sonni Williams, an attorney for the city of Peoria.  The winner faces a Republican in November.

The two women appeared at a candidate forum held on Feb.6 by the Peoria County Democratic Women. Thanks to my question, about potential conflicts of interest, and interviews after the event, the forum moved beyond biography and experience. 

Both women have working class backgrounds, but managed to attend college and law school.  Both have the requisite experience for judge. Both have conflicts of interest that need to be addressed, as well as troubling cases they have been involved with. 

Jodi Hoos said she went to work for the Peoria County State's Attorney's office  out of law school, became chief of felony prosecutions, and was appointed judge 14 months ago.

She has been endorsed by State's Attorney Jerry Brady and the Peoria County Democratic party.  Democrat Brady is running for reelection unopposed thus far, though the Republican party still has time to appoint someone to run against him.

Hoos and Brady recently held a joint fund-raiser.  Hoos doesn't view this connection as a problem, because she is currently assigned to hear civil cases, not criminal cases. Her opponent, Williams, finds the connection a violation of judicial ethics.

"I'm proud of (Brady's) support, but that does not mean there's a conflict," Hoos said.

"Every person gets a fair opportunity," in her courtroom, she said.

In addition, Hoos was recently sued in federal court for a criminal case she was involved with as prosecutor that was overturned by the Appellate Court.  It allegedly sent an innocent man to prison for three years.  A justice stated that the evidence shows he was innocent, not guilty. 

In an interview, Hoos said the suit against her personally has been dismissed, but she does not know whether that will be appealed.  She said the evidence was strong against the defendant, and the courtroom testimony against him was compelling.

Williams has a different conflict, her marriage to attorney Dick Williams who works in a Peoria law firm.  She said she would not hear cases involving that firm. "I bring impartiality. I'm not tied to anyone," she said. 

Afterward I asked Williams about her role in the notorious Twittergate case, the  case that brought international attention to Peoria.  The mayor, Jim Ardis, was angry that a Peoria man set up a fake Twitter account that rudely and obscenely mocked him, so ordered police to arrest him and raid the house where he lived with others.

Three judges, not Hoos, signed the required warrants to find out the ownership of the Twitter account and search the house. When the house was raided police found marijuana, and one of the residents was prosecuted for possession. 

Brady ultimately did not prosecute the Twitter poster, as he belatedly realized the free speech implications. 

With the entire event a serious free speech violation, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the city in federal court and won a $250,000 settlement for the Twitter poster. The settlement irked some civil libertarians because no depositions were ever taken to find out who said what to generate the police raid.

The fellow arrested for marijuana possession pleaded guilty to a low level charge, so the warrants were not contested.

Williams in an interview said she had no real involvement in the case. Brady told the mayor initially that the Twitter case broke the law, thus signing off on the raid, she said. He later recanted that position.

On the day the mayor held a press conference to read the Twitter insults against him, Williams said she was in Chicago at a conference on other city business, the combined sewer outflow issues. She had no role in his awful performance that was mocked widely, she said.

So -- which candidate deserves a vote in the primary? 

The entire judicial system in Peoria has been criticized by some as too inbred, with many conflicts of interest.

Defendants hate it when the lawyers and judges appear to be golfing or hunting buddies, since it reeks of bias on the part of the judge.  Both candidates pledged to be impartial if elected.

There's another candidate forum on Feb. 20, at 10:15 am at the Peoria Public Library's North Branch, on Allen Road behind Menards.  Stay tuned.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Interesting program

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

press release February 3, 2016 Helen K. Cox, RN, BSN, LDN Options Center, Inc. 4316 N. Prospect Rd. Peoria Heights IL 61616 309-685-7721 fax 309-685-7756 e-mail: [email protected] www.options-center.com __________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     LOCAL HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTER OFFERS 10-DAY INFLAMMATION PROGRAM! Join Helen Cox on Monday, February 15th to taste protein shakes and learn more about the 10-Day Inflammation Program Peoria Heights, IL. February 3, 2016 — Options Center offers a 10-Day Inflammation Program, developed by whole food supplement manufacturer, Standard Process Inc. The program uses whole, organic and unprocessed food, along with whole food supplements to help jumpstart the healing process and put the body on the fast track to reducing inflammation and living a healthier, more active life! Why would you need to participate in this program?   Inflammation can be a healthy response to your body’s signals to address challenges. But what happens when inflammation is causing the body to overreact to stressors and create a chronic inflammation response? Then inflammation can become the enemy! How would I know if I was having an Inflammatory Response?   Symptoms of chronic inflammatory response can be minor aches and pains, fatigue and lethargy, swelling, skin problems, skin irritations, joint stiffness upon arising or after exercising, excessive belly fat, dark circles or bags under the eyes, sinus congestion, irregular bowel habits, bloating, puffiness, and water retention. The Standard Process 10-Day Inflammation Program is designed to lighten the toxic load, improve digestion and help maintain a healthy weight.*   The program allows you to heal your own body!  Where do I go to learn more about this program?   Join us on February 15 at 11:30 or 4:30 at Options Center for this special program!   Taste shakes; learn about the 10-day Inflammation Program and how it could help you. To register for this special event, contact Options Center at 4316 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, 309-685-7721 by February 12. Best of all, the program is free to attend!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This progrqm is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Helen Cox, RN, BSN, LDN, director of Options Center, is a graduate of Methodist School of Nursing and Bradley University. Her practice, Options Center is located at 4316 N Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, IL 61616. New clients are being accepted. Call 309-685-7721 to schedule an appointment and find out ways to optimize your health and the health of your family members with whole food nutrition. Visit Options Center’s website at www.options-center.com.