PeoriaStory

Chicago, 2018: A Review

PEORIA, IL -- Our annual trip to Chicago after the Xmas holiday was both good and bad this year.

Good:  Macy's on State Street is as much fun as ever.  Everything was on sale, and shipped free.  The store carries high end and other products not available now in Peoria. And there are skilled sales people to help. 

Seeing an item in a store  is way better than taking a chance with an on-line order.

BAD:  A favorite store, Crate & Barrel on Michigan Ave. has closed, and a sign says it moved to the Lincoln Park area.  Well, it just lost my business but I mourn its passing.  It was a fabulous store with great sales as well.

Nordstroms on Michigan Ave. now carries only clothing and accessories, nothing else.

The Reader, that once great publication, has dropped its arts and culture listings both in print and on-line.  So how are out-of-towners supposed to find out what's playing and where? It's not easy.  The newspapers don't carry listings either. You have to remember names to Google listings by theater. You might miss something you would enjoy.  Has the world gone mad?

The Visitors Center at the former water building across from Water Tower Place has vanished, replaced by a small public library and lounge.  It didn't even have copies of the diminished Reader. The Visitors Center was a great place, and is a real loss to tourists in the city.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, a favorite museum, had a very week offering, based mostly on photography and some weird sculpture. The display raises the interesting question of artistic merit -- what is art?  Is an ordinary landscape photo or twisted tires on the floor with a caption or a notation on how it represents the passing of time an artistic piece?  Or not?  Does the caption make it art? My friends can take better photos than some of those displayed.  This museum usually has terrific art that can be mind blowing, but not this time.

GOOD AND BAD: On the Basis of Sex was the best film we have seen in ages, way better than Vice, which is flawed by an inconsistent tone (is is a satire, an expose, or what?).  We chose the movies by a lack of interesting theater offerings this time.  We had seen all the shows, or would not be interested in them. ( For example, a semi-modern version of The Nutcracker without the traditional ballet costumes and dancing?  At a sky high ticket price, as well.  No thanks.)

The hotel where we like to stay, Club Quarters on Wacker at Michigan Ave. has a great location, free coffee, snacks, wi-fi and newspapers, and a lovely modern clean room at a bargain price.  The bad: valet parking is $57 a day, and the affiliated expensive parking garages are blocks away, i.e. it's inconvenient to park without valet parking, which almost doubles the price of the room. This needs to be disclosed on the website but it's not there.

Still, Chicago at the holiday season is beautiful,  and worth visiting.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

The letter and my response

PEORIA, IL -- I contribute letters and stories to the Community Word, a wonderful monthly newspaper in Peoria.  Full disclosure: I am also an investor in the group that owns the paper.

I recently received an anonymous letter from a reader, and I wish to respond to it.  Here is the letter:

To: Sherry Cannon and Elaine Hopkins c/o Community Word

Hi Ladies,

I'm writing to you about your articles in the Community Word paper from last month.

You both seem to think Judge Kavanaugh will have impact on the environment, reproduction,medical coverage etc.. ..but, remember he is only one of several judges. You give him powers he does not have. I think his opinions will be without bias and his record as a judge indicates he follows the letter of the law. You seem to have a hatred of this  conservative man-calling him an "upper-class frat-rat". Thank goodness for his heritage that allowed him to have an education and attain such credentials. Elaine..those who know you may consider you an "elite"...with your privileged life style as a professor's wife. And, yes, Ms. Cannon...something in Dr. Ford's background made her the person she is today...a woman that went to great lengths to nullify the nomination and destroy the career of a good man. No memory of time, place, people etc.. ..yet you rallied for her.

When her accusation surfaced I wondered who bought her? Well, she ended up with more than a million dollars.

To compare this happening with what the Catholic priests have done...or Cosby is really not comparable. The priests have had hundreds of abused adults testify to their evil deeds. What about Bill and Hillary.. ..which is worse the rapist, Bill, or the cover up by Hillary...I'm sure she was your candidate of choice. If you found Kavanaugh's alleged behavior as a teenager so unacceptable then why did you accept the middle aged behavior of Bill Clinton acceptable? Facts are important to your readers... you do them a disservice when you reel off your opinions that have no basis in factual information.

Regarding the "dominate white male political system".. ..I would be hesitant to want people in office who don't have critical thinking. There are many good people in Congress. Even your own Democratic party., is made up of very old white politicians. It's unfortunate that the Democrat party is not the party of our parents.  We are lucky to be living in the United States as we have so many privileges. And, American boys fought for our freedoms in all the wars White and Black soldiers together. Thank God we have not had a Hitler (fascist), Stalin & Mao (communists), Pol Pot (Cambodia communist). Communism and socialism have never worked .. ..again I thank God for capitalism and private enterprise and the individuals right of choice in all areas of life.

Please stop your negative and hateful thoughts and words give your readers words that make them proud to be an American. Give them words that enlighten their day when they read the Community Word.

Sincerely,

A Community Word reader.

December, 2018

HUMMM - Where to begin? Kavanaugh obviously lied during the hearings. I believe the women who testified about his awful behavior in his youth.  Did he reform himself?  Is he leading a secret life, as others have done?  Only the future will tell us.

And I don't hate him, but I worry that his right wing views will harm the environment, medical coverage and care, women's rights, especially to a safe, legal abortion,  and other civil rights. His past record shows where he stands on these issues.

There are many issues that need to be confronted in our nation, and the old, white guys seem more interested in keeping their jobs and  power than improving life for the citizens. Kavanaugh on the court likely will vote his class, and not help the others.

As for my class status, alas it's only middle class.  My husband and I were from homes whose parents did not have college degrees, but we were fortunate enough to be able to afford college and graduate degrees. Those helped us find good jobs in Illinois. It's hardly privilege, as we worked hard for what we have, kept healthy and sane, lived a conservative lifestyle. And were very lucky.  We could never have afforded an elite east coast prep-school and college. But Kavanaugh could and did.

I agree that we are all very lucky to have been born in the USA. But I see rampant, unleashed capitalism as a concern. It almost brought the US down a couple of times, and could do so again. It needs regulation, something Kavanaugh likely will vote against.

As for an American Hitler, fascism is not dead and could rise again with Trump as its ringleader.  Our system of checks and balances seems to be working so far, but we will see. 

Respond if you see this.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 

2018 Downstate Story -- great stories

PEORIA, IL -- Here's the Downstate Story news release: 

DOWNSTATE STORY VOL. 27 NOW AVAILABLE FREE ON THE WEB

Ten new short stories by Illinois and Midwestern writers are featured in the 2018 edition of Downstate Story, Peoria's only literary magazine for fiction. Downstate Story is now published only on the Web at www.downstatestory.com

The writers in this issue are  Jim Courter of Macomb, IL;  Loren Logsdon of Eureka, IL;  Marie Anderson of Western Springs, IL; Paul Bowman of New Albany, IN.; Kent McDaniel of Carbondale, IL.;  David Seaman of Peoria, IL;, Jim Hasse, of Walnut Creek, CA.; Susan Duke of East Peoria, IL; Connie Cook Smith of Canton, IL.; and Harry Lowther of Eureka, CA. 

Most of these outstanding writers have long lists of publications in other literary magazines, and some have authored books.

Published by Downstate Story, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, the annual publication aims to present original fiction by Illinois writers and writers with ties to Illinois and the Midwest as a quality alternative to today's mass-market publishing.

For this Web edition, readers are asked for donations to help defray publishing costs. All writers are paid for their work.

Downstate Story’s Facebook page can be accessed at www.Facebook.com/downstatestory

DOWNSTATE STORY, Vol. 27, THE FACTS

1. Politically correct. Contributors paid for their work. No government funds used.

2. Something for everyone. Stories reflect diversity of authors, and include romance, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, mainstream fiction.

3. Promotes quality reading. Content realistic but not X-rated.

4. Promotes Illinois and Midwestern writers.

5. Unusual concept for the arts. Provides outlet for local writers and artists to reach local audiences free.

6. Original work. None ever published before.

7. Quality work. Stories and art comparable to work in Harpers, Atlantic, The New Yorker and top literary magazines.

8. No poetry.

9. No advertising.

10. Unique experiment in publishing, asking for donations instead of fee.

The Authors

Harry Lowther, [email protected]

David Seaman, [email protected]

Jim Hasse, [email protected]

Susan Duke, [email protected]

Connie Cook Smith, [email protected]

Kent McDaniel, [email protected]

Marie Anderson, [email protected]

Jim Courter, [email protected]

Loren Logsdon, [email protected]

Paul Bowman, [email protected]

***

 

A tale of two universities

MACOMB, IL -- The nearly five hour meeting of Western Illinois University's Board of Trustees on Dec. 14 revealed a tale of two campuses -- the good and the bad.

First the bad:  lack of transparency.  The 8 am meeting is too early for the public to easily attend. The room, in the student center, was too small leaving a standing room only audience squeezed along the walls. And when I asked for an agenda, it didn't exist!  It's on-line, someone said.  

That wasn't good enough, and I complained that surely there were copy machines in the building.  There were, and after a while agendas for the audience appeared, and were eagerly studied by those in attendance.

The trustees recently were found guilty by the Illinois Attorney General's office of violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act for a closed meeting in June that discussed laying off tenured teachers, shutting down WIU's NPR station and many other items that should have been discussed in an open meeting. 

A violation is a Class C misdemeanor that carries a fine and possibly jail.  It's still under investigation by the Attorney General, since the local State's Attorney recused  himself. The board chairwoman soon resigned.

Something needed to be said about this, so WIU's new lawyer offered an apology of sorts. But the issue was live, as an agenda item, misnamed, proposed to destroy tapes of closed meetings while the the Attorney General's office is investigating closed meetings to see whether they, too, violated the law.

This item was the last on a long agenda, and eventually was tabled as people spoke against destroying the tapes. That was a rare concession from the icy board of trustees.The faculty union also threatened to sue if the tapes were to be destroyed.

After a 45 minute presentation of "points of pride," about good programs at WIU, the public comments began. Here is a recording of the public comments:

Download WIU Dec 14 18

Several people spoke, including me, asking that the NPR station, WIUM-FM, be funded so it doesn't collapse. The board ignored the pleas, as usual.  Here is a story on the public comments.

The only hope for saving the station will be new trustees.  Governor-elect JB Pritzker will be able to appoint five new trustees in January, a board majority, so perhaps they will listen to the many pleas for the award-winning station, WIU's best outreach to the region.  

A group of retirees presented a statement supporting the university but urging, among other things, that the liberal arts be preserved as WIU restructures itself due to a $21 million budget deficit.  Their spokesperson, Paula Wise, expressed concern about low staff morale on the campus due to impending layoffs.

The new chairwoman of the trustees, Carolyn Ehlert Fuller, then announced "President Thomas, the board stands behind you and your team."  Thomas was also in the illegal closed session and has been criticized for rejecting faculty input into staff cuts. Fuller's term is up in January, and she is retiring.

An online petition caused WIU president Jack Thomas to meet with the faculty union and back off immediate proposed staff cuts.  He said they can wait until the new governor's budget message on Feb. 21, but layoffs will be announced on March 1, he said.

A long series of presentations then followed, some of them interesting, but many were way too long. WIU has some terrific programs, but its enrollment has dropped to about 8,500 students, down 28 percent since 2013.

The trustees quizzed the administrators about why this is happening and were told local area students are not attending WIU, and some scholarships for local students are not being used. 

 WIU is proud of its diversity. It "reflects the world around us," an administrator said.

Other facts from the presentations:  WIU's foundation assets dropped 3.5 percent in the recent stock market decline, and now is $56.2 million. Campus revenue is down 13.1 percent, and WIU's reserves have been depleted due to lack of state funding. "We're doing the best we can with the resources we have, vice president Joe Rives said.

The good: The campus staff has acquired $3.5 million in grants this year, and several new programs are designed to attract more students including many scholarships to make the campus affordable. 

Despite the problems, the administrators and trustees talked of hope from the new governor.  The president of the faculty senate summed it up: "Illinois is a large, rich state that can afford a good public university system," he said.

And here's the story from WIUM, a terrific story.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Hello dirty water

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release, alarming:

Contact: Kim Knowles, Prairie Rivers Network, [email protected], 217-344-2371 ext. 209

PROPOSED ROLLBACK OF CLEAN WATER REGULATIONS MEANS

LESS SAFE WATER FOR ILLINOIS

CHAMPAIGN, IL – This week, the Trump administration has proposed sweeping changes to the Obama-era regulation known as the Waters of the United States, a move that threatens the safety of Illinois’ rivers, groundwater, and the drinking water of millions across the state.

 

In 2015, the Obama administration issued the Waters of the United States rule (aka The Clean Water Rule) to help clarify the application of the Clean Water Act to bodies of water across the nation. The 2015 rule was passed after years of study and extensive scientific and public input. The rule recognized the importance of small streams and wetlands to healthy river systems and clean drinking water.

 

“The proposed rollbacks are devastating,” said Kim Knowles of Prairie Rivers Network, “and are a continuation of the Trump Administration’s protracted assaults on the health of our planet and our communities.”  

 

Trump’s proposed rule guts all protections for ephemeral streams (small streams that flow after rain or snow events) and for most wetlands, leaving them vulnerable to pollution from mining, manufacturing, industrial agriculture, and other sources. Many wetlands could end up paved over or plowed under.

 

Small streams and wetlands protect our drinking water and the health of our rivers. These water bodies mitigate flooding, filter pollutants, and provide unique and vital habitat for many species.

 

They are also central to Illinois’ economy. State breweries and outdoor recreation  are major economic drivers, contributing $ 2.6 and $25.8 billion respectively to the economy annually.  Both of these in industries need clean water and healthy river systems to thrive.

 

“Without the protections provided by the current Clean Water Rule, commercial developers could pave over or build on wetlands without any oversight, oil spills or pipeline breaks into these waters would no longer be considered CWA violations, and manure from factory farms could overflow into streams without fear of federal consequences.” Kim Knowles

 

For more than 45 years, the Clean Water Act has helped us move to a time when all water bodies are safe for swimming and fishing, and when drinking water supplies are protected from pollution. This latest rollback harms us all.

 

Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) is Illinois' advocate for clean water and healthy rivers and is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. PRN advocates for cultural values, policies and practices that sustain the ecological health and biological diversity of Illinois’ water resources and aquatic ecosystems. It is a member-supported, nonprofit organization that champions clean, healthy rivers and lakes and safe drinking water to benefit the people and wildlife of Illinois.

 

###

 

PEORIA, IL -- There were two public comment sessions at the December 10 Peoria District 150 School Board meeting. The first, on the budget, drew only one person to comment, activist Terry Knapp.

He talked about subjects he has discussed previously, the closing of Woodruff High School and bussing 900 students elsewhere, which was traumatic for some.  Knapp said it was closed so philanthropist Glen Barton could have the charter school Quest.

Afterward the superintendent commented that Woodruff might be reopened as a "creative and technical high school."  She gave a presentation on changing the district's teaching techniques to encourage individual learning, a model similar to the way elite prep schools operate.  The problem is the expense-- this technique requires a low student-teacher ratio, not classes of 25 or 30 pupils.

Quest is costing the district $5.2 million last year and $6 million next year, Knapp said. He urged the board to shut down Quest and put the students in District 150 schools.

Other comments included the high cost of paying lawyers from Chicago instead of  local attorneys. Here is a recording of his comments:

Download D150 Dec 10

The second comment session was part of the regular agenda, and here is a recording of this session:

Download D150 Dec10-2

Knapp commented on a bloated administrative staff with high salaries, even though the number of students in District 150 has dropped to around 13,500. The figure was once 27,000 back in the 1960s, he said. But Peoria now has 51,000 fewer residents now, he said.

Activist Sharon Crews commented on grade and withdrawal irregularities at Manual High School. A copy of her comments can be found below.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Here the comments of Sharon Crews:

Please refer to the handout I gave you. The administration, at the November 13 meeting and in an e-mail, still insists that all the 17’s in place of grades for Manual and Peoria High’s English grades indicate withdrawals. I continue to believe that some of the 17’s replaced grades, probably A’s.

The number 17 was used for three different reasons: 

1 – To indicate the dates of withdrawal during the semester

2 -  To indicate the student withdrew on the last day of a semester (This would rarely, if ever, happen).

3 – To indicate a student withdrew to transfer to another course or to change to the same course at a different time. (I didn’t record those 17’s.)

Board members, do you find it believable that, according to the administration’s contention: 25 seniors withdrew on the last day of first semester.

Then the same seniors (same ID) returned after Christmas break to enroll in the second semester of the course.

Then 22 of these same seniors withdrew on the last day of second semester—two withdrawals from the same course with no grades—English is a requirement, so they couldn’t graduate, right?

I taught seniors for over ten years. Nothing like this ever happened with even one senior—now I am to believe that at least 22 seniors withdrew on the last day of both semesters. Please tell me how this saga is believable.

I found it even more unbelievable because fourteen of these supposed withdrawals were from AP courses. If indeed, these students all withdrew from these courses and probably from Manual, then the administration needs to provide reasons why so many seniors withdrew or were dropped and, thus, did not graduate. The administration’s version of the truth requires much more explaining than does my version.

Two seniors enrolled in English IV received passing grades for 1^st semester but got a 17 instead of a grade for second semester (what is your guess—did they withdraw 2^nd semester and not graduate or get an A and graduated?)

2^nd semester ten students enrolled in a course called ELA Test Preparation. Six of those students withdrew in April. The remaining four students received the mystery 17’s—did the only four left in the class withdraw or get A’s?

2^nd semester mostly the same 10 students enrolled in a course called Writing Test Preparation. Seven withdrew in April. The remaining three received the mystery 17’s—did they withdraw or get A’s?

Without counting the mystery 17’s, 91 students withdrew from English classes first semester and 117 second semester). What is happening at Manual and why? - 30 -

 

 

Peoria's Sing-It-Yourself Messiah 2018 -- Great

PEORIA, IL -- Peoria's 2018 Sing-It-Yourself Messiah was the best in years. The lovely venue, the First Federated Church, offered excellent acoustics and decor, and the orchestra, soloists, and even the audience as choir were also terrific.

Professor Emeritus John Jost presented a fascinating pre-concert talk on Messiah composer George Frederic Handel.  The Messiah, an oratorio, is  the most widely performed classical work in history, Jost said.

An oratorio is actually an opera without costumes and actors, he said.  Oratorios became popular when opera was thought to be too extravagant or frivolous.

Handel was born in Germany but traveled throughout Europe and settled in London. The Messiah was composed in three weeks (!), and first performed in Dublin in 1741.  Wonder how many contemporary pieces will remain popular for more than 200 years.

The performance itself was beautiful.  The operatic-quality soloists were fabulous: tenor Eric Ashcraft, baritone Saul Nache, soprano Courtney Huffman and mezzo-sporano Denise Gamez, all professional musicians. 

The audience/chorus did well, too, and the church was full, even though the event received very little publicity: a line in a list of events in last weeks Journal Star and an interview on WCBU-FM.  That's it.  A woman next to me said she heard about it the day before from a friend's email.

The event should have had more press because it is so wonderful.  It's been taking place every year in Peoria since 1975, and is free though donations are requested. Thanks to everyone who puts it together and performs, especially Jost. 

 -- Elaine Hopkins