Monthly Messenger
March 2012
“Long passages guide the eye to the colorful theater about to be performed when spring flowering begins. (A). It beautifully frames doorways (B) and softens hard surfaces (C).” – From “Malvern Musings,” continued on Page 5.
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Inside: President’s Letter • 2 Thru the Windshield •3 The March Review • 4 Malvern Musings • 5 Live Music Corner and Events • 6 C
Calendar • 7
Next Membership Meeting Wednesday March 7 Social 6:30 p.m. Meeting 7:00 p.m. Westminster Hall, 1420 W. Moss Topics: Energy referendum on March 20 ballot; Discuss our membership meeting location options.
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A Letter from the President In the last few issues of the Monthly Messenger I’ve described how the efforts of many individuals are necessary to make a great neighborhood. Think of all that would not have happened this season without many volunteers. One very big example is that you would not have received this newsletter without the efforts of Kelly Kolton, Skip Cravens, Mel Waters, Tom Dries, and the assistance of AMT. Volunteers organized by Joanne Bannon and Ed Tarbuck placed and removed the holiday greens — the holidays would have been a little less festive without this MBRA tradition — and everyone enjoyed a hearty lunch that Joanne provided. Jim Adams extended a gracious invitation to hold the holiday party in his beautiful home and numerous individuals provided tasty snacks. Paul Masick prepared the Westminster Fellowship Hall for our monthly membership meetings, and other volunteers prepare refreshments, schedule a program, and help clean up afterwards. Jan Krouse and others have been planning for the 2012 Moss Avenue Sale, which will be bigger and better than ever. The Board of Directors meet faithfully every month to coordinate all these events and plan new ones. Each month a member offers his or her home as the Board’s meeting place. When you see any of these individuals, thank them for the effort they have expended to make our neighborhood better. Many more opportunities to help remain for this year and next. Volunteers are needed to help organize the
May Potluck – contact Rita Speck or Jeremiah Baughman. Many volunteers are needed for the Moss Avenue Sale, which may include live music and fine arts this year. We especially need homeowners who will volunteer their yards for the Sale. Contact Jan Krouse to indicate your willingness to help. MBRA may assist with WTVP’s spring membership drive, and will need volunteers for a couple of hours. You can help arrange for a permanent display of Moss-Bradley homes in the new Peoria Riverfront Museum – a great way to highlight some of Peoria’s historic treasures. The traditional July 4 celebration and “Neighborhood Night Out Against Crime” also provide many opportunities to contribute. Speak to a Board member about these. We’re working on an idea for a more positive ambiance in areas with high density of student rentals. Find a program that interests you and pitch in – it’s the Moss-Bradley way! Our March and April membership meetings will be of interest to most residents. On March 7 we’ll hear about a referendum on the March 20 ballot that may afford significant savings on your monthly energy bill, and we’ll discuss our membership meeting location options. In April we’ll hear about new ideas for the Moss Avenue Sale and other new proposals mentioned above. Bring a friend with you.
Rod Lorenz
President, Moss-Bradley Residential Association
Send us your observations, story ideas or feedback! E-mail Kelly at mossbradleynews@gmail.com 2 – Monthly Messenger – March 2012
St. Jude Breakfast at Courtyard Estates Submitted by Amanda Hendricks
Courtyard Estates of Peoria will be hosting a St. Jude Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on March 31 from 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Proceeds of the event will be donated to Chloe’s Promise Foundation to benefit the children of the St Jude Midwest Affiliate. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at Courtyard Estates or at the door. Call 6742400 for more information.
MOSS-BRADLEY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Moss-Bradley will be volunteering at the WTVP Spring Pledge Drive on Saturday, March 24! This is a great way to show support for our community, while being with other neighbors. • Needed: 6-8 volunteers • Arrive sometime between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m., that way we’ll have time to train on the phones. • Dress comfortably. Please no T-shirts with commercial logos or slogans. • We will have lots of snacks and during the down time people can feel free to read, knit, or just sit and chat. For more information, contact Rod at 673-9520 or Kelly at mossbradleynews@gmail.com
Thru the Windshield How do we look to those passing by?
Observations ... questions ... hopes ... concerns Compiled by Marjorie Klise
Look around. Check out our great Peoria architecture. Admire the lines and curves. Be wowed by the stonework. These beautiful structures could be gone sooner than you think We lost Westminster House last fall. The looming crane knocked it down like a bunch of children’s blocks and Legos. Three houses on Monroe Street were leveled in January. The neighbors were interested in moving these houses to nearby vacant lots. But these buildings went down over a weekend with no forewarning. Our beautiful old courthouse is gone. The grand buildings up and down
News from Westminster Presbyterian Church
Submitted by the Church Office
Join us any Wednesday evening through March 28 for “Jesus and Darwin,” a lecture series by Pastor John Zingaro. Can you believe in both Darwin and the bible? Join us any Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Parlor to find out. A light supper will be provided. The event is free; a free-will offering will be accepted. Join us any Sunday morning through March 25 for an adult Bible study by Pastor John Zingaro on the Parables. The class meets at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel. Everyone is invited.
Hamilton Boulevard and Knoxville Avenue exist only on postcards and in photo albums. Yet even today, Peoria is still graced by the work of eminent architects. Our city has a history of immigrants who arrived in our city to make their fortune, establish their families and construct the homes and civic buildings that proved their success. These buildings appeal to our sense of history and our artistic nature. They deserve our respect. We would do well to educate ourselves and our neighbors on the need for historic preservation. A nationally known manufacturer has five criteria for selecting cities to build their plants – “historic preservation, cultural attractions, a music scene, a local food movement and environmental sustainability.” (Logan Ward, The Secret of Staunton’s Success) So, today, look around. Relish our treasures. Take them all into your brain bank. They may not be here tomorrow!
Westminster Church will hold its monthly Fourth Sunday Fellowship Luncheon on Sunday, March 25, at 11:15 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. A free-will offering will be accepted; everyone is invited. Call 673-8501 to make a reservation. All events are at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1420 W Moss Ave. Call 673-8501 or visit www. westminsterpeoria.com.
Submit your organization’s news and events to mossbradleynews@gmail.com
School Notes News from St Mark School Submitted by Pat Nedza
St. Mark School would like to thank the residents of MossBradley for their support of the canned food drive that we had in cooperation with Haddad’s Market. West/Mark Food Pantry really appreciates your help as the demand for food is higher than ever. Our food drive took place during Catholic Schools Week; however, donations of non-perishable items are always welcome and can be dropped off at the school or parish offices. St. Mark Catholic Grade School will be hosting their 13th Annual Auction, “Casino Royale” on April 14 at the Itoo Hall in Peoria. This is the school’s largest fundraiser and a fun evening for adults! If you would like to attend or have an item you would like to donate, or for more information on the auction, please contact St. Mark School at 6767131, or email Brenda O’Russa at bkorussa@comcast.net. Upcoming happenings at St. Mark School include: Feb. 27-March 2 – Scholastic Book Fair. All are welcome-call 676-7131 for times. March 5-9 – Spring Break – No School March 22 – Declamation Competition at Holy Family School Last two weeks of March – Students will be roller skating during their PE classes Monthly Messenger – March 2012 – 3
The March Review
Submitted by Bonnie Mason
I usually love March. When March arrives I breathe a huge sigh of relief that I have, indeed, survived another cold, snowy Illinois winter, intact, at the same time I experience that deep knowing sense of celebration that Spring is actually just around the corner, that daffodils will appear, and the time has come to begin my annual major cleaning endeavor. This year I am mildly confused since in my estimation it has been March ever since October – an oddity about which I am not complaining. I have just had to reorganize my thinking. I must have had some cosmic nod because I began my grand attempt to rid my house of everything I really don’t want or use in early November! And this year I have actually done it! I gave myself permission to part with all those items that Great Aunt Martha gave me in fifth grade, guilt free! Exhilarating! I am nowhere near finished, but what a feeling! I recently ran across a book that serves as a great guide (if you can get past the title) for anyone who aspires to do the same, titled, The Hoarder In You How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life, written by Dr. Robin Zasio. This isn’t really a fun read, but definitely a thought-provoking and enlightening one. My mother kept everything, and was convinced that she would use it all someday – unfortunately acorns don’t fall far from the tree. This book has helped me get beyond that by asking myself why I am keeping items that I clearly won’t use and don’t want. Fascinating to learn about one’s self, an endless source of mystery to me. I highly recommend this book. It is a learning experience and not one that leaves you thinking ill of yourself for your failings! Hardcover, published in 2011 by Rodale, the book sells for $24.99. The next task involved in this undertaking of mine is organizing what I have decided to keep. I found a book titled Organizing Your Home, Decluttering Solutions and Storage Ideas, written by Emily Wilska. Emily has written such an organized book about how to organize
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your house that I am in awe. She explains how to organize a household in 20 chapters. Each segment of each chapter such as “The Kitchen: Fridge” not only offers tips, but is complete with a photograph. The chapters are color-coded and while she uses all the newest “containers” such as wire and canvas where I might use a pretty basket – her ideas are invaluable. I found this book in the bargain section, published in 2009 by Morris Publishing LLC, it sells for $7.98, money well spent. My third title is equally inexpensive and equally valuable. Green Cleaning, Natural Hints and Tips For the Eco-Friendly Household, written by Margaret Briggs and Vivian Head. The book is comprised of four sections addressing the uses of vinegar, baking soda, lemons and salt in the world of cleaning. Have you any idea how well vinegar works on lime deposits? It’s like magic! Salt will remove red wine if applied immediately; and a mixture of salt and lemon juice will remove mildew! This book is fun and provides great alternatives that work to all those chemicals I really don’t want to use and even less to store in my cupboards. It has a companion volume entitled Vinegar: 1001 Practical Uses, also written by Margart Briggs. Both of these titles I found in the bargain department. Published in 2009 by Anness Publishing Ltd. These books sell for $5.98 each, hardcover. I am having a really good time with this project. I kept the empty glass bottle of Sulfodene John Stravinsky bought for my dog in California on a trip we took in the ’70s just because I love the memory, but I threw out all my old nail polish and lipstick and everything else that was on that shelf in the bathroom closet. I am pretty proud of myself! Tis the season to clean – I hope you have fun doing it!
Malvern Musings A monthly column about growing things and growing a great neighborhood
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Submitted by Dan Callahan
“Ever green” The shadows begin to shorten, ever so slightly, in this month. We have not quite begun to see spring’s exuberant entrance. But pleasant days beg for walks. It is the perfect opportunity to notice the subtle ways that green pockets have kept our spirits up through the long onslaught of winter. If our eyes can be trained on the contribution of winterproof foliage, we will know where to plant more. Long passages guide the eye to the colorful theater about to be performed when spring flowering begins. (A). It beautifully frames doorways (B) and softens hard surfaces (C). There are great examples throughout Moss-Bradley of the graceful interplay of one evergreen juxtaposed against another. (D) There are vining evergreens such as the ivy cascading through iron screens. (E) And there are ample opportunities where green screens (in these last two cases, arborvitae) become one with the Photos: “architecture of place.” (F) and (G). They serve as privacy screens, provide texture and bring welcome green A-C: Wards Book of Gardens, published 1947. color during the leafless months. D: 1223 W. Moss. Ferrill-Sword Residence – front March would not be half as interesting without them. E: 501 N. Glenwood. Ryon Residence – garden
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F: 1200 W. Moss. Adams Residence – rear
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Monthly Messenger – March 2012 – 5
Live Music Corner Saturday, March 3: Live music by Side Tracked. 8:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. No cover charge. Fieldhouse Bar in Campustown. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Wednesday, March 7: Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra - 7:00-9:00 p.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Tuesday, March 13: Live music by Cheryl Rodey. 7:00-9:00 p.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Saturday, March 17 – ST. PATRICK’S DAY - Live music by Three-anda-Half Men. 7:00 p.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Sunday, March 18 – The Central Illinois Jazz Society. CIJS House Band at 6:00 p.m. and David Hoffman and Friends at 7:15 p.m. The Starting Gate Banquet Room, located in Landmark Recreation Center, 3225 N. Dries. Saturday, March 24: Live music by Draft Culture. 8:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Tuesday, March 27: Live music by Cheryl Rodey. 7:00-9:00 p.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600. Saturday, March 31: Live music by The Jim Davis Band. 8:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. No cover charge. The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. No cover charge. Call 494-9600.
Open Volleyball
at Franciscan Rec Complex Mondays, 7:30-10:00 p.m. These self-refereed pick-up games for ages 18+ are just $3 per visit or get a punch card at $20 for 10 visits. Just drop in! Franciscan Recreation Complex 908 Sterling Avenue in West Peoria www.peoriaparks.org or call 677-6705.
“Peoria in the War of 1812” Presented by Gillum Ferguson, author of Illinois in the War of 1812 Wyckoff Room, Cullom-Davis Library, Bradley University Sunday, March 4, at 4:00 p.m. Free A retired federal prosecutor, Ferguson has a lifelong interest in Illinois history and has published articles on history, law and theology in numerous journals.
Fieldhouse Special Events Submitted by Michelle Renick
March Arts Events at Bradley
Submitted by Kath Conver, Bradley University
March 1, 5:00 pm Lecture by Juror, Delores Fortuna, Horowitz Auditorium, Caterpillar Global Communications Center, free. Call 677-2797. March 1, 6:00 pm Reception for 3rd Biennial Central Time Ceramics, Heuser Art gallery, free. Call 677-2797. March 4, 4:00 pm “Peoria in the War of 1812”, presented by author Gillum Ferguson, Wyckoff Room, Cullom-Davis Library, free. Call 677-2850. March 29-April 27, The Smalls, Nina Rizzos Exhibition, Hartmann Center gallery, Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts, free. Call 677-2797 March 29, 5:00 pm Reception for Nina Rizzos, Hartmann Center gallery, Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts, free. Call 677-2797. 6 – Monthly Messenger – March 2012
Every Monday, join in for LIVE TRIVIA! This month, we host trivia on Mondays, March 5, 12, 19, and 26, starting at 7:00 p.m. ... with prizes! Saturday, March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. We’ll be serving corned beef and cabbage. Enjoy live music by Threeand-a-Half Men at 7:00 p.m. with no cover charge. Three-and-a-Half Men band member, Brian Buralli, is a MossBradley resident! Events are held at The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill in Campustown, 1200 W. Main St. For more information, call 494-9600 or visit fieldhousepeoria.com.
March 2012 Calendar compiled by Amy Blain
Sun
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) - 2:30 pm Bradley University Theatre
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MSCS – Bradley Symphony Orchestra Concerto Aria Concert 3 pm -Dingeldine Music Center $5/Students Free
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Bradley Symphonic Band - 7:30 pm Dingeldine Music Center $5/Students Free
The Tempest - 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
The Tempest - 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
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Moss-Bradley Membership Meeting Social - 6:30 pm Meeting - 7 pm
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Zoning Commission 1 pm - City Hall Room 400 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) - 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
The Tempest - 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
Daylight Savings Time Begins
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) - 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
Glengarry, Glen Ross - 7:30 pm Corn Stock Theatre Center
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) 8 pm Bradley University Theatre
Glengarry, Glen Ross - 7:30 pm Corn Stock Theatre Center
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Glengarry, Glen Ross - 2:30 pm Corn Stock Theatre Center
2012 Foodshare Can-aThon Neighborhood Collection 1 - 4 pm Bradley Chorale and Chamber Singers 3 pm - Dingeldine Music Center $5/Students Free
Historic Preservation Commission - 8:30 am - City Hall Room 400
Bradley Honor Choir - 7:30 pm Dingeldine Music Center $5/Students Free
Glengarry, Glen Ross - 7:30 pm Corn Stock Theatre Center
PSD 150 No School
Glengarry, Glen Ross - 7:30 pm Corn Stock Theatre Center
Moss-Bradley Residential Association 1512 W Barker Ave Peoria, IL 61606
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Permit #1036 Peoria, IL 61601
Newsletter mossbradleynews@gmail.com Kelly Kolton, Newsletter Editor & Layout Design Skip Cravens, Mailing & Subscription Coordinator Amy Blain, Calendar Monthly Contributors and Photographers as credited
House Fire on Institute Place
PHOTO: DAN CALLAHAN
A house fire took place at 511 N. Institute Place on Feb. 4 shortly after 2:00 a.m. No one was hurt. This photo was taken as the burnt remains were cleared away the following day. Please send your neighborhood photos and historic images to mossbradleynews@gmail.com for future issues!
Officers & Committees West Bluff Council Bradley Univ. Moss Ave. Sale Neighborhood Pride Social Historic Commission Landscaping Greeter Greenway Project Webmaster TriCorn Park
Marjorie Klise Paul Masick Robert D. Aviles Jan Krouse Available Dr. Lindsey & Kathy Ma Paul Masick Sid Ruckriegel Dan Callahan Skip Cravens Peter Getz Steve Erke Jim Adams
674-6864 674-6365 673-8896 676-7900
Board Members President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Director Director Director Director Director
Rod Lorenz Jim Evenhuis Brian Buralli Jim Adams Margaret Cousin Wayne Johnson Marjorie Schwebel Tim Shaw Rita Speck
673-9520 303-3245 369-2037 256-1484 676-2460 453-9436 672-2363
Non-Voting Past Presidents Sid Ruckriegel Andrew McGowan Paul Masick Joanne Bannon
637-3271 674-6365 303-0083 673-7348 674-8037 673-0925 678-0370 256-1484
453-6700 303-0083 677-9808 674-6365 676-0330