Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

Illinois Central College will offer “Express Enrollment” Monday through Wednesday, May 23, 24, and 25 from 8 am to 4 pm, on the East Peoria Campus. Those interested in enrolling at ICC can complete the process of applying and enrolling in just one day. No appointment is necessary, and free parking is available in Lots A and B and in the Visitors Lot. Classes for the summer semester begin Monday, June 6, and fall classes begin Monday, August 15. “Express Enrollment” can be completed in just a few hours’ time. Participants are encouraged to arrive by 1 pm in order to complete all of the steps leading to enrollment in one day. For advising or testing completion only, participants must arrive by 2 pm.                The process includes: Completing and processing an ICC application, completing placement testing, meeting with an advisor to develop a class schedule, filling out financial aid paperwork and setting up a ...

Illinois American Water announced today that five watershed initiatives across the state will receive funding through the company’s 2016 Environmental Grant Program. The recipients will receive a share of grant funds totaling $15,000 for community projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds.  This announcement is being made in conjunction with Earth Day, April 22, 2016, to remind consumers of the vital need to protect our precious resource every day for future generations.  “At Illinois American Water, Earth Day is every day.  Our team works hard to not only provide water for life, but for our communities to thrive,” said Bruce Hauk, president of Illinois American Water.    Illinois American Water awarded the 2016 Environmental Grants as follows:  - The Alton Community School District #11’s Rock Spring Park Watershed Restoration Project will receive a $4,000 grant.  A bio retention system and rain garden will be constructed in an outdoor ...

               In action tonight, the Illinois Central College Board of Trustees unanimously approved the selection of Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey to be the fifth president of the College. Dr. Quirk-Bailey’s appointment requires the finalization of her contract by a vote of the Board, scheduled for their next meeting on May 19.                Sue Portscheller, retiring board chair and chair of the presidential search committee, said, “After in-depth consideration of a pool of very fine finalists, we came to the decision that Dr. Quirk-Bailey was the best candidate to lead Illinois Central College forward. Not only will she bring a breadth of community college experience to our school, but she is well acquainted with the Illinois Community College System. Her focus on student success, data-driven decision making, and workforce development will be key in sustaining the successes IC...

With broad support from area school districts, a bill sponsored by Representative Unes (R-East Peoria) requiring the State of Illinois to provide the ACT test to any school district that wishes to employ it for purposes of measuring and demonstrating college readiness, passed  by 73-36 votes in the Illinois House of Representatives today despite opposition from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).   This proposed legislation comes after ISBE’s unexpected decision to abandon its successful and well-established history with the ACT by instead entering into a three-year contract with SAT.  The ACT has long been the preferred college-readiness exam in states like Illinois.  “I was surprised and disappointed when the State Board of Education announced last fall that it was ending its partnership with ACT in favor of SAT-- a shift that has been largely opposed by local school districts while at the same time offering no obvious net benefit to our state....

Join the Speakeasy Art Center for a Kangatraining open house at The Speakeasy Art Center, 353 Court St. Pekin, Il, on April 27th, at 6:00 PM. Stephanie Keller will explain Kangatraining, teach you about the differences in your body postpartum, show you what carriers are allowed in Kangatraining, and then give you the opportunity to sign up for classes starting on Wednesday May 11th at 6.00 PM.. Stephanie Keller is a Postpartum Doula and Kangatraining instructor in Central Illinois. This event will give mothers interested in finding a way to be active after having a baby, the chance to learn more about Kangatraining. Kangatraining is a complete workout during which both cardiovascular endurance/flexibility and muscular capacity/strength are enhanced. Unlike traditional exercise classes, new moms don't need to worry about finding a babysitter because the babies are worn in carriers/wraps and get to be part of the action! Not only for the physical benefits, but also the opportuni...

               Finding time to read for pleasure is sometimes a challenge during the school year. In fact, with our numerous online entertainment options, it can be difficult to carve time to read at all. With summer just around the corner, the ICC English, Humanities and Language Studies Department’s “Between the Lines” Program has suggestions for reading options to suit a variety of tastes ─ from fiction and fantasy, to biography and horror.                Join ICC Professor Margot Vance and other faculty and staff for “What Should I Read?” on May 3 at 7 p.m., in the Arbor Auditorium on ICC’s North Campus, located at 5407 N. University St., Peoria, to get a jump start on a commitment to read at least one book for pleasure, relaxation or enlightenment this summer.            “Between the Lines” is a lecture series presented...

A great crowd turned out at the Avanti's Dome on April 16th for the Pekin Kids Fest and Pekin  Business Showcase.  You can see all the pictures at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

The Sears Hometown Store kicked off their grand reopening weekend with a ribbon cutting. Representatives from the City of Pekin and the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce were on-hand to congratulate the Sears employees on their recent remodeling. The Sears Hometown Store now offers home appliances, furniture, and mattresses.  They now offer an expanded selection of furniture for every room of the home, as well as an expanded mattress selection.                                                                                   The Sears Hometown Store is located at 3247 ...

Vinyl Art Studio 412 Court St  Pekin, IL 61554  309-201-3343 www.vinylartstudio.com vinylartstudio@gmail.com Cindy Bonnette , Owner Danny Bonnette , Owner Open Wednesday - Friday 10AM - 5PM, Saturday 10PM - 3PM By Apppointment only Sunday- Tuesday Vinyl Art Studio offers Sign Making Parties/Workshops, wood signs painted and/or with vinyl lettering, wall vinyls, car decals, up cycle'd windows and cabinet doors. Vinyl Art Studio customizes orders for most occasions. They also cut custom Bible verses in vinyl for walls or signs.

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Rocky Top Inc.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-620-3413 www.rockytopinc.com 4RockyTop@gmail.com  Alice Neville , President Mike Neville , Vice President  Darrell Neville, Sales Open Monday - Friday 7:00AM - 6:00PM On Call On Weekends Rocky Top, Inc. replaces and repairs your roofing, siding, windows, fencing, decks. Rocky Top Inc., also specializes carpentry, tree removal and remodeling.

Pekin York Rite Masons  338 Elizabeth St.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-648-1793 Charles Robertson , Secretary Charles Marivzza , Treasurer  Fraternal organization - Making good men better. The two main charities are the Mason's state charitable foundation which supports Autism Awareness and Support and the Mason's state Nurses Training Scholarship.

Monday, April 18th, the Illinois House of Representatives provided essential long-term assurance to community colleges in the state by passing HB 4675, which would ensure that all future federal dollars distributed to the State of Illinois for Adult Education and Career and Technical Education are timely appropriated to community colleges, even in lieu of a state budget.  Currently, these funds are coded within the Comptroller’s Office as “special funds” rather than “federal funds,” which had previously compromised their ability to be distributed in lieu of a higher education budget.  Other similar technicalities within the fund distribution process were addressed by previous bills, but did not include the funds outlined specifically by HB 4675. “While achieving a full and comprehensive state budget remains my highest priority as a legislator, I am very much committed to doing what I am able in the meantime to alleviate the burden of this current impasse, such as sponsori...

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting on April 18 at the Pekin Country Club. 140 attendees representing 42 businesses and organizations enjoyed the reception and short business meeting. The keynote speaker was Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Three members of the Board of Directors completed their terms and were recognized for their service. The retiring members were: Larry Crouch, Monge Crouch & Mahoney; Zak Ehrmantraut, Springleaf Financial Services; and Frank Shearer, Covenant Heating & Air. Also recognized was Aindrea Balagna who completed her service on the board as Past President. New board members elected by the chamber membership in March were introduced: Becky Eubanks, Sound Choice Hearing Clinic; Dan Pfeifer, Dan Pfeifer State Farm; and Dennis Short, Pekin Community Bank. Other returning directors on the chamber’s board include Crystal Elliott, Pekin Hospital; Lynzie Gruden, Velde Ford; Dave Vaup...

Illinois Central College is seeking qualified adjunct faculty to teach its subject areas of high need. The College will host a webinar, “ICC Adjunct Faculty Job Fair: A Webinar and Virtual Recruitment Event” on three separate occasions for the convenience of those interested in learning about teaching part-time at ICC. Candidates must have a master’s degree or minimum of 18 hours of graduate-level courses in the discipline to be considered. Some disciplines have additional requirements. Participants may choose from one of the following sessions: ·          Thursday, May 12, from noon to 1 p.m. ·          Thursday, May 12, from 5 to 6 p.m. ·          Wednesday, May 18, from 12: 30 to 1:30 p.m. To participate go online to icc.edu/faculty-jobs , select your preferred webinar session, and sign in. Pre-registration is recommended. To register o...

Be sure to register for one of our fun programs at Pekin Park District.   Programs that you can register for now are Rec Soccer, Tot Soccer, Boy’s and Girl’s T-Ball, Canine Obedience, Water Dragons Swim Team, Larry’s Casting Kids and our Summer Camps. Rec Soccer, for ages 6 – 10, begins April 11 and Tot Soccer, for ages 3 – 6, begins on May 3.  T-Ball and Swim Team begin June 6.  We have three Canine Obedience sessions per year, so check in to see which time will be better for you and your pet.  Summer Camps begin May 25, 2016! For more information about any of these programs that will keep your child active all summer, please see our Play Guide at www.pekinparkdistrict.org or contact Program Manager, Dawn Wilde-Burgess at dwilde@pekinparkdistrict.org or (309)201-4006.

High school juniors and seniors and their parents, as well as community members, are invited to “Discover ICC Pekin” on Tuesday, April 26 from 5─7 p.m., at the Illinois Central College Pekin Campus, located at Riverway Business Park, 225 Hanna Dr., in Pekin. ICC representatives will be on hand to assist with questions related to admissions, financial aid, testing and advising and will offer brief presentations at 5:15 and 6 pm on the Pekin Campus’ fall semester 2016 course offerings. Information on English, CNA, and welding summer classes also will be available. The College recently revised the Pekin Campus’ class schedule to allow students to complete general education courses in a more streamlined format. The summer semester begins Monday, June 6, and the fall semester begins on Monday, August 15. “The open house is an opportunity for residents of Pekin and surrounding communities to discover the benefits of the ICC Pekin Campus to the community and to learn more about the ne...

   Awards program identifies, recognizes and honors the best places of employment Champaign, IL – First Busey Corporation is honored to be among the 2016 Best Places to Work in Illinois . The survey and awards program identifies, recognizes and honors the best places of employment in Illinois—benefiting the state’s economy, workforce and businesses. The Best Places to Work in Illinois is presented in partnership by The Daily Herald Business Ledger , the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC), the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Busey is among 18 companies recognized in the large employer category (500 or more U.S. employees). To determine the Best Places to Work in Illinois , companies were nominated in a two-part process. First, organizations were evaluated on their workplace policies, practices and demograph...

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On Saturday, April 23rd, Sprint is hosting a Customer Appreciation Block Party at their Pekin Location. This will be an indoor/outdoor event, with fun games for the kids, free chair massages from 2 licensed massage therapists, free food, and a live remote from Energy 102.3 radio station! This event is open to the public, Sprint customer or otherwise. The event runs from 11am to 2pm, and the address is 3506 Court Street, Pekin IL 61554. For more information contact Store Manager, Jeff Vedas Sprint by Wireless Express, Pekin 309-202-1637 mobile 309-353-2555 office

The Illinois Central College Music Program presents The Sounds of Formosa, a recital featuring award-winning pianist Dr. Pei-I Wang on Monday, April 18 at 7:30 pm in Lecture/Recital Hall Room 127F, located on the East Peoria Campus. The event features a selection of Taiwanese composers’ piano compositions performed by Wang and rising artist Meng-Chun Chien. Wang was the winner of the 2011 Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition, and Chien took first prize in the 2016 Kankakee Piano Concerto Competition. The concert will include works for piano solo, piano duet, and piano duo music. Compositional styles include character pieces, suite, waltz, transcriptions/arrangements of Taiwanese folk tunes, the atonal work, and the delightful Western-Chinese synthetic medleys. Music selected for this event was chosen in tribute to two prominent Taiwanese composers who passed away in 2015 ─ Shui-Long Ma and Tyzen Hsiao. Both composers were highly respected in the Taiwanese music society...

Moving into its second year, the Illinois Central College Penguin Players program is set to take flight and aims to give more students with special needs, along with their mentors, opportunities to perform on stage and earn college credit. "We are very excited to once again be offering the Penguin Players program this summer,” said Kari Schimmel, dean of ICC’s Arts and Communication Department. “Last year's production was a great learning experience for everyone involved.” The Penguin Players was created last year as a collaboration involving Illinois Central College and the Penguin Project, the highly successful local program which gives participants with special needs performing arts opportunities. ICC’s Penguin Players is patterned after the Penguin Project. However, to allow new children to enter the program, the Penguin Project has an upper age limit. ICC’s Penguin Players program does not have an upper age limit. Participants must be at least 16 years of age and a...

With broad support from area school districts, a bill sponsored by Representative Unes (R-East Peoria) requiring the State of Illinois to provide the ACT test to any school district that wishes to employ it for purposes of measuring and demonstrating college readiness, passed through committee today despite opposition from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).   This proposed legislation comes after ISBE’s unexpected decision to abandon its successful and well-established history with the ACT by instead entering into a three-year contract with SAT.  The ACT has long been the preferred college-readiness exam in states like Illinois.  “I was surprised and disappointed when the State Board of Education announced last fall that it was ending its partnership with ACT in favor of SAT-- a shift has been largely opposed by local school districts, while at the same time it offers no obvious net benefit to our state.  The consequences of marginalizing our l...

Illinois Central College Health Careers Department is accepting students in its Respiratory Therapist and Medical Laboratory Technician programs for fall 2016. The fall semester begins Monday, August 15. Registration is now available. More information on eligibility requirements, the selection process and how to apply to the Health Careers Program is available at icc.edu/academics/catalog/health-careers/ For questions or for more information, please call the ICC Health Careers Department at (309) 999-4600 or email HealthCareers@icc.edu

Illinois Nature Conservancy Deputy Director of River Conservation Jason Beverlin will kick off ICC’s Student Sustainability Presentation Contest with a presentation on “Emiquon: The Nature Conservancy’s Floodplain Restoration Project” on Tuesday, April 19 from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Lecture/Recital Hall on the East Peoria Campus.             Beverlin will discuss his role at Emiquon and the importance of water conservation. A graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, he brings his more than 20 years of experience in conservation to the topic of sustainability. Beverlin has served as deputy director at the Nature Conservancy, ecosystems administrator with the Department of Natural Resources and as curator of education at Peoria’s Glen Oak Zoo.             ICC students will present projects relating to a variety of sustainability topics immediately following th...

Illinois Central College presents a week of concerts, events and exhibits as the Arts and Communication Department presents Arts Week 2016 from April 18 through April 22 on the East Peoria Campus.                 The week kicks off April 18 with several activities, demonstrations and events at various locations, highlighted by the 4 th Annual Jim Maloof’s Legacy of Love for the Arts in Central Illinois event at 6:30 pm in the Performing Arts Center. These activities are the first of more than 20 different events scheduled throughout the week, including several performances, art gallery displays, concerts, lectures and more.                 Among the scheduled events: ·          Vagabond Art Club’s unique The Art of Ice Cream sale, in which the ice cream is sold, served in a bowl made by an IC...

Seventy-five business and community leaders attended the April 8th Puttin' On Pekin breakfast held at Mashie's Pub & Eatery inside Sunset Hills Golf Club. Tim Coan from TLC Fosters won the early prize, while Rob Brandenburg from Sears Hometown won the late prize.  Chad Roepenack accepted the Spotlight on Business Award for Jimmy John's.  John & Therese Hiller accepted the Blue Ribbon Award for their work at Hiller Automotive and Steve Thompson accepted the Sunshine award presented to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.  Dr. Bill Link, Josh Norman, Lynn Brown and Debbie Denning spoke about Pekin Public Schools District 108 and the Blue Ribbon Award won by Scott Altman Elementary School.  You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

Representatives of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pekin congratulated Pekin Glass and Mirror on their recent opening of a Gift Shop in their showroom at 332 Derby Street.  Pictured from left to right are Earl Riley, Ron Harlan, Gregg Ratliff, Holly Payne, Dan Sullivan, Teresa Mack, Brigitte Sullivan, Mayor John McCabe, and Leigh Ann Brown.

Illinois Central College English students will perform eight-minute idea exchange presentations in the “A Way with Words” event on Friday, April 29, from 1-4 pm, in the Academic Building Lecture/Recital Hall, Room 127F, on the East Peoria Campus. This is the second edition of the event, which played to a full house and enthusiastic crowd in 2015. Students from 12 sections of ICC’s English 111 will choose one peer’s semester capstone presentation to represent their class for the event. Students from ICC’s Interpreter Preparation Program will provide a signed interpretation of the presentations as part of their semester internship. The presentations will feature the student’s original idea for making the world a better place and will cover a broad range of topics, including education, technology, agriculture and social justice. The event is free and open to the public. For questions or for more information, contact Andrew Bonvicini at andrew.bonvicini@icc.edu

ProHealth Medical Group, Pekin Hospital and Progressive Health Systems are pleased to welcome Dr. Housam Soukieh to ProHealth Pulmonary Specialists in Pekin, Illinois. Dr. Soukieh comes to ProHealth from Landmark Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, where he consulted on pulmonary and critical care cases. He is a board-certified pulmonologist with more than 18 years’ experience in pulmonary medicine. Dr. Soukieh graduated from the Damascus School of Medicine in Damascus, Syria. He completed the internal medicine residency program at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the pulmonary fellowship program at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Part of Progressive Health Systems, ProHealth Medical Group was established in 1986 as a sister organization of Pekin Hospital. ProHealth offers eight practices throughout the Pekin area. For more information visit pekinprohealth.com .

Paul Mueller, P.E., a civil engineer at Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Peoria office, recently celebrated 15 years of service at the firm.  Prior to joining Hanson in 2001, Mueller was a project manager for Daily and Associates Engineers Inc. in Peoria. At Hanson, he has provided services for civil and site design and construction plans for numerous projects, including HeartCare Midwest, the Illinois Eye Center and the OSF St. Francis Medical Center’s Milestone Project, all in Peoria; an expansion of Union Pacific Railroad’s intermodal facility in Marion, Arkansas; new public library facilities in Dunlap, Farmington, Williamsville and Chatham; building and parking additions at the Caterpillar Edwards Demonstration and Learning Center in Edwards; student housing at Illinois Central College; building additions, parking and athletic fields at high schools in East Peoria, Metamora and Washington, Illinois; Heddington Oaks Nursing Home in West Peoria; various projects at several p...

Registration is now available for convenient day and evening class scheduling options for both the summer and fall semesters at ICC Pekin, located at Riverway Business Park, 225 Hanna Drive. Classes for the summer semester begin Monday, June 6, and classes for the fall semester begin Monday, August 15. Students can choose from several core general education courses for fall, including English, communication, several levels of math, psychology and music. Classes in nurse assistant training, GED preparation, and business also are available. Summer classes include English, CNA training and welding. Students attending the ICC Pekin location will benefit from smaller class sizes, “smart” classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, free academic placement testing, and convenient, free parking. Enrollment and student accounting services also are available at ICC Pekin. Service hours are from 8 am to 3 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays. A computer station is available during these hours for stu...

Yoga Happens Here  405 Court St.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-282-6112  www.yogahappenshere.com Paula Bayer , Owner Open Monday Through Saturday.  Learn how to relax with yoga