Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

According to the Illinois Chamber, the Democratic leaders in Springfield have reached a deal that includes the largest corporate tax increase in the country, a 75% increase in personal income taxes and billions in state borrowing.   With reform talks falling short of what the state really needs, the legislature will be voting on the increases in the next few days.  It's not too late to stop these tax increases.  More information is available at:   http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=197&issueid=23325&atid=18042&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=false  

Twenty-four leaders attended the opening session of the R. David Tebben Community Leadership Academy. This 10-week program will prepare them for the leadership challenges and opportunities in our community. This is the 13th year the chamber has coordinated a leadership academy. Pamela Anderson from the City of Pekin is facilitating the Thursday morning sessions, most of which will be held at Pekin Hospital. In addition to the classroom sessions, there are also weekly field trips to various businesses and organizations.

The Grand Victorian of Pekin was the host of the January Business After Hours and a large crowd of chamber members came out to enjoy their hospitality. In addition to delicious food and drinks, there were tours of the facility and door prizes. Candace Scarcliff, Executive Director of The Grand Victorian, welcomed everyone and gave an update on their facility. The Grand Victorian of Pekin is located at 2700 S. 14th.  You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

The Illinois Chamber reports that state legislators could be looking to push through major tax changes during the lame duck session, before new legislators are sworn in on January 12.   There are several tax and fee increases that seem to appear every session as ways to increase state revenues.  Many of these are again being discussed this week and could adversely affect the business climate in Pekin and in Illinois.  Please review the information at the link below to learn how these proposed changes could affect you. http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?AID=197&Screen=alert&IssueId=23305&APP=GAC&SiteID=-1&VV_CULTURE=en-us

The Chicago Cubs and Peoria Chiefs have announced that the Cubs Caravan is returning to Peoria on Thursday, January 13, 2010 at 4:45 p.m. with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. at the RiverPlex and will be highlighted by Randy Wells, Blake DeWitt, Cubs radio play-by-play voice Pat Hughes and former Cubs leadoff hitter Bob Dernier. Other players on the Cubs Caravan include Koyie Hill former Chiefs Justin Berg, Jay Jackson and Chris Carpenter, Vice President of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita, new Pitching Coach Mark Riggins and coaches Lester Strode and Dave Keller.  View more info here

Pekin Hospital and the Pekin Daily times are teaming up to offer a Personal Down Sizing team weight loss competition starting January 25.   Teams will consist of five members who are 18 years or older.   The entry free to participate is $30 per team.   All teams must be consist of five members, with any combination of men and women, who are 18 years or older.   Starting weigh-ins will be held January 25 and January 27 from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Pekin Hospital’s Wellness Center.   Monthly weigh-ins will be held through May.   Final weigh-outs will be held May 17 and May 19 from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monetary prizes will be awarded to two individuals:   one with has the most pounds lost and one with the highest percentage of weight lost, as well as two teams:   one with the most pounds lost and one with the highest percentage of weight lost.   Participants who weigh in on the designated dates will also be eligible to win a $100 gift card. For more in...

The Tazewell County Jaycees and the Avanti’s Dome are teaming up to present the 1 st Annual Tazewell County Wine and Beer Festival.   The event will be held at the Dome on Friday, February 25 th from 5 pm until 11 pm.   The hit local band, The Willies, will be playing from 7 pm – 11 pm.   Attendees will have the opportunity to sample many different wines and international beers for 75 cents a pop. Tickets are $10 and will include entrance to the event and two drink tickets.   The first 350 people will also receive a free souvenir wine glass.    Tickets will be sold at local establishments, including all Avanti’s locations.    A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Children’s Hospital of Central Illinois. For more information, please visit the Tazewell County Jaycees website:   www.tazcojaycees.com

Act On Energy® helps Ameren Illinois customers reduce their energy costs through financial incentives to assist with the purchase of newer, more energy-efficient equipment.  Act On Energy is now offering a FREE webinar that will provide businesses with energy-savings facts and tips for their furnace or boiler.  Rod Rhoades, an HVAC Specialist with over 20 years of HVAC experience, will discuss: How an oversized or undersized furnace or boiler wastes energy How a proper installation can help reduce energy usage and extend the life of new equipment Features that can be added to your furnace or boiler that will save energy How to properly program your thermostat to optimize energy savings Potential energy savings and paybacks How to take advantage of the Act On Energy incentive money to help with the up-front cost of upgrading your equipment  This free webinar will last one hour and will be offered on Wednesday January 12 th at 8 AM.   To register for the webi...

The Tazewell County Jaycees will be hosting a Trivia Night on Thursday, January 13 th starting at 6:30pm at EP’s Timeout (1011 E. Washington St.) in East Peoria to raise funds for the Tazewell Animal Protective Society (TAPS) in Pekin . A two to ten person team will be able to play 8 rounds of 10 questions for $10.00 per person or $5.00 per person for Jaycees.   Registration begins at 6pm with play starting at 6:30pm .   Throughout the evening a 50/50 raffle will be conducted along with door prizes being awarded.   The winning team will be awarded a traveling trophy, free admission and 2 free pizzas from EP’s Timeout at the next trivia night. If you would like to reserve a table for your team please contact the Tazewell County Jaycees at TazCoJaycees@yahoo.com .   Please note that reservations are preferred, but not required. The Jaycees provide individuals between the age of 18 and 41 the opportunity to develop personal and leadership skills while serving t...

Heartland Bank and Trust Company is pleased to announce the promotion of Paul Scherer to Assistant Vice President.  Scherer is currently located in Pekin and is responsible for overseeing both the Court Street and Broadway banking center locations.  Having joined Heartland Bank in 2008, Scherer has 14 years of experience in lending.  Attending school locally, Scherer graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.  Following college he worked as a collections specialist then moved into retail banking as a Branch Manager and most recently holding the dual role of Branch Manager and Mortgage Loan Originator.  Scherer currently serves as Ambassador for the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and Superintendent of the Northfield Christian Fellowship Sunday School Department.  He currently resides in Tremont with his wife, Jennifer, and two children, Hannah and Jacob.  Heartland Bank and Trust Company is an independently owned...

In an effort to improve the health of central Illinois, Pekin Hospital will offer free blood pressure screenings on Tuesday, January 11 from 4 – 6 p.m. at Tremont Fitness located at 22522 IL Rt. 9 in Tremont . The event is open to women and men. As a reminder to participants, screenings are not intended to take the place of regular physical examinations, but are offered as an opportunity for individuals to learn more about their own health. No appointment is necessary.   First come, first served.   For upcoming screenings and information, please visit www.pekinhospital.org or call (309) 353-0662.

The 18 th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast for Equality will be held Saturday, January 15 th at 9:00 a.m. at Edison Junior High School.  Breakfast will be available at 8:15 a.m. and will be catered by CJ’s Café.  Students (18 and younger) attend for free, with an $8.00 charge for adults attending.  This year’s speaker is Oba William King, a poet and storyteller.  He will present his program, “I Love My People”, featuring poetry and stories that share the commonality of people as captured in the writings of African-American authors.  Click here to view the flyer .  For reservations or more information, please call the YWCA at (309) 347-9922, ext. 25.  The Breakfast is sponsored by the YWCA’s Coalition for Equality, United Way of Pekin, and the Illinois Humanities Council.

TAPS recently published their December 2010 Newlsetter. Here is just a glimpse of what you will find.   Warm Holiday Greetings to Everyone,   Another year has past to reflect on as the Holidays are upon us, and the New Year right around the corner. From an economic standpoint - this has been a more challenging year for TAPS, but the economy is only one measure of success. When resources are more abundant, there are more ways we can to enrich the lives of animals at TAPS, as well as make a larger community impact, but we are by no means in danger of closing or walking away from our goals and mission - thanks to the steady support of so many individuals and businesses who help in various ways. No - a successful year is also made up by the animals cared for and adopted, lives touched, relationships built or sustained and community impact. In these areas we have made a difference. Continued...    Additional Information available online: Upcoming Events Featured pets of ...

Pekin Hospital is pleased to offer an adult diabetes education workshop on January 10, 11, and 12.   The series of three classes will be held from 2 – 5 p.m. in the 4 South Education Classroom at Pekin Hospital. The classes are designed to provide information on managing adult diabetes and are designed to help diabetics learn and develop the skills of self-management of diabetes therapy.   Topics covered in the sessions will include:   v       the importance of diabetes control and the factors that influence this control v       how to plan meals according to food selections and serving size v       the possible complications associated with diabetes v       why exercise will benefit your health and make you feel good Workshop speakers will include a Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse, Registered Pharmacist, Exercise Specialist, and Regis...

The Community Foundation of Central Illinois Responds to Increased Demands on Local Food Banks, Announces $36,000 in Year-end Grants; Total Local Impact to Exceed $58,000. PEORIA- In response to the increased demands on local food banks, the Community Foundation of Central Illinois (CFCI) announced today the distribution of $36,000 in year-end grants to help three local non-profit organizations provide food to needy children and families this holiday season.   CFCI will make three $12,000 grants to benefit the Salvation Army Food Pantry, the Peoria Area Food Bank, and Midwest Food Bank.   The grants are being made by CFCI from the RLI Corporate Fund.    Directors from each of the food banks took part in a news conference held at the Salvation Army’s Food Warehouse, communicating the impact these grants will have on their programs.   Larry Herman, Director of the Midwest Food Bank said, “ Midwest Food Bank is humbled by the investment that RLI is making into o...

Another month has passed and we've condensed all the news from our blog into a monthly digest.  Please view or print this month's Chamber Connection  newsletter by visiting:   http://www.pekin.net/ChamberNewsletter.htm

Business EXPO 2011 The 2011 Pekin Area Business EXPO is a great opportunity to showcase your products or services to the public.   Last year 65 businesses and organizations participated. We hope you’ll join us for the Pekin Area Business EXPO ’11. Avanti’s Dome Saturday, January 22, 2011 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Free Admission – Free Parking Great EXPO Features: Ÿ          Entertainment Ÿ          Grand Prize Drawing: $250 Visa Gift Card, Sponsored by Illinois Collections Unlimited Ÿ          Door prize drawings all day from Exhibitors Join your fellow chamber members and promote all that is available in the Pekin area!   Register your business today.   View and print registration information on line at http://pekin.net/2010/EXPOmailer2011.pdf   Discounts apply to Chamber Members.   Register by December 31 st to be included in the special EXPO...