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Rated PG: Big weekend in town; new writer introduced

Paul Gordon
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Memorial Day weekend, which is more or less then kickoff to summer, is always filled with revelry in Peoria. This year will be no different, with one rather cool exception.

On Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m., Adams Street between Liberty and Hamilton will be filled with people helping the effort to get Peoria named an All-American City.

The Young Professionals group that is spearheading the All-American City campaign, the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and other organizations are urging as many people as possible to come downtown for a video shoot that will become part of the final package for the jury that will select the award winners.

The video aims to highlight "the great assets and great people of Peoria" and the final scene of the video will be Peorians walking side by side down Adams Street lip synching to the Rod Stewart hit song "Forever Young."

People are asked to wear attire that shows off something unique to Peoria, such as Race for the Cure. Steamboat Days, the Peoria Chiefs or Rivermen, Caterpillar Inc., Bradley University and other items.

The shoot is expected to take no more than an hour. But the fun of getting together with friends can last a lot longer, if you want. Get your friends and family members downtown and join in and show the pride you have in Peoria.

Staging will start at 6 p.m. between Main Street and Hamilton Boulevard. The city will close Adams Street between Liberty Street and Hamilton Boulevard during the shoot.

On Friday at 3:30 p.m. will be the 26th annual Louie Louie Parade, which officially kicks off Peoria's summer season. The parade, highlighted by wacky dressed walkers playing kazoos to the tune of Louie Louie, goes from the Civic Center down Monroe to Main Street, then down Main Street to the river.

The River Jam follows on the CEFCU Stage on the riverfront.

The Louie Louie Parade started as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and it continues as such today, helping to fund the St. Jude Runs that raise money for research every year.

Also downtown on Friday and Saturday will be the Old Quarter Street Party on Water Street in front of Kelleher's. The World Championship Old Time Piano Contest takes place Friday through Sunday at Four Points by Sheraton.

And at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe the annual Summer Camp music festival opens Thursday and continues through Sunday.

That's just a small sampling of things to do this weekend. Check various websites, including the Convention and Visitors Bureau site (the link can be found at the bottom of our home page), for more.

The Peorian welcomes new finance, investment column

The Peorian website has grown again with the addition of local stockbroker Bob Miller to our stable of writers.

Miller, president of Heartland Financial Group in Peoria, will write an occasional column about the finance and investment world in a way we all can understand it. What he won't do is try to solicit business.

In his owns words, Miller — who formerly hosted his own radio show about finance and investing — said he wants to put "a human face" on what can often be complicated subjects. His first column, which was posted this week, does that in a nostalgic way as Miller recounts how he got interested in investing at a young age, thanks to advice from his grandfather.

We hope you enjoy the column.

About the Author
Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).