Voices
Centers of Activity
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 16:08
- Written by Paul Gordon
Area malls and shopping centers ready for holiday shoppers
You won't find many retail store brands more well-known than Macy's, if for no other reason than the popularity of the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" that featured the store, its Thanksgiving parade and its Santa.
You also won't find too many cities the size of Peoria with a Macy's Department Store, but Northwoods...
Ho! Ho! Ho!
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 15:38
- Written by Paul Gordon
The beard is real, so is the spirit of this Santa portrayer
Dick Hawley is 64 years old in age, but still a kid at heart. That's why, he thinks, he plays a pretty good Santa Claus.
"Not everybody can do this," the soft spoken Hawley said recently. "You have to really like kids plus you still have to be one yourself. I was always older for my age when I was a kid and now,...
A Passion for Fashion
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 14:50
- Written by Paul Gordon
Women's clothing store owner never Jaded about her business
When Peoria-area native Jade Venovich got the chance to come home and pursue her self-professed "passion for fashion," she jumped at it.
Five years later, business is good at Belle Mie, one of many locally owned specialty retail stores at Junction City Shopping Center at Knoxville Avenue and Prospect Road in Peoria.
"It was a lifelong dream of mine to own...
You Can Find It Here
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 15:22
- Written by Paul Gordon
Retailers say there is little need to leave Peoria area to shop
It always sounds good and noble when communities start "buy local" campaigns aimed at boosting sales for their locally owned retailers.
Such campaigns have been seen in central Illinois for years, particularly in the communities surrounding Peoria. Some shopping centers, such as the Metro Centre and Junction...
Going Green
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 14:32
- Written by Paul Gordon
You just never know where that cool product at Re- came from
The green movement isn't passing Nancy Martin by. In fact, she's ahead of the curve in this race to sustainability.
Now if only others would discover her quaint little store tucked at the back end of Metro Centre in Peoria.
Re- is the name of the store Martin started five years ago under the name of...
What's My Stuff Worth: Game Machine, Brass Canaries
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 14:56
- Written by Paul Gordon
With Dan Philips
It is common today to find different types of small machines just inside the entry vestibules at grocery stores or pharmacies, machines that give out gum balls or little trinkets, usually for a quarter or two. Some are gaming machines in which you try your skills at nabbing something of value with a crane. They've been around for years.
They also have evolved...
60 Years of Making a Difference
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 14:30
- Written by Paul Gordon
Peoria Friendship House needs help to keep helping others
For 60 years the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service has been striving to make a difference in the lives of men, women and children who need clothes on their back and food on their plates.
But as the economic downturn continues, despite assurances of financial experts that the recession has ended, the...
