PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2022

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TRUST AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION | WEALTH PLANNING | INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT | CREDIT AND CASH MANAGEMENT

JUNE 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

ON THE COVER: Work continues on the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge ABOVE: (L to R): Peoria Civic Center, Peoria City Hall, Obed & Isaac's, 416 Main, St. Mary's Cathedral Cover photo by Ron Johnson COVER STORIES 30 Debating Central Illinois’ Most ‘Significant’ Architecture By Mike Bailey 34 McClugage Bridge - This Septuagenarian is Getting New Bones By Phil Luciano

SPOTLIGHTS 22 Peoria Pursues Its Choo-Choo to Chicago By Phil Luciano 26 ‘The Epitome of the American Dream’ -

48 The Soul of a Home - Reagan Leslie By Laurie Pillman 52 For Madison Theatre Resurrection, the ‘Time Has Come’ By Lisa Coon 64 Havanans Are Looking Up By Nick Vlahos 68 The Washington Way By Scott Fishel 98 ‘MotorWeek’ Keeps Rolling Along By Steve Tarter

Omer Osman, IDOT Secretary By Mike Bailey 38 Road and Bridge Roundup - ‘An Investment In Our Future’ By Lisa Coon 40 Major Improvements Coming To River City Roadways By Lisa Coon 42 Peoria Heights Eyeballs Game-Changing Capital Projects By Lisa Coon 44 The Knolls - ‘People Who Move Here, Stay Here’ By Amy Talcott

2 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

FEATURES 8 Seed and Soil:

18 Dish and Drink:

86 Playing in Peoria:

Corn Belt Report: Is It Time to Rethink Corn? By Steve Tarter

Coffee and Cool Come to Hanna City By Steve Tarter

Peoria Ballet, ‘Art That Moves’ By Laurie Pillman 88 Twenty Something: Commentary Taking the Scenic Route By CeCe Hill 90 EconCorner: Jake Kinsey, University of Illinois Gies College of Business 94 WordCount: One Spooky Storyteller - Sylvia Shults By Laurie Pillman 100 On the Scene, Central Illinois

54 Peoria Retro:

10 Seed and Soil:

Peoria’s Architects and the Jewels They Left Behind By Linda Smith Brown

Fred the Horse Cartoons By Dan Ackley

63 Peoria Retro:

12 Seed and Soil:

Rickety, Risky Bridges By Phil Luciano 74 Mom and Pop: Commentary Stylish and Sustainable By Roxy Baker 78 Playing in Peoria: Commentary Female Musicians Find It’s Still A Man’s Stage By Kirk Wessler

Maybe I’m Amazed By Steve Tarter

15 Dish and Drink:

What's Cookin' - A Ginger Cake to Remember By Mary DiSomma

17 Dish and Drink:

Cocktail Class – The Lazy Snitch By Dustin Crawford

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY

58 Bringing a Peoria Landmark To Life By Thomas Wilson 102 Add The ‘Extra’ To Your Ordinary By Dee Brown 104 A Penny – Maybe More — For Your Thoughts? By Amy Burkett 108 One Last Thing: The Bar Dog of Bar Dogs By Phil Luciano 111 Toon Town By Dan Ackley AND MORE 7 Letter from the Editor 82 ArtsPartners Calendar 106 In Brief 112 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue

October 2022 contributors: Dan Ackley, Roxy Baker, Dee Brown, Linda Smith Brown, Mary Burkett, Lisa Coon, Dustin Crawford, Mary DiSomma, Scott Fishel, CeCe Hill, Jake Kinsey, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, Amy Talcott, Steve Tarter, Nick Vlahos, Thomas Wilson, Kirk Wessler FOLLOW@PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/subscribe.

4 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

MONTHLY ISSUE 102022 ISSN: 947

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OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 5

E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com PUBLISHER Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org C R E A T I V E SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org WTVP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Sanders A D V E R T I S I N G PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com julie.sanders@wtvp.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

6 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

HERE’S TO THE DREAMERS AND DOERS

W elcome to Peoria Mag azine’s Infrastructure and Architecture edition, dedicated to those who first imagine, then build. Obviously, I chose a profession that allowsme to construct withwords asmy bricks, but if I had it all to do over again, I might have studied architecture. Math was my strongest subject, and I was a daydreamer and doodler. Combine that nuts-and-bolts side with that artistic bent, mix the ingredients in a bowl, and voilà, you have architect soup. It's not quite that straightforward, of course, but I’ve always fancied that I approach my work like an architect confronts a structure.Whetherwriting a story or planning thismagazine, it starts with an idea, a concept you sketch out in your head or on paper. Then you lay a foundation, construct a framework – literarywalls, windows, wiring, plumbing – fill in the gaps with binding masonry, and finishwith a flourish, cupola on top, on time and under budget. I'm an October baby. This time of year, I always indulge my inner Frank Lloyd Wright, pull my Department 56 Halloween Village from the boxes in the crawl space, and undertake the now-elaborate task of building my own little town. I have my own zoning code – homes here, village green there, City Hall here, factories over there, Downtown somewhere in the middle, all joined by a circular railroad track

– and I populate the place with trick-or treaters and monsters of every variety. It’s a total geek-out. My wife hates — but tolerates — it, the grandsons love it, and the grandkids win. You might say I was looking forward to this issue. I’m biased, but I think there are some really interesting stories lurking within. We write about the construction of the eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge, a multi-year, monumental piece of work that if you stood it up on one end, would rise 335 stories – far and away making it the world’s tallest skyscraper. We explore the nooks and crannies of The Knolls subdivision in Peoria, at nearly 100 years old still among the most beautiful, distinctive, masterfully planned neighborhoods in central Illinois, for my money. We knew how to build communities that last and that people want to live in, once upon a time. We talk with Omer Osman, the face of infrastructure in this state as the first Peorian and first person of color to serve as secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. We convene a panel of local architects to pick a top 10 of prominent buildings in central Illinois, while posing the fundamental question: What does a community’s architecture say about its aspirations? Their selections, while subjective, suggest that Peoria was

once a city of grand ambition, if more than a century ago. Here I point east toColumbus, Indiana, a community of 50,000 four-hours drive fromPeoria, which has received national attention and praise as the “Athens of the Prairie.” Community leaders there, with a nudge from local corporate benefactor and engine-maker Cummins, Inc., sought out the planet’s most renowned architects — Eero Saarinen (St. Louis’ Gateway Arch), I.M. Pei (Paris’ Grand Louvre), Cesar Pelli (Petronas Towers), Robert Venturi, RichardMeier, etc. – to design temples of religion, government, education and business. Columbus proves that you don’t have to beChicago to dreamand build big and enjoy the fruits thereof. Why not Peoria? This month’s theme dovetai ls perfectly with this magazine’s mission to recognize and remind the locals what is special about this place we call home, and to help raise the bar for our collective future. Enjoy!

Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

S E E D A N D S O I L

CORN BELT REPORT: IS IT TIME TO RETHINK CORN? Staple crop faces challenges from soybeans, electric cars

BY STEVE TARTER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

8 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

I n Illinois, corn historically has been king, flanking one’s every move if you drive about the state in summer or fall. But this year, for the first time in almost 40 years, soybean acreage exceeded corn in the state. There was still a lot of corn planted: 10.7 million acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but soybean acreage totaled 11.2 million acres. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 40 YEARS, SOYBEAN ACREAGE EXCEEDED CORN: 10.7 MILLION ACRES OF CORN, 11.2 MILLION ACRES OF SOYBEANS “Many (farmers) decided to not plant corn on corn again but to rotate with soybeans to go for even higher yields that could rival corn profit potential,” said Stephanie Porter, outreach agronomist for the Bloomington-based Illinois Soybean Association. Other factors include the growing demand for biodiesel, the blend of soybean oil with diesel fuel, and the dramatic rise in the cost of nitrogen fertilizer, an input considered necessary for corn production, she said. Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County FarmBureau, noted that farmers looked at corn input costs that effectively doubled in a year. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine spiked nitrogen prices further,” he said. Russia andUkraine together export about one thirdof the fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus that farmers use. But central Illinois farmers such as Rob Asbell in Brimf ield aren’t complaining about this year’s harvest. “I’d rate this year good to excellent with beans ‘very good’ and the corn ‘pretty good,’” he said. Asbell, who’s farmed for more than 20 years, knows that others in the state haven’t been so lucky. “Logan County, which had no rain this year, was underwater last year,” he said.

said Guebert, referring to federal mandates that required ethanol to be blended into motor fuel. “They have a choice now,” he said, referring to the rising number of electric vehicles on the market.

‘BY 2035 THERE WON'T BE A SINGLE AUTO MANUFACTURER BUILDING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE’

Mark Read, who farms 2,200 acres with his brother Chuck in Putnam and Bureau counties, said last season’s results were good but he expects even better this year, speculating on yields of 250 bushels of corn and 75 bushels of soybeans per acre. Read echoed Asbell in recognizing that farmers in this part of the state were fortunate. “We didn’t get the storms like southern Illinois did where they had 11-inch rains,” he said. A district director for the state’s soybean association, Read has traveled widely as a soybean ambassador. “We were just over in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, to show why U.S. soybeans are better,” he said. American beans compete globally against those grown in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, said Read. On a previous trip to Honduras in Central America, Read inspected a system for raising tilapia that were being fed meal from U.S. soybeans exclusively. “Then they ship those fish back to the U.S. for sale,” he said. The success of soybeans isn’t the only issue on the horizon for corn growers, however. With 40 percent of U.S. corn currently used for ethanol as an additive in gasoline, observers have raised the question: What happens whenAmericanmotorists adopt electric vehicles? Earlier this year, the Des Moines Register, a newspaper in the heart of Iowa, the other major corn-producing state along with Illinois, ran an op-ed that suggested “it’s time to pivot and figure what’s next … after ethanol.” “Think about it,” said independent ag columnist AlanGuebert. “By 2035, there won’t be a single auto manufacturer building an internal combustion engine. Ethanol is a doomed product,” he said. “Americans didn’t have a choice when the Clean Air Act was passed in 2007,”

— Alan Guebert

But Guebert, whose brother Richard heads the Illinois Farm Bureau, knows ethanol won’t go down without a fight. “Farmers have a strong lobby that will keep the ethanol balloon up,” he said. Bill Leigh, a farmer inMarshall County and past president of the Illinois Corn Bureau, isn’t pressing the panic button regarding the future of ethanol. “We’re not ready to give up on the alternative fuel side. Higher octane fuels — with ethanol —will be good for the consumer as we move to electric,” he said. Leigh ticked off other reasons for optimism: a big uptick in exports of ethanol blends, using ethanol in aviation fuel, and the prospect of new products to come, he said. While visiting a farm in Leroy, Illinois in August, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the ethanol question. “Detroit is going to continue to make combustion engines. From now until 2035, people are going to keep their trucks and their cars for an extended period of time,” he said. “The future of the (ethanol) industry in terms of transportation, in terms of cars and trucks, is still very valid,” he said.

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who was born in England, raised in Boston, moved to Peoria to attend Bradley University and decided to stay. He has spent a career in journalism and public relations

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

10 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11 Contact: Danielle Easton at deaston@eastersealsci.com (309)687-2022 eastersealsci.com/tribute

Eight-year old Justin Jeffries and his parents, Gina and Justin, find the exit after walking through the corn maze at Ackerman Family Farms in Morton

S E E D A N D S O I L

MAYBE I’M AMAZED Corn mazes confound – and thrive — in central Illinois

BY STEVE TARTER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

W elcome to autumn, a time of falling leaves, pumpkins and corn mazes. Those mazes have become an integral part of the harvest scene in Illinois, a state with a lot of corn. The twists and turns may confound young visitors but not the farmers who now employ modern technology to create the attractions. There are even businesses to help set up corn mazes, said Craig Tanner, vice president in charge of growing operations at Tanner's Orchard in Speer. A member of the fourth generation of Tanners now operating the bustling

20 years ago alongside apples, cider, doughnuts, pumpkins, farm animals and all those jams and jellies. “We always had a different design. The first time it took 12 hours just to plant it,” he said. Now Tanner uses Maze Play, a company out of Idaho that helps set up some 150 corn mazes across the country, providing designs, planting the seed as well as step-by-step directions for creating a specialtymaze along with supplying marketing support. Shawn Stolworthy, founder of Maze Play, started the business with the help of his brother just over 20 years ago. “We had to put our life savings into the

An aerial view of a Tanner’s Orchard maze design from 2014.

farmmarket, which for twomonths out of the year is undoubtedly the busiest spot in Stark County, Tanner said the corn maze took its place at the market

12 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

business and took a chance that we could make the business work,” he said. Along the way, Stolworthy created a maze manual as well as designing the Farm Scene Investigation corn maze game. As for the designs, he notes, “I consider myself an artist and I paint with a John Deere tractor.” The corn maze tradition also started 20 years ago at the Ackerman Family Farm in Morton. As for the design selected each year, “we usually follow the theme of the Morton Pumpkin Festival. This year it’s a 1980s theme,” he said. “After my wife and I decide on the theme, we draw it out and use GPS planting to put it in the ground,” said owner John Ackerman. “The corn maze is a pretty popular activity. Ours is family-friendly, not a three-hour ordeal to get through. Ours takes 45 minutes to an hour for most people. It’s relatively easy to get out but people play it differently. Some like to solve the puzzle,” he said. ‘I CONSIDER MYSELF AN ARTIST AND I PAINT WITH A JOHN DEERE TRACTOR’ “There are clues within the cornmaze that spell a corn maze message. If you get it right, you get a Smartie candy. If you don’t, you get a Dum Dum sucker,” said Ackerman. At Rader Family Farms in Normal where they call it “agritainment,” the corn maze takes up 12 acres. “We divide it into two phases, the first being shorter and easier,” said Chuck Blystone, activities manager at Rader farm. Just like Tanner’s, the Rader op eration uses a specialist to assist in maze creation. “We send our ideas to the Maize Company, a Utah company that designs mazes around the world. They convert our ideas into a work able design. That design is then sent in digital form to Precision Planting,” said Blystone, referring to the Tremont agricultural giant. — Shawn Stolworthy

Kurt Eberle designs a corn maze at Tanner’s

“The maze is planted late in the planting season—generally in mid June—because we want the corn to stay green as long as possible while guests are enjoying the maze,” he said. “We do several things to broaden the maze experience. The first phase of our maze has six checkpoints. At each checkpoint is a crayon and a medallion bearing an animal paw print. Kids are given a game sheet and trace the paw print at each checkpoint,” said Blystone. The second phase has 10 checkpoints that call for various actions by those passing through. The Rader also features two flashlight night mazes this month: Oct. 15 and Oct. 29, Blystone noted. Tanner’s used to offer a night maze, as well, said Craig Tanner. It doesn’t anymore, though groups of 20 or more can call to arrange special maze nights, he said. “Our first year we were doing mazes at night and we thought everyone had come out of the maze. We later found out that two couples had remained,” said Tanner. “They finally got out around 2 a.m. When they called the next day, needless to say, they were a little annoyed.” The Rader maze is probably the most elaborate in the area but if maze fans want to poke around inwhat ‘s reported to be the world’s largest maze, they’ll find it in Spring Grove, just north of Chicago, where a 28-acre field has been converted this year to a corn maze commemorating 60 years of James Bond movies.

IF YOU GO Ackerman’s Family Farm, Morton Farm hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Corn Maze open through Halloween. Admission: adults, $5, $4 for teens, $3 for children (two and under, free) Rader Family Farm, Normal Farm hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Columbus Day (Oct. 10), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Corn Maze open through Oct. 30 Admission, $8; Night maze (Oct. 15. and Oct. 29— 6:30 to 10 p.m.), $10 Tanner’s Orchard, Speer Farm hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; corn maze hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Corn Maze open through Halloween Admission: $8 (group pricing available)

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who has spent a career in journalism and public relations

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

WHAT’S Cookin’

A GINGER CAKE TO REMEMBER

BY MARY DISOMMA

FIRST, THE CAKE INGREDIENTS : • 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons cake flour, sifted • ¼ cup almond flour • ½ teaspoon (tsp) baking powder • A pinch of salt • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened • 1½ cups granulated sugar • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root • ½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream • ½ cup mascarpone cheese, room • ½ tsp Mary DiSomma’s Cognac Barrel-aged Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract • 1 tablespoon (TBSP) ginger liqueur (or a little more if you really like ginger!) • 2 tsp finely chopped crystalized ginger ICING INGREDIENTS: • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp Koval ginger liqueur optional: Crystalized ginger “roses” and fresh mint leaves THE PROCESS : 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by 5-inch loaf pan or individual cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper. temperature • 3 large eggs

2. In a bowl, combine cake flour, al mond flour, baking powder and salt. 3. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar onmedium for 3minutes. Add lemon zest, grated ginger root, crème fraiche and mascarpone. Beat on medium until combined. 4. In a bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and ginger liqueur. Beat with a fork until blended. 5. With mixer on medium low, add dry ingredients alternating with egg mixture. Start and end with dry ingredients. 6. In a small bowl, toss chopped crystalized ginger with remaining 3 TBSP cake f lour. Fold the crystalized ginger into batter. 7. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan or cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when done. Loaf pan will take approximately one hour to bake. Individual cakes will take between 30 and 35 minutes. 8. Let cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pans. 9. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice and liqueur. Drizzle glaze over cakes. If desired, decorate with crystalized ginger roses. Slice thin 1-inch-long slivers of crystalized ginger. Roll one sliver into a very tight roll and place in the center of a cake. Your cakes will rival any of the best bakeries around!

G inger is one of themost prized spices in the world. But I hadn’t fully understood how special fresh ginger root is until I took a trip to India, where luckily for me, Indian cooking classes were on the itinerary. Soon I was off and running. My triple ginger cake recipe is the perfect way to get a pack of ginger flavor in every bite. Cake flour, mascarpone cheese and crème fraîche make the cakes rich, yet tender. And I use grated fresh ginger root, crystalized ginger and ginger-infused liqueur. For the liqueur, I used Koval’s organic ginger liqueur, which takes 60 pounds of ginger tomake one batch. What a great punch of flavor. Plus, the ingredients are sourced from Illinois farms!

About our chef : Mary DiSomma lives in Oak Park and Cuba, Illinois. She is the author and publisher of A Gift of Cookies: Recipes to Share with Family & Friends, a philanthropist, podiatrist, entrepreneur, wife to Bill and mom to four adult children

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 15

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

COCKTAIL CLASS

Welcome back to Mixology 101

First, the TOOLS : For this cocktail, you will need a shot of espresso or cold brew, a cocktail shaker, a measuring jigger, a hawthorne strainer, and a champagne coupe. Chill the glass in the freezer ahead of time. Next, the INGREDIENTS : To the cocktail shaker add: • 1 shot of espresso or 1.5 oz. of cold brew • 1 dash cherry bark vanilla bitters • 1 dash cardamom bitters • 3 drops Crude Big Bear bitters • 3 drops Crude Attanwanhood No. 37 bitters • .5 oz. rich demerara syrup Finally, the PROCESS : Fill your shaker with ice and shake hard! The espresso has a crema component that becomes quite frothy. Strain your cocktail into your chilled glass, leaving some room at the top, and you’ll notice it cascades and separates into a liquid portion and a foamy portion. Rinse your shaker and pour a couple ounces of heavy whipping cream and half an ounce of simple syrup into it. Take the spring off your hawthorne strainer, toss it into the shaker, and shake to whip the cream to your desired consistency. Remove the spring and • .5 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream • .5 oz. St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur • 1.5 oz. Pumpkin Spice Infused Vodka

October brings falling leaves, Halloween plans and, of course, pumpkin spice latte everything . The Lazy Snitch takes this ubiquitous fall treat that comes from generations of traditional meals with family and friends and makes it your own again. This cocktail hails from the espresso martini by Dick Bradsell – the famed British “cocktail king” — in 1983 and straddles the line between a sidecar and a daquiri. Today we take that elegant, popular tipple and bend it to our tastes with bitters, an infusion, and your choice of espresso. For the infusion, I selected a high quality but inexpensive vodka. The infusion ingredients include a pie pumpkin, which I washed and halved before scooping out the innards — keep the seeds for a roasted snack – while dicing half the pumpkin and pureeing the rest tomake a pie. A small handful of whole cloves, four or five cinnamon sticks, two vanilla beans split and scraped, and three whole nutmegs cut in half round out the mix. I used a sous vide and heated the infusion at 145 degrees for 10 hours before straining the mixture back into the original vodka bottles. If you do not have a sous vide, a large mason jar will suffice but the mixture needs to be in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks before straining. Now you have pumpkin spice vodka. On to the cocktail! T H E L A Z Y S N I T C H

pour on top of your cocktail. Garnish with fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon. Enjoy!

About our mixologist: Dustin Crawford is co-owner – with partner Kip Rodier – of the 33 Room in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran traveled the world before returning home to work his magic behind the bar at various central Illinois establishments.

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

D I S H A N D D R I N K

COFFEE AND COOL COME TO HANNA CITY Coffee Can Bistro may be the most unique java emporium in Peoria County

BY STEVE TARTER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

T he most unique coffee shop in Peoria County may not be found in its central city, which is blessed with an abundance of coffee and venues that percolate the stuff. But if you journey 12miles west to the town of Hanna City, population 1,250, you’ll find a striking structure—a blend of steel and glass in brick red and black called the Coffee Can Bistro. IF THE PLACE HAS A BOXY AIR TO IT, THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S CONSTRUCTED OUT OF NINE SHIPPING CONTAINERS If the place has a boxy air to it, that’s because it’s been constructed out of nine shipping containers. That’s right, those rectangular metal boxes that hold

He saw a benef it in shipping containers while realizing the novelty involved. Then it was a matter of acquiring what he needed. “There’s a container broker just an hour and a half west of here,” he said, referring to USA Containers in Warren County. “Some things changed,” he said in regards to the design. But overall, he felt he had what he wanted. “I used the ‘Field of Dreams’ approach: ‘If I build it, they will come,’” he said. Gulley, 60, brought on two partners, Matt Fick and Justin Ball. The former has worked in the economic development arena in both Peoria Heights and Delavan, and he saw in the Coffee Can Bistro the potential to “jumpstart economic development in Hanna City.” Of course, there was more to that than the imaginative arrangement of

all the stuff made overseas that we wind up ordering online. After Ron Gulley, the former owner of an HVAC business in the Quad Cities, moved to the Peoria area, he took ownership of a stripmall in Hanna City where he hatched his idea for a coffee shop, stacking and restacking miniature containers in his basement until he came up with a design. Partners Matt Fick (left), and Ron Gulley own and operate the Coffee Can coffee shop

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shipping containers and the acquisition of bags of coffee beans. A coffee shop in a rural community needs a drive-thru, Gulley decided. That meant acquiring additional land. A house was purchased adjacent to the property and torn down to accommodate more cars. A ravine was filled in. Then there was the little matter of disposing of discarded fuel tanks that were found on the site. “We had to go down 21 feet to remove the dirt,” said Gulley.

Open since November 2021, Gulley called business good but said “we’ve still got a long way to go.” One thing he’s learned since opening is that “people want food. We’re more of a fast casual restaurant now,” said Gulley, touting his Nashville chicken sandwich as an example. That’s a dish with hot (as in peppery hot) chicken tenders withMonterey Jack cheese and pickles between two Belgian waffles. “Two people can make a meal of it,” he said. While the post-COVID worker short age has not been a problem for Gulley, inflation has left its mark. “We haven’t had to raise food prices yet but we’re going to have to. My monthly electric bill went from $600 to $1,400,” he said. What hasn’t changed is that “it’s a cool environment,” he said. “A coffee shop is a cool place to work.” On closer inspection, what you notice first about the Coffee Can is the size of the place. This isn’t your three-tables and-a-counter type of coffee shop. “We have 42 chairs downstairs and 62 on the deck with 20 in the upstairs lounge,” Gulley said. That doesn’t count two little balconies, each with four chairs. All that room can hold a lot of coffee. It also allows for the free flow of ideas.

“I want to bring in artists who could set up a table and show their wares, woodwork, that sort of thing,” said Gulley, motioning to one of the tables in the upstairs lounge. A block down from the Coffee Can is the town’s landmark, Gil’s Supper Club, a restaurant where fried chicken has drawn hungry diners from all over central Illinois since 1962. Now Gulley is hoping that his establishment might develop into an attraction all its own. Coffee Can Bistro Address: 224 N. 2nd St. Drinks: Coffee, tea, chai tea, bubble tea, espresso, hot chocolate Menu: breakfast, lunch and dinner items Hours: M-F, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Website: coffeecan.coffee

‘A COFFEE SHOP IS A COOL PLACE TO WORK’

– Ron Gulley

After the dust settled, COVID-19 hit. The pandemic had an immediate impact on the Coffee Can, recalled Gulley, who saw it as just one more challenge to overcome. He knew the importance of being located on Illinois State Route 116, the road that runs through Hanna City. The state’s daily traffic count at that loca tion was 14,000 vehicles, a number that dropped to 8,000 by the time the Coffee Can was open for business, he said.

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who was born in England, raised in Boston, moved to Peoria to attend Bradley University and decided to stay. He has spent a career in journalism and public relations

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19

Membership is All in the Family

Family-friendly Country Club of Peoria celebrates its 125th anniversary

In addition to golf, the club offers tennis, a fitness center, and a beautiful pool, plus programs and social activities for everyone, especially during the summer. Members describe the dining room — available for meals and private functions — as the best restaurant in town. That even includes the kids menus. Chris said membership dropped dramatically during the pandemic, but came back as people rediscovered their passion for their foundational activity: golf. “We don’t want to just get new members, we have to keep them,” Marty said. The overall family “One of the things we have done very well is change the attitude that this is an old boys club,” Chris said. “In many ways we are very traditional, but we are as much with the times as anyone else.” Clearly, that’s what it takes to survive and thrive for 125 years.

It may not be evident to motorists on Grandview Drive, but the Country Club of Peoria (CCP) is embracing some pretty dramatic changes in its 125th year. Chris Reis, general manager for CCP, says, “The last couple of years we have seen our membership take a different direction as far as growth and the average age of members.” He said country clubs around the country used to be male dominated, and they were all about golf. But forward-thinking organizations like CCP realize that clubs need to actively include spouses (whether male or female) and be more family friendly. “You need younger members to keep the lifeblood in everything,” he said. Marty Best, who serves as president of the CCP Board of Directors, said that nationally, the average club member is 42 years old and has two kids. To meet the needs of these more youthful members “you have to think younger, be more nimble and offer things that people want.” He said membership has swelled by more than 100 new members in the last 18 months. Sixty percent of those new members are under 40. As junior members, they pay the lowest initiation fee and annual dues. “Golf is critical, but the driving force is family. Today, spouses are important, kids are important and we do everything we can to give them all a rich, rewarding experience.”

experience is what keeps that bond strong.

Learn more about membership at the Country Club of Peoria at ccofpeoria.org or call 309.686.2582.

20 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

SAVE DATE THE Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria Fill the Treasure Chest ♦ ♦♦ featured speaker Chris Reynolds Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Bradley University Saturday, November 12 WTVP 101 State Street, Peoria, IL 61602 ♦ ♦♦

Cocktails 6 p.m. ♦ Dinner 7 p.m. Presentation of annual recognition awards

Call to RSVP TODAY For reservations or more information, call Lisa Fisher, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria 309.685.6007 ext. 112.

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 21

S P O T L I G H T

Rocket passenger train

PEORIA PURSUES ITS CHOO-CHOO TO CHICAGO Passenger rail service could provide economic boost to largest city in the state without it

BY PHIL LUCIANO

T outing the proposed Peoria-to Chicago rail line, Ray LaHood explained the cost. “This is not an inexpensive project,” the former U.S. secretary of transportation said at a City Hall press conference in July. “We estimate the cost of this to be in the neighborhood of $2.5 billion. That’s ‘B’ — billion.” His point: It’s an impressive number, but – right here, right now – a suddenly doable number. With the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allotting $66 billion for such projects, LaHood and likeminded proponents think the proposal has a real chance.

“2.5 billion is a lot of money,” he added later. “But that’s the kind of money that it will take in order tomake this project happen, and maybe even some money in addition to that.” Indeed. Maybe $1.5 billion more. Mind you, his new assessment comes despite a 40%contingency fee built into the $2.5 billion estimate. But LaHood – who has discussed the proposal with officials running Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration — doesn’t see the markup as a problem. Indeed, rail project overages aren’t unusual, said LaHood, who points to

California’s high-speed rail project, now being constructed between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its cost has risen from $33 billion in 2008 to $113 billion today, an increase of 242 percent. Potentially, local and state funds might also become available for a rail project that also promises an economic boost, said Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, who believes a line could be up and running within a decade. “But if we don’t start now, it won’t be 7 to 10 years,” she said. “It’ll be double that.” For rail advocates, the wait already has been far too long.

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The Rock Island Rai lroad ran Rocket passenger trains from Peoria to Chicago from 1937 to 1978, when deteriorating rail lines and ridership prompted a shutdown of that service. In 1980 and 1981, Amtrak and the state of Illinois ran the Prairie Marksman passenger train from Chicago to East Peoria, but poor ridership ended that effort. The bankrupt Rock Island Railroad ceased operations in 1980, though the Rocket line to Chicago has been kept alive by various freight interests. In the decades since, there have been on-again, off-again calls to revive the River City toWindy City line, but official discussions went nowhere. The most significant progress came in 2011, when IDOT conducted a feasibility study of a commuter train line from East Peoria to Normal, where passengers could board Amtrak to Chicago. Ultimately, the study concluded that the effort would be cost prohibitive. Withthat, thecityofPeoriaretained its dubious railroad-challenged distinction. Of the 15 biggest cities in Illinois, Peoria, at number eight, is the only one without current or planned access to passenger rail service (Rockford is in the design/ construction phase). Further, the Peoria Metropolitan Area, with a population of just over 400,000, is the largest metro area in the state without train access. But the $66 billion rail kitty has sparked renewed enthusiasm for a Peoria-to-Chicago line. Early this year, a city survey garnered an impressive 31,000 respondents, 83 percent of whom indicated they “very likely” would use the line. Other communities also have a horse in this race. The route, which would offer five, 2.5-hour trips a day each way, would include stops in LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, Morris and Joliet, plus a flag stop in Utica, meaning a train would stop there if at least one passenger had purchased a ticket in advance. Of those communities, none aside from Joliet — which is on the Amtrak route connecting Chicago to St. Louis — has passenger service. At the July press conference in Peoria, proponents touted a feasibility study

offering f ledgling insight into the proposed route, including the following: • The route from Peoria to Joliet has 40 bridges, including a moveable lift bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet. There are 110 public at grade crossings and 104 private at grade crossings. Further, the tracks’ gradings ranged fromClass I (15 mph maximum) to Class III (60 mph max). Improvements would be needed on the rail lines and crossings to allow 79-mph service, though in some areas 90 mph might be possible. • N ew stations would have to be built at every stop south of Joliet (with just a platform needed for Utica). In Peoria, there are two possible station sites: the current location of the U.S. Post Office on State Street, or across from the Gateway Building on Water Street. • A new layover facility in the Peoria area would be needed for the crew and the storage and service of equipment, with enough room to shuffle train cars in the event of last minute issues. But the $2.5 billion does not include all aspects of the proposal. • The study did not contact owners of the existing rail lines along the proposed route. “It can be assumed that all of them would require additional capacity improvements to maintain their existing service and be able to efficiently handle the passenger traffic that would result,” the study stated. • Amtrak, as the presumed operator, would incur additional costs, with additional demands on technology, crews and stations. According to the study, such costs would be carried by the state. Another study is forthcoming from the North Central Illinois Council of Governments, thanks to $310,000 from IDOT. Meanwhile, Ali says the city might help fund research into the application process involved ingettingaccepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s new Corridor Identif ication and

Development Program, which would move Peoria closer to its goal. Beyond that, the mayor does not anticipate much in additional city costs, though f inancial projections and shared obligations would be determined through further research. The latter will include an analysis of potential ridership. The feasibility study pegged beginning daily ridership between 280 and 820, growing to between 320 and 860 by 2040. It’s unclear at this point whether those numbers would be acceptable to the Federal Railroad Administration. The study also will show projected spinoff economic benefits for cities on the route. LaHood points to Normal, where the Amtrak station has helped revitalize that community’s Uptown area, adjacent to Illinois State University, with multiple developments including two hotels and a children’s museum. “That’s what will happen along this corridor,” LaHood said. “That’s what will happen in Downtown Peoria.” That might spark entrepreneurs to not only set up shop but also fund projects connected to the train station and rail line, Ali said. Alas, LaHood cautions advocates to stay grounded. There are at least 15 other rail projects fighting for slices of the $66 billion, and Amtrak will want a chunk of its own. It’s good to dream big dreams, but success will come via research, preparation, and acceptance into the Corridor Identification and Development Program, which will select projects in part according to readiness to commence. “We’re not on their radar,” LaHood said. “We need that designation. Then we’ll be on people’s radar.”

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 23

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S P O T L I G H T

‘THE EPITOME OF THE AMERICAN

how to read or write” but was smart and selfless and “dedicated her life to raising 11 kids.” His father, the self-made business man with a calculator in his head, did well financially by local standards but recognized that themost important gift he could leave his children was an education. Today, all 11 children – Osman has eight brothers and two sisters, split between America and overseas – brag a college diploma in architecture, engineering, medicine or business, despite growing up in a Third World country where books could be hard to come by. “Without himpushing us, we wouldn’t bewherewe are as a family,” saidOsman, who mastered English by watching American soap operas and westerns. “It was all about ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,’ Clint Eastwood and all that. I was fascinated with it.” DREAM’ Omer Osman has worked his way up the ranks to become Illinois’ barrier-breaking transportation secretary BY MIKE BAILEY PHOTOS BY MIKE BAILEY

S o what do you get when you cross Sudanese pride with a Midwestern humility and work ethic? Why, you get Illinois’ 13th transporta tion secretary, that’s what, as well as the first Peorian to occupy that position, the first person of color, and just the third IDOT lifer to rise to the top. In short, you get Omer Osman, 58, who should be a familiar name in central Illinois, as an engineer who spent most of his career working out of the Peo ria office of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), with his finger prints on many of the most significant projects hereabouts since the 1990s. Today, he’s the top transportation official in a state with one of the largest, most diverse, most complex infrastructure networks in America, overseeing an annual operating budget

of some $3.8 billion, a capital budget topping $27 billion, and thework of some 5,000 employees. The ascendance has been impressive and the journey long for Osman – almost 6,800 miles, in fact. WHERE IT ALL STARTED Omer Osman was the fourth of 11 children born to Zumrawi and Fatima Osman in Kerma, Sudan, the area that gave rise to the Nubian Empire and the “Black Pharaohs” whose 25th dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly a century. He is a proud descendant of that history and tradition, though his own origins were humble enough. His father, Zumrawi, attended school through fourth grade, when he quit to helpOsman’s grandfather start a grocery innorthernSudan, muchneededby their village. Hismother, Fatima, “didn’t know

26 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Osman grew up in the countryside until age 14, at which point the family moved to Khartoum, Sudan’s capital city, in a metro area of 6 million people. “For me, it was a culture shock,” but it’s where he would graduate from high school, entertain thoughts of medical school, and prepare to further his studies in Bulgaria. Until his father intervened, that is. He "talkedme into going to the U.S.A.,” and soon Osman was on a TWA jet to New York, then New Orleans, then Baton Rouge. He’d take classes to refine his language skills at Louisiana State University, mentored by professors who took a special interest in this “shy guy,” then enroll at Southern University, a historically black college with a fine engineering program. For this self proclaimed student of history, the rest is exactly that. PEORIA BOUND Upon graduation, Osman thought he might be headed back to Sudan. Then a fellow student who’d graduated the year before and gone to work at IDOT returned to Louisiana on a recruiting trip. She put a map of Illinois before him, pointed to the Chicago area, then to Peoria. “That’s a funny name. Where’s Peoria?” Osman asked. “She said, ‘Caterpillar.’ … I said, ‘I want to go to Peoria because of Caterpillar.” The next thing Osman knew, he was interviewing inDistrict 4 Engineer Dale Risinger’s office in Peoria, decked out in his Sunday best – suit, shirt, tie, shoes, $100, all in – when Risinger, who would later be elected a state senator from Peoria, asked the candidates where they saw themselves in five years. “Mr. Risinger, five years from now, if I’m not sitting on that chair of yours, I’ll be somewhere around it,” a nervous Osman somehow found the courage and boldness to blurt out. “Dale started laughing, I started laughing with him,” and they remain friends to this day. Risinger confirms Osman’s recollec tion. “Hewas bright and he had initiative,” and he has earned everything that has come his way, said Risinger, noting the

Omer Osman was instrumental in the reconstruction of I-74/ Murray Baker Bridge

exceptional work he did on the I-74/ Murray Baker Bridge reconstruction, one of the most challenging and ex pensive projects in downstate history. “He is obviously a good guy … and he does a great job,” said Risinger. Not only is the work demanding froma technical perspective, but “it’s a tough job because there’s a lot of politics involved in it, as you might imagine.” RISING THROUGH THE RANKS That interview was 34 years ago. Before long, Osman was moving up the ranks fromplanning to design to on-site construction, working onmajor road and bridge projects such as the expansion of Route 29 north of Chillicothe, all while somehowfinding time to get hismaster’s degree at Bradley University, in 1995. He was involved in the conversations around the completion of the ring road when that was the central Illinois project of the moment, and worked on improvements of the Shade-Lohmann Bridge over I-474, theMcClugage Bridge, and then the granddaddy of them all, the half-billion-dollar Upgrade 74 project that from 2002 to 2006 saw the wholesale reinvention of the interstate andMurray Baker Bridge through Peoria and East Peoria. “That was as complicated a design as I have ever seen,” said Osman, who laughs now about standing beneath the bridgewith another colleaguewhen 180 feet of it was effectively being sawed off “because if that bridge failed, we wanted to die.” He credits Ray LaHood – Peoria’s congressman at the time and later U.S. transportation secretary under President Barack Obama – for making

the project happen. Years later, that stretch of road became Ray LaHood Highway, though Osman jokes – as he often does -- about telling LaHood, “If you get us $500 million, I’ll get you a $200 sign.” “The truth is, that’s one of the safest interstates in the country, and it wasn’t before,” said LaHood. “He (Osman) knew what it takes to get things done. “The interesting thing about Omar, he’s kind of the epitome of the American dream,” said LaHood, who remembers Osman coming to his congressional office to inquire about becoming a U.S. citizen. “He worked his way up … Obviously, Gov. Pritzker saw some real talent in this guy.” On June 1, 2021, Osmanwas confirmed as transportation secretary by the Illinois Senate after serving as acting IDOT director since 2019, assuming responsibility for one of the largest transportation networks in America -- 300,000 lanemiles of roads and bridges, some 80 airports including one of the world’s busiest at Chicago O’Hare, bustling urban mass transit systems, a rail system contributing to 25 percent of the nation’s freight coming through Illinois, and waterway infrastructure. PRIORITIES It’s not easy managing the demands of a large and diverse state – five IDOT regions incorporating nine districts — where virtually every community has a pet project and a strong desire to get help paying for it. How does Osman balance all that? It starts with recognizing that “what works in Chicago does not work in

OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 27