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Your Hometown News Since 1840 www.WashingtonTimesReporter.com Vol. 171 No. 12

Council, library, park district candidates unopposed

2011 Election Coverage Carol Moss David James Gee
Four aldermen, three library
Ward II Alderman
Dingledine Ward IV Alderman
Age: 68 Age: 55
trustees, two park district Ward III Alderman
Family: spouse Jack; Family: Son, Tyler, 19
commissioners up for election Karen Age: 56 Education: Washington
Education: Morton Family: spouse Ellen; Community High School
Robert Brucks Community High School
Carol Moss David
Travis, 24, Grant, 19, and Dingledine Occupation: Britton Elec-
James Gee
Occupation: Dental Gavin, 13 tronics and Automation in
Ward I Alderman
assistant/receptionist for 10 years, auto- Education: Washington Community Pekin
Age: 57 repair shop, city clerk for 24 years High School; Illinois Wesleyan Other boards you have served on?
Family: spouse Bev; Alyssa Other boards you have served on? Occupation: Owner of M. Ebert Co. I have served on the Washington City
and Dave City clerk for 24 years, charter member Why are you running for office again? Council since 1998, first serving in Ward
Education: Centennial of Municipal Clerk Organization, mem- I have been on the city council for eight II until 2002 and then in Ward IV where
High School, University Robert years now. I enjoy being a part of the
ber of International Institute of Munici- I currently serve. I am currently serving
of Illinois, bachelor’s in Brucks
pal Clerks, first secretary, vice president city government, making decisions that as Mayor Pro-Term and I serve on the
management and president of CIMCO benefit the community. Public Services Committee. I also serve as
Occupation: Learning consultant, Cat- Why are you running for office again?
erpillar Inc. See these and other city office candidates continued on page A5

Peoria Rivermen dish up food, fun to benefit Locke Foundation

Tip-A-Riv event at
Gracie’s raised $6,000
for Dax Locke Foundation million to run St. Jude Chil-
By brandon schatsiek
TimesNewspapers
Dave Spina, first-year right
wing forward for the Peoria
Rivermen, knifes his way
through others serving up
dishes left and right.
No, Spina is not on the
Carver Arena ice dishing out
assists to lead the Rivermen in
the middle of a playoff push,
Spina and other teammates
were serving food and drinks
to fans at Gracie’s Sports Grille
and Pizza March 16.
“It’s a nice chance for our
fans to connect with our play-
ers,” said Jason Penning, COO
of the Rivermen. “At the end of
the day, it’s for a great cause.”
All proceeds from the din-
ner, tips and auctions of River-
men and St. Louis Blues gear
went to benefit the Dax Locke
Foundation.
“It’s been very well received,”
Penning said.
The Tip-A-Riv event, which
started two years ago at Gra-
cie’s, benefited Children’s Hos-
pital. After a hiatus last year,
Penning approached Gracie’s
owner Greg Wilson about hav-
ing the event again this year.
“It went over really well that
Top, Dave Spina takes time to visit with a table of Peoria Rivermen fans after serving them at Gra- first year,” Wilson said. “It’s an
cie’s Sports Grille and Pizza March 16. The money raised from the reservation-only dinner and opportunity that the fans here
auction was to benefit the Dax Locke Foundation. Left, Peggy Cranford, a season-ticket holder since in Peoria have never gotten;
1991, asks Rivermen player Daryl Boyle to sign his apron after she was the highest bidder; $6,000 you can sit on the glass and
was raised from the live auction of players’ aprons, signed equipment, gift certificates and vacations watch what is going on, but it’s
from Rivermen sponsors. Right, 21 of the 22 Rivermen players were in attendance and posed for a another thing to be here and
photo with other Rivermen front office employees. BRANDON SCHATSIEK/TIMESNEWSPAPERS interact with them.”
Wilson said the decision for
the money to go to help the
Locke family’s goal to raise $1
dren Hospital for one day, was
an easy one.
“If you are in Washington
and you go to promote a fund-
raiser, it’s just a natural spot
to give it,” Wilson said. “There
are big organizations (that we
could donate the money to),
but it’s nice to have something
to do with Washington.”
Spina, who is in his sixth
year in the American Hockey
League and first with the
Rivermen, said while play-
ers enjoy mingling with the
season-ticket holders and die-
hard Rivermen fans, he said it
means more to them when it
is for a great cause like the Dax
Locke Foundation.
“I think without it being
said, everybody knows that
Dax Locke’s story is pretty
inspirational and pretty sad
at the same time,” Spina said.
“It’s something that as a player,
we may get aggravated with
not having a great game or
somebody gets mad that they
should get paid more or played
more ... this really puts (it) into
perspective and makes you re-
alize how lucky we are to even
be doing what we love.”
“It’s a lot of fun to be able to
give back and in a small way
support the people that sup-
port us strongly all year.”
Penning said the response
from other players has been
great as well.
“It’s for a good cause and I
See rivermen page A7

Public hearing set for Research shows ICC enrollment ‘trending up’
By philip lasseigne
city’s 2011-12 budget TimesNewspapers
By brandon schatsiek
According to research
TimesNewspapers
from the Illinois Commu-
nity College Board, a re-
cord number of students
The final component of the Washington tentative fiscal
completed degree or
year 2011-12 budget and review of the current fiscal year
certificate programs at Il-
was the main focus of the city council meeting Monday
linois community colleges
night.
in the 2010 fiscal year.
Keeping with the trend of other city accounts, the leg-
In addition, a record
islative and administrative account, city hall account and
number of community
unrestricted general fund were all under budget for the
college credit hours were
current fiscal year.
taken during the same
time period according
See council page A7 to full-time equivalency
statistics.
Despite budgetary is-
sues at the state level,
community colleges
across the state have con-
tinued to thrive, and East
Peoria’s Illinois Central
College is no exception.
Although ICC has ex-
perienced decreased state
funding and recent up-
and-down enrollment,
the community college
continues to grow as it Students walk around outside ICC’s entrance Friday af-
provides an education for ternoon. ICC enrollment went up 8.6 percent in 2009 and
central Illinois residents. is “trending upward,” according to Guy Goodman, dean of
See ICC page A7 student services. philip lasseigne/Timesnewspapers

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