Happy OLLIdays Spelling Bee Brunch -- December 7, 2011

More than two dozen OLLI members were in attendance to participate in and cheer on spellers at our inaugural spelling bee brunch at Kickapoo Creek Winery.

After enjoying a brunch with mimosas and bloody marys, the spellers competed for over an hour, tackling words such as leviathan, orthographize, lugubrious, aborigine, and elucidate.

Mary Barthel spelled stalactite correctly to win the championship. Joanne Haupt was runner-up, and Pam Anderson was the third place winner (50 years to the day after winning her ninth grade spelling bee!)

OLLI thanks all of the participants and spectators for making this first-ever event a success. Happy holidays to everyone!

Festival of Lights -- November 22, 2011

Just days before the East Peoria Festival of Lights parade, OLLI had the chance to see the “Folepi Construction Company” and some of its “employees:” a merry band of volunteers who design and build the floats.

We met volunteers who work year-round designing, welding, and maintaining the floats (and their 500,000 lights) and learned how the floats evolve from concept to actuality. OLLI thanks Rick Swan of the Chamber of Commerce and Ralph Dalton, volunteer, for hosting our gang!

For more information about the Festival of Lights, visit www.cityofeastpeoria.com.

Historic Galena -- November 10, 2011

Bernie Drake, frequent OLLI instructor and Ulysses S. Grant expert, was our guide as we visited the historic town of Galena.

The day included a step-on tour of the town, a private tour of the Grant home, lunch and tour of the new Galena Brewing Company, free time to explore the town’s historic Main Street, and a visit to the Galena History Museum.

182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard -- November 16, 2011

OLLI traveled to the 182nd Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard in mid-November for a tour of the base. During our visit, Colonel William Robertson (’83), the Wing Commander, led our group as we learned about the Wing’s mission of maintenance, flying operations, and air support to the Army, Security Forces, and much more.

Thanks to COL Robertson for an intriguing look at our citizen soldiers and their worldwide missions.

For more information about the 182nd, please visit www.182aw.ang.af.mil.

Illinois State Museum -- November 17, 2011

Dr. Michael Wiant, Director of Dickson Mounds Museum and frequent OLLI instructor, was our host as we visited two Springfield sites dedicated to historical preservation: the Illinois State Museum and the Illinois State Research and Collections Center.

Dr. Wiant and Dr. Bonnie Styles, Director of the Illinois State Museum, provided a glimpse of the state’s collections, which ranges from hundreds of dragonflies to a dozen mastodons, with archaeology, geology, and decorative arts in between.

OLLI thanks Drs. Wiant and Styles for an amazing day of learning and adventure! For more information about the museum, please visit www.museum.state.il.us.

Excel Foundry -- November 9, 2011

On this trip, we learned about Excel, which specializes in the design, manufacture, and supply of replacement parts for equipment used in open pit mining and aggregate production.

During the tour, we saw first-hand how the company engineers site-specific spare parts for cone crushers, hydraulic excavators, electric rope shovels, and more.

Rockford - November 1, 2011

Jim Wilhelm, host of WTVP’s “Illinois Adventure” series, was back by popular demand to accompany us on another trip – this time to two unique sites in Rockford.

Our first stop was a tour of Historic Auto Attractions, a 36,000 square-foot facility that features the world’s largest collection of presidential limousines. After lunch, we toured the 1865 Tinker Swiss Cottage, a rare example of Victorian exotic architecture.

Gilded Age Homes -- October 27, 2011

OLLI teamed with the Fine Arts Society of Peoria for unique tours of the Samuel Nickerson Mansion (Driehaus Museum), the Glessner House, and the Clarke House.

Between tours, we dined at Lawry’s Prime Rib, formerly known as the Leander H. McCormick Mansion, and learned about its storied history.

Bennett Johnson, retired architect and frequent OLLI instructor, accompanied our group to provide insight throughout the day.

Rocky Glen Hike -- October 17, 2011

Rocky Glen, comprised of 97 acres along Kickapoo Creek Road in West Peoria, is a hidden gem of geologic importance.

We learned about the site during a two-hour private hike with Ed Stermer, geology expert and earth science professor at Illinois Central College, and David Pittman, President of the Friends of Rocky Glen.

For more information about Rocky Glen, visit www.friendsofrockyglen.org

Irish Ethnic Dinner -- October 13, 2011

October brought about another OLLI tradition – the ethnic dinner! The after-hours event at Kickapoo Creek Winery was a celebration of Irish culture and cuisine, themed “Eirinn Go Brach,” Gaelic for “Ireland Forever.”

The Bogside Zukes, a local favorite, began the evening by playing some favorite tunes and providing insight about the history of traditional Irish music. After dinner, which included Irish favorites such as Guinness stew, cabbage, and soda bread, Leo Jordan, OLLI member and a founding member of Friends of Clonmel, delighted us with a presentation about Irish culture and Peoria’s sister city relationship with Clonmel, Ireland.

Culinary Arts in Mount Carroll -- October 11, 2011

OLLI spent the day in Mount Carroll with stained glass and wood carving artisans, sustainable farmers, and innovative culinary chefs.

Upon our arrival in small northwest Illinois town, we met our step-on guide and enjoyed private tours and presentations. At the Kraft Building, 320 N. Main, we split up for some small workshops: a wood sculpting demonstration with sculptor Jack Kromer of Kromer Art, and three doors down, a glass workshop with stained glass artisan Mary Kiernan from New Morning Glass.

Our culinary presentation was led by Pat Lehnhardt of Learn Great Foods, a company that specializes in educating consumers about sustainable food. Our three-course lunch featured Greek salad with Israeli couscous, fresh green salad with herb vinaigrette, locally raised beef and mushrooms over polenta, and apple crepes from Fairhaven fruits.

Our last stop of the day was a visit with Tom Nedbal at his apple orchard, Fairhaven Fruit Farm, corner of Fairhaven and Creamery Roads, Thomson, Illinois.

Utica -- October 6, 2011

The autumn colors provided a beautiful backdrop for a hike at Starved Rock State Park, a trolley tour of Utica, and a boat ride along the I&M Canal.

Our morning hike included a walk to the bottom of a canyon and to the top of Starved Rock, where we were fortunate to see bald eagles soaring above the river.

Later in the afternoon, The Volunteer took us on a historic journey to 1848, where costumed narrators aboard the boat explained the construction of the canal while we are pulled along the waterway by mules (Larry and Moe).

Midwest Technical Institute -- October 4, 2011

In early October, OLLI visited Midwest Technical Institute is a year-round vocational school providing course offerings in a variety of vocational fields.

Our tour of the East Peoria campus included insight into the eight programs it provides for future welders, heating/air conditioning/appliance repair technicians, medical and dental assistants, medical coders, massage therapists, basic nursing assistants, and pharmacy technicians.

For more information about the institute, visit www.midwesttech.edu

Peoria Public Works -- September 23, 2011

David Barber, Director of Public Works for the City of Peoria, led OLLI on a tour of the city’s operations and maintenance facility on Dries Lane. Our visit included a look at the traffic control shop, the sign shop, and the maintenance garage, plus discussions with department managers and engineers to learn more about the city’s snow plan and capital projects.

For more information about the City of Peoria, please visit www.ci.peoria.il.us

Peoria County Coroner's Office -- September 22, 2012

On this trip, we learned about the responsibilities of Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll, an elected official charged with investigating sudden, unusual, and traumatic deaths and assuring those bodies are examined, identified, and, if necessary, autopsied.

Our visit included the observation of a jury inquest, which is held weekly to determine the manner of some deaths occurring in Peoria County.

Historic Fulton -- September 21, 2011

Situated along the bank of the Missisippi River just north of the Quad Cities, Fulton is know for its Dutch heritage. OLLI's visit included a tour of an authentic Dutch windmill, a walk through Heritage Canyon (an 1800s working village located inside a rock quarry), a tour of the Martin House Museum, and a tour and tasting at Lavender Crest Winery.

OLLI member David Conner, a Fulton native, accompanied our group to provide insight about his hometown.

Peoria Area Churches -- September 16, 2011

The third in OLLI's series of area church tours was held on September 16, and more than 30 members participated in the popular trip.

Throughout the day, we got a closer look at the beliefs, architecture, and history of First Baptist Church of Peoria, St. Thomas Catholic Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, and the Apostolic Christian Church.

Edward J. Barry Jr., Senior Architectural Manager for Farnsworth Group, Inc., accompanied the group to discuss the architectural highlights. Representatives from each church were also on hand to discuss the their congregational practices.

Thank you to OLLI member Shirley Cunningham for helping to organize the trip!

Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin -- September 15, 2011

On September 15, nearly two dozen OLLI members visited the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Pekin.

The FCI is comprised of a medium security facility housing male inmates and a minimum security satellite prison camp that houses male offenders. During our tour, Executive Assistant Marie Wynia. along with assistant wardens and other staff, guided us through the FCI and provided insight about the security, programming, and population of the prison.

For more information about the FCI, visit www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/pek/index.jsp

Fall Kickoff Luncheon -- September 14, 2011

More than 300 OLLI members attended the official kickoff to the Fall season on Wednesday with a luncheon at Bradley University's Michel Student Center.

Jerry Milam, a Peoria entrepreneur, musician, and photographer, shared many of his memorable stories and photographs in a presentation titled "Time Well Spent: Capturing a Lifetime in Photographs."

Fall classes take place on October 5, 12, 19, and 26 at Bradley University.

Toraason Glass -- September 8, 2011

One of OLLI’s most intriguing local favorites was back by popular demand! Nearly 20 OLLI members enjoyed an exclusive, up-close look at local artist Hiram Toraason’s 4,000-square-foot glass blowing studio and gallery.

Hiram, a graduate of Southern Illinois University who apprenticed under William and Katherine Berstein in Celo, North Carolina, demonstrated his techniques of working with 2,000-degree molten glass and created a one-of-a-kind work of art.

He also discussed his artwork at Peoria's Methodist Medical Center, which includes a wall sculpture of 240 pieces of hand-blown glass in the new $11 million Hamilton Boulevard entrance and glass flowers encased within lighted glass columns on the Methodist Foundation donor recognition wall.

For more information, please visit http://toraasonglass.com.