A Midsummer Night's Dream -- June 25, 2009

OLLI was front and center at the opening night gala of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Young lovers, spirits, and mythic royalty were conjured up in an enticing mix of poetry, wide-eyed fairy magic, and the madness of love in Shakespeare's most popular comedy. It portrayed the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with the Duke and Duchess of Athens, and with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.

Dr. Susan Hillabold, who taught a Shakespeare class for OLLI Winterim ’09, accompanied our group to enrich our understanding of the play’s subtleties. She gave us some hints of what to look for before the performance, and then summarized some of the complexities on the way home.

At the venue, we enjoyed a gourmet catered picnic dinner, a personalized backstage tour by the actors, a pre-performance jazz show, and the performance itself. It was a warm evening, but another great OLLI night!

182nd Airlift Wing -- June 23, 2009

Day in and day out, C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft leave Peoria destined for locations all over the world. Whether delivering humanitarian supplies to Hurricane Katrina victims or air dropping food and ammunition in the middle of the night to our Special Operations Forces engaged throughout Afghanistan in the Global War on Terror, the citizen-airmen of the 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria Air National Guard, are always proudly representing the Heart of Illinois.

During our visit, OLLI had a chance to see some of these professionals in action as we toured the maintenance, operations, and security facilities. The base houses 38 buildings on 334 leased acres -- property worth over $120 million (without counting the equipment). Over 600 members of the 182nd have toured more than 13 countries in varying theatres since 2001. In fact, after this year's devastating earthquake in Iran, a plane from Peoria (carrying humanitarian supplies) was the first American aircraft to land in the country in several decades.

Colonel William Robertson ('83), the Wing Commander, also provided an aircraft tour and presented a short briefing about the 182nd Airlift Wing's missions involving the global war on terror, humanitarian support, and homeland security missions.

OLLI thanks Col. Robertson and his incredible staff for a wonderful day of learning. For more information about the 182nd Airlift Wing, please visit: www.182aw.ang.af.mil

Geology Hike -- June 19, 2009

During our most active trip yet, OLLI enjoyed a spectacular day of outdoor adventure in Utica led by Ed Stermer, assistant professor of earth science at Illinois Central College.

Our first stop was Buffalo Rock State Park, located on a bluff which was once an island in the Illinois River. Now standing majestically on the north bank, this 280-acre promontory afforded a magnificent sweeping view of the Illinois River. While exploring, we learned about the geologic history and mineral resources of the region.

After an hour at Buffalo Rock, we headed to the Starved Rock Lock & Dam Visitors’ Center, where we spent an hour meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers and touring their facility.

After absorbing a wealth of knowledge at the visitors' center, we drove to the Starved Rock Lodge for a delicious hot buffet lunch. OLLI had the chance to see preparations for a Friday afternoon wedding at the lodge, and some of us did a bit of quick shopping at the gift shop, too.

We then hit the trails within Starved Rock to visit and discuss the 18 canyons that sliced dramatically through tree-covered, sandstone bluffs. We saw and learned more about the park’s rock formations, primarily St. Peter Sandstone, the historic site of the siege, starvation, and demise of the entire Illini tribe.

Our final stop was a bit of fossil hunting just off the highway, where many members found rocks with embedded remnants of insects and other fossils. Many thanks to Ed Stermer for his fabulous commentary and guidance during our adventure.

Wildlife Prairie Park -- June 10, 2009

OLLI’s first hiking trip was an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Wildlife Prairie State Park, a 2,000-acre zoological park just outside of Peoria.

More than a dozen members joined us on the walking trails for an hour-long guided hike. We stopped at the various animal exhibits, and learned about the native plant and animal species, the bison and elk pasture, and the Sandhill Cranes in Walden Pond.

After a short break, we enjoyed an informative birds of prey exhibition followed by a personalized, behind-the-scenes look at the educational animals used at the park. The park’s staff showed us how they feed and care for the animals, explained how they rehabilitate injured birds, and provided opportunities to see individual animal enclosures.

Afterward, we had the unique opportunity to be the first group served lunch at the new Prairie Grille at the park. The lunch was delicious, and the chef and staff are to be commended for the attention to our OLLI members.

For more information, visit Wildlife Prairie State Park on the web:
www.wildlifeprairiestatepark.org

Nancy Pearl Lecture -- June 8

Nancy Pearl, an award-winning author, celebrated librarian, and regular commentator on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," delighted an audience of 100 during a lecture at Bradley University on June 8.

During the hour-long program, Nancy shared the origins of her love of reading and libraries, explained how her two Book Lust books came to be written, and even talked about the "perils" of a life of reading.

Pearl, who grew up in an unhappy home in lower-middle-class Detroit, spent most of her childhood and adolescence at the Parkman Branch Library, immersing herself in a world of books and the comfort of kindly librarians. At the age of 10, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up: a librarian.

"I wanted others to find books to love as much as I'd loved them," she said. "I believe there is a book that will turn everyone into a reader."

After college, she became a children's librarian and author, penning the well-known Book Lust and More Book Lust, guides to must-read books in hundreds of quirky categories.

She said that although Book Lust listed approximately 1,800 books in 175 categories, she felt guilty about the more the books and authors who were left off the list. "I asked my readers to write in and tell me what I left out," she noted. "I expected five people to write, but got hundreds of emails from people who each listed 200 books I left out."

As a result, a follow-up to Book Lust was requested from her publisher. Pearl, who joked that it should have been titled Book Lust 2: The Morning After, included another 1,200 books in the sequel.

Pearl then ticked off a list of four "perils" to a life of reading:

1. When you learn your vocabulary through a life of reading, you never really know how to pronounce anything. She joked that for years, she pronounced words incorrectly, including segue (see-goo-ey), misled (mice-eld), and belle (belly). When asked how she could possibly mispronounce so many words despite her voracious reading appetite, Pearl responded, "I just tell people I have a reader's vocabulary, not a speaker's vocabulary."

2. When engrossed in a good book and you run into a word you don't know, you often are too lazy to look up the meaning in a dictionary. Pearl related a highly amusing anecdote about context when she told that audience that after reading a book where a character died of consumption, she immediately asked herself, "Well, who ate her?"

3. When enamored of an author and you read book after book in a series, you may begin speaking in a manner that confuses your friends. She said when she was reading the Master and Commander series, set in the early 19th century, she began saying "ahoy" instead of "hello" and getting all kinds of strange looks from others.

4. The most serious peril, according to Pearl, is never being certain if memories are those of your own or those of characters in books you've read. For instance, when describing a dress she wore to her junior prom, Pearl instead began describing the dress worn by a character in the book Double Date. "As a result," she said, "I don't think I remember a thing from my high school years."

At the end of her presentation, she answered questions from the audience. In response to a question about "abandoning" a bad book, Pearl had the following piece of advice: Nancy Pearl's Rule of 50 says that if you're under the age of 50, you've read the first 50 pages in a book, and care only about who marries who or who killed who, turn to the last page. If you're over 50, subtract your age from 100, and that's how many pages you should read before giving up on a book.

"There's nothing that rewards us better for getting older," she explained, "because when you turn 100 you really can then judge a book by its cover."

Nancy Pearl's appearance at Bradley University was made possible in part by Continuing Education and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Chicago Gangster Tour -- June 3, 2009

On June 3, 25 OLLI members had yet another unique learning experience: The Chicago Gangster Tour, a trip back in time to experience Chicago during the Roaring Twenties.

Upon arrival in the Windy City, “Shakespeare,” a loud, wisecracking step-on tour guide nattily dressed in a pinstriped suit, suspenders, and fedora, delighted OLLI members with fascinating anecdotes about Chicago’s windiest politicians, rollicking red-light districts, and notorious mobsters as the bus cruised in search of old hoodlum haunts, brothels, gambling dens, and sites of infamous gangland shootouts.

Shakespeare led a two-hour, fact-filled tour of the city, driving past well-known landmarks such as Holy Name Cathedral, which still has a bullet hole in the limestone façade from the assassination of Hymie Weiss; the former Lexington Hotel (otherwise known as “Capone’s Castle”), which Al Capone used as his headquarters; and through Levy District (formerly known as The Devil’s Mile), where vice and corruption once led to a crime rate higher than the rest of the country combined.

The tour took OLLI through Chinatown, Little Sicily, and the neighborhood of Pilsen, home to a building that once housed the famous Schoenhofen Brewery. The building itself is full of lore: Capone used it to brew legal “near beer” then spiked it with rot-gun whiskey; Frank Lloyd Wright once called the structure the perfect example of prairie architecture in America; and it was used during the filming of the orphanage scenes in The Blues Brothers movie.

Seemingly mundane neighborhoods were revealed as the sites of notorious assassinations during the 14 years of Prohibition. An innocuous parking lot on Clark Street was pointed out as the site of the city’s worst mafia murder: the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Al Capone’s elaborate 1929 scheme to kill enemy Bugs Moran. The site has been a parking lot since 1969, when former Mayor Daley tore down the garage to improve the city’s image.

Shakespeare had plenty of anecdotes about the gangsters, too. For instance, the term “bootlegging” was coined by Deanie O’Bannion, a gangster who would hide samples of liquor in 5 oz. flasks in his boots and share them during mass at Holy Name Cathedral. Immigrants from Sicily were employed by Angelo Genna and his five brothers as “alky cookers,” earning $15 a day mixing ingredients for rot-gut whiskey in 5-gallon copper stills. Workers kept $14 of their earnings; the other dollar went to the “flower fund,” used to purchase funeral flowers for employees who were killed during frequent explosions during the cooking process.

It was the anecdotes about the Al Capone, however, that intrigued OLLI members the most. They learned that Capone once sent $10,000 and flowers to a woman injured during an attempt on his life; kidnapped a pianist, forced him to play at his speakeasy for three days, then let him leave after shoving $20,000 in his pocket; and bought a belt that spelled out “Thanks From Al” in diamonds for a newspaper reporter who tipped him about upcoming government raids.

After the tour, the OLLI group headed to Tommy Gun's Garage, Chicago’s only speakeasy dinner theater, for lunch and a musical comedy revue that featured gangsters, flappers, and a raid by the cops. One lucky member of the group, John Maher, was taken on stage for an interactive "sobriety test" and radio show.

Barn Lunch & Learn -- May 21, 2009

It was another spectacular day for a learning trip on May 15, when 23 members attended the Barn Lunch & Learn event.

The day began with breakfast in the Alumni Dining Room, followed by a two-hour presentation by renowned barn expert Bob Sherman. His lecture included information about the American barn's European antecedents, an examination of the nomenclature, and a discussion of the functional uses of farm structures.

Participants then boarded a charter coach to look at rural structures and farmsteads throughout Peoria County. The first stop was the Hauk farmstead, which has been in the same family for more than 150 years. The barn, constructed in 1850, includes hand-hewn timbers and hay mow areas currently used for storage. The rustic corn crib was built in 1905 to hold earn corn for livestock feeding. Today, the crib is used for storage, since corn in shelled in the field by modern combines and stored in closed metal corn bins.

Other stops included the Howarth barn and house, circa 1844, one of only 12 stone structures in the county during the 19th century; the Tom Coyle farm near Trivoli; the Phelps barn in Elmwood, and the Virgil Janssen barn in Hanna City.

Amish Country -- May 7

Several dozen OLLI members spent a beautiful day in Arthur, Arcola, and Tuscola, Illinois during our Amish Country regional learning trip on May 7.

The day began with a trip to the Amish Interpretive Center in Arcola. There, members watched a short introductory video about the Amish lifestyle and walked through the many interactive displays of history, buggies, quilts, barns, and homes, including the Smithsonian Institution's traveling exhibit "Between Fences."

Josephine Marner, our step-on guide, led our group on an interesting and very informative tour of the surrounding countryside. Ms. Marner said this area in Illinois, with an Amish population of nearly 5,000, is the fourth largest Amish settlement in the United States, and is comparable to settlements in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

She also explained that the Amish are raised to serve the Lord, provide a church home for their children, and go to heaven. Children and adults are baptized after six weeks of instruction. In addition, the Amish often speak three languages: everyday German at home, English in school, and High German at church and religious ceremonies such as weddings and funerals.

For lunch, OLLI members were treated to an incredible home cooked meal at the farm of Vic and Delores Graber. We enjoyed a hearty lunch of fried chicken, meatloaf, noodles, salad, vegetables, bread, and pie. After eating, the Graber children entertained us with songs.

After lunch, we visited an authentic Amish woodworking shop, then visited Flesor's Candy Kitchen in Tuscola. There, OLLI members were treated to a personalized candy-making demonstration and tour of the vintage shop, first established in 1901. Many participants enjoyed authentic Green River drinks and sampled the delicious chocolates made on-site.

Thanks to Ms. Marner, the Grabers, and everyone involved with this insightful trip.

A Day in Downtown Dunlap -- April 16

On April 16, OLLI traveled to Dunlap, Illinois to learn more about the local small town gem.

The day's first stop was a visit to the Little Church on the Prairie, a private wedding chapel owned by Louise Emmanual. Built in 1910, this historical brick church was formerly the Saint Clement Catholic Church. It features gothic windows, oak pews, a beamed cathedral ceiling, and a beautiful altar area for non-denominational, religious, or civil ceremonies.

Next, OLLI members were treated to a formal high tea at Her Majesty's English Tea Room at Fairchild's, Ltd. Everyone was treated like royalty, and wore the tiaras and crowns to prove it -- including the men! (Kudos to our members for being such good sports). The tea, served by owners Jerry and Jackie Gillam, included warm scones, chicken salad tarts, puff pastries, chocolate, and fruit/dessert teas.

To wrap up the day, members visited two other shops along Second Street, the Knit 4 Together Yarn Company and the Village Clock Shop. OLLI members learned the history of each business, as well as what it takes to run the stores on a daily basis.

OLLI thanks each of the businesses and their owners for hosting us on a beautiful day! You can visit the Little Church on the web by logging onto: www.littlechurchweddingchapel.com.

German Dinner -- April 22

Nearly sixty OLLI members were immersed in German heritage during our second annual ethnic dinner on Wednesday, April 22. This year's dinner was held at the Lindenhof, home of the German American Central Society, 7601 N. Harker Drive, Peoria.

During the two-hour special event, OLLI members were treated to a talk by Al Hedemann about Peoria's wealth of German heritage. After the talk, members dined on homemade sauerbraten, red cabbage, spaetzel with gravy, salad, and apple strudel. During and after dinner, J's Accordion Duo entertained the crowd with live music.

OLLI thanks Barbara Binder and Jim McGill of the German American Central Society for a great evening! We appreciate the time they spent answering our questions, as well as the authentic German toasts they provided during the dinner.

For more information about Peoria's German American Central Society, you can log onto www.peoriagermans.net.

Dynamic Controls -- March 26

Dynamic Controls President and Bradley alum Bill Wahl ('65) graciously hosted OLLI members for a presentation about his company in late March.

The company, located at 1700 W. Luthy Drive in Peoria, provides controls and building automated systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), card access, lighting, and CCTV. It provides a variety of different applications for single buildings, large campuses, major health care facilities, and industrial complexes.

Although most of Dynamic Controls' work is done on construction sites, there are 20 employees who work in the Peoria office, including engineers, project managers, programmers, CAD (computer aided drawing) operators, and support staff. Four employees work out of a satellite office in St. Louis.

Some of the company's customers include Eastern Illinois University (40 campus buildings), AT&T, Verizon, Edward Jones, and various schools, factories, hospitals, churches, and farms.

For more information about Dynamic Controls, visit http://www.dynamiccontrolsinc.com/.

Great Harvest Bread Co. -- March 24 & April 14

Twenty OLLI members were treated to a tasty tour of Great Harvest Bread Company on Tuesday, March 24.

Sam Polito, who co-owns the Peoria franchise with his wife Stephanie, gave members an in-depth look at the bakery's history, its products, ingredients, and baking process.

The first Great Harvest Bread Co. opened in Great Falls, Montana in 1976, and has grown to more than 220 locally owned and operated bakeries across the United States. The Politos opened the franchise after Sam fought a successful battle with cancer, as they wanted to spend more time together and lead a healthier lifestyle. Sam is now cancer-free and joked that his clean bill of health was the result of the bakery's bread and cookies.

Upon hearing Sam's joke, OLLI member Fred Dickenson quipped, "Now he's making a little bit of dough ... somebody had to say it!"

The bakery uses premium whole wheat purchased from small family farms in Montana. Every day at 4 a.m., employees mill the wheat to ensure freshness and flavor, then begin the five-hour process of kneading and baking. Fresh-baked bread is available for purchase around 10 a.m. daily.

Sam said he and his 24 employees attempt to bake just enough bread to sell within 24 hours. He does not wholesale the products to supermarkets, and any bread left unsold after one day is donated to area food banks and shelters.

OLLI thanks Sam, Stephanie, and Rebecca for a great afternoon in a delicious environment! We appreciate the time you spent answering our questions, and we'll definitely be back to use the coupons you generously provided.

For more information about Great Harvest Bread Co., you can visit the store at 9010 N. Allen Road, or log onto www.greatharvestpeoria.com.

Toraason Glass Works -- March 12 & 19

On two separate occasions in March, OLLI members enjoyed a private glass blowing demonstration by local artist Hiram Toraason.

Toraason Glass, founded in 2003, is a 2,700-square-foot glass blowing studio and gallery located at 208 Morton Street, Peoria, Illinois.

During the demonstration, Hiram said he provides a number of glass making opportunities, including private lessons, weekend workshops, teambuilding workshops, and individual studio time. Hiram illustrated many techniques during his demonstration, including gathering, thumbing a bubble, transferring, and opening a cup. He and his employees created a one-of-a-kind vessel during our visit.

After the demonstration, Hiram spoke one-on-one with OLLI members, explaining the different varieties of glass creations made in the studio, which include ornaments, pendants, vessels, wine stoppers, and much more. He and his three employees are in the process of moving to a larger studio on Monroe Street in Peoria, and they expect the operation to be up and running in the new location by May.

OLLI would like to thank Hiram and his staff for providing us with a great learning experience, and we congratulate him on his new studio.

For more information about Toraason Glass, please visit toraasonglass.com.

Chicago Gangster Tour -- March 4, 2009

Nearly 90 people headed for Chicago at 6:30 a.m. on March 4 for the largest learning trip in OLLI history!

Upon arrival in the Windy City, each charter coach (we had two!) was boarded by an Untouchable Tour step-on guide dressed in Prohibition-era clothes and carrying a concealed "shotgun." The tour guides, "Big Julie" and "Matches," delighted our group with a two-hour tour of Chicago, giving us the inside scoop on 1920s politics, gangster feuds, and the exploits of some of the city's famous mobsters.

As we drove past landmarks such as Holy Name Cathederal, Big Julie and Matches told stories about the Northsiders (Deanie O'Bannion, Hymie Weiss, and Bugs Moran) and Southsiders (Johnny Torrio, Big Jim Colosimo, and Al Capone), as well as the worst mafia murder in Chicago history, the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

After the tour, the OLLI group headed to Tommy Gun's Garage, a speakeasy dinner theater, for lunch and a show. Our host, Vito, led a musical comedy revue that featured gangsters, flappers, and OLLI members on stage. We were even "raided" by the cops ... and some of our members were taken on stage for an interactive "sobriety test" and radio show.

OLLI headed back home to Peoria around 4 p.m., our bellies full of delicious prime rib, and our heads full of gangster lore.

For more information about Untouchable Tours and Tommy Gun's Garage, please visit www.gangstertour.com and www.tommygunsgarage.com.

Peoria County Sheriff's Office: February 26

On February 26, OLLI members traveled to the Peoria County Sheriff's Office for a private tour of the jail.

After a brief demonstration by deputies and K-9 officer Beny, Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy took our group through the administration offices, deputy meeting room, and a special area that houses an interactive training machine.

The Active Interactive Systems (AIS) machine programs a variety of shooting scenarios, then plays them out in real time, requiring officers to approach shooting situations appropriately and determine when/when not to shoot. Officers are then critiqued afterwards as to how they responded to the scenario. Sheriff McCoy demonstrated the program twice -- and hit the shooter with 100% accuracy.

Sheriff McCoy also led the group through the main control room, the intake area, sallyport, evidence/crime lab, and a prisoner pod. OLLI members were stunned to learn that the jail has been full since three weeks after the 1999 addition (which added 144 beds) was opened.

Kudos and thanks to Sheriff McCoy for the informative tour!

For more information about the Peoria County Sheriff's Office, visit:
www.peoriacounty.org/sheriff.

Becoming Edvard Munch: February 24

Our first trip of Spring 2009 marked another OLLI first -- an intergenerational experience with Bradley University undergraduate students!

We left Peoria early in the morning of February 24 to drive to the Art Institute of Chicago, where we had tickets for the special exhibition, "Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth."

OLLI members were accompanied by nearly 20 undergraduates and their art professor Heather Brammeier, who gave a very informative narrative of Munch, his life, and his work, during the drive.

Before entering the Munch exhibit, OLLI members had the opportunity to hear a lecture by the curator, Jay A. Clarke. During the lecture, she discussed the myths that traditionally defined Munch: his mental instability and the influence of contemporary art. Clarke, who also provided the commentary in our audio tour, challenged these myths by presenting his works in relation to those of his European comtemporaries.

OLLI thanks Ms. Brammeier and her students for a wonderful day of intergenerational learning -- based upon the comments from the students and members, it's something we'll definitely try again in the future!

For more information about the Art Institute of Chicago, visit www.artic.edu/aic/.