Tres Rojas Wines have won awards, but so far has not scored a new home to sell its wine. Having lost a zoning fight in East Peoria, the owners of the winery are considering locating to land in Tazewell County near Goodfield or to an old warehouse in Peoria Heights.

STATE

Political collectibles convention coming to Illinois

Political paraphernalia sporting slogans has a long history in political campaigns from “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” to “I Like Ike” to “Make America Great Again.”

Thousands and thousands of examples of such paraphernalia and other political themed items will be for sale at the American Political Items Collectors’ next national convention. The group’s once-every-two-years event will be in Springfield for the first time July 18-July 22, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The non-profit membership organization is dedicated to promoting the collection, preservation and study of materials relating to political campaigns and the presidency — though the buttons, banners and bandanas can also come from races for governor or other offices.

The convention will include more than 225 dealers of political and historical items.

Part of the show — from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 22 — will be free of charge and open to the public. The public will also be able to get free appraisals of their political items and can have them auctioned for a commission fee.

All buttons and other political items sold at the convention must be originals. And items will span the country’s history — from the time of George Washington through the coming 2020 campaign.

Information on the convention is available at apic.us, (309) 251-6461 or batwater27@hotmail.com.

EAST PEORIA

Winery meets public opposition in search for a new home

A winery, which has won awards for its wine, failed to win a zoning fight for a new home to sell its wine.

Tres Rojas Wines has been denied a recommendation by the East Peoria zoning board to move and expand its wine-making business to a 20-acre parcel off of Bloomington Road. At a recent hearing, area residents convinced the zoning board a winery was not a good fit near the residential area.

Owners now are considering locating to land in Tazewell County near Goodfield, or to an old warehouse in Peoria Heights.

The winery’s Roth’s Countryside Strawberry Wine, made with homegrown Roth Farms strawberries, recently won the top award for wines from any appellation category from the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance. The winery also received a second gold medal and two silver medals for its other wines.

The winery is pursuing three possible options: locating to a 20-acre parcel five miles south of the Interstate 74 Goodfield exit on a country road about 20 minutes from Morton; to an unspecified warehouse building in Peoria Heights with tall ceilings and a lot of windows; or, a combination of both locations.

Both sites would have room for private parties, outdoor seating and wine sales. With the third option, the winery would grow and process grapes in Goodfield and market and sell them in Peoria Heights.

GERMANTOWN HILLS

Chamber to host seminar about cyber threats

Tips about how not to be a victim of cyber threats will be explained at a seminar being sponsored by the Germantown Hills Chamber of Commerce, 6:30 p.m. July 24, at

Michael’s Monte Cristo Room in the Kaufman Wellness Center, 387 Old Germantown Road.

Rod Meismer, president of Proactive Technology Group in East Peoria, will speak. The one-hour presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session. To attend, call the chamber office, (309) 383-2566.

–Woodford County News Briefs–