Model trains are alluring, and beckon to train enthusiasts to attend the Peoria Train Fair Nov. 19, at Illinois Central College in East Peoria.

CHICAGO

Planetarium looks  for life on other planets

An upcoming event at Adler Planetarium will explore the question, “Are we alone in the Universe?” On Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, planetarium visitors and viewers across the globe can watch a virtual presentation about the possibility of life on other planets.

The presentation is part of Adler’s Kavli Fulldome Lecture Series, a twice-yearly event that began in 2015 to take audiences on a journey to the edges of human knowledge.

For the series, Adler experts and leading scientists work together to create animated images of real data, which are projected onto the planetarium dome. The “domecast” will be live-streamed via YouTube 360, allowing planetariums, schools, universities and museums on four continents to watch, with expected viewers as far away as a remote village in Kenya.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Model train fair to attract enthusiasts

Whether you are a model railroad enthusiast, train buff, or just someone looking for unique holiday gifts, there will be something for everybody when the Peoria Train Fair pulls in to the Illinois Central College East Peoria campus Nov. 19. The fair will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and is sponsored by the Illinois Valley Model Railroad Club in Peoria and Pekin’s River City Model Railroad Club. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult.

The operating layouts return to the Train Fair this year courtesy of the River City Model Railroad Club, giving attendees an idea of what is possible in model railroading. “Run a Train” returns, giving children the opportunity to play engineer and run selected trains on a small layout. 

DVDs, videos, books, and photos, as well as many model railroad parts and supplies will be available. Tables will also highlight new and used items from most scales including Lionel, G, O, HO, N and Z. Real railroad memorabilia will be available including clothing (hats, shirts, patches, and pins). The latest products will be available and experts will answer attendees’ questions. 

All proceeds from the fair support the Illinois Valley Model Railroad Club in Peoria and River City Model Railroad Club in Pekin and their efforts to highlight and promote the hobby of model railroading.

PEORIA

Construction to begin on water control project

Ground has been broken for construction of a stormwater farm in the 1^st District. The stormwater farm will feature green infrastructure, such as flowering bioswales and a stormwater forest, an urban farm and a training program for youth and residents.

Green Infrastructure is the use of nature – including trees, plants, and soil – to manage water from storms. The result is often reduced flooding and fewer sewer overflows. Because the site is located in the combined sewer area of the city, the addition of green infrastructure to the site may help reduce sewage overflows to the Illinois River as well as local flooding.

Youth and adult residents will be trained in urban farming and agribusiness skills on the site, 1013 Southwest Reed Ave. The gitm Foundation’s Urban Agriculture Apprenticeship Program will take 20 participants each year who will cultivate produce and cut flowers on the and learn how to sell their products.

Symposium to focus on work of Midwest women artists

The Art Department of Bradley University and Illinois Women Artists Project (IWA) will hold the fourth biennial Midwest Women Artists Symposium on the Bradley University campus Nov. 2-Nov.3.

The symposium will examine the impact that Midwestern women artists of the 1960s and ’70s had on their communities and the evolution of American art. Many of the women used their creative skills and activities to comment on social and political issues of the day, most notably civil rights, women’s rights, environmental conditions and the Vietnam War. They were aware of artistic currents in New York City and on the West Coast, but often took a different path in their choice of subject matter and/or the media in which they chose to work. 

Female artists who themselves helped shape the cultural life of the Midwest in the 1960s and 1970s will join scholars who have researched that period extensively on three discussion panels; their personal experiences will bring the period vividly to life.

A complete schedule of the two-day event can be found at iwa.bradley.edu/symposium/schedule.

Portillo’s to open with ‘50s décor

The highly anticipated opening of a Chicagoland fast-casual restaurant Portillo’s is now official. Portillo’s, known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, is expected to open sometime next year at 4412 N. Rockwood Drive.

The chain will operate a 9,000-square-foot restaurant. Plans already submitted to the city contemplate seating for 204 patrons indoors, with seating for an additional 50 in a seasonal, outdoor area. The restaurant and its signature double drive-through lane will be situated toward the back of the wedge-shaped parcel.

The interior of the restaurant will be designed on a 1950s theme.

Earlier this year, Portillo’s outlets opened in Normal and Champaign.

CHILLICOTHE

Road named for Navy SEAL hero

Illinois Route 29 in Chillicothe will be named for fallen Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, to honor his as a dedicated and selfless hero. 

Owens, a graduate of Illinois Valley Central High School, died during a mission in Yemen in January 2017. Throughout his military service, Owens won two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and a posthumous Silver Star for his actions during a 2015 mission in Somalia, among other awards.

The Illinois Senate voted for the renaming by passing a Senate resolution co-sponsored by Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) and Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria). 

Route 29 will officially have the title Senior Chief Petty Officer William ‘Ryan’ Owens Memorial Highway within Chillicothe city limits. 

–Peoria Area News Briefs–