The Peoria Area Civic Chorale will present its An American Family Christmas concert and gala series Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14. (Photo courtesy of Peoria Civic Chorale)

 EAST PEORIA

Deadline approaches for Christmas decorating contest

Untangle the lights, blow up the holiday inflatables and enter the 2019 Christmas Splendor Exterior Decorating Contest, and Saturday, Dec. 6 is the final day to enter.

Judging dates will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 10, 11 and 12 from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. each night

The East Peoria Beautification Commission’s annual contest is part of the Festival of Lights. Christmas Splendor contestants can enter their own structure or neighborhood, or enter others.

The contest is open to those whose property is in the East Peoria corporate city limit including those in the Sunnyland area of East Peoria.

Categories are: Business/Church/School, neighborhood, Folepi Christmas Spendor (home) excessive use of outdoor lighting and decorations, the more the merrier; Festive Inflatables (home) five or more inflatables on display; Traditional (home) anything from simple to extravagant.

Exterior contest displays must be visible from curbside. Those utilizing professional lighting

services, as well as 2018 Christmas Splendor contest winners, are not eligible.

Awards will be presented to those placing first and second in each category. The winning neighborhood will be recognized with a yard sign. Winners from the other categories  will receive a Folepi ornament will at the Tuesday, Dec. 17 East Peoria City Council meeting.

PEORIA

Civic Chorale presents American Family Christmas and gala

The Peoria Area Civic Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Joseph D. Henry and with featured soloist Megan Koch, will present its An American Family Christmas concert series Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14 at 7:30 pm at Five Points Washington and a new An American Family Christmas Gala on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Tickets for the Gala are $75 each and are on sale at www.peoriacivicchorale.org or by calling 309-693-6725 by Dec.  8.

Special to Friday night’s performance will be two festival choirs 120 youth from 4th grade through junior high from over a dozen area schools. Each Five Points performance will also feature a talented teen Young Artist competition winner: Meg Ciko of Germantown Hills (Friday), Halee Hendel of Avon (Saturday) and Rachel Kocher of Dunlap (Saturday). The Chorale’s Youth Chorus will also perform and there will be special appearances by Jack Frost, Rudolph and Santa and his elves.

Tickets for “An American Family Christmas” at Five Points are $20 for adults, with students through college at $8 and are available at 309-693-6725, online at www.peoriacivicchorale.org or at the door. This concert series is sponsored by CEFCU, Parsons and is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

The Sunday Gala performance is a collaboration with the Peoria Riverfront Museum, which regularly promotes live music through its Music at the Museum performances. Guests of the Gala will enjoy an adapted version of An American Family Christmas as well as a wine pull, silent auction, plated dinner and access to the museum’s DaVinci: The Genius featuring the Secrets of Mona Lisa exhibit.

 Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ coming to GAR Hall 

A reader’s theater production of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol at will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the GAR Hall, 416 Hamilton Blvd., Peoria.

The afternoon includes Christmas High Tea, music, and performances by Cheri Beever, Cindy Hoey, Gene Bourke, Dave Schick, Keri Rae, and Charles Brown as “Scrooge.”  The script was adapted by Doug Day.

The event is free, but donations will be appreciated to benefit the GAR Hall.  An elevator is available as alternative for the steps to the hall.

MORTON

See Santa and Mrs. Claus at pancake breakfast

The American Legion Post 318 and the Morton Chamber of Commerce join to present a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday, Dec 7 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Post 318, 24 E. Adams St. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling 309-263-0027 or 309-219-1625.

Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Morton pancake breakfast hosted by the American Legion on Dec. 7.

PEKIN

City presents revised five-year plan

The purpose of the City of Pekin’s 2015 – 2019 Five Year Plan is to develop a viable urban community by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities principally for low- and moderate- income persons.

This version includes a substantial amendment to include public infrastructure improvements and code enforcement.

The following budget is proposed for the 2019 remaining funds for the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan: Administration $80,000, Owner Occupied Rehabilitation $75,000, Rehabilitation Program Delivery $50,000, Public Services $60,000, Demolition $75,000, Code Enforcement $50,000, Public Infrastructure $592,133.

For more information, go to http://www.ci.pekin.il.us/news.

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TAZEWELL COUNTY

 Deer hunting season gets underway

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 50,173 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season on Nov. 22-24.  Hunters took 58,836 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2018.

Hunters in Tazewell County harvested 339 so far.

Illinois’ seven-day Firearm Deer Season will conclude Dec. 5-8.

Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:

• Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season on Dec. 13-15;
• Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (in select counties only) on Dec. 26-29, 2019 and Jan. 17-19, 2020;
• Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 19, 2020 (archery deer hunting is closed Dec. 5-8 in counties open for Firearm Deer Season)

For more details on deer hunting, open counties, and other information, check the IDNR website at  https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx

Red Cross hosting blood drives during holiday season 

The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to be the lifeline for patients in need this holiday season by making an appointment to give blood or platelets.

While helping to save lives is likely motivation enough, those who come out to give now through Dec. 18 will also receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Suburban Propane.

Here how to make donating blood easy.

• It’s quick and easy to find a convenient blood drive. Search for drives by ZIP code and make an appointment to donate using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, online at RedCrossBlood.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
• Donors can save time by completing a RapidPass®. The entire donation process only takes about an hour, but donors can save time with RapidPass. Pre-donation reading and health history questions can be completed online to save about 15 minutes.
• Donors will get important health information. Donors receive a mini-health screening to help determine eligibility that includes blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin readings. First-time donors will also find out their blood type soon after donating.

As schedules fill with holiday parties, shopping and fun with friends and family, many blood and platelet donors delay giving. Unfortunately, that may lead to delays in treatments for patients relying on blood. Right now, there is a critical need for type O blood donors.

The Red Cross is thanking those who come to give through Dec. 18 with a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Suburban Propane. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Thanks.)