FREEZING TEMPS ARE HERE!

HOW TO AVOID FROZEN PIPES

As the weather turns colder, the Village of Peoria Heights would like to remind you of the importance of preparing for the cold weather. Please remember these tips as you are preparing and protecting your pipes this winter:

Prior to this winter:

  • Become familiar with the areas of your home such as basements and crawl spaces. Also be aware that unheated rooms and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to freezing.

  • Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines by insulating walls, fixing broken windows, closing off crawl spaces, and eliminating drafts near doors.

  • Locate your main water shut-off valve. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.

  • Protect your pipes and water meter by wrapping exposed pipes with insulation or an electrical pipe

    heater. Newspaper and fabric may be used as well.

    When the temperatures fall below zero:

  • Keep interior temperatures at or above 55°F.

  • Turn on sinks to allow a small trickle of water to continually run to keep the pipes from freezing. The extra

    cost of the water is minimal compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe. Residents should consider

    collecting that water to put to later use (watering plants, pets, cleaning, etc.)

  • Open cabinets and allow the pipes to be exposed to the warmer room temperatures.

    If your pipes freeze:

  • Shut off the water immediately. Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.

  • Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to the pipe. Use a hair dryer, space heater, or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.

  • Turn the water back on slowly once the pipes have thawed, and check for cracks and leaks.

    Stay Warm!

    4901 N Prospect Rd, Peoria Heights, IL 61616 P 309-686-2375 | F 309-686-2387 PeoriaHeights.org

Village Board fills new community development director position

The Village of Peoria Heights has retained the services of Wayne Aldrich as its first-ever community development director, through a consultant contract with the architectural and engineering firm Farnsworth Group.

Aldrich’s appointment was unanimously confirmed at the Village Board’s Dec. 21 meeting.

Though a consultant, “I commit to you that I will be like an employee for Peoria Heights,” Aldrich, 61, told the Village Board. “My allegiance is to the Heights.”

“Mr. Aldrich’s résumé speaks for itself,” said Trustee Dave Marfell, addressing Aldrich’s work both as an Illinois Department of Transportation engineer and as a driving force behind Uptown Normal, the transformation of that community’s commercial center adjacent to Illinois State University, where he oversaw the construction of two hotels, a multi-modal transportation center, a new town hall, a children’s museum, new restaurants, residential developments and a reimagined streetscape complete with intersecting recreational paths.

He helped secure some $60 million in state and federal grants for that McLean County community, which is about a 45-minute drive east of the Heights.

That background made him the obvious choice, and an excellent fit, for a Peoria Heights that aspires to some of the same types of development, said Mayor Michael Phelan. Meanwhile, the coming reconstruction/reinvention of Galena Road/Illinois Route 29 along the Heights’ waterfront, along with the Village’s visions for War Memorial Drive and Prospect Road, could certainly get a lift from someone with an IDOT background and contacts, said the mayor.

While with IDOT for the first 15 years of his career -- stationed in Ottawa at the time -- Aldrich worked on the original construction of Interstate 39, while also lending a hand to projects on I-55, I-74 and Bloomington-Normal’s Veterans Parkway.

Meanwhile, Aldrich also can draw on his experience at every stage of the economic development process – from land acquisition to negotiation with developers, from planning to design, from construction through completion. He also is very familiar with the mechanics of local government, having spent his entire career – 38 years -- as a public servant at the municipal and state levels. He was Normal’s public works director between 2014 and his retirement from that post in August.

A Springfield native, Aldrich is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, where he earned a degree in civil engineering.

The Village’s decision to create the community development director position grew out of its recent long-range planning and board goal-setting efforts, which included not just a focus on economic development but on neighborhood revitalization.

“It’s a huge win for Peoria Heights,” said Village Administrator Dustin Sutton. “It’s a huge win for our administration.”

Legendary 33 Room opens in the Heights

The former Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery Hospitality Room in Peoria Heights – the legendary 33 Room – is open for private parties and preparing to turn on the taps to the public, likely by the turn of the new year if not before.

Owned and operated by partners Kip Rodier, 54, and Dustin Crawford, 37, the 33 Room is located inside the old Pabst Building, 4541 N. Prospect Road.

Crawford has a bartending background and is something of an expert mixologist who has stored no end of cocktail recipes in his head, while Rodier is a retired Caterpillar engineer and collector of all things Pabst who provided much of the memorabilia on display in what is a part bar/part Pabst museum.

That “perfect match” found something of a soulmate in Robbie Mathisen, co- owner of Pour BROS. Craft Taproom and the marketing and creative design firm Grindstone Group in the Heights. Mathisen did the early concept and restoration work and intended to be involved with the bar himself, but got so busy with other business ventures that he handed it off to friends Rodier and Crawford.

The bar itself is a trip down memory lane, a homage to the place that first opened in March, 1949, remained a popular destination until the plant closed in early 1982, and still retains a decided 1950s vibe to it.

“We can’t keep this place a secret for too long,” said Rodier, who pulled from his collection, along with Skylar Edwards, Jim Searle and Mathisen, to decorate the place and give it its distinctively retro feel. “It speaks for itself.”

Indeed, the history alone is likely to be a draw. “It’s fascinating how they ended up here,” following Prohibition in the early years of the Great Depression, said Rodier, who hopes to give monthly talks at the bar on that subject and more, such as the inspiration for the name. Where did the 33 Room name originate? From the “33 separate brews from 33 separate kettles to make a single glass of Blue Ribbon,” of course. The place also was open in its first phase – 1949 to 1982 – for precisely 33 years.

Ultimately, Pabst would employ more than 700 people in Peoria Heights and become one of the largest volume breweries in the nation.

Some of those former employees have already been in for tours. A few, bitter over the closing, hadn’t sipped on a PBR in decades. “I think the pain of the closing has kind of subsided,” said Rodier, who has witnessed the renaissance of PBR on college campuses across the country and now thinks the general population is ready for that, as well.

Between the history of the building and the modern upgrades, “we couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Rodier, noting that the 33 Room intends to use the original walk-in cooler. “We’ve got it almost exactly the way it looked in 1949.”

The bar will have standard PBR on tap, along with one of the specialty brews the Milwaukee-based operation makes – such as hard coffees and teas – and a few locally crafted beers. Canned beer of many labels also will be available, and Crawford will be doing his magic on the cocktail front, perhaps even with the whiskey Pabst makes. Food will not be served, at least at first, though patrons may bring their own.

“If you drive by and see the open sign, come on in,” said Rodier.

Otherwise, the room rental fee is $250 on Fridays and Saturdays, $175 on Thursdays and Sundays. The room also can be made available for weekday business rentals and for Sunday brunch.

The location can accommodate up to 40 people, more in the warmer months with outdoor seating. If all goes well, the 33 Room would like to expand down the road. A grand opening is planned in March 2022 to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the place.

The bar will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays.

Crawford and Rodier lease the space from Kim Blickenstaff’s KDB Group, which owns the historic building. The Peoria Heights Village Board granted the business a liquor license just this week, with the two owners waiting on state approval, which is expected soon. Those interested in renting the space for a private gathering or who wish more information in general can get a hold of the owners at the33room@gmail.com, or reach out to them on Facebook.

“We are thrilled to have this space filled and this history preserved,” said KDB Group CEO Greg Birkland. “Pabst helped define the Heights, and this is a promising start on a second chapter for that legendary brand here, in the community that embraced it.”

“I think it’s the perfect spot. With all the development going on in the Heights, I wouldn’t want to do this anyplace else,” said Rodier.

“We’re still building history here,” said Crawford.

Protect those water pipes

It’s getting cold outside, with temperatures dipping down into the teens this week, so just this reminder from the Peoria Heights Public Works Department:

Water pipes can freeze in the winter. If that’s a worry in your home, allow just a drip – a trickle will do -- to keep the water flowing. It’s also a good idea to know where your water shut-off valve is. If you don’t, call the Peoria Heights Water Department at 309-686-2375 and someone can stop by to help.

“That will save you lots of heartache and lots of money,” said Village Trustee Dave Marfell. 


Covello clan defends its Light the Heights crown

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The 2020 Light the Heights champion is the 2021 Light the Heights champion, and he has but one word for it: “Awesome!”

Frank Covello of 4914 N. Conn outdid himself again this year, stringing together some 14,200 twinkling lights of varied colors – crushing last year’s 10,000-bulb output – to come away with nearly 45 percent of the popular vote in the “Showstopper/Best Overall” category. “We stepped it up a little bit from last year,” said Covello, obviously understating the case.

The most notably addition to the display this year was a twin set of nutcrackers, six feet tall, made from buckets and other household materials that had the Covellos tapping into their artistic potential. Why go to all this effort? “It’s what the whole season’s about, bringing a smile to peoples’ faces,” said Covello. Fundamentally, it’s about “being that little kid driving around and going, ‘Oh my God, look at that! That’s so cool! How did he do that?’”

It’s also about continuing the family tradition that started back in his native Chicago, and that now continues for the Covellos in downstate Illinois. Frank doesn’t do all of this by himself. “Everyone plays their role,” he said.

Peoria Heights Mayor Michael Phelan was present at this Christmas reveal and awarded Covello the traveling trophy. “We know all the Ameren shareholders are happy tonight,” joked the mayor, noting the pure wattage being put out by those 14,200 lights, which required nearly the entire month of November to install. He complimented the Covellos for “bringing so much beauty and joy” to the community, and also for setting the standard in a contest that saw double the number of participants in its second year. “Even though you’re the winner, lots of homes in Peoria Heights look terrific,” said Phelan.

Meanwhile, Covello plans to up his game again next year, and he’s throwing down the gauntlet to those who might aspire to the throne. Indeed, he welcomes the competition. “Somebody, come take it,” he said. Those interested in seeing the display andhearing Covello’s interview can do so here. Meanwhile, the other local winners were:

  • Best Traditional/Classic Display: 4725 N. Grandview Drive, Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Cullinan

  • Best Business Storefront: Michele’s Floral Toyland Award, 705 E. Sciota Ave. Events, 1225 E. Samuel, Michele Birkner

Public Notice of Drinking Water Health Advisory: Issue corrected as of 11/15/21

Peoria Heights Waterworks routinely monitors for the presence of drinking water contaminants and is dedicated to following the standards established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

Recent tests showed an increase in the naturally-occurring mineral manganese which exceeded IEPA standards. Through additional testing and adjustments of water source combinations, as of 11/15/21, the current manganese level complies with IEPA standards.

Peoria Heights Waterworks will continue to work diligently to monitor and treat the water supply for the safety and well-being of our community.

For more information, click here.