• In late September, the Central Illinois Chapter sent volunteers from Peoria and Champaign to assist flood victims in Georgia.
• Then, the American Red Cross mobilized in American Samoa, where a tsunami swept across the island after a powerful earthquake hit the South Pacific.
• On Sept. 30, an earthquake measuring 7.6 shook Indonesia’s western coastline, setting off a destructive chain of events — buildings caught fire, homes collapsed, airports closed, and residents and tourists became trapped. In Padang alone, at least 500 homes were caved in.
• Additionally, relief workers are helping with the ongoing typhoon response in the Philippines and Vietnam after Typhoon Ketsana made its first landfall and dumped torrential rains.

The Red Cross and our international partners need your help so that we may help others. Please take a moment to read, watch, listen learn about these disaster relief needs, both global and domestic. Thank you for your support.

More information at www.redcrossillinois.org/disasters-fall-2009.

Families should:

• Check for home fire hazards
• Ensure smoke alarms are in working order
• Practice an escape plan

Fires pose a real danger to life and property. Of all the types of disasters that Red Cross volunteers respond to, fires are by far the most common. Last fiscal year, the Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter helped at a record 200 fires throughout its 10-county service area.

“When people think of disaster preparedness, they tend to think of tornadoes and floods. But home fires are disasters, too,” said Harley Jones, Red Cross director of Emergency Services. “If you’re standing in your yard in the middle of the night, watching flames consume your property, a fire is a disaster on a very personal scale. Our volunteers witness this firsthand.

“We want our friends in central Illinois to prevent fires,” Jones continued. “Doing so doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment or training – just some planning with your loved ones.”

Visit www.redcrossillinois.org for more safety tips for your home and family.

http://www.2009peregala.com/

$150 per person gets you in the door and provides you with a five course dinner, open bar, and entertainment by SNZ.  There will be a live and silent auction that night.    The event benefits the Junior League of Peoria and our Peoria PlayHouse project, our volunteer effort to bring a children’s museum to Peoria.  You can learn more about the PlayHouse at www.peoriaplayhouse.org

If you would like to preview the show, send an email to katrina@theartistfarm.com and we’ll coordinate setting up an interview time with the band.  To contact the Junior League email Emily at emcahill@mchsi.com

FULL PRESS KIT (17MB), including 2 popular songs: “Hell” (a top 10 radio hit) the swinging “Bad Businessman”, photo, bio, and press release can be found here:
www.theartistfarm.com/SNZ/Marketing-Kit.zip

The press release is also written below:

Squirrel Nut Zippers – American Vaudeville

Considering the current economic turmoil, it only seems appropriate that the Squirrel Nut Zippers are finding audiences enthusiastically embracing their music and live shows.  Often credited with introducing depression era jazz to a younger generation, once again The Zippers’ music is right on time.  ”People are anxious to get out and escape their troubles for a night…and that’s what we help them do,” says drummer Chris Phillips. “We’re escape artists.”

Performing a mix of authentic, eclectic American Vaudeville in their live show, Squirrel Nut Zippers gleefully serve up material from their entire catalog. With crowds sharing their fervor and dancing in the aisles, every concert becomes an event. “We love that people actually ask each other out on honest-to-god dates when they come see us.  Its just wonderful to see them dressed up and making a night of it,” says Katharine Whalen.

“The day after the Squirrel Nut Zippers show I received numerous emails from excited patrons thanking me for the event.  Everyone was blown-away by the powerful, high-energy show the band gave us.  Their blend of quirky showmanship and professional musicianship is a show unlike all others.”                                                               Scott Hayward – Tupelo Music Hall, NH

Aptly tagged “30’s punk” by one critic, the band moves between raucous and smoldering; audiences crave this type of eclectic, funky music.  Led by founder Jimbo Mathus the group centers itself around the beguiling vocals of Katharine Whalen.  Chris Phillips, Stuart Cole and Je Widenhouse carry on as the bands muscle.

New arrangements have been so well received the band is releasing a much-requested live album titled “You Are My Radio”, due out in Spring 2009.  Work has also begun on a highly-anticipated studio album set for release in Fall 2009. In support of both recordings, The Zippers will tour throughout the year and continue their quest to locate all the earth’s forgotten fishing holes and beer bars.  Squirrel Nut Zippers are clearly on the road to a strong year.  Sweet Confection.

For photos, interview requests, or more information contact: katrina@theartistfarm.com
Visit the myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/snzippers

Questions & Answers About the Recession

Many questions have been brought up concerning this recession!

• How do we compare to other regions?
• How do we gauge our local economy?
• Is it really better here than other parts of the US?
• Are we going to fall back into a situation like the 1980’s?
• How much of our workforce is tied to Caterpillar today?

Join us Wednesday at 11:30 at The Heartland Partnership offices located at 100 SW Water Street in Peoria to find the answers to those questions and more. We will have documents available to support these findings.

The Heartland Partnership is an economic and community development organization comprised of a family of companies working together to ensure a strong regional economy and an overall strong regional community. It is our job to keep a watchful eye on economic indicators and relay the information to the people of Central Illinois so that we can come together as a region and make proper decisions that will affect us tomorrow.