Widmer's Local New Year Predictions

Locally:

1. Caterpillar will not build or start to build a new corporate headquarters anywhere this year.The economy is under question; Under Trump or had it been Clinton.

2. All major public or quasi-public entities in Peoria will end the 2017 year in deficits: City and County of Peoria; The City burdened by increasing investments in the Downtown Projects, deteriorating roadbeds, sidewalks and curbs and increasing pensions. The County by the $6 million drag at Heddington Oaks, the problems at the Hanna City Correctional Center, badly needed new County roadbeds to be built only with more new taxes. Pensions also will continue to be a rising problem.

3. Civic Center losses will be closer to one million than 500,000. This despite optimistic predictions about what the new added space, the walkway between the newly expanded and remodeled Pere and Marriott, would do to boost the number of larger events.

4. Peoria Park District, burdened by the Riverplex and Bonnie Noble Headquarters, continued ownership of the the Peoria Children's Playhouse Pavilion,  had to renege on the 40 acre Sports Center planned in 2002 at the corner of Fox Rd. and Rt.91.

5. The Peoria Riverfront Museum will continue to miss it's originally promised attendance of 240,000 forever and will likely again draw closer to 150,000 including cut-rate children admittance. (More on this later this year)

6. The Peoria Baseball Chiefs will continue to struggle even after this private venture has been supported by $8+ million in taxpayer dollars. The 42 original investors stock has little if any value. Some investors were quick to donate their shares to charities. My personal loss was actual at $48,000.00

7.Computeer malfunction has caused me to stop