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A wet kiss from the river
Yes, Old Man River, at least the Illinois River, just keeps on moving and rising. It has been one wet summer for the state of Illinois. Our friends in California would probably be glad to trade places. Having lived through flood clean-up at our home and many sleepless nights wondering if the flood waters would breach the sandbags, I am ready for a break from the rain and rising water, as are most people in our neck of the woods.
The rain, the rising waters, the heat, and humidity has not squelched the Peoria riverfront activities, though. The businesses are in full swing thanks to the efforts and many hours of hard work by our city workers. The sandbags and temporary seawall have held and the pumps have kept the water at bay. The Hive has still been buzzing with activity. Our mid-day “crEATe” sessions, Happy Art sessions, private events, the Riverfront Farmers’ Market, Friday Happy Art, Running Central races, and the many restaurants have been busy as people venture down, in many cases, to see how high the waters have risen.