Last Tuesday, December 10th was a very big day for me! It marked the 13th anniversary of the blog and in honor of that anniversary, I was awarded a Proclamation from Peoria’s Mayor Rita Ali and Stacy Peterson, who’s the Strategic Communications Manager for the City Manager’s Office. The Proclamation was for the blog and the positive publicity it’s generated for the City of Peoria and the people and businesses I’ve written about for the last 13 years.
My friend Amber met me at City Hall and she volunteered to be the photographer for the day and it was wonderful to have her along for this honorable day at City Hall!
Here’s Peoria’s beautiful City Hall building.
They say “you can’t fight City Hall,” and you know why? Because it’s a giganzo building! It could beat you to death with a couple of bricks alone, never mind the concrete and jagged glass that could slice your throat to shreds. Sheesh!
Let’s go inside and stop this crazy talk!
We’re inside and there’s the aforementioned Stacy and Amber greeting us at the Christmas tree! What a festive and cheerful greeting!
Wonderful to see both of them!
Stacy took a photo of Amber and I, and now Amber is taking the rest of the photos for this City Hall portion of the post. Take it away, Amber!
(P.S. The “Peoria, It’s Not So Bad…” t-shirt can be purchased at Relics gift shop!)
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Photos By Amber!
Next we met Peoria’s Mayor Rita Ali.
It was a pleasure to meet Mayor Ali and she was wonderful to talk and chat with.
It turns out we both were from the high school class of ‘76, she went to Manual and I went to Bergan! It was a lot of fun to chat and reminisce about Peoria and the days gone by!
Stacy then presented me with a whole bag of Peoria-related gifts including a pizza slicer which I’ll be featuring on an upcoming frozen pizza review on my YouTube channel, so stay tuned for that!
Yes, I’m shamelessly plugging myself during this post, would you expect anything less?
Check out the Peoria coffee mug! Fancy!
Thanks to Stacy and Mayor Ali for these wonderful Peoria gifts!
As we walked to the Proclamation Room, Amber took some random shots of City Hall. It’s really beautiful in here!
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The Proclamation!
Here’s Mayor Ali, reading the Proclamation to me. I’ll print it in its entirety below. It was quite an honor to be presented with this and to hear the Mayor reading it to all of us.
Here’s Mayor Ali presenting me with the Proclamation, what a wonderful moment in life this was!
After the presentation, Mayor Ali invited me to have a seat at her place in City Hall and it was thrilling to sit there and hold my treasured Proclamation from the City of Peoria!
Here’s a photo of the Proclamation above and below is the entire Proclamation:
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WHEREAS, Marty Wombacher, a native of Peoria, Illinois, has made remarkable contributions as a writer, photojournalist, and cultural commentator, showcasing his creativity, humor, and dedication to storytelling and our city; and
WHEREAS, Marty’s humor and ingenuity led to the creation of Trivial Trivia, The Idiot Edition, a lighthearted take on Trivial Pursuit, which gained national acclaim on programs such as The Today Show; and
WHEREAS, as editor and publisher of People of Peoria (POP) Magazine, and later fishwrap magazine, Marty brought humor, insight, and a distinctive voice to readers locally and nationally, earning recognition from major publications such as Spin Magazine, USA Today, and the Chicago Tribune; and
WHEREAS, after a successful career in New York City writing for recognized outlets, including the New York Post, Time Out New York, and New York Press, Marty returned to his beloved hometown in 2012, embracing Peoria’s essence through his celebrated blog, Meanwhile, Back in Peoria..., which chronicles Midwest life with humor and personal insight; and
WHEREAS, whether in Meanwhile, Back in Peoria…, Midwest Slice of Life, or on his social media posts, Marty has introduced thousands of his fans and followers to the people, places, and experiences of Peoria, with references to popular culture, dining recommendations, and his signature style of humor; and
WHEREAS, Marty Wombacher’s devotion to the community extends beyond his writing, as he embodies the values of generosity, engagement, and support for his neighbors, enriching Peoria through his passion for storytelling and his love for music, including his admiration for the legendary Joan Jett; and
WHEREAS, through his lens and wit, Marty has reminded us all why we’re proud to call this place home. He has shared our stories far and wide, becoming an ambassador of everything that makes our town unique;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rita Ali, Mayor of the City of Peoria, Illinois, do hereby acknowledge Marty Wombacher for his positive promotion of Peoria and the
THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF MEANWHILE BACK IN PEORIA
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This was such an honor and I want to thank Mayor Rita Ali and Stacy Peterson for presenting it to me on the anniversary of the Meanwhile, Back In Peoria blog! Thanks to Amber for being part of the day and the ceremony and for taking such wonderful photos.
This was a memorable day that will forever be cherished and I truly appreciate this honor!
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The Next Day On The Greg and Dan Show On WMBD Radio!
I was invited to be a guest on the Greg and Dan Show, the next morning to discuss the Proclamation and here we are at the beautiful WMBD studios in downtown Peoria!
It was spitting rain, so that’s why there’s dots on the first photo. I hate it when that happens! It’s kind of like getting beaten up by City Hall.
Hey…check out the Greg and Dan elevator! I love that!
As I entered the foyer, I was greeted by Ken Zurski, the chief traffic reporter for WMBD and he’s also a well-known author!
Always great to see him because I often wonder what he’s wearing and today we get to find out!
Here we are in the inner studio for The Greg and Dan Show!
There’s Greg and Dan and it’s always a fun experience doing their entertaining morning show! Be sure to follow their page on facecrack!
Producer Carson took this shot of the three of us after the fun and entertaining interview!
Thanks for having me on the show guys, it’s always an honor and a ton of fun!
And thanks again to Mayor Rita Ali, Stacy Peterson and Amber Bohannan for making this Proclamation Day so special!
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