Passenger Link – December 2024
Holiday Hours
CityLink, CityLift, & CountyLink will not provide service on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. All three-services resume providing transportation as scheduled on the Thursday following each respective holiday. The last CityLink fixed-route lineup will leave the Transit Center at 8:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Historical Calendars
The 2025 CityLink Historical Calendar is now available! This year’s calendar focuses on arts and culture, and includes vintage photographs from local libraries, parks, theaters, and more. The arts are such an important part of our area’s history, which is why this year, we have expanded to share the history of Peoria, East Peoria, West Peoria, Peoria Heights and Pekin, as they are a part of CityLink’s area of service.
Some of the locations featured in the calendar are still in operation today, providing a place for arts and culture to continue to thrive in the 21st century. The desire to cultivate locations for citizens to experience the beauty of nature and art in our own cities is akin to human nature. We are proud to feature these organizations and destinations in our calendar to continue to grow the culture in our community. Therefore, CityLink would like to thank all our partners who are featured within, for taking the time to provide their history and share the photos for this year’s 2025 Historical Calendar.
The 2025 Historical Calendar is available for a suggested donation of $5.00 at the CityLink
Administrative Office (2105 NE Jefferson) and the CityLink Transit Center (407 SW Adams) during designated Customer Service hours.
All proceeds collected will be donated to the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service.
Digital Billboard
If you happen to be cruising down War Memorial Drive by the Peoria Public Schools Stadium, you might have seen CityLink’s newest digital billboard advertisement! The Community Engagement & Marketing Department has collaborated with the Peoria Public Schools Foundation to place a CityLink advertisement on one of the busiest streets in Peoria. This is the Community Engagement & Marketing team’s initiative to increase awareness about CityLink’s public transportation service in the Peoria community.
Season of Thanks
During the Thanksgiving season, we are thankful to all of our passengers. This week, we received a thank you card from one of them in return. We were touched by the simple gesture and are honored to provide a positive commute to all our passengers, especially to “A Grateful Student!”
“Thank you for the exceptional service and for being such a vital part of our daily lives. As an international student new to this country, having reliable and friendly transportation makes all the difference. Your patience and willingness to guide us, even when we’re unfamiliar with routes, means so much!
You’re not just helping us commute, you’re helping us feel at home. Your kindness are truly appreciated. We’re grateful for everything you do to keep us moving safely and smoothly.
With heartfelt thanks…
A Grateful Student.”
Construction Update
The construction of the new garage and annex is moving right along. Since our last
update, the annex is now totally enclosed, complete with matching gray panels and red
garage doors. Now that it is enclosed, the finishing touches are being made on
electrical and other essential utilities inside, including plumbing and the sprinkler system. The floor covering is expected to begin installation within the next few weeks.
The storage garage is substantially completed, and we are back to storing the buses inside. This completion came at a good time as we are experiencing winter temperatures and a few snow flurries.
Stuff-A-Bus Day of Stuffing
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local #416 has always been a long-standing partner with the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service for the Stuff-A-Bus food drive, donating their time, money, and food to help such a worthy cause. This year, ATU #416 contributed a donation of $1,000 worth of food to help feed the hungry in our community.
Our 11th annual Day of Stuffing was held on Friday, November 22, 2024, and was full of exciting special guests! Various volunteers and members of the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service Board of Trustees, CityLift, the Central Illinois Ghostbusters, Richwoods High School’s JROTC program, Manual High School’s Drumline, the Peoria Fire Department, and more were all in attendance to help us collect donations to stuff our bus!
Rivermen Hockey Game
The Peoria Rivermen Hockey team were a huge partner with the Stuff-A-Bus campaign, hosting the Pensacola Ice Flyers for a two-game weekend with CityLink as the sponsor for their PEANUTS Holiday Celebration on November 22 and 23, 2024.
The Peoria Rivermen put out the call for their fans to purchase canned goods for the Stuff-A-Bus food drive raffle. With each food item entered into the raffle, the fan(s) were that much closer to winning an autographed Peoria Rivermen hockey jersey during the CityLink sponsored games. Both Friday and Saturday nights, the bus was filled with many donations from hockey fans, helping CityLink to successfully reach the goal of collecting food donations during the final push.
The hockey team also joined us at Kroger on Sterling one weekend during our campaign to help collect donations. We’re extremely grateful for all of the support that the Peoria Rivermen have given to Stuff-A-Bus, on and off the ice!
Stuff-A-Bus Finale
The 37th Annual Stuff-A-Bus food drive to benefit the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service officially wrapped up on Friday, November 29, 2024. The campaign began on Friday, October 18, 2024 and concluded with a press conference at the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 to announce the total weight of the food collected during the campaign, immediately followed by the Peoria Rivermen and Peoria Mustangs players and other volunteers unloading the bus filled with collected donations. The total weight of donations collected on the bus during this year’s Stuff-A-Bus food drive totaled 20,000 pounds or 10 tons.
Community Engagement
On November 4, 2024, members of the Marketing Team attended the Dunlap Special Education Resource Fair. Over 50 other local agencies were in attendance to provide resources that are available for those with special needs. We promoted CityLift services and how easy it can be for everyone to use accessible public transportation.
Next, the Community Engagement & Marketing Department’s team members took a road trip to visit the Rockford Mass Transit District’s Marketing Department to meet with their Communications & Marketing Specialist, Orlando. They got the chance to tour their transit center and operations building, while learning what works best when promoting public transportation to their community.
Peoria Historical Society
CityLink’s Community Engagement & Marketing Department was invited to the Peoria Historical Society’s Henri deTonti Day Award celebration dinner at the Warehouse on State on Thursday, November 14, 2024. The Peoria Historical Society focused on the history of Henri deTonti, who founded a small French fur trading outpost along the Illinois River. This outpost eventually grew into a French village, which transformed into the city of Peoria. Since then, Henri deTonti has come to be recognized as Peoria’s founding father.
Mayor Rita Ali delivered the mayoral proclamation, while the esteemed former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, honored the Leyland family. The Peoria Historical Society’s president presented the Henri deTonti Award to Dr. John and Marilyn Leyland in recognition of their exceptional efforts to preserve, share, and celebrate the stories of the Peoria area with the community. The dinner fostered a wonderful atmosphere for many community leaders dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Peoria region.
WTVP Klystron Society
On November 19, 2024 CityLink team members were selected and attended the WTVP Klystron Society event at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. The Klystron Society members are committed to supporting the long-term excellence and impact of public media in Central Illinois. CEO and President Jenn Gordon, Board Chairman John Wieland, and proud
supporter and former US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood all spoke about the
exciting future that WTVP is making under new leadership.
As partners to WTVP, CityLink staff members were treated to all of the exhibits at the
museum after hours, including the Imagination Unlimited: The Jim Henson Exhibition, where fond childhood memories were shared.
Thanksgiving with the Chamber
The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce held their 49th annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 21, 2024, at the Peoria Civic Center. Dr. Jamel Wright, President of Eureka College was the event’s Keynote Speaker, reminding us all that there is no place like home here in Peoria, Illinois.
At the luncheon, it was great to see our partners and friends at the Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service win the Outstanding Small Business Award, with CEO and President Marcellus Sommerville accepting the award.
Holiday Cheer
CityLink’s Office Coordinator, Carmen, has been CityLink’s holiday elf, spreading Christmas cheer throughout the administration building! She proudly decorated our Christmas tree in the front lobby and other office spaces. Carmen’s assistance has certainly brought the holiday spirit to life!
National Human Rights Month
December is Universal Human Rights Month. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which established a set of principles regarding equality, fairness, and fundamental human rights that must be universally protected. These principles recognize the freedom we have to make choices about our lives and develop our human potential, while living free from fear, harassment, and discrimination.
President George W. Bush first declared Human Rights Week in December 2001, and it has since become a month-long worldwide holiday. This year, we commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights being published.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is available in more than 500 languages and is the most translated document in the world. It consists of 30 articles, which include basic human rights to equality, life, liberty, personal security, freedom from slavery, freedom from torture and degrading treatment, the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty, the right to own property, the right to education, and freedom of belief and religion.
This month provides us with the opportunity to reflect on how we treat one another, to stand up for our individual rights and the rights of others, to think about what these freedoms mean to you, and to volunteer or donate to local, statewide, national, and/or global organizations that support and fight for human rights.
Dry Mouth Treatment
There are some steps that you can take to ease dry mouth — also known as xerostomia
(zeer-o-STOE-me-uh). Beyond these tips, you also can take steps to protect your oral health, which may help your dry mouth. The key is to address what’s causing your dry mouth.
To relieve your dry mouth:
- Chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free hard candies to help the flow of saliva. For some people, xylitol, which often is found in sugar-free gum or sugar-free candies, may cause diarrhea or cramps if a lot is eaten.
- Limit your caffeine intake because caffeine can make your mouth drier.
- Do not use mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they can dry your mouth.
- Stop all tobacco use if you smoke or chew tobacco.
- Sip water regularly.
- Try saliva substitutes available without a prescription. Look for products containing xylitol, if you’re not sensitive to it, such as Mouth Kote or Oasis Moisturizing Mouth Spray. Or look for products containing carboxymethylcellulose (kahr-bok-see-meth-ul-SEL-u-lohs) or hydroxyethyl cellulose (hi-drok-see-ETH-ul SEL-u-lohs), such as Biotene Dry Mouth Oralbalance Moisturizing Gel.
- Try a mouthwash designed for dry mouth — especially one that contains xylitol, if you’re not sensitive to it, such as Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse, bioXtra Dry Mouth Ultra Mild Mouthrinse or ACT Dry Mouth Mouthwash.
- Stay away from antihistamines and decongestants available without a prescription because they can make your symptoms worse. Antihistamines are used to block the effects of histamine, a substance in your body that can cause symptoms of allergies. Decongestants are used to ease a stuffy nose by reducing the swelling of blood vessels in your nose.
- Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.
- Add moisture to the air at night with a room humidifier.
- Saliva is important to keep your teeth and mouth healthy. If you often have a dry mouth, taking these steps to protect your oral health also may help:
- Stay away from foods and drinks that have a lot of sugar or those that have a lot of acid, such as carbonated drinks. They raise your risk of tooth decay.
- Stay away from dry, spicy, salty or hard-to-chew foods because they can cause pain when your mouth is dry.
- Brush with a fluoride toothpaste — ask your dentist if a prescription fluoride toothpaste may help you. You also may be prescribed fluoride in addition to your toothpaste.
- Use a fluoride rinse or brush-on fluoride gel before bedtime. Sometimes a custom-fit fluoride applicator that your dentist creates can make this more effective.
- Visit your dentist at least once a year to detect and treat tooth decay or other dental problems. You may need to visit your dentist more often, depending on your dental needs.
If these steps do not make your dry mouth better, talk to your doctor or dentist. The cause could be a medicine or another health problem. Medicines are one of the most common causes of dry mouth. Easing dry mouth long term may mean stopping or changing your medicine or its dose, or looking at underlying health issues. For more information, please visit mayoclinic.org.
You must be logged in to post a comment.