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 Reservations are required and limited to approximately 50 people.
The Palms Grill Café will feature a set of dinner specials,
including homemade desserts for each program. Phone 217-648-5077 to
make a reservation for any of the scheduled Dinner Programs.
Friday, October 24, 2014 – Pontiacs in Pontiac
In August of 2010 Tim Dye, an avowed Pontiac car enthusiast, pulled
off Interstate 55 into Pontiac, Illinois because he was intrigued by
the community’s name. Join Tim and his wife Penny as they tell the
story of how the Pontiac-Oakland Museum & Resource Center ended up
being established just up Rt. 66 from us shortly after Tim made that
fateful pitstop in Pontiac.
Friday, November 7, 2014 – How
Homing Pigeons Helped Win the War
Tammy Hanley of Peoria loves to
talk about the role homing pigeons played in World War II. She’ll
quickly inform you that there were 56,000 pigeons trained - and
32,000 used - in combat during that conflict. Dressed in the uniform
of a Women’s Army Corps enlistee, and featuring several of her live
pigeons in World War II-era harness, Tammy will present a program on
how carrier pigeons carried vital messages between Allied troops and
ultimately helped us win World War II.
Friday, November 21, 2014 – Rt.
66 in Illinois
Co-authors Joe
Sonderman and Cheryl Eichar Jett will be on hand for a slide show
presentation and stories about America’s Mother Road from its
Chicago roots to the Mississippi River, including our own Atlanta.
Sonderman and Jett are experienced authors and historians who have
19 books to their credit, many on Route 66. The past year was a
labor of love as they explored the back roads of Route 66 in
Illinois. They collected thousands of photographs along the way,
selecting about 200 of their favorites for their newest book about
the Mother Road.
Friday, December 5, 2014 –
Producing the Movie: “Dead Draw”
Throughout a
terribly cold night this past January, the Atlanta National Bank
provided the locale for filming several scenes in the new
independent movie "Dead Draw". Dan Kolen, one of the film’s
producers, will be on hand to describe this character-driven crime
story about a band of brothers involved in a bank heist that goes
terribly wrong – and what exactly is involved in being a producer.
Over the past six years, Dan has worked in production on narrative
features, long-form documentaries, reality TV casting, and political
advertisements.
The first showing
of “Dead Draw” is planned at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival.
Friday, December 19, 2014 – The Old House
Society Warehouse Story
Need a glass
lampshade from the 1920s? Or how about circa 1890 hinge? Or some
wooden baseboard that matches what’s in your 1908 house? Your go-to
person is Laura Walden, manager of the Warehouse for Bloomington’s
Old House Society - a non-profit organization that deals with old
houses, salvaging materials, historical information, and preserving
old homes.. Come meet Laura as she shares stories about what has to
be one of the more unique jobs in our area.
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Friday, January 23,
2015 – Leave the Driving to Us!
The Greyhound
Scenicruiser is undoubtedly the most recognized bus ever built in
the U.S. Introduced by the GM Corporation during 1954-56, its
popularity, even today, is almost cult-like. It made such an
indelible impression on Americans in the fifties and sixties, that
every other bus was looked on as, well…just a bus. Tom Martin, of
Peoria, owns and restores Scenicruisers – and since The Grill was a
Greyhound stop back in the day, who better to join us for an evening
to celebrate and tell the story of this famous mode of
transportation.
Friday, February 6, 2015 – The
Mystery of Joe & Verna Rehrman: The Bucket of Blood
Sometime in the
early afternoon on Tuesday, April 2, 1935 a murder/suicide happened
involving Joseph and Verna Rehrman, owners of the Popular Inn, a
roadhouse located on Rt. 66 just north of Atlanta. The mystery of
exactly what transpired that fateful day will be recounted in a new
narrative written by Terri Ryburn, based upon research conducted by
the Atlanta Museum and the Atlanta Historic Commission – including
new research conducted since last year. Come learn about this
tragedy as we examine the mystery of The Bucket of Blood. This
program is being brought back by popular demand after its original
presentation last year.
Friday, February 13, 2015 – J.K.
Williams Distilling: Craftsmanship – Passion - Flavor
The descendants of Prohibition-era, bootleg whiskey-making master,
J.K. Williams, felt a certain responsibility to bring craft whiskey
and bourbon-making back to the Peoria area. Their
great-great-grandpa was a family man with an extraordinary work
ethic and an undeniable talent for making some of the best whiskey
of his time. Join us as members of the Williams family share the
story of how they opened their East Peorial-based distillery
business in 2013. We’ll taste test some of their products and the
evening’s menu will feature slices of Whiskey Apple Pie. Cheers!
Friday, February 20, 2015 – Circulating
Design
For over a hundred years the city of Atlanta
has enjoyed a unique Library environment. Travel back as we take an
in-depth look at how the Library has changed and developed over the
years. From its humble beginnings as a few shelves stored at the
newspaper office to a collection of over 9,000 books housed in the
state's only octagonal library, we will examine our small-town’s
dedication to maintaining this center of knowledge and expanded
horizons. Join us as we delve into the history of the Atlanta
Library and get a glimpse of its possible future.
[Bill Thomas, Atlanta Public Library]
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