May 7, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 2

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Messina retires from NCI ARTworks board in Peru

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Messina retires from NCI ARTworks board in Peru

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Peru approves $26K for project at Peoria, Shooting Park

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Peru approves $26K for project at Peoria, Shooting Park

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Messina retires from NCI ARTworks board in Peru

The NCI ARTworks Board announced Monday the retirement of executive director Julia Mautino Messina and welcomed new leadership.Sara O’Dell has been selected to lead NCI ARTworks as executive director, continuing to grow and improve the regional nonprofit that hosts art exhibitions, music events, and facilitates the creation of public art installations in La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.Messina had led the creative team at NCI ARTworks since 2021. Over the past five years, she and the board and staff have:“The relationships I have been able to build with the artists, the NCI ARTworks Board, and the community of art-and-culture lovers mean the world to me,” Messina said. “I am grateful and truly blessed to have been able to connect with and work with so many talented people who are committed to building the arts in the Illinois Valley. As I take my leave of this amazing organization, I am confident that the NCI ARTworks Board has chosen the right people to continue its mission.”O’Dell brings community volunteer experience to her new position. A longtime advocate for the arts, her focus has been primarily on the music component of the NCI ARTworks mission, assisting both at NCI ARTworks-sponsored music events and at the La Salle-Peru Township High School music program. She is expanding her artistic repertoire to include the visual arts as she has been helping to curate and organize art exhibits at the NCI ARTworks gallery in Peru.Sara attended Michigan State University and Southern Illinois University. After moving to the Illinois Valley in 2007, she led the STEM program at a local summer day camp since 2017, where she shares her expertise in science and technology. Outside of her professional work, she is an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast.“I am delighted to keep the NCI Artworks mission moving forward bringing the arts to everyone in our community and showcasing our very talented artists,” she said.In addition to welcoming its new Executive Director, NCI ARTworks welcomes Don Grant Zellmer to the NCI ARTworks creative team. Don will be responsible for developing and curating arts and cultural events and trips to help sustain the mission of NCI ARTworks.Zellmer’s background as a group tour travel expert and his many decades as a professional entertainer will ensure that local art and culture lovers who travel with NCI ARTworks have the most enjoyable experiences at local, regional, national, and international music and theater performances. Zellmer has taken groups from NCIArtworks to New York for Broadway tours in the past and will continue that very popular tour.Zellmer was a director/choreographer/featured performer for Cargill Productions, NYC. For 20 years, he owned and operated Zellmer’s Dinner Theatre in the Peoria area and spent two seasons headlining two shows in Branson, Missouri. He and partner Dr. David Kuester have operated the Follies Theatre in Utica and Yorkville, and for 21 years, Zellmer was the director and choreographer of musical theatre at Illinois Valley Community College.“As a long-time supporter of NCIArtworks,” Zellmer said, “this is a sterling opportunity to combine a lot of elements that are in my ‘wheelhouse,’ combining entertainment and group travel, as well as fundraising for such a worthwhile and integral part of the Illinois Valley.”

Peru approves $26K for project at Peoria, Shooting Park

Watch for asphalt crews later this spring at Shooting Park Road and Peoria Street in Peru.Monday, the Peru City Council unanimously approved a quote ($25,800) from Advanced Asphalt Co. for patching repairs on Shooting Park Road.Alderman Jim Lukosus, chairman of the public works committee, said the roadway needs to be resurfaced after city workers addressed an emergency water break just east of the intersection.“There will be a bottleneck there until workers can get blacktop down and rolled up.” Lukosus said.The work is not yet scheduled. City engineer Eric Carls said the city and Advanced Asphalt will identify a day to complete the work and, some time prior, alert residents to the lane closure.“As soon as we know the schedule with the contractor, we’ll notify everybody,” Carls said.

La Salle County Sheriff’s Office joins “Cop on a Rooftop” fundraiser for Special Olympics

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Engle Lane Theatre to present Frozen Jr. show next month

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Engle Lane Theatre to present Frozen Jr. show next month

Frozen Jr. is set to slide into Streator’s Engle Lane Theatre later this month, bringing a cast of kids from all over the Illinois Valley together for a familiar Disney favorite and Engle Lane’s first show of the year.Based on the Disney movie “Frozen”, the junior adaptation follows sisters Anna and Elsa as they discover their identity and a bond that ultimately saves them. The story is popular among kids today, and director Marlee Reel said that familiarity has helped keep the rehearsal process simple enough.“It was really exciting to see how many came out to auditions this year and I think people were just super excited that we were doing ‘Frozen,’” she said. “And I think it’s actually been a lot easier because the kids because of that familiarity. For the most part, many of them know the story and all the songs – so it’s just a matter of tweaking things here and there.”Reel, who directed her first show at Engle Lane in 2019, has extensive experience working with children through both theater and other youth music programs. She said one of her main goals is to give young performers a full understanding of what goes into a production.“What I really hope is that when they come away from this, they see how much work goes into putting a production together, but also how much fun and rewarding it is when they succeed,” Reel said.For this particular group of kids, Reel said, especially the younger ones, the show will mark their first time on stage. While some students will also assist backstage with sets, Reel wants those kids to focus on learning their roles, gain confidence on stage and have fun while doing it.Beyond the familiarity of the show, Reel said the fun aspect hasn’t been a problem and the cast’s chemistry has stood out most to her during rehearsals.“The most surprising thing for me with this group would be how quickly they all came together,” she said. “They all act like they’re good friends already, and it just makes everything easier and more fun for all of them.”The cast features a range of young performers from all over the Illinois Valley and from 6-18 years old, including Cora Roether as Young Anna, Louisa Jeppson as Anna, Rylee Reel as Young Elsa, Ella McClernon as Middle Elsa and Rhyan Westerman as Elsa. Other principal roles include Marty Cabrera as Hans, Simon Ross as Kristoff and Adyssen Boaz as Olaf.Additional roles include Brinley Stevens and Adrianna Pacheco sharing the role of Sven, along with a full ensemble portraying townspeople, castle staff, Hidden Folk and more.The show will run June 10–14 at Engle Lane Theatre, 1012 Columbus Road. Tickets will be available through the Engle Lane box office and online beginning Sunday, May 17.

La Salle County Sheriff’s Office joins “Cop on a Rooftop” fundraiser for Special Olympics

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