Bing Armstrong Park and the Price of Moving Forward
The city may sell the former playground at Wasson and Wilson streets for housing. Before it does, residents deserve a fair side-by-side look at both options.
Section
Opinion
Commentary and editorials from The Streator Standard.
Streator’s Declaration of Interdependence
Today July 4, 2026, America turns 250. There will be fireworks, flags, cookouts, parades, speeches, old songs, new arguments and at least one person in every crowd who
A Biography in Blue Light
The old story of Streator was written in black. Black coal. Black smoke. Black dirt under the fingernails. Black dust carried home on clothes by men who understood,
A Town Is Easier to Love When It Is Easier to Find
One of the more useful pieces of Streator tourism infrastructure this week did not come with a ribbon cutting, grant announcement, or consultant’s logo. It came from
What Makes a Town Feel Alive?
Some towns feel alive before you can explain why. You notice it before you analyze it. Cars parked downtown. Music coming from somewhere. A line at a restaurant.
Economic Development Is Not a Magic Trick
There is a certain kind of Facebook comment that shows up whenever a business closes in Streator. It usually starts with a real concern, takes a brief detour
Streator in the Good Old Summertime
There is a point every year when summer stops being an idea and becomes a fact. It happens when the evenings stay warm a little longer. When the
What Does It Mean to Invest in Streator?
When we talk about investment, we usually think of dollar signs. A new project gets announced, a big number is attached, and suddenly the town feels richer. But
We Were Wrong: Beck’s Is the Future of Streator
We need to admit something to our readers and we do hope you'll forgive us: we were wrong about the Beck’s development. For months, we’
Silence Before the Vote: Where is the Discussion on Beck’s?
Tomorrow night, Wednesday August 20th at 7pm, the Streator City Council is poised to vote on one of the largest taxpayer-funded development deals in recent memory: the
Welcome to Streator: Please Bring Your Own Exit Ramp
The newest mural welcoming visitors from the east is a cheery vision: people peacefully canoeing down what we presume is the Vermilion River. It’s a postcard scene
$36 Million into the Void: What Video Gambling Costs Streator
Let’s start with the numbers. Between May 2020 and May 2025, people in Streator lost $35,954,858 playing video gambling machines. That averages out to about
Frustration Grows Over Streator’s Conflicting TIF Goals
In the same week Streator’s Plan Commission tabled a $15,000 facade grant request for Ace Hardware — questioning whether raised red metal shingles and new signage aligned
Bowling Alone, Together Again
Why the health of Streator’s social fabric matters more than any single project by The Streator Standard Editorial Board In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam warned that America’
Make No Small Plans: What Daniel Burnham Can Teach Streator
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This is the final article — for now — in Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in