Overseers
Untitled Document Springfield’s affordable housing crew — Pastor Jerry Doss of Abundant Faith Christian Center, Mike Pittman of Pittman Enterprises, the Rev. Silas Johnson of the Nehemiah Expansion, and Ron Fafoglia of TSP-Hope Inc. — all showed up at last week’s City Council meeting to protest an ordinance requiring new guidelines for city building projects.…
Time to regroup
Untitled Document It looks as if the State Journal-Register and Friend-in-Deed will continue to work hand in hand after all. On May 22, the holiday charity organization’s board of directors announced that the newspaper would continue its support despite an earlier announcement that Friend-in-Deed would function as its own separate entity [see R.L. Nave, “Friend-in-Deed in…
Dead end
Untitled Document The Illinois State Police and the Springfield Police Department each won a major victory in federal court within the past week, but those on the side of the two officers who lost say the decisions don’t bode well for any cop with a conscience. ISP Lt. Michale Callahan and SPD Sgt. Ron Vose…
Least likely to succeed
Untitled Document Chevonne Watson walks from the Lawrence Adult Education Center to her rent-subsidized apartment three miles east in Poplar Place because she can’t afford bus fare. For her daughters’ frequent doctor appointments, she pushes 2-year-old Promise in a stroller while 7-year-old Justice makes it on foot from Poplar the three miles west to Memorial…
Summer lunches for kids
Untitled Document Q. Do you have any ideas for kids’ summer lunches? — Vickie A. That question is tough to answer without information on your children’s ages and eating habits. If there’s more than one, will they all eat the same thing? Do they eat lunch at home, or do they take it to daycare…
Same ol’ Sex, but longer
Untitled Document Fans of television’s Sex and the City will be pleasantly surprised by the big-screen continuation of the hit HBO series. Writer/director Michael Patrick King delivers on the show’s brand of humor, heartache, and haranguing, albeit in a much bigger and longer fashion. More than three years have passed since the end of the show.…
Cap City
Untitled Document RESIGNATIONSATTHESYMPHONYThe Illinois Symphony Orchestra is changing its tune. In recent days, key players have resigned, including board president Jane Denes, chorus director Richard Robert Rossi, at least one other board member, and some office personnel. No one with the administration could comment on the record, but a source with first-hand knowledge of the…
Empowerment, not entitlement
Untitled Document Center teaches parents how to take charge of their own lives By DUSTY RHODES Parents who enroll in the family literacy program at Lawrence Adult Education Center get more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. They get parenting classes, help finding child care, coaching on how to deal with their kids’ problems at school,…
Rhubarb: not just for dessert anymore
Untitled Document It’s a red splash that contrasts with the explosion of green hues in the spring garden. In the days before freezing and the trucking in of produce grown far away, the first rhubarb was eagerly anticipated. These days, to gardeners and culinarians who’ve stayed close to the land, to the ever-increasing number of…
People’s poetry
Untitled Document ecopoem #12 we have so manyways to killif wars don’t get usweather will © Jacqueline Jackson 2008 How often have you wondered what might be going on inside a child’s head? They can be so much more free and playful with their imaginations than adults, and are so good at keeping those flights…
God and oil prices
Untitled Document At ExxonMobil headquarters, in Houston, management refers to the executive suite as “the god pod.” But even though the honchos of the world’s biggest and richest oil corporation might think of themselves as holy omnipotents, most Americans have more demonic thoughts about them — and they definitely consider today’s gas prices ungodly. So…
Taylorville’s got the blues
Untitled Document Perhaps you’re wondering: What in the name of some Mississippi crossroads does the blues have to do with Taylorville, Ill., the quiet little seat of Christian County. The locals down there in charge of a first-time festival are doing it right by booking awesome blues acts to complement a national and local barbecue…
His GOP appeal
Untitled Document Rush Limbaugh and some myopic Democrats would have us believe that most if not all Republicans who have been voting in Democratic primaries are “dittoheads” implementing the radio host’s “Operation Chaos.” Limbaugh has promoted his scheme for months, encouraging Republican listeners to reregister and vote in Democratic contests for the presumably weaker candidate,…
Letters to the Editor
Untitled Document We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. PIZZA WITH TOPICAL TOPPINGS After reading the praise heaped upon the Lake Pointe Grill, I just had to go there [see…
Healthy fast food
Untitled Document Where can people who are constantly traveling and on the go find healthy fast food? The latest trend in fast food is healthy and organic, and, luckily for conscious consumers, several chains offering just such fare are taking root in different parts of the U.S. One of the leaders of this small but…
