Wall Street’s connected lobbyists
Congress finally passed a moderate reform package to tighten regulations on the banksters of Wall Street. Of course, the banksters howled, protesting even the meekest of reforms – but the package is now the law, so that’s that. Right? Uh … no. What Congress passed is a 2,300-page compendium of concepts, leaving the real decision-making…
wastepoem #4
I waste time a lot of ways might as well waste it on church the early fathers referred to holy waste does holy waste come from holy cows come to think of it simeon stylites (his saint’s day september 1) sat on a pillar of the stuff
CAT SCRATCH FEVER
Once again, a fat cat has come out on top. No, we’re not talking about a Wall Street banker or a well-connected politician. This time, it’s literally a portly feline gaining the spoils. Merry Noel, a chubby kitty at Springfield’s Forever Home Feline Ranch, has won some new furniture for her fellow felines in a…
Open up Illinois politics to let the sunshine in
A Virginia-based group that wanted to play in Illinois politics, but didn’t want to disclose its donors has lost Round One in what could be an extended court battle. The Center for Individual Freedom filed a federal lawsuit earlier this summer claiming that the state’s contribution disclosure laws for non-profits and political committees should be…
Letters to the Editor 09/02/2010
THANK A BUILDERWhile our local media outlets often cover the many contributions made by our community’s working men and women, I hope that for Labor Day we can highlight the efforts of a particular group that sometimes goes unnoticed – the construction industry’s craft professionals. Construction is one of our nation’s largest industries. The evidence…
The glories of Illinois high school football
During the first days of September, as temperatures across Illinois remain in the 80s, it is difficult to think about the cool weather of fall and the excitement of Thanksgiving weekend when high school football championships will be decided at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Across the state, high school athletes of various heights, weights and…
TAKING THE BULLET
Vice President Joe Biden is apparently a fan of Illinois, and maybe even a bit of a dreamer. In a recent report from the White House, Biden touted the present and future accomplishments of $787 billion in federal money doled out under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The VP is in charge…
Why Illinois lost the race
After waiting to sign on to Illinois’ application for federal Race to the Top funding until after the state lost out in round one, in part due to inadequate local district and teacher union support, the Springfield Education Association says it’s disappointed the state once again didn’t make the grade. The SEA’s eventual support meant…
Nice guys finish last
When he’s not governing, one might find Gov. Pat Quinn blowing off steam while shooting some hoops at the Fenwick High School gym in Chicago – the same school he attended as a young man and where his youngest brother now coaches basketball. “Sometimes I’ll have her (a staffer) come to the gym with me,…
Chamber supports county sales tax for education
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce board of directors approved a resolution at their Aug. 30 meeting to support a countywide investment in educational facilities. This support is in line with the vision of the Chamber of Commerce to be the leading advocate for economic development and a leading partner for education. Economic development is…
Switzerland cheese toast
I first had Switzerland cheese toast decades ago in the most perfect setting imaginable: an outdoor restaurant in Zermatt, Switzerland, overlooking the Matterhorn. I hadn’t ordered it: cheese toast sounded mundane, like grilled cheese sandwiches at home. Much as I loved those, I wanted to try something new. Fortunately my friend ordered the cheese toast…
Farmer sells produce online
Summertime farmers markets have helped Chad Wallace of Oak Tree Organics prove the worth of small-scale, organic farming. But they’ve also taught him that packing up the produce and putting on the sometimes thrice-weekly show takes about as much effort as minding the land, plants and free-range hens that surround his Ashland home. “Everybody’s got…
Faithful to the period
When your daughter pauses from her texting to ask, “Mommy, what did Voltaire mean when he wrote that the perfect is the enemy of the good?” – she might – simply drive her down to Eighth and Jackson and let her see for herself. The National Park Service is preparing a new General Management Plan…
The Graduate goes to work
In these days of rampant ungainful employment, what a pleasant surprise to see someone get work, especially if they’ve strived long and hard for it and are well suited to the task. The recently rehired workers in our story happen to hail mostly from the Springfield area and belong to the band The Graduate. When…
Song and dance
For two nights only on the outdoor stage, hear the story of New Salem through the words of Lincoln’s contemporaries, traditional music of the era, and original songs composed by Mark Mathewson of Athens. Mathewson, a composer and musician with national credits, has also assembled bluegrass performers: Erich Schroeder, one of the best clawhammer banjo…
Making your own cheese
Who says there’s nothing to do in Springfield? Not anyone who reads the weekly IT calendar section, for sure. And if that weren’t enough, the IT special edition guides – fall, summer, holiday, etc. – offer even more possibilities and insights. But just in case there are any doubters among local food/culinary enthusiasts, a trifecta…
Autoharp virtuoso
The not-for-profit Prairie Grapevine opens their season with traditional music musician Bryan Bowers, a master of the autoharp, storyteller, singer/songwriter and performing artist. People magazine wrote, “Bowers is widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp…. Bowers also has distinct gifts as a singer and songwriter.” The Washington Times said, “…This man makes more…
Takers in dire need of star power
Sometimes, movie stars make all the difference. There’s a reason Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Clint Eastwood command top dollar to appear on the screen and have a large, loyal fan following – they have presence. Much of what is wrong with John Luessenhop’s Takers is that its cast is made up of…
Exorcism genuinely frightening despite ending
I’m of the opinion that the best horror films are low-budget affairs. In the past, cheap black and white film stock shot on the fly gave movies like Night of the Living Dead a cheap aesthetic that lent an organic quality to films of this sort. It added a more realistic sense of horror. Though…
Tom Irwin and the Notorious Hired Hands
The Hired Hands moniker originated from an offhand comment by local music guy Sean Burns about the shifting musicians in Tom Irwin’s groups of the early 2000s. With the added descriptive adjective “Notorious” distinguishing them from other accompanists, the name stuck on this combination of Tom “Dooley” Woolsey (guitar), Raoul (guitar), Keith Voegele (bass) and…
Historical hoedown
American Originals is the theme to this year’s history festival under the big tent in Jacksonville. Each night opens with music, followed by historical re-enactments, dinner, music, storytelling, dance and more. Don’t miss reenactments by citizens from around the Midwest acting as your favorite historical figures: Edgar Allen Poe, Daniel Boone, Walt Whitman, Charles Fuller,…
World party
Here’s your chance to savor food from around the world and listen to the music of other countries at the annual Ethnic Festival. Located in the southeastern edge of the fairgrounds, don’t miss this three-day world party. Ethnic FestivalFriday, Sep 3, 5-11pmSat-Sun, Sep 4-5, 12-11pmIllinois State Fairgrounds629-7871
