Make your holidays sparkle
“Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!” — Winston S. Churchill One of the most popular holiday drinks is Champagne. And with good reason. No other beverage shouts, “Let’s celebrate!” quite like Champagne. But much of what’s called Champagne really isn’t. Just as Kleenex has become synonymous with any brand…
Steps toward a fear-less nation
I recently read In the Combat Zone by Leslie Marmon Silko, a Native American writer and activist. Published in 1995, the essay contains this sentence: “As the U.S. economy continues to ‘downsize,’ and the good jobs disappear forever, our urban and rural landscapes will include more desperate, angry men with nothing to lose.” The sentence…
Why Tim Davlin was a Statehouse favorite
Springfield mayors hold a unique position in Illinois. As the mayor of the state’s capital city, they have access to more state leaders more often and more intimately than just about any other local leader except for maybe Chicago’s mayor. Tim Davlin took advantage of that position better than most mayors his city has ever…
The church is a blessing
Mr. Houck came early to the Sangamon Valley while it was still a wilderness without many inhabitants. He came before the land was surveyed so his fields stretched from the big sycamore tree to the east, to the large cottonwood on the creek bank to the west. All the land in between and up to…
Letters to the Editor 12/23/10
DRIVE-UP LIQUOR Have you ever wondered why Springfield is the only major city (pop. over 100,000) in the State of Illinois that still allows drive-up liquor window sales? Or how about the fact that someone who’s driving on a revoked driver’s license can still legally purchase liquor at a drive-up window? In other words, if…
Swedish meatballs
2 large eggs, beaten 2 c. fine fresh breadcrumbs, either white or whole wheat. Don’t use either Wonder Bread types or really dense bread, and remove any thick crisp crusts. 1/2 c. buttermilk or yoghurt 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more or less to taste 1 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper,…
Iraq vets urge end to multiple deployments
Some 70 folks gathered at the home of Meg Evans and Peter Lazare in Springfield Sunday, Dec. 19, to hear members of Iraq Veterans Against the War speak, as well as enjoy music by local musicians. Participants read poems written by Iraq and Afghan War vets as well. Sarah Lazare, 27, who organized the…
The starving arts
Fred Jarosz is a talker. To meet him, the executive director of the Hoogland Center for the Arts, and ask him about the health of the arts in Springfield is to be taken on a whirlwind aural tour of board meetings, donor outreach and Hoogland performances and workshops. With great exuberance, Jarosz peppers his tales…
5 tips for holiday health
Wow, it’s been months since I’ve updated this blog. To both people who read this, I’m sorry. (That’s the standard apology when a blogger comes back from a period of laziness: first comment on how long it’s been, then jokingly understate the number of people who read said blog. In reality, we actually have four…
A bigger and better First Night
After last year presenting the fewest stages in its soon-to-be 24-year history, organizers behind First Night 2011, Springfield’s New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts, are gearing up for a year of more. Sponsorships for this year’s alcohol-free arts event, which begins at 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 and runs through midnight, came in 28…
Ben Bedford
In the last five years Ben Bedford went from being a guy playing open mics around town to a nationally known and highly respected folk singer of original music. He did it the old-fashioned way, by writing good songs, performing well and working hard to promote his music to the world outside of Springfield. His…
Mom’s deviled hot dogs
Black walnuts are available from at least two vendors at the Old State Capitol Farmers Market, completely shelled as well as with pre-cracked shells. Hammons Black Walnuts are available at several local grocery stores. 2 T. chopped green or red pepper 1 T. oil or bacon fat 3/4 cup catsup, preferably Heinz 2 T. dark-brown…
Food for thought
In this joyous season, friends and family come together to cook, share and savor nature’s bounty. As we tuck into food and drink this year, we can be especially appreciative because – wow! – another scientific breakthrough has been made in food production. “The benefit is something that can be identified just about by everybody,”…
Stay with me
After 40 years, area tourism promoters still don’t have a compelling answer to the central question of their trade, which is, How ya gonnna bed ’em down in Springfield, after they’ve seen the Tomb? As I noted back in April (“The Presidential museum turns five,” April 29), attendance at the Presidential museum even in the…
Christmas compassion
Each year members and community volunteers at the First Church of the Brethen open their hearts a little wider and give of themselves on Christmas Day by preparing and delivering meals and holiday hellos to 200 fellow citizens who are alone and unable to leave their homes. Cooking starts at 8 a.m. with meals packaged…
Holiday ruminations
Through a combination of feeling reflective at nearing another year’s end and the small selection of entertainment choices caused by Christmas coming on a Saturday I’m settling in for a long winter’s column on this, that and the other thing. Next week the opposite happens; with New Year’s Eve on a Friday, making it a…
Floral forest
Washington Park Botanical Garden is a peaceful and delightful place to seek refugee from the holiday bustle. Stroll through the domed conservatory and back room, warm and enclosed from the chill of winter outside. Feast your eyes upon the fine-looking displays of poinsettias and holiday decorations. Return Dec. 29 as Springfield Park District employees tear…
Sharing bread
Several churches and organizations offer free meals to anyone who needs food on Christmas, is looking not to be alone or for any reason would like a hot feast on Christmas Day with others. In Springfield, Christmas Day Feast will be held at Broken Chains Church, 501 W. Monroe in the fellowship hall behind the…
A weekend of holiday movies
Dude trumps The Duke in Grit-ier remake While most filmmakers would shy away from remaking a beloved American film, Joel and Ethan Coen, as well as actor Jeff Bridges, eagerly put their own stamp on Charles Portis’ True Grit. Theirs is a more realistic and ultimately more successful take on the story than Henry Hathaway’s…
Uncovering the history buried by King Coal
Coal, to Jeff Biggers, is a symbol of lives lost, land destroyed and the worst of big business with too much political clout. But, to him, the black and dusty rock is also a symbol of his and so many Illinoisans’ heritage – one that in many ways has been all but erased. Amid the…
Christmas morn
There are two times when those who celebrate Christmas open their presents: Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Well, at least in America. Christmas gift-giving customs vary around the world, and many of them aren’t on either Christmas Eve or Day. That has the benefit of separating the spiritual and religious aspects, at least to a…
A fictional wartime journey from Carbondale to Cambodia and back
The third book in Mike Shepherd’s historical fiction trilogy of Mick Scott’s adventures as a soldier and a spy has an Illinois flavor, like the others, though it ranges to distant Cambodia, Vietnam and even New York City. Who in Springfield, doesn’t have friends who attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale? Shepherd, who today resides in…
The enchanting story of Christmas in Illinois
Sleigh rides in Springfield. Christmas at Mormon founder Joseph Smith’s house in Nauvoo. Recipes from Collinsville’s “Queen of Cookies.” A Greenville Civil War soldier’s Christmas letter to his wife. The nation’s oldest Santa Claus parade in Peoria. Chicago carol singalongs with Studs Terkel. A Great Depression Christmas in Marion. And ethnic Christmas traditions statewide. Christmas…
The symphony’s singer of a century
When Illinois Symphony music director Karen Lynne Deal first met Polly Roesch at a musical program several years ago, numerous women around the table urged Deal to ask Roesch to sing with the symphony. “I couldn’t have guessed then that Polly was 97 years old,” recalls Deal. “I’d never met anyone that age. But with…
The American Dream, pre-cut and ready to assemble
Nearly 10 years ago Rosemary Thornton drove to Springfield from Alton to give a talk at Lincoln Library about Sears homes. As the library’s program director, I remember her coming early in the day so we could drive through various Springfield neighborhoods “hunting.” Our game? The elusive “Savoy,” “Kilbourne,” “Ashmore” or “Oakdale.” Reading her new…
Merry music musings
I hardly know where to start or what to cover with so much going on this season. Things could be worse. Here are only a few of the many inviting events happening this weekend. On Friday Tony Turasky plays holiday host with Chillfest at the Illinois Building on the state fairgrounds. For those of you…
Holiday Sweepstakes Winners
Alex BlockAlexandra BalukaAlice CoulterAmanda DobronAngela ParrishAnna NeumannBethany CaldwellBetty SmithBetty VickBob LaKampBobbe CumminsBrandi WilliamsBritney WilcocksonCalinda MontgomeryCandi ClouseCarla Sue HouserCharlotte MottazChris RunnelsChristine MacDonaldCon StuartCorneilia BannisterDane ZentgrafDavid KimberlyDebbie KincaidDebra MarinesDelores SeverinoDenise SchantzDiane JohnsonDon RamseyDudy HarrisDwight MenelyEbony WilsonEd GoldsmithElizabeth ValentineEricka HineFrank LedbetterGail KellyGary FrascoGwen DiehlHawana BerryHelen RichardsonJane FeeJane TappendorfJean AtchissonJim BarnesJo Lynn AndersonJoni ColleJudy I. OgerJulia WallbaumKatherine BlanksKathy DuBoisKelly…
Christmas strata
1 lb. ham OR cooked sausages (such as Polish or smoked sausage) OR fresh sausage (such as breakfast sausage, bratwurst, Italian, or chorizo) For a vegetarian version, substitute 1 lbs. cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large 2T. unsalted butter 3 c. chopped onions, not supersweet 1 large or 2 small sweet red peppers,…
Broadcast play
Enjoy your favorite holiday classic as you never have before. In this stage production, you’ll witness a live 1940s radio broadcast that includes actors reading scripts in front of old-fashioned microphones, ’40s-era costumes, period commercials and sound effects sounding out via the cast and sound guy, Karl Bockemeier. Beardstown’s Nathan Carls takes the lead as…
Why Macon County’s school tax passed
Money and organization were the biggest differences between winners and losers in two neighboring counties’ school sales tax referendums, say those on both sides of the debates in Macon and Sangamon counties. Sangamon County voters in November soundly defeated, with 55.6 percent of the vote, a 1 percent sales tax increase that by law could…
Letters to the Editor 12/16/10
EXPENSIVE TRAIN RIDE It is astounding that the $427-$516 million cost of full consolidation on 10th Street is more than one-third of the $1.2 billion in “high-speed rail” federal stimulus funding received by Illinois [see “Tracks on 10th” by Patrick Yeagle, Dec. 9]. That doesn’t leave much left over for the upgrading the rest of…
The redistribution of America’s wealth to the few
Several of America’s top high-tech giants are now breaking with conventional thinking on the offshoring of their factories and jobs, asking a heretofore unthinkable question: “Who needs China?” “Let’s invest in new, state-of-the-art-factories,” they declare excitedly. “We’ll launch a bold new initiative to train tens of thousands of teachers who, in turn, will educate the…
Hope for drug addicts
Her uneasiness is reflected in the short, quick steps she takes as she approaches the judge’s bench. This thin, frail woman of about 30 years is in court on drug charges, and her frazzled hair, wrinkled lips and gaunt features make her appear old. As she stands before Sangamon County circuit judge Leo Zappa, she…
Cinematic holiday gifts
With the film industry heading towards instant downloads and video streaming via the Internet and other delivery modes, the release of large DVD sets is becoming more and more rare. That’s a shame because much of the fun for cinephiles when purchasing such collections comes from discovering the many extra features they contain. Various outtakes,…
Murder, intrigue, history, war & politics
This year’s crop of Illinois books and Illinois authors is particularly rich and interesting. To put Illinoisans in the spirit of the season, University of Illinois Press offers Christmas in Illinois: A Collection of Holiday Memories, Recipes and Images. There are memories of Christmas in Kaskaskia in 1700, an 1860 Christmas brawl in Springfield, and…
The Ramblin Blues Band
For over a year and half now The Ramblin Blues Band has traveled around the local music scene roaming through venues all over central Illinois. The quartet of Keeli Zerrusen (lead vocals), Matt Combs (bass), Josh Patterson (drums) and Ryan King (lead guitar) play a good variety of the greats including tunes by Led Zeppelin,…
Markable authors
On Oct. 12, on what would have been the subject’s 100th birthday, a marker was unveiled at Second and Jackson streets, noting the once-presence nearby of the boyhood home of Robert S. Fitzgerald, the noted poet, teacher, and translator of the classics. (See “All is not well forever,” Nov. 19, 2009) Robert Fitzgerald was arguably…
The deadly adventures of a southern Illinois gangster
During the Prohibition Era of speakeasies, swanky gangsters and machine gun massacres, Illinois was home to some of the most powerful and respected figures in the underworld. When it comes to Illinois bootleggers, most people think of Al Capone in Chicago, but the rest of the state had its own collection of criminal figures who…
Lincoln and Darwin, born on the same day
Fans of fanciful, history-inspired books like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter will surely find Lincoln and Darwin – Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion a tough slog through the mid-19th century. This book seriously searches for, and finds, common ground for two intellectual giants, separated by an ocean, who never even met. But once you’re…
What Lincoln read shaped the man, and history
The first book I ever owned was a child-sized version of the life of Abraham Lincoln – a gift from my book-loving father, who was convinced Lincoln read everything he ever got his hands on. His hope was that even as a kindergartener, I’d be inspired to follow Lincoln’s example. Turns out Dad was wrong.…
This picture of Illinois politics isn’t pretty
The title of this book, Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide, is less than inviting when compared to many political items on bookstore shelves today. But the story between the covers tells a gripping tale of the state’s past and present, and will unnerve readers about prospects for the future. This is no treatise prepared just…
Everybody on your feet
Video-gaming couch potatoes are so yesteryear. In 2010, gamers must get on their feet to conquer feats in seventh-generation gaming systems. Two new consoles debuted this year with action-packed adventures for all ages to enjoy. Gift-givers, compare specs below to decide which gaming system will help loved-ones make all the right moves. PlayStation MovePerhaps “Move”…
Social services on the brink of collapse
I’ve been saying for the past couple of years that Illinois government is one of the biggest drags on our state’s economy. Now, a new survey shows just how true that is. The survey was conducted in October and November of this year by Illinois Partners for Human Service (IPHS). It found that almost half…
SOLDIER%u2008FROM%u2008SANTA
As her 3-year-old sister, Breann, and 6-year-old brother, Lucas, hollered “Daddy! Daddy!” 8-year-old Destiny Ellis said, after great thought, that now she can ask Santa Claus for a Pillow Pet. That’s because she and her siblings 10 minutes earlier had already gotten their original request – their dad, Staff Sergeant Bradley Ellis with the 183rd…
Get your kicks… on Springfield Stories and Route 66
When people think of Springfield history their minds usually turn to its favorite son. Thousands of books have been written about Abraham Lincoln, but there is much capital city lore to be brought to light outside Lincoln’s shadow. Two new books reveal stories and images of our city’s past that readers, especially Springfield natives, will…
Late state payments decimate social services
Delayed state payments to schools and service providers threaten to overwhelm Illinois’ social safety net, say a pair of reports released in early December. The reports highlight the loss of thousands of jobs in education and social services, leading to vastly reduced services to children, the disabled, the elderly and the homeless. Illinois Partners for…
Decked out Wright
Dec. 17 and 19 are two of the best nights during the holidays to visit the 12,600-square-foot Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site, which will be closed Jan. 1 for several months for major rehab work. While the site is decorated throughout December and tours are available Wednesday through Sunday to view the Victorian-themed holiday home…
CLIMB%u2008FOR%u2008CHARITY
Climbing stairs isn’t often thought of as exciting or particularly challenging, but for John “Oz” Osborn, 37, of Rochester, it’s so much fun that he gave up BMX racing. He seems to have a knack for climbing stairs, as evidenced by his second place finish in the American Lung Association’s 2010 Fight for Air Climb…
In search of six votes for neighborhoods
In Rock Island, it’s not called the Department of Public Works, it’s Housing and Neighborhoods. Their Planning and Economic Development is known as Community and Economic Development. Their very first stated goal is to focus on preserving the city’s older neighborhoods. In Peoria, it’s the Department of Planning and Growth. It has its own Community…
Instrumental ensemble
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestra Karen Lynne Deal is joined by Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony, Sangamon Valley Community Orchestra, The Four Sopranos, Springfield Youth Performance Group and St. Andrew’s Pipes and Drums for this year’s Holiday Pops concert. Enjoy an audience singalong; a reading of The Christmas Story; a visit by…
You Know, it’s not As Good as it Gets
It isn’t as if writer/director James L. Brooks hasn’t been doing anything since his last feature film in 2004 (the underwhelming Spanglish). He’s been watching over the continued development of The Simpsons and was one of the uncredited writers on its film adaptation. Be that as it may, you can tell from Brooks’ latest, How…
Ghosts of futures past haunt Tron
While this certainly wasn’t what director Joseph Kosinski intended, I couldn’t help but regard Tron: Legacy merely as an interesting artifact. Obviously, much has changed since the release of the original Tron in 1982, a film that served as a template upon which today’s digital effects were built. What’s odd and somewhat comforting is that…
