Feeding our community
Saving Seeds and Growing Community On Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., join the University of Illinois Extension local food system and small farms educator Bill Davis for a program on seed saving and why seed libraries foster community and help participants save money. Earlier this year, Bill helped launch the Normal Seed…
From my home to yours
From my home to yours Not only are the holidays a time to gather and catch up with family, they’re an opportunity to share the very best food and drink available. Mom’s not getting out the fancy dishes for nothing, so this season, as you travel to be with your loved ones, why not bring…
Wages on the wire
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner once remarked to a room full of Republicans that he was “adamantly, adamantly against” raising the minimum wage. Although Rauner later softened his stance, it’s no surprise that Democrats in the Statehouse are pushing minimum wage legislation while they still have a sympathetic governor before Rauner takes office in January. On Nov.…
Amazon threatens community vitality
It’s that time of year – Thanksgiving holiday will be here soon. And then we’ll get to celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, if we’re shopping online, odds are good that we’ll shop on Amazon.com. Maybe we should rethink that. Even by the anything-goes ethical code of the corporate jungle, Amazon.com’s CEO, Jeff Bezos,…
Penguins deserving of time in spotlight
While I’m not privy to what’s said during the bean-counting meetings at DreamWorks Animation, I’d be willing to bet the moneymen there are more than thrilled with the success of their Madagascar franchise. The first film in the series was a hit to the tune of $532 million at the international box office while its…
Idol Rumors
Idol Rumors No one does classic rock like the guys who learned the songs before they were classics. When bands like Queen, Kiss, Boston, Judas Priest and Aerosmith rocked our world, local musicians Rusty Lee Ellison (guitar, vocals), Jeff Ellison (drums, vocals), Tim Copp (bass, vocals) and Mark Agnew (lead vocals, keyboards) applied themselves and…
Art giveaway at DEMO Project next Friday
Springfield artists Brad Balster and Judah Johnson will be giving away their work next Friday (Dec. 4) from 6-8:30 p.m., in the cheekily named exhibit, Priceless. Described as a “cohesive, complete exhibition comprised of many mixed-media works rooted in screen printing, painting, and drawing,” the pieces will be gradually given away to visitors during the…
Lord of the lies
In social situations, my boyfriend will often pretend to have read books I know he hasn’t. He doesn’t just fake it with some casual “Yeah, I read that.” He will try to say something deep and philosophical, but can end up not making much sense. He’s too smart to need to do this. Is there…
Troubleshoot broken lights
Troubleshoot broken lights There is perhaps nothing more frustrating around the holidays than attempting to fix a string of broken lights. Luckily, there are a few quick steps to take before simply trashing the whole strand and buying them anew. There are two main types of holiday lights – incandescent and LED. While there are…
thanksgiving poem #7
thanksgiving poem #7 this is your last day faithful underpants your gaping holes can no longer be ignored your elasticis too flabby it’s the ragbag tonight so I willsay to you whatfolks say to mehave a good day although whenthey say it to me I don’t know as you now know whether to especiallyappreciate this…
Editor’s Note 11/27/14
On Monday evening, just before the Ferguson decision was announced, the Springfield Race Unity Committee was holding a forum on restorative justice, a method that could improve race relations and make a positive difference in the lives of alienated youth. Experts on juvenile justice explained that “zero tolerance” attitudes toward youth by the law enforcement…
Distinguished documents
Undying Words: Lincoln 1858-1865 Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the best public speakers of all time. Through his speeches, Lincoln inspired citizens to vote him into the White House, abolish slavery, reject war and promote and perpetuate a government by and for the people. Undying Words: Lincoln 1858-1865, the newest exhibit at…
Not your father’s KKK
Curses, foiled againAfter John Franklin Forbis, 72, was convicted of possessing 850 pounds of marijuana in Columbia County, N.Y. in 1992, he jumped bail and eluded police for 22 years. Authorities finally caught up with him in Lane County, Ore., because he applied for Social Security benefits in his real name. (New York Daily News)…
More rooms coming soon for homeless
Maj. Steve Woodard of the Salvation Army in Springfield shows off the group\’s new building, which will provide much-needed space for a homeless shelter, pantry, clinic and more. As the early winter wind swirls snow across the parking lot at 100 N. Ninth St. in Springfield, a volunteer works the phones inside, coordinating the Salvation…
Honest, officer, I didn’t see it coming
Note to readers: Like our governor-elect, I am a businessman, and to be successful, a businessman must know how to make his product stand out in a crowded marketplace. Which is why this week I have chosen to be the only opinion-monger to not burden his readers with my opinion of events that have not…
Thanksgiving eve evening
Brooke Thomas and Shayla Logan as Sugar & Spice play Julia’s Kitchen & Lounge, 8 to 11 p.m., on Wed., Nov. 26 for a Black Masquerade party PHOTO BY LAURA KAY COFFEY For years now, I’ve been preaching that Thanksgiving Eve is the biggest bar and club party night of the calendar year in the…
Nobody is a sure thing in Rauner administration
Whenever a new governor is about to be sworn in, one of the most popular Springfield “parlor” games (which are usually not played in parlors, but in taverns, restaurants and friendly offices) is figuring out who is on their way out and who is on their way in. Of course, when a new governor is…
Walking in a winter wonderland
Memorial’s Festival of Trees For the past 24 years, Memorial Medical Center has transformed the Illinois State Fairgrounds Orr Building into a winter wonderland at the annual Festival of Trees event. This year will be no different, as the 2014 festival runs Nov. 22 through 30. The main attraction features more than 150 trees, wreaths…
Onward, Christian soldiers
Bishop Thomas Paprocki Some things – views on abortion, gay marriage and divorce – are non-negotiable. But Bishop Thomas Paprocki during a Monday forum at Benedictine University said that there is room for conversation on other issues raised by respondents to a survey aimed at figuring out why so many Catholics are no longer active…
High marks
Jennifer Gill inherited a district fresh from leadership and financial turmoil. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Jennifer Gill wasn’t always a leader. Her days at Springfield High School were busy ones. She spent a year on the student council. Worked on the yearbook staff during her senior year in 1987. Belonged to the Spanish Club, the…
Messiah
Salted hazelnut bars PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’m overflowing with more Christmas spirit than I have been in years. It’s not because I’m finally finished with knee replacement surgeries and regaining strength and mobility. It’s not because I’m again able to decorate for the holidays. It’s not even primarily because my grandchildren are at the…
Letters to the Editor 11/27/14
NOT-WHAT-YOU-THINK-IT-IS NEUTRALITY I fell off my chair when I read Jim Hightower’s explanation of net neutrality (“Net neutrality in the way of corporate profits,” Nov. 20). He misses the whole point. Net neutrality is about taxing the Internet in the same way that wired and wireless telecommunications are taxed. Mr. Obama is using his puppet,…
LOST LOCOMOTION
What if central Illinois had an electric rail line carrying passengers and freight between Springfield, Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and St. Louis? It might be hard to imagine, but such a thing existed from 1906 until the mid-1950s. The Illinois Terminal Railroad System was centered in Bloomington-Normal and ran “traction” cars with overhead electric power…
SDAT responds to Britt: Here’s what we’ve accomplished
Sometimes I think that those of us living in Springfield are our own worst enemy. Case in point: our hometown cartoonist, Chris Britt, used his pulpit in last week’s paper to label the Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Action Committee as “non-productive.” Is the glass half full or half empty around here? Yes, there are…
Redmayne and Jones Bring Heart and Soul to “Everything”
James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything is a noble endeavor, an effort to portray theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking’s refusal to be completely silenced by the debilitating neuromuscular disease that has ravaged his body while examining the unique relationship between him and his wife Jane. Trailers for the film give the impression that it will follow…
Place-dropping
I only recently noticed that a reader had chided me in the comments for listing all the places I’d lived in my piece about food scrap recycling. (Waste not. Why not?) I wasn’t t place-dropping, I swear. I just wanted to make clear that I had experience as an average citizen using municipal food waste…
Smart machines, dumb people
In my upcoming column on state driver licensing requirements, I note that because driverless cars will demand even less of our brains and our bodies than manual driving does, we are likely to progress as a society but regress as a species. Today, I learn that the same general topic was taken up recently by…
Illinois pension overhaul struck down
A Sangamon County judge struck down Illinois’ pension overhaul law today, saying it impairs and diminishes retiree benefits in violation of the state constitution. The decision will be appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court, but it’s likely the high court will also rule against the state. Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Belz delivered his…
“Dumb 2” a Surprisingly Dull Affair
It comes as no surprise that Dumb and Dumber To was the number one movie at the box office during its opening weekend. Fans have been clamoring to see more of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne’s antics for years and they proved their devotion as the film took in over $36 million during its first…
Lawrence’s Conviction Saves Overlong “Mockingjay”
So here we have it, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -Part 1, the final chapter in the saga of Katniss Everdeen, Suzanne Collin’s dynamic archer-turned-rebel who’s become a symbol of power for ‘tween girls across the country and an object of desire, if not a bit of fear, for adolescent boys everywhere. It’s so good to…
Letters to the Editor 11/20/14
Solar panels installed on the homes of CWLP customers would help power Springfield and keep local money in a local market. DON’T BUY IOWA WINDI just finished reading Patrick Yeagle’s Nov. 6 article, “Gloomy Days for CWLP.” The purpose of this letter is to point out the foolishness of the contract to purchase electricity from…
It’s time for Illinois to ratify ERA
Once more, the State of Illinois has an opportunity to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It should act to do so quickly. The ERA quite simply establishes gender equality under the law. The amendment reads as follows: “Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged…
Drunk patrol
ILLUSTRATION BY GARY MARKSTEIN/TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICE The mean streets of Sangamon County have gotten a bit meaner for those who imbibe before they drive. Two years after the sheriff’s office, citing budget concerns, reassigned a deputy who had been dedicated to enforcing driving under the influence statutes, the office has reestablished the position. Whether the…
Editor’s note 11/20/14
This month’s Illinois Issues cover story on “Young black males” is recommended reading as the nation turns its attention again to Ferguson, Missouri. In the article by Maureen Foertsch McKinney, the guidance dean at Springfield’s Lincoln Magnet school is quoted saying her sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade black boys are “terrified” with thoughts that what happened…
Pot biz lights up
About the articleThis article is the product of the first collaboration between Illinois Times and the Better Government Association. The BGA is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit government watchdog that specializes in investigative reporting with media partners throughout the state. The BGA’s Rescuing Illinois Project is an ongoing series of in-depth reports examining state government…
Net neutrality in the way of corporate profits
When it comes to Internet Service Providers and high-speed Internet, the consumer marketplace has hardly been a model of competitiveness. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to choose from two providers, and some of us only have access to one. These digital conduits are essential parts of America’s utility infrastructure, nearly as…
Not-so-sweet sweet potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes with chipotles en adobo. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Lots of folks consider them an essential part of their Thanksgiving feast: A big dish of whipped sweet potatoes, topped with a thick layer of marshmallows, baked until the tops of the marshmallows become toasty brown. But I’m not one of them. Don’t get…
Four steps to a perfect holiday bird
Thanksgiving is about family, gratitude and, of course, food. The centerpiece of any truly authentic Thanksgiving meal is a succulent, flavorful turkey – but preparing the bird takes more than just a pan and an oven. Here is our simple guide to achieving the perfect Thanksgiving turkey in four easy steps. 1. Buy Before you…
Going to bat for education
Illinois schools do a pretty good job, considering the state’s poor record of funding education. But Illinois’ system needs fundamental changes to be more efficient, effective and equitable. That’s the message of a group of school administrators calling for a comprehensive overhaul of how Illinois staffs, funds and equips its schools. The group, Vision 20/20,…
You look like a monkey
White-handed gibbon Jari is not technically a monkey, but she is a member of the primate family. Sing “happy birthday” with meaning this Saturday, Nov. 22, at her first birthday party at the Henson Robinson Zoo from 10 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. Jari the gibbon, who is on the endangered species list, joined the zoo…
LGBT SPFLD
The Human Rights Campaign has confirmed what most of us already know: Springfield is a reasonably welcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. HRC is a national civil rights group focused on LGBT rights. You’ve probably seen their logo: a blue square containing a yellow equal sign. The group’s annual “Municipal Equality Index”…
The choices are endless
CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT
The season of Hurricane Ruth
Hurricane Ruth performs Sat., Nov. 22, at the Alamo. Mary Jo Curry and Tombstone Bullet start the show at 8 p.m. As a working blues-rock artist, if you’ve had Willie Dixon, one of the most profound, prolific and professional blues guys of all time quoted as saying, “You’re the only hurricane I can appreciate,” that…
A Winter Fable
PHOTO BY HARALD BOERSTLER On Friday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m., enjoy a classic tale of romance and deceit performed by the sweet sounds of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. The symphony will be joined by St. Louis-based Circus Flora, a traveling one-ring circus featuring acts that emphasize the connections between people and animals. The show…
Fumée Gypsy Project
Fumée Gypsy Project What sounds come to mind when gypsy-jazz music gets mentioned? If it’s soaring vocals, speedy guitars and swinging bass you are in the realm of the Chicago-based Fumée Gypsy Project. This last year, Christy Bennett (vocals, accordion), Casey Nielsen and Nate Baker (guitars) and Christian Dillingham (bass) completed a crowd-sourced, fan-based funding…
farm poem # 38
my sister triedrolling downthe ramp of theround barnin a barrelshe regretted it
The real Jim Krohe
James Krohe Sr. PHOTO COURTESY JAMES KROHE SR. I can only barely keep time, but while I could never be a drummer I love to talk with my father about the drummer’s craft. He’s worked as a professional musician for 76 years now – he’ll turn 90 this week – which means he’s been supplying…
Will Rauner compromise or compete with Madigan?
Last December, Bruce Rauner appeared on a WLS Radio talk show program and revealed that he planned to form a new campaign committee to counter the power of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. “We’re gonna raise a PAC, we’re gonna raise a fund dedicated to the state Legislature, members of both parties who take the…
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
The Phoenix Center will observe Transgender Day of Remembrance tonight from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the organization’s offices at 109 E. Lawrence Ave. The event has been growing nationally since its inception in 1998 to remember Rita Hester, a transgendered woman who was murdered in Massachusetts. Observed each Nov. 20, Transgender Day of…
Bears go to court
The Chicago Bears have gone to court seeking refuge from the tax man. The Bears this month sued the Illinois Department of Revenue in Sangamon County Circuit Court, claiming that the state is overtaxing a team that Forbes magazine recently valued at $1.7 billion, making the Monsters of the Midway the eighth most valuable franchise…
Follow the eagles to Starved Rock
The 125-foot sandstone bluff, named Starved Rock after a Native American legend, rises above the Illinois River. The state park is open all year, and a trail from the Visitor Center takes visitors to the top of the bluff. PHOTO BY JOLYN WISE If you are eager to eye an eagle this winter, head to…
The punishment fits the crime
On Monday, Nov. 24, at 6 p.m., join the Springfield Race Unity Committee at Lincoln Library for a public meeting on restorative justice, expungement of court and arrest records and mentoring. Sara Balgoyen, executive director of the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project, will be the featured speaker. Police officers, the sheriffs’ department, the mayor’s…
’Tis the season for cider
Every holiday has its iconic meals: Thanksgiving has turkey, Christmas has ham and Hanukkah has latkes. But just what are we to drink during these celebrations? Well, this year a nice hard cider just may be the perfect fit. Long a favorite in Europe, cider’s popularity in the U.S. has soared in recent years, aided…
Scoot force
My husband’s been saving for a motorcycle, and I was excited about riding on the back hanging on to him – sexy and fun! But then he came home with a Vespa, the little Italian scooter. It just seems so girly. The tiny wheels make it look like a toy, and he’s a big guy…
Insecurities, self-reflection at core of Birdman
Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson in Birdman. PHOTO COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES Like a snake consuming its own tail, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman is so postmodern, so self-referential that it ultimately begins to consume itself. This is all as it was designed to be by the director, who co-wrote the script, as this daring exercise…
Risky art
Curses, foiled again• Alan Knight, 47, denied robbing his neighbor in Swansea, Wales, and avoided prosecution by pretending to be “quadriplegic and in a comatose condition, bed-bound at home” after a neck injury, authorities said. They uncovered the ruse by tracking his supermarket loyalty card. Surveillance footage of Knight walking and driving confirmed their suspicion.…
