The man who fell to earth
CECIL KENNETH “TUCK” BELTON Tuck Belton’s fifth mission over northern Germany in January 1945 was supposed to be a snap, the bomber pilot from Jerome later recalled, with neither antiaircraft fire nor enemy fighters expected. Expectations proved wrong. Belton’s B-17 was hit by fire from the ground as he guided the aircraft to the target.…
Wrong in principle
Quick – how big a part of Illinois’ population in recent years has consisted of unauthorized immigrants. Ten percent? Fifteen? Twenty? In 2012, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, it was 3.7 percent. Not exactly a teeming horde, yet President Obama’s recent executive order to prevent the unnecessary deportation of such people – humane in…
Scavenge for symbols
Get the kids out of the house and keep their brains sharp this winter break with the Illinois State Museum’s Winter Holiday Search. The free activity is available for pickup at the museum’s front desk Dec. 20 through Jan. 5 during normal museum hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from noon to 5…
‘We’ll do the right thing for people.’
ALAN JOHN DIXON To the Illinois political world he was “Al the Pal.” During his 42 years as an elected public official he had the broadest grin around. He signed his letters “Your friend,” whether they were friends or not. By his own account he may have consumed more beer than the Anheuser and Busch…
Folk artist, unassuming and brilliant
ADOLPH GEORGE COLIN Adolph George Colin was born Oct. 12, 1929, in Hollywood, California, to parents of French ancestry. The family made its way to Springfield when he was seven years old, and he graduated from Lanphier High School. His father was a coal miner. After working for the local Pillsbury plant in Springfield for…
Mid-holiday happenings
Barry Cloyd plays the Walnut Street Winery in Rochester on Fri., Dec. 26, 7 to 11 p.m. The ‘tween time from Christmas to New Year’s can often be an exciting part of the local music scene. With the weekend falling directly after the big day on Thursday, we receive another holiday gift in the excellent…
You delete me
I’m trying to get over my ex but I’m constantly checking his Twitter and Facebook pages and I get really upset. I’ll see pix of women or see that he’s gone to some event and wonder whether he met anyone there. It’s crazy-making, but I can’t seem to stop looking. –Unhinged You know you’ll feel…
He built a legacy, one changed life at a time
J.D. WASHINGTON J.D. Washington was the first African-American principal in Springfield Public Schools. He was the first African-American recruiter for the U.S. Peace Corps. He was a 33rd degree Mason and an educator for more than 40 years. Most importantly, however, he was a man of integrity and determination. Johnnie David Washington was born on…
Professor, writer, outdoorsman, public servant
DAVID TEMPLETON KENNEY A first impression of David Kenney revealed a fraction of the man. He was mild-mannered, openly friendly, never cursed, and his manners were almost Victorian. To those who discovered his career as a university professor, he came across as a kind of southern Illinois version of Mr. Chips, the character from British…
The luckiest man on earth
Harold Dean Allen My father-in-law Harold Allen’s sudden death in July left a huge hole in our family. Our grief was made easier knowing that the community of Ashland was mourning with us. Harold was behind the counter at Allen’s Market for over 50 years. He was seldom without a smile and never knew a…
Monica Morris & Josie Lowder
Monica and Josie are heading back to Memphis to participate in the annual International Blues Challenge competition, bringing their own brand of blues highlighted by a special blend of guitar playing and vocal harmonies. Last year the terrific two reached the semi-finals representing our Illinois Central Blues Club, and this year they head south as…
A wonderland of a human being
JOHN G. BEECHLER My stepfather’s name was John “Jack” G. Beechler. He was born to a life of little promise, the deck clearly stacked against him. John was my mother’s love for 25 years of their lives. The best he had was always the gifts he gave. John all but gave his life fighting in…
First Night offers family-friendly arts and fun
Springfield Youth Performance Group. PHOTOS COURTESY SPRINGFIELD AREA ARTS COUNCIL The Springfield Area Arts Council’s annual First Night celebration is a year-end smorgasbord of art, music, dance, fireworks, friends and fun. It is also a fundraiser to benefit the various programs and services provided by the Springfield Area Arts Council, such as grants and resources…
Editor’s note 12/25/14
Here it is, the 52nd issue of 2014, completing another year of publishing Illinois Times. This is a good time to remind us all that IT is a minor miracle, an unlikely business that somehow survives and sometimes thrives in the relatively small market that is Springfield. As journalists we don’t take for granted the…
Think of the Amazon workers
During the hectic holiday shopping season, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com may seem like a great option, especially for us procrastinators. Anything you want can be shipped directly to your doorstep. All it takes is a few clicks on the Amazon website and – of course – some of your hard-earned money. The media sings the…
His life was simply ‘Zan-Tastic’
Zander Kai Etling-Slightom Eight years is never long enough to know your child. However, this boy gave joy to all who were fortunate enough to meet him. From the moment he came to us, Zander gave all of himself daily and packed a lifetime of happiness and love into his short 8 years. He prided…
Remembering the lives they lived
About the issue Here once again is our “Remembering” issue. We devote the last issue of the year to in-depth obituaries of some of the local people who have died in the past year. There is no attempt to be comprehensive, or even representative; these are people who have come to the attention of our…
Letters to the Editor 12/25/14
The Alan J. Dixon building at the Illinois State Museum. THE NAME GAME James Krohe certainly hit the mark with his column on naming state buildings (“Official Graffiti,” Dec. 18). Illinois has a proud tradition of honoring people we’d just as soon forget by carving their names in stone – for example, William G. Stratton, whose…
Caught stupid
Compiler’s note: Chronicling human folly gets harder every year because as foibles proliferate, the odd seems commonplace. These unbelievable-but-true news stories, however, stand out as the year’s quirkiest. Caught stupid• When the police officer who stopped Douglas Glidden, 25, in Livermore Falls, Maine, found marijuana in his vehicle Glidden insisted the pot couldn’t be his…
A full-fledged member of the greatest generation
John Hine Our dad is remembered as a classic example of the greatest generation. John Hine died Jan. 2, 2014, at the age of 89. He was born just before the Great Depression in northern Indiana, the youngest of three children and the first to be born in a hospital. (The hospital bill was $13.)…
A quiet, respect-your-intelligence style
JOHN BERT WALLENSTEIN John Wallenstein is one of those people you meet who was private. But as you became acquainted with John, you discovered he was friendly, highly professional and took joy in exceeding the expectations of his job. His last position was as director of community affairs and marketing at WUIS Public Radio. At…
Take a break with some simple soups
The days before New Year’s Eve can be a respite from holiday excess. Not always, especially when families are frequently scattered and celebrations occur not on exact dates, but when it’s possible for everyone to assemble. This year, we’ll be celebrating Christmas Eve and Day on New Year’s Eve and Day – very different for…
It’s not as bad as you think
We are one glum country. Trust in the federal government is at historic lows, according to Gallup. More than half of the respondents to an October Rasmussen poll think our best days are behind us. And just a few weeks ago, an NBC/Wall St. Journal poll found that the one thing Americans agree upon, whatever…
An art lover, devoted to family
JUHLANN DAVIS GIBBS Juhlann Davis Gibbs was a woman steeped in family history: her family had been residents of central Illinois for nearly 200 years. Yet as much as she appreciated where she came from, ultimately Juhlann’s greatest joy came in the legacy she left for the future: her three granddaughters. Juhlann’s great-great grandfather, David…
Witherspoon and Vallee fully invest in powerful Wild
Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in Wild. There are many ways that Jean-Marie Vallee’s adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild could have gone wrong. A story anchored more by internal struggles than external conflict, this is the sort of insular story that’s often difficult to present in a film, with directors often falling back on…
She kept smiling; she never wavered
Coleen Marie Ishmael In most families, after the patriarch and the matriarch have passed on, there is one shining beacon to bring everyone home again, especially around the holidays. The one family member determined to keep the home fires burning. To keep the hearth warm and inviting, to remind the other family members of holidays…
PARADOX
PARADOXBy Vera Wardner Dougan Holidays are portrayed as times of rejoicing but as we all come to knowthey are often fraught with grief. It seems appropriate to share this poemat this season. It was written by my mother in 1925; I have it in a booklet, Mirrors, that she put together for my father, family…
He practiced what he preached.
KEITH RICHARD RODERICK Keith Roderick was no ordinary preacher. On the one hand, he served as a priest in Episcopalian parishes throughout central and southern Illinois, low-key enough that his name rarely appeared in local media outside announcements of weddings and funerals he oversaw. He had six children, ranging from a son on the cusp…
Big, beautiful blue eyes and a heart of gold
Tayla Marie Skaggs-Cook All who knew this young lady would tell you she was an angel. Tayla suffered a horrific accident at home on the night before her 40th birthday when she fell down her basement stairs, striking her head which caused massive head trauma. She will be missed by everyone that had the opportunity…
Bring your “A” game
Put on your game face, round up the troops and prepare for some friendly, familial competition with a new-old-fashioned game night. The Rochester Public Library is the place to be on Friday, Dec. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., as they host a family fun game night featuring a variety of traditional board games, Wii…
She loved her family, her home and her yard
Evelyn Lee White Alexander Evelyn Lee Alexander, 78, of Neoga, Illinois, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, after a long battle against pancreatic cancer. She was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Ash Grove Township, Shelby County, in rural Neoga. Evelyn graduated valedictorian of Neoga High School Class of 1954. Upon…
Beautiful inside and out, she brought light in both life and death
CARRIE RISDON DAVID She died too soon, but even in death, she brought a beautiful gift into the world. Carrie David died Jan. 24, 2014 while giving birth to her first daughter, Piper Jane David. She was a teacher, but her lessons extended well beyond the classroom. Carrie Risdon David was born on July 29,…
A treasure of the theater
MARGE ROTH The local theater community lost one of its finest treasures this past February when our beloved friend, Marge Roth, passed away suddenly. Marge was a talented costumer for local theater groups, but she was so much more than that. She was a friend, health care professional, parent, grandparent, volunteer, leader, confidant, counselor and…
He relished making deals, but also giving back
WILLIAM HENRY HUMPHREY He would give you the shirt off of his back, and he would tell you a joke while doing it. That was Henry Humphrey, owner of Humphrey’s Market in Springfield. A dedicated, hardworking businessman and philanthropist, Henry Humphrey died on April 27, 2014, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy…
Radio around here will never be the same
BOB MURRAY When Bob Murray passed away this year we lost more than a voice – and what a voice. The familiar tones of a friend who always greeted you warmly and happily, no matter whether it had been years, or just a day, since you last crossed paths. But we also lost his unique…
“…and a happy zoo year!”
Children ages 5-12 are invited to enjoy a New Year’s Eve celebration that won’t keep them up past their bedtime but still involves a countdown until 12. Noon Year’s Eve is an annual New Year’s Eve party hosted by the good folks at the Henson Robinson Zoo. This year’s party will be held Dec. 31…
A most extraordinary 95 ½ years of life
Preston Levon McCrary Sr. I knew Mr. Preston at the earliest of ages; he was my dad’s (James Thomas Woodson) best friend and neighbor, and in childhood, his daughter, Cheryl, was my best friend as well. Needless to say, I loved him and, more importantly, liked him, too. Though I am unable to do his…
For political intelligence, he was the man to know in Springfield
ERA EUGENE “GENE” CALLAHAN A single word comes to mind when discussing the life of Gene Callahan of Springfield: Loyal. Loyalty was not something just sprinkled throughout his adult life. It was a major part, beginning with his family and including people and experiences of a lifetime. Callahan left his job as reporter and columnist…
A fisherman’s friend
ROBERT “BOB” FOLDER Catching fish takes patience. Knowledge. And lures – lots of lures. By those standards, Robert “Bob” Folder had it all. Thanks to him, Springfield became known worldwide as a source for some of the best lures on the planet. His shuttered workshop on the west edge of Springfield is filled with feathers,…
A little knowledge . . . No. 5 in a series
The invaluable Diane Coyle at The Enlightened Economist recently brought to our attention The Diminishing Returns of the Information Age by Mark Roeder, an essay gathered in a collection about the future of the world economy titled What’s Next? and edited by David Hale and Lyric Hughes Hale. In it, Roeder notes that at a time when there…
Listening about torture
Tom Sullivan at Hullabaloo fetched a bit of tape from the memory hole. Holding copies of FBI emails about torture that the ACLU obtained through FOIA requests last fall, Sen. Dick Durbin said, If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done…
A surprise for your service
Doris Teyshak with her new Toyota Camry, a retirement gift for her 33 years of service. Teyshak says her mind went blank when she realized what was happening. “It was a jewelry box, so I assumed it was some form of jewelry,” she said while sitting behind the wheel of her new car. “It’s still…
Celebrate the sacred journey
This Saturday, Dec. 20., travel back in metaphorical time with Edge of Perception and the Trailhead Healing Arts Center for a Yule Winter Solstice Celebration. The Winter Solstice Celebration is the fourth in a series of “sacred journey” events. It is a celebration in the style of our Nordic ancestors who traditionally celebrated the Winter…
The pain of inequality among yacht buyers
In this season of mass commercialism, let’s pause to consider the plight of simple millionaires. Why? Because we now share a common cause: Inequality. You don’t hear much about it, but millionaires are suffering a wealth gap, too, and it’s having a depressing impact on both their level of consumption and their psychological well-being. It’s…
SOUTHWIND SUNDIAL
If the sun shines for the winter solstice on Sunday, Dec. 21, Robert Croteau will be at Southwind Park checking the alignments on the giant sunflower sundial he designed and helped to install. The shadow of the bee on the sunflower regularly crosses the calendar line at noon, telling the day of the year. Springfield’s…
Lawsuit in limbo
A lawsuit filed by the estate of Patrick Burns, who died after a struggle with Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies, is in jeopardy. PHOTO BY RED HUBER/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE A wrongful death case against the Sangamon County sheriff’s office has stalled, and the case may end with neither a verdict nor settlement. Attorneys representing the estate…
Gifts that feed their food passion
The holidays are a special time for foodies. From elaborate holiday meals to elegant cocktail parties to extensive holiday desserts, this is a time where foodies can shine. It’s only natural to give the friend who’s basically a celebrity chef – at least in their own kitchen – a gift they can use year-round for…
Official graffiti
The Alan J. Dixon Building of the Illinois State Museum. PHOTO BY DAVID HINE In a 2010 column titled “A school by any other name” I explored the changing fashions in naming public buildings. I noted that public officials eager to not be caught endorsing anyone who might later be revealed as odious have quit…
Cats on Holiday
The Cats are back! For anyone around the Springfield music scene from the 80s on, that can mean only one thing. Yes, that’s right, Cats on Holiday are back in town for a one night only Holiday show. Andon T. Davis Jr. (vocals, guitar), Joe T. Phegley (bass), Rick Snow (drums, vocals) and Perry Zubeck…
Remembering Judy Baar Topinka
Judy Baar Topinka PHOTO BY GINNY LEE As you already know, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka passed away last week. Topinka had a stroke the morning of Dec. 9 but that’s not what killed her. In fact, by the afternoon, she announced she was going to walk to the restroom. Her Chief of Staff Nancy Kimme…
Christmas puddings
Traditional English plum pudding PHOTO COURTESY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE “Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing day! That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastry-cook’s next door to each other, with a laundress’ next door to that! That was the…
Name games
Curses, foiled again• Police investigating a theft at a coin laundry in Great Falls, Mont., captured suspect Curtis Dear, 28, after following his footprints in the snow to a nearby residence. They found Dear with a backpack containing hundreds of quarters and shoes that matched the prints. (Associated Press) • Police who found Jailin Turner,…
Pre-Christmas goings on
The Deep Hollow play at Engrained Brewing Company, 8 p.m., Thurs., Dec. 18. Hold onto to your holiday hats everyone; we are in for a wild and wooly ride down entertainment row as the gigs pile up like presents under some lucky folks Christmas tree. Congratulations are in order for The Deep Hollow members Dave…
LONG HAUL LAWSUIT
A lawsuit alleging racial profiling by Springfield police has been set for trial…in 2016. Samuel Johnson of Springfield is suing the Springfield Police Department and the two white police officers who stopped him in November 2013 on a traffic violation that was later deemed not a violation at all. Johnson, who is black, claims the…
Preventing another Ferguson
It could happen anywhere. It could even happen here. The high-profile killings of black men by police in Ferguson, Missouri, and in New York City in the past few months highlight a long-smoldering tension between law enforcement officers and minority populations. Such killings divide communities and feed racial animosity, which is why several Springfield groups…
What to expect when they’re expecting a certain something
Many children today have raised the holiday wish list or letter to Santa to an art form: a document to be labored over and carefully considered, perhaps even rewritten or reordered a few times before completion. It receives attention and focus that homework assignments only dream about. But sometimes, no matter how elegantly it’s been…
Five new holiday films
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. PHOTO COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES Hobbit: Armies finally gets us back again And so, Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films have come to an end…at least I think they have. With these movies and the director’s Lord of the Rings features, you could…
The spatula
It was a year past her leaving that Anna made her request, a simple thing and reasonable, that William bring with him the spatula, the one with the red handle. “I kept it in the drawer by the stove,” she said. He thought a moment, then said, “I’ll look for it.” They had come a…
sleighing poem # 1
as to one horse open sleighs we sibssat in ours sang jingle bells but if wejiggled too hard and fell out it was eitherinto hay on one side or a bin of oats onthe other for it was propped way up inthe loft unused unnoticed balanced onthe tall woodengold wall that separatedthe two sections of…
Classical Christmas
Unwind on Friday, Dec. 19 at The State House Inn with a free Holiday Piano Concert featuring pianist Zakia Hart. Zakia, accompanied by Chris Warren on drums, Tom Myers on bass, Artie Logan on saxophone and Nathan Albrecht on violin will be performing some of her holiday favorites in a casual, lounge-style setting. Zakia’s love…
Full volume at the SHG football stadium
CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT
Welcome to the neighborhood, Rauners
I remember seeing Gov. Adlai Stevenson when I was a kid. I was in a car that passed his on the way up to New Salem to see the play Forever This Land. He looked out the window and waved to me. Actually seeing him around town was not an unusual experience. Some evenings he…
Giving troubled youth a chance to grow
A player jumps to spike the ball at the IIAA volleyball tournament in Springfield on Dec. 13. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Urgent shouts and the squeak of sneakers fill the basketball courts on the second floor of Gold’s Gym in Springfield. Volleyball nets span four courts, each filled with teenagers. Their eyes are fixed on…
Editor’s Note 12/18/14
Every week that governor-elect Bruce Rauner comes to Springfield he learns that the state’s fiscal condition is far worse than it was when he came the week before. This time he discovered a plan to request a $760 million supplemental appropriation to make up for “intentionally dishonest” pre-election lowball budgets. We’re horrified that budget shenanigans…
Letters to the Editor 12/18/14
James Armstrong, known as “The Ambassador of the Blues,” just doing his thing. PHOTO BY DAVID J. SIMCHOCK JONESIN’ FOR JAMESMany thanks to Tom Irwin for the great article on our new Springfield resident, Mr. James Armstrong. (“At home with the blues,” Dec. 11.) After reading the article, I decided to browse through the Pub…
Star-studded seasonal showcase
For one weekend only, The Hoogland Center for the Arts hosts the sights and sounds of Springfield’s favorite local celebrities and the Hoogland Teens, Kids and Juniors. This annual event showcases classic holiday tunes, contemporary Christmas songs and beautiful, sacred music. Hosted by Julie Staley, this dazzling show will highlight local favorites such as Josh…
The company you keep away
I’ve got an intense attraction to this musician I’ve been dating for four months. He’s on the road a lot, plus he’s new to the city and recently out of a relationship. He says he’s not ready to get serious now and just told me he wants us to be non-monogamous. The more I try…
Foxx and company flounder in bland Annie
Jamie Foxx as Will Stacks and Quvenzhane Wallis as Annie in Annie. PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES Whenever someone decides to tinker with a classic I can’t help but be a bit skeptical about the entire affair. Such is the case with Annie, “a modern re-imagining of a beloved musical” according to two of its producers,…
