I love trees
Tree care at my house is easy. In the front yard is a dogwood, which largely takes care of itself. Not too big, not too small, grows slow and perhaps fools passersby into thinking some thought was put into its planting. In the backyard, a big tree once existed, species uncertain, which I discovered whilst…
Tax talk
Freshman Rep. Terra Costa Howard, (D-Glen Ellyn), was reportedly none too pleased when Think Big Illinois began running TV ads in her district. Think Big Illinois is the dark money group created to support Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal. It started running ads in late March in four individual House districts a couple…
Count me in
Illinois could lose up to two of its congressional seats after the next U.S. Census count if the population decline is as bad as early estimates, but the scope of what the state stands to lose is much broader. Federal funding for many programs, ranging from free breakfast for Illinois K-12 students, infrastructure needs for…
Symphony “Incredibly Inspiring”
“Forgive me if I seem a bit at sea / but you woke me from a dream of words / I was setting to music I’ll want you / to transcribe for me…” – Opening lines of “The Gate of Horn” by L.S. Asekoff As part of its ongoing celebration of the Illinois bicentennial, the…
HENRY FORD HISTORY
Henry Ford revolutionized both the automotive and the agricultural industry by producing affordable and reliable products for consumers. The Ford family is a piece of Americana and a part of that iconic history is going to be auctioned at Aumann Auctions Pre-’30 Auction on April 13. A hand-built 5/8 scale Fordson tractor commission by Henry…
Letters to the Editor 4/11/19
NEW SMEAA MEMBER RESPONDS Jill Steiner made a number of excellent points with regard to the elected board that oversees the Bank of Springfield Center. In particular, she asks why we even have an elected board? We have an elected board because when it was created by the state legislature in 1978, SMEAA was empowered…
Editor’s note 4/11/19
My goodness we’re in Code Red again and there’s another “cyclone bomb” headed our way, the second in three weeks. If we didn’t know such scary terms we’d think it’s just spring in Illinois, bringing unpredictable weather, warm one day and chilly the next, windy with a chance of rain. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO
Police and community can solve problems. Or cause them.
In a series of articles, I’m looking at questions about criminal justice: “Are we safe?” “Are we smart?” “Are we fair?” “What is the best way forward?” I’ve discussed Peoria’s police-plus-community effort, similar to the effort beginning now in Springfield and Champaign-Urbana, to deter people who appear likely to commit gun violence. Let’s look at…
The Animal Protective League’s annual fundraising event�
The Animal Protective League (APL) will hold its annual Upscale Collectible Sale this Friday and Saturday at White Oaks Mall in the upper level of the space previously occupied by Bergner’s. The sale will include furniture, antiques, jewelry, tools, home décor, books, movies, children’s items and holiday décor. All proceeds from the sale will benefit…
An opportunity to get credit help from finance professionals
Not paying off debt can have a negative impact your credit score. A low credit score makes it more difficult to find a bank or credit card company to lend you money or lend it at an attractive interest rate, but it goes beyond that. Your credit score can also affect everything from insurance rates…
Landscape with native plants and pollinators
It’s finally that time of year to be outside, clean up the leaves and residue from winter and plant flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees and shrubs. This is a perfect time to plan ahead and commit to planting natives that attract pollinators. There are many resources to help you get started and some exciting projects around…
Mayor’s monarch pledge
Planters and bumpouts along Sixth Street and Adams Street in downtown Springfield will be planted with native perennials to attract pollinators. Volunteers working with the city of Springfield and Downtown Springfield, Inc., helped obtain a grant from the Springfield Civic Garden Club for this pilot project. Plants will be selected that will bloom from May…
Native plant sales
In April and May there are several plant sales, which provide an excellent opportunity to purchase native plants as well as talk to knowledgeable people.Lincoln Memorial Garden plant sales“We are promoting plants for pollinators, butterflies and native birds,” says Larry Miller, Lincoln Memorial Garden head gardener. He is growing over 95 species of plants in…
Washington Park native plant restoration
The native plant restoration at the fishing pier in Washington Park is a tremendous example of what can happen when enthusiastic volunteers partner with a public agency that wants to do the right thing but lacks the manpower. Last spring 1,000 native plants were planted between the road and fishing pier at the Washington Park…
Bees, Butterflies & Blooms
Bees, Butterflies & Blooms is a new exhibit at Kidzeum that focuses on the importance of protecting native plants and pollinators. It features an observation beehive, live butterfly enclosure, pollinator garden, video interactives and family-focused educational play spaces. Kids can see real monarch chrysalises, watch live bees, swing in a chrysalis chair, don a beekeeper’s suit…
Tips for decluttering and organizing your home
Thanks in part to Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix show and best-selling books, the latest fad sweeping the country is decluttering and organizing your home. Most Americans have way too much stuff and clutter can take over every aspect of our lives. However, the process can often feel so overwhelming that people don’t know where to…
Home & Garden Events
Springfield Jaycees Lawn Mower ClinicApr 13, 9am-12pm Sat. $60 includes inspection to check filters, change spark plugs, sharpen blades and change oil as necessary (filters replaced at an additional cost). Push mowers only. springfieldjaycees.net. O’Reilly Auto Parts West, 1501 W. Jefferson St., 217-793-1872. Woodland Wildflower SaleApr 13-14, 8:30am-4pm Sat., 1-4pm Sun. Native shrubs and flowers.…
How to recycle and reuse
You’ve done your spring cleaning and decluttered your home and garage. What do you do now with unwanted items if you don’t want to put them in the trash? The City of Springfield offers free drop-off services for certain types of hard-to-dispose-of items for residents who live within the corporate city limits. These programs are…
Obvious Sematary a bore
“Sometimes, dead is better.” So says Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), uttering a piece of advice he doesn’t take in Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s remake of Pet Sematary. They should have applied this notion to their own misguided project, as sometimes certain movies are better dead. The original 1989 version was no great shakes, and…
Record store day and more
Let’s take a romp through the scene of live music happenings to see what we can see. Then when we get from here to there, we can hear what we can hear when we see it, too. Thursday kicks off with a rip roaring blast coming on strong as the hip and cool night of…
Flatland Cavalry
Coming up from their hometown of Lubbock, Texas, home to several greats in the music business through the years, the Flatland Cavalry are rolling into town to take no prisoners as they proceed to work their way up the cool country music, Americana ladder of success. They’re going at their own speed and own pace,…
archival poem #31: Uncle Trever writes Jackie
archival poem #31: Uncle Trever writes Jackie “You know that little brook running through our pasture – well, your dad and I were making a sod dam so we’d have a swimming hole when we firstlaid eyes on our cousin Karl Trever.We were naked as jay birds, he was in neat little pantaloons and…
Foods for a brighter future
For much of our modern gastronomic history, many of our beliefs about food were driven by what people were not supposed to eat. Foods take turns as the villain of the moment, and regular folks end up mired in a web of confusion and shame just trying to figure out what to make for dinner.…
