In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cemeteries were the first public parks. Women strolling with parasols and families spread out on blankets enjoying a picnic would be a common site. The living paid respect to their loved ones and celebrated their own lives. Oak Ridge Cemetery, no doubt, would have been a popular […]
Cinda Ackerman Klickna
Cinda Klickna is a former teacher from Springfield and past president of the Illinois Education Association.
Posted inNews
Rochester turns 150. Let’s party.
The Rochester Park and adjacent Stone House historic park will be a sea of activity and celebration during the weekend of Sept. 13-15 as the town commemorates its sesquicentennial, 150 years since it was incorporated in 1869. There will be a 5K/10K walk/run, pancake breakfast, carnival, car cruise, vendors, speakers, reenactors and music. Carolyn Moore […]
Posted inArts & Culture
An annual evening garden party
The courtyard of the Dana-Thomas House will once again be alive with jazz, food and drinks for the annual evening garden party. Music by Sharpen Up with Damien Kaplan (piano and vocals), Tim Niemeyer (guitar) and Brandt Sitze (percussion) will entertain guests. This is the second event of three hosted by the Dana-Thomas House Foundation. […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
The facts about active shooter drills
For decades, students have participated in fire and tornado drills. Many of us remember the sudden wailing of a fire alarm, then lining up and traipsing out of the building, waiting for the all clear from the fire department. Or we remember crouching in a hall, hands over our heads as practice for a tornado. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Women’s Art Alliance, now 40, looks back
Some cities sponsor “art hops” where area residents “hop” between various venues on the same night to see a variety of art exhibits. In Springfield the Springfield Art Association (SAA) Collective is offering a multi-week “hop” between two venues to enjoy works by women artists. The two-gallery exhibit – one at the Springfield Art Association […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dana-Thomas House Foundation
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and designer of the Dana-Thomas House, enjoyed the occasional nip of bourbon and even has a bourbon drink named in his honor. With that in mind, the Dana-Thomas House Foundation is hosting The Wright Bourbon, Brisket and Blues fundraiser for an evening of sipping bourbon, enjoying a good meal and listening […]
Posted inOpinion
A full pension payment? Don’t be fooled.
Many have reported that the state legislature, in its budget agreement, made its “full” payment to the five state pension systems. While this may be technically true, it is misleading because it ignores the actual contribution that is required to fund the pensions. The state’s action is equivalent to someone paying only the required minimum […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Historic Marbold Farmstead makes a comeback
Doris Marbold Decker, 82, is looking forward to the Sixth Historic Marbold Farmstead Antique Show and Farm Fest on June 22-23. Tears well up in Decker’s eyes – and in all listening to her – as she expresses her appreciation for the work of the Historic Marbold Farmstead Association (HMFA). “It is wonderful to see […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Springfield, the entertainment capital, 1800s-style
Springfield residents are entertained at our various venues: the Hoogland, the Muni Opera and the Legacy Theater. Shows also come to the Bank of Springfield Center, what Bob Hope during a performance there in 1979 called a “gorgeous garage.” But during the 1800s, Springfield was a mecca of theaters, opera houses, halls, saloons and stores […]
Posted inNews
New Salem is getting old again
On May 22, New Salem will celebrate the 100th anniversary of an event that occurred on the same date in 1919, many long years after Lincoln had lived in the village, from 1831 to 1837. It was on May 22 in 1919 that the site was conveyed to the people of Illinois by the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Going to be a grandparent? Get your vaccines.
New or soon-to-be grandparents often comment on how things have changed – the baby equipment, the rules during pregnancy, ways to raise a child. Going shopping for a stroller, baby bed, etc. often leads to surprises about all the new paraphernalia. That was my experience, too, and it carried over into the doctor’s office when […]
Posted inNews
Traveling while black
Imagine taking your family on vacation or traveling to visit out-of-town relatives, but not knowing where you would be able to stop to eat, use the restroom or spend the night. For decades, that was the reality for African-American travelers throughout the United States. Many of them traveled Rt. 66 through Springfield, Illinois. Jim Crow […]
