Untitled Document Old Capitol Farmers’ Market Through Oct. 29 Asparagus. Strawberries. Green beans. Tomatoes. Peaches. Honey. Jellies. Eggs. Chicken. Cheese. Apples. Pumpkins. Gourds. That’s only the beginning of what you’ll find at the Old Capitol Farmers’ Market. “This event is six months long,” says Ann Frescura, Downtown Springfield Inc. event director. “Anything that can be […]
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Donnybrook
Expect an eastside political battle to heat up after one side formally accused the other of “a clear pattern of voting irregularities and possible fraud.” The accusation comes from Roy Williams, who is running for the Sangamon County Board in District 19 and for the committeeman post of precinct 119. In a letter to the […]
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Mixed messages
With seven Democrats and eight Republicans running for U.S. Senate in Illinois, it’s not easy to stand out. It’s even more difficult when voter turnout for the March 16 primary is expected to be low, given the Democratic presidential contest is already decided. Are candidates getting the attention they deserve? Some have gone out on […]
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A live contest
For the first time in eight years, Sangamon County voters will have a choice for coroner on Nov. 2. Democrat Jerry Compton, a veteran medical lab technician for Memorial Medical Center, is taking on Susan Boone, the two-term Republican incumbent. Neither Boone nor Compton have primary challengers. The state doesn’t require much of coroners. They […]
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Pinching pennies
Faced with the need to fund vital city services, some City Council members want to tap cash reserves built up by the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The idea is meeting with stiff opposition from the city’s hotel industry and Mayor Tim Davlin. Council members started eyeing the $1.22 million rainy-day fund during budget hearings, […]
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Taking off the gloves
Despite pockets of success, the East Side of Springfield continues to suffer from crime, substandard housing, poor infrastructure and a lack of money. Decent sidewalks are hard to come by, fly dumping persists, and nearly every street has boarded-up houses and commercial buildings. Change doesn’t come easy. Ask the seven eastside Democratic precinct committee candidates […]
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Idea safari
Without a budget and with an uncertain vision, Springfield Medical District commissioners continue dreaming of possibilities. Last week, commission members heard from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Carl Baker, one of several Springfield delegates who recently toured St. Louis’s expansive technology corridor. There, Baker reports, several universities and corporations are working together to encourage […]
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House divided
For the past 20 years, Clint Handley has driven trucks for the City of Springfield’s public works department. He used to be a Teamster but now he’s with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). On Saturday, Jan. 10, Handley was downtown at the Springfield Hilton for AFSCME’s statewide conference. Democratic presidential […]
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The changing face of voters
What makes it hard, at first glance, to take Roger Reinstorf seriously? Maybe it’s that his cheeks and lips are pierced — twice — and a thick ring stretches out the hole in each of his earlobes. Jehovah’s Witnesses have knocked on his door only to abruptly leave at the sight of him, he says. […]
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Lead balloon
A freshman Sangamon County board member who recently tried to enact whistleblower legislation has learned his first lesson in county politics: Know thy place. Board member Sam Cahnman, a Democrat elected last year, filed a proposed ordinance in late November to protect and reward Sangamon County employees who report wrongdoing in county government. Under the […]
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“Supercharged”
Before it became the Center for the Arts, the old Masonic Temple downtown on Sixth Street was labyrinthine, ugly and outdated. Its bland, dreary innards were a metaphor for Springfield’s cultural life, especially its downtown cultural life. But finally, someone did something about it. Thanks to a $8.2 million renovation that took place throughout the […]
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One step forward, two steps back
McClernand Elementary at 801 N. Sixth St. has had its share of bad news lately. It made the state’s list of troubled schools based on requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Since 2000, it has had at least four principals. The school’s copier is on its last legs. This fall, a District […]
