The bright red arched door of First Presbyterian Church, across from Lincoln Library on Seventh Street in downtown Springfield, beckons people from all walks of life to enter. The church has a long history of service and commitment to the Springfield community. Beautiful Tiffany stained-glass windows, a specially designed pipe organ with 3,250 pipes and […]
Karen Ackerman Witter
Karen Ackerman Witter started freelance writing after a 35-year career in state government holding various senior leadership positions. Prior to retiring she was associate director of the Illinois State Museum for 14 years. She is the past president of the Kidzeum Board of Directors and is an active volunteer with the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise, Women for Women giving circle of the Community Foundation, NPR Illinois and other community organizations.
Posted inSpecial Issues
Grandpa plays baseball
Ron Michaelson had a long and distinguished career in Illinois state government, first moving to Springfield to work for Gov. Richard Ogilvie. He still resides in Springfield and has always been physically active. Michaelson loves baseball. He started in Little League when he was eight and is still playing at 81. He competes in the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Restoring gravestones of Civil War veterans
Paul Golladay is on a mission. He is Sergeant First Class with the Illinois Army National Guard, serving full time as Officer Candidate School Course Manager. However, his volunteer mission is to restore gravestones of Civil War veterans buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Many of the marble markers are leaning or fallen over and covered […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Bring back the bison
The shiny silver buffalo on the grounds of the Springfield Art Association (SAA), 700 North Fourth Street, is a beloved community icon that is now in need of restoration. John Kearney, a Chicago-based artist, created the 800-pound sculpture out of chrome car bumpers. The “Bicentennial Bison” was installed Oct. 18, 1975, in the SAA courtyard. […]
Posted inNews
This I believe Illinois
This I Believe is an annual essay contest for high school seniors sponsored by NPR Illinois. Modeled after the program started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951, students are invited to write an essay sharing their own personal beliefs. This year, 151 students within the NPR Illinois listening area submitted essays. Ten reviewers […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Tree health and maintenance
This summer’s derecho caused massive damage to trees. Now is the time to be proactive and learn about tree management and how best to maintain a resilient urban tree canopy. In the aftermath of storms, there are many unscrupulous people and others with good intentions looking to make money who lack skills and training. When […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Echoes of Yesteryear: A walk through Oak Ridge Cemetery
The popular Sangamon County Historical Society’s cemetery walk at Oak Ridge Cemetery will take place Sunday, Oct. 1, from 12-4 p.m. Actors dressed in period costumes will portray seven individuals who made significant contributions to the Springfield community. All of the stories have been researched thoroughly. Oak Ridge Cemetery, founded in 1856, is now the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Fall events at Oak Ridge Cemetery
Oak Ridge Cemetery tree tour Saturday, Oct. 14 This is the ninth year for this free, family-friendly event, which will showcase a wide variety of unique trees, along with offering a kids’ table and educational activities for children, cookies and lemonade. Volunteer guides will interpret the 34 trees on the tour. All are on level […]
Posted inNews
ALPLM unveils new outdoor sculpture
The “Beacon of Endurance” is a new 25-foot-tall outdoor sculpture at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), located on the northwest corner of Jefferson and Seventh streets. The obelisk, which is lit for several hours at night, features words and quotations that embody the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Equality, courage, freedom, emancipation, vigilance, […]
Posted inNews
Growing a garden for children
Springfield will soon have a new children’s nature play area unique to central Illinois. Lincoln Memorial Garden (LMG) is undertaking its largest project since opening the first nature center in 1965. A simulated stream, water log tunnel, sensory table, water pump, natural musical instrument, footbridge, observation areas, outdoor sink and log climbing structures are some […]
Posted inOpinion
Democracy up close
Recently I had the opportunity to observe citizen engagement with members of Congress – the kind not typically seen on television. My husband, Randy Witter, and I were in Washington, D.C., for the University of Illinois System advocacy day. Teams representing all three University of Illinois campuses met with members of the Illinois congressional delegation. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Serving by sewing
Stich ‘n Go is “a way to do what we love, have a purpose and bless so many other people,” says Marty Dahlquist who co-founded this Laurel United Methodist Church mission group with Barb Needham in 2017. What began as an informal gathering of eight women who love to sew has blossomed into a group […]
