Joshua Ratz could have done anything on Father’s Day. He could have spent time with his 19-year-old stepson. He could have helped his pregnant wife care for their infant. He could have worked on a motion in his role as assistant attorney general. Instead, Ratz was doing what he’s been doing for the past 10 […]
Zach Baliva
Posted inNews
Sundial marks a century of Rotary
Springfield’s Rotary Clubs are bringing a human sundial to Southwind Park. Located between Erin’s Pavilion and the Great Lawn, the Rotary Sundial Garden will feature a solar module shaped like a giant sunflower. A sculpted bee, perched atop the flower, will cast a shadow that marks the date of the year each day at noon. […]
Posted inNews
A guide to the Shawnee National Forest
At 280,000 acres, the expansive beauty of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois can feel both breathtaking and intimidating. In fact, in April of this year, Saline County Central Dispatch assisted 5 Illinois residents who became lost in the dense natural playground – Illinois’ largest publicly owned parcel. Sheriff Keith Brown reminded the public […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Illinois winemaking on the rise
More than 100 years ago, Illinois was the fourth largest wine-producing state in the nation. Now the Treasury Department holds Illinois responsible for just a fraction of the 40 million gallons bottled each month. Other states may have passed Illinois in production, but wineries and vineyards continue to sprout all across the Land of Lincoln. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Slavery in the shadow of Lincoln
Playwright Charlayne Woodard has something in common with her characters. Like Oh Beah, Mercy, Ezra, Alma, and Nate – the five slaves in Flight’s ensemble – Woodard is compelled to tell a story. To do so, she had to dig through her own life…twice. Woodard, who trained at Chicago’s Goodman School of Drama, is a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Springfield’s Mature Mob is back
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that members of The Mature Mob – Springfield’s over 50 singing and dancing troupe – are a little more “hip” than average senior citizens. The unpaid group whose annual production benefits Senior Services of Central Illinois (SSOCI) is now in its 19th year. Randy Roller, who co-directs this year’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The ‘Angry Atheist of Champaign’
More than 60 years ago, a landmark ruling established a precedent that would permanently alter the relationship between religion and public education in America. And it happened right here in central Illinois. Jay Rosenstein, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois, retells the story in a recently completed hour-long documentary scheduled to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Onstage, a vet tells it like it was
When Springfield resident Tom Jones reads about or meets a young veteran returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, something deep within him stirs. Jones remembers well the difficulties of adjusting to life inside the comfort of America after reality within the hell of a war zone. The days he spent in the jungles of Vietnam might […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Autumn is showtime
As many Springfield residents look forward to the weather finally cooling down, fans of locally produced entertainment can’t wait for the theater season to heat up. It might seem counter-intuitive, but a depressed economy actually offers residents a few benefits this year as venues compete to lure budget-conscious audiences. Some area managers are lowering ticket […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Footeprints
When Horton Foote died last year at the age of 92, America lost one of its most prolific and endearing dramatists. Foote, who was still writing until his last days, completed more than 60 plays and scripts during a career that spanned parts of seven decades. His many accolades include the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Taste of Downtown
Visitors and residents hungry for good music and good food in Springfield are sure to find some of both this weekend at the 11th annual Taste of Downtown. The popular event is presented this year in conjunction with the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival/Miller Lite Live American Music Show on Saturday, July 10. Springfield boasts more […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Raise a glass to nearby winemaking
More than 100 years ago, Illinois was the fourth largest wine-producing state in the nation. Now the Treasury Department holds Illinois responsible for just 72,000 of the more than 41 million gallons bottled in February of 2010. While other states may have surpassed ours, the industry in Illinois is actually a growing one. Thirteen years […]
