Nothing about last Thursday’s press conference was by the book. The announcement was hasty (less than an hour’s notice) yet the cast included the mayor, the police chief, two city attorneys, and the director of the Lincoln Library. Between the short notice and the long list of bigwigs, the sense of urgency was unmistakable. The […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Behold, the great pumpkin
Besides corn dogs, lemonade shake-ups, the butter cow and giant slide, the Illinois State Fair has much to offer. My favorite part of the fair is seeing products that Illinois residents have grown or made. Therefore, my first stop is the Hobbies, Arts and Crafts building, which houses the finest Illinois produce, handmade textiles, yummy […]
Posted inArts & Culture
“Before it’s gone”
His life today is simple and quiet. His days are spent in the tiny town of Fillmore, Ill., where he was born more than eight decades ago. But in an instant, Morgan Evans can return to another time, and to places all over the world, as part of a generation who gave up their innocence, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Loneliness
The June day is perfect for a wedding — bright sunshine, water merrily cascading from the large metal statutes in the fountain, a slight breeze playing with the bride’s dark hair and long, slim slip of a wedding gown. The two bridesmaids, clad in short, fashionably black satin dresses, smile and tease their soon-to-be-married friend. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
By hook and by Crook
I don’t know for sure whether history repeats itself, but I do know this: What goes around comes around. Nearly 100 years ago, on Nov. 27, 1907, Professor Alja Robinson Crook, curator of the Illinois State Museum, addressed the Springfield Ad Men’s Club at the group’s home in the Ferguson Building at Sixth and Monroe […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Earth talk
Dear “Earth Talk”: Are there environmentally friendly car waxes, washes, and bug removers? — Graham Berg, Portland, Ore. Conventional car waxes, bug removers, and other auto-detailing formulas work because they contain strong chemicals. Unfortunately, these synthetic substances — including glycol monobutyl ether, a registered pesticide, and the petroleum derivatives naptha and cosmoline — can irritate […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rub out the grubs
If you want to panic the homeowner of a well-manicured lawn, just yell, “Grubs!” White grubs are the most destructive turf insect pest in Illinois. However, not all turf areas will get grubs, and the extent of grub damage varies from year to year. White grubs, which represent the larval stage of beetles, are creamy-white […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Unhealthy alliances
You might be surprised to learn how much Andy Van Meter cares about your health. He’s so concerned about protecting you from salmonella and meningitis and diseases borne by fruit flies that he dug deep in his pocket and spent $14,300 of his own money just to ensure that every lousy mosquito in Sangamon County […]
Posted inArts & Culture
earth talk
Dear “Earth Talk”: I’ve been told that automobile air conditioners are bad for the environment. Why? And what part of the air conditioner is bad? — Susan Vogel, Somerville, N.J. The harmful effects of automobile air conditioners can be directly attributed to the leaking of CFC R-12, one of a number of cooling ingredients patented […]
Posted inArts & Culture
gardening
Up until last week, at least one of three calls to local master gardeners for help concerned those pesky Japanese beetles. But now there’s new trouble in Lincoln Land, and the question of the week is: “What is eating my Euonymus alata compacta?” The experts all agree on what’s chewing on your burning bush plant: […]
Posted inArts & Culture
earth talk
Dear “Earth Talk”: Why is it bad for the environment to release balloons into the air? — George Young, New York Given that what goes up must come down, balloons released into the air — whether by accident or in large quantities at events — eventually end up as trash on the ground or in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
gardening
Plant a Row for the Hungry, a national program promoted locally by the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, encourages all vegetable gardeners and commercial growers to donate extra produce for the poor. Clean, fresh produce — especially melons and other fruits, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, carrots, and beans — is sought. In […]
