When people hear “United Way of Central Illinois,” most think of Springfield. That’s fair – but it’s also not all that we are. We are not just a Springfield organization. Our work stretches across Sangamon and Menard counties – into small towns, down rural roads and into communities that don’t always make headlines but are […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Power – A capitalistic cancer
Something about “power,” in whatever form, or source, from which it may come or exist, can cause great things to happen. When God stood out on the banisters of nothingness and declared, “Let there be …,” no greater power in heaven nor on Earth could have ever been affirmed. Even since that time the essence […]
Posted inFilm
Mike saved by veteran cast, Lethal is efficiently executed
Mike in desperate need of wit There’s a good idea rattling around in BenDavid Grabinski’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. Before enduring this surprisingly dull exercise, I didn’t realize I needed a time travel-hitman-buddy-movie-dramedy. Ironically, after sitting through this slog of a movie, that need remains. Even after my plot summary you may […]
Posted inIT Picks
Sangamon County Fair Appreciation Night
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS | Night of music, food planned Sponsors, volunteers and community members are invited to a special evening of appreciation for those who make the Sangamon County Fair a success each year. The event includes live music by Neon Rodeo, taco and nacho bar while supplies last, drawings and drinks available for purchase. […]
Posted inPoetry
Vet tale
My student, married to a vet, told this story: A woman entrusted her precious cat to our clinic. The cat promptly got loose and disappeared. For two weeks we searched; then the woman was due back. I ordered my husband to meet her but he vanished to far off locales. I dreaded the moment when […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Urban League takes students on HBCU tour
The Springfield Urban League hosts a HBCU College & Cultural tour each year over spring break, offering high school students an enriching experience that exposes them to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as well as other culturally significant historical and national landmarks. This tour is designed to inspire and educate students, broadening their horizons […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Antiracism training and building the beloved community
A piece of artwork hangs over my desk. For more than 20 years of ordained ministry, it has reminded me of connections with others and a touchstone when the path is cloudy. It is an inscribed painting of the “Golden Rule” as translated from many faith traditions and ethical systems of the world. We share […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The promise of one world
We all know what a time waster surfing the internet can be yet, occasionally, something pops up which illustrates a truth, simply but profoundly. Sometime during the past year, I came upon such a story. It goes something like this. Somewhere in the U.S., a middle-aged man is standing in the checkout line at a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo
Continuing on her journey through the decades, local playwright Courtney Wick brings the third story in her trilogy of plays to a colorful conclusion with Nightmare at Camp Killamanbimbo. Billed as “a gnarly prequel to her previous murder mysteries, Nightmare at the Sweet Dreams Inn and Nightmare at the Hot Mess Hair Salon, Camp Killamanbimbo […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rooted in something more: The women reimagining community in downtown Springfield
There are businesses you visit because they offer something you like. And then there are businesses that, through action, remind a city what community is supposed to feel like. The team at Bloom is the latter. In a downtown Springfield landscape that is constantly evolving, Bloom has created a soft place to land at the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Hail Mary good but too long, Immortal Man brings Peaky Blinders to an end
Epic Hail Mary a journey too long Having not read Andy Weir’s novel Project: Hail Mary, I came in cold to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s big screen adaptation of the same. It didn’t take long to understand why the book was on the New York Times’ Best-Sellers List for nearly 40 weeks. Knowing that […]
Posted inIT Picks
Old State Capitol site of activities, presentations
Starting Saturday, history will come alive downtown at the Old State Capitol for spring break with a variety of family-friendly activities and presentations. On Saturday, participants can learn about toy making and crafts in the 19th century, hear the Gettysburg Address, enjoy live music by duo Peaches & Bacon and more. Different activities will be […]
