Letters to the Editor

VOTE ON ELECTION DAY Americans are incredibly lucky to be able to vote, but just 56 percent took advantage of this opportunity in the last presidential election. In contrast, 26 countries have a higher voter turnout, with Belgium topping the list with 87.2 percent of the voting-age population casting ballots. With Election Day coming up, […]

SO LONG, SEARS So long, Sears. What? Too soon? Actually it’s Kmart that’s filing bankruptcy. Kmart bought Sears and changed the name to improve their image. Sort of like Southwestern Bell with the worst reputation in telephones buying AT&T with the best name and changing its name to … you guessed it, AT&T. But my […]

APPETITE ON THE AVENUETaking place in Shop ’n Save’s vast parking lot on North Grand Avenue, just east of First Street from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday evening’s (Oct. 9) Appetite on the Avenue will be our second annual food truck event. Appetite on the Avenue will have food trucks, thirst-quenching local beer, great music […]

LANPHIER ‘IMPROVEMENTS’ I noticed the picture of the proposed improvements to Lanphier High School in the Sept. 13-19 edition of Illinois Times. What the picture failed to show was the two new sets of railroad tracks that are being installed within a few hundred feet of the school at a level higher than the windows. These tracks […]

REMEMBER THE CENTENNIAL Among other things, the State of Illinois Bicentennial represents a golden opportunity to look back and appreciate the state’s centennial celebration. Events were held throughout Illinois back then as well but, without question, the most significant was the commitment to build the Centennial Memorial Building. The cornerstone was laid Oct. 5, 1918. […]

TRAIN PROBLEMS Springfield has a problem that no mid-sized city with hopes of development should have: trains. There are three sets of tracks that run right through the middle of the city. At just about any moment, you can hear the whistle of a train as it goes through town. Some of these times are […]

FOOD AS MEDICINEHow encouraging to read the ideas presented in “Food as Medicine” by Peter Glatz (Illinois Times, Aug. 30)! Realizing that proper nutritious food can be used to reverse chronic degenerative disease is a relatively new breakthrough for mainstream news, although medical health journals have made the connection for decades. The Springfield Vegetarian Association […]

HELPING THE HOMELESS There seems to be multiple discussions ongoing about how the city of Springfield can solve the homeless conundrum in our city. I have been a part of two groups who have prepared warm meals for the homeless, and Helping Hands has done its best to provide sleeping arrangements and meals, too.Now that […]

FERAL CATS AT UIS Charles Coderko, associate chancellor for administrative affairs at University of Illinois Springfield, has decided to wage war on the feral cat colony at UIS and stop the small group of compassionate employees who, on their own time and with their own resources, have been helping them. This colony has existed for […]

SCHOOLED ON SQUASH I read the “Zucchini and summer squash” article by Ashley Glatz in the Aug. 9 edition of Illinois Times. I wish to make a few somewhat unimportant corrections/clarifications. The picture in your article is technically correct as there are many kinds of “summer squash.” However, that particular picture is a yellow zucchini. […]

SHELTER SENSEI read the letter from Sam Cahnman entitled “Homeless solutions” in the Aug. 2 issue of Illinois Times. I have several comments. My last 15 years in state government was with the Department of Human Services homeless services unit, where I managed approximately 100 homeless shelter program contracts all over the state, excluding Chicago. Managing […]

HOMELESS SOLUTION In the recent City Council debate on closing the Lincoln Library grounds at night, opponents argued it was wrong to kick the homeless out of a place they felt safe without giving them another safe place to go. (“Homeless have nowhere else,” Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times, July 26). Many said the solution was […]