My son grew up fatherless, but there were men in his life. One day, one took him shooting. When Ray brought him home, I asked how it went. “Great!” Jonah said. Then, with a thoughtful look on his face, he added, “You know, most people don’t have enough insurance.” This was not a lead-in to […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Words of tribute
From the earliest of times, people have thought, worried or even obsessed about the way they will be remembered. Some have attempted to build monuments or ornate gravestones; others have been satisfied with more modest means of leaving their marks on this earth. A visitor to the University of Illinois campus at Urbana-Champaign might be […]
Posted inOpinion
The Sucker State?
For years, Illinois has been known as the Prairie State or the Land of Lincoln. The former moniker reflects the state’s topography, dominated by flat, fertile land that was once covered by prairie grasses. References to Illinois as the Prairie State date back to the 1840s, so this is a well-established nickname. On the other […]
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Cabin fever, sassafras and morels
Do you have a tale to tell? If you live in the Springfield area and want to share a story about an adventure, a favorite activity, or a recollection of the past, send your essay to “Capital Voices” at Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705, or e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com In the middle of February, […]
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The P.U.-Litzer Prizes for 2003
The P.U.-litzer Prizes were established more than a decade ago to recognize the stinkiest media performances of the year. As usual, I have conferred with Jeff Cohen, founder of the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), to sift through the large volume of entries. In view of the many deserving competitors, we […]
Posted inOpinion
Hide and seek
We are witnessing in Illinois a high stakes game of hide-and-seek as SBC attempts to hide its profits and stifle competition. Ultimately, the game will cost the citizens of Illinois millions of dollars. To appreciate the game, we need to go back 20 years. After the break-up of Ma Bell in 1984, the telecom world […]
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Collateral Damage
The University of Illinois at Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Presidential Center for Governmental Studies was the latest victim of the governor’s own style of politics. In July 2003, the Center was stripped of its $1.5 million state appropriation to carry out academic programming in conjunction with the soon to open Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum […]
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A neat trade
For the last 12 years, Mike Chase has been cleaning the windows of the Great Western Railroad Depot, where Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd, and their children bid farewell to Springfield before heading to Washington, D.C. Chase, owner of Rayvon Window Cleaning in New Berlin, also cleans the windows of the Old State Capitol. “These windows […]
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Missing the mark
Eight markers in central Springfield were set out to tell the story of the 1908 race riots. The markers were put in place in 1994 by the Historical Events Memorial Committee under then-mayor Ossie Langfelder. On August 14 and 15, 1908, two blacks, Scott Burton and William Donnegan, were killed by a white mob. Governor […]
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“The Last Great Radio Show”
You might not remember it–the show last aired more than 25 years ago–but for those who do recall Monitor the memories are vivid. Depending on the listeners, they’ll cite the celebrity hosts, the improvised comedy sketches, or the nonstop flow of news, sports, and music. Most recall the theme–a series of beeps and tones known […]
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Not (quite) a scratch
Brunon Blaszak recalls that about 25 years ago a Bengal tiger bit through his mother’s arm. He was somewhere between 8 and 13 years old, but wasn’t traumatized by the incident–he went on to pursue the family business. At the age of 16, he became “The World’s Youngest Animal Trainer.” Blaszak’s mother and father were […]
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Everybody’s a star . . . not really
The quality of the voice has little to do with singing. Placido Domingo can sing, but so can Willie Nelson. Singing depends on weight and balance and knowing when to shut up. It’s not a matter of normal intelligence, because most singers can’t do simple math or parallel park: They sing the way Hank Aaron […]
