Fishing will hook you
Where would we be without dreamers? Airplanes would never have been invented, the Golden Gate Bridge would never have been built and the hot dog would never have been made. Add Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) to the list of visionaries. His dream is much more simple than those endeavors. He wants to introduce salmon into…
Made in the shade
I think that I shall never see a car park lovely as a tree. Not in Springfield anyway. You’d have to travel to the Gobi to see expanses of treeless terrain to match the city’s larger parking lots. At White Oaks Mall, for instance, the mall’s southwest lot boasts 13 smallish trees on the perimeter of a space that…
PAY UP
Attorneys for Bruce Rushton, Illinois Times staff writer, are asking for more than $22,000 in fees for successfully suing the city of Springfield for violating the state Open Meetings Act. Rushton sued in January after a committee composed of city and union officials met behind closed doors to reverse an earlier decision, also made in…
Meyer lemon curd
Lemon curd is wonderful in any guise, but Meyer lemons with their floral note and intense fragrance make it even more delectable. And particularly appropriate to use as the filling between the wedding cake layers, because Meyer is Cory’s last name. • 2 c. sugar• 2 T. grated lemon peel• 12 large egg yolks• 1…
Illinois River
University of Illinois Springfield – Sangamon Auditorium presents Listen to the River, Saturday, April 14, at 8 p.m., as part of the UIS Kitchen Sink Series in the UIS Studio Theatre. The performance is a collaboration between the Chicago-based woodwind quintet Fifth House Ensemble and the Department of Environmental Studies at UIS and the Therkildsen…
Heavenly humor
Direct from a record-breaking 19-year run in Chicago, the hit comedy Late Nite Catechism will be presented at The Legacy Theatre the weekend of April 13 and 20. Written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan and starring Mary Zentmeyer of Chicago, the show appeals to audiences of any faith. Sister teaches an adult catechism class to…
School discipline: A better way
On March 6, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released data from a national survey of more than 72,000 schools, covering a range of issues that included school discipline. The data revealed startling racial disparities in suspensions, expulsions and arrests in districts and states. Among the findings: Black students are 3.5 times as…
Coal ash lawsuit could increase CWLP costs
An Illinois environmental group is one of 11 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit seeking a new evaluation of coal ash – a controversial byproduct of coal energy that they say should be considered a hazardous waste. If the lawsuit prevails, it could significantly increase costs for Springfield City Water, Light and Power. Champaign-based Prairie Rivers…
World of kindness
It’s a party in benefit of the planet, and everyone’s invited. Henson Robinson Zoo welcomes you and your family, this Saturday, April 14, to join in fun activities that focus on recycling and responsible living. They’ll show you earth-friendly crafts, or more pointedly, how to turn trash into crafts. The zoo will also demonstrate how…
New basketball league brings hoops to Springfield
When Steffen Spinks was a young boy growing up in Manteca, Calif., his mother didn’t want him to spend his time playing basketball. She encouraged Spinks to get involved in other sports because she worried that being a young, black basketball player came with a negative stereotype. Spinks, who is pursuing a history degree…
Lincoln, the tax-and-spend president
Tax Day is just days away. Nationally, April 15 is significant because that’s the traditional day when tax returns are due. This year we get a two-day extension, to April 17. Perhaps more locally, April 15 is significant because it’s Abraham Lincoln’s death date. But the two events are related, thanks to federal legislation Lincoln…
Pacific Rim rice salad
We’ll be serving this rice salad primarily because it’s so delicious, but it’s also a nod to Ashley’s university experience in New Zealand: the recipe comes from a friend in Auckland. • 2 c. brown sushi rice• 1/2 c. soy sauce, preferably Kikoman• 1/4 c. peanut or other vegetable oil• juice of 1 lemon• 1…
farmer poem #11
have I already reminded you? my dad says whenoak leaves are as bigas a squirrel’s ear it’stime to plant corn
Grilled asparagus with romesco
Because warm weather arrived so early this year, we’re hoping to be able to use local asparagus. A low to moderate heat is desirable when grilling vegetables. If you are using a charcoal grill, place the hot coals on one side of the grill. This gives you a place to move vegetables from one side…
Tired Reunion a party to miss
I want to state first that I am not a prude. I don’t mind a ribald joke or a filthy gag and I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve laughed long and hard at the work of Mel Brooks, the Farrelly Brothers and Will Ferrell, none of whom will ever be given awards for proper…
Getting kids ready for kindergarten
The beginning stages of a plan to improve education in Sangamon County are already showing promise, according to an upcoming report from the Sangamon County Continuum of Learning. The Continuum is working to implement pre-kindergarten screening county-wide, along with a handful of other projects aimed at preparing children for school. It’s just the first step…
I bought a theater
“I would say buying real estate is an emotional decision,” says Scott Richardson. “It’s probably not the wisest move, but sometimes you follow the heart. So we bought a theater!” Not just any theater. The building in question, at 101 E. Lawrence, had served as a focal point for local performing arts for more than…
The Vile Impurity
Within the vast genre of modern metal bands, The Vile Impurity plays “tech-death metal” promising, as a lyric states, “Devastation which you will never forget!” From origins in 2010 when guitarist Miles Ellegoods joined forces with drummer Pete Rocks, to the signing with Swimming With Sharks Records in 2011 and on to extensive touring upcoming…
Indoor art fair with plenty of room
Local artist Ed Martin is bringing a different kind of art fair to Springfield. More akin to a casual, multi-artist gallery opening, Martin’s “An Art Affair – Second Annual Juried Invitational Fine Art Show,” takes place in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15. Martin, who has experienced…
Letters to the Editor 04/12/12
COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER“Faith, hope and statuary” [by James Krohe Jr., April 5] was an overly tilted and in my case insulting piece of “work.” I admit that I have not personally seen the Washington, D.C., works, but I have seen many pictures and read pieces concerning them. I do not find them to be the…
The cry of Congress: ‘Free Wall Street!’
Hallelujah, Washington has finally heard the people’s cries for jobs! In an urgent bipartisan push, Democrats and Republicans have joined hands across the aisle to pass the JOBS Act. In this time of “The Great Hurt” – with widespread unemployment, middle-class incomes tumbling and the price of gasoline skyrocketing – we can all applaud our…
Hazelnut romesco sauce
• 1/3 c. roasted hazelnuts, skinned• 2 large roasted red bell peppers, peels and seeds removed, either freshly prepared or bottled, about 1 1/2 c. • 3-4 coarsely chopped garlic cloves• 2 T. sherry vinegar• 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary• 1 T. chopped fresh marjoram or savory• 2 tsp. sugar• 1 tsp. salt• Cayenne, hot…
Getting ready for my daughter’s wedding
By the time you read this, it’ll be over. With luck I’ll be stretched out in a lawn chair, cold iced tea in hand, enjoying my house and yard, which will be in better condition than they have been in years – no, in better shape than they’ve ever been. But now, there are still…
Beer steamed shrimp with remoulade
Steaming the shrimp mixed with these spices, aromatics and beer makes them extraordinarily flavorful. And Jasper White’s remoulade is fantastic. For the remoulade:• 1 c. good quality mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s PLUS 1 T. minced jalapenos, 1 T. minced scallion, and 1 T. sugar• 1 T. stone-ground mustard• 1 T. tomato paste• 1 tsp. minced…
Hurricane-powered blues
Since we last talked with “Hurricane” Ruth LaMaster (NOW PLAYING, July 12, 2011) a lot has happened. A flurry of steady gigs elevated Ruth and band to winning a trip to the 2012 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, creating a new eight-song album The Power of the Blues… Feels like a Hurricane, and a host…
Carpy diem
My boyfriend and I are college juniors, happily together 10 months and living together for five. An article I read said it’s healthy to argue with your partner, and I got a little worried. We sometimes bicker about what to watch on TV, but one of us quickly gives in, and that’s it. It does…
Indoor display
Enjoy a juried invitational fine art show in an indoor environment, free from the elements, in the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Here at one of central Illinois’ first spring fine art shows you’ll find a casual setup like no other in the capital city. Thirty-five Midwest artists display their metal sculptures, watercolors,…
The computer ate the evidence
The credibility of employees at the Sangamon County jail has been questioned by attorneys for the estate of Amon Paul Carlock, who died after a struggle with jailers in 2007. In addition, emails that might have pertained to Carlock have been destroyed. During a three-day hearing that ended last week, county employees who maintain the…
BON VOYAGE, TAX DOLLARS
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport’s venture into the airline business has hardly taken off. The airport last month committed $715,000 in public money to charter jets to replace flights to and from Florida that were canceled by Direct Air, which abruptly ceased operations and declared bankruptcy. To break even, the airport needed slightly more than 5,000…
