Turnabout
Early in the morning of Oct. 31, 2001, a police dispatcher sent then-officer Renatta Frazier to check on a complaint that men were knocking on an apartment door. Frazier surveyed the area with her spotlight, drove around the parking lot, and asked the dispatcher to call the complainant. When the complainant didn’t answer the phone,…
Asparagus success
Warm spring temperatures mean different things to gardeners– lawnmowing, brightly colored spring flowers, fresh produce. My family, for instance, can’t wait for the first garden-fresh lettuce-and-spinach salad — and asparagus from Grandma’s garden. One of the first vegetables harvested in the spring, asparagus emerges when the soil temperature reaches 50°F. This hardy perennial is generally…
My big weekend
After giving the government huge piles of money on April 15, I decided my weekend needed to begin Thursday night. As I concluded I don’t have enough money to even live in a cardboard box (I’ve always had this fear that I’ll be living in a cardboard box when I’m old, but now even that…
Quick take 4-22-04
As Wisconsin’s governor in the 1950s, Gaylord Nelson responded to demand on his state’s outdoor recreational opportunities by pushing for more parks and wildlife refuges. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Nelson brought his passion for the environment to the nation’s capital. There, Nelson persuaded President Kennedy go on a nationwide tour to promote…
Movie reviews
13 imitates Big but comes up short The body-switch premise was done to perfection in Penny Marshall’s Big when young David Moscow turned into Tom Hanks. Even in an adult’s body, the character of Josh looked at the world with a 13-year-old’s sense of wonderment and innocence. Hanks’ performance and Marshall’s deft direction turned this…
Growing roots
When Sean and Jamie Burns discovered American “roots” music during its resurgence in the ’90s, they took the music to heart. Trips to Indianapolis and Chicago to see acts like Wayne Hancock, Johnny Dilks, and Big Sandy solidified their love of swing, rockabilly, hillbilly blues, and the culture surrounding the music. After seeing Hancock at…
“Nothing was wasted”
There is no such thing as waste in nature — except, of course, for the piles of stuff that man leaves lying around or tries to sweep beneath a thin carpet of soil. There’s no such thing as a wasted life either, or at least there wasn’t until we humans started stuffing the dead bodies…
A dyed-in-the-wool Springfield original
James R. “Bud” Fitzpatrick (1895-82), owner and publisher of the Springfield Citizens Tribune, kept a plaque on his office desk that bore this quotation: “There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come.” From these words he drew true inspiration, for apparently he felt that he never had a bad idea and…
The lost promise of “take our daughters to work day”
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…
Unfinished business
University of Chicago Law School professor Tracey Meares will return to her hometown of Springfield on Thursday as the featured speaker celebrating the 50th anniversary of the landmark court case Brown v. Board of Education. The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in 1954, which ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional, strikes a unique chord with…
letters 4-22-04
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com THANKS FOR THE LAUGH Thanks, Tom [Irwin], for a great April Foolie…
Talking trash
The semi-wooded, vacant lots at Melrose and Wirt, a residential intersection on Springfield’s southeast side, are a kind of cemetery for worn-out, broken-down furniture. Splintered chairs and tattered couches, with stuffing spilling out of their cushions, lay overturned in a tangled heap among rubber tires, concrete rubble, and trails of busted bottles and foil wrappers…
Burritos with a twist
The place is small, the menu simple. (You’ve got your burritos, nachos, soup, and salad). But that’s OK, because at El Presidente Burritos, it’s all good. The downtown corner eatery, which has been open since January, brings a bit of California cuisine to its brand of burrito. Co-owner/cook Tim Von De Bur has created six…
Now Playing 4-22-04
Howdy hey, nightlifers. Let’s take at little trip around the farm and see what’s shakin’. Just watch where you step. We’re still receiving fallout from the April Fool’s column. Denby of Rockhouse reports a few frantic phone calls from astonished fans about the band’s decision to quit music and start a stone store. Here’s the…
Ready, aim, misfire
Jack Ryan is making good on his promise. On the night he won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, the former investment banker vowed to “be on the offensive” against his Democratic rival, state Sen. Barack Obama of Chicago. True to his word, he’s let the mud fly. Since the March 16 primary election,…
Knoepfle 4-22-04
boop I talked with this rabbi this was in california he came to celebrate a wedding had these suspenders two columns of betty boops I said well rabbi those are some suspenders he said he liked them but his wife thought they were a little bit much he used to be a wrestler wrestled when…
Speaker speaks up
This was supposed to be a quiet year at the Statehouse. The Democrats have some vulnerable incumbents, particularly in the House. The fewer problems and the less controversy, the better for incumbents. At least, that’s what just about everybody figured. But then last week, House Speaker Michael Madigan surprised the state’s political world and whacked…
Redemption story
The first time Renatta Frazier talked to Illinois Times, she was so leery of the press that she sent her attorney and two cops to screen the reporter before agreeing to an interview. She arrived with her husband, B.J., glued to her side for moral support, and they both insisted that their kids be kept…
