Run it before they Ruin it
Any avid runner knows the joys of a road without cars. Though you only need about four feet of personal space, it’s a wonderful feeling to have an open road before you and no metal beasts whizzing by with seemingly total disregard for your safety. It’s the difference between feeling like you have the whole…
Will Illinois ignite a biotech boom?
In early May, nearly 20,000 biotechnology industry leaders from around the globe will gather in Chicago to discuss the future of the life sciences sector. The issues addressed at this year’s BIO International Convention could have lasting effects on the Illinois economy. The biotech industry is already a source of lucrative jobs and an engine…
Frank Trompeter Quartet
For a couple of decades now, saxophonist Frank Trompeter has continually leveled a creative blast upon the local landscape. From involvement in several popular bands, including elevator shoe and Razin’ Kane to his own respected, eponymous jazz groups, along with inventing nefariously humorous lounge singer Frankie Rambelon, originating Frank’s Funky Filmstrips, plus presenting and performing…
April assortment
We’ll start this round off with a salute to the Rock the House Blues Bash that happened Wednesday, April 21. Yeah it already blew by and I hope you didn’t miss it. With a great lineup from national name Tommy Castro to resident rocker Josie Lowder plus several more talents, the show was a surefire…
King Coal says, ‘Live free or die!’
By gollies, one group in our country has what it takes! One group has done more than just strut around at teabag rallies, barking loudly about nullification, secession, militias and other big-talk threats to stop federal intrusion into our lives and businesses. This group has put the walk to the talk, acting again and again…
Letters to the Editor 4/22/10
GREEN HOSPITAL I am writing to you regarding your article about St. John’s Hospital’s future building plans [see “Getting bigger, going green,” April 8]. It is laudable that they plan on making that building locally built and green. However I did not hear “state-of-the-art” included in that admittedly short article. I hope the hospital will…
Earth health
Rain or shine, the city of Springfield celebrates Earth and Arbor Day on April 24 with a downtown Earth Awareness Fair. Information on eco-friendly choices such as recycling, alternative transportation, energy efficiency, native plants/ habitat and water conservation will be available through exhibits, speakers, games and activities. At noon residents gather for a bike rally,…
TV ENTERTAINMENT
Springfield’s public access TV channel has had a rough go of it the past few months. After Comcast in December decided to stop providing a studio for producers to create shows and an access point to get them on air, the city of Springfield stepped up as an access point – but the producers still…
Cloudy thinking from the Sunshine State
Illinois was demographically if not geographically a Southern state in its early years, and has long suffered from innovations in the civil realm imported from the land of molasses and mosquitoes. These include Black Codes and courthouse politics, but we would have had to add to that list if a proposed school reform bill in…
Immigration reform coming
Sitting on his living room couch in Beardsville, a young Mexican immigrant named Alejandro smiles wistfully as he recalls marrying his wife Maria in 2006. They met and married in Beardstown, raising two sons, Alex, 5, and Diego, 2. But Alejandro’s smile quickly turns into a pained grimace as he describes how Maria took their…
Conserve water with rain barrels
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, lawn and garden watering makes up nearly 40 percent of total household water use during the summer. One way to reduce outdoor water usage and conserve water is to collect rainwater. A rain barrel is a system that collects and stores rainwater. A typical 1/2 inch rainfall…
BLUE GENES
What’s really in your favorite fruits and veggies? Join Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, for his keynote address on the health risks of genetically modified foods as part of this weekend’s Earth Day festivities, Saturday, April 24, at 12:45 p.m. in front of the Old State Capitol. Genetically modified…
10 things you can do in Springfield to save the planet
The Earth Day issue: Save. Simplify. Grow. Make a difference. You don’t have to be Captain Planet, Al Gore or Rachel Carson to help the environment. Saving energy, preserving natural resources and reducing waste are easier than you think! Small changes in your lifestyle can have positive results for the planet, your pocketbook and your…
Plant anywhere you have space and sun
Vegetable gardening can provide the grower many benefits including exercise, a break from the stress of everyday life, decrease in the weekly food bill, nutritious produce that tastes better and is fresher than grocery store produce, and a sense of pride when you feed your family fresh vegetables from your own garden. It’s no wonder…
Telecom law revamp needed
Illinois telecommunication laws need a rewrite, technology providers say. Outdated legislation means the state is losing jobs and business growth, members of the telecom community told the House’s Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force at an April 14 meeting. The state’s telecommunications laws haven’t changed since 2001, when land lines were prevalent and high-speed Internet access…
Holy havoc
The Runner Stumbles’ storyline alternates between a remote Michigan parish in 1911 where a young nun, Sister Rita, mysteriously dies; and a courtroom four years later where her superior, Father Rivard, is tried for the crime. Part courtroom drama, part memory play, part romance, the play explores conflicts between duty to the church and duty…
Auditor: State pays too much for expired office leases
An audit of Illinois’ Central Management Services agency released April 13 shows multiple deficiencies in the agency’s operations, including misspent funds and numerous accounting errors. The audit, from the office of Illinois Auditor General William Holland, shows CMS made unnecessary emergency expenditures and accounting mistakes in several areas, and the department continues to pay too…
Making every day Earth Day
I’m somewhat ambivalent about Earth Day. It’s not that celebrating the earth is a bad idea. But one day a year – or even one week – hardly seems adequate. After all, humans are completely, totally, absolutely dependent on Gaia – Mother Earth. But I fear that too many of us, from schoolchildren on up,…
The ‘Fair Map’ is going nowhere
Almost nothing frightens state legislators more than redistricting. The drawing of new legislative district maps after every census causes more bouts of heartburn than just about anything else. Take a look at the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when several state senators flocked to a secure computer room to check on their district…
Stress-free world
Tai Chi involves simple movements with controlled breathing and thought. Therein comes a peace of the entire self. John Starman has been teaching Tai Chi to Springfieldians for decades, invoking joy and a stress buster like no other. Watch John and others demonstrate this ancient art form of healing. Join people from 56 other nations…
Kick-Ass is only half right
If ever there was a genre ripe for parody, it’s the superhero film. Matthew Vaughn’s take on Mark Millar’s post-modern comic book “Kick-Ass,” strives to be the feature that takes the first step towards deconstructing this type of movie. Problem is, the director is far too in love with heroes in spandex to properly skewer…
Beautification is contagious
This is the sixth year for Springfield in Bloom, the community-wide beautification program that challenges homeowners, businesses, neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations across central Illinois to bring beautiful new color and life to their street-side yards. Illinois Times is proud to be the primary sponsor of this program that works in cooperation with Mayor Tim…
