One day teaching worth a lifetime of benefits
A retired lobbyist for a teacher’s union deserves a state pension, earned by virtue of one day’s work as a substitute teacher, under an Illinois State Supreme Court ruling issued today. David Piccioli, a lobbyist for the Illinois Federation of Teachers from 1997 until 2012, when he retired, obtained a substitute teaching certificate in December,…
My new goal – getting healthy
Throughout my adult life I have set goals for myself. Like many people, my goals were always focused on improving things that were important to me – my house, my income, my job, my business interest and, most importantly, spending more quality time with my family. I spent the majority of my life working the…
Pathways to Watercolor
Pathways to Watercolor opens at the Springfield Art Association on April 5 and continues through April 27. Curated by Rod Buffington, the exhibit features highly diverse work by Sandy Meyer, Robert Mejer and Buffington – three artists applying very different techniques to create their art, but all using watercolor as their media. All are highly…
Beer and pot
As keggers go, a shindig last Saturday at the Pasfield House was fancier than most – no Solo cups or loud music, and the kegs were pressurized, so no pumping. But some things never change. Dozens arrived early, each paying $100 for all they could drink and eat, with the menu including horseshoes, pasta, shrimp,…
A new era
Almost exactly one year ago, I attended a hearing of the House Judiciary criminal law committee and watched as the Democratic majority killed one Republican-sponsored penalty enhancement bill after another. One would’ve made recruiting street gang members a Class 4 felony instead of the current Class 3. A bill to prevent child sex offenders from…
Letters to the Editor
WHAT DOES SMEAA DO?I will admit I waited to the last minute to do research on the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority (SMEAA) candidates in order to vote on Tuesday, but I wanted to at least give it some respect, as it is an elected position. I really could not find much information about…
Editor’s Note
Congratulations on your re-election Mr. Mayor, now let’s get back to work. Jim Langfelder is right that his first term “laid a foundation for a better tomorrow,” and voters showed confidence in him. It’s good of him to say he’ll make east side economic development a top priority in his second term, but the plan…
Take action on plastic pollution
Let’s contrast two trips. Over Thanksgiving we visited relatives in Australia. We were struck by the lack of garbage along roads and near towns. We rarely saw a plastic shopping bag or a plastic straw. Two weeks ago we visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The park was in good shape but within 3-4 miles of…
Connecting teens with opportunities and services
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, in partnership with the City of Springfield and the Sangamon County Juvenile Justice Council, is hosting its 4th Annual Teen Job Fair and Resource Expo at The Boys & Girls Club’s Central Unit. According to Dan Wright, chair of the Sangamon County Juvenile Justice Council, the event will…
GAR Memorial Museum opens for the season
The National Women’s Relief Corps, auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, Inc., (GAR), announced the reopening of the GAR Memorial Museum for the 2019 season. The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through October. There may be additional hours as events warrant. The museum houses…
Journalism tries to adapt
At one point in time, the newspaper business was seen as a “cash cow,” says Jon Whitney, Illinois Press Foundation board member and publisher of Carroll County Review. But there’s been a sharp decline in print advertising revenue since 2006, when it peaked at $49.3 billion, according to a 2018 report from Pew Research. By…
Millionaires wanted
A bar and entertainment center featuring bowling and arcade games would be the main moneymakers at a proposed downtown Springfield hotel, according to a prospectus being circulated by a Chicago real-estate company that is seeking investors. The project described in the prospectus differs from the project described in documents provided to the city prior to…
Dangerous work
When a loved one dies of a suicide, violent crime or a drug overdose, the Sangamon County coroner gives the deceased’s family a list of biohazard businesses to help with cleanup needed in the home or vehicle. “Most people don’t know companies like us exist until something happens to them,” said Tony Moser, the franchisee…
MEET THE NEW BOSS
Some random takeaways from Tuesday’s election. First, think of all the good that might have been done with money that rolled into Frank “Not A Chance” Edwards’ campaign. The only way he was gonna win was if Mayor James “Sunny Jim” Langfelder either died suddenly or was caught on video performing unnatural acts with goats.…
DECEPTIVE DONATIONS
The green donation bins are ubiquitous around the city, found in the parking lots of many businesses. At times, the donations overflow: electronics, bags of clothes, stuffed animals and more. But not all of the green donation bins are equal. While some of the donation bins are affiliated with nonprofit groups, others are not. The…
Joyous innocence, humor propel Shazam!
The 2007 announcement that Iron Man would be the first superhero film based on a Marvel Comics character other than Spider-Man was met with a great deal of head-scratching among comic book aficionados. Tony Stark’s alter ego was not the most well-known in the company’s stable and to pump millions of dollars into a big-screen…
No fooling with music
It’s April, and the time for fooling is already over, unless you like to keep April Fool’s Day going all month long. Whatever the case, there’s plenty of music happening and that’s no joke. Start your weekly music run on Thursday with a stunning collection of roots, singer-songwriter, Americana-based, guitarist guys to choose from playing…
Kyle Glass Band
Raised on a hog farm outside of Springfield with classic country music as a life soundtrack, and now a retired U.S. Marine back home, Kyle Gass got into the performance side of music not that long ago. When local music hero Butch Ramelow heard Kyle was learning to play, he coaxed him onto the stage…
Governmental Greatness
I will be astounded if the rage (controlled)of Adam Schiff does not in future history ring with JFK and MLKing. Yes Adam billions echo, say, “It’s not OK!” “It’s not OK!” the nunes were shown for what they be the goons of sick psycopathy. With those like you to dam decay our country cannot lose…
Make your food funky
My first experience with fermented fish was not a good one. Halley’s Comet pays us a visit approximately every 75 years and the last time was 33 years ago. I wanted to optimally experience this once-in-a-lifetime event. One of the best viewing areas was French Polynesia so I booked passage on the Aranui, a freighter…
