The killing of Brad Will
Untitled Document Oaxaca was on fire. Death squads rolled through the cobblestone streets of this colonial Mexican state capital, the pistoleros of a despised governor, peppering with automatic weapons fire the flimsy barricades erected by masked rebels. Hundreds were killed, wounded, or imprisoned in the summer and fall of 2006. Brad Will, a New York Indymedia…
The wizard of odd
Untitled Document Last week was way over the top, even for an over-the-top guy like Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich sent out a blustery press release, threatening to shut down the government if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants in the state budget. He also told reporters that he had no problem keeping the overtime…
Falling for eggplant
Untitled Document For many years I considered myself a member of the ranks of the eggplant-challenged. Unlike the rest of the denizens of the summer garden patch, this weird fruit is complicated, yielding a seedy flesh that requires intellectual pursuit. You can’t just boil up some eggplant or sauté it in a pan and put…
Culler’s french fries
Untitled Document Lemonade shakeups. Corndogs. Saltwater taffy. Honey ice cream. Few traditions at the Illinois State Fair are more hallowed than its special foods. A day at the fair just isn’t complete without them. And at the Illinois State Fair, as well as dozens of other state and county fairs and festivals ranging from Illinois,…
Keeper of the farm
Untitled Document It’s a languid August evening in Cobden, a former stop on the old Illinois Central line about 10 miles south of Carbondale. At one time, the surrounding orchard country supplied cities to the north, including Springfield, with fresh produce by way of the railroad. Freight trains, belonging to Canadian National, still chug through…
Pushing for shared prosperity
Untitled Document One of the most obnoxious phrases in America today is “the working poor.” We live in the richest nation in the history of the world, and it’s morally abominable that anyone who works in this country is poor. Our economy is deliberately skewed by public policy. As a result, the vast portion of…
Third time, still a charm
Untitled Document I’ve seen it twice before, and yet I want to see it again. The folks at New Line Cinema are counting on the fact that millions of other moviegoers will feel the same way about Rush Hour 3, and they’ve invested quite a bit of upfront cash to reunite Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, and…
Best friends
Untitled Document For a long time, Pat Arbuthnot avoided the Sangamon County Animal Control Center. But after hearing the story of a pit bull, named Spencer, who’d been abused by his owner, she decided to make the trip to check on the dog’s condition. When she visited the center, Arbuthnot — who organizes…
Picking up the pieces
Untitled Document Three months after a suspension of operations and the layoff of four employees, including executive director Roy Williams, things are slowly returning to normal at the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government. Members will receive a complete update on “key issues” facing the organization when its annual business meeting reconvenes in…
Letters to the Editor
Untitled Document We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. LET’S IMPEACH BLAGOJEVICH After reading several letters arguing for the impeachment of President George W. Bush, I think it’s time we…
People’s poetry
Untitled Document lakepoem #12 this is being a summer of filthoh sure the lake is beautifulthe swimming still superband outside the screen porchI can watch from my bedthe little red squirrels frolicfight chitter-chatter along thehemlock branches but duringthe winter these cuties got inmade nests in drawers tore upblankets sweat shirts pulled outmattress stuffing strewednewspaper shreds…
August amusements at the Statehouse
Untitled Document It is August, and all the gardeners in Springfield are harvesting their juicy red tomatoes to take to the state fair. They do this not to compete in the produce judging but rather in hopes they will sight Gov. Rod Blagojevich and take aim at the one they credit the most for the…
Controlling poison ivy
Untitled Document Controlling and eradicating poison ivy can be a challenge, but for many people elimination of this noxious plant is imperative because it can cause nightmarish rashes and itching. Not everyone is sensitive to the plant’s resins, but in some the allergy develops over time and even the leafless winter and early-spring stems can…
Great expectations
Untitled Document Emerald Bagby didn’t want to sit around and do nothing all summer. Instead, the soon-to-be sophomore at Springfield High School joined 17 other teens in The Springfield Project’s summer employment program. “They were offering good jobs, so we wouldn’t be bored at home,” Bagby says. Bagby signed…
Fair enough
Untitled Document When the Illinois State Fair comes to town, the local nightlife business changes. With the extra entertainment booked at the fair, the influx of thousands of strangers with money in their pockets and time on their hands, and the generally increased excitement level of the entire community, Springfield morphs into a raucous party…
Driving on natural gas
Untitled Document Honda produces a natural-gas-powered Civic. What exactly comes out of the vehicle’s tailpipe, and how harmful to the environment is the extraction and refinement of natural gas? Which is greener, a hybrid or a car powered by natural gas? Honda’s natural-gas Civic GX, which debuted in 2006 in California but is now becoming…
Leading on lead
Untitled Document The city is once again on the move in its fight against childhood lead poisoning. Thanks to a grant agreement with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Springfield City Council was expected to pass an ordinance this week authorizing $184,840 for the city’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, plus an…
