“Alpha” A Surprisingly Effective Dog’s Tale
I’ve seen my share of dog-and-his-boy stories and Albert Hughes is worse than some but better than most. Taking place some 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, this unique setting helps distinguish it from similar tales, providing a fresh set of perils where viscous predators and securing a food supply is concerned, while…
Pritzker galvanizes supporters in Democrat Day speech
J.B Pritzker, D-Chicago, rallied supporters as he presented his case to be the next governor of Illinois on State Fair Democrat Day, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield on Aug. 16. Pritzker was in the midst of a four-day, 20-stop bus tour across Illinois, where he stumped for statewide candidates alongside…
Leveraging Lincoln
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum doesn’t belong to the public. The institution built with tax dollars belongs to big shots. Just ask the big shots. “After it belongs to us, it is our decision to do what makes the most sense for the ALPLM,” Tolbert Chisum, a board member of the private foundation…
Um, what?
The Democratic Party of Illinois has sent out what could wind up being the most unintentionally hilarious campaign mailer of the season. “Mica Freeman’s Plan: No Budget, No Pay,” the DPI mailer blares on behalf of the Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield). “If politicians in Springfield don’t do their job and balance the…
Letters to the Editor
FERAL CATS AT UIS Charles Coderko, associate chancellor for administrative affairs at University of Illinois Springfield, has decided to wage war on the feral cat colony at UIS and stop the small group of compassionate employees who, on their own time and with their own resources, have been helping them. This colony has existed for…
Editor’s Note 08/23/18
A praying mantis is doing his praying on my office window just now, a reminder that fresh opportunity comes around with each back-to-school season, with each election campaign, with each guilty verdict, with each Fall Guide to concerts, theater performances and daytrips. Enjoy the issue, embrace the season, keep hope alive. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and…
Blue Wave? More like blue sweat
It’s no secret to my family and friends how troubled I’ve been by the devastation wrought by the Trump administration. The NATO summit and Trump’s meeting with Putin was outrageous. And he lies about seven times a day just for good measure. To keep sane, I’ve been following the developments of the Democratic “Blue Wave,”…
Food, booze and blues
Enjoy a weekend full of blues music and BBQ during the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ festival Friday, August 24 and Saturday, August 25. Friday night performers are Mary Jo Curry at 5:30 p.m., Brandon Santini at 7 p.m. and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers at 9 p.m. Saturday’s lineup features the Illinois Central…
Comics books, toys, artists and more
On Saturday, Aug. 25, take in the Springfield Micro Con, a comic book convention hosted by STL Comics at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This traveling convention features regional comic book vendors offering all types of comics for all ages as well as toy vendors and other talented artists…
Movies from Springfield and Switzerland
Why wait until November for the next Route 66 International Film Festival when you can attend these special screenings Thursday, August 23 and Thursday, August 30? First, check out Before I Do, a full-length movie filmed on location in Springfield by director Kim Conner, which tells the story of a 40-year-old Midwesterner caught between pursuing…
Fall Guide Calendar
August Washington Park Historic Photography DisplayAug 23-Sep 2, 12-4pm Mon-Fri, 12-5pm Sat-Sun. Annual photo display features images of Washington Park dating back to the park’s creation in 1902. Free. springfieldparks.org. Washington Park Botanical Garden Exhibit Hall, 1740 W. Fayette Ave., 546-4116. Illinois Products Farmers MarketAug 23, 30, Sep 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 4-7pm…
Grant, goodies and great vistas in Galena
When you visit Grant in Galena, make sure you take a Grant with you. That way, you will be ready when magician P.T. Murphy asks for a $50 bill to help with a mind-baffling trick. Murphy’s show is just part of the magic of Galena, that hilly city tucked in Illinois’ far northwestern corner and…
Adventures on two wheels
Save for Bambi, it’s hard to beat autumn as the best season for motorcycling in Illinois. There’s nothing like having venison still on the hoof jump out in front of you to ruin an otherwise perfect ride, and so sage motorcyclists are parked well before sundown, when deer become both more active and harder to…
The new Arch park
Mike Ward, superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park, says being involved in the redevelopment of the Gateway Arch is a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity. Eight years in the making, the CityArchRiver project is a $380 million public-private partnership that has transformed the Arch grounds and surrounding areas in downtown St. Louis. Hallmarks of this huge undertaking…
Autumn onstage
As the balmy days of summer recede and cooler temperatures begin to prevail, it’s traditional for the theatrical venues of central Illinois to start heating up. This fall’s stage-bound offerings are all over the map, with touring and regional companies providing examples of drama and musical theater ranging from improvisational comedy to opera to true…
The music of fall
Just as the changing leaves of the season provide a broad spectrum of colors to delight the eye, so do the sonic offerings available to local music fans range all over the palette of pleasing sounds this autumn – indeed, from country to punk to symphonic grandeur, there’s no shortage of variety to the sounds…
Chiara Center awakens, inspires
Fill your fall by feeding your spirit and experiencing joy at the Chiara Center, a scenic and inspirational site for contemplation. Hundreds of guests each year are uplifted and enlightened through retreats, days of quiet, the Food and Faith series and collaborative programs. The Chiara Center is one of the healing ministries of the Hospital…
State: Sidney Watkins shouldn’t live with mom
While Sidney Watkins attended her first day of school as a sixth-grader last week, her mother, Jennifer, had a bad day in court in the latest chapter of a custody battle that began a decade ago. One person, Sidney’s father, Steven, is dead. He was gunned down in 2008 when he went to pick up…
Library of Congress wants riot artifacts
The long-brewing Springfield rail relocation project, which would move the railroad tracks currently on Third Street to 10th Street, has unearthed significant archaeological findings from the 1908 Springfield race riot. The riot led directly to the formation of the NAACP and so the findings are considered to be of national significance. Librarian of Congress Dr.…
Quitters wanted
Employees at the State Journal-Register this week received an offer from the paper’s owner that many, most likely, will want to refuse. Gatehouse Media, the paper’s corporate parent, has invited employees at all of the company’s properties in Illinois to resign their positions in exchange for severance packages. Employees who sign up to quit will…
Papillon a power metaphor for troubled times
When it comes to movie remakes, I’ve been of the mind that perhaps only bad films should be redone, or those that could be retold to reflect modern societal issues. The former is never attempted as executives play it safe by choosing movies that were done well the first time around and are thus a…
Last August blast
Let’s offer hearty congratulations to David Casper for his victory on August 17 in the Illinois State Fair karaoke competition. In return for his afternoon triumph, David reaped the rewards of performing that evening at the Grandstand, opening for Brett Eldredge. Casper, the youthful, talented and mostly-country singer who fronts the local group Casper’s Kountry…
Barrence Whitfield and the Savages
Just when you thought it was safe to go out to bars and quietly listen to contemplative acoustic sounds, along comes Barrence Whitfield and the Savages to knock your socks off and stick them in your ears. Barrence Whitfield and the Savages, who, back in the mid-80s, launched out of Boston as the darlings of…
fascinating stuff poem #31
in my archiving I’m now to cowdiseases I’m sure you want to hear about the trouble a heel fly can cause it burrows in works its way throughthe bovine body comes out on the cow’sback as a grub if it dies inside it causestoxic effects can damage heart liver etcif it gets into spine it…
Pickles
It’s been a good year for cucumbers. I planted six plants in a raised bed earlier this spring and for the past three weeks I’ve been picking anywhere from 10-20 pounds of the juicy, delicious cucurbits every other day. In spite of the fact that I’ve been eating them literally with three meals a day…
