Enchanting tale
Hannah Siehr as Belle and Kellen Fant as the Beast lead a large cast of locals in a beloved favorite, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, for eight shows at the outdoor theater, The Muni. The musical is about a handsome but conceited prince who is cursed to live as a hideous beast by a beggar woman…
Learning on empty
For the first time, the U.S. Department of Education has reported that the number of homeless students in America has topped one million while another new report estimates that 23 percent of children in the U.S. live in “relative poverty.” Hungry, tired kids are difficult to teach. Their environment, health and community have an enormous…
A Wall Street devil gets religion… and an apt epitaph
Hallelujah and Holy Smokes! Wall Street has had a “come to Jesus” moment – the biggest sinner on the Street has repented! He is Sandy Weill, the once-lionized dealmaker who turned our banks into financial “supermarkets” that tie us everyday depositors and Main Street borrowers to the profiteering schemes of unbridled Wall Street traders and…
Lyman Elleman & The Nashville Salvation Band
Riverton native and now Nashville resident Lyman Ellerman pays his hometown a visit this weekend with shows at the Illinois State Fair on Friday and Saturday in The Shed venue plus a late-night Saturday gig in Riverton. Ellerman played in many bands around the area before making the career move to relocate to Nashville nearly…
Letters to the Editor 08/09/12
UNARMED WOMENWell, thank God – somebody in the Sangamon County Sheriff’s office finally got to the real source of crime in our streets – unarmed women. [See “Shocking development,” by Bruce Rushton, Aug. 2.] We’ll assume that Deputy Travis Koester’s actions – which, no matter how you slice it and dice it, constituted an armed…
Carp diem
The two Old Friends (I am told) were sitting at breakfast. Old Friend No. 1 recalled the summer nights of her youth when she would join her beau on the banks of Lake Springfield, there to mix Wheaties and water and garlic salt into a dough that was affixed to a treble hook and cast…
Recall, a thrilling chase
Visually arresting and at times delivering the biggest thrills of the summer, Len Wiseman’s remake of Total Recall hits the ground running and barely stops to catch its breath, which in the end winds up being a bit of a detriment for the big-budget actioner. Similar to the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger version, this redo uses…
Michael Higgins’ rooftop garden
Michael Higgins, longtime chef/owner of Maldaner’s Restaurant, is at the forefront of sourcing local foods for his restaurant. Actually, for years he was the only area chef to do so, even persuading Ron Suttill of Suttill’s Garden to raise fava beans, a delicious vegetable common in Europe and elsewhere, both in its early summer green…
Award-winning sculpture
The newest exhibit on display at the Springfield Art Association features a look at the lifelong work of local sculptor Paul K. Riemer. The exhibit kicks of with an opening reception, Saturday, Aug. 11, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Gallery of Art. It is open to the public and includes light hors d’oeuvres and wine.…
nursery rhyme poem #2
there’s a murder mystery wherereal folk and nursery rhyme folkmingle nonchalantly togetherlots of nursery hanky pankyas anyone who recites mothergoose can affirm spankings theftskissing girls until they cry thisbook’s victim is humpty dumpty they test his albumen rather thanblood stains the forensic deptadmits a scantiness of data onegg dna it’s all very clever buthere is…
Ameren: Pollution rules threaten jobs
Dozens of people in bright yellow work vests fill seats in the drab blue meeting room at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s building on North Grand Avenue. Many wear expressions of concern, their arms folded, as they sit next to mostly young people in electric blue T-shirts bearing the slogan, “Protect our health, not big…
Sweet Sour Syrup
1 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. white wine vinegar 1/2 c. dry white wine or dry vermouth Place the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved completely; then let the mixture boil without stirring. Cook until the big bubbles that appeared when…
RESCUE VEHICLE
Prisons need vans to transport inmates so they won’t escape. In Hillsboro, animal lovers want a van to help get dogs and cats out of lockup and save them from the executioner’s needle. Founded in 2008, Paws Care takes unwanted pets from Montgomery County’s animal-control facility and drives them to no-kill shelters throughout the state…
County pays sex assault claim
A 2009 encounter between a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy and a woman who called 911 has proven expensive for county taxpayers. In a little-noticed action, the county board’s civil liabilities committee in April approved a $30,000 settlement for Sherry Janssen, who claimed that deputy David Howse had sex with her while he was on duty…
Quinn plays the politics of pensions
Gov. Pat Quinn’s office flatly denies it, but it’s hard to see how last week’s big announcement about calling a special session on pension reform wasn’t at least partially related to a major Chicago TV station’s special report on the very same subject a few hours after his proclamation. The station, WGN, broadcast a lengthy…
CANDY CRUSADE
For those of us with a sweet tooth, no excuse is needed to make us buy candy. Chocolate-covered peanuts are particularly persuasive. But for those blessed with self-control when it comes to sweets, the chance to help out a local nonprofit offers a reason to indulge. Pease’s Candy of Springfield is holding its 9th annual…
Fair fun
Hey everybody, welcome to State Fair time, that special 10 days in mid-August when Springfield transforms into a bustling metropolis bulging with extra residents of many kinds, including humans, animals and insects. Of all the attractions at the fair from the butter cow to live bovines, from The Whip Guy to the fair queen, from…
Maldaner’s Cold Shrimp and Cucumber Soup
This wonderfully refreshing soup has been on Higgins’ summer menus at Maldaner’s for as long as I can remember. The Sweet Sour Syrup recipe makes much more than you’ll need, but it’s handy to have in your refrigerator for sauces and salad dressings. 3 c. seeded, peeled cucumbers, either English (a.k.a. burpless) or thin regular…
Right and wrong on Route 66
Carl Johnson grew up traveling part of historic Route 66 in central Illinois as a child, but it wasn’t until he stumbled upon a weathered highway placard on a deserted strip in New Mexico that the road’s significance struck him. The 57-year-old Johnson, a land surveyor from Hillside, Ill., is consumed by the Mother Road,…
Goodwill Power
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUG. 9, 2020 Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries today announced the acquisition of all Walgreen stores in central Illinois. “It’s a good fit for our mission,” said Sharon Durbin, president and chief executive officer of the Springfield-based charity, which already had more than 100 retail stores. “We’ll be able to employ…
Attention Defici–Oooh, Shiny!
My girlfriend of eight months has ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). She was diagnosed about 10 years ago, in her early 20s. She takes medication that helps her focus better at work and has steps (like writing everything down) to avoid forgetting important things, stay more organized, etc. Despite this, she is very disorganized and often…
Fab four
The Fab Four cannot be replaced, but Beatles Tribute band American English comes darn-tooting close to bringing you the Fab Four. They take the stage at the Hoogland Center for Arts for two shows Aug. 10 and 11. Beatles and music lovers will be treated to an entirely live performance from Frank Canino as John…
