Bringing the war home
The first time Kristin Peterson’s husband hit her, she was asleep in their bed. She awoke that night a split second after Joshua’s fist smashed into her face and ran, terrified and crying, to the bathroom to wipe the blood spurting from her nose. When she stuck her head back into the bedroom, there he…
music notes 12-16-04
• On Wednesday, Dec. 22, celebrate the Winter Solstice and the fifth anniversary of Trout Lily Café — Illinois Times readers’ “Best of Springfield” pick for coffee. Proprietor Kate Hawkes says the business (218 S. Sixth St., 391-0101) is open all day as usual, but will add evening hours from 5 until 8 p.m. for…
sound patrol 12-16-04
Rufus Wainwright Want Two (Geffen) What’s the term for a male diva? Divo? Heva? There may not be a word for Rufus Wainwright, but there should be. After all, he’s hardly the first boy singer to flaunt a great big voice, a flamboyant personality, and outrageous ambition; Scott Walker and Jeff Buckley, among others, proved…
Class act
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is widely believed to be the teachers’ unions’ best friend. Madigan passed the “temporary” income tax surcharge years ago, which earmarked half of the new money for schools. He helped the unions stop unfriendly reforms of the Chicago schools. His 1991 fight against property tax caps forced the Illinois General…
now playing 12-16-04
Dierks Bentley moved to Nashville from Phoenix when he was 19 with songs in his pockets and not much else. Bentley began making the rounds, trying to find a key to unlock the mysteries of country music stardom. He dug into the soul of the city and the music that gives it life. He hung…
prairie notes
This past year, the Illinois Department of Agriculture and local health departments offered financial incentives to assist in the sealing of abandoned wells. It’s a worthwhile cause that I sometimes become involved with. Often they’re old dug wells, barely visible in such places as the middle of a field or hidden in a thicket where…
earth talk
Dear “Earth Talk”: I’d like to start saving more energy in my home. Do you have any tips? — Mitch Rochelle, Carson City, Nev. A University of Michigan study estimates that the average American household could reduce its energy bills by 65 percent and, over the home’s lifetime, save $52,000 if it maximized energy efficiency.…
Cairo deserves better
Every morning about 2 o’clock, the “train they call the City of New Orleans” rolls south through Cairo with its indomitable “Good morning, America, how are you?” “Not so good” might be the reply from the town at the southernmost tip of Illinois, where the mighty rivers meet. It is Cairo’s turn to say, “Don’t…
common sense 12-16-04
Being rich really can be tough. Yes, you do have a lot of stuff — houses, cars, clothes, gadgets, games, gizmos, and other toys to keep you amused as you idle away your time. But then you have all that stuff to deal with. Just keeping it dusted must be taxing. And of course you…
“Clean city” depends on where you look
My first impression of Springfield was “What a clean city!” But the longer I live here, the more I understand that this impression depends on where one is in the capital city. Yes, compared with any post-Soviet city, everything is neat in downtown Springfield: no discarded paper or shopping bags in the streets (which is…
Giving the gift of food
Celebrating the holiday season means twinkling lights and fresh evergreens, parties, and spending time with family and friends. It also usually means presents. This year, why not give the gift of food? Who wouldn’t appreciate a basket of homemade baked goods, a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant, or even a special meal cooked by…
people’s poetry
Granny Longlegs Granny Longlegs can’t get a grip on the wall papered with silver leaves. Slides, catches herself, slides again, wiry legs radiating, graceful arabesque. This sentient arachnid knows I’m watching, knows predators are attracted by motion. She freezes compact as an amulet. How many spells does she know? Where in a form so small…
movie review
When finding the path to salvation means never growing up Very few films move audiences in an intimate and genuine way. Marc Forster’s Finding Neverland is among the exceptions. In telling the tale of how J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, came to form an emotional bond with four boys and their widowed mother,…
quick takes 12-16-04
NO BLUES FOR FURRY William Furry, former editor of Illinois Times, was named executive director of the 105-year-old Illinois State Historical Society. Furry, who joined the society as assistant director in 2001, succeeds Tom Teague, who resigned in July. (Teague, also a regular IT contributor, died in September.) Furry will continue to serve as editor…
letters 12-16-04
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com NOT JUST JOE’S TRANSIT SYSTEM Joe Schleyhahn’s tirade [“Letters,” Dec. 9] regarding…
Labor pains
Veteran state worker Peter Wagner says he never had reason to join a union — until now. An economic analyst with the Illinois Commerce Commission since 1994, Wagner became accustomed to decent benefits and yearly pay increases. But, like many state employees, he’s about to enter his third straight year without a raise. Wagner, who…
lend a hand
LEND A HAND Illinois Times invites area nonprofit organizations to submit holiday wish lists. To participate, send a brief description of your organization and a summary of your needs. Fax the information to 217-753-3958 or e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. There is no charge for this service. Attention Homes for Youth 829 S. Fourth St., Springfield, 217-744-7788 The…
Knoepfle 12-16-04
walking in snow shutting down time to walk in the snow make footprints where there are none only the crooked marks of the dogs mooch or joe the best of dogs it is good coming down this slope the dogs have been buried how long now oh these many years today the leafless trees shout…
