Fall Home & Garden
Most of us are still spending a lot more time at home than usual, and every home or garden project completed seems to lead to another. Maybe you need to convert a space into your house into a dedicated area for remote learning, or you want to finally tackle cleaning out your garage to be…
Stocking your pandemic pantry
Long before pandemic life became reality, my husband always made a big deal about being prepared. He maintained that we needed to keep a month’s supply of food, water and basic supplies on hand at all times, and I’ll admit I often rolled my eyes at what seemed like paranoia. However, when the economy suddenly…
Perennials are made to share
Perennials are flowers, vines and ornamental grasses that are planted once and continue to return each year, gracing our gardens with beautiful color throughout the spring, summer and fall. The National Garden Association reserves the term perennial for plants that live more than two years. Perennials frequently seen in central Illinois include purple coneflower, hosta,…
Governors after office
Sadly, when one thinks about Illinois’ former governors, legal problems and prison terms come to mind. In fact, however, quite a number of former governors continued to be useful and productive (and legal) after their terms in office. Few biographers have given any of their post-gubernatorial careers much attention though. Robert Hartley wanted to change…
Graffiti freedom
Graffiti is thousands of years old. In its literal sense, it’s the act of writing on walls and other surfaces – traditionally those that don’t belong to the writer. In modern times, it’s linked to cans of spray paint and more often than not, music. On walls in alleys and on passing trains, it’s become…
Fried milkweed pods
“I will meet up with Bertha Bus at the Rapid River Mini Mart and will lead you to the Inn. You’ll never find it on your own. The last 10 miles are on an unpaved dirt logging road.” Hidden away in Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is Milkweed Inn, the latest project from…
Letters to the editor 9/10/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. —- PERSONAL VENDETTA Having already sunk nearly a million dollars into an unfinished project, it would be wise to finish up the Booth-Ferguson building (“Getting soaked,” Sept. 3). Also, the entity that bought the unfinished…
Music mending musicians
Here we go on into September, looking for ways to shed these pandemic blues. If we keep working together to get through this for the good of all, there will soon be some light at the end of the tunnel and then, hopefully, we get out of the whole dang tunnel completely. For now, let’s…
The march goes on
Kish Broomfield was watching the memorial service for George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who inspired a fresh wave of the Black Lives Matter movement after a cop killed him, when inspiration struck. “In his remarks, Al Sharpton mentioned the March on Washington. And my sisters and I were like, we want to be there,” said…
Rogers & Nienhaus
You would be hard-pressed to find a more dynamic duo than these two fine gentlemen who come with a true blue rock ‘n’ roll pedigree, including time spent as real “Byrds” and with other luminaries of the rock world. But better than their distinguished careers, is listening to them live in person, whether you know…
AND THE WINNER IS…
What do Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner, Springfield Vintage, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, city housing inspectors and the Faith Coalition for the Common Good have in common? All, over the years, have won Good Neighbor awards from Inner City Older Neighborhoods, a consortium of neighborhood associations that aims to preserve, improve and promote the…
Grand Army of the Republic Mound and Memorial Monument
In the spring of 1891, the board of managers of Oak Ridge Cemetery set aside a plot of cemetery ground for the burial of Civil War Union Army veterans who did not have a family plot elsewhere. Known as the Grand Army of the Republic or GAR Mound, the plot received its first interment in…
CWLP WANTS ITS MONEY
We here at CAP CITY got all a-flutter recently when we received a letter from City Water, Light and Power: Pay up or we’ll pull the plug in two weeks. The notice was dated six days after our regular bill arrived, giving us a later due date – we confess to being a month behind,…
Strong Finish Mends Broken Hearts
Lucy has certain ideas about love. Every boyfriend she’s had was going to be THE ONE! Her former partners used string to bind their relationship together. Lucy used logging chains. Her level of commitment has never matched that of anyone she’s been with, making heartbreak an inevitability. And to make matters worse, she keeps a…
Food for thought
The local food movement has its fair share of supporters in the capital city, but changing the current supply chain is no small task. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is hosting a series of discussions about food, farms and the election. And in Springfield, the city is working with the help of the federal Environmental Protection…
Let’s form a committee
“We’re on a road to nowhere.” –Talking Heads “Same as it ever was.” –Talking Heads There are 200 million reasons why the state House of Representatives should convene a special investigative committee to probe House Speaker Michael Madigan, but only The Fifth matters. That, no doubt, is what the speaker will invoke when and if…
Grade inflation?
Unsuccessful applicants for retail marijuana licenses are complaining about a lack of diversity in a program that’s supposed to promote diversity in the marijuana industry. More than 900 entities asked for 75 retail pot licenses that were preliminarily awarded last week. Fewer than two dozen entities remain in the running. With some entities requesting dozens…
Editor’s note 9/10/20
A friend took serious exception to what I wrote in this space last week. “Do you even think much about what you write?” she asked me. I see your point, I said. I’ll try to think more. “At least it’s short,” she said, “so maybe not many read it.” Maybe some people read it because…
Space for school
If you are a parent of school-age children, chances are you have spent the past few months wondering what school would look like this year. I’m willing to bet that you’ve had countless conversations with family, friends and even total strangers about the options that schools were offering and which of those options – if…
U.S., China inch towards armed conflict
To say that relations between the U.S. and China are tense would be an understatement. Veiled threats, economic decoupling and geopolitical standoffs have in recent months become the norm between the world’s traditional superpower and its emerging challenger. These heated exchanges are fertile grounds for an emerging Cold War and, arguably, armed conflict. The restructuring…
Small steps to a better you
I recently read a fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal about how rituals have the power to turn periods of isolation into opportunities for self-growth. The author, William James, a well-known American philosopher and psychologist, also happened to be his wife’s primary caretaker throughout her 10-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. While caring for her,…
Swimming Poem #7
Time: Recent late afternoon Place: Waterville, small VT village Persona: My friend Caroline Action: Caroline dripping sweat Nobody nearby, she strips clothing, leaps into river, enjoys a refreshing swim Further action: Caroline emails me knows I love to swim and will be amused titles her email “Emergency Swim” Mistaken action: Wrong email address Unexpected recipient:…
How and why to compost
Did your grandmother set aside egg shells and coffee grounds on the kitchen counter following a big breakfast? If you never asked her why, your grandmother and many others in her generation were composting, just like more and more people are doing today. Composting at home is economical and environmentally friendly. Compost is organic material…
Decluttering a garage
Many garages serve as overstuffed closets rather than a place to park vehicles. Decluttering and organizing your garage can help you get a step closer to preparing for winter. Step one is to envision your end goal. For most people, that usually involves a vehicle parked inside the garage, rather than in the driveway, with…
Fall gardening: Greens, garlic and beauty
As summer’s heat ebbs and fall approaches, it is a great time to revitalize the garden. Just about anything that grows well in spring will also grow well in the cooler temperatures of fall. Direct seeding of greens such as lettuce, arugula, chard, kale and spinach now will provide a harvest beginning in late October…
