Cover Story
Holiday events calendar
Memorial’s Festival of Trees Nov 27-Dec 1, Wed 10am-8pm, Thu 4-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm and Sun 10am-5pm. A holiday tradition featuring more than 200 decorated trees and wreaths, hand-crafted gingerbread village structures, hand-decorated cookies and live entertainment. Adults $5, children ages 3-12 $3 and ages 2 and under are free. Orr Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon…
Downtown university plan floated
The Springfield Sangamon County Growth Alliance is pitching a major university presence in downtown Springfield that sources say would involve the University of Illinois Springfield, Southern Illinois University and perhaps the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Plans aren’t concrete, but the first public meetings to unveil ideas are expected in January, said Josh Collins, interim…
Thanksgivings past in Illinois
Thanksgiving has been an official holiday in the U.S. since 1863, and the people of Illinois have found ways to celebrate the occasion ever since. Some of those long-ago Thanksgivings reflect both the past and future – and somewhat resemble modern celebrations. Church services were a big part of the day in some areas. In…
Holiday shop and save
After a five-year hiatus, Design Ideas is bringing back its holiday store to Springfield. All the merchandise is sold at a loss and Design Ideas covers the overhead to operate the store so that all proceeds can be donated to local charities. The four nonprofit organizations splitting this year’s sales are The Animal Protective League,…
Editor’s note
In the Oct. 3, 1863, proclamation setting aside the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day, Abraham Lincoln, who signed it, and William H. Seward, who wrote it, found much for which to be thankful even in the midst of a terrible civil war. There was peace with other nations. The war had not stopped…
Awet Andemicael
Soprano Awet Andemicael will debut with the Illinois Symphony Chamber Orchestra to perform Alleluias written by Vivaldi and Mozart, and paired with the sounds of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso and Haydn’s Thirtieth Symphony “Alleluia.” Andemicael has sung across the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and Africa. The Illinois Symphony Orchestra is central Illinois’…
Gifts for kids to make
Kids love making homemade cards and gifts. Children derive deep satisfaction from sharing something they made themselves, from macaroni necklaces to hand-painted cards. These gifts are easy to make, economical and can be personalized to fit just about anyone. The scone mix is a wonderful gift for teachers and looks pretty, layered in a canning…
Central Illinois during the 11th through 14th centuries
Each month, the Illinois State Museum hosts the Paul Mickey Learning Series which features a variety of topics and expert speakers. This month Duane Esarey, director of the Illinois State Museum at Dickson Mounds, will discuss the Mississippian history of central Illinois during the 11th through 14th centuries. The history of the Mississippian people of…
Many implications for Madigan
The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Mike McClain, the most prominent insider connected to House Speaker Michael Madigan, sent a blind-copied email to what he called the “Most Trusted of the Trusted” asking for help raising money in the closing weeks of the 2018 campaign. After thanking them for their work on behalf of “Himself”…
Holiday gift ideas for furry friends
The holiday season is meant for spending time with your friends and family, including those of the four-legged variety. Whether you have a dog, cat, fish or other small pet, Christmas can serve as the perfect time to show your affection by showering him or her with thoughtful gifts. When searching for the right gift…
It’s pecan season
Pecans have a special place in Karen Voss’s heart. “I should have known what I was getting myself into when my husband and I were dating 44 years ago. We’d often go out and pick up pecans on nice fall Sunday afternoons.” The hobby grew into a family business, and Karen and her husband, Ralph,…
Letters to the Editor: 11-28-19
MEDIOCRE IS NOT ENOUGH This letter is in response to the letter from Amy Madigan Brown published in the Nov. 21-27 Illinois Times. In that letter, Amy puts me in with the two other speakers at the recent Citizens Club presentation who were suggesting a different organization of the high schools in Springfield. My presentation…
Hanks shines as Rogers in Neighborhood
A fault that many of us have is taking things for granted. As soon as the power goes out or a loved one isn’t near, we come to understand how dependent we are on things and people. Our appreciation sometimes comes after the fact. Obviously, Tom Hanks is not a vital part to any viewer’s…
U.S. Supreme Court won’t review Illinois ‘felony murder’ law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 25 declined to hear an appeal challenging a controversial state law that allows someone to be convicted of murder even if the death is caused by someone else, if it occurs during the commission of another forcible felony. The ruling means the Illinois law still stands, although at least…
Sharp Knives a witty send-up
There’s no shortage of humor or intelligence in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, a parody of the drawing room murder mystery that is itself a brilliant example of the genre. Sporting a cast of big screen veterans, the purposely convoluted script relies on its fine cast to walk the fine line between parody and sincerity. They’re…
Remembering AIDS victims
A service of remembrance will be held Dec. 1 for AIDS victims and their loved ones nearly four decades after the epidemic first began. In September, the Fifth Street Renaissance/ SARA Center dedicated a long-awaited AIDS Memorial and Labyrinth in Lincoln Park on the north side of Springfield. Rev. Dr. Bobbi Dykema, pastor of First…
Thanks for giving
Welcome to our Thanksgiving special, complete with truckloads of thankfulness, the most prodigious party night of the year, a weekend full of happenings and a lead into the holiday season. Great googly-moogly, let’s gobble up the gobbledygook as the ruckus gets going good right now. Since we deliver Illinois Times a day early on Wednesday…
Thank you poem for november 28 2019
a “no-thanks” poem was my thanksgiving intent – no thanks for the oil-spewing XL pipeline, no thanks for family separation caging of kids hacking of habitat erasure of reefs whales insects sapiens etc etc etc but I’ve changed my mind and want instead to give heartfelt thanks to the courageous folk especially of our state…
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
We’re a tough sell when it comes to Facebook, which we consider inherently evil, what with privacy violations and Russians and too darn much power in too few hands. But the state and local cops are making an offer that’s tough to refuse. Starting now, Lyft and the state Department of Transportation and police are…
Morgan Minsk
This hometown hero gets credit for being an award-winning vocalist, acclaimed performer and passionate composer, and we can assure you she’s also a hard-working, well-respected and motivated maker of music. Morgan Minsk left Springfield for Boston in 2011 to use her recently awarded, quite coveted, full scholarship to Berklee College of Music. A recipient of…
The truth outs
The inspector general’s office is at it again. This time, gumshoes figured out that Alan Lowe, erstwhile executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, wasn’t up to snuff. The investigation, according to an IG report released last Friday, was sparked by a tipster who blew the whistle three weeks after I wrote…
AND ANOTHER ONE GONE
Kate Schott, State Journal-Register editorial page editor turned interim editor after her predecessor was walked out of the building and a successor had second thoughts about accepting the job, has left the newspaper. Informed sources say she’s gone to work at the University of Illinois Springfield in the campus advancement office, which concerns itself with…
A gift guide for book lovers
Books, old and new, in all genres, from local writers and famous established authors, provide great holiday gifts. You can find many selections at Springfield historic site gift shops, including the Lincoln Home Visitor Center, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Dana-Thomas House or at a bookstore such as Books on the Square in…
