A league of his own
Richard Buckner carries himself like a professional baseball player. The resemblance is more than coincidental. After finishing high school in Decatur, he attended Bradley University on a baseball scholarship and graduated with dual master’s degrees. In the early ’80s he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but never played in a Major League game. “I wasn’t…
Leaving Oz
The night Tim Davlin was sworn in as mayor of Springfield, he based his whole inaugural speech on the classic children’s book, The Wizard of Oz. He told the audience he envisioned them working “hand-in-hand” on the journey “into the future of our Emerald City.” Pledging to “serve our city with a brain,” Davlin bragged…
Look at U.S. Senators is a valuable, though uneven, political history
Most Illinoisans could only reply with a blank expression if asked to identify the likes of Jesse Burgess Thomas or Richard Montgomery Young or Otis Ferguson Glenn or James M. Slattery. Yet, at one time, each represented the Sucker State in the United States Senate. Political fame is fleeting, a fact I discovered while teaching…
Now Playing 1-15-04
Hey there, Lincoln Landlubbers, whatcha doing this weekend? Why not try these terribly exciting and disparately challenging entertainment opportunities? The word is out — and the word is Posamist. I’m not sure what it means and neither does my faithful Webster’s, but it’s definitely a band and I’ve heard they are really good. They play…
Another magic act
As I’ve been a life-long fan of the Magic Kitchen restaurant, I have to admit it’s been the primary source of my Thai food cravings for as long as I’ve been a Springfield resident. But I have discovered there are several other options in town that can toss tofu and spice up chicken with coconut…
Movie reviews
Along Came Polly [PG-13] Ben Stiller plays a man who’s afraid of risk. But he makes his living analyzing risk, gets involved in a risky romance, and cheats on his wife.”A movie that sets its comedy bar too low for the talents involved.” (Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East Big Fish [PG-13] Son…
From the director of the Rings
Peter Jackson is clearly the director of the new millennium thanks to the blockbuster success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what are his origins as a filmmaker? Very few Americans have seen his previous films. The bizarre nature of Jackson’s pre-Rings films prevented them from connecting with mainstream audiences, but cult status…
Grace about town
If “Friends” at 10 p.m. is a re-run I’ve seen more than eight or ten times, I’ll watch the Channel 20 News. And when they get to Gus Gordon, I have one tiny pang of regret in my heart. No, I don’t yearn for Gus. He seems quite talented and cheerful, but this is something…
Knoepfle 1-15-04
winter on 2nd street the statue of dr king faces the statue of lincoln red carnations © John Knoepfle 2004
Letters 1-15-04
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 OFF WITH THEIR HEADS Springfield’s present $7 million debt was caused by…
Jumpstart
Work on recreating historic New Philadelphia, the first American town organized by a black man, has received a major shot in the arm with the award of a grant to fund excavation work and undergraduate training. New Philadelphia, located near Barry in Pike County, was founded in 1836 by Frank McWorter, who was born into…
House divided
For the past 20 years, Clint Handley has driven trucks for the City of Springfield’s public works department. He used to be a Teamster but now he’s with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). On Saturday, Jan. 10, Handley was downtown at the Springfield Hilton for AFSCME’s statewide conference. Democratic presidential…
Quick takes
BET HE NEVER HAD A SLURPEE Gov. Rod Blagojevich showed up last week on TV talking about I-CLEAR, the snazzy new database that merges Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police crime info. Offering an example of how such a database could be used, Blagojevich said an officer who stops a suspect in Chicago could…
