Letters to the Editor
Untitled Document We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. FATHER DOESN’T KNOW BEST I think Terry Young of Springfield may be misplacing his anger when he criticizes the clerk of the…
The family meal
Untitled Document It was something everyone had in common. We’d gathered last summer for a conference on “Food Memories.” Everyone was interested in preserving and promoting local foods and their traditions against the onslaught of industrial agriculture and mass-produced prefab food, but our backgrounds were diverse. There were wealthy people for whom promoting sustainable food…
Bookworms
Untitled Document If you’ve ever gone to the library in search of a certain book, only to stumble upon an even better one on the next shelf, then you will understand the battle brewing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where history buffs are in a huff over a proposal to disperse the school’s…
Barack & Roll
Untitled Document Adin Davis stands on a brightly colored mat decorated with numbers, letters, and shapes in the center of a packed room that’s growing more crowded by the minute. He tries to entertain the throng with Iowa political trivia. “This is nice, but come November 2008 all of y’all — all of us — need…
Budget hearings scheduled
Untitled Document The city of Springfield released its fiscal year 2009 budget to aldermen Tuesday and announced that its first budget hearing will be held after the meeting of the finance committee on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The proposed budget, totaling $205.6 million, is referred to by the city as “a no-frills, bare-bones budget.” Personnel services…
Homecoming
Untitled Document Despite a minor setback last month, Abundant Faith Christian Center is moving forward with its affordable housing projects and will host the grand opening of Timberlake Estates — its first independent senior living facility — at noon Tuesday, Jan. 15. Project manager Sheleda Doss says the ceremony will feature keynote speaker Deshana Forney,…
For the birds
Untitled Document After weeks of too many questions and too few answers, Ward 8 Ald. Kris Theilen decided that it was time for action. He proposed an emergency ordinance Monday to terminate the city’s contract with James Soules, known as the “Bird Whisperer.” The freshman alderman was confident that his fellow aldermen would support him.…
Last hurrah
Untitled Document There’s no question that Rob Reiner’s latest effort, The Bucket List, is a contrived tale — its premise is a not-so-distant cousin to sitcom plots and there are more than a few holes in the story — and yet the film contains a deeply felt, emotionally honest core that trumps any of its…
Mardi Gras inspiration
Untitled Document Yeah, yeah, yeah — I’ve heard it all before and just heard it again the other night: “Boring ol’ Springfield.” “Nothing to do.” “Man, I wished I lived in a real town.” On and on droned the determined downers. You know I’ll be the first (but not the last) to say that this…
Publicity hound
Untitled Document The most positive thing to come out of last week’s umpteenth special legislative session was that Gov. Rod Blagojevich didn’t call another one for the next day. Blagojevich had threatened to call lawmakers to town every day until they passed a bill funding mass transit for the Chicago region. But when almost none…
Corn row
Untitled Document It’s virtually impossible to travel in any direction from Springfield and not encounter acre upon acre of the state’s beloved yellow crop. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 11.1 million acres of corn was harvested in 2006 in Illinois — more than 238,000 acres of it in Sangamon County alone — but…
A career in caring
Untitled Document The Frank J. Menolascino Award for Excellence, given yearly by the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed, was created to honor individuals “whose efforts have resulted in an improved quality of life for a significant number of persons with mental retardation and mental illness.” In October, the national organization presented the prestigious award…
Warm up, cool down
Untitled Document Tim Butler used to run in high school and college, but he says it’s nothing compared to what he’s been up to for the past 13 years. “If I ran two miles, it seemed like a long way,” Butler says. “Now I’ve run probably 20 half-marathons and even ran the Chicago Marathon once.”…
People’s Poetry
Untitled Document ecopoem #7 driving north dense fog I first time ever pull into the wisconsin welcome rest area phone my delay sit still boots on concrete atop the triangle of land once ours till I-90 sliced through the farm I know the earth under this pavement it’s field 12 I walked corn rows…
Now eat your greens
Untitled Document It’s time to press the restart button on our bodies, our minds, ourselves. Although I’m not one to declare weight-loss resolutions for the new year, I do like to take stock of my dietary inventory and make some adjustments. I don’t know about you, but it feels like a zillion years since I…
Winter is the time to learn and plan
Untitled Document You may not be able to engage in many garden activities outdoors right now, but this is a great time of year to learn more. Here are some programs gardeners will enjoy: • Garden Basics — The University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit and the Springfield Civic Garden Club will sponsor this series…
Taking care of the Smithsonian
Untitled Document Our national attic is caving in. “America’s attic” is the unofficial name of the venerable Smithsonian Institution. This is the 150-year-old complex of museums on the National Mall that houses an amazing array of artifacts and other irreplaceable treasures. It’s a priceless cultural jewel that is a favorite draw for families visiting the…
O-bomb-a
Untitled Document This is the stupidest column I’ve ever written. I just wanted to tell you that up front. And yeah, I know, my last column was about my dog — pretty lame (my column, that is; not Buddy — he’s buoyant as ever). But this one is going to make that Buddy thing look…
Tiny bubbles
Untitled Document How much of an effect, if any, does the carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages have on global warming? A typical 12-ounce can of soda contains as much as 6 grams (0.013 pounds) of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which either escapes into the atmosphere from the liquid on being opened or from your body…
Stretch work
Untitled Document Got a fitness problem? Sometimes … you’ve got to stretch yourself. The most common injuries are sorted into two categories: chronic and traumatic. Chronic injuries occur thanks to repetitive movements, a tennis swing, for instance. Traumatic injuries happen, quite obviously, because of a more sudden occurrence, like taking a hard hit on the…
Health Briefs
Untitled Document This year, keep your workout promise With the new year comes the promise of starting, then sticking with fitness routines. Make a difference in 2008 and hire a professional who can help you stay on track, scientifically speaking. “When a fitness expert conveys goals to an exerciser, his or her vision can increase…
Those mighty mites
Untitled Document Dr. Glennon Paul has worked with Springfield asthma patients for 33 years, but even he admits that he doesn’t have all the answers. Asthma, a respiratory condition in which the airway constricts, becomes inflamed, or fills with excessive amounts of mucus, strikes people of different ages and for different reasons — and, as…
