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Government Federal President Barack Obama United States House of Representatives United States Senate Illinois Senators: Dick Durbin Mark Kirk State State of Illinois State Agencies Illinois General Assembly Governor Pat Quinn Illinois Department of Public Health County Sangamon County City City of Springfield City Council Mayor J. Michael Houston Education District 186 – Public (primary…
Stars shine in My Week with Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe’s personal troubles have been well documented. Plagued by self-doubt, constantly in search of love, in hindsight the actress’s tragic early death was seemingly inevitable, what with the lack of support she received as well as the toxic environment she found herself in. One of her more tumultuous years was 1956. She had just…
Too close for comfort
John Narmont, a Springfield lawyer under scrutiny by the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, has been sued by a former client who says that Narmont told her to sell land, then bought the property himself. In a lawsuit filed Dec. 27 in Sangamon County Circuit Court, Carolyn Williams says that Narmont advised her to…
Cultivate your own bounty of vegetables
It only makes sense to turn a little patch of your property into a personal supply of organic food. Quality and cost control are the top reasons to do it – and avid gardeners will tell you that there is a special kind of joy in planting, growing, picking and serving the freshest produce possible.…
The business of fitness
Old city directories and phone books tell the story. Thirty years ago, fewer than five health centers, fitness clubs, gymnasiums – pick a noun – did business in Springfield. Twenty years ago, there were fewer than ten. Today, nearly 20 fitness centers in the Springfield area troll for customers in the yellow pages. “It’s extremely…
The rest of the story, 2011
It’s time again to wrap up some of the things I wrote about during 2011. Though I usually do it chronologically, this time around I have to start with the overwhelming reader response to my Oct. 6 column, “It’s alive!” I wrote about my 15-year-old sourdough starter having been inadvertently thrown away by a friend,…
newyearspoem 2012
let’s praise old ladies’ beautiful bodies I see them daily in the Y shower room myself included some of us gaunt sinewy some with rolls of fat some in between but most with rounded bellies gnarled toes most a scar or two a lump or twoa limp or two but all just right just right…
Giving gifts that matter
It wasn’t that long ago that the act of “gift giving” didn’t require a maddening trip to Walmart or a desperate online search for this season’s must-have toy. Rather, a gift implied something from within, a little piece of yourself, no matter how small, showing you care. Could that old-fashioned concept possibly become new-fashioned? Yes.…
The King
If you love the King, as in Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, you can celebrate his 77th birthday at the Hoogland Center of the Arts on Saturday, Jan. 7 with a tribute concert. Internationally-known performer Elvis Himselvis, also known as Rick Dunham of central Illinois, and his band take the stage. The…
I smell a rut
I just got dumped by a guy who swore he was ready to settle down (after years of serial monogamy). His relationship history reminded me of the man you wrote about recently who had been married and divorced five times and was on relationship number six. Woman number six wrote you, “He’s in his 50s;…
Here’s how I did it
My weight has been an issue for me for much of my life. I was a stocky kid off and on throughout my childhood. Just before my senior year of high school, I was able to lose a large amount of weight, and that weight loss changed my life. I was thrilled with the way…
Are Nehemiah Homes public or private?
Aretha Thompson of Springfield said she and her two children were blessed to move into a house in the Nehemiah Homes neighborhood in March 2010. The subsidized housing development was a welcome change from the uncertainties of living at Sojourn Shelter, a Springfield shelter for victims of domestic violence. “They were so happy when we…
Cabin Fever
In 2005 this hardworking, easy-playing quintet of Zach Johnson (vocals, harmonica), Mike Eck (vocals, guitar), Danny Sronce (vocals, guitar), Geoff Ryan (electric bass) and Justin Schmidt (percussion, banjo) joined together to play true blues, country- and folk-based music in the Americana genre. With songs ranging from freshly penned originals to deep-rooted traditionals and covering artists…
Native American end times
A little known treasure in Springfield is the Illinois State Museum Paul Mickey Science Series. These free lectures are held monthly with the next one taking place Jan. 11. Dr. Jonathan Reyman, curator of anthropology at the museum, presents The End of Time: Maya, Aztec, Pawnee and Pueblo Views of the End of the World.…
The 1 percent that used to be
Recently I visited Asheville, N.C., and witnessed how the 1 percent used to live. About one million people make the pilgrimage to the Biltmore House each year, and my wife and I now number among them. The Biltmore rests within an 8,000-acre estate. This house, designed to resemble a French chateau and serve as George…
Slam dunk
The world-famous and wonderfully funny Harlem Globetrotters take to the court Jan. 6 at Prairie Capital Convention Center. Don’t miss this one-night-only performance. Though player rosters vary from town to town (and there’s 230 cities on just their North American tour) and are subject to change, you might see one of the several outstanding rookies…
WHERE TO TAKE ELECTRONICS
Fax machines and VCRs might be so yesterday as the 21st century nears teenhood, but that doesn’t mean that such electronic junk belongs in the trash. Beginning this month, it is illegal to dump unwanted electronic items in Illinois landfills. The ban list developed by the General Assembly includes 17 things, ranging from televisions to…
Elvis by the numbers
As I prepare to research Elvis Presley and numbers, what better snack than one of the King’s favorite repasts. According to one of the many Internet sites on everything-about-Elvis, the recipe is as follows: Peanut butter and banana sandwich3 tablespoons peanut butter2 slices light bread1 banana, mashed2 tablespoons margarine, meltedMix soft peanut butter and mashed…
You are what you…DRINK
Incorporate healthy beverages into your diet to improve your overall health and not hinder weight-control plans. People have long been told by doctors and health experts that the foods they eat have a direct correlation to personal health. But the beverages individuals choose to drink could be equally as influential. Choosing the right beverages can…
Letters to the Editor 01/05/12
LEGACY THEATREThank you for highlighting the arts in Springfield [see “Upbeat arts in a down economy,” Dec. 22, by Scott Faingold]. However, one story you seem to have missed is the purchasing and renovation of The Legacy Theatre at 101 E Lawrence. Granted, I am biased because of my involvement with the theater, but it’s unfortunate that…
GETTING RID OF GOVERNMENT
Mosquito abatement districts. Tuberculosis sanitarium districts. Not exactly stuff that sets civic hearts afire. But the Sangamon County Citizens’ Efficiency Commission is, nonetheless, examining the minutia of local government to determine what we can, and cannot, live without. It turns out that we can do without a mosquito abatement district or tuberculosis sanitarium district, both…
The U.S. is getting larger
Doctors, fitness professionals and nutritionists all have ideas on what men and women should and should not eat. Choosing the right foods can help save waistlines and lives. The country is growing larger, and that has nothing to do with the population. Individuals are heavier than ever before. About one third of Americans are considered…
Committee to ‘revisit’ civil union partner insurance Jan. 10
Springfield Mayor Michael Houston announced his support for providing health insurance benefits for partners of employees in civil unions at a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Mayor Houston’s decision comes as a response to a vote on Dec. 20 by the Joint Labor/Management Healthcare Committee, which voted 10-0 (Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards and…
Reduce stress with relaxation tools
Stress has become a daily part of people’s lives. Despite its detriments to health and well-being, stress seems to be something most people can’t shake. Increasing the number of relaxation tools around the house may prove effective at reducing stress. Pick any number of surveys and you’re likely to find that the general public is…
The mysteries of space and time
I wouldn’t want to be quoted on it, but I think it was Michael Burlingame, in his comprehensive biography of the 16th president, who revealed that Abraham Lincoln started thinking about a new career in Washington because he could never find a parking place downtown. In this complaint Lincoln – who was in so many…
