Manufacturing crisis
Let’s talk about manufacturing in Illinois – everybody else is. Our new honorary president and our not-so-new governor have promised to bring back good manufacturing jobs, jobs just like the old days. Only they won’t, because they can’t. The industrial economy of the 1950s and ’60s is (to borrow a term not presently fashionable on…
Right-wingers, Red Pope and Jesus
‘Tis the season for family, friends, eggnog, chipmunks singing Christmas carols – and all-out, no-mercy, blow-’em-all-to-hell war. Not war like in Afghanistan. No, no – this is the far right’s God-awful “War on Christmas.” In this season of Peace on Earth, a delusional faction of rightists has cooked up a hokey “cultural crisis” to rally…
Illinois is in danger of becoming a failed state
Let’s take a look at headlines from just one day in December: – The state’s bill backlog tops $11.3 billion as the political impasse preventing a budget deal drags on. – Chicago’s murder rate is so freakishly high that it’s significantly driving up the national murder rate. – The state’s most effective corporate tax incentive…
Letters to the Editor 1/5/17
ABUSE OF TIF FUNDINGI, along with others, am becoming concerned about Springfield TIF spending policies. Tax increment financing, as often espoused, has taxes (generally property tax) removed from the public rolls in distressed areas to create economic development that would give a greater return than taxes encumbered. I didn’t know downtown Springfield was a…
Editor’s note 1/5/17
In anticipation of the new administration taking office Jan. 20, many Americans are asking themselves what they can do to make these perilous times better. The Dominican Sisters of Springfield suggest joining them in an effort to promote civil discourse. The sisters earlier explained that their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are “a prophetic…
Republicans’ replacement for Obamacare
All Americans face the prospect that very shortly after Jan. 20, Congress will repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That means between 14 and 17 million people (depending on the report you want to use) will have their health care benefits in jeopardy. It is estimated that over one million of them are in Illinois.…
The quirks of community theater
Exercise your creative side by auditioning for Historical Fiction, a production that showcases the quirks of community theater. Set backstage during a local production about the life of Abraham Lincoln, director Mitch is determined to keep the performance on track despite costume malfunctions and questions regarding attention to detail and method acting. This comedy is…
Heal from food struggles
If your new year’s resolution is to take charge of your nutrition, this “Winter Nutrition Retreat” hosted by AnnaNutrition might be the resource you need. Split into three sessions, the retreat is geared towards women healing from food struggles. The morning session runs from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. It is titled “Mindful Eating” and…
Wood I lie to you?
My girlfriend found a certain little blue pill in my jeans pocket, and her feelings were hurt. I explained that I’m as into her as ever; I just need a little extra help because I’m getting older. However, she’s taking this personally. How do I reassure her? – Rhymes with Niagara Back in seventh grade,…
A delightful mixed bag of movies
There were two dominating factors in American film this year – Disney Studios and animated features – and it should come as no surprise that the success of one went hand-in-hand with the other. Never before has one studio controlled the overall global box office as the Mouse House did in 2016. Once the dust…
The 10 best film scenes of 2016
Movies are about moments – big moments that erase our cynicism about cinema and remind us of its capacity to dazzle as well as touch us. This happens in a way only possible with a medium that seamlessly combines so many other art forms. There are instances that prompt us to consider things in a…
SAA’s film series brings drama, variety
Each winter for the past 25 years, the Springfield Art Association has offered an antidote to the common blockbuster with the Molly Schlich Independent and International Film Series. Over the course of several weeks (Sunday matinees and Tuesday evenings) at AMC’s Parkway 8, 3025 Lindbergh Blvd., the series offers local movie buffs the opportunity to…
Jennifer Watkins fights for custody
Jennifer Watkins is many things. An accused fugitive from justice. A widow who wouldn’t cooperate with police who investigated the killing of her husband. She recently broke off an engagement to a married man who has pleaded guilty in connection with a $175 million fraud scheme. She has also raised a daughter who is remarkably…
A half-century of sewing
After decades of sewing, Wilbur “Skip” Costa has succumbed. He no longer wears a tie to work, as he did back in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan dropped jaws by wearing brown suits in the White House. Governors and presidents delivering speeches in open-neck shirts? “That bothers me,” says Costa, proprietor of Roy’s Alterations and…
Figures fine but lacks bite
Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures is the sort of sanitized history lesson that sets out to right wrongs by presenting a story infused with good intentions and a sense of righteousness. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this approach, other than the fact that it doesn’t go far enough in portraying the abuse and neglect its three…
New New Year’s news
Well, here we are in 2017, and don’t you know it, it will be 2018 before you know it. I know, I know, don’t say things like that, but, as some folks say, it’s better than the alternative. The holidays are mostly over, so let’s get right back to seeing what’s going on in the…
Barry Cloyd
A talented, hardworking artist of stature, this Peoria native plays steady all year, making a living making music, and he does it by making people feel good. A versatile, multi-instrumentalist on banjo, guitar (six and 12 strings, Dobro and high-strung), harmonica and mandolin, our man Barry does classic covers (Beatles, etc.), a treasure of Celtic…
newyear’s poem # 16
sometimesyou just have tostopand pull upyour socks
Resolve to have fewer, better kitchen gadgets
We know that eating fresh, simple, home-cooked food is one of the best ways to foster our health and overall well-being. Many of you, like me, will be entering the New Year with a renewed commitment to health and to improving order and efficiency in our lives and households. As you well know, it’s typically…
