Have a ball
The legendary Harlem Globetrotters pass through Springfield Jan. 6 with a time out at the Prairie Capital Convention Center to play an amazing game of basketball. Full of all the skill and silly antics on court they are known for, there are no fouls here, just fun for the entire family. To find out more…
Black’s enthusiasm makes Travels worth taking
When it comes to people, and sometimes movies, charm can go a long way. Such is the case with Rob Letterman’s Gulliver’s Travels, a very loose adaptation of the Jonathan Swift classic fitted to Jack Black’s oversized personality. On paper, this seems like a very bad idea. However, as this modern take on the tale…
SEIZE THE DAY
A winning float in the Jan. 1 Rose Parade had a little touch of central Illinois on it. The Springfield branch of the Heartland Lions Eye Bank dedicated three roses on the Donate Life “Seize the Day!” float in honor of two Decatur residents, Wilma Shewhart and Roena Henne, who received cornea transplants, and the…
Death and dishonor
The motives people have for entering the public sphere often are murky. Their motives for leaving it prematurely are usually even more so. Tim Davlin is only the latest of several Illinois public men to have killed themselves recently. Four such deaths have occurred in Chicago since 2007, the latest being Phil Pagano, for 20…
HONORING VETS
Springfield veterans in need have a new ally looking out for them: an enthusiastic Filipino woman with a heart of gold. Rose Amon of Springfield is founder and chairman of HONVEE (HONoring VEts Event), a local nonprofit group that raises money for homeless veterans. Created in February 2010, HONVEE now has the backing of Sangamon…
Historic Buffalo house still standing, for now
The survival of a mid-19th century structure, part of which could date as far back as the 1830s, is hardly assured, but the historic house located on the edge of Buffalo may not meet a fiery end as once expected. The owners of the house and the property on which it rests had donated the…
Take to the ice
The Springfield Figure Skating Club hosts a free skating clinic for the public on Jan. 8 as part of U.S. Figure Skating’s National Skating Month. The clinic includes a 30-minute skate lesson from professional coaches, an exhibition from skaters of various levels, demonstrations, refreshments, games and prizes. Participants have a chance to win a 12-week…
Newyear’spoem #7
well now it’s new year’s againan occasional poem is writtenfor an occasion: robert frostwrote one for JFK maya angelouwrote one for bill clinton butwhen wordsworth was england’spoet laureate he refused to writeoccasional poems; they are notusually the poet’s best work.still, here is an occasion. my wishfor twenty eleven is that the largehadron collider now finished…
State union accepts halved raises
The largest union of state employees has ratified an agreement with the State of Illinois for the state to save upwards of $50 million in exchange for a promise of no layoffs. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 signed an agreement with Gov. Pat Quinn in November to implement…
Plan to preserve Enos Elementary
A Springfield school slated for demolition in 2013 might end up with an extended life, if an idea for turning Enos Elementary School into residential lofts becomes a reality. Springfield School District 186 plans to demolish Enos Elementary School, built in 1915 and located in the northwest corner of Springfield’s medical district, in order to…
Illinois loses at the blackjack table
Hockey is a game. Chess is a game. Placing a $50 bet at the blackjack table is not a game. It is gambling, even though casinos insist that they’re part of a gaming industry. But mislabeling is not the industry’s only offense. In fact, it’s insignificant compared to the damage the industry inflicts on the…
Just get started
It happened so subtly that I hardly noticed. From junior high through the beginning of college, I got fat. At just over six feet tall and weighing more than 270 pounds, I was positively obese – nearly 100 pounds over my ideal weight. I felt isolated and humiliated every time I went clothes shopping for…
Letters to the Editor 01/06/11
EXELON INVASIONThis is a crucial week for the future of the Taylorville Energy Center, as a Senate vote to approve the project is expected. While our focus is on Springfield, the enormous forces against the project have attracted national attention. We are in the fight of our life against a huge opponent that will spend…
How to talk weight
You may approach the subject with the best of intentions, but nutritionists recommend you don’t talk to your teen daughter about dieting, and do not put her on a diet. “If you decide your daughter truly has a weight problem, she’s going to know it, too,” says Dayle Hayes, a dietitian and mother. “It’s critical…
Prison advocates: Reinstate early release
Illinois should reinstate early prisoner release to address major problems in the state’s correctional system, says a reform group that monitors state prisons. The John Howard Association of Illinois (JHA), based in Chicago, says the state’s prisons are overcrowded and underfunded, creating dangerous and expensive conditions that could be remedied by reinstating the early prisoner…
Breathe easy
Strong diaphragms aren’t the cause celebre of the fitness world, but becoming a better breather can enhance your life – and your appearance – as much as a firm backside and killer thighs. From stress relief to weight loss to muscle toning, making the most of what’s generally an automatic action will increase your energy…
Sugar, sugar
If shedding those extra pounds is your top New Year’s resolution, health experts say you should start small – with your sweet tooth. According to the latest figures from the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes around 140 pounds of added sugar (refined sugar, corn sweeteners, honey and edible syrups) each year. …
The rest of the story 2010
Last year, as always, after my columns were published, I found new information I wish I’d known about at the time, or updates worth sharing. Here’s my list for 2010: Writing about Stevie’s Latin Village (“A restaurant to remember,” 4/8) brought back recollections for me and many readers as well – some of whose memories…
If you don’t have the blues, get some
Once upon a time the blues as a music art form, considered a depraved and morose way of expression by many in the mainstream, didn’t receive the universal respect it now holds. Through the 20th century this traditionally African-American based style of musical lamentation became the foundation for a good percentage of our modern popular…
Get back to basics
A peek inside the typical kitchen cupboard will give you a short history of American weight-loss fads. Every promise for a skinnier life, from fat-free to high-protein to reduced-carbohydrate foods, is reflected in a product tucked in the back of the shelves gathering dust. “People are spinning, they’re latching onto gimmicks and many aren’t getting…
Amazing stupidity syndrome in Texas
Good grief, it’s spreading! Another Texas politician has come down with the tragic disease known as “Amazing Stupidity Syndrome.” A.S.S. attacks the lobe of the brain that controls one’s ethical behavior, apparently causing the moral synapses in that region to go on the fritz, thus allowing the stupidity hormone to seep in and take…
Fockers overstays welcome
There’s an air of desperation about Little Fockers. My impression is those involved knew they were on this franchise’s final lap. The formula behind these films employs the Rube Goldberg method of comedy. How many different ways can poor Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) find himself in an awkward situation and how far can it get…
Cabin Fever
With a heartfelt love of music and a strong desire to entertain, Cabin Fever boasts an enthusiastic lineup of extraordinary musicians. Formed in 2006, the band plays regularly at local nightclubs and in the music festival market making it two years in a row at Springfest in Indianapolis and three years running at SOHO Fest…
A visual treat
Several seldom-displayed collection pieces of art and artifacts from the early days of the Springfield Art Association will be on display in the Gallery of Art through Jan. 26. The new exhibit, Art are Not a Trifle: The Springfield Art Association and its Collections, 1914-1930, includes the first SAA exhibited artist C. Arnold Slade; Ethel…
Worth the weight
The Paul Mickey Science Series Lecture Jan. 12 is the finale to the L. Brent Kington: Mythic Metalsmith exhibition. Dr. Jonathan Reyman, ISM Curator of Anthropology, will present “Heavy Metal: Brent Kington’s Toys and Akan Asante Goldweights.” Dr. Reyman will discuss some of the Asante influences on Kington’s toys in the context of a wider…
