Socializing through the past
The public is invited to a 1800s party and book premiere on the Edwards Place grounds as the Springfield Art Association commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The ice cream social features the Springfield International Folk Dancers, free ice cream, children’s activities and re-enactors. The SAA also debuts its newly published Eating with…
Fresh tomato, brie, garlic, and basil pasta sauce
My kids loved making this sauce – and still do; it’s something they’ve continued to make as adults. If the tomatoes aren’t peeled, there’s no cooking involved beyond placing a bowl in a warm oven, making it ideal for age-appropriate kids to prepare on their own, or with adult supervision. Be sure that the brie…
Fired worker sues state over medical privacy
A dispute over a computer program at a state agency in Springfield has escalated into a federal court case involving doctor-patient confidentiality, more than $771,000 in damages sought and even a fake bomb threat. Michael Sanders, 46, of Springfield, a former data processing technician with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) since 2005,…
The value of a good appraiser
Springfield homeowners who want to know what their home is worth know to get an appraisal. What they might not know is how to select a good appraiser. Richard deVerdier, of the Illinois Coalition of Appraisal Professionals (ICAP) board of directors and a state-certified real estate appraiser, says the profession is constantly changing. Appraisers who…
Veterans help out at Jubilee Farm
More than 8,000 miles and three decades separate the quiet fields at Jubilee Farm west of Springfield from the violence and death of the Vietnam War. But for Richard Tapia, a Springfield veteran of the Vietnam War, there is a common element to both places: the camaraderie and trust of a fellow veteran. Tapia spent…
Why Quinn canceled union pay raises
There are lots of different angles to Gov. Pat Quinn’s highly controversial decision to unilaterally refuse to pay scheduled, contractual pay raises to unionized state employees, so let’s take them one at a time. • This is not “new” news: Chicago reporters are the only ones with access to the governor these days. (Quinn has…
Massey Energy’s manmade hellhole
In March of last year, Massey Energy Corp.’s official record book for recording unsafe conditions in its Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia said flatly: “none observed.” It turns out that this was a flat-out lie. Just one month later, Upper Big Branch exploded, killing 29 miners and devastating their families. Massey’s in-house…
How safe is U.S. nuclear power?
John W. Kindt, a U of I business and legal policy professor, is an expert on environmental law who has studied the regulation of nuclear power since the 1970s. He discusses the future of nuclear power in the U.S. with News Bureau Business and Law editor Phil Ciciora. The head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory…
Devoid of life
Illinois has long been content to be a C-minus kind of state. That’s about the grade the 2010 census gave the state for its performance during the Oughts, when the number of people living in Illinois grew by only 3.3 percent while the nation as a whole increased its numbers by 9.7 percent. The performance…
Kids’ day at the farm
I’ve always been mystified when I hear about children refusing to eat vegetables – any vegetables, not just one or two – or viewing them as inherently awful. Vegetables in their grandparents’ produce farm and our garden were an integral part of my kids’ life. They teethed on scallions, wiped tomatoes for selling and helped…
Gambling on the fairgrounds
Step right up! Welcome to the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where kids can milk cows, and cows can win ribbons and anyone 21 years and older can contribute to an electronic, press-a-button, hear-a-beep, wait-to-(probably)-lose-while-it-looks-like-you’re-winning casino king’s cash cow – the slot machine. Gambling opponents say that’s what Springfield should expect to see if Gov. Pat Quinn…
Harry Potter’s magical finale
A great deal of skill, a little bit of luck and many wise decisions all played a part in making the Harry Potter franchise the most successful in film history. It’s only during the final moments of David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 that we begin to appreciate just what an…
Hurricane Ruth returns
Try tossing out the name Hurricane Ruth in a conversation about area music and see what happens. Most folks from back in the day are likely to have a story about a particularly stupendous performance or perhaps a terrific tale of those heady times. Voted top blues band by the now-defunct Prairie Sun magazine and…
A family’s clash of values in a time of war
Don’t let the music fool you. The stage adaptation of Shenandoah is a drama. Set in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the Civil War, the play explores the impact of the war on a family whose patriarch, Charlie Anderson, says he will protect himself and his family but is against “open season on strangers.” Anderson,…
Thunder rock
These were the cats before the musical Cats became popular. With big hair and makeup reminiscent of mimes gone wild, KISS was the talk of the rock scene during the 70s and now, long tongue and all, Gene Simmons along with Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer take to the Prairie Capital Convention Center…
Ears a party
For 38 years the Chatham Jaycees have thrown a fun party made famous by scrumptious mouth-watering sweet corn and something else not so mouth-watering that gets thrown – cow chips. The Illinois Championship Cow Chip Throw starts at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday where you can fling two dried dodos for only $5. But food and…
GARDEN HELPERS
The broiling heat of summer couldn’t melt the spirits of about 16 teens volunteering their time at the community garden in the state fairgrounds on Tuesday. The high school-aged youth mulched, weeded and cleaned several gardens inside the horse racing track this week, having a bit of fun as they worked. They are spending their…
Knefli
My mother was given this recipe from a friend back when I was in high school. It was a traditional recipe of her Eastern European family. Knefli is essentially large-form spaetzle in larger form. My mom’s friend served it with roast lamb and gravy. That was wonderful, but I’ve since adapted it as a vehicle…
Area 51
As area bands go, Area 51 just keeps going. Now in their second decade of performance as a unit, Jeff Loftus (drums, vocals), Larry Dupont (vocals, sax, bass), Larry Crowley (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Rod Vansandt (guitars, vocals, bass) continue to play the top shelf shows in central Illinois. With all the best fests,…
Letters to the Editor 7/14/11
NO TO NUKES In regards to your recent article about nuclear power and the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant [see “The nuke next door,” by Rachel Wells, June 16]: Is nuclear power safe? No it is not. Is nuclear power economically feasible now? No it is not. Is nuclear power an appropriate use of technology? No…
TRAFFIC CONTROL
Springfield traffic is mostly kinda square, but a new project could change that. With construction now underway, the city is about to get its first roundabout intersection [see “Going ’round and ’round,” by James Krohe Jr., Dec. 3, 2009, at illinoistimes.com]. As part of the Capitol Avenue Beautification Project, crews are now working to construct…
