The little shop that could
It’s quirky — the good kind of quirky. Its eclectic assortment of edibles reflects, I suspect, the owners’ tastes as much as their customers’. And it’s been in the same Springfield location for a long time. A very long time — since the 1890s. Not only that, but it’s been owned and operated by the…
Safeguarding our elderly
The Senate Special Committee on Aging says there may be as many as 5 million victims of elder abuse each year. Besides the obvious physical warning signs, changes in the senior’s personality or behavior may be a signal that a problem exists. Be alert to unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, unusual depression, sudden financial changes,…
Summertime blues
Eddie Cochran famously claimed in his 1958 classic rockabilly hit that, “there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues,” and from the looks of the upcoming blues events for central Illinois we’re in for an epidemic. From the Chatham Sweetcorn Festival to the Old State Capitol Blues & BBQs, with several Blue Monday jams tossed…
Big bankers mounting sneak attack on consumers
Have you received your thank-you note? I’m still waiting for mine. More than a year into the Wall Street bailout, I’ve yet to get any sort of “thank you” from even a single one of the big banks that you and I propped up with $12 trillion in direct giveaways, indirect giveaways, government guarantees and…
Egg, Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
This delicious and unusual pasta sauce is a favorite at my house, and takes only minutes to make. In fact, it has to be made quickly in order for the sauce and pasta to be combined at just the right moment. It’s not at all difficult, but the sequence and timing are crucial. Try it…
Service disconnected
Brenda Johnson, executive director of Helping Hands, says officials at the Springfield homeless shelter are simply “trying to control what we have control of” to adjust to a 27 percent cut in funding from the state. That’s meant relying more heavily on donations from the community, which have been plentiful, making sure to turn off…
Half-Blood Prince continues Potter’s compelling spell
A sense of doom and foreboding hangs over David Yates’ adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth chapter in J.K. Rowling’s pop culture epic. That the books continued to captivate readers throughout their entire run is no surprise as the author’s storytelling style is compelling, while her plan to have the characters…
Building a new life after prison
At 10 a.m. on a Saturday, RaeLynn Costa crouches next to a plastic kiddie pool, massaging oatmeal shampoo into the scruffy coat of a shelter dog named Buddy. She murmurs softly to the water-wary pooch as she rinses the soap from his fur and towels him dry. Her 14-year-old daughter, Nicole, along with a squad…
Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind set to open this fall
Before developers installed the children’s playground at Edwin Watts Southwind Park, they spent an entire day discussing their options with representatives from United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln, Sparc and the Hope Institute for Children and Families. Diane Mathis, a lead developer for the new 80-acre “all-abilities” venue near the intersection of Interstate 55 and…
Paper vs. plastic
Pay poor tax of $15. The directive no longer applies solely to Monopoly players — it’s also happening to Illinois’ unemployed workers. Last fall, the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which pays state unemployment claims, abandoned the decades-old practice of issuing paper unemployment checks in favor of Visa debit cards. Springfield-based Illinois National Bank was…
An Illinois artist’s amazing life after death
“Too late now,” said Henry Darger, an 80-something retired janitor and former central Illinois resident, as he waited for death at a Chicago charitable institution in 1973. He’d just been told that his landlords discovered the artworks he’d created over a lifetime. But Darger thought it was too late for his art and too late…
Protect community health centers
How reproductive health care is dealt with in national health care reform is no small matter. And who provides this care is still to be determined. For communities like Springfield, local health centers are where many people turn for trusted health care. Community health providers, like Planned Parenthood, often serve as an entry point for…
Mike Madigan’s agenda revealed
“You guys are going to have to come up with a new conspiracy theory,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan told Rockford Register-Star columnist Wally Haas last week about her decision to go for reelection and forgo runs for governor or U.S. Senate. “I had it from a pretty good source as recently as Friday that she…
Red Letter Merchant
Putting together a band is easy. Turning it into a successful venture is not. Red Letter Merchant is determined to take the idea of becoming an all original, modern rock band and make it a reality. After coming together in early 2008 hoping to avoid further, “typical band drama,” Ryan Louis, (piano, vocals), Scott Neuweg…
Letters to the Editor 7/16/09
GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT I would like to use your paper to broadcast an apology to someone I hope reads your paper. I mean, doesn’t everyone? Some months ago I was chatting on break with a younger male worker. I had recently read an astounding story online that I shared with him. “Hey,” I said,…
A decree of relief
As the Illinois General Assembly grapples with a budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, Gov. Pat Quinn moved to slash funding from social service agencies, eliminating some programs and drastically reducing others. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) faced massive cuts, but a recent emergency court petition has resulted in…
The plot sickens
The first time Renatta Frazier heard about massive grave robbing at an Alsip cemetery, she didn’t give it a second thought. A tiny village on the southwestern tip of Chicagoland, Alsip held no special meaning. It wasn’t until a childhood friend mentioned Burr Oak Cemetery that Frazier snapped. Burr Oak is one of a dozen…
Good as gold
The Sweet Corn Festival is known for its good-to-the-last-bite buttery ears of corn and its infamous Illinois Championship Cow Chip Throw, once demonstrated by a Jaycee on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” Other highlights include a children’s area, a Sweet Corn Pageant and lots of great music both days. New this year is the Tour…
