Beware of the tomato tamperers
Some people are too smart for your own good. Food geneticists, for example. These technicians have the smarts to tinker with the inner workings of Momma Nature’s own good foods – but not the smarts to leave well enough alone. In fairness, much of their scientific tinkering has been beneficial. But during the past half-century,…
The message from the graves
The other day a passing canoeist (who else?) found an unusual pottery fragment on a sandbar in the Sangamon between Springfield and Petersburg. The find prompted the usual questions? How old is it? Who made it? How did it get there? Having some knowledge of Illinois anthropology, the boater reported the find to Michael Wiant,…
Quell excessive partisanship
There are lots of ways in which members of Congress differ from the American people. They are wealthier, whiter and older. Proportionally more of them are men, and far more are lawyers. All of these differences can affect congressional deliberations, but none matches another gap that has opened up: Congress, unlike the country at large,…
IEPA withdraws Tenaska Taylorville permit
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency withdrew a pollution permit last week for a proposed power plant in Taylorville after federal regulators asked the state to allow a controversial “clean coal” technology. IEPA previously issued a permit to Nebraska-based power company Tenaska allowing the company to operate its Taylorville Energy Center project as a natural gas…
Video gambling comes to Springfield
Springfield bars, restaurants and fraternal organizations will soon be able to offer video gambling legally, thanks to a 7-2 vote by the Springfield City Council on Tuesday. The nine aldermen seemed weary heading into debate on the video gambling proposal, following an hour-and-forty-minute hearing on a proposed tanning ban for minors that ended up being…
anecdotepoem #6
an out-of-town friendnew to my three year oldbeckoned her to him “jillyI’ll tell you a secret” she bent an anticipatory earhe whispered “you area very pretty little girl”she drew back astonished“but everybody knows that!”
‘Show me your papers’
The first sign of trouble came late last year, when employees at local Mexican restaurants started getting pulled over. The offenses were minor: failure to signal a lane change, stopping just a bit over the white line at intersections – the sort of ticky-tack stuff cops only seem to notice when they’re really looking for…
Water, water everywhere
The math looks good. The city of Springfield figures it needs 12 million gallons of water per day from a backup water source in case of severe drought. A gravel pit near Riverton already owned by the city would produce 3 million gallons, according to a city-funded study released last month. Other pits in the…
Bitter Homes and Gardens
If your wife says another man’s name while making love, what does that mean? It was her ex’s name – my stepson’s dad. She apologized, saying it was only because she remembered needing to call him about problems their son’s having at school. Although I don’t think she’s cheating, I can’t say I believe her…
Capital humor
Tara McClellan McAndrew’s The Lighter Side of Springfield History comes to the Hoogland Center for the Arts for two weekend performances in July. The multi-media comedy that uses quick vignettes, sketches and song parodies that chronicle the funnier parts of real central Illinois people and events in the 1800s stars a cast of eight including:…
Safety looks longingly at going back to the past
After a certain age, we all acquire a degree of skepticism as our first line of defense against being taken advantage of. Some end up questioning the validity of things more than others. While this may be to our advantage at times, it has its downside. It prevents us from taking a chance on believing…
Part shows us what makes Perry tick
What did I learn about Katy Perry in the new documentary covering her first world tour? Well, she sure is a hard worker; success hasn’t spoiled her yet; she seems to genuinely appreciate her fans; she can change her clothes really, really fast; and that Russell Brand character certainly didn’t deserve her. Obviously, Katy Perry:…
Metro-East congressional race could spell trouble for Democrats
A new poll taken last week has Republican congressional candidate Jason Plummer leading his new Democratic challenger by 11 points. The poll, taken Monday, July 9, by We Ask America, found Plummer ahead of Democrat Bill Enyart 45-34. The automated poll of 1,510 likely voters had a margin of error of /- 2.5 percent. Plummer…
Pick of the crop
The Chatham Jaycees always put on one of the most enjoyable festivals in central Illinois. This year’s two-day fest with corn and a host of other morsels, entertainment and games and nightly music takes place July 20-21 in Chatham’s Community Park located on the south edge of town. The Illinois Central Blues Club hosts an…
The nation’s top pork is raised right here
Stan Schutte looks like a typical central Illinois farmer, with his buzz haircut and weather-beaten face. On hot days at Wednesday’s Old State Capitol Farmers Market, he’s probably wearing his battered straw hat. He sounds like an archetypal central Illinois farmer, too, with a bit of drawl and occasional grammar faux pas. But if you…
Letters to the Editor 07/19/12
HORSESHOE FANI grew up outside of Springfield and loved Norb Andy’s horseshoes. Is the receipe you have from Feb. 2, 2012, the real original Leland Hotel horseshoe sauce? [Yes. –Ed.] There are several on the Internet claiming they are it and they are very similar. We are coming back to Illinois in two weeks and…
HERE: KITTIES, KITTIES
It isn’t hard to see why the Animal Protective League is giving away cats. Walk into the reception area of the animal shelter on Taintor Road and there, atop a desk, lies Garfunkel, a tabby, snoozing next to a computer screen, sprawled half on top of the keyboard. Edmund, a black-and-white, is exploring office supplies…
FASTER PHONES
AT&T customers in Springfield should have noticed an increase in the speed of their mobile data connections last week, as the company announced an upgrade to its capabilities in the capital city. Cell phones operate on electromagnetic frequencies between 800 megahertz and 2,700 megahertz and, while different cell phones and different companies use various frequencies…
Musical folktale
Enjoy outdoor theater as Once On This Island is performed at The Muni July 20-22, 25-29. The story follows Ti Moune, a young peasant girl from a poor village on a small island. Her life is uprooted when the gods of the island decide to use her to settle their argument about which is stronger…
Low end highs
Several excellent goings on are going on this week and here are few of them. First a moment of silence, then a big hoot and holler, for Raoul Brotherman’s birth date on July 18. It’s perfectly acceptable to celebrate now and later, as the Round Mound of Sound always participated with lengthy rejoicing by calling…
The Civil War’s effects on ordinary folks
The stories we tell and the songs we sing help us make sense of the past, understand the present and build the future. Civil War Journeys, which opened last weekend at New Salem’s Theatre in the Park and continues its run July 19-22, is not an action-packed drama and it is not a lighthearted musical.…
Dream Team Ensemble
Dream Team Ensemble’s live music performance as described by Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS professor of political science and a creative music performer, is “an experimental tapestry of sound, a mostly-minimalist style in the post-John Cage tradition.” Now if that doesn’t help you out much, or even better if it does, come and experience these “sound paintings”…
Congress candidates clash on health care
As the Republican-controlled U.S. House continues its crusade to repeal the federal health care reforms passed in 2010, two candidates seeking to represent Springfield in the House take to the campaign trail with widey different views on the reform law. Republican Rodney Davis of Taylorville and Democrat David Gill of Bloomington each seek Illinois’ new…
