West Side Story, then and now
In August, the Springfield Muni Opera will stage West Side Story. Directed and choreographed by Anna Bussing, the Broadway classic will play August 7-8, 13-15 and 20-22. (Curtain at 8:00 p.m.) Muni put on West Side Story in 1977, and I was backstage on opening night in my disguise as a reporter. It was a…
Judge rules against Urban League
A jury has issued a $100,000 verdict against the Springfield Urban League, ruling that the organization discriminated against a former Head Start teacher who lost her job in 2010. Jamie Schnitker, who worked at Head Start programs in Jacksonville, said that she was terminated after 13 years with the Urban League because she is white…
Embarrassing ancestors
In “Naming rights and wrongs,” I discussed, but did not settle, a question raised by Rick Miller of Capitol Fax, to whit, whether government facilities and entities in Illinois should be allowed to reflect historical incidents, doctrines or individuals that some members of the polity regard as odious. The entity he had in mind was Calhoun…
Making 2 plus 2 equal 3
In “The razor blade in the apple” I ventured to dismiss Mr. Rauner’s proposal to exempt local governments from the Prevailing Wage Act, which sets a locally controlled floor for construction pay on taxpayer-funded projects as a way to lower local government costs. I noted that construction is only a fraction of the cost of…
A beginning for happier endings?
In my 2013 column “Happier endings” I deplored the fact that doctors of patients in the final stages of incurable diseases so often continue to administer invasive or unpleasant treatments intended to prolong life when what patients and their families really want is help to die painlessly. Good news, then, from the folks who run…
Hilton switching brands
The Hilton Springfield will become a Wyndham next year. Owner Bob Egizii confirmed that the towering 30-story hotel with 365 rooms on East Adams Street in downtown Springfield will end its association with Hilton at the end of this year. He said he has reached an agreement with Wyndham to become a Wyndham franchise. “Wyndham…
Civic consciousness
In “Town character,” my recent column about the hometown as hero in mid-Illinois books, I noted that towns, like people, have different personalities. They are born, grow old and die. In middle age they falter in the race against nimbler competitors. They blush with shame at things they have done, and they are capable of…
The light that turns people on
Everybody’s very happy’Cause the sun is shining all the timeLooks like another perfect dayI love L.A. – “I Love L.A.” by Randy Newman For years, people measured the deficiencies of life in Springfield in terms of lifestyle emporia or ethnic eateries. The city’s gloominess was thought to be cultural, not meteorological. But according to NASA…
The venality of the 2016 presidential election
Already, results of the first election of the 2016 presidential race are in! It’s the Money Primary, controlled not by voters, but by super-wealthy donors. In this exclusive election, Jeb is way out front of the GOP pack with a record haul of $100 million, while Hillary has bagged $45 million to lead among the…
Rauner doubles down on Madigan
House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters earlier this month that he’d had a “frank discussion” with Gov. Bruce Rauner, “and I gave him good, solid advice.” Word is, that advice had two parts. First, the governor needs to find a way to get himself out of this long overtime session, no-state-budget mess. Second, if the…
Letters to the Editor 7/23/15
Long lines at the city of Springfield’s first electronics recycling event July 18 meant some would-be recyclers were turned away when the event ended at noon. City public works director Mark Mahoney said the city’s vendor, Vintage Tech of Pl PHOTO BY Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/MCT ELECTRONICS GLITCH I was one of hundreds of Springfield…
Editor’s note 7/23/15
Voters always complain that political campaigns are too long, but it is in the course of a long campaign that a candidate’s true character, or lack of it, often emerges. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fight to get his “Turnaround Agenda” approved before he’ll cooperate on a budget deal has been likened to a political campaign, and…
Laws threaten women’s reproductive health
As Americans, we strive for safety – the safest medicines, cars and toys. But when it comes to women’s reproductive health, state legislatures have passed about 250 laws since 2011 that put women’s health at risk. And they do it under the guise of “women’s safety.” Women of color are disproportionately affected by these policies throughout…
Catching creepy crawlies
Insects after Dark PHOTO BY BRUCE MARLIN/ WIKIMEDIA.ORG Did you know that central Illinois is home to nearly 300 different kinds of insects? Some of them you’ve undoubtedly seen, like the glamorous firefly or the annoying mosquito. But some of them – like the scarab beetle – usually manage to stay out of sight unless…
Learning from the greats
Free Youth Baseball Clinic Calling all future baseball stars: If you want to learn the fundamentals of the game from some of the best teachers out there, check out the Free Youth Baseball Clinic on July 25. The clinic will teach kids ages 6-16 how to throw, catch, hit and more, while stressing the importance…
Transported to another era
Springfield Municipal Band Sunset Concert What better way to wrap up a fun-filled weekend than watching the sun set while listening to a local band play the classics? The Springfield Municipal Band’s Sunset Concert offers exactly that on July 26 – a perfect chance to relax outside in a beautiful park and enjoy a bit…
Mourning breath
I was engaged to a woman 20 years ago. We were in college and in our mid-20s. I realized that I wasn’t ready to get married and called off the engagement. I loved her and wanted to stay with her, but she broke off the relationship. I’ve had relationships since then, but I still regret…
Ablution solution
Curses, foiled againPolice who accused Alexander Katz, 19, of stealing a car in Logan, Utah, said he and his girlfriend had to abandon the vehicle and call a cab because he didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. The car’s owner spotted the vehicle being driven off and called police, who found Katz and…
Extinct
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM, DOUG CARR, MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHER There’s more to the Illinois State Museum than meets the average citizen’s eye. The exhibits on display at the museum’s main location at Spring and Edwards streets represent a tiny fraction of the riches maintained by the ISM. Few are aware that the staff…
Education funding bill fails in Senate
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill. Photo BY PATRICK YEAGLE Legislation to freeze Illinois’ property taxes and change the state’s school funding formula failed in the Senate last week, but not because of opposition to the bill. Instead, it was a casualty of the ongoing state budget stalemate. The bill’s Democratic sponsor says he was disappointed…
Dog bites man, who sues
Stewart, depending on who’s talking, is either a mutt in need of a home or a dangerous dog that needs to be euthanized. One thing is clear. Stewart is now at the center of a lawsuit filed by an Animal Protective League volunteer who says that the pit bull mix bit him for no reason.…
Rauner pension plan guts collective bargaining
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s new plan to reduce Illinois’ pension obligations would circumvent collective bargaining on several aspects of state employment. The 485-page plan earned criticism from Democrats in the Illinois House who say it’s too close to what the Illinois Supreme Court already dismissed. In a July 15 legislative hearing, two of Rauner’s advisors told…
ILLINOIS ISSUES DROPS PRINT
In light of a dire state budget outlook, Illinois Issues announced on Wednesday it will drop its print magazine and go digital only. The monthly magazine, begun in 1975, is in its 40th year of publication. Illinois Issues, which merged with WUIS radio earlier this year, offers in-depth coverage of state government and related topics.…
SCHOOL MAKEOVER
What do you get when you mix 1,000 volunteers, thousands of dollars in donations and a 100-year-old school? You get a school makeover that gives kids another reason to be proud of their school. Springfield Sharefest starts on July 25, bringing volunteers from around the city together to renovate Feitshans Elementary School in just four…
Fun, imagination propel Ant-Man
Paul Rudd in Ant-Man. After the rather somber and at times pedestrian entry that was Avengers: Age of Ultron, Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man is a much needed breath of fresh air. Lighthearted, fun and imaginative, this is by far the most fun of the Marvel features, a movie that has no problem acknowledging how absurd it…
Music makes a mark
Somebody’s Darling plays Homespun Republic on Saturday night for the Bedrock 66 Live music series. This week brings us all kinds of styles, variations, moods and muses of music. Surely somewhere in there is a spot for you. Let us proceed to discover something for everyone. Friday night holds a collection of seasoned and experienced…
The Way Down Wanderers
The Way Down Wanderers Originally from Peoria and now based out of Chicago, this active and alternative folk quintet is on the move. Bandmates Austin Thompson (vocals, guitar), Collin Krause (vocals, mandolin, violin, electric guitar), Ben Montalbano (vocals, banjo), John Williams (vocals, upright bass) and John Merikoski (drums, percussion) blend influences from bluegrass, jazz, classical,…
n fifth street poem #23
n fifth street poem #23 this is a big public thank you tothe Catholic Heart Work Campscores of young people with theirleaders who swarmed into our enospark neighborhood to do what wasneeded at individual homes at minethey unbricked the brick sidewalk ithad been oozing toward the streetlaid down sand replaced the bricksevenly then sanded the…
Here’s what’s new about new potatoes
PHOTO BY SCOTT BAUER, USDA ARS/WIKIMEDIA.ORG Have you ever eaten new potatoes – potatoes with skins so thin they scrub off easily with a vegetable brush, with flesh so lusciously creamy it’s almost decadent? You might be surprised to learn that potatoes labeled “new” in the supermarket usually aren’t. Real new potatoes should be recently dug…
Keeping public contracts secret
A Sangamon County judge has rejected a plea from a Massachusetts company that claims that requests for the company’s contracts with more than a dozen Illinois school districts are harming business and damaging the company’s reputation. Lawyers for Ameresco had argued that requests under the state Freedom of Information Act for contracts should be barred,…
