Cover Story
Juneteenth
This is the first year that Juneteenth is an official state holiday in Illinois, but Freedom Day, as it’s also known, has been celebrated in various forms since 1865. This special issue of Illinois Times includes background on the historical significance of Juneteenth, information about citywide celebrations and profiles on The Springfield Project and the…
Converting the Wyndham City Centre
The Wyndham City Centre hotel would be renovated for $25 million into studio and one-bedroom apartments renting for $700 to $1,000 per month under a rezoning proposal headed to the Springfield City Council for final approval. New York-based GoodHomes Co. would acquire the 30-story, former downtown Hilton building from the current owner, Tower Capital Group…
Downtown deal dead
A Kansas-based housing developer has given up on its plan to renovate the Myers Brothers Building in downtown Springfield for affordable rental housing. “It’s unfortunate,” Chris Elsey, founder and chief executive officer of The Prime Company in Manhattan, Kansas, told Illinois Times. He said he decided not to proceed on his option to buy the…
217 BUY BLACK DIRECTORY
1221 Photography Zach Adams Photography 217-303-2264 9th Street Barbershop 621 S. Ninth St. Andre Miller, Antwan Walker Personal Care 217-523-2070 A.LoreNails 3441 Smythberry Lane Anthony Pettit Personal Care 217-414-9680 The Academic Consulting Agency Online Kazim Abbot Education Services 318-809-6029 Ace of Fadez Barbershop 210 W. Laurel St. David Lott Personal care 217-361-4237bestprosintown.com/il/springfield/ace-of-fadez-barbershop-/ Adams Heating &…
observances poem #1
when I was a wisconsin kid we celebrated lincoln’s birthday and washington’s birthday on separate holidays memorial day labor day were holidays too and on november 11 at 11 am we stood at our desks for three minutes of silence for ww1 armistice which occurred before our births of course we were off classes for…
Colorado artist’s work is bold and deep
Betsy Dollar, executive director of the Springfield Art Association (SAA), is committed to engaging local citizens in the arts in a myriad of ways. Summer art camps for youth, adult art classes, exhibitions of work by local artists, community art projects and the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair are just a few examples. Showcasing high-quality…
Letters to the editor 6/16/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- WILL MISS MARK Excellent write-up by David Blanchette about Mark McDonald and “Illinois Stories” (“The last Illinois Stories,” June 9). WSIU’s precipitous cancellation of “Illinois Stories” is a calamity for those who appreciate intelligent…
Republican Party losing middle ground?
The Illinois Republican Party has successfully avoided being dragged into the hard-right camp at the state level for decades. Those days may be over. With relatively liberal Republicans Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar and then George Ryan as governor, the state never embraced the sweeping policy changes which emerged from the “Reagan Revolution” and defined the…
The impact of overturning Roe v. Wade
According to a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the 50-year period of reproductive freedom in the country may be coming to a close. Since 1973, pursuant to Roe v. Wade, a nationwide, constitutional right to abortion services could not be restricted substantially by individual states. If Roe is overturned, as the court…
Ham operators “radio up” for Field Day
Roger Whitaker, a member of the Sangamon Valley Radio Club (SVRC), has been a ham radio operator for 64 years, having earned his license when he was only 11. The SVRC, one of the oldest clubs in Illinois and an affiliate of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), will celebrate its 75th anniversary next March.…
Remembering Jim Ryan
He was a tough-as-nails prosecutor who rose to become a two-term Illinois Attorney General. But despite his success at the ballot box, he was not a natural politician. He hated the glad-handing part of retail politics. When reporters interviewed him, he was often stiff and uncomfortable. But more significantly, Jim Ryan suffered from the hubris…
The taste of Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived with federal troops at the far reaches of what was then the settled boundary of freshly united United States of America. The reading of General Order No. 3, that all enslaved persons were now free, sparked the great jubilee tradition we now know as Juneteenth. As Springfield…
The origins of Juneteenth
Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, is the nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger announced the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. This was one of the last groups of people to be freed from institutional slavery…
Music for Mark and more
Hello everyone, and welcome to mid-June meanderings of the music scene. We can definitely say, the happenings are hot this weekend, if not downright sizzling. All weather-related kidding aside, please be mindful of the high temps and hefty humidity levels if you’re listening to music outside in the heat. There’s plenty to get fired up…
Building community and kids
Garvey-Tubman Cultural Arts and Research Center is well ahead when it comes to providing support services to the whole family throughout Springfield. “We are the only organization in Springfield providing services based on cultural, emotional and educational support,” said Executive Director Shatriya Smith. Moreover, the support services Garvey-Tubman provides are crucial and unwavering. Recently, after…
Concert season
Municipal bands are a tradition in many towns and cities nationwide, and Springfield is fortunate to have one. In fact, the Springfield Municipal Band has been providing summer entertainment for devoted followers and fans for over 80 years. The band is managed by Ken Pratt, who has a bachelor’s degree in music theory and jazz…
Editor’s note 6/16/22
For more than 38 years, T.C. Christian, Jr. has been publishing the monthly PURE NEWS USA, Springfield’s Black newspaper. Coinciding with Juneteenth observances, his current edition is headlined, “Our Final Issue.” The paper grew out of Christian’s grassroots organization founded in 1982, People United for Rights and Equality, which marched on city hall to protest…
An epic that captures the American experience
At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and…
Citywide Juneteenth celebrations
Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in Springfield for over 20 years, it did not become an official state holiday until last year when Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill to commemorate June 19, 1865, as the date when the last enslaved Black people in the U.S. learned that they were free. It is the oldest…
Lightyear stays strong, Cha Cha misses the beat, Spiderhead hooks viewers
Pixar formula remains strong in Lightyear An important distinction is made at the outset of Lightyear as we’re told, “In 1995, a boy named Andy got a toy from his favorite movie. This is that movie.” Focusing on the character, not the specific toy featured in the Toy Story films, explains why the titular hero…
Candidates for 13th Congressional District square off
The sometimes stark differences in views among candidates seeking the Republican and Democratic nominations for the new 13th Congressional District seat were on display at a public forum June 7 in Springfield. When it came to issues ranging from the minimum wage to gun policy, the economy, health care and abortion, Republicans Regan Deering and…
Mass shooting is not a mental health problem
Included in the training that every psychiatrist receives is the subject of forensic psychiatry, the intersection of psychiatry and criminal law. Some choose to specialize in this area. I am a psychiatrist. Though I did not choose to specialize in forensic psychiatry, I have served as a residency-training director and then department chair, whose responsibility…
Many projects underway for The Springfield Project
Dominic Watson, executive director of The Springfield Project, has started working to redevelop, revitalize and uplift the Southtown neighborhood since securing funding earlier this year to purchase the building at 1100 South Grand Ave. East. The Springfield City Council allocated $179,235 from a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the former beauty supply store at…
Kent Gray challenges Tim Butler
State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, faces a challenge in the Republican primary from Kent Gray, a candidate with more baggage than Samsonite. Both men are seeking the GOP nomination for the 95th House District. The race in the Republican-leaning district will almost certainly be determined in the primary. In fact, there is not yet a…
Work begins on Taylor House
The Springfield Project has a second major renovation project in the works. Last December, the Springfield City Council authorized $217,720 in funding to renovate the historic Judge John Wickliffe Taylor House at 902 South 12th St. Built in 1857-58, it became the Ulrich Home for Fallen Women. Starting in 1901, the property housed the Ambidexter…
King’s Daughters grants help seniors
Community organizations that serve senior citizens in Sangamon County recently received a total of $185,191 in grants from the King’s Daughters Organization Fund at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. Over the past 15 years, the King’s Daughters Organization Fund has provided more than $2 million in grants for programs that improve the…
