Star power
If spring has sprung, the University of Illinois Springfield has also opened its telescope apertures on the heavens for those in Springfield with a hankering to look closer at the stars and planets. The popular Friday Night Star Parties begins the last week in March and runs every Friday through April during clement weather. Host…
Speaking truth about power
A willingness to speak truth to power is an essential civic virtue for the well-being of a democratic-republic. Equally virtuous and essential, however, are those rare citizens willing to risk their personal well-being by standing up to speak truth about power. Meet Lt. Col. Danny Davis, a 48-year-old career Army man who fought in both…
Metal, math, mandalas and Mini O’Beirne
I couldn’t quite settle on one act this week, so look out. As the calls came in, the list grew until several shows reached the Now Playing field. Let’s take them in headline order. Chris Hupp, host of Metal Mayhem Mondays on WQNA 88.3 FM and man in charge of major-ly making metal mighty, informed…
Blood orange upside down polenta cake
This is a cake that even folks who normally eschew cake will enjoy. It’s not overly sweet, and the addition of polenta adds a bit of crunch to the crumb. 7 T. sugar, divided, plus 3/4 c. sugar 3 T. water 8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided 3 unpeeled small to medium…
Centennial Park starts addition
The Springfield Park District is making a new addition to Centennial Park that nature-lovers and their kids will be able to enjoy at the same time. The new development is a 20-acre area in the northwest corner of Centennial Park, which will feature a toddler’s playground, a 20-by-20 picnic shelter, a fitness station and environmental…
The wild blue yonder
What do the Wright brothers and Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport have in common? Both are aviation pioneers. The Wright brothers succeeded, but it remains to be seen whether the Springfield airport’s foray into the airline business will fly. “This hasn’t been done before,” says Mark Sixel, an Oregon-based airport consultant retained by the airport. “Usually…
Going on… and on
A while back – a long while back – I undertook to write a smallish book about a large topic, the history and culture of Illinois. I was certain that after more than 30 years spent reading, thinking and writing about Illinois in most of its aspects, it was a job I could do in…
The last Illinois statesman
Just when it is fashionable to bemoan the loss of bipartisanship in politics, along comes a book that waxes nostalgic for the days when legislators threw punches at each other. Former Illinois Senate President Philip J. Rock’s memoir, Nobody Calls Just to Say Hello, points to a big difference between now and then: once the…
Director nearly loses Games
Bearing the expectations of millions and the fortunes of Lionsgate Studios on its shoulders, the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games arrives in theaters as a mixed bag. To be sure, fans of the novel will be well satisfied with the movie. It adheres quite close to the source material, eschewing some character…
global warming poem #3
if it’s 83 inspringfieldon the idesof marchwhat’s itgoing to bein mid-july?
Elevating education
Four years ago, a report on education in Springfield revealed some difficult realities about the city’s public schools. The report highlighted declining test scores, poor attendance, low graduation rates and inadequate college preparation – problems shown to be even worse among African American students. Since that 2008 report was published by the City of Springfield’s…
Bike racks on buses delayed
Public buses in Springfield will someday have bike racks, Springfield Mass Transit District says, but not until they finish building their new facility. Requests to place bike racks on buses were among the most frequent responses to a spring 2010 survey conducted by the Leadership Springfield program of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. The…
All the right moves
Sunday, March 25, is the Central Illinois premiere, and national tour kickoff, of the film Romanza by director and producer Michael Miner. The 87-minute documentary captures the complete Golden State works of Frank Lloyd Wright, with unprecedented access to all 25 buildings. Even his unfinished structures are featured in this movie, as is his smallest…
Ethereal harmony
The Springfield Classical Guitar Society welcomes California-based voice and guitar duo Chanson du Soir on Saturday, March 24, at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church. You are in for a treat. Soprano Chelsea Camille has the voice of what a goddess would sound like if she could sing heaven down from its fixed paradise. Classical guitarist David…
Gem of a journey
After 16 years, the internationally-acclaimed show Riverdance is hanging up its stepdancing shoes. Don’t miss the last dance in Springfield, March 25 at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS. The ensemble’s “The Farewell Tour” touts the energizing and awe-inspiring Irish dance, music and song with an amazing cast of accomplished dancers accompanied by a five-piece band. If you’ve…
Rep. Genius, and a kickback scheme gone awry
Appointed state Rep. Derrick Smith, D-Chicago, hasn’t been in the House very long, but few would ever have picked him as a future legislative star. He stumbles badly during debates, isn’t well informed on the issues and has obviously had a lot of trouble getting his arms around his new job. In other words, he…
Letter to the Editor 03/22/12
WATCHDOGS LAID OFFUnbelievable. GateHouse Media executives, owners of the SJ-R, rake in hundreds of thousands in bonuses while laying off staff and outsourcing other newspaper functions [see “Parachutes get more golden at GateHouse,” by Bruce Rushton, March 15]. And what do we subscribers get? A less local, less personal, inferior product. Chris Britt, a Springfield…
Lady Carole & Her Knights
On March 26, 2010, when Bruce Clark, proprietor of Bourbon Street, hosted Lady Carole & Her Knights, the official band began. But the seeds were sown years before when Carole sang and played keyboards as a young girl in school and church. About 12 years ago, after their children left the nest, Carole and husband…
A bloody good thing
Their name may be a little off-putting. And their exterior, orange streaked or mottled with vermilion and/or brownish purple, may bring to mind a nasty bruise rather than something good to eat. However, the first sight and taste of blood oranges’ flesh reveal why they’re so sought after. Blood oranges aren’t new, though they have…
Bodies at rust
I’m a recently divorced 40-something woman, now dating again, and I’m wondering what the guidelines are on how long to wait to have sex. I’m not interested in casual sex, but I have a healthy libido. If I’m really attracted to a man, I’ll be dealing with some powerful mixed (internal) signals regarding how long…
Boycott cynicism and fear
One recent evening, I participated in a discussion about crime and punishment with a large group of civic-minded professionals. In such discussions, people’s thoughts inevitably explore matters of virtue and necessity, fear and profit. The broadcast media’s role in creating a cynical and fearful public, as a byproduct of the pursuit of profit, has been…
