Letters to the Editor 05/19/11
JUVENILE JUSTICEShould children who commit low-level offenses be incarcerated, or is there a more productive use of scarce state resources? This is one of the issues posed in House Bill 83, now pending in the Illinois General Assembly. This bill would encourage juvenile courts across the state to explore less restrictive alternatives to confinement for…
Corporations make Illinois pay to keep them here
With the economy the way it is, just about every state in the country is frantically scrambling to keep their local corporations from leaving, or attracting new jobs by doling out huge government incentives. Illinois, of course, is a special case, which means it’ll probably cost us lots more to keep and attract jobs…
From Springfield to the Baseball Hall of Fame
It was the summer of 1896 or 1897 and the Baltimore Orioles were playing an exhibition match in Springfield against a local baseball team. “It wasn’t that unusual for a major league team to stop off for an exhibition game,” says Don Doxsie, sports editor for the Quad-City Times. “Teams traveling from Chicago to St.…
Mike Hobo Coble
A Decatur native who traveled the country singing songs and meeting folks for years, the trusty troubadour stayed in Austin, Texas, for a spell and spent time in New Orleans before landing in Springfield. A voracious reader self taught in literature and an insatiable scholar of literary folk music, Hobo naturally hosts the Third Annual…
Bridesmaids deliver sweetness and sass
Written by its star, Kristin Wiig, Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids seems intent on one-upping similar male-centric comedies like The Hangover and Wedding Crashers in the area of gross-out humor. However, in highlighting these moments in the movie’s trailer and frontloading the film itself with them, it doesn’t speak to what makes it a success, namely its…
Chicken Vesuvio
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces salt and freshly ground pepper 4 medium russet potatoes Extra virgin olive oil 10 – 12 whole garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp. dried oregano 1 1/2 c. dry white wine 1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken stock or broth 1 c. peas, fresh or frozen, optional Lemon wedges…
Court blasts VA for mental health failings
Every day, 18 veterans in the United States commit suicide, while another 1,000 attempt suicide each month. That’s according to a federal district court which recently ordered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address long delays experienced by veterans seeking mental health services. The decision, issued in the United States Court of Appeals…
No popcorn necessary
More than any other summer, this one features a particularly strong slate of films that would seem out of place on hot hazy days. There are no superheroes here, just fascinating people attempting to deal with the curves life throws them, told by some of the smartest filmmakers working today. Below are seven upcoming features…
Square roots
Jacksonville has a new square! Citizens and guests join together May 21-22 in a huge celebration to mark the restoration of the new downtown area. A parade begins at 10 a.m. and an opening ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. There’s so much to do you need to check out the website at www.jacksonvilleil.org/celebration. Highlights are…
Who will pay for chemo pills?
An insurance lobbyist testified at the Illinois Statehouse May 11, but not on behalf of a company. Heather Wright spoke on behalf of a House bill that could have improved the quality of life for her late father, who died from stomach cancer in 2010. House Bill 1825 would require health insurance companies to cover…
A-May-zing music
As I looked for an event to highlight in this week’s column, it was shocking to see the amount of stuff happening. Without even picking a favorite and likely missing something to boot, here is a short but sweet preview of the many music events this merry month of May weekend. Many of the shows…
Pair freed from prison, but still not in the clear
In 1986, newlyweds Dyke and Karen Rhoades were murdered and their bodies burnt in their Paris, Ill., home. Police arrested Randy Steidl and Herb Whitlock for the murders, and the two men each spent many years in prison before their cases were overturned. Now, the DNA evidence in that double murder is being retested, and…
Hunted in the Heartland
Bonney Hogue Patterson saw her neighbor’s killer twice in the days surrounding a brutal sexual assault and murder that in 1978 shook the town of Marion, where Mt. Vernon native Patterson had moved just months before the homicide. The first time, the stay-at-home mother of two watched the serial killer – at that point just…
GOING TO MARKET
Betty Rankin looks forward to the Old Capitol Farmers Market in Springfield every year. The Springfield resident was all smiles Wednesday, May 18, as she took a taste of her purchase from one of the new vendors on Adams Street, where Ashley Glatz and Patrick Knox sell fresh omelets, fruit and mint iced tea. “This…
FOR A RAINY DAY
Mayor Mike Houston rode to a decisive victory in the April 5 election on promises of getting the city back on track financially, and on May 18 he announced one of his first such initiatives: creating budget reserves within the city’s Corporate Fund. Think of them like savings accounts for each agency, which “will reduce…
Cultural cavalcade
On one of the most popular weekends in the capital city of Springfield, the Old State Capitol lawn and adjoining streets and sidewalks transform into an outdoor art gallery. With more than 150 exhibitors from around the country, including 30 new ones, you can view and buy anything and everything handmade from jewelry to lawn…
Chicken francese
2 chicken breasts or 4 thighs, boneless and skinless flour for dredging salt and pepper (preferably white) to taste 1/4 c. finely grated pecorino romano cheese OR parmegiano reggiano 1 very large egg, beaten, plus additional if needed 1/4 c. olive oil, plus additional if needed lemon wedges For the sauce, optional 1/4 c. dry…
dairyman poem #7
you’ve heard about thecow tags I forget when wequit stapling a metal clipto their ears that workedfine hardly cost a centbut the new colored strapscost a lot and often brokewe tried chains aroundtheir necks these wouldcatch — one bonny bossy nearly strangled herselfon the manure pile’s railerv fonda found a red strapthe other day long…
Give and take
Our lives and our politics are dominated by money, yet our thinking about the most basic number of them all – how much we earn – doesn’t add up. You’d think that people would at least know how much they are paid on the job, but most people underestimate how much they are compensated by…
Pollo preparations with proud pasts
No one knows who invented them. No one knows when. Both are Italian but are never found in Italy. But they’ve been a staple of American Italian restaurants for decades. Food writer David Rosengarten remembers “alla francese” preparations as part of his first “ethnic” dining experiences, not least because they were his mother’s favorite “Italian”…
Park place
The Springfield Park District presents a free day of activities and recreation for families on Saturday, May 21, at beautiful Lincoln Park. Summer Jamboree includes face painting, zoo animals, exhibits, inflatable play area, zumba demonstrations, golf putting green, prizes, giveaways and more. Learn all about the district’s parks, golf courses, pools and programs, such as…
Race unity still a work in progress
Like other members of the Baha’i faith living in the United States, my heart was deeply touched 20 years ago when the U.S. Baha’i council issued its historic call-to-action entitled “A Vision of Race Unity: America’s Most Challenging Issue.” Today, 20 years and one African American president later, the time seems ripe to review its…
Understanding Potter’s magical spell as it comes to an end
It’s not every summer we see the end of a cultural phenomenon, but with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 on July 15, the saga of “the boy who lived” comes to a conclusion. Not only has the series been an unprecedented achievement in the history of the cinema, but…
Sick without sympathy
For the first time in years, Springfield resident Sarah Williamson is off Social Security disability. After 10 years in and out of college, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UIS in 2009. Today, four months into a new job and at the healthiest she’s been in 15 years, 30-year-old Williamson is planning to one…
Something Borrowed will make viewers blue
I hate movies that are populated by idiots and require that I and other viewers sink to their level in order to accept their premise. Something Borrowed is such a film. While I’m sure I killed thousands of brain cells while sitting through Fast Five last week, I know that the same thing happened to…
LGBTQ LOL
Sunday, May 22, Springfield Pride celebrates diversity on Capitol Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth streets. The lineup of music includes: Headliners Ella Riot (pictured), a Michigan band playing pop, funk, rock and techno; Ben Bedford; Josie Lowder; Springfield Men’s Chorus; American Idol contestant Christan Barnes and Carla Sloan. The shindig starts at noon with a…
Summer movie preview
The summer movie season is upon us and, for the most part, that means one thing when going to the cinema is concerned – check your brain at the door, grab a big bucket of popcorn and prepare to be wowed. For the past 30 years, the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day has…
Helping the neediest among us
To be fair to lawmakers, it’s not easy making the tough spending choices in these dire times of rising public need and inadequate tax revenues. Legislators in my state of Texas, for example, are trying to make $27 billion in cuts to balance an already miserly budget. So, assume you’re a member of the Texas…
