“Tomorrowland’s” Good Intentions Can’t Overcome Faulty Script
If good intentions were all that was necessary in making a good movie, Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland” would be considered an instant classic. As written by Damon Lindelof and the director, the film is an earnest plea for the renewal of the sort of national optimism that fueled the space race, an unabashedly optimistic look at…
“Poltergeist” a Worthy Update of Horror Classic
Unlike the unwanted, supernatural characters at its core, director Gil Kenan’s Poltergeist does not overstay its welcome. Playing somewhat like a Cliff’s Notes version of the Tobe Hooper/Steven Spielberg classic, this re-do recreates, and sometimes improves upon, the many iconic moments from the 1982 feature, wasting little time to deliver one round after another of…
Judge slashes jury verdict
A Sangamon County Circuit Court judge has ruled that the family of a youth who drowned in Lake Springfield in 2007 is due $525,000 from the city of Springfield, not twice that amount. In ruling against the city in February, a jury appeared to rule that the city should pay slightly more than $1 million…
Not so fast
Rauner at the Executive Mansion with his van and his dogs. Photo by Lee Milner. If all goes as planned, a private foundation that is raising funds to fix up the crumbling governor’s mansion in Springfield may start work this summer – if a judge doesn’t get in the way. Brad Schaive, business manager for Laborers Local…
Historical trees and ice cream
PHOTO BY RKLAWTON VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG This Saturday, The Lincoln Monument Association celebrates the start of summer with an old-fashioned ice cream social, historic tree tour and children’s activities at the bell tower behind Lincoln’s Tomb. The ice cream social features cake, ice cream and lemonade which can be purchased for $5. Historical interpreters and markers containing…
More name-calling
In my 2014 column “Name-calling” I explored the question of whether it is more appropriate to call Springfield residents Springfieldians or Springfielders.” I considered briefly same question as it pertains to residents of the U.S. but not to those of Illinois. I learned today from the Washington Post that the good folks who live in Vermont are known as…
Right on right-to-work
They’re having a right-to-exploit — sorry, “right-to-work” debate in Missouri too, as we learn from a recent dispatch to the Washington Post. A bill embodying measures backed by our Mr. Rauner was voted on and passed. There the legislature is Republican and the governor a Democrat, and Republicans were hopeful of winning enough “yes” votes…
Peace officers
CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT
Free at last
It isn’t easy to get in bed with embattled entrepreneur Jeffrey Parsons and walk away with money in your pocket. Just ask hundreds of creditors in Parsons’ bankruptcy case, including people who got rubber checks in exchange for gold, landlords who got stuck with unfulfilled leases and vendors who never got paid. Parsons’ former employees…
In love with lettuce
PHOTO BY KERRY MICHAELS/TNS The lovely young lettuces of late spring/early summer are gorgeous enough to be ornamentals; some so beautiful they’re worthy of floral arrangements. Green lettuces range from palest celadon, chartreuse, Kelly green to forest. Some are speckled with red – one is named freckles; some varieties, such as Lollo Rosso, are darkly…
Powerlight Abe Lincoln Car Show Spectacular
Saturday, Aug. 1, 8am-4pm The largest car show in central Illinois rolls into Springfield on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the third year in a row, the show, which offers free admission to spectators, will take place at Knight’s Action Park. This year’s event will move to the southeast side…
knee surgery poem #1
a friend writes her husband isan easy patient he just lies onthe couch in the living roomdoesn’t really want anythingthe children are delighted touse him as warm furniture
Letters to the editor 5/21/15
One of Bluffstone’s numerous apartment properties, from the company’s website. PHOTO COURTESY HTTP://BLUFFSTONE.COM BLUFF UGLYThis is a comment in response to the April 16 article (“Paying for downtown” by Bruce Rushton) about the development proposed for Fourth and Madison streets by Bluffstone. I had clipped the article because I wanted to remember to look at the Bluffstone…
Fruitful gesture
Curses, foiled again• Moments after robbing a tourist of her gold chain on a street in Miami Beach, Fla., the gunman returned to the scene in his Mercedes and confronted the victim about the poor quality of the jewelry, complaining it was fake. The victim flagged down police and pointed out Daniel Sion Palmer, 26.…
Memorable Memorial music
Elvis Himselvis (Rick Dunham) performs with a full entourage and band, Sat. May 23 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. I’m not even going to bring up the fact that we’re already at Memorial Day weekend for 2015. But let’s talk about all the music happening this weekend and beyond, enjoying that we are…
Summer fun means a ride and a run
Capital City Biathlon 2014. PHOTOS COURTESY THE HARDY BREED Springfield is quickly becoming a hot spot for cool races. Whether you’re looking for a hardcore challenge or just something to keep you from languishing on the couch all summer, there’s likely a race in or near Springfield matching your intensity level. Pick a race from…
Decatur Celebration
Thursday, Aug. 6, 7-11pm • Friday, Aug. 7, 5-11pm Saturday, Aug. 8, 11am-11pm • Sunday, Aug. 9, 11am-9:30pm This summer, hundreds of thousands of people will flock to downtown Decatur to attend one of the largest free street festivals in the Midwest. The “Midwest’s most exciting street festival,” the Decatur Celebration, runs Thursday, Aug. 6,…
Paint the Street Fest
Saturday, July 18, 2-10pm Make your literal mark on downtown Springfield at the Springfield Art Association’s Third Annual Paint the Street Festival. This all-ages community block party combines painting and live entertainment for a day of fun on Saturday, July 18. The festival will take place on Washington Street, between Fourth and Seventh streets, from…
Nectar of the summer gods
From cheap canned swill to fancy suds made from fruit, there’s nothing like a cold beer to make a perfect summer day even more perfect. Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summerThose days of soda and pretzels and beer. –N. King Cole Summer without beer? That would be like ice cream without a cone,…
Summerguide Calendar
May Springfield Audubon Society Walk and ProgramMay 21, 5:30-6:30pm.Walk and identify invasive species around Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, plus program discussing the problems invasive species create and how to manage those threats. Free, open to public. illinoisaudubon.org. Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, 2315 East Clear Lake Ave., 544-2473. Grace Among the LeavingsMay 22-24, 8pm Fri-Sun. A play about…
Summer concert roundup
Lydia Loveless play at Homespun Republic July 25. That sibilant sizzling in the air is the sound of a spectacularly sultry summer concert season. In town and throughout the region, it’s clear that if you don’t manage to see any great gigs this season, it’s only because you didn’t try hard enough. Below is just…
Editor’s note 5/21/15
It looks like Gov. Bruce Rauner and the legislature may not get to see summer this year. They’ll likely be at the Statehouse playing politics, which may be good for Springfield restaurants if bad for the poor, state workers, Amtrak riders, nursing home residents and on and on. The rest of us can make the…
The shoo must go on
I’ve been dating this guy long distance for six months. He’ll often fail to return texts for an entire day or even a few days. I keep breaking up with him, but he keeps apologizing, acknowledging that he can be “distracted” and then offering convincing excuses or making me feel I’m overreacting. This is getting…
2015 GOLF OUTINGS
June• 4 – Sherman Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing, The Rail Golf Club, 1 p.m. Shotgun Start, Mary Johnson, (217) 525-0365.• 5 – Rochester High School Football Team Golf Outing, Lincoln Greens Golf Course, 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Double Shotgun Start, Jim Sutzer, (217) 786-4111.• 6 – Don “Poochie” Byus Charity Outing Benfiting…
Downhome Music Festival
Friday Aug. 7, 5:30pm-12am • Saturday, Aug. 8, 2pm-12am Local is the theme of this multiday all-ages festival that combines art, beer and original music to two stages at the intersection of Seventh and Washington streets in downtown Springfield. The Downhome Music Festival was created by musicians for music lovers, as festival co-founders Josh Catalano…
House Dems force tight hand for Republicans on right to work bill
Gov. Bruce Rauner had several House Republicans over to the Executive Mansion last week to ask them to vote “Present” when the House Democrats called their “right to work” bill the following day. Right to work laws allow union members to not pay for any of their union’s services, even though unions are required by…
Implementing planning
ILLUSTRATION BY SW PARRA/TNS Usually no one pays attention to what the losers in a mayoral contest had to say. The recent city hall election was a happy exception. The un-preferred Paul Palazollo said repeatedly during the campaign that the city of Springfield needs a “planner/implementer” to, well, plan and implement. After the election, the…
COMPASS POINTS THE WAY
Summer camp is a time of discovery and growth for those privileged enough to go, but for underprivileged kids, it could mean starting the next school year on track instead of trying to catch up. Camp Compass, a summer school for homeless or low-income kids in Springfield, has a chance to win $25,000 from State…
Assumption Fest
Thursday, June 25, 5-11pm • Friday, June 26. 5pm-12:30am Saturday, June 27, 11am-12:30am The only assumption you can safely make about Assumption Fest is that a great time will be had by all. This huge festival has been going and growing for more than 80 years. Festival organizers are proud to offer “big-city entertainment in…
The Smoking Flowers
The Smoking Flowers Up from East Nashville, Tenn., here come Kim and Scott Collins, a “husband-wife, Americana/garage, rock/indie, folk duo” out in support of a new record. Married now for 15-some years, they first got together when Scott, straight from New York City, walked into 12th & Porter, a famous Nashville music venue, saw Kim…
A fun, family float
Abe’s River Race is a fun, family float that offers men, women and youth the opportunity to paddle 13.5 miles down the Sangamon River in canoes, kayaks and wooden boats. This year’s course is slightly longer than years’ past, running from Irwin Bridge to Lincoln’s Riverside Park. A shuttle will leave Riverbank Lodge in Petersburg…
Energy’s fight for power
Clinton Power Station. PHOTO BY DANIEL SCHWEN UPDATE: The story has been updated to include a rebuttal by Exelon to a claim made by Kraft. The updated portion is in blue text. There’s a war raging over Illinois’ energy future, pitting nuclear power against renewable resources. The winner will determine how Illinois generates electricity for…
Ferocious Fury Road a grand vehicular opera
Tom Hardy as Max and Charlize Theron stars as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures Like a Road Runner cartoon on steroids – replete with gizmos that surely came from ACME, Inc. – George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is a glorious ode to vehicular destruction, outdoing the Fast and…
Eight ways to improve your golf game
Warmer weather sends scores of golfers to their favorite courses every day. Golf is a challenging pastime, but a few pointers can help golfers hone their short games, long games and everything in between. 1. Choose the right clubs. There is more to selecting clubs than pulling any old iron out of your golf bag…
Follow George Rogers Clark and Red Skelton to Vincennes
Soldiers representing the army of George Rogers Clark and other militia reenact battle scenarios using 18th century military tactics during the annual rendezvous held Memorial Day weekend in Vincennes, Indiana. The rendezvous takes place at the national h PHOTO COURTESY SPIRIT OF VINCENNES, INC. Red Skelton and George Rogers Clark are far apart on the…
What good is sitting alone in your room?
Gus Gordon will play Edna Turnblad at the Little Theater on the Square June 17-28. The role was played by John Travolta in the 2007 film. PHOTO OF JOHN TRAVOLTA IN HAIRSPRAY COURTESY NEW LINE CINEMA Here’s what’s playing this summer at theaters within a stone’s throw of Springfield. If you like musicals, you’re in…
Preserving our tourism budget helps bottom line
When visitors come to Illinois, they enjoy our cities, towns, and countryside. They fill our hotels, meeting centers, restaurants, shops and attractions. And, most importantly, they leave behind an economic impact that drives billions of dollars to the bottom line. But right now that engine is threatened, putting at risk more than $2.5 billion in…
For shops, food and fun, visit Kimmswick, Missouri
One of the historic log homes brought in. PHOTOS BY CIDY LADAGE To get away for the day, consider a jaunt just a couple hours south of Springfield to Kimmswick, Missouri. This historic town offers everything for a girl’s day out or a couple’s daycation. There is a great restaurant, fun shops, history and an…
Shop farmers markets for good food
Photo BY DAVID HINE Farmers markets are festive community events and showcase the Land of Lincoln’s other local treasure – its food! Buying local produce not only supports Illinois farmers, but also physical health and the environment. They just may perk up your social life, too. Though not all vendors grow organic, many do, limiting…
Postal workers take a stand on National Day of Action
When a big-name retailer finds its sales in a slow downward spiral, the geniuses in the executive suite often try to keep their profits up by cheapening their product and delivering less to customers. To see how well this poorly thought-out strategy works, look no further than the declining sales at Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. When…
It wasn’t me
Chief Kenny Winslow’s decision to fire an officer who tested positive for steroids was reversed by an arbitrator. PHOTO BY BRUCE RUSHTON A Springfield chiropractor denies that he prescribed or otherwise supplied a banned diet supplement to city police officers or anyone else. “I’ve never prescribed anything to anyone,” says Sean McCaffrey. “I can’t.” However,…
