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Morgan J. Miller weds Kyle J. Jennings
Morgan J. Miller and Kyle J. Jennings were united in marriage on May 11, 2019. The ceremony was held in Mechanicsburg, Illinois, and officiated by Rev. Brandon Luparell. Hannah Sutton of Latham, a friend of the bride, served as the maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Kaitlyn Sommer of Dawson, a cousin of the groom, and…
GateHouse loves stockholders, not newspapers
With GateHouse Media, owner of the State Journal-Register, things could always be worse. Five news reporters are left at Springfield’s daily newspaper – three times that number were employed when the paper hired me in 2006, one year before GateHouse arrived. This isn’t as bad as in Missouri, where the Columbia Daily Tribune last year…
Labor union support counts
If you want to see how times have changed this legislative session, take a quick look at Senate Bill 1591. The Illinois and Chicago-land chambers have been pushing legislation all session to offer state incentives to data centers, which stores massive amounts of electronic information. Illinois has been a national leader for data center locations…
Letters to the Editor 5/23/19
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK Erika Holst’s “Discovering the east side” was the very best article I have read (May 16); superb in content, writing and era covered. I had the pleasure of meeting Holst last year after she and P.J. Staab did the remembrance article on my husband, Thomas R. Jones, Sr., and then…
Editor’s note 5/23/19
Installation of the 30-foot Lincoln statue outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum sent us to Illinois Times archives. In March 2005, then staff writer Dusty Rhodes headlined her column “This is no cowtown,” and described how Tony Leone tried to promote the idea of a contest that would put 100 “plastic Abes” around…
I’m outwitting and outworking my Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s is a label that has been attached to me for nine years. The only positive was that it explained slight oddities I detected in my walking and fine motor skills during the previous two years. How does an otherwise healthy 58-year-old deal with something so determinant? The doctor’s recommendation: “Don’t go home and research…
Locally grown food and artisan products
The Old Capitol Farmers Market has been produced by Downtown Springfield Inc. since 1999 with major support from HSHS St. John’s Hospital and also with support from Development Services Group, the City of Springfield and Central Baptist Church. It strives to support small farms and local growers by providing a venue to directly market their…
Summerguide calendar
May Museum After Hours – Prohibition May 24, 5-8pm Fri. The museum is turned into a speakeasy to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 217-782-7386. Ages. 21+. $10 members, $15 non. 782-0979. museum.state.il.us. Clay Date Night May 25, 6:30-9pm Sat. Bring your…
Take a Museum Hack tour
A trip to the Art Institute of Chicago is a popular excursion while visiting the Windy City. The bridge from Millennium Park beckons you to cross over the street below to an outdoor area on the top floor of the Art Institute with sweeping views of the skyline and Millennium Park. The Art Institute of…
Sliders step up to the plate
“You can’t beat fun at the old ballpark” was the trademark mantra of legendary announcer Harry Caray. While Harry was correct, the modern problem is one of affording fun at the ballpark. The Fan Cost Index measures the price for a hypothetical family of four to attend a major league baseball game. It includes the…
Go play in Peoria
You can leave your job in the city and go rollin’ on the river this summer. You also can dig the Panama Canal, build your appreciation of LEGOS and pass time at a ballpark – all while playing in Peoria. The city hugging the Illinois River offers several special events worth the 75-mile drive from…
Be a tourist in your hometown
You don’t need to plan a road trip to have an awesome outing. Instead, embrace your inner tourist and discover some of the many hidden gems this town has in store. Get outside this summer and take advantage of all that Springfield has to offer. Downtown SpringfieldSpend a day rediscovering Springfield’s downtown. Head to…
Go out and play
Matilda Wormwood has been charming parents and children alike since Roald Dahl’s book, Matilda, was published in 1988. The Hoogland Center for the Arts’ production, Matilda the Musical (June 28-30, July 5-7), is based on playwright Dennis Kelly’s adaption of the story and proves to be no less delightful. The Springfield Youth Performance Group, an…
Sounds of summer
From the walking bass of ska to the oompha of big brass bands, from 30-year-old heavy metal rockers to teenage pop boy bands and from Moscow to Wyoming, here’s a look of the music that’s coming our way this summer. Presented by the Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation, in partnership with Downtown Springfield Inc. and Springfield Area Arts Council,…
Long life and poetry
I recently sat down with John and Peg Knoepfle at their residence in Hickory Glen to ask questions about their life experiences, both personal and literary. I quickly surmised that both are master storytellers. For more than 60 years now, their stories have been intertwined. “We all have a story to tell, if you can…
PrideFest draws thousands
In America, anything is possible. Good or bad. Three years ago, a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Florida. On Saturday, thousands of people, no one can say for sure just how many, gathered in downtown Springfield to celebrate PrideFest. It appeared a record turnout for a party that lasted hours, according…
Demanding action on liberalizing abortion law
Democratic lawmakers demanded their colleagues take action on a controversial, sweeping reproductive health care bill at a rally May 15 just outside the Statehouse. Their call for the Reproductive Health Act to get a committee hearing comes amid recent action by other states to restrict access to abortion procedures. The act, proposed in the House…
Familiar but confident, Booksmart a wise commentary
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. Two high school students are intent on finding a party that all of their peers are going to. Unfortunately, they don’t have the address and in trying to find this get-together, they get caught up in one outlandish situation after another before finally getting to the soiree.…
Memorial music weekend
Ready for the officially unofficial start of the summer season as we roll into Memorial Day weekend? Let’s hope so, because here comes lots of action going on at venues galore. The West of Wise Winery near Petersburg is back with regular Friday night music, hosting my friend and yours, Ben Bedford, in the bucolic,…
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns
Sometimes the word “legendary” gets tossed around a bit too lightly, but in the case of Tav Falco, no other word would do him justice. From the septuagenarian’s association with Alex Chilton in the late 70s to the current Cabaret of Daggers tour, Tav has led his group in an unwavering barrage on the sensible…
Archival find, Current times #3
Archival find, Current times #3 My grandfather wrote to a U of Wis Ag prof, 1932, about the Depression. “My neighbor is a pessimist, he has no hope for better conditions on this earth. Therefore his spirit takes the joy out of hard struggle. I am Irish enough to feel the bigger the fight,…
Rhubarb, beyond pie
Known by old-timers as “pie plant,” rhubarb is one of the first local produce offerings of the season. The ruby red stalks yield to a soft delicious pulp when baked or stewed and have a distinctive tart, slightly musky flavor. The Memorial Day cookouts of my childhood were always capped off with a wedge of…
