common sense 5-5-05
Think you’re the only one who’s having a rough time in today’s economy, bucko? It’s time you started thinking about someone else — such as the rich. Yeah, the rich. Too few Americans consider the hardships of those at the top. Yeah, yeah, we hear you working stiffs whining all the time about how your…
The return of Hunter Lake
Don Durbin wistfully recalls his early years on the family farm. He stalks through the tall, windswept grasses and points to areas where his children once brushed ponies and petted hogs. But the century-old farm has lost much of its charm since the city of Springfield seized it nearly 30 years ago. There are still…
earth talk 5-5-05
Dear “Earth Talk”: I recently heard the term “conservation medicine.” What does it mean? — Steve Falbo, San Francisco Conservation medicine (sometimes called “conservation health”) is a relatively new field of research that studies the links among human health, animal health, and the environment. One of its major fields of study is the emergence in…
sound patrol 5-5-05
Since releasing his first cassette in 1991, John Darnielle, a singer/songwriter who records as the Mountain Goats, has authored more than 400 songs, most of which are better than any number of songs you’re likely to hear. Don’t beat yourself up for overlooking his brilliance, though. For more than a decade, Darnielle hid his light…
Clearing a hurdle
Garrison Group Inc. is inching forward with its plans to build a shopping center on the site of the old Esquire Theatre property on South MacArthur Boulevard. The city’s zoning commission recently greenlighted several zoning variances for the project. They include requests to build closer to the street and reduce the number of parking spaces…
To tell the truth
Springfield Police detectives recently accused of misconduct are again the subjects of a complaint, this time from a Divernon man who claims one of the officers made a false statement to secure a warrant for his arrest. In December, detectives from SPD’s major case unit arrested Thomas Munoz for the attempted burglary of a Rochester…
A mother’s love
My father, Yoshizo, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was 26 at the time of my birth. My mother, Sachie, was born in Portland, Ore., and was 23 when she stepped out of Apt. 1 of Building 2 in Block 20, crossed the sandy walkway, hanging onto my father’s arm on her way…
gardening 5-5-05
You can build an exotic oasis in your yard by incorporating tropical plants into an annual or perennial garden. Tropical plants offer great elements for the landscape: huge, shiny leaves; bold, outrageous colors; and ferny textures. Using tropicals in the outdoor garden is nothing new. Plant collectors have grown and collected them for hundreds of…
now playing 5-5-05
Take nine guys, mix in a strong desire to play funk and fusion music, and you’ve got a Public Display of Funk. The Bloomington-based group has been together for five years with only a few personnel changes. Drummer Darin Holthaus credits the strong bonds among the group’s members for PDF’s longevity. “About half the band…
music notes 5-5-05
Direct from the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World” comes Austin’s roots-music darling Elizabeth McQueen for a one-night stand at Underground City Tavern (700 E. Adams St., 789-1530) on Friday, May 6. McQueen’s band, the Firebrands, is stacked with glorious Austin musicians who help support the roots pop diva on her latest Freedom Records…
quick takes 5-5-05
CUBA POLICY CHALLENGED Two local peace activists will discuss U.S. policy on Cuba at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at the Lincoln Library, Seventh Street and Capitol Avenue. Diane Lopez Hughes and Peggy Sower Knoepfle toured the island last month as part of an 18-member Witness for Peace delegation. They are critical of the federal…
letters 5-5-05
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com THEY DESERVE THE BEST CARE I am happy to see Illinois Times…
art seen 5-5-05
Oh the Places I’ve Been, the newest exhibit at Prairie Art Alliance, features paintings by Springfield artists Tiffany Beane, Shirley Caldwell Smith, and Leonard Gaither. I visited with portraitist Beane recently as she moved one of her latest creations from its new home at Prairie Heart Institute to the PAA Gallery. Her portrait of cardiologist…
Jacqueline Jackson 5-5-05
kinquotepoem # 4 after the killings elspeth six in ’70 said demi was born at oxford megan was born at harvard jilly was born at yale and I was born at kent now we’ve all been born at famous universities © Jacqueline Jackson 2005
movie review
Kingdom of Heaven is the fictional account of one man’s life before the Third Crusade, circa 1184, and his efforts to meet the call of destiny in a world of hypocrites and self-righteous zealots. Director Ridley Scott is fully in his element here, realistically rendering armies of 200,000 in awe-inspiring battles. However, as with many of…
The son also rises
Kyle Kaenel doesn’t walk through barns so much as he swaggers, John Wayne-style, as if someone has kicked him in the butt so hard that he can’t sit down. He’s 17 and lighting it up in his first year as a jockey in Phoenix, 2,000 miles from home in Pinckneyville, Ill., and living on his…
flicks 5-5-05
The outlandish action of Kung Fu Hustle recalls a classic ’70s hit, because everyone is kung fu fighting. No film that features a middle-aged woman in curlers as a kung fu master can be taken seriously, but the goofiness of Kung Fu Hustle is never less than entertaining. American audiences have become far more receptive…
Seeds in the ground
Come on, you grumps of Springfield — it’s time to quit complaining and get seeds in the ground. There’s a movement afoot to make this a better place, one yard at a time. The idea is that every seed plants hope, every plant adds life and beauty, and every planter becomes part of the civic…
appetite 5-5-05
When Coz’s Pizza and Pub moved from Curran to Springfield nearly five years ago, it brought with it cold beer, sports memorabilia, and, most important, its thin-crust Chicago-style pizza. It also brought several traditions to the capital city, such as the bowls of salted peanuts at each table for patrons to snack on as soon…
