Statehouse statues slated to go
Statues of Illinois figures who profiteered from slavery will be removed from the Statehouse lawn. The decision was made when the Office of the Architect of the Capitol board voted unanimously for statues of Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard to be removed and put in storage. Capitol architect, Andrea Aggertt, said discussions with contractors are…
Editor’s note 8/13/20
I drove around the fairgrounds, thinking they must be lonely without the hustle. The cannas and marigolds are everywhere ready; the renovated Coliseum wants to show off. That’s where I showed cattle as a high school kid while, I learned later, my future wife was selling lemon shakeups at the Exposition Building next door. There’s…
Freshman Democrat speaks out against Madigan
“I need to be able to look myself in the mirror every day,” Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn) explained to me recently, stating why she decided to call for House Speaker Michael Madigan’s resignation. “More importantly,” the freshman suburban Democrat said, “I had to look at my daughters and remind them what it means…
current times #7
a new disease called coviditus is affecting I think most of us it’s symptoms are you don’t know what day it is what week it is even what month it is and as for time of day forget it in fact it makes us forget most things – where we left the phone where we…
Letters to the editor 8/13/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. —- DRESS CODE FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING? I understand that District 186 will enforce a school “dress code” for video classes. It requires children to not wear pajamas, and they cannot be in their beds, but…
1,000 cases and counting
At the beginning of the year, scenes from our current reality might have seemed as though they were out of science fiction. Mask wearing has become the norm, or at least should be, according to medical experts. Grocery stores are urging one family member per cart and have floor markings to promote distance. Lines for…
Spit test
University of Illinois Springfield saliva testing for the new coronavirus is up and running as of Aug. 11. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed the so-called SHIELD test. The tests are being used at all three U of I campuses. The university system said it wants to supply the tests throughout the state…
Springfield designates BLM Solidarity Day
The Springfield City Council approved an anti-racism, anti-violence and anti-hatred resolution that declares May 31 BLM Solidarity Day. That was the day thousands of people participated in a vehicle procession organized by Black Lives Matter Springfield in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. The resolution also requires anti-racism and cultural competency training…
A photographer’s eye-opening year
“Eye-opening.” That’s how Zach Adams describes the year 2020. Within five months, Adams went from working full time and doing a bit of photography on the side, to being laid off during quarantine and becoming a stay-at-home parent, to watching his photography business take off as he was able to take more pictures, to dealing…
No fair
In a normal year, the Twilight Parade would be kicking off the Illinois State fair tonight, but 2020 has already been anything but normal. COVID-19 cancelled the Fair for the first time since World War II, affecting everything from agriculture to nonprofits who rely on revenue from working the gates and Grandstand. In this issue,…
DIY fair food
Even though the 2020 Illinois State Fair was cancelled due to the pandemic, folks can still go out and find ways to celebrate Illinois. The very first state fair was held in 1853 in Springfield and showcased new and improved methods of agriculture and livestock production, innovations in labor and industry, the arts and education.…
Politics with no parade
Doris Turner can’t remember a time in the past 30 years she hasn’t been a part of the Twilight Parade. “It is such a Sangamon County tradition. And it seems like we’re losing so much of our traditions during this time of pandemic … it really is a drain on our community as a whole,”…
State Fair food fix
A year ago could anyone have envisioned a summertime in the Land of Lincoln without the Downhome Music Festival, Muni Opera, International Carillon Festival or the Illinois State Fair? For the first time since 1945, the usually bustling fairground has been silenced. The beer tents are empty. No concerts in the Grandstand. No butter cow.…
The show will go on
For city kids, the Illinois State Fair provides a rare glimpse into rural life. A walk by the barns often shows a livestock farmer in action, mucking out stalls and tending to animals. “Want to milk a cow? Here ya go kid, grab hold and squeeze.” Though it takes practice, most of us get the…
Fair thee well
Greetings, music friends and fans! Welcome to the column that normally would be all about the Illinois State Fair, but since there is no fair in 2020, we can reminisce some and ruminate upon the state of the state fair. Does that sound fair to you? I will do my best to avoid using all…
No fun and no funds
Many people will have more time on their hands this August. During a typical August, thousands of individuals volunteer at the Illinois State Fair staffing parking lots, admission gates and Grandstand concessions to help local charities and community organizations raise needed funds. No fair means a significant loss of revenue for these organizations. The American…
Highway 615
These folks take their country music seriously and added the Nashville area code to the band name to make sure you know they do. The road they travel is rooted in the cool country from the last 30 years with a few vintage songs along for the ride and a couple of original tunes hitchhiking…
Building a butter cow
In my early 20s, I worked at a dairy in Longmont, Colorado. The company, which was part of the grassroots movement to revive home milk delivery, was known for having the creamiest, most delicious milk in the state of Colorado. In the early morning hours, long before anyone else was awake, milkmen (and women) dressed…
The Dulcimer Guy
It is hard to sum up Mike Anderson. The Jacksonville resident is a former elementary school teacher who melded his experience in children’s education with his musical talents and clever storytelling to become an award-winning and much sought-after entertainer, author and folklorist. According to Mike, the integration of storytelling, folklore, the commonplace and the rhythms…
Putting the state back in the grandstand
Is there anything more subjective than music? One person’s Ernest Tubb is, well, another person’s Ernest Tubb. Same with Boy George, or Foreigner. None are playing the state fair this year because there is no fair and, in the case of Tubb, no Tubb. He died in 1984, but not before twice appearing at the…
When the president sent troops to Chicago
Oregon Governor Kate Brown calls them “Trump Troops.” This refers to the unidentified federal paramilitary forces being inserted into domestic law enforcement in Portland and, apparently considered for Chicago. “We do not need federal troops in Chicago,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a press conference Monday, after widespread looting downtown the night before. The entire…
