Illinois Emerging Writers recently announced
The top three winners of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award in the ninth annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition were just announced by Jesse White, secretary of state and state librarian. Jonathan G. Travelstead of Murphysboro took first place with his poem “DuPont Paint Factory” Pablo Otavalo of Chicago, second. Richard Holinger of Geneva, third. The…
Christmas cavalcade
PHOTO COURTESY BELLS IN MOTION The popular and nationally acclaimed handbell ensemble Bells in Motion presents a holiday concert A Ringing Christmas 2013 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Nov. 23. The concert follows a craft bazaar offering unique gifts from around the world for your holiday shopping. Both events are being put on by the…
The thrill is gone
B.B. King stayed late after Sunday’s show to chat with fans and sign autographs. PHOTO BY BRUCE RUSHTON The best concert I ever saw was Ella Fitzgerald on May 12, 1985 at the Seattle Center Opera House. It was Mother’s Day and my date was my grandmother, a hopeless jazz addict who made sure that…
Kidzeum
Downtown Springfield had a 10,000-square-foot children’s museum from 1996 to 2001, which closed from a lack of money and interest. Which raises a question: The proposed new on will succeed because…why? The SJ-R thinks it was because its predecessor failed because it opened before downtown became a popular tourist, dining and shopping destination. I wonder…
Helen Van Cleave Blankmeyer
More on the subject of local histories: Helen Van Cleave Blankmeyer wrote a history of Sangamon County titled The Sangamo Country. I don’t recall if it was commissioned by or merely published by the District 186 Board of Education, but publish it the board did. The book was aimed at 8th graders, less to inform…
Hooray for the sheriff
The Sangamon County sheriff’s office has taken a report on an alleged violation of the state Open Meetings Act by Springfield Mayor Mike Houston and the city council. The complainant is me, but the victim, really, is the public, which deserved to listen to a discussion of the mayor’s idea of putting Oak Ridge Cemetery…
A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
The Springfield rail consolidation project is all but official, and engineers recently revealed the first glimpse of what it will look like. Hanson Professional Services of Springfield, which is overseeing the project, has released renderings of the Carpenter Street underpass proposal. It’s scheduled to be the first piece of the consolidation, and work will likely…
Too many cooks in the kitchen
There’s no place like home kitchens for the holidays. Or that’s what it seems, at least, when guests congregate in the heart of the home to chat, snack and offer the host or hostess a helping hand. A crowded kitchen with a few extra cooks calls for extra preparation and organization. What it doesn’t call…
The ides of November are upon us
Those Fabulous Hoedads play the Capital City Bar & Grill, Sat., Nov. 16, 6 to 10 p.m. Here we are marching along through mid-November, with a first, fleeting snow behind us announcing the awakening of winter. The music is heating up, though, and that’s a warming thought to thaw your chilled tootsies. Springfield, say howdy…
Warming way to start the day
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA I am not a lover of hot weather. Others may mourn the passing of summer, but I’m always happy to welcome autumn’s crisp cool temperatures. There’s one exception, though: the frigid mornings in late fall when the last glorious leaves have fallen from the trees, skies are overcast and chill winds blow.…
Letters to the Editor 11/14/13
Participants in Abe’s River Race journey down a trek of the Sangamon River water trail known as the Lincoln Heritage Water Trail. The entire trail is 65 miles in length and spans two historic sites – the Lincoln Homestead State Park and the New Salem State Historic Site. PHOTO BY SCOTT HEWITT A RIVER RUNS…
irony poem I guess # 2
irony poem I guess # 2 with the world deteriorating in almost any area you think of consider farmland gobbled up oceans dying ditto the humanities I hesitate to mention that as a kid I found the crackerjack prize was worth ripping open the box to get at now they’re just paper bits maybe a…
Clio in the cornfields
Historians think nothing interesting happened here after the Civil War. PHOTO BY KERRI WESTENBERG/MCT Most towns of any size have history that is worth reading about, but surprisingly few have a good history in which they might read it. By “a good history” I mean a single-volume history for the intelligent and curious reader that…
Pass the gluten-free /Paleo/vegan/diabetic-friendly stuffing
You’re hosting a holiday feast and anticipate preparing a mouthwatering spread. But along with your special bread stuffing and your fabulous apple pie, you’re concerned with making appropriate dishes for your aunt with diabetes, your cousin who cannot tolerate gluten, your best friend who follows a vegan diet or her Paleo-diet spouse. Guests who must…
The passage of the Illinois gay marriage bill
Perhaps the biggest loser in last Tuesday’s historic passage of a gay marriage bill in Springfield was the National Organization for Marriage. The group, based in Washington, D.C., has been at the forefront of attempts to stop gay marriage in states throughout the country. A Maine investigation uncovered alleged internal NOM documents about the group’s…
Holiday exhilaration
PHOTO COURTEY DENIAL 3 Get your Christmas on a little early this year. Friday, Nov. 15, the gift of yuletide music in November comes to town with the sensational music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For only one performance at The Legacy Theatre, enjoy the exhilarating music and breathtaking lighting, laser and snow effects from St.…
Slave an unflinching look at America’s shame
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Dano in 12 Years a Slave. PHOTO COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES Perhaps it was inevitable that an outsider would be the one who would make the film that would portray America’s Peculiar Institution for the truly horrific practice that it was. We are too far removed to properly understand…
Crappily ever after
My husband of a year is the most selfish, inconsiderate, cold-shouldered man I’ve ever known. He’s 24; I’m 22. He behaved similarly when we were dating, but when he proposed, he made promises to treat me better, and I believed him. Well, we pretty much only do what he wants to do. If it’s an…
Goodwill takes a loss
PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries has cut services and will record a loss for the fiscal year that ended last June. But things could have been worse, according to executive director Sharon Durbin, who says that the charity is finishing its annual audit and expects a net loss of slightly more…
Firebuggery
Curses, foiled againu Police who broke up a dog-fighting ring in Florence County, S.C., apprehended fleeing suspect Edward Windham, 32, after one of the dogs involved “took him down,” according to Sheriff Kenney Boone. (Myrtle Beach’s WMBF-TV)u Police who accused Joseph Reardon, 22, of robbing a crowded convenience store in Seabrook, N.H., said that he…
For the people
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT SHAW Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is presenting a weeklong celebration including special displays, videos, readings, films and more. It all kicks off Nov. 17 and you can view the actual Gettysburg Address all week. On Nov. 18, the public is…
Marvel formula alive and well in rollicking Thor 2
Without question, Marvel Films has fashioned an effective formula where bringing its superheroes to the big screen is concerned. Each of these adventures sport intelligently written scripts, are impeccably cast, contain the proper balance of action, pathos and humor and are rendered with the best special effects millions upon millions of dollars can buy. What…
Going batty
Rob Mies, TV personality, conservation biologist, bat expert, author and executive director of Organization for Bat Conservation, will speak about traveling the world to discover the truly unique and sometimes strange life-forms that inhabit our planet. Learn about ecosystems, how animals are connected, the risk to biodiversity from human activities, conservation success stories and things…
Memories of JFK, who made public life matter
We were young. We were innocent. We were naive. And from that afternoon on, nothing was the same. I had just finished lunch in the Gizmo at Knox College. As I walked down the long sunlit gallery to the Seymour Lounge a suitemate came toward me. “The president has been shot,” he said. “No, you’re…
Can Wall Street buy redemption?
Goldman Sachs churns out enormous profits from its high-rolling, casino investment schemes, while also churning out fat paychecks for its top executives. They literally sack up the gold, even as their speculative gambles have wreaked havoc on our real economy. But, finally recognizing that their public approval rating has sunk lower than mad-cow disease, Goldman’s…
Illinois, the political battleground of 1948
This is Robert E. Hartley’s ninth book on Illinois history and politics. Battleground 1948: Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History, Robert E. Hartley, Southern Illinois University Press, 206 pp., illus., notes, bibliography and index. Given our state’s convoluted, complex, and at times outright Byzantine political history, tagging any election as…
Who you gonna call?
Mayor Mike Houston PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE I went to the Springfield Police Department last week to file a police report. What’s the offense?, the cop at the front desk asked. “Violation of the state Open Meetings Act,” I said. “Who did it?” the officer queried. “Mayor Mike Houston and the city council,” I answered.…
Smile Empty Soul
Here comes a Southern California alternative rock trio in support of a new record headlining a traveling rock show at Catch. Sean Danielsen (guitar, vocals), Ryan Martin (bass) and Jake Kilmer (drums) hit the road four weeks ago to cross America, starting out in Georgia, traveling through the Deep South, over to Texas, up through…
Top reasons to buy local, eat local, go local
By choosing local and independent businesses for your services, shopping, dining and other needs, you not only get real value and personal service, you’re helping in these many ways. Build community The casual encounters you enjoy at neighborhood-scale businesses and the public spaces around them build relationships and community cohesiveness. They’re the ultimate social networking…
LOVIN’ LINCOLN
it’s nice to give something back to him once in a while, even if it does further our own purposes. Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week that the inside of Lincoln’s tomb will get a makeover starting Dec. 1, to the tune of $633,000. Thanks to Lincoln, Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery is the second most…
What makes The Whip Guy™ crack?
A typical day at the office for Chris and Laura Camp. PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS CAMP Lifelong Springfield resident Chris Camp is one of only four professional whip crackers in the United States. Locals may recognize him from his regular appearances at the State Fair but widespread renown has taken the two-time Guinness world record holder…
A decade later, still trying to clear his name
The Harbor Freight Tools parking lot where James Foster of Springfield was alleged to have sold a coworker one ounce of marijuana. Foster was acquitted of the charges, but lost his state job anyway. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A decade ago, $100 apparently bought one ounce of marijuana. That’s how much pot James Foster of…
