Star Bright
Star BrightHe’s stolen hearts at Springfield’s Dance Creations Dance Studio, he’s stolen the spotlight, appearing on the IT cover with the rest of his dancing sibs [see “Happy feats,” Jan. 17], and now he’s stolen the stage at the New York Broadway Dance Center’s The PULSE on Tour. On Nov. 15 and 16, the jazz-and-hip-hop…
Team spirit
Team spirit In the midst of addressing the nation’s economic recovery plans and appealing for former Governor George Ryan’s release from prison, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D.-Ill.) penciled in time to listen to the future. Last week he sat down with several medical students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and heard their thoughts…
What Newsweek said about Springfield
When I saw Newsweek on my caller ID a couple weeks ago I thought my subscription must have expired. Instead it was Michael Isikoff, the veteran investigative reporter. Isikoff had written articles from Washington for Illinois Times 30 years ago, and once visited here to cover the campaign of then-Congressman Paul Findley. Soon after that,…
Gear Up
Best of Computers and Hardware LENOVO IDEAPAD AND IDEACENTRE The “frameless” screen on the new Lenovo IdeaPad might make you to think outside the box. But if it’s someone else’s box, the face recognition software in the laptop might notice. Every Ideapad has a Web cam, quick system recovery, Dolby Home Theatre sound and media…
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
By Jeff Schnaufer Whether you’re a guitar shredder, tambourine tapper or karaoke crooner, the music video game has made rock ‘n’ roll stars out of anyone intrepid enough to pick up a peripheral instrument. And there’s no better time than this holiday season to get in the game, er, join the band. “You can now…
Tow jam
If your car is parked in your own driveway, next to your house, can police officers have it towed away without first obtaining a search warrant? That’s the question troubling Bruce Locher, the attorney who first complained about Springfield Police detectives Paul Carpenter and Jim Graham, both of whom were terminated in 2006 for violating…
IT Picks
Christmas parade The Springfield Jaycees and Ansar Shrine are celebrating this holiday season with the return of the annual Christmas Parade. The parade was canceled last year because of the weather, but the show will go on this year, rain or shine. This year’s theme is “Holiday Scenes from the Big Screen” and the committee…
Cooking over the hearth in Lincoln’s New Salem
What does it takes to make a good cook? Among things I’d list would be knife skills — the ability to slice, chop and dice with accuracy and speed. Planning and preparation are important, as well as an organized kitchen and a workspace. Having all the tools and ingredients needed for a dish prepped, organized…
Letters to the Editor
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. OUR MOVIE GUY This is the review that I was hoping Chuck would write about this movie [Australia: A movie as grand as…
India must not follow the U.S. example
Reeling from the terrible shock of the attacks on India’s commercial capital last week, the authorities of the world’s largest democracy may find it logical to follow in the footsteps of a certain world-leading country that considers itself to be spearheading democracy around the world. But the United States has both domestically and in foreign…
The cacaphonic charm of ‘Unsilent Night’
Due to the lack of one totally encompassing subject this week in the music scene, we will focus on a few upcoming events that you may find worthy of participation. First on the block we have a first for Springfield. Kurt Gottschalk, a former capital city resident, plans to present an “Unsilent Night” performance in…
Street talk
Street talk The city’s new subcommittee on infrastructure heard it from the experts — Springfield is $28 million short of fulfilling street, bridge, and sidewalk needs. Now co-chairman Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards and Ward 6 Ald. Mark Mahoney want to know what’s in the saddest shape, and they want you to tell them. The…
FutureGen could be back on track
To help stimulate the economy, both in Illinois and nationwide, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will ask president-elect Barack Obama to fast track a number of construction projects, including reviving the now-shelved 275-megawatt FutureGen coal gasification plant planned for Mattoon. Durbin, speaking at the Capitol recently, said an economic stimulus package, which became a centerpiece of…
Mayor releases budget, uses blue-ribbon proposals
Last week Mayor Tim Davlin released his fiscal year 2010 budget, announcing that a once-anticipated hike in property or sales taxes is not needed to buoy the city’s projected $12.6 million shortfall. Instead his $117 million proposal relies on new recommendations from the blue ribbon committee on Springfield city finances. The committee — 13 financial…
People’s Poetry
friendquote poem #12 my birthday lake emiquon too choppy sodropped my kayak into spoon river itsalways held a certain mystique what withthe spoon river anthology though today theriver is not very poetic seems little morethan a mud walled ditch scribbled into acornfield still a nice fall day for paddling I went almost a mile till…
Lend a hand
As they make the their annual push for charitable giving this holiday season, nonprofit organizations in the capital city urgently need cash as well as stuff: agencies that serve children are counting on donations of toys and games; those that provide housing require appliances, furniture and wall hangings to provide homey touches. In other words,…
Leaders visit Indianapolis for ideas
Gail Simpson envisions a brighter future for east Springfield, complete with bustling thoroughfares, attractive mixed-income housing, and diverse residents. “There’s a lot of value in that area — it’s convenient, it’s just off downtown, it can be so much more than it is,” the Ward 2 Alderman says. “You have South Grand as a corridor…
Giving thanks to America’s good food movement
The thing that I was most thankful for on Turkey Day has not the abundance of food at my family’s table, but the rebels who produced it. No, not Butterball. And not Wal-Mart, General Foods or any of the other corporate powers that loom large over America’s food economy. To the contrary, I’m thankful for…
Transporter is a silly, but enjoyable thrill ride
[image2] I have to give Jason Statham credit; he looks great kicking people in the face. In this third installment in the popular Transporter series he returns as Frank Martin, messenger extraordinaire who specializes in delivering packages and people to dangerous destinations. This time out, he’s been commissioned to escort a sexy young thing (Natalya…
