Should Cousin Bob get a city job?
What, exactly, was contained in an anti-nepotism proposal rejected Tuesday by the Springfield Council? The answer depends on the alderman. The crux is whether the proposal sponsored by Ward 9 Ald. Steve Dove would have given the council the power to reject hires of close relatives of city officials. Two weeks ago, Dove in an…
Bananas Foster
This luscious flamed dessert from New Orleans is about as far from down-home Cajun as you can get and still be in Louisiana. In fact, it’s become such a staple in restaurants that offer tableside preparation that its connection to the Crescent City is often forgotten. But it was invented more than 60 years ago…
Andi’s Run to benefit children’s tumor research foundation
“She loves with everything that she has.” Ivy Brog says of her daughter, Andrea Heath. “She gives anything that you ask and more than that. I think that somebody that endures as much as she does on a regular basis, who doesn’t make excuses, that’s the type of person you want around you because they…
Occupy Springfield survives a scare
“Cops!” One of the few occupiers left on the plaza south of the Old State Capitol made the warning in a loud whisper as a pair of lieutenants got out of their car. It was nearly 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Less than two hours earlier, an officer had warned that anyone remaining on the plaza…
In Time, a clever look at modern economics
There’s always been an edge to Andrew Niccol’s work, which doesn’t make him necessarily unique. However, it’s the clever way in which he delivers his cautionary dystopian visions of the future (Gattaca and The Truman Story) that makes him one of our most entertaining filmmakers. His latest, In Time, is no exception. It looks at…
Pete Anderson
When Pete Anderson, along with fellow musicians Greg Hanna (bass), Jack Maeby (organ and keys) and Jesper Kristensen (drums), rocks Boone’s on Saturday, folks will get to see the show of a lifetime. Anderson’s credentials include, most famously, playing all the phenomenal guitar work while handling the spectacular production of the major hits of Dwight…
Ukulele master
Here’s a guy who plays ukulele like no one else. Witness Jake Shimabukuro’s amazing skill at the University of Illinois Springfield Studio Theater on Nov. 8. All Music Guide compares Shimabukuro aptly to other masters-of-their-instruments – Jimi Hendrix on guitar and Miles Davis on trumpet. The Hawaiian musician’s dynamics and rhythms translate into tunes that…
Springfield tourism needs state support
During the fall veto session there is the potential the state Tourism Promotion Funds (TPF) could once again be targeted for cuts. Though there may be no immediate direct threat to this fund, it is best for those who support tourism to be proactive in their advocacy. I believe our local legislators are allies for…
Project Censored
In an age of blogs, tweets, hacks and piles of beans spilled by Wikileaks, the notion of media censorship may seem dated. But the rundown of stories Project Censored calls attention to this year serves as a reminder that mainstream media outlets favoring the superficial over the substantive don’t give us all the information we…
GUARANTEED GREEN
The Springfield Green Business Network, formed a year ago, has developed a “green” certification program that allows businesses to track their progress toward becoming more environmentally friendly. If businesses reach certain benchmarks, they are rewarded with the right to use one of four progressively greener SGBN certification seals. “There are a lot of businesses out…
Letters to the Editor 11/03/11
BESTS OF SPRINGFIELDThanks for an engaging, colorful, well-written “Best of Springfield,” which reminds me of all the good folks in Springfield striving to be better than good enough, and sometimes succeeding. Thanks also for the tribute to Audrey Caitlin Barker. She was a gem, a Springfield original whose creative menus indulged our passions and stimulated…
Everlasting cells
Rebecca Skloot is one of the younger chicks in the henhouse, but her debut book proves she’s one of the smarter chicks in the coop. The Chicago award-winning science writer, now New York Times bestseller author, will talk and sign books at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS, Nov. 9. Skloot’s work, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,…
Cajun vs. Creole: It’s all good in Louisiana
I’m just back from what has become an annual trip to southwestern Louisiana, a.k.a. Acadiana or Cajun Country. This time, we didn’t stay at Lafayette’s Blue Moon Saloon, a music venue cum guesthouse. Instead, we were in Eunice, a small town 30 minutes away, at Black Pot Camp, a three-day event with Cajun music and…
‘We the People,’ not ‘We the Corporations’
A year from now, Americans will be caught in an unprecedented blizzard of presidential campaign ads. We’ll be blinded by the whiteout and buried in the storm’s negativity. For the first time ever, most of this ad blizzard will not come from the candidates, but from ads secretly funded by huge corporations. This is because…
Choice metal
The Metal Gods, aka, Judas Priest, rise from the dread to rush Springfield’s Prairie Capital Convention Center on Nov. 9. The Priest’s worldwide, end-of-the-band Epitaph Tour and farewell excursion is on the sabbath of their compilation album, The Chosen Few, with tracks selected by other heavy metal deities such as Ozzy Osbourne and Dee Snider.…
Flee circus
I have a good relationship with my boyfriend of a year except for how he ignores me when he’s stressed. The first time this happened, he disappeared for a week and didn’t respond to texts or voice mails. He later explained he’d been swamped with work and apologized repeatedly. Last weekend, he again disappeared for…
RENAME HIGH-SPEED RAIL
Is a train that averages less than 70 mph between St. Louis and Chicago really high-speed rail? It is according to the government, which is spending more than $1 billion to improve Union Pacific track in hopes of making the journey in a bit more than four hours, thirty minutes – not much faster than…
Climbing through a giant loophole
An apparent legislative drafting error has created a massive loophole in the state’s new campaign contribution limit law, and ComEd and its parent company, Exelon, have been aggressively exploiting it since early this year. State campaign finance reform laws that capped campaign contributions went into effect this past Jan. 1. One provision of the new…
Artichokes stuffed with shrimp and/or crabmeat
Seafood-stuffed artichokes are a New Orleans classic that can be found in restaurants ranging from humble to elegant. It’s a beautiful dish, the stuffed artichoke leaves splaying out like some exotic flower. But these artichokes aren’t just for looks. They’re absolutely delicious and, hands down, my favorite artichoke preparation. 4 large artichokes 1 lemon, halved…
chickenfeed poem #2
that story I told a few weeks ago aboutchickens eating meat well I’ve beenswamped with chicken stories they are good press my friend jack knows a farmer east of town whose chicken coop is anold school bus in the morning the flock walks one by one down the chicken ladder from the school bus door…
Poor housing
If its aldermen were running Springfield’s fire stations, the city would have burned down years ago. On Oct. 18 the Springfield City Council passed a complex new ordinance that stiffened the penalties for owners of dilapidated buildings. The vote came a mere nine years after consultants urged that such action was necessary to slow the…
A Venice visit
Lucky for us, the band Venice likes to visit a good friend in town. The result of this fruitful relationship with local business owner and big-time music fan Steve Wells is a regular benefit show from this progressive and entertaining group. Last year Venice dropped in on June 24 with big news on a big…
