Tales of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, now in a book
I first met Michael “Supe” Granda about 2:30 in the morning at Bruce’s Tavern in August of 1990. Or was it ’91? Anyway, the Illinois State Fair was in session, bars were open until 3 a.m., and I was playing a bunch of old, country songs wringing the last delights out of a late-night performance…
IT Picks
Small world Taste the sweet meat of northern Africa and admire the traditional kimonos of Japan at the 31st annual International Festival. As a part of International Week at UIS, the International Student Association and Office of International Student Services host the annual festival to embrace various traditions and cultures. This year’s theme is Harvest…
Barack’s batteries
Whenever Barack Obama opens his mouth, a five-point program comes forth. The clean car arena is no exception. Obama has an ambitious 10-year, $150 billion program that he says will save more oil than the U.S. currently imports from both the Middle East and Hugo Chavez’ Venezuela. Now that he’s been elected, Obama has emphasized…
The change must come from within us
Now is our time! I don’t mean a time to gloat about Barack Obama’s sweeping electoral triumph, or a time to savor the demise of the Bush ideologues, as sweet as that is. No, no — this is the time for everyone who holds progressive values (economic fairness, social justice, the common good … things…
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. PENSIONS OVER CHILDREN Well, the schoolteachers got their way. For 25 years Illinois communities have been faced with school tax-increase referenda after school…
Jones Boys Market is a time capsule treasure in Ashland
Untitled Document Want to take a trip back in time? To a place that’s close by? To a place that’s the real deal, that’s utterly unpretentious rather than a kitschy, faux old-timey wannabe? If so, go to the Jones Boys Market in Ashland. Go, and take your kids and grandkids. Go now, because bits of…
The end of the world is just the beginning
When I looked up Internet data on this new book, lo, I found a whole Rune Universe out there, lots of materials, much associated with this author. After a bunch of entries came this volume, followed by reader reviews — a number of five-stars, and one disgruntled one-star, who disapproved but not for the reasons…
Vertical Hold
Vertical Hold Former IT photographer Linda Smogor recently received a $12,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, a major supporter of the arts in Alaska, where she has lived mostly since she left Springfield in 1986. She received one of six Independent Artists Fellowships given by the foundation. The Rasmuson award honors “the merit and significance…
Plug and play
David Brunson has grown accustomed to the staring, the pointing, the laughing, the questions, and the picture taking. When he bought his electric car three years ago, he had no idea it would command so much attention. And now, in a year that has seen record-high gas prices, Brunson is getting the last laugh. Brunson,…
Minding the store at New Salem
Since the full-time interpreters were laid off in August, I’ve been minding the store at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site. For 10 years now, I’ve been a volunteer interpreter in the log schoolhouse during the summer. It’s a nice fit with my day job as a teacher. Since the layoffs, though, I’ve been greeting…
Democrat turnout here not so hot
President-elect Barack Obama may be Illinois’ new favorite son, but his coattails didn’t extend to Sangamon County races. All but one Democratic contender for a county office lost to Republican incumbents, and preliminary data suggests that turnout among local Dems wasn’t as high as party leaders had expected. Among the 15 precincts that have the…
Borrowed judges leave county courts shorthanded
The announcement earlier this month that a Menard County judge had been tapped for the Fourth District Appellate Court brought a ray of hope to the back corridors at the Sangamon County Courthouse. Operating shorthanded since Judge Tom Appleton was similarly snapped up by the appellate court in 2001, some courthouse players hoped that the…
Supreme Court begins review of caps on malpractice awards
Untitled Document On Oct. 31, 2005, Abigaile LeBron was delivered via cesarean section at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park. She was born with cerebral palsy and severe brain damage. A year later, her mother Frances filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and her doctor and nurse. The suit, which alleges that Abigaile…
Pro-choice plays hardball, while pro-life takes the gloves off
Two groups, one pro-choice and the other pro-life, are doing their best to bend the Illinois Statehouse to their respective wills. State Rep. Ruth Munson (R-Elgin) was defeated last week by Democratic challenger Keith Farnham. The House Democrats dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into Farnham’s campaign, and Farnham himself walked precincts like it was…
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES The Springfield City Council last week voted to spend another $150,000 on outside attorneys defending former police officers Paul Carpenter, Jim Graham and Rickey Davis against a civil rights lawsuit filed by Larry Washington and Jennifer Jenkins. The total approved so far by the council now totals $400,000. The three former…
Soul Men spins an erratic tune
Obviously, no one expected Malcolm Lee’s Soul Men to be Bernie Mac’s swan song, and while there are far worse ways to be remembered, this amiable feature is far from the comedian’s finest hour. The film’s an odd mixture of elements, as its crudity undercuts the sincerity its two stars invest in this tale of…
Street talk
Planners of the Illinois Medical District at Springfield wanted to create a space where people could work, shop and live. In order to build those new healthcare facilities, retail outlets and multifamily housing units called for in the district’s master plan changes would have to be made to how traffic moved. Now some of the…
