Learning ability
A seven-month-long fight with Rochester School District has ended for Colleen and Bill Dracos, of Springfield, who sought special learning accommodations for their daughter who has a learning disability. The district has agreed to purchase a computer software program that helps students with reading skills and a speech therapist to work with the child during…
A taste of Deutschland delectables in Pawnee
Untitled Document For decades, German-Americans were a dominant group in Illinois. Waves of German immigrants flocked to the Midwest in the 1840s and 1850s, and nowhere was that more evident than in central Illinois. It was not uncommon for German to be the predominant language in entire communities. According to noted Lincoln historian David Herbert…
Governor has shown us loopholes Con-Con needs to close
It’s no secret that Gov. Rod Blagojevich is probably the most unpopular Illinois governor in living memory. The entrenched politicians and special interest groups who oppose a state constitutional convention are rightly worried that the public’s mistrust, even hatred, of this governor will skew November’s vote. Every 20 years, voters are given the right to…
Architecture and democracy on the public square
Untitled Document The tour begins on the Old State Capitol Plaza, by the law office where Lincoln walked to work. He must have stopped right here to talk, about the future of the country and the storms clouds gathering over it. “The courthouse square was the heart of the community,” says our guide, Anthony Rubano,…
We need some cash from obama
The city of Springfield recently sent a bill for $50,000 to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign to cover costs incurred during the rally Obama held to introduce his running mate, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., at the Old State Capital in August. But when Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency back in February…
Oral histories head for the Internet
The Springfield African American History Foundation (SAAHF) has deposited the memories of 56 local African-Americans into a special collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library since 2006, and this fall, it will move the project another step forward, says foundation secretary Barbara Dickerman. “The library’s goal is to have all of the oral histories on…
Three songwriters romp through Springfield
Untitled Document Here is a striking example of the incredible and profound talent floating around the universe that occasionally ends up on our doorstep, as three good songwriters stop by Springfield in one weekend. First let’s discuss our local product, a legend-in-the-making, and all-around swell fellow, John Walter. Known as Walty to his national fan…
Springfield aviation makes history
To say that Job Conger is into airplanes would be an understatement. In fact, Conger’s interest in aviation could easily be considered a love affair. It began with him photographing airplanes during frequent trips to the airport as a young boy. Half a century later, Conger’s love for aviation has led to the creation of…
Kidney failure
Ask Roy Maxfield how his kidney transplant changed his life, and the 62-year-old retired state employee gets emotional: “I may get verklempt,” he warns. Then he recites a story that sounds like a fairytale, with a magical transformation that leads to a happily-ever-after ending. “Some people have diabetes and lose their kidney function that way.…
Gold watch for Goetten?
The office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutors is apparently open to new leadership with the departure of its longtime director, Norbert Goetten. Some sources say Goetten —- director since 1991 —- retired, and simple math, based on his online biography pegs him at 65-plus. Other sources suggest a less-voluntary scenario, saying his contract was…
Dearly devoted
Capital city activists go to great lengths to promote peace and social justice, and this time’s no different. On Oct. 20, Diane Lopez Hughes and company will follow their fervor 90 miles down Interstate 55 to St. Louis, hop the Big Muddy via the Poplar Street Bridge, hang a right onto Forest Park Parkway, and…
Gagging on Wall Street’s bailout
Whoa! The Wall Street bailout bill was so nasty that even Congress gagged before finally passing it. But this doesn’t obscure the fact that the bailout is a disgusting glob of corporate welfare. A sign of just how bad it is came from the incredible last-minute effort to disguise it as a populist proposal. “The…
Gatehouse sings the blues
If this week’s announcement by GateHouse Media Inc. that the company has submitted a business plan to remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange were a Muddy Waters tune, it might go a little something like this: I know you want me to leave, baby But if you let me stay, I promise to…
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. EATING ON $25 A WEEK I would encourage everyone to attempt the Illinois Food Bank Association’s $25 challenge in an effort to re-examine…
The Express sprints through clichés with its powerful story of player and coach
In 1961, Syracuse running back Ernie Davis became the first African-American college football player to win the coveted Heisman Trophy. Playing during this turbulent time of racial unrest, Davis had to endure more than his fair share of prejudice and threats, enduring it all to become an example of perseverance and faith. It isn’t Davis’…
People’s Poetry
springfieldpoem # 7 ah spfld spfld for several weeks now I’ve been in minneapolis and while bike-auto ratio isn’t even there are still more bikes than you can shake a spoke at but I want to talk about the buildings great and small their sides backs frontsso many are painted primitive art traditional art sophisticated…
A constitutional convention could break the stranglehold
The polling results I’ve seen from both sides of the debate say more of you will vote for a state constitutional convention this November than say you won’t. The question on the fall ballot must either be supported by 60 percent or by at least half of all those voting in the election itself. It’s…
The Pain of Art
“Great art comes from great pain,” utters cult film legend Lloyd Kaufman halfway through The Art of Pain, which won Best Comedy in last month’s Route 66 Film Festival. The feature-length, low-budget comedy was produced in Illinois by local filmmaker Matt Brookens. Ten years ago, Brookens, was running around Springfield shooting scenes with his brother,…
IT Picks
Political circus It’s politics as usual in Washington, D.C., until two brothers decide to change the game. Lincolnesque, a political satire written by John Strand, takes a poignant look at politics and what happens when delusion meets ambition. Leo writes speeches for a mediocre candidate and needs inspiration. Things get interesting when he begins to…
Now is the time to take a soil test
The most important test a gardener can take is a soil test. A soil test is used to determine the level of nutrients and pH in the soil. Soil tests can reveal why some plants aren’t growing well in a particular area. Soil sampling can be done any time of the year. However, the ideal…
SPECIAL K’s
SPECIAL K’s The Ketchum Five danced their way onto the IT cover last winter [see “Happy feats,” Jan. 17], and when we bumped into them this week, we found they’re still boppin’ along to a booming beat. Halley, the oldest Ketchum, moved up and out of Springfield in August after graduating from Webster University in…
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist delivers
Casting means everything when you’re recycling material for movies and the makers of the delightful but familiar Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist must have known this when looking for the actors to take on the title roles. Either that, or they got extremely lucky with Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, a seemingly odd couple that…
PALIN PLUMPS FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD?
Sarah Palin has donated almost a million dollars to Planned Parenthood during the past couple of weeks. How has the Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee a) found the time, considering how busy she was, boning up for the big Joe Biden debate or b) found the motivation, considering her ultra pro-life stance? She…
Best at the Beatle Fest
Untitled Document After conducting an informal survey, I found very few people knew the name of the original drummer for the Beatles. Pete Best played with John, Paul and George (and some with Stuart Sutcliffe, but that’s another story) during their formative years in the early ’60s. Best got the boot after the band signed…
A WEEK FOR UNDERSTANDING
A movie that Roger Ebert calls a “serious film about mental illness and a sentimental heart warmer” will be shown free of charge Saturday at Memorial Medical Center. Canvas — a 2006 film starring Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden and Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano – depicts a 10-year-old boy’s experiences dealing with his…
“The Splendid Table” comes to Springfield
I found out on a Sunday afternoon last month. My husband, Peter, and I had just raided a 75 percent off plant sale. We loaded the loot into our van and were discussing landscaping plans as Peter turned the key. A warm rich voice filled the air. It was a familiar voice, one that’s invariably…
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. CONDITIONS AT RUSHVILLE This is an alert to the taxpaying public concerning an obscure Illinois civil law called Title 59 Commitment, which detains…
The challenge of eating on $25 a week
Kris Armour never realized how much she enjoyed spending her afternoon break strolling to Del’s Popcorn Shop and ordering a vanilla-infused soda pop. The treat became such a habit that Armour bought a special Del’s mug entitling her to discounted refills. With that mug, her cola fix cost a mere buck plus change. Last week,…
