Swine time
Untitled Document The neighborly feud over the Buckhart hog containment facility could be finished by Thanksgiving — or not. Thomas J. Immel, attorney for farmer Bob Young, last week filed a brief asking the state appellate court to vacate the May 30 preliminary injunction applied by Sangamon Circuit Court Judge Leslie Graves, which…
People’s Poetry
Untitled Document daughterpoem #3 elspeth seven displaying scratchesmade by her cat mudge remarksruefully even the mother that loves itgoes through many hardships © Jacqueline Jackson 2007 North Carolina poet, Betty Adcock, has written scores of beautiful poems, almost all of them too long for this space. Here is an example of her shorter work, the telling…
Best of Sports & Recreation
Untitled Document BEST POOL HALL Mowie’s Cue 1277 Toronto Rd., 217-529-7616 Mowie’s Cue isn’t your daddy’s billiard hall. Instead of being dark and cramped, Mowie’s is spacious and well-lit, with eight large-screen televisions, free wireless Internet service, and a new high-tech jukebox that lets you download whatever song you feel like hearing. In lieu of…
Best of Goods & Services
Untitled Document BEST PET GROOMER Bob Hofstetter, PetSmart3183 S. Veterans Parkway, 217-698-3094Bob Hofstetter can train people to groom dogs. According to his co-workers, he has trained everyone who works in the canine beauty parlor at PetSmart for the past seven years. However, there’s apparently one thing Bob can’t teach the other groomers to do, and…
Cold cuts
Untitled Document With assistance from University of Illinois at Springfield students working on behalf of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, Herb Whitlock, a co-defendant in the 1986 murder of Karen and Dyke Rhoads of Paris, was granted a new trial this month by an appellate-court judge. Innocence Project co-director and UIS emeritus professor Larry Golden…
Whole lot of nothing goin’ on
Untitled Document As I perused my short list of upcoming music events for this weekend, I thought to myself, “Man, there is nothing to write about.” Convinced as I was, imagine my shock on learning that I was dead wrong. With a little perseverance, I found many live-music happenings in Springfield this weekend. Before we…
Best of People & Places
Untitled Document BEST PLACE FOR A WEDDING RECEPTION BEST BED & BREAKFAST The Inn at 835 835 S. Second St., 217-523-4466 The predictable dОcor of hotel rooms doesn’t hold a candle to the luxury treatment offered up at the Inn at 835, this year’s reader’s choice for Best Bed & Breakfast and Best Place for…
Best of Arts & Entertainment
Untitled Document BEST ARTIST Ryan ThompsonA few of the messages posted on his MySpace page suggest that young Ryan Thompson may have undertaken a campaign to win this category, which he did, handily whomping the competition. Just this once, though, we’ll go ahead and give him the certificate (cash value $1.57), for three reasons: (1)…
Best of Springfield 2007
Untitled Document THE MISSION We’ve been engaged in “Operation Best of Springfield” for more years than we can remember, and though we’ve been forced to adapt to changing conditions on the ground, we’re still focused on the mission: giving a voice to the thousands of people who want the good guys to win. THE RULES…
We need rain
Untitled Document The crisp, cool air has been a welcome relief from the 90-degree temperatures, but we have not been as blessed with rainfall. Last week I dug a hole for an addition to my garden. I had to wedge my body between the fence and the shovel to get enough leverage to break the…
Primary colors
Untitled Document Several African-American House members are starting to worry about potential primary opponents backed by Senate President Emil Jones and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but it’s unclear right now how many will get opponents and how involved the two leaders will be. Jones and Blagojevich have engaged in open political warfare with House Speaker Michael…
The dirt on soap
Untitled Document Are antibacterial soaps better than plain soaps? University of Michigan researchers reviewed numerous studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 and concluded that antibacterial soaps containing triclosan as the main active ingredient are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps. Further, the team argued that these antibacterial soaps could actually pose a health…
Below the surface
Untitled Document In many ways, David Cronenberg’s latest feature, Eastern Promises, is a variation on the theme last explored in his A History of Violence. Nothing is quite what it seems — and once the truth is revealed about its characters’ true lives and intentions, the damage affects not only those who have been exposed…
Letters to the Editor
Untitled Document 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. SHE LIKES BIKES Lynn Miller and Bill Donels make an excellent point in citing the chicken-and-the-egg dilemma as they examine Springfield’s…
Parallels
Untitled Document On July 14, Rakiem Campbell tossed a concrete patio brick from an interstate overpass in Peoria, killing 26-year-old Katrina Kelley. Local prosecutors charged Campbell, 15, with first-degree murder. One month later, Bradley University soccer player Danny Dahlquist was killed in a fire when four of his buddies ignited fireworks under his…
Best of Food & Drink
Untitled Document EATING & DRINKING BEST ORGANIC BESTORGANICFOOD SELECTION Food Fantasies 1512 W. Wabash Ave., 217-793-8009Anybody can peddle organic alfalfa sprouts, or organic apples, or organic tea. But Food Fantasies has organic kiwifruit, organic pink-guava juice, organic Sicilian lemon nectar, and organic coconut pudding. Not looking for anything exotic? Food Fantasies also has organic versions…
A few of my favorite things
Untitled Document Being privy to inside information is always fun, though it can be tempting to spill the beans. When Michael Higgins recently sat down to chat at our table at Maldaner’s, I gave him a knowing smile and thought to myself, “Ha-ha — I know something you don’t. You got the Best Chef award.”…
In a pickle
Untitled Document Home canning has been on my to-do list for several years, and this summer, at long last, my wish came true. While on vacation in Seattle last month, two girlfriends and I teamed up and embarked on a self-taught canning extravaganza, “putting up” peaches and berries for jam. It was an enlightening experience,…
Cancel Camel No. 9
Untitled Document It’s sleek and sexy in design, packaged in a shiny black box with an elegant accent of teal or fuchsia, and it’s advertised in women’s magazines with the alluring slogan of “Light and luscious.” Is it lingerie? Chocolate? Perfume? No. It’s a box of cancer sticks. Specifically, these are Camels, cigarettes put out…
Travel to unravel
Untitled Document I’ve had a lot on my mind lately but not a lot of time to sort things out. That’s just the way things are. Compared with many, I don’t have much to complain about. We have plenty of people whose lives here are much worse — they’re sick, they’re poor, they’re alone. Not…
