Wehaa Test
Amet primis id. Mus ut aenean justo amet ducimus purus tortor ullamcorper primis phasellus consectetuer dolore est donec. In vivamus aliquam tellus donec porttitor. Maecenas sociis vivamus. Justo sollicitudin enim. Id et condimentum mauris sed sem dui consectetuer nisl. Laoreet varius ante. Praesent fringilla quam elit vestibulum eros neque lacinia elit. Lorem in scelerisque…
Hip-Hop Tonight: Torch Tuesday Concert Series
Klevah Local rapper AK217 and Klevah from Champaign are the co-headliners for tonight’s Torch Tuesday Concert series. Also performing will be Grant Flows (also from Champaign) along with three opening acts performing one song each. (Interested artists should show up early as sign-up for opening slots will close at 10 PM). The show will be…
Fast company
In “Unplugged,” I reported that the city of Chattanooga was planning to piggy-back a municipally owned fiber optic cable network on its public electrical utility. As the Washington Post reported the other day, it’s going very well, thank you. The city now operates some 8,000 miles of fiber for 56,000 commercial and residential internet customers.…
This will grow you more brain cells
You grow new brain cells with each new experience. Never tasted chai tea? Drink it and grow more brain cells. Never listened to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Listen: New brain. Never wrote a poem. Do it, new cells. Cross off your list another “never done this before” — attend Springfield Poets and…
Between The Cracks: Looming
Once again, Faingold at Large proudly presents Between the Cracks – the recurring feature designed to shine a light onto Springfield-area bands, and all in their own words, to boot. Join us, won’t you? There’s gold between them thar cracks! Today’s BTC flashlight shines on Looming, which makes its concert debut tonight at Black Sheep…
Tweaking pension reform
Several members of the Illinois General Assembly’s special pension reform committee told me last week that they believed a final proposal would emerge within the next week to 10 days. The conference committee has been working on a solution to the state’s pension problems since June, after urgings by Gov. Pat Quinn to find a…
Shell game
A Texas-based energy company wants to take over several coal plants in Illinois, but environmental groups claim the company is planning to skip pollution controls and use a shell company to avoid taking on any risk. Dynegy Inc. of Houston, Texas, is planning to acquire five coal plants in central and southern Illinois from Ameren…
Saving personal energy by living downtown
Joan Walters has been around the world, and it shows in her spacious downtown apartment. Nearly every square foot of wall, door or floor features a different artifact – perhaps a tribal mask, a statue or a book – from her travels to Peru, Ecuador, Japan, Italy and other far-flung places. “I’m an art lover;…
Magical Spring Green
In the first act, an evil-looking insect perches on an actress’s arm. Later in the play, bats take flight during a heated argument and finally a small plane drones overhead as the actors reveal a terrible secret. At the American Players Theatre, the outdoor setting is part of the drama, in this case a performance…
Renewable resources for your residence
“A lot of people tell me they’d like to get off the grid,” says Bob Croteau, renewable program coordinator for City Water, Light and Power. “That’s really one of the worst decisions you could make because it is extremely expensive to do so and it leaves you having to make serious lifestyle changes.” There are…
Letters to the Editor 9/19/13
FOR RENT I have been a Muni season ticket holder for more than 25 years. I have watched this Springfield icon grow and evolve into the top notch, incredible production company that this small central Illinois city is so very lucky to have. I have seen so many wonderful shows but never have I been…
As the shredder turns
Springfield officials who are looking down the barrel of a lawsuit in the Shredgate scandal shouldn’t be surprised. City officials acknowledge that police officers broke the law last spring when they shredded internal affairs files that were the subject of Freedom of Information Act requests from Calvin Christian III, who is demanding $365,000 in his…
Hardwood floors set the tone in today’s contemporary homes
In the wide open spaces we find in today’s contemporary homes, every centimeter counts and the floor’s role is more important than ever – it is the room’s focal point and the element that sets the tone. The timeless natural beauty of wood gives decors one-of-a-kind personality immersed with warmth and a signature style. And…
A pool for all seasons
With the passage of Labor Day comes the end of sizzling heat, but never, it seems, exactly on time, at least if you have a swimming pool in your backyard. Our pool closed one week after the summer-ending holiday, just in time for some of the year’s warmest weather. Why would anyone close their swimming…
Hodgepodge of happenings
With a whirlwind of wonderful whatevers available to while away the hours this week in the entertainment section of our lives, here are a few tidbits and takes on the goings-on. In the “unbelievable events” category, how is it that two of my favorites in the music business are playing in Springfield on the same…
OPEL IN THE ROUGH
The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival and Car Show is one of Springfield’s biggest attractions, bringing more than 1,000 show cars and an estimated 80,000 spectators downtown each September for the last 12 years. This year, the car show will feature a special treat: The Opel Motorsports Club, based in California, is holding its…
Old arguments
Ordinarily, I would be thrilled that so many people were discussing the merits of the ongoing historical restoration of the Illinois Capitol. Except they aren’t. They’re discussing “excessive flourishes,” $80,000 chandeliers and $600,000 ornamental doorways. They haven’t found any gold-plated toilet fixtures yet, but I’ll bet they’re looking. “They” is people like Chicago State Senator…
The Mature Mob makes another hit
If anyone can lay claim to being the “father” of The Mature Mob, it’s Jim Myers. It began in the early ’90s, when Jim, at age 76, began taking tap dance lessons at the Springfield Senior Center, located at the corner of Walnut and Mason streets. But his teacher, Dorothy Irvine, surely had something to…
The poor tortured tomatoes of agribusiness
Warning: Agribusiness is in the lab again, molesting the “molecular machineries” of Mother Nature’s tomatoes. Actually, it’s the already-machined, industrial tomato that lab techs are retinkering. It seems that big produce peddlers have discovered that their red, perfectly round, tomato-looking fruits are so flavorless as to constitute consumer fraud. Of course, tomato lovers have known…
Who wants to run for mayor?
If nothing else, Mayor Mike Houston knows his history. While most potential candidates for the mayor’s post, up for election in 2015, strike out when asked the name of the last Springfield mayor who won more than two consecutive terms, Houston answers instantly. “Buddy Kapp,” hizzoner says. “His nickname was Buddy.” Not only does Houston…
Herman Astro
A solidified, totally on it and in it band back in 2009, Milwaukee-based quartet Herman Astro shows up ready to rock, bringing a funky attitude with a soulful edge all wrapped up in gritty guitars and a grinding groove. Stepbrothers Zachary Pluer (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Cody Calderon (drums) joined childhood friends Eric LeMieux (electric…
A HOMELESS HOMELESS SHELTER
Helping Hands homeless shelter is without a home itself. Its plans to move to the old Ace Sign Co. building at 402 N. Fourth St. have drawn criticism from residents of the Near North Village apartment building and Sangamon Towers. Helping Hands had to move out of its previous shared spot with Contact Ministries of…
Planning to plant a tree
Most tree and shrub species can be successfully planted in the fall, from October until the ground freezes, or in the spring. At these times of the year the tree is dormant or going dormant. Before you select your new tree, be sure you know where you’re going to plant your purchase. Ask yourself the…
Hijinks and hilarity
Roxy Theatricals presents the charming and unique musical A Day in Hollywood: A Night in the Ukraine Sept. 20-22, 26-29. The Broadway sensation, directed and choreographed by legend Tommy Tune, is like two plays in one. The first act before intermission features the usher corps from the famed Hollywood Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in a song-and-tap-dance…
Your basement need not be damp and drab
Homeowners hoping to spread their wings around the house are increasingly heading downstairs to create more living space. Whether it’s for a home office, a home theater room, a playroom for the kids, or even a laundry room, more and more homeowners are turning their dark, damp and dreary basement into a brighter, more functional…
Creating more usable space in your home
Smarter use of existing space can transform a home into a more pleasant living area. Combining smaller rooms or areas, dividing larger rooms, finishing an attic or basement, converting one room into a year-round “indoor porch” – all are possible projects to improve your home’s comfort level and value. Here are a few suggestions about…
News Quirks 9/19/13
Curses, foiled againWhen two men showed a gun at a busy Chicago restaurant and announced a holdup, the owner asked them to come back in an hour when fewer customers would be around. After they agreed and left, the owner called police, who were waiting when Mario Garcia, 39, and Domingo Garcia-Hernandez, 28, returned and…
Building empathy
The public is invited and encouraged to participate in Springfield Race Unity Committee’s “Building Racial Unity: A Grass-Roots Discussion,” Friday, Sept. 20, at Springfield Baha’i Center. The event is inspired by President Obama’s suggestion that grass-roots discussions on race can be helpful in building unity and empathy. A screening of the president’s remarks after the…
Hardy chard
I love greens. Greens in all forms. Salad greens, for sure, but what I’m talking about here are sturdier greens that lend themselves well to cooking, from quick stir-fries to long-cooked, Southern-style braised greens. (Although I should note that the French make delectably delicate soups utilizing cooked lettuce.) My all-time favorite remains spinach, largely because…
Volunteers by the dozens help children learn to read
Following a successful renovation at McClernand Elementary school, a group of volunteers is preparing to launch a reading mentoring program at the school. Bill Barton of Rochester, who is organizing the program, says it will offer mentorship to young students while building reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. McClernand Elementary School, 801 N. Sixth St.,…
Going code turkey
I broke up with a boyfriend a few years ago because I wasn’t getting what I wanted from him. I’d give him subtle cues, and when he didn’t respond in the ways I was hoping for, I blamed him for being thickheaded. I’ve ended many a relationship because of this. The dudes didn’t have a…
cicada poem # 17
cicada poem # 17 my backyard is shrill with sexno it ain’t no coffee kletchall the guys that fill the treesare shrieking git me with their kneeslocust ladies loose their thongschoose the studs with shrillest songssuch a skirl of sound is ringinglustful lassies come awingingjoin in great gigantic ceiliswith the wonkiest of the wailiesdoes every…
Vachel’s cup
Vachel Lindsay spoke at my mother’s graduation from Springfield High in 1931. I still have the program. Mom adored him. In her eyes he was young, reckless, exotic and incredibly talented. She would carry that love and respect for him all the days of her life. I will always remember the day she went to…
Outdoor studio
Springfield Art Association celebrates its 25th year of the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair, Sept. 21-22, on the grounds of SAA. They hope you’ll join them this year during these milestones in their existence – SAA also turned 100. More than 70 artists will show and sell their wares. Springfield Clinic Pediatrics Team has once…
Realism propels Spectacular Now
I grew up during the age of the John Hughes film and I seemed to be the only one who didn’t jumped on the bandwagon that proclaimed him the voice of my generation. While everyone was raving about how Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were timely movies that accurately portrayed…
