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Summerguide 2023
Whether you’re planning an out-of-state road trip or want to find a nearby outdoor oasis, we have ideas for you. Perhaps you’re hoping to catch on your reading list – we asked several notable Springfield readers to share their suggestions for good books to tackle this summer. And when the kids start saying they’re bored…
Find an outdoor oasis
“Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson Are you wishing for a chance to get outside this summer and enjoy the fresh breezes and sunny skies? Do you have kids or dogs to entertain? If you’ve tired of the familiar confines of your own backyard or neighborhood,…
Black Lives Matter holds annual car procession, awards high school scholarships
Black Lives Matter SPI held their fourth annual “Ride for our Lives” Solidarity Procession on Saturday, May 27. The first procession was held in 2020, shortly after the death of George Floyd, and has become an annual affair. Dozens of cars decorated with slogans and colorful art gathered at noon across from the BOS Center…
Sticking points in the state budget
House and Senate Republicans claimed during budget-related floor debate last week that the super-majority Democrats had masked the true size of their plan by delaying the start of some spending until the second half of the upcoming fiscal year. Yes and no. Republicans pointed to the $317 million cost of increasing Medicaid provider reimbursement rates,…
Mission to Mars
Beginning at age 10, Nathan Jones accompanied his father, an Effingham optometrist, on medical mission trips to Honduras. As a young adult, he flew on helicopters to care for car-crash victims during residency training in Peoria on his path to becoming an emergency medicine physician. In recent years, he has helped save lives in Springfield…
Punishing pregnancy centers
Suzanne Moss doesn’t see the need for Illinois to become one of the first states to explicitly allow pregnancy resource centers to be fined for deceptive practices. “I find it very odd,” said Moss, education program coordinator of Two Hearts Springfield, one of three such pro-life pregnancy centers in the city. “I don’t know any…
What’s on your summer reading list?
Many people look forward to summer to catch up on their reading. We asked several notable Springfield readers what books they plan to read this summer. The choices seem endless: from books that inspire with tales of courage or beautiful poetic musings to biographies and memoirs of historical figures and world leaders to novels that…
Ways to keep kids entertained this summer
I don’t know about you, but in our house, we have been counting down the days until summer. I’m excited for summer’s longer days, time with family and friends, wonderful sticky weather and piles and piles of farmers market produce. There is just something about the simplicity of no packed lunches, no homework in the…
Summer stage offerings
It is always interesting to see what is on the horizon in the theater world. In the summer, theaters sometimes lighten their fare with comedies and musicals, which tend to draw a different type of audience, filling the seats with more families and people who do not usually attend. Springfield’s summer theater scene reflects that…
My last meal
When I hang out with other chefs, as a conversation starter, I’ll often ask them what’s their favorite thing to eat, or what they’d choose for their last meal. One would expect the responses to be something complex, and, well… cheffy. Surprisingly, often the answers trend toward simple dishes. My current boss, Chef Sean Brock,…
Memorable Memorial Day weekend music
If you’re among those who count Memorial Day weekend as the official kickoff of the summer season, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t since most of America does, then welcome to the much-anticipated event. For us here at Now Playing central that means the outdoors venues all seem to be open for live music…
Fired library managers speak out
Summer Beck-Griffith was told the mayor wants to take the Lincoln Library in a different direction when she was notified of her firing earlier this month. But in the wake of her dismissal, by newly elected Mayor Misty Buscher, Beck-Griffith remains perplexed as to just what that “new direction” might be for the capital city’s…
Making community collegetransfer easier
New legislation guarantees that community college graduates in approved degree programs would have all their major course credits transfer to a four-year public institution in Illinois. Students would have to confirm in advance that the receiving institution offers an equivalent major. Currently, four-year schools have the option of requiring community college graduates to retake certain…
Letters to the editor 05-25-23
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Was this article meant to be journalism or just act as a mouthpiece (“New mayor makes appointments,” May 11)? There are so many unanswered questions that myself, and I would hope other residents, would like answered. I was hoping Scott Reeder would ask some follow-up questions to Mayor Misty Buscher, but it seems…
Ron Dougan on politics 03/20/1960
I read a statement by Kennedy in which he says we must have higher social security benefits, higher old age benefits, higher medical benefits, and all hamsters must be protected from want! Oh yes, farmers ought to get what’s coming to them, and I couldn’t agree more. I forgot to apply for my…
When pregnancy is treated as a problem
Are you pregnant? Are you planning to get pregnant? Are you in a relationship? I squirmed uncomfortably as my boss asked these questions to a finalist for a job opening. I’d identified the person as a promising journalist, but he wanted to do the final screening. The questions he asked had little to do with…
Misinformation around teacher retirements
Retirement ought to be a time in which every person can relax, spend time with loved ones, and pursue interests and hobbies. And yet, these days, too many of our neighbors are stressed that their golden years will lack the security and dignity they have worked so hard for throughout their lives. Rising cost of…
Summerguide 2023 calendar
ONGOING Farmers Market Sundays, June 25, July 2, 16, and 30, Aug. 6 and 20, 10am-2pm. Farmers market plus a flea market, crafts and food trucks. Call for more info. Knights of Columbus, Riverton, 335 S. Fourth St., 217-494-3366. Extended Summer Sensory-Friendly Visit Times Tuesdays, 9am-12pm, through Aug. 29. Reduced lights and sounds on exhibits to create a…
Cycling safety
Cycling is an ideal way to enjoy the outdoors and get your heart pumping. Whether you’re looking to bike to work or just take advantage of the sunshine, it’s critical that everyone using the trails and roads works together for the safety of all. The Springfield Bicycle Club has been organizing group rides, teaching bicycle…
Kandahar too lofty, Fast X running on empty, Jennifer Lopez sinks Mother
Kadahar falls short of its ambition Though it’s being promoted as a standard Gerard Butler actioner, there’s far more at play in Ric Roman Waugh’s Kandahar. Working from a script by former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Mitchell LaFortune, it strives to present the current unrest in the Middle East from a variety of different perspectives.…
More to Indy than racing
The roar of the cars and crowds is an iconic start to summer for many as they flock to Indianapolis for the Indy 500 on Memorial Day weekend. But a 213-mile trip east on I-72 and I-74 yields many other delights, including dinosaurs, a gondola ride, LOVE and the spiciest appetizer around. Nate Swick, senior…
The sky’s the limit
To combat a national shortage of aircraft mechanics, the Federal Aviation Administration has given Lincoln Land Community College a $500,000 grant. “We earmarked over half of that money to be for student support: tuition, books and tools. We’re also helping them pay for their testing that they’ll do upon graduation,” said Nancy Sweet, dean of…
