Cover Story
Wedding 2023
Today’s couples want to express their unique story, and while they may give a nod to tradition, they’re not afraid to break new ground. From black wedding dresses to repurposing décor to geometric-shaped cakes, we talked to area experts to find out more about the current trends. And if you’ve recently gotten engaged, we have…
City’s Inspector General releases report regarding executive session
City of Springfield Inspector General Roger Holmes issued a report to the Springfield City Council during their meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21. The IG’s report came in the aftermath of an executive session held on Nov. 2, 2021, where aldermen apparently discussed forgiving $240,00 worth of debt owed by Wyndham Springfield City Centre to City Water,…
Downtown demolition
Springfield City Council members gave preliminary approval Feb. 14 to $600,000 in tax-increment financing revenues to pay for almost one-third of a $1.9 million project in which Horace Mann Educators Corp. would tear down two dilapidated buildings near its main campus. The council voted unanimously at its committee-of-the-whole meeting to put the Horace Mann project…
Art Synergy
The tool slid across the glass with the steady hand of an artist teaching her craft. Former state Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez has been paired with Springfield-area artist Morgan Behnke to create a stained-glass window as part of a Springfield Art Association project pairing 16 local artists with well-known people in the community. The couples…
Quantumania a mixed bag, crime drama Sharper full of twists and turns
Quantumania gets the job done Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is two films in one, one much worse than the other. The first is a meandering, world-building enterprise, the details of which could have been dispensed with in 30 minutes, not the listless hour we’re subjected to. The second is a somber, rip-roaring adventure, far…
Grant expands Cielo’s outreach to Springfield’s Hispanic community
Springfield nonprofit Cielo (Spanish for “sky” or “heaven”) has just been awarded a $230,000 grant by the Illinois Public Health Association. The organization, headed by Julio Barrenzuela, helps the Spanish-speaking community to stay healthy and emotionally and financially stable. The grant will allow Cielo to expand its reach by paying for staff and improvements to…
SNL Poem
a pleasant-voiced lassie will answer almost all I ask time temp weather report but I mustn’t say her name (shh—ALEXA) out loud unless I really want the info I did ask her recently if she’d seen the classic SNL production about herself and the “greatest generation” her reply was “it is still popular to this…
Letters to the editor 2/16/23
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- KEEP SHAWNEE AS IT IS This letter is in opposition of a proposal to eliminate our Shawnee National Forest so to replace it with a National Park and climate preserve (no such thing). Starting…
Battling the Green Nuclear Deal
In their determination to save the world from greenhouse gases, some environmental organizations have gone over to the other side, while the Sierra Club nationally has maintained its longstanding opposition to commercial nuclear power. Some local Sierra groups seem not so sure. “Is Nuclear Power a Great Way or a Terrible Way to Cut CO2…
Pre-trial help is better than bail
While the future of cash bail is pending before the Illinois Supreme Court, we’re running a community-based program to help people break the cycle of arrest and jail. And we’re exploring ways to expand our work across the state. We believe in community support so much that we invested $2.9 million last year to connect…
Kids and weddings
Deciding whether or not to invite children to a wedding can be a big question mark for many couples. Some guests may consider children to be a nuisance, while others may think that not inviting children is rude. A couple planning a wedding will be hard-pressed to make every guest happy, and so ultimately, the…
Wedding cake trends: A mix of new and classic
Couples are mixing it up this year when it comes to wedding cakes. Some want cakes with new designs or elements, like cupcakes, while others are going back to classic styles. There are many options to suit a variety of preferences. Julie Shuler, owner of The Cake Shoppe in Springfield, has received multiple requests for…
Custom glam
When Emily Yohn went bridal dress shopping for her April 2022 wedding, she started out searching for a white dress in a modern bohemian style. She knew she didn’t want a ball gown. Dress after dress was cast aside, Yohn says, “because it just wasn’t giving me ‘the feeling.”’ Just as she began to grow…
Pritzker proposes increase to base state budget
After taking a pandemic-induced hiatus from proposing large, permanent base spending increases and instead using most revenue increases for one-time expenditures, Gov. JB Pritzker’s recently proposed Fiscal Year 2024 state budget appears to increase base operational spending by at least $2.75 billion, or 7.9%. Annual pension payments will also rise by a relatively modest $201…
Wedding venues
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum now offers venues for wedding ceremonies, including the three-story atrium in the library. The museum plaza, the building’s magnificent rotunda, makes a spectacular backdrop for receptions, with a replica White House and a log cabin. Couples can even be introduced from the…
Wedding caterers
Arena Food Service, Inc. Custom menus and service proposals are always available. Unlimited number of guests served. Prices are dependent on services rendered. 993 Clocktower Drive, Suite D, 217-698-2944. arenafoodservice.com. info@arenafoodservice.com. Conn’s Hospitality Group Official caterer of The Inn at 835, Merchant House and Elkhart Hill Farm & Vineyard, specializing in weddings, corporate and social…
Editors note 2/16/23
With this wedding issue we note that the marriage rate in the United States has hit an all-time low in recent years, falling to 6 new marriages per 1,000 people in 2020, down from 9.8 per 1,000 in 1990, according to the U.S. Census. Among the reasons given is that Americans are getting married later…
Waste not, want not
The Japanese have a concept known as Mottainai, which expresses a sense of regret over waste. Mottai comes from a Buddhist word that refers to the interconnectedness of all things, living and non-living, and -nai means negation. Therefore, Mottainai is an expression of sadness over the wasted opportunity of things that have yet to reach…
Mayoral endorsements cross political lines
When it comes to campaign fundraising, Springfield mayoral candidate Misty Buscher’s support from labor unions so far has been a factor in her lead over incumbent Mayor Jim Langfelder. With about $204,500 available at the close of 2022’s fourth quarter, Buscher, the current city treasurer, held an $86,334 edge in funds available compared with Langfelder,…
Fast times for February music
Greetings fellow travelers and friends in all places. Welcome to mid-February of 2023 as the month with the most holidays per capita of days rolls right along like a warm breeze in wintertime. We’ve got a mixed bag of stuff to do this week with the events holding up very well for what is quite…
The art of a medical doctor
Dr. Roland Folse chaired the SIU School of Medicine Department of Surgery for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2000 after a distinguished medical career. For more than a half-century, he has also used his hands to create art in many forms. A retrospective of his paintings and 3-D work is on exhibit at the Jacksonville…
A stop on the Underground Railroad
For Black History Month, take a tour of one of the Jacksonville area’s historical sites linked to the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a clandestine network of routes and safe houses used to help enslaved African Americans escape to the free states and Canada. Visitors on Feb. 25 to the Woodlawn Farm, three miles…
Dramatic changes at Sangamon County Animal Shelter
Last year, animal welfare activists were picketing the Sangamon County Animal Shelter and now they are working with it. “Things are going quite well now,” said Jill Egizii, president of the nonprofit WILD Canine Rescue. “WILD had a very adversarial relationship with the former administrator and it was just an awful, awful environment for the staff.…
Groups push for their share of state’s revenue increase
The legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability released its latest monthly fiscal report last week. The report claimed the state is still on track to match the commission’s revised November estimate of a $4.1 billion revenue increase for the current fiscal year. Revenue had originally been projected to fall from the previous fiscal year.…
