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Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois
62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com
END FOR TRAIL FOR WESTFALL?
You may be one of the many residents of the
Springfield area who enjoy the Wabash, Lost Bridge, and Interurban
trails. If not, you probably recognize and appreciate the
contribution that these trails make to Springfield’s quality
of life and attractiveness to residents, visitors, and businesses. Unfortunately, the continued existence of the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Greenways and
Trails Program, which was instrumental in developing these trails,
is threatened. The talented manager of the program, Dick Westfall,
despite his experience, accomplishments, and dedication, is in
danger of having his four-year-term appointment not renewed at the
end of this year. This makes no sense but, on the basis of past
practice by the Blagojevich administration, is likely to happen. Without Mr. Westfall’s leadership, the
program itself is likely to be discontinued. It will no longer be
able to compete successfully for the reduced funding with which the
IDNR operates. If you care about trails and want to see more
of them developed in our community and across Illinois, let Gov.
Rod Blagojevich know that Dick Westfall’s appointment should
be renewed. Whatever we think about government, we should
all be able to agree, especially after recent tragic events, how
critical it is that the government programs we pay for with our
taxes be managed by experienced and able people. Ed Hoffman Springfield FIRST A SMOKING BAN, THEN GULAGS I just read your article “Making the
ban” [R.L. Nave, Nov. 3], and I am completely appalled. Is
this America? I am asking myself where any form of government has
the right to tell a business owner how to run their establishment.
If I own and pay taxes on a building that either is considered a
nightclub or bar, I should have the right to run it according to
what my patrons would want and as long as it’s within the
legal limits of the law. After all, if I own my own business, my
goal is to keep the customers coming back. If I own a bowling alley
and a majority of my patrons smoke, I would want them to be able to
partake of “their” habit. Where does this end? Are we as a society
going to remove everything that may harm us? Alcohol contributes to
many deaths — is it next? This is a pretty big field that
so-called health-conscious people are trying to clean up. This has
undertones of communism: Big Brother still trying to make free
people abide by rules that are unconstitutional. Laura Currie Riverton
LEARNING HOW TO LOVE
What a beautiful piece Dusty Rhodes wrote on
Judy Dyer, a beautiful woman to be emulated [Dusty Rhodes,
“Fresh Ink,” Nov. 10] I knew two other souls of such
character. Maybe the three have gone on to prepare a place for us.
From their lives we have much to learn about love, if we but pay
attention. Dusty’s message on Judy gives us direction. Delinda Chapman Springfield
Many thanks for the piece on friend Judy
Dyer. Judy will be missed, but her spirit, humor, and wit live on
in her family (especially Josh and Erica), her friends, and in her
wonderful writings. Joe Coffey Springfield
I have intended for some time to write with
congratulations to Dusty Rhodes for the past honors she has received.
Now there are the ones from the Illinois Press Association: first
places both for investigative reporting and columnist. Illinois Times deserves
kudos for having her on its staff, and supporting her in her work. But
I wanted more to write about certain of her columns that have moved me,
and I’m sure many others, by their sensitivity, depth, and
humanity. An example is the one on the cost of adoption. And now, this
past week, the beautiful tribute to Judy Dyer. Thank you, Dusty, for
your own huge heart. Jacqueline Jackson Springfield
How lucky Springfield is to have a writer as
talented as Dusty Rhodes. Dusty wrote eloquently about the passing
of Judy Dyer, a truly wonderful woman that that Springfield was
fortunate to have as one of our own until last week. Dusty
captured, as best a writer could, the life of this remarkable woman
in her column last week. When I read Dusty’s column, it
dawned on me that Judy Dyer had that extraordinary ability to make
you feel comfortable every time you spoke with her regardless of
what might have been going on in her life. Sam Cahnman Springfield
Editor’s note: “Degrees of
Lucky,” a one-act play written by Judith Schlessinger Dyer,
will be presented publicly for the first time at a reading in the
Studio Theatre, on the University of Illinois at Springfield
campus, at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28. Dyer, 47, succumbed to breast
cancer on Nov. 6. TOBACCO-FREE WORLD STILL STINKS
The anti-smoking zealots claim that one of
the advantages of quitting is that you get your sense of smell
back. This is not a benefit but a detriment. Apple pie smells no
different than when I smoked, but Springfield’s storm
sewers’ human-excrement smell is often unbearable. And when I
exit the clean HEPA-filtered air of one of Springfield’s
bars, I now gag on the smell of diesel smoke, auto exhaust,
gasoline (all of which have been proved to cause cancer, unlike
secondhand cigarette smoke), and the aforementioned sewers.
Meanwhile, my work is a
“smoke-free” environment. The trouble is, it
isn’t smoke-free. [My co-workers] burn popcorn every day at
3, and my eyes water for the rest of the day, and my sinuses hurt
like someone shoved toothpicks up my nose. The restrooms stink
horribly, and the air gets so close sometimes I can barely breathe.
And when I enter or exit the building, I am subjected to —
you guessed it — cigarette smoke as the smokers huddle around
the doorways trying to stay out of the rain and cold and wind
[. . .] This proposed smoking ban is insane. How
about one of these anti-smoking zealots opens his own nonsmoking
bar, say, downtown? If someone can actually make a go of it, more
will follow. I believe, however, that the zealots know good and damned well
it wouldn’t last three months. Steve McGrew Springfield AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
Today we happened to drive by the old train
station on Madison Street and observed the re-creation of the old
clock tower. I was reminded of the earlier restoration of the
station by Michael and Nanchen Scully many years ago. They spent a
small fortune — their own — to restore the abandoned
building. The building was then occupied by several small shops. As
I recall, the city did little to assist the Scullys. The city
refused to create a park north of the station that would have
brought in customers. After several years, the venture failed and
the state finally took over the building. Sadly, the Scullys, like many other forward
thinkers in Springfield, were simply a generation too soon. No doubt you have some articles describing
the Scully’s efforts in your files. It might be interesting
to reprise this bit of history. Just a thought. Richard Leary Springfield
Editor’s note: The Scully
family’s efforts to restore Union Station and the old clock
tower were the subject of a cover story, “Back to the
future,” published on Jan. 20. The story is available at
www.illinoistimes.com. SEEKING INFO ON OLD BUSINESS
I am conducting historical research into a
local business that existed between Casner and LaPlace, in eastern
Macon County, on U.S. Highway 36. I would like to appeal to your
readers to send any information that they may have about this
business, which was known at various times as Yoc’s Motel,
the J&S Motel, and the Flame BBQ. The structure that housed
these businesses was probably built in the 1940s as a roadside
motel. Yoc’s Motel was in operation in the mid-1970s through
the early ’80s. It was later named the J&S Motel and was
finally converted into apartment housing. The structure that housed
the businesses was demolished about two years ago. We are
particularly interested in detailed first-hand accounts. If your
readers can offer any personal knowledge or memories of these
businesses, they can contact me by e-mail at yocsmotel@gmail.com Dr. John Wilson Springfield, Va.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2005.
