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A SPRINGFIELD TREASURE
This past week was a flurry of Black History Month celebrations and commemorations. Among the most exciting and engaging was The Florence B. Price Festival, "Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight." This was a collaboration among the Springfield Choral Society, Music UIS, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum and the Vachel Lindsay Home.
It was wonderful to see and experience these events with large, engaged audiences at each of the venues. Every organization stepped up to bring light to the life of Florence Price and her tremendous influence on music history and her connection to Illinois and our town of Springfield. Her struggle continues to be our struggle, both Black and white. It is with great pride that all of these organizations offered these events as a gift to the community. It helped shine a bright light on our rich history and our place in the world of literature and music.
There is one unsung hero in all of the events in the festival: Jacobsen Woollen. He serves as music director of the Springfield Choral Society, the Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Springfield Orchestra, along with associate conductor of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.
The Florence Price Festival was born of his vision, and he coordinated collaboration of these diverse organizations. This was driven by his desire to make the vision come to life. For anyone that attended or participated in any of the events, each was painstakingly choreographed and scripted with exciting facts and details that enhanced the audience's experience and drew them into the mind and life and times of Florence Price. These were all solely put together by Jake. It took time, dedication and research that few would ever attempt to undertake. This was all done while he prepared all of the music ensembles to participate.
Jake's passion for his craft is boundless. His attention to detail enriches the experience of any audience privileged enough to be in attendance and those participating on the other side of the podium.
Yet, he did not take any credit for his incredible vision or the work and time invested in making it all come to life.
Jake is a Springfield treasure who improves the life of his adopted community immeasurably.
James Kontio, vice president
Springfield Choral Society
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NO STATE MONEY
The state should not be giving any funds to a private entity ("Lutheran High School plans to rebuild near Cherry Hills Church," Feb. 8). Lutheran High is a private school. Let the churches pay for it, they don't pay taxes.
I'm also not looking forward to yet another religious organization developing rural property outside of the city. There is plenty of underdeveloped land in the city to build on.
Dennis Sklenka
Via Faceook.com/illinoistimes
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TAXPAYERS SUFFER
Good for Ald. Jennifer Notariano for standing up for not just her constituents, but the residents of Springfield that are getting squeezed by high costs ("City council passes budget," Feb. 22). Interesting that Ald. Larry Rockford said, "I'm just tired of kicking the can down the road." Well, he needs to look around that horseshoe and question Ald. Jim Donelan, who served under Mayor Tim Davlin starting in 2005 and has been on the council for three terms, and Ald. Chuck Redpath, who has served as an alderman for seven terms. Between those two aldermen, they have been the issue with kicking the can down the road, and now we, the taxpayers, have to pay for their poor decisions.
James Patton
Via illinoistimes.com
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OUT OF MONEY
How many increases does the city have to have, promising replaced sewer drains, cleaner water, etc. and still nothing comes through? I lived in the city for 38 years and never saw it happen. Now I've been out of the city for 16 years and still nothing has been corrected, and they still want more money.
To add insult to injury, if one lives in the county we have no voting rights as to what is to be done, what needs to be done and who should be running the city. We finally get a Republican mayor and the first thing that happens is a 32% water rate increase with another 32% water rate increase in 2026. Can't people understand we are out of money?
Karen LeSure
Via illinoistimes.com
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DON'T FORGET RELIGIOUS VENUES
While the wedding issue of Illinois Times provides a helpful service for couples planning to get married, there was a glaring omission of any reference to churches, synagogues or mosques in the article on wedding venues (Feb. 15). Many people of religious faith still desire to have their wedding ceremony in a religious venue such as our beautiful Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at Sixth Street and Lawrence Avenue in Springfield, where any Catholic who resides in our diocese may inquire about having their wedding ceremony. For more information, go to spicathedral.org/matrimony/.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
