GONE DOWNHILL
This was such a sad article to read (“Seniors struggle at Sangamon Towers,” Nov. 13). Sangamon Towers, at one time, was a very nice place for seniors to live. Two of my uncles and three of my aunts had all lived there and I visited them often. Then, the building was very secure and well cared for. We often sat outside at the tables with no problems. The building was sprayed once a month and there were no insect issues and certainly no rodent problems. There were many planned activities and entertainment for the senior residents.
To think that this once-nice place on the north end has deteriorated so much that seniors are afraid to live there is not what Springfield should tolerate. I am glad my relatives did not live to see these changes in a place they once loved and enjoyed.
Colleen Lavin
Via illinostimes.com
Editor’s note: A follow-up article, “Budzinski intervenes in local housing dispute,” was published Nov. 25.
BLOW THE HORNS
I held a locomotive engineers license for 38 years and was involved in way too many crossing accidents (“The devil’s trumpets,” Nov. 6). Engineers are required by federal law to sound the horn for 15-20 seconds [before entering public crossings] without regard to the time of day. Engineers can face a personal fine for noncompliance. While I was working as a supervisor of engineers, we were required to test engineers for compliance and they could face discipline if they failed to do so. Cities can pass a no-horn ordinance, but that only makes things more dangerous.
Larry Cummings
Via illinoistimes.com
REFOCUS
I am familiar with the VOA (“The ‘American experiment itself’ at stake,” Nov. 14). It has done a lot of good work over the decades. However, in the past decade it has strayed outside its original purpose and has become more of a conduit for an anti-Trump message. It’s subtle, unless one is astute enough to see the real agenda. In that sense, it has become more and more like other media that has a political agenda (whether it be FOX or MSNBC, etc.). This is merely another thinly disguised open borders propaganda piece.
We need the VOA to clean up its act and get back to what it used to be.
Frank Goudy
Cuba, Illinois
BETTER OPTIONS
Last Sunday was one of those rare, beautiful late-autumn days perfect for being outside. Unfortunately, our neighborhood was blanketed in a thick haze of leaf burning smoke. By mid-afternoon, the smoke was so heavy it dimmed the Christmas lights on my neighbor’s house across the cul-de-sac. While I have a Springfield address, I live in an unincorporated area not covered by the city’s ban on burning.
As I breathed in the acrid air, I found myself thinking about the young children who live nearby, my own family’s health, my neighbor who has asthma and others who struggle with respiratory issues. I thought about my sister-in-law, who died from lung cancer. For many people, leaf smoke isn’t just unpleasant, it can be dangerous.
The health risks associated with leaf-burning smoke are well-documented. Fine particulates and toxins released during burning can trigger asthma attacks, worsen heart and lung conditions, and increase respiratory symptoms in children and older adults. The good news is that safer and healthier alternatives are readily available:
Mulch leaves back into the lawn using a mulching mower blade. Chopped leaves settle between the grass blades and break down naturally, improving soil health.
Compost the leaves at home. Simple instructional guides are widely available online.
Use paper yard waste bags and take leaves to a recycling or composting center where they are turned into valuable organic material on farm fields.
Use leaves as mulch around trees, shrubs and flower beds.
I hope more of our neighbors will consider these cleaner, healthier alternatives to burning. They protect our health, improve our soil and preserve the beauty of the days we’d all like to spend outdoors.
Thank you for considering a safer choice for our community.
Steven Mozley
Springfield
This article appears in December 4-10, 2025.
