Columnist

Democratic candidates answer the ‘Madigan question’

Published by admin on Tue, 02/18/2020 - 10:07am

All six Democratic candidates vying to replace former Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) gathered for a candidates' forum last week moderated by Laura Washington of the Sun-Times. Feigenholtz was recently appointed to the Illinois Senate.
After their introductory remarks, Washington's first question was: “How many of you think it's time for Mike Madigan to step down as speaker of the House?”
All six raised their hands.
“So, it's unanimous,” Washington said. “That's news.”

Braidwood discovers the joys of water

Published by admin on Tue, 02/18/2020 - 10:00am

There has always been a sort of a rivalry between Braidwood and Wilmington. And in most aspects the two towns were pretty much the same. But there is one thing that Wilmington has that Braidwood can never have — that big old river running through it. Braidwoodites grudgingly learned the joys that can be had with that much water.
The first reference I can find concerning Braidwood and the Kankakee was early in August 1871 in the People's Advocate paper from Wilmington.

What's hot and what's not, Osburn knew

Published by admin on Tue, 02/18/2020 - 9:59am

It's not easy being a retail merchant. The public is fickle, one minute they want one thing, and as quickly they drop it and go on to another. Even antique dealers will tell you that what's hot now is what sells. If there was one store in Wilmington that kept up with the times, it was Osburn's Mercantile store. Let's go shopping.
S. E. Osburn took over the Bennett Dry Goods Store in 1904. Located on Water Street, there was a grocery department, a kitchen ware department but little else. It did ok, but ok was not enough for Mr. Osburn.

Prepare the perfect Hurricane this Mardi Gras

Published by admin on Mon, 02/17/2020 - 3:26pm

Fat Tuesday is upon us, and with it comes brightly colored masks, funny hats, beads, and it wouldn't be Fat Tuesday without the quintessential Mardi Gras cocktail, the Hurricane.
Contrary to popular belief, the Hurricane was not invented for Mardi Gras, or any other New Orleans festivities. The Hurricane actually came about as a solution to a problem, it just happened to be delicious.
I love a cocktail with a good back story, this is one of my favorites. Exactly what problem did the Hurricane solve? Too much rum. Yes, Pat O'Brien had a “too much rum” problem.

Skinned by Skinner, paying to work

Published by admin on Tue, 02/11/2020 - 11:49am

They called it a depression, we would call it an economic downturn, most called it hard times.
Work was hard to find across the country. It was no different in Braidwood. Bad pay and hard-working conditions be damned, a job was a job no matter how you attained it. Set the way back machine for autumn 1883.

Piecing the mother road together, State Rt. 4

Published by admin on Tue, 02/11/2020 - 11:46am

As you may have realized by now, I have many files on many subjects in my archive. Today four subjects come together; roads, bridges, politics and the automobile. History wound the four things together to start the embryo of what is now the Mother Road.

Pritzker’s State of the State address receives mixed responses

Published by admin on Tue, 02/11/2020 - 11:41am

I've read and heard a lot of commentary about what Gov. JB Pritzker didn't say in his State of the State address last month. Some folks are still quite angry that he didn't address their pet causes.

The sweet and sour Gin Sling

Published by admin on Mon, 02/10/2020 - 4:00pm

Some classic recipes go back so far that nobody is certain of origins, ingredients, or the proper way to serve the drink.
The Gin Sling is one such recipe, first appearing around 1790 with four defining characteristics: must include gin, must be sweetened, flavored and served cold. As a result there are literally hundreds of Gin Sling variants, today we will reconstruct this long forgotten and often overlooked classic.

Money and politics is a recipe for corruption

Published by admin on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 5:50pm

"It's hard for me to swallow how [people] make so much off of you. Right? And I gotta do the work."
That's from the July 31, 2018 federal surveillance of now-former state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) complaining, according to media reports, to one of the founders of the red-light camera company SafeSpeed. Sandoval was bemoaning how he was killing and passing bills on the company's behalf while watching other people make bank off the red-light cam industry.

Raise a glass of this Kansas City hometown favorite

Published by admin on Mon, 02/03/2020 - 1:43pm

Congratulations, Kansas City Chiefs! For the first time in 50 years, you are Super Bowl champs! This is the second Super Bowl victory for the Chiefs, but the 5th championship for the franchise. The Chiefs franchise won three AFL championships before the AFL/NFL merger, and the first of those was won as the Dallas Texans in 1962.
Chiefs fans have some long overdue celebrating to do. There will be barbeque, beer, more beer and barbeque, a run on Patrick Mahomes jerseys, a parade, and plenty of Kansas City Ice Water, or “KC” Ice Water.