Columnist

Freshmen lawmakers give off a different vibe

Published by admin on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 9:00am

 

I attended two parties in one evening last month that seemed to complement each other.

A sweet start to the new year

Published by admin on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 9:00am

 

New Year's Eve is upon us, time to break out the party hats and champagne.  Not a fan of the bubbly? Don't worry, with the addition of a sugar and bitters you can toast the New Year with one of America's oldest concoctions, the Champagne Cocktail.

Doing business at the same old stand, downtown

Published by admin on Wed, 12/26/2018 - 9:00am

    There are some who say Wilmington's downtown is dying, others (I am one) who say that not only is it not dying, but it is well on its way to coming back to life.
    Anyone who tries to find parking on a Saturday night downtown knows it is far from deserted. Ah, I can hear someone say, but all those people are at the bars and restaurant.
    Yes, but it was ever so. Today we look at the early drinking establishments along Water Street.
    In August 1850 Cal Zarley, editor of the Joliet Signal, paid a visit to Wilmington.

Enjoy a Puerto Rican Rum Sour

Published by admin on Mon, 12/17/2018 - 10:23am

The classical definition of a sour is spirit, sugar, and lemon juice.  The classic Daiquiri is made from rum, sugar, and lime juice.  The lines between Sour and Daiquiri are blurry in some parts of the world, one delicious exception to the cocktail rules is Puerto Rico where a Rum Sour contains all that you would hope to find in a rum cocktail.  Oh, and there is a cherry on top.

Arizona cut pension benefits, but Illinois won’t

Published by admin on Sun, 12/16/2018 - 4:20pm

 

We’ve seen a big push over the past few weeks for an Arizona-style pension “fix” here. That state’s voters have twice approved constitutional amendments to limit future benefits for public employees – once in 2016 and then again last month.

Raising mimimum wage a Pritzker priority, but how much?

Published by admin on Wed, 12/12/2018 - 9:00am

 

Gov.-elect JB Pritzker was asked last week about the timeline for passage of a new minimum wage law. 

Serve Greyhounds at your next brunch

Published by admin on Wed, 12/12/2018 - 9:00am

    “Smithers, release the hounds”. For over 30 years on television's “The Simpsons” the evil Montgomery Burns has called for the hounds when something displeases him.
    This week we are not displeased in any way, but feel that it is time to release the hounds. Meet the Greyhound and the Salty Dog, two closely related classics that are making a comeback.
    As is the case with many prohibition era cocktails, the origin of the Greyhound cocktail is unclear at best.  What we know is that the recipe first appeared in Harry Craddock's famous “Savoy Cocktail Book” of 1930.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Published by admin on Wed, 12/12/2018 - 9:00am

    I know that I am not alone. Each night during the winter I listen to the weather reports to hear if that dreaded white stuff will be making an appearance.
    Don't get me wrong, I love snow on Christmas Eve through New Year's. After that you can keep it. It makes life so inconvenient.
    However, this is 2018 and between salt and plows and snow blowers and such, we deal with it. Today we go back to experience the deep snow on the Illinois prairie.

Christmas giving for the history lover

Published by admin on Wed, 12/05/2018 - 9:00am

    Have a person on your list who loves history? There are hundreds of great gifts out there, today let's look at a few.

Christmas entertainment at Empire Hall

Published by admin on Wed, 12/05/2018 - 9:00am

    One of the Christmas traditions of our age is the special entertainment that can be seen at this time of year. Many movies open for the first time on Christmas Day, and there are special holiday shows at the Rialto and other concert venues. It was no different in the day.
    In Wilmington the concert venue was Empire Hall, later to be renamed the Opera House, and later to have its third floor removed.