Columnist

Whose ads will hit the airwaves first?

Published by admin on Mon, 04/30/2018 - 11:33am

    Believe it or not, one of the questions I’m asked the most these days is: “When will Gov. Rauner and JB Pritzker start airing their general election TV ads?”
    A few weeks ago, Chicago pundit Dick Simpson predicted to Crain’s Chicago Business that the new campaign TV ads would start “any minute.”  He went on to say that both candidates will be worried about the other candidate getting out front.

Discover Campari, a red bitter liqueur

Published by admin on Wed, 04/25/2018 - 9:00am

    If you have ever perused the labels on the bottles behind your local bar, you have likely seen a bottle of Campari.
    Campari is a bright red, bitter liqueur that is bold in both flavor and attitude. The makers of Campari market the liqueur as suave and sophisticated through stylish posters and ad campaigns featuring the likes of Jessica Alba, Penelope Cruz, Benicio Del Toro and other international celebrities.

The cardboard box and Wilmington's economy

Published by admin on Wed, 04/25/2018 - 9:00am

    One look at a shelf in any grocery will tell you that packaging of products has become a science. In the cereal aisle the brightly colored cardboard boxes catch our children's attention and makes them beg for a product because of the picture on the front.
    This was not always so. Let's look at the beginning of the cardboard box and how it affected Wilmington.
    Cardboard was invented in the early 19th century. It was used for bookmaking and to stiffen gentlemen's hats. Almost every commodity at that time was sold in bulk, glass jars or steel cans.

Historic hygiene, a delicate subject

Published by admin on Wed, 04/25/2018 - 9:00am

    While looking at a photo of coal miners, I could not help but notice that they were as black as the rock they were mining. If one of them were my husband I would demand he hose off before he came into the house.
    But then, I realized that people of that time did not have hoses or water pressure or bathtubs. Set the way-back machine for the late 1870's and bring a towel. We are going to try to clean up.

Illinois may see a third candidate for governor

Published by admin on Sun, 04/22/2018 - 4:26pm

 

Several months ago, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff Tim Mapes made copies of candidate nominating petitions for what appeared to be every single candidate in the state, regardless of party or office sought.  Madigan’s spokesperson was mum when asked why.

If you don’t like the weather, well neither do I

Published by admin on Wed, 04/18/2018 - 9:00am

    Will winter never end? I for one, am sick of it. There should be a law against snow in April.
    And so, partially to make myself feel better, today's topic is the worst winter in historic history in Will County, that of 1830-31. The Black Hawk War had yet to be fought, and there were a very few courageous settlers who braved the unknown on the Great Prairie during those years. This is their story.

Diverting disaster, the start of the ditch

Published by admin on Wed, 04/18/2018 - 9:00am

    The problem, of course, was water, too much of it and nowhere to put it. The Wilmington Coal Field lay under poor prairie soils that were pock marked with bogs and swamps.
    With only one small river, the Mazon, to drain it, Braidwood before the white man was a flat landscape full of mosquitoes, malaria and quick sand. Along came the coal companies to dig deep holes in this landscape with the inevitable result of flooding and loss of life. What to do?

Enjoy Shark Week with a Shark’s Tooth cocktail

Published by admin on Wed, 04/18/2018 - 9:00am

    I'll admit it, I am a huge fan of Shark Week. Sharks are best enjoyed from a distance and each year Discovery gives us an opportunity to learn about these fascinating creatures from the safety of our living rooms.
    Apparently I am not the only fan of Shark Week as 2018 will mark the 30th installment of the series. If you are going to settle in for eight nights of sharks, you should have the appropriate cocktail for the occasion, Don The Beachcomber's legendary Shark's Tooth.

Budget is final test of Rauner’s first term

Published by admin on Mon, 04/16/2018 - 3:02pm

    I’ve read, watched and heard a whole lot of commentary about the upcoming state budget negotiations during the past few weeks and it pretty much all ignores recent history and focuses instead on one-sided claims of pending controversy.
    For instance, this is from an April 7 State Journal-Register editorial: “Some Republicans have voiced in recent weeks the thought that Democrats, who control the House and Senate, might not want to have a state budget again, in hopes it will impede GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner’s re-election chances in November.”

Finding the right place, one family’s story

Published by admin on Wed, 04/11/2018 - 9:00am

    Just like a dog turning around and around to find just the right place to settle down, many early pioneers did not settle in the first place they happened to land. These people already had the spirit of wanderlust, and they had come along way to find their own idea of paradise. Sometimes moving around was the only way to find it. Set the way-back machine to 1832 just after the Black Hawk War.