One SIU Too Many

Well, it looks like the real Southern Illinois University is still stuck with it's bastard, ummm, step-sibling.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Southern Illinois University has dodged the bulletagain
on a legislative attempt to split the Carbondale and Edwardsville
campuses.

State Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville, said he is willing not to
pushHouse Bill 663 any farther this session, thanks to some agreements he and
SIU board Chairman Glenn Poshard made during a meeting this past week.

I say split them up and call Edwardsville "Metro-East Illinois University" or "What's the Purpose of This University Again? University".

Dedication Tickets

Speaking of the Abe Lincoln Library and Museum, tickets for this month's dedication will soon be available:

Tickets for the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on
April 19 will be available to the public next week at the Prairie Capital
Convention Center box office.

The tickets are free, but they are required for entry to the
dedication. They may be picked up from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Wednesday.

A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, must be shown
to obtain tickets, according to library and museum spokeswoman Christine
Glunz.

Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis with a
limit of two tickets per person.

The dedication begins at 11 a.m.

I'm not sure of what dignitaries are planning on attending other then Governor Blagojevich. There have been rumors that President Bush will be attending but that will not be confirmed until a few days before the dedication.

Of Pigs and Presidents

One of the dirty (literally) little secrets about Springfield is the transit of hog-bearing trucks through the downtown area from points east and south on their way to the Beardstown, IL Excel meat packing plant. They travel on Route 97 (Jefferson Street) that runs right between the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the associated museum. An enclosed catwalk connects the two buildings with the Jefferson Street traffic, including the hog trucks, passing below.

Anyway, the constant flow of these trucks, and there are a lot of them, raises quite stink (again , literally). It's not something that is going to impress visitors, at least not in a positive way.

Well, with this issue in mind, ETK has fired off a letter to Springfield mayor Tim Davlin.

Mayor,

Actually, I'm a villager of Jerome. But I work in downtown Springfield,
and have for most of my adult life.

I wanted to take this opportunity to raise an issue which I believe
that you should address, and quickly.

I feel that the transit of dozens of "Hog Trucks", each carrying dozens
of hogs, down Jefferson street everyday must come to an end, and as soon as
possible.

I've seen such trucks running over the 11th street railroad tracks so
violently (while heading west down Jefferson) that hay, and poop fly off the
trucks leaving trails of poop spread down the street for blocks. In the summer
this flattened poop steams away for weeks, attracting flies.

It has become a topic of discussion several times, just this week among coworkers here at [ETK's employer]. I know of no one who wouldn't love to see these trucks banned from downtown Springfield.

Now such disgust will find itself center stage, being traversed right
between the Abraham Lincoln Museum, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library - one of the most prestigious cultural sites in Illinois.

While true, that Abe would have seen a pig or two wandering up the
muddy streets of early Springfield, this is not what we want or need in modern
Springfield.

With reports on the dangers of aerosolized bacteria making children
sick at agricultural displays at numerous county fairs throughout the country,
and concerns over antibiotic resistant bacteria finding breeding grounds in farm
animals - there's just no way that the huge amounts of biological particulate
matter (i.e., bacteria, and viri) spraying off those Hog Trucks can be
healthy.

If dozens of open trucks were streaming through town each holding
dozens of naked human beings covered in poop were polluting downtown on a daily
basis it would have been stopped in a second.

But because it's Hogs, it's o.k.?

It also smells to high heavens, and this foul air gets concentrated
into nearby office buildings with their modern air conditioning systems
recirculating, this stench. I can't imagine what the new Library, and Museum
will smell like after awhile, but it can't be a pleasant thought.

Just horrible!

Is this the image we want hundreds of thousands of tourist to take away
with them of Springfield?

Someone needs to speak out for what is good for Springfield, not
Beardstown's slaughter house.

Why not pass a city ordinance which would fine any agricultural truck passing through the city without an inspection, or some such thing?

They could surely route these trucks around the city.

Can you imagine the opening day being made a farce by the driving
stink of dozens of these trucks passing nearby with all the attending
VIPs?

Surely, you see my concern.

There, I've gone, and done it, I brought up the Hog Trucks - Hee
Haa!

[ETK]

I'm not sure who has the ultimate authority to regulate the traffic on Jefferson. Sure, it's in the city but isn't Route 97 a state highway? Can the city impose restrictions? I don't know, just asking.

Dining Out

I will soon be enjoying fine cuisine at a well-known eatery that caters to the younger crowd. I believe the proprietor of the establishment goes by the name of Charles Cheese. An evening of culinary delight awaits.

Local Twist

I initially passed on reading this story when I saw the headline. There's been too much death news the last couple of weeks. But The Eleventh Hour's Senior Boxing Correspondent, ETK, read it and noticed a Springfield reference.

DENVER (AP) -- A college teacher who won a regional boxing title three
years ago died from a head injury she sustained in a Golden Gloves competition,
apparently becoming the first woman to die in a sanctioned bout.

Becky Zerlentes, 34, of Fort Collins, died Sunday, Howard Daniel of the
Denver County coroner's office said Monday. The preliminary cause of death was
blunt force trauma to the head causing internal bleeding, but results from an
autopsy were not immediately available.

Zerlentes is believed to be the first female amateur boxer to die in a
sanctioned match, USA Boxing spokeswoman Julie Goldsticker said.

[snip]

Goldsticker said the last death at a USA Boxing event was in
February 2001, when heavyweight Quinton Grier, 31, of Springfield, Ill., died after a match.

I did not remember this incident but a search of the SJ-R archives turned up this item from February 18, 2001.

JOPLIN, Mo. - Quinton Grier, a heavyweight boxer from Springfield, collapsed in
the ring Friday night and died after winning his semifinal bout in the USA
Heartland Regional Tournament.Grier, boxing for the Ozark team from the St.
Louis area, had just won a decision over Jessie Shoemaker of the Missouri Valley
team. Grier, 31, walked across the ring to congratulate Shoemaker's cornerman,
went back to his corner, turned, took a few steps and fell forward on his
face.Dr. Ricardo

OK, it ends abruptly because the SJ-R wants $2.95 for the full archived story. TEH's budget can't handle that expense.

Record Setter

The president's approval ratings continue to plummet. In fact, he has the lowest approval rating of any president since World War II at this point in his presidency. Go ahead George, tell us more about that Social Security plan of yours. Keep talking now.

Voted!

I anxiously await the results of the Park Board races.

Peter Jennings Has Lung Cancer

Here.

I wish him well. The story doesn't say what his prognosis is. He says he's going to stick with World News Toinght.

Election Day

Not much going on here in Springfield a far as today's election goes. The biggest thing is the proposed merger of the Springfield and Sangamon County Health Departments. Actually, it would be an acquisition of the Springfield Health Dept. by its county counterpart.

There's been some debate over the matter but to be honest I don't care that much. Both sides (those for and those against the merger) have been throwing numbers out "proving" they will save the most money while providing the best service. I've looked and listened but I can't generate much enthusiasm one way or the other. In such a case, I usually go with the status quo. So my vote will be No on the merger.

New News is Good News

It looks like the local TV news challenge to the horrendous Sinclair-owned WICS is taking shape. Again from the SJR today:

The on-air lineup is taking shape for a 9 p.m. newscast debuting Thursday on Springfield station WCFN.

The station, which is owned by the same company as WCIA-TV in Champaign, will have two reporters and a photographer full time in Springfield. The newscast also will use resources from the Champaign station.

WCFN is on Channel 49, though Insight Communications cable subscribers in Springfield receive the UPN network station on Channel 19.

According to Jim Gee, news director for both WCFN and WCIA, the anchor of the 30-minute news program will be Michael Marsh, who is main anchor at Channel 3. He now anchors WCIA newscasts at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. He will drop the 5 p.m. post on WCIA - a CBS affiliate - as he begins his weeknight broadcasts on WCFN at 9.

Having the anchorperson based in Champaign "has been the plan from the beginning," Gee said.

"That doesn't make it any less of a Springfield newscast," he said, with on-scene reporters in the capital city.

Longtime "chief weathercaster" Judy Fraser of WCIA also will report the weather on the Springfield newscast. And Jason Elliott will report sports, as he does on WCIA.

Two reporters who live in Springfield and will gather news for the station are Catie Sheehan and Abbie Alford.

Sheehan, 23, is a Springfield native who graduated in 2003 from the University of Missouri at Columbia with a broadcast journalism degree. She worked at an NBC station in Columbia and returned to Springfield in August. She was a substitute teacher at Blessed Sacrament School and Sacred Heart-Griffin High School - both from which she graduated - until being hired by WCIA/WCFN at the end of January. She taught journalism at SHG, where she also had played soccer.

"I'm really excited to offer Springfield an alternative news source, as I've lived here my whole life other than going to college," Sheehan said.Alford, 24, is a native of Red Bluff, Calif., who finished college at Eastern Illinois University, where she participated in speech and debate competitions. She received a master's degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield and was an intern at the Statehouse bureau of WAND-TV in Decatur as part of the work for that degree. She went on to be a reporter with the station and has been hired by WCFN, where she will start April 13.

Alford said she lives in Springfield and was sought out to take the new position.

"When I found out about it and I decided to accept the job, I said, 'Bring it on, baby,'" she said.

Gee said some reporters from WCIA also will help with Springfield coverage as the new newscast begins.

WCFN is not going to have the resources that WICS has, but it would be hard for them not to have a better product. I wish them luck.

Learning a Lesson?

I've always been pretty skeptical about for-profit schools, at least at the K-12 level. So it was with interest that I read this in today's Springfield State journal-Register:

The Springfield School Board on Monday night all but voted out of town the
for-profit corporation that has been operating Feitshans-Edison Elementary
School for the past five years.

District 186 entered into a contract with Edison Schools in the fall of 2000 that allowed the company to run the school on its own for five years. Edison supplied the curriculum, technology and professional development while the district provided most of the funding and the Feitshans building at 1101 S. 15th St.

To renew the contract meant the district and the company would have to
reach an agreement before the current contract runs out this summer. But after
several months of negotiations over what district officials considered unacceptable new terms, the board told School Superintendent Diane Rutledge that it's probably best to just move on.

"We would be in favor of not renewing the contract," said board
president Rick Heironimus, adding that the board believes the district can do
"as well and maybe better" without Edison's help.

Edison appears not to have made negotiations very easy. Presented with
the latest proposal from the company Monday, the district was given only one day
to approve it.

Edison, according to the district's finance director, Agnes Nunn,
claimed it needed about $700,000 more to run the school during the
2005-06 year than what the district would spend to run it.

The company provided the school its own professional-development
training, student-assessment software and computers. Feitshans-Edison also
offers fine arts and Spanish classes, which most Spring- field elementary
centers do not. Its school days and year are longer than the district's average.

However, Feitshans-Edison, which operates as a magnet school,
meaning it's available to students throughout the district, has been
experiencing a drop in enrollment recently. And it continues to be one of the lowest-performing schools in the district.

"We're not convinced the Edison model has gotten us to where it should
be," said board member Cheryl Wise.

[snip]

According to its Web site, New York City-based Edison runs 157 schools
in districts across the country. Through consulting services and other programs,
Edison claims to serve 250,000 students in 20 states, Washington, D.C., and the
United Kingdom.

Public school bashers are always claiming the "free market" can solve any and all education woes and for a lower price. Well maybe not so much, huh?

Oh, (Big) Brother

This is just pathetic.

SAN GERONIMO, California (Reuters) -- Sam Andrew will soon embark on what
mildly might be called a challenging task: to replace his rock band's long-dead
singer -- Janis Joplin.

This time around, his band's recruitment may not involve seduction,
wild sex, drinking and drugs as, according to legend, happened with Joplin's
induction and adventures with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Rather, if the aging San Francisco-area rockers have their way, the
21st-century auditions to replace a 1960s icon will become a television
reality show called "Search for the Pearl," a reference to Joplin's
nickname.

Who's going to watch this? Anyone under 40 probably isn't going to care at all and the rest of us will be too embarrassed to look.

Higher Prices = High Buildings

Sure we're paying a lot for gasoline. But look what the money is going for.

Retro Discovery of the Week

Watching VH-1 Classic's "Alternative" show (again) last night and came across something else i had completely missed the first time around.

A video by a group called the Hindu Love Gods popped up and i was curious to hear it since I had never heard of them. Well, as soon as the vocals began on the cover of Prince's "Raspberry Beret" I recognized Warren Zevon's voice. And some of the still images in the video looked like members of REM. So, off to the internet.

It turns out the Hindu Love Gods were indeed REM (minus Michael Stipe) plus Warren Zevon. Who knew?

The story is, the three REMers were helping Warren on an album back in 1990 and the four of them decided to slap together a bunch of songs all in one session just for the fun of it. It was not intended to be released but, well, here it is.

All the reviews I've seen have been pretty positive. I've got this one on my wish list now.

Happy DST!

Daylight-saving time is here at last.

This would be a good opportunity to promote a movement I have started that would require continual time changes to guarantee the sun never sets before 8:30 pm. I don't care if the sun wouldn't rise until 10:00 am or whatever, I want light many hours after I get off work. Please actively lobby your lawmakers. Perhaps if we called the legislation the "Sunny Days Act" or something it might gain more appeal.

Bravo Blago

See, you can be a good governor:

(CHICAGO) — Governor Rod Blagojevich today filed an emergency rule with the Illinois Secretary of State's office requiring birth control prescriptions be filled without delay at pharmacies selling contraceptives.

Under the rule, if the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must order it or, if the patient prefers, transfer the prescription to a nearby pharmacy.

If the pharmacist does not fill the prescription because of a moral objection, another pharmacist must be available to fill it. The emergency rule takes effect immediately and stays in effect for 150 days.

Blagojevich is a result of a Chicago pharmacist recently refusing to fill orders for contraceptives because of moral opposition.

This nonsense about not selling prescribed drugs due to "moral" reasons is complete bullshit. If you don't like it get another job.

Update: Peoria Pundit thinks this is a bad idea. Essentially, he thinks it should be up to the consumer to go elsewhere if a pharmacist will not sell you birth control pills. I have lots of problems with that line of thinking but here's the biggie:

Let me put it in the form of an example. Say my wife has her birth control prescription called into a particular pharmacy. It can be refilled monthly by simply calling it in or automatically will be refilled as many stores now do. On Saturday, she goes in to pick up her latest prescription because she needs to start a new round that day. She gets to the store and Pharmacist Holy Roller decides he isn't going to sell the already filled prescription to her because he considers birth control immoral.

OK, she needs to be on that pill that day to stay on schedule. What the hell is she supposed to do? Her doctor likely can't be reached to call in a prescription elsewhere until at least Monday. And it's not like she can simply run across the street to another pharmacy and pick them up. (I know, many pharmacy chains have the ability to get prescriptions filled across town but what a hassle and isn't Pharmacist Holy Roller still sinning if he facilitates this?).

See, this isn't a matter to be taken lightly. Birth control regimens need to be followed strictly and having someone mess it up without warning is unconscionable.

Birth control is not new, it's been around for decades. Any one going into the pharmacy field has to know that a huge part of what they will be doing will involve birth control. If thay have moral problems with it, choose a new line of work. And for the recently converted pharmacist, hey, you opted to change your life, deal with the changes and find new work.

Abe World

NPR carried a story this morning on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum set to open here in Springfield on April 19th. As part of the report, they talked to Dr. John Y. Simon, professor of history at Southern Illinois University. I had the great pleasure of taking a history of Illinois class taught by Dr. Simon while I was an undergrad at SIU in the early 80s.

In the NPR report, Dr. Simon had some less than kind things to say about the way the museum is displaying Lincoln. Not the content per se, but the theme park-like way the content is presented.

I have not been in the museum yet (it’s not open to the public yet) but I have seen pictures and the web site. and I see what Dr. Simon means. But I really like history and don’t need to be enticed by flashy displays to get interested in the topic. Most other people, I suspect, may need a little more incentive to invest their time in historical topics. Anyway, it’s an interesting controversy.

Here is a Chicago Magazine article that gets into the issue a bit and quotes Dr. Simon. And here is an article written by Dr. Simon and published back in 2002 raising the same issues. He’s also quoted here.

On a personal note, I learned a great deal in Dr. Simon’s class. Fortunately, the class was small in size by University standards. Dr. Simon was (and still is, I’m sure) a very interesting. knowledgeable and humorous speaker. He’s also written more than a few books.

His class was great fun. I remember him talking about a visit he had made to Springfield, calling it a “one horse town” where he once had his car stolen. I always thought that strange since in all the time I’ve lived in or near Springfield, I’ve never know anyone who had their car stolen. It happens, I’m sure, but it was odd that it happened to him on a visit.

Friday Beer Blogging: A Silly Edition

Happy April Fools Day! And what better way to celebrate than by drinking yourself silly, or at least drinking a Silly.

This beer is for real and not an April Fools joke. It's brewed in Belgium by the fine folks at Brasserie de Silly. Check out all their Silly beers

Ted End 2

Uh-oh. Could ABC be looking to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to replace Nightline? Atrios is spreading a gossip and it makes me wonder:

The inevitable rumors (though, not necessarily true ones) swirl that ABC will try to steal the Daily Show from Comedy Central.

I hope that doesn't happen. The result will be the ruination of TV's finest fake news show. TDS will become a watered-down shadow of its present self.

Echoing Atrios: DON'T DO IT JON!

Ted End

Ted Koppel is leaving ABC News.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Ted Koppel is leaving ABC and the "Nightline" show
he has hosted since it started in 1980 -- making him the third high-profile news
anchor to leave a broadcast network in the last year.

The network announced Thursday that Koppel, a 42-year veteran of ABC News,
would leave when his current contract expires Dec. 4.

Nightline is the best daily news show on television now. It has been for some time and compared to the unending crap on CNN/Fox/MSNBC, it's positively fantastic. No word on the fate of Nightline. I suspect it will disappear too unless ABC is unable to come up with anything to compete with Leno/Letterman (oh please, not Jimmy Kimmel, please, please, please).

I witnessed Nightline's birth as an outgrowth of the coverage of the Iranian hostage crisis and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, both in late 1979. At first, it wasn't called Nightline, that didn't come until March of 1980. See, back in the 70's, with no cable news networks, the broadcast networks would provide extra coverage of big news events after the late local news, at 10:30 (not 10:35!) Central Time. They were generally called "Special Reports". With the Iranian and Afghanistan situations bringing nightly special reports for months on end, ABC decided to make it a regular news show.

Nightline has always been pretty straight-forward and unpretentious. Which means it really has no place in modern broadcasting.