Columnist

Who would have thought yards signs would lead to this?

Published by admin on Mon, 11/05/2018 - 1:29pm

    The last column I write before an election day is always the toughest because some papers will publish this before election day and others will publish it after.  So, today you get a yard sign story.
     Let’s start with Congressman Peter Roskam’s campaign, which sent out two press releases during the fall campaign complaining about stolen yard signs.
     It wasn’t a stolen sign that prompted a proposed temporary restraining order by an apparent supporter.  Instead the fear of unwanted yard signs wound up in Lake County court.

Shake up a Vesper Martini Bond-style

Published by admin on Wed, 10/31/2018 - 9:00am

    Bond, James Bond.
    If the phrase were spoken during a game of word association I would reply with one word - “Martini”.
    Mr. Bond has taught multiple generations not only how to order a Martini, but he also taught us how to look cool while drinking one. Over the course of the Ian Fleming series of novels, Bond ordered a good mix of gin and vodka Martinis.
    However, one particular Bond Martini uses both vodka and gin, along with Lillet blanc. Enter “The Vesper” from the 1953 Fleming novel and light-hearted “spy spoof” film adaptation, “Casino Royale.”

Told you so: Harold says she’ll be a watchdog of Madigan, Pritzker

Published by admin on Sat, 10/27/2018 - 10:44am

 

"I'll be a check on the Pritzker-Madigan agenda," Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold said in her latest TV ad about Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner JB Pritzker and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Mulled Wine, the king of fall and winter wine cocktails

Published by admin on Wed, 10/24/2018 - 9:00am

    There is a wine cocktail for every season. Spring simply is not spring without Mimosas over brunch and the Sangria rules the summer.
    Now that the leaves have fallen and holiday décor crowds the aisles of your local big box store, it is time to turn to the undisputed king of fall/winter wine cocktails, Mulled Wine.
    Mulled wine is more akin to cooking than it is mixology as it is prepared in a pot and uses the same type of red wine used in most cooking applications.

‘All I know is what I read in the papers’

Published by admin on Wed, 10/24/2018 - 9:00am

    This week we have selected an article from our archive since Sandy Vasko has taken the week off.
    I did not originate the above saying, but it certainly should be my motto. Most of the material I use to write my column comes from early newspapers. Without them I would be out of a job in a short time and we all would be poorer for it.
    Although a newspaper was not the first thing the town fathers thought of when building a community, they were one of the first to realize the power of editorials and advertising on the people they depended on for a livelihood.

No one likes to be called lowdown and dirty

Published by admin on Wed, 10/24/2018 - 9:00am

    This week we have selected an article from our archive since Sandy Vasko has taken the week off.
    The above statement is paraphrased from a John Wayne movie, but it nonetheless rings true.  And it was certainly true for the folks in Braidwood in 1880. Let’s look at who was calling who names.
    The villain of our piece is one Jonathan S. McDonald, of Lockport, whose nickname was “Styx.” McDonald and his family were some of the earliest pioneers of Will County, settling in Joliet in 1838.

Lawsuit a sign Pritzker not paying close enough attention

Published by admin on Mon, 10/22/2018 - 10:02am

 

The more I read it, the more skeptical I became of the racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the JB Pritzker campaign by 10 current and former field-level workers last week.

Modernizing city services on a budget

Published by admin on Wed, 10/17/2018 - 9:00am

    During the first decade of the 20th century Mayor Kahler and the Wilmington City Council were on a campaign to “modernize” the city and update city services.  Let's look how they went about it.

Farewell Jamie, a practical and good man

Published by admin on Wed, 10/17/2018 - 9:00am

    One of the things that I am asked frequently by those not living in this area is how Braidwood got its name.
    Most of us know that it was named for James Braidwood by John Daniels, first mayor of Wilmington and investor in coal lands.
    James Braidwood, always just a small player, gets lost among the names of the big coal companies. Let us right that wrong.

Meet the Martinez, the missing link

Published by admin on Wed, 10/17/2018 - 9:00am

    What do you get when you cross a Martini and Manhattan?
    This is an odd question as the two drinks have nothing in common when looking at today's recipes.
    Martinis are simply gin and dry vermouth. Manhattan's are whiskey, bitters, and sweet vermouth.
    What if I told you that there is an evolutionary “missing link” between the Martini and the Manhattan? It turns out, there is, and it's back. Meet the classic Martinez, and by “meet” I mean try one.