Columnist

September 1918, don't worry, Mom I'm okay

Published by admin on Wed, 09/05/2018 - 9:00am

    By September of 1918 the United States was fully involved in the war. A steady stream of troops made their way to England and France. Even more were stationed around the country at training camps where they were learning the art of war. Today we hear their voices through the letters they sent home.

End the summer with a Bahama Mama

Published by admin on Wed, 09/05/2018 - 9:00am

    We are rapidly running out of summer. Before you know it pumpkin spice will be everywhere, Christmas décor will adorn stores, and your favorite football team will have broken your heart all over again.
    Not so fast, fall. The calendar does not officially turn to fall until Sept. 22. That leaves us time to toast the summer with at least one more tropical drink. Fire up the blender. I'll bet it has been awhile since you have had a Bahama Mama.

Diamond's toughness is tested

Published by admin on Wed, 09/05/2018 - 9:00am

    Almost all of my gentle readers know of the Diamond Mine disaster. And, that is all most people know about Diamond and its citizens.
    We start our look at that village about a year before that tragic event.    In July of 1882 Ed Conley, editor of the Wilmington Advocate, visited Diamond.
    “We made a two-hours visit to the Diamond the other day, to find that village quite lively and enterprising. Dr. DeNormandie chaperoned us about town. First, we visited the Mayor, John Graef, Esq., who keeps a well-appointed boarding house and billiard parlor.

The things they'll do to get you to vote

Published by admin on Tue, 09/04/2018 - 11:09am

 

I’ve told you about the non-binding referendums to be held in dozens of Downstate counties designed to entice pro-gun voters to the polls, but that’s not the end of the story.   

The official cocktail of Washington, DC

Published by admin on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 9:00am

    The Gin Rickey has been a mainstay of American mixology for over a century and if you have ever had one, you know exactly why.
    Simple, understated, a bit sour but smooth, yet simple enough for anyone to make. Every time I fall in love with a “namesake” drink I make it a point to learn not only the story behind the drink, but also the story behind the person.
    It turns out that the Rickey was not a gin cocktail at all, and that Colonel Joe Rickey was quite the character.  

Diseases of early Braidwood

Published by admin on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 9:00am

    One of the reasons that the Braidwood area was settled comparatively late compared to her neighbors was her natural environment. The area had poor drainage, with bogs and swamps in every direction. Standing water, unlike running water gives bacteria a chance to grow. When the first coal miners arrived in Braidwood these conditions sometimes proved fatal.

The uneasy peace between the wars

Published by admin on Wed, 08/29/2018 - 9:00am

    The War of 1812 settled the ownership of Illinois.
    The English flag would never again fly over it. The Illinois territory was unsettled as far as the Americans were concerned. It was time to settle it.
    Already living there were thousands of Native Americans, whose villages lined the rivers and whose way of life was about to disappear.
     On Aug.24, 1816 at St. Louis, a treaty was signed between the United States government and all the Indians living between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

Will Democrats get complacent with Pritzker’s lead?

Published by admin on Mon, 08/27/2018 - 9:46am

 

If you were wondering whether the latest NBC/Marist poll showing Gov. Bruce Rauner trailing JB Pritzker by 16 points was enough to take the wind out of the incumbent, you only had to look to an event last week for an answer.

Technology comes to Braidwood

Published by admin on Wed, 08/22/2018 - 9:00am

    Technology has the power to transform lives. Just look at the changes made in all our lives since the computer revolution.
    In Braidwood technology, at first, was limited to the coal and railroad industry. It was not until the 1880's that technology came into the lives of the average guy, bringing Braidwood out of the dark and into a new world.

When Illinois was a war zone

Published by admin on Wed, 08/22/2018 - 9:00am

    Was a war ever fought where we are living right now? If your answer is no, you would be wrong.
    Many wars were fought on the soil beneath our feet. But those wars occurred many moons ago, among people who have been lost to our memories. There were hundreds of wars fought on our soil between native tribes, many we know nothing about.
    However, I will start with the first wars that involved white people at the start of the 19th century. At the time our area was home to the Pottawatomie with villages scattered all over the northern part of what is now Illinois.