Columnist

How to stir up a hornet's nest - prohibit pool playing

Published by admin on Wed, 01/10/2018 - 9:00am

    In April of 1886 the city council passed ordinance No. 112 prohibiting playing of any sort of games in saloons for anything of value, even a cigar.
    The saloon men protested, blaming Alderman Donahoe, himself a saloonkeeper, for pulling a fast one on them.   Most saloon patrons did not really mind the ban on playing cards; after all they could play cards at each other's homes. But shooting pool was another matter. We will now learn what happened next.

Kennedy uses race to get back in the gamer

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 10:19am

    Just days before the general election in late October 2010, then-Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, introduced then-Gov. Pat Quinn at a Chicago rally by calling Quinn’s Republican opponent a “racist,” among other things.
    The resulting uproar was quite something to behold, but Hendon refused to apologize to Sen. Bill Brady and so did Quinn. Everyone, including me, thought that Hendon may have hurt Quinn in a close campaign.

A life of successes and sorrows, L. H. Goodrich

Published by admin on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 9:00am

    Although the town of Braidwood existed physically as early as 1865, it was not incorporated until 1873. The first election after incorporation was a contentious one, but the man who won deserved the honor.
    He was a family man, not prone to violence or drinking, and a successful business man. L.H. Goodrich was a good thing for Braidwood, but life did not treat him well. Today we tell his story.

Hot Whiskey for a cold winter night

Published by admin on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 9:00am

    Happy New Year. The year 2017 may be gone, but winter is far from over. There is still plenty of time for you to enjoy winter cocktails while relaxing by an evening fire, or perhaps looking through a foggy window wondering if you had promised to shovel the sidewalk “next time.”
    This time of year social media newsfeeds are full of Hot Toddy recipes ranging from less is more to full-blown Clark Griswold Christmas.

Patriotic spirit or youthful enthusiasm, January 1918

Published by admin on Wed, 01/03/2018 - 9:00am

    War is not an old man's game. It requires physical fitness and mental sharpness. It is the young who best fit the criteria.
    But how do the old men convince the young to put their lives on the line? Is it by rousing their patriotic spirit, or giving an outlet to their youthful enthusiasm? The question arose 100 years ago.
    The story concerns a young Elwood man, or rather his death. We read on Jan. 11, 1918 in the Wilmington Advocate, “Word was received in Joliet Tuesday of the death of Christy E. Douglas somewhere in France of appendicitis.

Ring in the new year with a champagne cocktail

Published by admin on Wed, 12/27/2017 - 9:00am

    Happy National Champagne Day, everyone. According to research done by WalletHub, approximately 360 million glasses of champagne will be consumed on  National Champagne Day, also known as New Year's Eve. Odds are that you plan to take a sip of bubbly as you watch the ball drop in Times Square.

Fads and traditions from New Year's history

Published by admin on Tue, 12/26/2017 - 12:03pm

    I have been researching New Year's traditions around the world for my end of the year column and have found some mighty strange ones.
    In Denmark for instance, they save up dishes and bowls they no longer want and break them against their neighbor's front door on New Year's Day.
    In Peru on New Year's Eve, all the citizens of the village engage in fist fighting with anyone who they have a grievance against. Then they can start the New Year with a clean slate.

New Year's at the front, 100 years ago

Published by admin on Tue, 12/26/2017 - 12:00pm

    As I write this, the first snow of the winter is on the ground, and it is cold. A century ago the Great World War was being fought in Europe. It was cold and snowy there too.
    The United States had just entered the conflict with troops, but long before that local boys were serving. Today we read a letter from a century ago written by a lonely boy who was serving in a field hospital with the British Expeditionary Forces “somewhere in France.”

Illinois political maneuvering already underway

Published by admin on Mon, 12/25/2017 - 3:36pm

 

The last time Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago) had a serious primary opponent, in 2010, the longtime Southwest Side legislator won by just 579 votes over activist Rudy Lozano.  And it could’ve been a closer race had two Latino “candidates” not been put on the ballot to siphon away almost 400 votes from the progressive activist Lozano.

The Aviation, ingredients are back on board

Published by admin on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 9:00am

    What's old is new in the cocktail world as many of the classics have reappeared in recent years after lengthy absences.
    Most of the classics first disappeared during prohibition when the entire spirits industry was banned. Other classics simply fell out of favor with changing times.