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Try to cure the summertime blues with a Blue Margarita

Published by admin on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:00am

    In the summer of 1958 Eddie Cochran told us that “there ain't no cure for the summertime blues.”
    Almost 60 years have passed and, as far as I know, both the summertime blues and the common cold have not yet been cured. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, enter the Blue Margarita.
    A Blue Margarita, also known as a Moonlight Margarita is as tasty as it is colorful. The Blue Margarita is not simply a Margarita with blue food coloring. It is very much its own drink with a sweeter flavor profile than the traditional lime Margarita.

Will it live or die, health problems in Coal City

Published by admin on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:00am

    Coal City, like Braidwood, sprang up overnight. It was truly like a newborn child with all the hopes and dreams of its future. But there were also the perils that all children face, especially in the 19th century.
    The location of the town was picked for its proximity to the coal mine that was already sunk there. They didn't have to move anybody out of the way because, like Braidwood, no one was living there at the time. And there was a reason for that, something that the builders of the city did not take into consideration. It was an unhealthy place to live.  

An influential family, the Haydens

Published by admin on Wed, 06/21/2017 - 9:00am

    There have been at least three books written about the history of Will County. In each of them you will find a list of prominent citizens that the author felt really made a difference in the building of our community.
    Today we will look at the Haydens, who in W.W. Stevens’ book, “Past and Present of Will County”, published in 1907, were identified as one of the most influential families in the Wilmington area.  

Why fear, loathing pervades Springfield

Published by admin on Mon, 06/19/2017 - 12:14pm

 

One of the hottest rumors making the rounds among Statehouse types last week was that the governor and/or the Illinois Republican Party will be sending "trackers" to Springfield for the upcoming special legislative session.

The Strawberry Frosé is the “it” drink of summer

Published by admin on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 9:00am

    About a year ago I noticed an onslaught of bright red frozen strawberry cocktails in my Facebook and Instagram feeds. What I assumed to be merely Strawberry Daiquiris were actually Strawberry Frosés.
    The Strawberry Frosé was the “it” drink of summer 2016 and it looks to repeat in 2017. It is easy to make, easy to enjoy and provides a refreshing alternative to the same old frozen Margaritas and Daiquiris.

Summer fun, picnicking Braidwood style

Published by admin on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 9:00am

    The word picnic has been around since the early 18th century. It originally meant a meal where everyone contributed something, but by the 19th century it had taken on a whole new meaning.
    Picnics came to mean eating outdoors. They can be private, as in a picnic for two. Or in the case of Braidwood they can come to mean an outdoor party of immense proportions.
    From the start picnics in Braidwood involved some sort of parade or event. The earliest reference to a picnic I can find is from late June 1873.

Cooling cruises on sweltering summer evenings

Published by admin on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 9:00am

    It is hard for us to imagine now, but during the era of dams and locks, the Kankakee River was navigable to large craft almost all the way to Kankakee.
    Excursion boats plied the river in both directions, making sweltering summers almost bearable. Set the wayback machine for June 26, 1879 and hop on board the Mohawk Belle.

June 30: We get a deal or the state implodes

Published by admin on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:10am

    As we've all seen over the past several months, Gov. Bruce Rauner is adamantly refusing to provide any help whatsoever to Chicago, which is struggling mightily under the weight of years of fiscal misfeasance, until his Turnaround Agenda demands are met. A long-sought education funding reform bill, a 911 emergency call center fee, even a bill to allow the expedited sale of the Thompson Center have been hit with Rauner's broad (and often false) brush of being a "Chicago bailout."

Testing your Braidwood history knowledge

Published by admin on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 9:00am

    So you think school is out? Not just yet. There is one more test to take.
    Answer one to three right - you aren't reading enough or haven't been reading this column long enough.
    Answer four to six right - you have a decent memory or are a good guesser.
    Answer seven to nine right - you are a real history buff or have lived in the area your whole life.
    Answer 10 right - you probably cheated.
    1. How many train depots has Braidwood had?
    a. 1
    b. 2
    c. 3
    d. 4

Florence and farming, a lifelong partnership

Published by admin on Wed, 06/07/2017 - 9:00am

    Florence Township, just to the east of Wilmington, was considered the best in the whole county in at least one respect - her deep prairie soil and convenient sources of water made her ideal for farming.
    However, the first settlers rejected that idea. Today we look at the history of Florence Township.