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Editor’s note
Here it is, the 52nd issue of 2012, completing another year of publishing Illinois Times. This is a good time to remind us all that IT is a minor miracle, an unlikely business that somehow survives and sometimes thrives in the relatively small market that is Springfi eld.

Downstate being used for Chicago’s gambling goals
Once again we are playing a game concocted by two suburban legislators acting as agents for Chicago’s mayor and out-ofstate gambling bosses. They are determined to make citizens of Illinois patsies for the gambling industry.

Pilgrim’s progress
When I was in high school I had a taste for jazz that, like every else about me at that age, consisted of enthusiasm almost perfectly uninformed by experience.

What’s for dinner?
We’re presented with two starkly different visions of that future: the industrialized, conglomeratized, globalized, monopolized, plasticized and heavily subsidized vision of Agri-business, and the localized, democratized vision of Agri-culture, in...

LETTERS
The entire country has been shocked by the Connecticut school shooting, and while mourning the victims there’s also a sense of urgency to understand how this tragedy could have been prevented.

Remembering the lives they lived
Each year when we put together our end-ofyear obituary issue, I find myself wishing I had known these people, or known them better. I’d see Dr. Gordon Smith at community meetings, but never knew he was a stalwart of Union Baptist Church and conducted a prison ministry.

CILLA SLUGA
Cilla Sluga was a radical, a rebel, a rabble rouser, a revolutionary. She was also a daughter, mother, friend and lover. She died suddenly Nov. 8. She died much too young. There are still people with disabilities locked up in institutions. There are still prisoners jailed by an unjust system.

DAVID C. COPLEY
He was drawn to the arts and was president of the board of Museum of Contemporary San Diego. He backed Broadway musicals and gave $6 million to UCLA for a costume design center in 2008. He also gave $5 million to the hospital where he received his heart transplant.

BECKY AUSTWICK
Remembering Becky is an everyday thing. When someone made you laugh so much it hurt, you want to bring back that memory as much as possible. I heard of her passing and I had to wrap my brain around it for a very long time to make sure it was true. Becky could not be dead.

CAROL ANN WITHERBEE CRAY
My mama, Carol Ann Witherbee Cray, was a beautiful, strong and caring soul. The smile on her face could light up the darkest of rooms. Her life had many obstacles along the way; she however never let any one of them stand in her way. She found a positive in every obstacle that was thrown her way.

DR. GORDON A. SMITH
And through his faith in Christ, Gordon Smith did much. He lived a long, full life. His achievements were many, as were the lives he touched and shaped. Gordon’s faith provided the foundation to his life, which he honored through service to his church, love of family, concern for others and on development of self.

CATHERINE BIERBAUM- CALWELL
She married Thomas Calwell in 1949. He preceded her in death in 2007. They had twin sons that died shortly after birth. Never again were Tommy and Catherine blessed with children. Instead, they loved and were loved by nieces, nephews, great, great-great and great-greatgreat nieces and nephews.

GROVER E. EVERETT
It came at a Lincoln air show in 1988, while Everett was still in his skydiving phase. He was second in line, jumping right after someone who was going to display an American flag during the descent while a plane flew nearby in salute. Someone apparently forgot to tell the pilot of that plane that there would be two jumpers.

JASON ALAN GOODREAU
Jason Goodreau died July 25. Only 37 years old, he had a wealth of experience, community involvement and friendships on his list of accomplishments. He was actor, director, technology guru, musician, teacher, coach and more.

MARY LEE LEAHY
Best known for representing state workers in a landmark Supreme Court decision that ended overt patronage in government, the Springfield attorney who succumbed to pancreatic cancer had plenty of uphill battles. Even outside the courtroom, Leahy remembered the little guy.

DONNA R. DARLING
As a massage therapist (she was voted Springfi eld’s best by Illinois Times readers back around 2002), she brought comfort and pain relief to hundreds of clients, some of whom were so affected by her healing touch that they would not allow any other therapist to lay hands on them.

EDNA MAY GARNER
I lost my grandmother, Edna May Garner, on Aug. 7, 2012. She was born on Feb. 22, 1918, and was 94 years old when she passed. My grandmother practically raised me, and was the lifeline of my Dad’s side of the family. Shug, as she was affectionately known, was everything to me.

ESTRELLA NINA CELORIO LONG
My mother was born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, and came to the United States in her early teens. She immediately fell in love with America, and was determined to make a better life for herself here. She met my father, married and was on her way to raising three children.

ETHEL S. GINGOLD
Few people go out of their way to fight someone else’s fight. Even fewer people devote their entire lives to that pursuit. Ethel Gingold of Springfield was one of those people. She died July 28, 2012, at the age of 93, leaving a legacy of fearless perseverance in the quest for social justice.

HERBERT A. ERICKSEN
“What a wonderful life” is hopefully what my dad is saying up in heaven. He sure did his best to give his four children a wonderful life growing up and for that we are thankful this holiday season. A child growing up in Chicago during the Depression, my dad was determined to provide his high school sweetheart, Ruth, and future family a wonderful life.

MICHAEL J. SCHRAMM
Mike was truly a wonderful and selfl ess man. No matter what challenges he was facing at any given time, he always had a warm smile, hearty laugh and a story to share with anyone who was near him. He was extremely devoted to his wife and very proud of his children and grandchildren.

CHARLES E. ROBBINS
When a powerful tornado clawed its way through Springfield in 2006, Charles Robbins could have made a fortune selling real estate to homeowners and business owners whose buildings were destroyed. Instead, the legendary local real estate developer helped the city recover by offering his properties for free to the displaced.

NANCY LEE GANGULI
Nancy Ganguli’s words and adoration touched many throughout Springfield, the U.S. and India. Even those who knew her briefly realized they were connecting with something special. Nancy celebrated the good in existence – of nature, of people, of life..

JOE EMERSON SYLVESTER
“Welcome home!” This was the last text I received from my dad the day before he suddenly died of a heart attack. He sent it as my boyfriend and I were returning from a weeklong, much-overdue vacation. Not only did he let us borrow his brand-new Prius so we could save money on fuel during this trip, he asked where we were going to dinner one night.

JEREDEAN STYERS
My grandmother was a woman you could never get by with disrespecting. She stood for respect and honor to all who entered into her presence. She always expressed love to others, even when it hurt. It was her selfmotivation, strong mind and will power that helped her to accomplish so much.

MARGARET E. VANGEISON
I am honoring my grandmother, Margaret E. VanGeison from Pawnee, who was born on Sept. 30, 1913, and passed away on Oct. 17, 2012. Margaret was 99 years young when she left this earth to be with her husband, Chester L. VanGeison. She was a strong woman who was kind, patient, caring, funny and loved to laugh.

YVONNE LOUISE SALAY-TYSON
“When I met Yvonne it wasn’t long after my father (had) passed away and I was very depressed … Yvonne taught me how to love instead of hate. She was so free-spirited … it was just contagious. Within a week of meeting Yvonne, I went from being this really dark, angry person to… just a joy to be around.

SHARY ELIZABETH ALWARDT
She was born with a hole in her heart, which was bad enough. She also had pulmonary hypertension, a rare condition in which arteries that carry blood to the lungs become narrow. It is progressive, nearly always fatal and almost never present without some underlying trigger such as emphysema.

Cruise at home in Reacher
If you’re able to put this sequence aside and look at the film objectively, you’ll soon get sucked into the mystery and intrigue of it. Reacher is the main character of a series of 16 novels by Lee Child, this being an adaptation of the ninth one.

When the city becomes a stage
For the past 25 years, Springfield’s downtown has become a giant party every New Year’s Eve with First Night Springfield, the first and longest-running event of its kind in Illinois. The party continues again to ring in 2013 and showcase the art of central Illinois.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | China Ryder
If what the world needs now is another Grateful Dead-style band doing a terrific take on the jam band genre, China Ryder is it.

PUB CRAWL
Frank Ryan’s Celebration of Life - Broken Stone.

New Year’s news
The 2012 music scene in Springfield grew with new venues and new bands, but then we also lost a few on both fronts, so overall with the changes incurred, the song remains about the same. New clubs include Boone’s Saloon, back with a great beer garden set for live music, a tasty menu and occasional bands in the redecorated and refinished dining area.

HOLIDAY | Evening of the arts
Welcome in 2013 with the arts in downtown Springfield at 10 different locations. The Springfield Area Arts Council’s alcohol-free event features live music, dance, art and theatrical performances. Free afternoon activities for kids 12 years and under take place at Springfield High School.

THE CALENDAR
Dec 31, Listen to musicians while served a scrumptious dinner, followed by dancing to Debbie Ross Band. Tickets, 415-7699. The Maple Club, 120 S. McLean, Lincoln..

HOLIDAY | Toast of the town
Looking to spend your New Year’s Eve with some elegant dining and dancing to live music with a champagne toast at midnight? The Springfield Hilton is the New Year’s Eve gala for you. Couples can select a dinner only option with a champagne toast at midnight or a package with overnight accommodations.

NATURE | Open door outing
What better way to say hello to the New Year than a hike and time spent in the great outdoors with friends who share a love of nature. Join the Sangamon Valley Group of the Sierra Club on a New Year’s Day hike and feast of soup. Remember the children’s book Stone Soup?.