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With 772 you get eggroll
In this column, which appeared in our paper on Sept. 3, 1981, I explored the immigrant question as it was then understood in the capital city. Looking back, I was mistaken in assuming that today we would be arguing the Buddhist question the way Illinois used to argue the Catholic question.

19th century Illinois women made history
Few opportunities awaited Illinois women in the era. In 1900, only 16.3 percent of all Illinois women were employed, with the exception of housekeepers. They were clustered in a handful of occupations, including teaching, which was 74 percent female..

Something is happening
Austin was one of the first stops on a cross-country trip that Sanders was taking to assess whether an unabashedly progressive, movement-building presidential campaign could rally any substantial support.

LETTERS
HIDDEN COST OF FOOD As consumers, we don’t typically take much time to think about the origins of the food on our plate, so I was glad to read your Jan. 14 article by Brittany Hilderbrand entitled “Slowing down for dinner,” which focused on the Slow Food movement and being conscious of our food choices.

Rauner, Cullerton triangulate Madigan
Gov. Bruce Rauner blew a perfect opportunity last week to finally drive a public wedge between Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan, clearly put Madigan on the defensive, and maybe finally make progress on an important issue which might save the state a billion dollars a year.

Is Ted Cruz eligible to run in Illinois?
In addition to Cruz and Rubio, objections have been filed against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of New Hampshire, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, San Diego real estate developer Rocky De La Fuente and Chicago resident Larry Cohen over whether their candidate documents were filed correctly.

ACCESS TO THE NET
This month Comcast and several local organizations launched an Internet Essentials Learning Zone, offering low-income families in Springfi eld Internet service at a reduced cost of $10 a month. By using this service, families will also be able to purchase a laptop for $150 from Computer Banc.

FOOD RESCUE
This is according to the national anti-hunger group Feeding America. They say that nearly 40 percent of all food grown and produced is wasted. However, the Central Illinois Foodbank, which is part of Feeding America’s foodbank network, has been “rescuing” some of that food since 2005.

Carelessness or something more?
But the more one looks at Mautino’s campaign disclosure reports filed while he was a state representative, the more it becomes apparent that the man who has become the state’s top auditor did not always keep his i’s dotted and t’s crossed during 24 years in the General Assembly.

Does ‘Independent Maps’ have a chance?
A group working to change how Illinois’ state legislative districts maps are drawn is pushing for reform on redistricting laws again. A ruling by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mary Mikva in 2014 sent the creators of the Independent Map proposal back to the drawing board.

The push for school funding adequacy and equity
Members of the coalition addressed the currently unfunded Monetary Award Program, which provides low-income students grant money for college. Without a state budget in place, the grant money for upcoming semesters will be withheld from qualified students attending college in Illinois.

School choice, another Statehouse battlefront
The most common form school choice takes is public charter schools, which are essentially independent, publicly funded schools run by the state or in partnership with a local school district. They are subject to different regulations than traditional public schools, giving them flexibility in things like curriculum.

Black History Month Events 2016
Transformative Social Justice through Radical Science Fiction.

What keeps you going?
She’s found that those who want to change because of external forces – someone who starts working out because their friend is doing so, or because they have an event to get in shape for – are rarely successful. “Once they realize how much work and dedication it takes, the motivation is not deep enough,” she said.

Not so sweet after all
The direct effects of sugar on the body aren’t completely clear, but research links sugar to obesity, adult onset diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and possibly even impaired brain function and accelerated aging. Quitting sugar can be difficult, however.

Do the work, sleep will come
You’re lying in your nice cozy bed at night, covered in flannel and down, surrounded by quiet and darkness, a spouse snoring contentedly by your side and somehow still sleep won’t come. The digital clock stares you down – a confrontation with red numbers the diurnal world doesn’t usually see: 2, 3, 4 AM.

Fitness over 40
On Dec. 12, Memorial Hospital’s Sportscare facility in Springfield presented a community outreach session titled “Over 40 Fitness,” geared towards people who are curious about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The event was hosted at the Kerasotes YMCA at 4550 W.

Climb 32 floors, 532 steps
The American Lung Association challenges you to join the Fight for Air Climb fundraiser on Feb. 21, 2015. In support of the fight against lung cancer, participants will take on 32 floors and 532 steps at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel, formerly the Springfield Hilton, in downtown Springfield.

Simple ways to make healthy eating habits stick
If you become so involved in your work that when you finally look at the time, and you realize you’re starving at 3:30 in the afternoon because you haven’t eaten lunch yet, then this simple idea is for you: Set your phone or watch for certain break times and honor them.

Super Bowl chilli
That didn’t make Springfield as famous as I’d thought, but the quirky history of its chilli parlors is fascinating and unique to Springfield. It’s designated today as tavern chilli, probably because some of the best versions still around are only found in taverns.

Panda is still vibrant, smart third time around
By the time the third entry in most film franchises is released, much of what made the movies in question distinctive and fresh has gone by the wayside. There’s a labored quality to what’s on the screen, and what was once inspired has become an exercise in “been there, done that.

Talking to Ry
I had the great pleasure of speaking to the great Ry Cooder the other day as part of an interview for the upcoming Cooder-White- Skaggs concert in the Sangamon Auditorium at UIS on Sunday, Jan. 31.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | SOHI House Band
A Springfield-based, indie-rock group citing heavy influences from the hip-hop, R&B and rap genres, the SOHI House Band plays a rather different role than most local music groups.

PUB CRAWL
Protests & Punk Shows: A Presentation by Stephen Houldsworth.

THE CALENDAR
An Evening with Ry Cooder, Sharon White, and Ricky Skaggs.

THEATER & COMEDY | A murderous meeting
Join the Lanphier High School Drama Club for a murder mystery involving a gathering of the world’s greatest mystery writers, all attending under aliases of famous authors.

DANCE | Step into tradition
Start Black History Month off on the right foot and enjoy a spirited dance performance by Step Afrika!, the first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Stepping became popular in the United States in the early 1900s thanks to song-anddance rituals practiced by African-American fraternities and sororities.