Illinois

Canadian singer-songwriter Adam Puddington, formerly of the alt-country group the Gutheries, has his new solo CD Back In Town (HaySale Records) scheduled for release in June. If you like atmospheric alt-country where the pedal steel murmurs instead of screams, and where the honky-tonk vocals and lyrics are replaced with something more thoughtful and sincere, than the new record will be for you. The song “Deer In The Headlights” hits all these notes and more. The electric guitar shimmers, the pedal steel is a subtle accent, and Adam’s soothing voice a perfect instrument for his haunting lyrics. (Read the full post about ‘Adam Puddington’s “Back In Town” (ex - Gutheries)(Haysale Records, June)’…)

I’ve been a big fan of Joshua Marcus since I first heard his yearning, plaintive vocals, his resonating banjo and his updated Appalachian mountain music. His new record, Reverse The Charges, is out in May on Contraphonic and High Two Records. He’s collaborated with a bunch of other artists to make this record and that shows on the one teaser track. On “So Low So Love So Long” there are beautiful and ethereal backing vocals, an eerie electric saw/Theremin sound, and his trusty banjo and voice. It’s a great introduction to this artist and the upcoming record. (Read the full post about ‘Joshua Marcus - “Reverse The Charges” (High Two/Contraphonic, May 13)’…)

Is Decatur’s influence so far-reaching that it’s affecting the Cannes Film Festival?

Probably not, but it’s kind of fun to think about. And Decatur does have a slender connection to this year’s French film festival, which begins in a couple of weeks.

From a Variety story:

It was long hoped that Cannes vet Steven Soderbergh’s Che Guevara double bill, “The Argentine” and “Guerrilla,” would premiere on the Croisette, but it seems that the director, who has wanted either both or neither of the films to play the fest, won’t be able to finish the four-hour-plus opus by deadline.

(Read the full post about ‘Cannes, or Decatur?’…)

I don’t apologize for my obsessions or compulsions. First, it’s not like I can do much about them, and second, they sometimes are the things that keep me organized and sane. (Anyone who’s seen my music collection understands my need to alphabetize it, just in order to ever find anything again.)

But those positives go right out the window when it comes to MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games).

I’ve played these against faceless foes for as long as I’ve been on the Web. In Movieboss, I owned a bunch of movie theaters and (unencumbered by the real-life limits of prints and physical space) booked screens based on what I thought would perform well at the box office.

(Read the full post about ‘The danger (for me, anyway) of MMORPGs’…)

HOMER – Shoppers for discounts on general merchandise will soon have a new, local alternative. The Homer Discount Mart is scheduled to open at 110 S. Main St., next door to the Homer Auction, on May 10.

Business owner Bill Marietta of Danville has been stocking shelves and getting the store ready.

Marietta said that, although this may be a slow time for some independent retailers, his advantage is price. He will sell a wide variety of merchandise – toothpaste, light bulbs, over-the-counter medicines, cereal, pens and pencils, razors, candy, diapers – at a substantial discount.

(Read the full post about ‘Homer Discount Mart getting ready to open’…)

DANVILLE – Next month, United Way of Danville will move from the Red Cross building to new offices in the Robert Thornton building in downtown Danville.

The move saves money for the United Way and boosts its visibility, according to Jeanne Mulvaney, executive director of the agency.

The relocation, which will be complete by the end of May, also means Danville Area Community College’s Illinois Small Business Development Center has moved, as of Monday, to a new site at the Village Mall, 2917 N. Vermilion St.

(Read the full post about ‘Danville United Way moving to new home’…)

DANVILLE – A Canadian businessman has bought the Danville Health Club building in downtown Danville and hopes to attract a restaurant and bakery to the site.

George Gill with KKG Investments of Toronto closed early this month on the property, 125 N. Vermilion St., which was previously owned by Chad Bryant.

Bryant’s Danville Health Club has operated there for many years.

Bryant is now looking for a new location for his health club, but he said he would like to stay in the downtown area or in a site that is centrally located.

Gill, who has experience investing in similar properties in the United States, said the three-story downtown Danville structure is a beautiful, historic building, and he thinks the downtown is poised for growth.

“The downtown is pretty,” said Gill, who also mentioned the city’s commitment to making downtown a priority as a key factor in his interest as an investor.

A developer from Canada has purchased the Danville Health Club Building at 125 N.

(Read the full post about ‘Danville Health Club building sold’…)

DANVILLE – A couple whose zoning petition failed last year at the city council is seeking second consideration.

Anthony and Nicole Dye are requesting a zoning change for 104 Porter St. from single-family residential to highway business.

The Dyes are set to go before the Danville Area Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday.

If the zoning change is approved by the city council, they plan to convert the vacant building on Porter Street into an automotive detailing shop.

The commission recommended approval of the petition last year, but it failed at a July city council meeting by a vote of 6-6.

(Read the full post about ‘Couple again pushing zoning change’…)

by George Dienhart

Bill Bennett wrote a recent op/ed piece detailing why Catholic Schools are important. You can read it here. It is a well thoughtful and relevant piece, written about the Wichita model of Catholic Education. The Wichita model moves the burden of tuition from the families attending the school, to all the parishes that feed the school. Essentially, any Catholic family that wants a Catholic education is given that opportunity under the Wichita model.

While this would cause people to give more to their parish, the pay offs to society at large are far greater. A study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute estimated that 300,000 students left Catholic Education to go back to Public schools in the 90’s.

(Read the full post about ‘Saving Schools in America’…)

by Susan Ryan

If you are interested in homeschooling or already homeschool, please consider coming to the Central Illinois Homeschool Conference in Bloomington on Saturday, May 17th.

If you want to attend a small conference with an eclectic mix of homeschooling parents, you’ve come to the right place! The Central Illinois Homeschool Conference is pleased to offer a variety of sessions about different homeschool styles, legal issues, and what to do about college. Whether you’re a parent new to homeschooling or you’ve been homeschooling for years, we have sessions to meet your needs.

(Read the full post about ‘Central Illinois Homeschool Conference’…)