We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
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When I was in high school, my shop teacher taught drafting, wood-working, small engines, and welding. I took all those classes at different times. One time, a friend of mine backed his dark blue, 1974 Pontiac GTO car into the shop, and another friend lifted a small engine in need of repair out of his trunk and set it on the floor and closed the trunk lid. At that moment, the friend driving the car, tromped down on the gas pedal and burned rubber from the shop floor, out the door, and into the...
I realize that I usually tend to look at some rather “unorthodox” topics in this column, but my Mother had always asked that I stop with the bathroom humor and prove to everyone that the education my parents paid for actually did some good. So, in her honor, I think maybe it’s time we look into some deep and philosophical issues regarding the human condition. Do you think that in ‘Hamlet,’ Shakespeare was exploring existentialism and projecting his own concerns about his role in the universe...
Most of us know the process of how a bill becomes a law. While that process directs the flow of bills that are filed, just how do thousands of policy ideas each year become bills in the first place? As of this writing, just under 3,000 Senate and House bills have been filed this year alone. Generally, these policy ideas come from one of four places. Many good bills are the result of a constituent who contacts their elected Senator or State Representative with an issue that cannot be resolved...
What is the difference between a true democracy and a constitutional republic? By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different. In a democracy, the people periodically, by majority, vote at the poll to select rulers. The rulers then have absolute power by...
We all need that certain “get away” - you know, the place where we go to recharge our batteries, reward ourselves for getting through another year of working, and go somewhere far from the daily grind to get away from it all. For me - that’s Vegas - and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my four days - even if the temperatures out there were 115 degrees each day. But I realized something - while I truly love going places - New York, Vegas, Cruises, etc - what I really hate is getting there. Here...
One of my favorite things about late summer is the availability of delicious fresh sweet corn. Some of you may remember from past columns that corn is one of my favorite foods, and I especially love fresh sweet corn. With that in mind I wanted to share a few facts on corn. There are three primary kinds of corn. Sweet Corn: This is the kind we eat. You may even grow it in your own garden. Field Corn: Field corn is also known as dent or feed corn. It is hard on the outside and starchy in the...
Open Letter To Stephenson County From Sheriff Stovall Like many of you, I have viewed the body-worn camera footage that was released yesterday afternoon from the senseless and tragic murder of Sonya Massey, and I want to make it clear that I am thoroughly disturbed by the horrific actions of former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson both during and after the shooting. This incident was investigated by the Illinois State Police, and as a result of that investigation, a Grand Jury has indicted former Deputy Sean Grayson for three c...
Summer days and summer nights are a thing to behold. I think if one only gets their groceries from the store, they lose a little of the awe of God’s Creation in watching their food grow. Every year, I stand amazed at how you can put a seemingly dead seed in the ground, cover it with dirt, and it grows and produces fruit. I say seemingly dead, because it only looks dead. There is life inside that seed waiting to grow when it is given the right conditions. Every year I prepare the seedbed for my w...
With Dan on vacation, we are turning the clock back four years to when Covid dominated everything we did. Kind of as a reminder of what we all had to deal with. This is a column. By definition, that means that this is an opinion … not a factual story, but what I – as the author - “think”. I really need to point that out before getting started. And even though I’m doing that, it’s a safe bet that at some point someone will pass the word, “I know it’s true because Stevens said …” ya-da, ya-da...
What a week it has been! This week the Farm Bureau hosted our annual Farm Fun Zone at the Stephenson County Fair. The Farm Fun Zone included a petting zoo with pigs, a mini donkey, and a calf. In addition to the animals, we had educational activities for children and adults alike to learn about agriculture. We enjoyed seeing some familiar and new faces. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to see us. We want to thank our many volunteers who assisted in making our tent possible and a big thank...
Those who follow the activity of state government may recall that earlier this year a bill protecting children was stripped of its language and replaced with politically-motivated wording that, among other things, prevented the practice of “slating” candidates for General Assembly races after primary elections were complete. “Slating” allows political party leaders to place an individual on a ballot in races where the party had no candidate who ran in the primary election. Republicans have us...
We have about ten acres of pasture on our farm that I tend to every summer. We run a few head of cattle on them and they always make things interesting. They are very curious animals and are constantly getting into trouble. So far this summer, I have cut the pasture twice in an effort to keep it looking nice and to keep the weeds down and the grass fresh for the calves. In my shed I have a couple of old tractors that I like to play with from time to time. One of them is a 330 International...
By the time you are reading this, I will be in Las Vegas. Someone, back when we were all living under the same roof when it was cold, got the idea for the four of us – Chuck, his wife Jules, Me and my wife, Cathy – to go out to Vegas and renew our wedding vows. Now, I wasn’t even in on the original idea, but what began as a conversation piece turned into a concrete plan complete with airline tickets and rooms reserved at the Paris Casino on the Vegas Strip. Admittedly, some of the plan chang...
This past week both the Carroll County Farm Bureau and Stephenson County Farm Bureau Young Leader Committees held their pre fair meetings. These groups are made up of individuals aged 18-35 years of age who are passionate about agriculture. These groups are always interested in welcoming new members. If you are interested in learning more about how to get involved please reach out to your county Farm Bureau. Carroll County Farm Bureau, 815-244-3001 or [email protected] or Stephenson County...
My advocacy for the constituents of the 45th District is three-fold. It includes bills I file, bills I co-sponsor, support, and help get passed, and those I fight against. The column two weeks ago highlighted some of the more egregious bills I fought against this year. This week I would like to focus on some of the positive pieces of legislation that I sponsored or co-sponsored this year that will soon become laws. Senate Bill 2767 is a big win for hunters because it allows wild turkey hunters...
UV Safety Month is observed in July to raise awareness about the dangers of UV radiation and the importance of protecting our skin from the sun's harmful rays. It's a great time to remind everyone, especially agricultural workers, to take precautions when working outdoors to prevent skin cancer. Remember to wear sunscreen, protective clothing, and seek shade whenever possible. Stay safe in the sun! 1. Wear Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from the sun's harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses...
OK, at the risk of embarrassing people who don’t deserve it, let me begin by saying that the names have been changed in the following story to protect the guilty. Now, with that being said … I came to a pretty obvious conclusion recently. The easiest way to get a man to revert back to his days as a wide eyed ten year-old kid with a big grin and runny nose, is to take him into a fireworks store. Now, I’m not talking about the wanna-be tent displays you have in the area where all you can buy a...
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic,” (James 3:13-14 NIV). Satan is the prince of this world and any wisdom apart from God’s wisdom, is not wisdom, it’s demonic. It comes straight from the devil himself. And the onl...
Sometimes it’s the simple pleasures in life that mean the most. If you’re a regular reader of this column you may have heard about my love for the Chicago Cubs as a child and how that carried over into adulthood and was passed down to our own children. But, during and after Covid, with the way our country’s politicians politicized everything, including baseball, the game became repugnant to me, and totally lost its appeal. So, I abandoned it. Not intentionally, it just left me disillusioned and...
This time of year at the newspaper is one of the most nerve wracking, as well as one of the most rewarding. Over the last few weeks, if you are a loyal subscriber who signed up when we first converted over to a paid subscription publication, then you already have received your subscription renewal notice in the mail. Being a subscription newspaper is the biggest thing that sets us apart from all of the freebies people get in the mail. For those who care – the subscription price basically only c...
I was recently asked what the first thing I thought about was when someone mentioned the fair…my answer was quick: “the food”. I am a sucker for corn dogs, porkchop sandwiches and funnel cakes or strawberry shortcakes. Fair food tastes extra good, not only because it is often prepared by local associations/businesses, but because of the memories that go with it. During my childhood, one of my favorite activities was walking through the livestock barns. I did not grow up on a farm, so I did not h...
When I first started thinking about July 4, I looked at the calendar and saw that it was on Thursday this year, so I assumed all the celebrating would be taking place this coming weekend. Boy was I wrong! The celebrating began last weekend and for the most part has been going on all week and is now already mostly over - except for the fireworks. Ever since Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the National Anthem in 1814, fireworks have been a major part of our country’s 4th of July c...
Do you have a secret vocabulary with your wife? You know, words that might mean one thing to someone listening, but you and your wife know they mean something totally different? Now, I’m not talking sexual – although I know a lot of couples have a secret vocabulary for that too. No, I mean things like quotes from a movie or something that you tend to throw back and forth at each other. “Wow, that really escalated quickly didn’t it?” (I mean, Anchorman, lends itself to a lot of them – but tha...
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream month, which I think is a pretty perfect idea since July is typically a hot month and ice cream is a great way to cool down. I love hearing what everyone’s favorite ice cream flavor is. I personally enjoy most coffee flavored ice cream. But recently I’ve really been enjoying apple crisp, banana cream pie and cotton candy. But I also enjoy the occasional root beer float, banana split or dipped cone, especially when dipped in cotton candy flavor. Acc...
Of the 500 or so bills that passed this year, several good ones are headed to the Governor for final action, and I will write about some of them in an upcoming column. This week, however, I want to highlight some really bad bills— those that make you scratch your head and wonder what in the world the bill sponsors and supporters were thinking. I have been vocal with my views about the Fiscal Year 2025 budget that dictates how public funds will be spent from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The F...
