Columnist

William Mooney, power behind the throne

Published by admin on Tue, 09/17/2019 - 1:36pm

The expression, “the power behind the throne” is used to describe someone, who though not in the public light, still holds decision-making power. Today we look at William Mooney, a man I would describe as being the power behind the throne.
William Mooney was born in Scotland in 1841, a son of a coal miner. At the early age of 9, Will started working in the mines himself. In 1865, he immigrated to the United States, arriving in New York, but quickly finding work in the coal mines of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Spice up your menu with a Ginger Rogers

Published by admin on Mon, 09/16/2019 - 4:27pm

My curiosity always seems to get the best of me when it comes to namesake cocktails, especially celebrity namesake cocktails.
Celebrity namesake cocktails generally fall into two categories: drinks named after celebrities as a tribute, and drinks that were enjoyed by the celebrities themselves. This week we will enjoy a modern classic named for a legend of cinema and stage: the Ginger Rogers.
The Ginger Rogers falls in the “tribute” category of namesake cocktails as it was invented in 1995, the year that Rogers passed away at the age of 83.

Sidewalks, sewers and streets, say no to change

Published by admin on Mon, 09/16/2019 - 4:21pm

Have you ever tried to take away an old beat-up blanket or toy away from a toddler, trying to replace it with a newer, nicer, cleaner one?
Most of the time that action is met with cries and general opposition from the child. Sometimes groups of citizens can behave the same way, opposing modern improvements just because the old has always been good enough.

Paying $6.61 billion in overdue bills while cutting budget won’t be easy

Published by admin on Sat, 09/14/2019 - 12:25pm

The governor's top budget people sent a memo last week to agency directors giving them a heads up about what will be required in their annual budget request submissions. They are not easy-peasy asks.

Competition, the life blood of Braidwood

Published by admin on Tue, 09/10/2019 - 11:21am

Competition, they say, is healthy. If that is true, then early Braidwood was a very healthy place. At work, the miners competed as to who could dig the most coal, the reward being more money in the pocket. But outside of the mine shaft the competition was just as fierce. Let's take the time machine back to the early 1870s when Braidwood was less than a decade old.

Another way of life, the tall grass prairie

Published by admin on Tue, 09/10/2019 - 11:14am

When the first settlers came to Will County, they had their choice of places to put down roots. Wilmington was high on the list, it had everything — flowing streams, dense forests, open grass lands to farm. It is no wonder then that Wilmington was settled very early on. The same is not true for other townships. Today we travel just a few miles east to Peotone Township and the tall grass prairie.

State Rep. says he won’t seek reelection and his party couldn’t be happier

Published by admin on Mon, 09/09/2019 - 8:30pm

Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) announced last week that he will not seek reelection. Instead, he said he'll likely be making a 2022 statewide bid for either U.S. Senate against Sen. Tammy Duckworth or secretary of state if Jesse White retires.
He may not be a household name, but Rep. McSweeney has been a huge thorn in Republican leadership's side since he first ran for the Illinois House in the 2012 primary.

Pour a good Old Fashioned drink

Published by admin on Mon, 09/09/2019 - 4:51pm

This Friday the 13th brings the 2019 Harvest Moon, which means that whiskey season is upon us. Dust off the bottles of bourbon in your home bar, it’s time to head to the porch at sunset and make that first Old Fashioned of the fall season.
Few debates in the whiskey world are as polarizing as what defines a “proper” Old Fashioned.  The Old Fashioned platform can be adapted to nearly any higher proof spirit, but the Old Fashioned started life as a whiskey cocktail and over a century later still reigns supreme as the king of whiskey cocktails.

Schoolmaster Thomas Walsh and Grove School

Published by admin on Tue, 09/03/2019 - 3:47pm

Last week our story was about a bunch of rough young men who tried to intimidate their school master in a one room school house in a rural setting. Since Braidwood sprang into being almost overnight, there were no one room school houses, but larger ones to accommodate the rising population of miners. Today, we look at one man and one school to see how it compares.

The Hollywood classic Horse’s Neck

Published by admin on Tue, 09/03/2019 - 3:29pm

What does a horse's neck taste like? I wouldn't know, and it doesn't sound like something that should be used to describe a delicious cocktail. Guess what? The Horse's Neck is a delicious cocktail that shines on the silver screen, at Royal Navy cocktail parties, and in your home bar. Break out the highball glasses, we're going to ride this horse all the way down mixology memory lane.