In Portraits of Greif, the obituaries were basically written in the same style. They were short, to the point and aimed to sum up a persons life in about 200 words. What set each apart was what the author chose as their main focus about the person, the quotes and how they chose to use their words. My two favorite portraits out of the first 20 “N” were “Mildred Naiman: Thumbed Her Nose at Age” and “Peter A. Nelson: A Marriage Proposal.” In each of these stories the writer chose his words in a way that I really felt for the person and his family or I admired how the person lived their life.
In “Mildred Naiman: Thumbed Her Nose at Age” The writer chose to write about how Mildred loved to travel and get out and do things despite her age. I see a little of myself in that. It makes me think about how even though she died in an awful way before her time she still lived to be 81 and was still having the time of her life doing what she loved. It makes me look up to her. If I make it that far I too want to still be as energetic and enthusiastic as her. She didn’t die necessarily in a bad state of mind which is what makes this story lighter and a little easier to handle.
“Peter A. Nelson: A Marriage Proposal” made me think about how you have to take advantage of situations as they come because you never know what’s going to happen later. The way the story was ironic left me in a state of disbelief and grief. The very way he was saved the first time was how he ended up dying. It makes you wonder. The quotes used show how he would have been a loving father and the ending line leaves you speechless. Leaves you heartbroken that that he never lived to meet his daughter and how the first time she saw her father was at his funeral. The words choice really strikes a nerve.
What really makes the story are good quotes and words choice and arrangement. And if that isn’t great then a person with a really interesting story would catch my eye. Each person has a different story but it’s the writer that really captures their essence.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400
Article 2 imc fest
782
IMC Fest is back this year, bringing together an eclectic mix of local music, visual and performing arts, belly dancers and political social speakers to perform during a three day festival on April 17-19. This year the Independent Media Center and Boneyard Arts are working in conjunction to promote both events.
A widely diverse range of music will be featured. Thirty bands are scheduled to play including Kilborn Alley, Elsinore, Headlights and Jigsaw. The bands’ musical styles range from folk, rock, indie, punk, blues, hip-hop, jazz and electronica. Twenty-Eight of those bands are local to the Champaign area.
Besides music, Boneyard Arts will have it’s art show on display noon to two a.m. beginning Thursday April 16.
“Traditionally the IMC is always part of Boneyard as a venue for artists but this year we are both that and evening entertainment spotlight as well,” said Dan Blah, an active IMC volunteer and the main organizer of this event..
The speakers include local activists and people who are part of the IMC who will talk about the history of this local IMC, the Indy media movement and their own movements and organizations.
“I want it to be a spectacle. A kind of controlled chaotic circus. It’s going to be crazy,” said Blah.
IMC Fest is a music and arts festival coordinated by groups of volunteers and IMC staff. The shows group, finance group, production group, WRFU 104.5, and the tech group make up the IMC organization. This year, IMC Fest encompasses the whole organization and Boneyard Arts, unlike previous years when just the shows group put the event together. IMC Fest and Boneyard Arts focuses on local talent.
“This is a way to get people and bands exposed to the IMC,” said Blah. Blah hopes to see 600 people over the entire weekend.
Planning for IMC Fest starts months in advance. Prospective headlining bands and bands who previously played are contacted first, then others follow. About 50 bands were contacted this year and because of such a large positive response, 20 had to be let go.
“You lose three months of your life every year,” said Blah. This fest also digs into the pockets of organizers.
According to Blah, all the funding is donated from the organizers and sponsors. Nobody gets paid, all the money goes to the IMC to pay for programs.
Local band Common Loon is playing for their second time at IMC Fest after playing in 2007, the year their band formed. They are looking forward to hearing the local bands they will be playing with.
“There are tons of good musicians in town and you don’t always get to hear all of them,” said Matt Campbell, the drummer, keyboardist and vocalist of Common Loon. “It’s a very eclectic mix of music. It’s cool to hear something new,” said Campbell.
Common Loon, a kind of dreamy psychedelic pop band, as described by the guitarist and vocalist Robert Hirschfelb, see IMC Fest not only as an opportunity to hear new music but also an opportunity for new people to hear them. IMC fest grew significantly since the last one two years ago.
“I’m pretty excited about this year. There’s a lot more collaboration and new shows members. It’s not just me,” said Blah.
The first IMC Fest was held in 2003 at the Canopy Club. It was a building campaign to raise money to buy a building specifically for the Independent Media Center. When the original organizer, Zack Miller, left after he got a job in Australia, the IMC Fest took a hiatus resulting from lack of motivation and time by other members. Another IMC Fest in 2007 raised money for a better radio tower for WRFU 104.5 that covered a larger area.
To avoid interfering with Pygmalion and other fall festivals, IMC fest skipped fall 2008 and prepared for spring 2009. According to Blah, IMC fest will now be annual.
The IMC is a non-profit, grassroots organization that uses media production and distribution to promote social and economic justice in the Champaign-Urbana area, according to their website.
“The goal is to bring the media to the people, allowing people to get their voices out. It’s a community center with social goals for social progress,” said Blah.
Blah is looking forward to seeing the public’s reaction and to seeing the impression everyone’s hard work makes on the audience.
“It’s not just about seeing the bands. It’s also about the art, the culture, the influence, talking to people, and the sense of ownership. It’s exciting to see that happen,” said Blah.
Sources
Dan Blah
Blah@chambana.net
217-714-2738
Matt Campbell
309-530-1701
Casacada@gmail.com
Robert Hirschfelb
217-417-3302
www.Ucimc.org
http://www.40north.org/events/festival.html
Jrn 400
Article 2 imc fest
782
IMC Fest is back this year, bringing together an eclectic mix of local music, visual and performing arts, belly dancers and political social speakers to perform during a three day festival on April 17-19. This year the Independent Media Center and Boneyard Arts are working in conjunction to promote both events.
A widely diverse range of music will be featured. Thirty bands are scheduled to play including Kilborn Alley, Elsinore, Headlights and Jigsaw. The bands’ musical styles range from folk, rock, indie, punk, blues, hip-hop, jazz and electronica. Twenty-Eight of those bands are local to the Champaign area.
Besides music, Boneyard Arts will have it’s art show on display noon to two a.m. beginning Thursday April 16.
“Traditionally the IMC is always part of Boneyard as a venue for artists but this year we are both that and evening entertainment spotlight as well,” said Dan Blah, an active IMC volunteer and the main organizer of this event..
The speakers include local activists and people who are part of the IMC who will talk about the history of this local IMC, the Indy media movement and their own movements and organizations.
“I want it to be a spectacle. A kind of controlled chaotic circus. It’s going to be crazy,” said Blah.
IMC Fest is a music and arts festival coordinated by groups of volunteers and IMC staff. The shows group, finance group, production group, WRFU 104.5, and the tech group make up the IMC organization. This year, IMC Fest encompasses the whole organization and Boneyard Arts, unlike previous years when just the shows group put the event together. IMC Fest and Boneyard Arts focuses on local talent.
“This is a way to get people and bands exposed to the IMC,” said Blah. Blah hopes to see 600 people over the entire weekend.
Planning for IMC Fest starts months in advance. Prospective headlining bands and bands who previously played are contacted first, then others follow. About 50 bands were contacted this year and because of such a large positive response, 20 had to be let go.
“You lose three months of your life every year,” said Blah. This fest also digs into the pockets of organizers.
According to Blah, all the funding is donated from the organizers and sponsors. Nobody gets paid, all the money goes to the IMC to pay for programs.
Local band Common Loon is playing for their second time at IMC Fest after playing in 2007, the year their band formed. They are looking forward to hearing the local bands they will be playing with.
“There are tons of good musicians in town and you don’t always get to hear all of them,” said Matt Campbell, the drummer, keyboardist and vocalist of Common Loon. “It’s a very eclectic mix of music. It’s cool to hear something new,” said Campbell.
Common Loon, a kind of dreamy psychedelic pop band, as described by the guitarist and vocalist Robert Hirschfelb, see IMC Fest not only as an opportunity to hear new music but also an opportunity for new people to hear them. IMC fest grew significantly since the last one two years ago.
“I’m pretty excited about this year. There’s a lot more collaboration and new shows members. It’s not just me,” said Blah.
The first IMC Fest was held in 2003 at the Canopy Club. It was a building campaign to raise money to buy a building specifically for the Independent Media Center. When the original organizer, Zack Miller, left after he got a job in Australia, the IMC Fest took a hiatus resulting from lack of motivation and time by other members. Another IMC Fest in 2007 raised money for a better radio tower for WRFU 104.5 that covered a larger area.
To avoid interfering with Pygmalion and other fall festivals, IMC fest skipped fall 2008 and prepared for spring 2009. According to Blah, IMC fest will now be annual.
The IMC is a non-profit, grassroots organization that uses media production and distribution to promote social and economic justice in the Champaign-Urbana area, according to their website.
“The goal is to bring the media to the people, allowing people to get their voices out. It’s a community center with social goals for social progress,” said Blah.
Blah is looking forward to seeing the public’s reaction and to seeing the impression everyone’s hard work makes on the audience.
“It’s not just about seeing the bands. It’s also about the art, the culture, the influence, talking to people, and the sense of ownership. It’s exciting to see that happen,” said Blah.
Sources
Dan Blah
Blah@chambana.net
217-714-2738
Matt Campbell
309-530-1701
Casacada@gmail.com
Robert Hirschfelb
217-417-3302
www.Ucimc.org
http://www.40north.org/events/festival.html
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
city council meeting article
Alison Neubauer
Jrn 400
City council meeting
655
Champaign residents are concerned about long term exposure to toxic chemicals in their ground water from Ameren’s toxic site near the Fifth and Hill neighborhood. Ameren recently released information of testing reports that show large parts of the property that pose a threat to people due to vaporization of toxic chemicals from contaminated ground water.
Claudia Lennhoff from the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, addressed the city council at the meeting Tuesday regarding the 2007 Ground Water Restriction Ordinance. The ordinance only deals with ingestion of water but does not mention contact with or inhalation of water.
“Vaporization means that you have the risk of inhaling. This has been a long-standing concern of the residents and their concern has been about long term exposure to vaporization and inhalation,” said Lennhoff.
Long term exposure to this contaminated water can lead to Neurological problems, cancers, asthmas, reproductive health problems and many others.
The test results show that the levels of toxic chemicals exceed the safety standards for residential property. Lennhoff said that there is residential property 50 ft. away from the toxic site and they haven‘t tested levels outside their boundaries..
“There is no reason to think that vaporization stops at the boundaries of this fenced in area,” said Lennhoff. “Other new information is that the ground water is far more contaminated than we have ever been told or led to believe.”
There are 20 different toxins identified in the water. Benzene, a highly toxic chemical, is one of them. Lennhoff explained that the safety standards for Benzene are not to exceed five parts per billion but Ameren’s test results from that well show 1000 parts per billion.
According to Lennhoff, in Ameren’s report they do not plan to clean up the contaminated ground water and they don’t have to because of the ordinance the City of Champaign passed in the summer of 2007.
“It’s important to understand that the only thing this ordinance accomplishes for the people of the city of Champaign is that it prohibits them from drinking contaminated water which they have not been doing,” said Lennhoff.
In this neglected neighborhood, the contaminated water floods resident’s basements and property, and flows into Boneyard Creek effecting residents.
“There are many gardens in the neighborhood where people grow vegetables, sell and get vegetables which has been going on for years,” said Lennhoff. She also said that there are children’s daycare centers surrounding the contaminated property.
According to Lennhoff, the ordinance allows Ameren to not clean up the contaminated ground water. Ameren’s report said that they are using an “institutional control to remediate the toxic ground water.” Lennhoff said that the institutional control is the city ordinance.
“What this amounts to is an administrative sleight of hand that allows Ameren to have the appearance of addressing contaminated ground water,” said Lennhoff, “the use of this ordinance is what’s allowing Ameren off the hook for cleaning up the ground water.”
According to Lennhoff, the real intent of this ordinance was to protect Ameren from incurring the costs associated with doing a thorough cleanup which would be very costly.
“ It doesn’t necessarily result in truly protecting and promoting the health of the residents of the neighborhood and the city,” said Lennhoff.
The city of Champaign worked with the Illinois EPA to pass this ordinance. Lennhoff said that there are concerns about the Illinois EPA being close with Ameren and helping them.
“The best case would be if the EPA would be a watchdog, not a lapdog for Ameren,” said Lennhoff.
Ameren and the Illinois EPA only focus on there being no immediate effects to people but they don’t mention the long term effects.
“I would hope that the City of Champaign will re-examine this issue and see if there’s a way to work with the Illinois EPA and Ameren and basically demand that Ameren do clean up the contaminated ground water.” said Lennhoff.
Sources
Claudia Lennhoff
217-352-6533
cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org
Jrn 400
City council meeting
655
Champaign residents are concerned about long term exposure to toxic chemicals in their ground water from Ameren’s toxic site near the Fifth and Hill neighborhood. Ameren recently released information of testing reports that show large parts of the property that pose a threat to people due to vaporization of toxic chemicals from contaminated ground water.
Claudia Lennhoff from the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, addressed the city council at the meeting Tuesday regarding the 2007 Ground Water Restriction Ordinance. The ordinance only deals with ingestion of water but does not mention contact with or inhalation of water.
“Vaporization means that you have the risk of inhaling. This has been a long-standing concern of the residents and their concern has been about long term exposure to vaporization and inhalation,” said Lennhoff.
Long term exposure to this contaminated water can lead to Neurological problems, cancers, asthmas, reproductive health problems and many others.
The test results show that the levels of toxic chemicals exceed the safety standards for residential property. Lennhoff said that there is residential property 50 ft. away from the toxic site and they haven‘t tested levels outside their boundaries..
“There is no reason to think that vaporization stops at the boundaries of this fenced in area,” said Lennhoff. “Other new information is that the ground water is far more contaminated than we have ever been told or led to believe.”
There are 20 different toxins identified in the water. Benzene, a highly toxic chemical, is one of them. Lennhoff explained that the safety standards for Benzene are not to exceed five parts per billion but Ameren’s test results from that well show 1000 parts per billion.
According to Lennhoff, in Ameren’s report they do not plan to clean up the contaminated ground water and they don’t have to because of the ordinance the City of Champaign passed in the summer of 2007.
“It’s important to understand that the only thing this ordinance accomplishes for the people of the city of Champaign is that it prohibits them from drinking contaminated water which they have not been doing,” said Lennhoff.
In this neglected neighborhood, the contaminated water floods resident’s basements and property, and flows into Boneyard Creek effecting residents.
“There are many gardens in the neighborhood where people grow vegetables, sell and get vegetables which has been going on for years,” said Lennhoff. She also said that there are children’s daycare centers surrounding the contaminated property.
According to Lennhoff, the ordinance allows Ameren to not clean up the contaminated ground water. Ameren’s report said that they are using an “institutional control to remediate the toxic ground water.” Lennhoff said that the institutional control is the city ordinance.
“What this amounts to is an administrative sleight of hand that allows Ameren to have the appearance of addressing contaminated ground water,” said Lennhoff, “the use of this ordinance is what’s allowing Ameren off the hook for cleaning up the ground water.”
According to Lennhoff, the real intent of this ordinance was to protect Ameren from incurring the costs associated with doing a thorough cleanup which would be very costly.
“ It doesn’t necessarily result in truly protecting and promoting the health of the residents of the neighborhood and the city,” said Lennhoff.
The city of Champaign worked with the Illinois EPA to pass this ordinance. Lennhoff said that there are concerns about the Illinois EPA being close with Ameren and helping them.
“The best case would be if the EPA would be a watchdog, not a lapdog for Ameren,” said Lennhoff.
Ameren and the Illinois EPA only focus on there being no immediate effects to people but they don’t mention the long term effects.
“I would hope that the City of Champaign will re-examine this issue and see if there’s a way to work with the Illinois EPA and Ameren and basically demand that Ameren do clean up the contaminated ground water.” said Lennhoff.
Sources
Claudia Lennhoff
217-352-6533
cchcc@healthcareconsumers.org
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