WILL STATE WORKERS COME BACK to OFFICES? Springfield Prepares For
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16 HISTORY | Susan’s neighborhood 19 FOOD | Leekapalooza 20 MUSIC | Epsom FREE July 29-August 4, 2021 • Vol. 47, No. 1 WILL STATE WORKERS COME BACK TO OFFICES? Springfield prepares for emptier nests 12 OFFICE SPACE | David Blanchette July 29-August 4, 2021 | Illinois Times | 1 2 | www.illinoistimes.com | July 29-August 4, 2021 Calvin Pitts, center in orange, stands with recent graduates of his construction training program during a ceremony at the NAACP headquarters in Springfield. CREDIT: RACHEL OTWELL Constructive learning Job-training program to improve lives and blight DEVELOPMENT | Rachel Otwell In 2020, Black people made up 13.4% of the Calvin Pitts and the Southtown Construction opportunities for college graduates in terms of has graduated more than 100 students. overall U.S. population, but only accounted Training Program, which teaches students skills compensation. Pitts said he was raised in poverty in for 8% of those considered construction related to a variety of construction jobs, such More students will soon be joining Pitts via Springfield housing projects and had a laborers, according to the U.S. Bureau of as electrical and plumbing. Sawyer graduated the job-training program funded with CARES challenging upbringing. His father was killed Labor Statistics. Only 3% of construction from the training program earlier this year. He’s Act money, allocated by the city. The funding, while Pitts was a teenager and Pitts dropped managers were Black, according to the same now working with Pitts on construction jobs as the city submitted to the U.S. Department out of high school. Drug dealing was a data. A program in Springfield aims to while he plans for a career with a union, maybe of Housing and Urban Development, is for common way to survive for the people he was diversify the field and the city is using CARES in pipe fitting or electrical work. $75,000 for a five-month training program for surrounded by. “Being able to interrupt those Act dollars – federal COVID-relief funds – to In addition to the construction training, 20 individuals. Through the training program, generational curses is one of the things I make help the cause. Pitts instills soft skills in his students, “basic the students will work on city-owned properties my focus,” said Pitts. “Statistically speaking, I Springfield resident Bobby Sawyer, 27, said things – like not being late for work, or coming in need of renovation. A further $325,000 should be locked up or dead now.” he first became interested in a construction in early and staying later,” said Sawyer. He of COVID-19 relief funding is proposed Pitts, who is also the state labor chair for career after his plans to pursue a political said in high school he, like other students, was for housing redevelopment, which would be the Illinois chapter of the NAACP, said the science degree were put on hold while he got steered toward college, without the trades being used to purchase and renovate dilapidated program includes mentoring. He works in the married and had a baby. He was interested in presented as a viable career. Sawyer said the houses and turn them into affordable housing. field with students and leads by example. Pitts finding a job working with concrete to help his training Pitts offers can set people on track for According to an email from Mayor Jim uses the nationally-recognized Multi-Craft Core wife fund her own education, but then through careers that come with a living wage, health and Langfelder, more details are still to come via an Curriculum, which has a focus on building the Springfield Urban League he heard about pension benefits – jobs that can compete with ordinance. diversity in the field and includes class time and Sawyer said he would tell prospective hands-on training. students, “that it’s a very good program to get Pitts said students who participate in the into, especially for minorities, because Mr. Pitts city-partnered program will be compensated Editor’s note fights for minorities to get into construction for the construction work they do as part of the jobs.” curriculum. Pitts said he hopes the city funding For once the city of Springfield and Sangamon County have plenty of new money. The city will Over at his headquarters for the training and investment will help lead other supporters have $33.8 million and the county $37.8 million in federal pandemic-relief funds with few program on the east side of Springfield, Pitts his way. “It’s going to open more doors, more restrictions on spending. As Sangamon County administrator Brian McFadden and Springfield budget director Bill McCarty told the Citizens Club July 23, spending guidelines for American gave a tour of his training room. On the wall, outlets.” Rescue Plan funds emphasize cooperation between governments, transparency and spending to a mural depicts a raised Black fist holding a The official start date for the job training benefit low-income census tracts. Addressing homelessness has wide appeal, as does expanding lightning bolt. The room includes weights so program is yet to be determined, but Pitts said broadband availability, and a new morgue is in the works. But city and county leaders need more students can condition for the labor-intensive the goal is to begin the program within the next big but practical ideas for spending these one-time millions. It is the job of citizens to give them work. For students to practice, there’s a model couple of months. solid but creative proposals. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO house along with electrical and solar panels. Pitts has been leading training since 2013 and Contact Rachel Otwell at [email protected]. July 29-August 4, 2021 | Illinois Times | 3 NEWS Stay Sexy Springfield’s DAR chapter & Don’t Get celebrates 126th anniversary Murdered Lincoln Library’s book COMMUNITY | Cinda Ackerman Klickna review blog On Saturday, July 17, over 100 women The women wear ribbons attached to CAP CITY | Karen Ackerman Witter attended an afternoon tea to celebrate an their clothes over their heart, and on it they important milestone for the Springfield place a collection of pins. These include the chapter of the Daughters of the American bar representing their chapter and the DAR Looking for a good book to read? Revolution (DAR) – its 126th anniversary. wheel and distaff logo. Then, they pin on Something other than a best seller? COVID delayed the plans for the 125th Patriot pins; each pin represents a connection Springfield’s Lincoln Library is here to anniversary. The Springfield chapter has 119 of the woman to the Revolutionary War. help. A group of reference librarians members, continues to grow and supports "Some have one Patriot pin; others have contribute to writing a book review blog many worthy causes. many,” Barringer says. “Some women with 200-word reviews. Their goal is to It was in 1890 when four women in continue to do genealogical research and find share the joy of reading and help people Washington, D.C., started the DAR. The first more connections. Each connection earns a find new things to read that they might National Regent was Caroline Harrison, wife new Patriot pin.” Barringer’s ribbon includes not have discovered otherwise. Graphic of President Benjamin Harrison. Today, there eight Patriot pins. novels, true crime, fantasy, short stories are over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters, DAR is involved in many projects, and memoirs are just some of the genres including chapters in all 50 states and in 14 either through the national, state or local featured in their informative reviews. foreign countries. Since its founding, over one organization. The DAR motto is “God, Check out the blog at https://www. million women have joined the organization. Home, Country,” and there are three areas of lincolnlibrary.info/blog-entries. You The DAR headquarters in D.C. is the largest focus: patriotism, historic preservation and can also sign up for the Lincoln Library property owned by women in the world. education. The group sponsors the Good e-newsletter at https://www.lincolnlibrary. The Springfield chapter was formed in Citizen Award; each high school chooses info/newsletter-signup, which includes a 1895 by 24 women, many from prominent one senior who then is invited to enter the link to the blog. Happy reading. families, and many were related. There national essay contest that awards a college Here’s one of the reviews from the were sisters, Grace, Frances and Julia Yates, scholarship. Lincoln Library book review blog: and sisters-in-law such as Kate Chatterton The DAR erects historical markers, Hickox (her father owned Chatterton Opera supports Veterans Day events and Honor Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, by Karen House) and Louise Broadwell Hickox (her Flights, hosts workshops and provides Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark brother owned Broadwell Drug Store). scholarships for high school seniors planning “If you’re a feminist true crime fan Chaplain General Pamela Peterson Bork serves as with a sense of humor, then do yourself a Katherine Hay Brown was the granddaughter chaplain for the entire DAR organization and is also to pursue a degree in education, medicine, of Stephen Logan, Lincoln’s law partner. an honorary State Regent. history or economics. The Illinois chapters favor and give a listen to your new pals, Mary Lewis, whose father was Obed, lived helped raise money for the rose garden during Karen and Georgia. These hosts of the in the house that is now part of Obed and the restoration of the Governor’s Mansion popular My Favorite Murder podcast have Isaac’s Microbrewery. Josephine Remann and recently donated money for the window written a book and narrate the audiobook Edwards and her husband, Albert, who was example, Elizabeth Ide, who lived to be replacement of the cottage at the Dana- version themselves.