ChimpersCage

In 1961 when I first moved to Heyworth, the Heyworth Star was a thriving weekly newspaper. I can't tell you the whole history of the paper, but it was then run by Glen Beverage and his son Jim. I also don't remember a lot about Glen except that he always had a smile when I saw him. Jim lived 3 doors away from us on Poplar St. with his wife Nancy who taught school in a near by community and Sonja their girl who was the same age as I. Jim was a newspaper man through and through. Always looking for the scoop. Always at the local sports events. Always wearing a dress hat, carrying a camera, tablet and pen and when it was cold, a trench styled overcoat. He was inquisitive and full of common sense. He also liked to show off his shop to any youngster that showed an interest. More than once I walked in unannounced and he would appear in the front office and offer a quick tour. Didn't matter how busy he was, he always had time for an interested youth. In those days it was t...

I just read another headline about the economy... Dollar drops lower, Feds to take more drastic measures. Well, that's probably not an exact quote but you get the idea. Sure the recession ended last year, there isn't any fear of a double dipper, unemployment is down.... Good grief, do we really believe all that sunshine? I've been saying for sometime that, yes I'm going to get opinionated about something I have absolutely no schooling in - well I did take econ101 in college - and no real experience talking about, jobs are the key to the recovery. I'm not the only one saying it, it's just that the people in the know that are saying it just don't believe themselves. I'm talking REAL jobs, not seasonal jobs that will be gone when the trees change from one color to many or the other way around. Not jobs that pay 30% of the pay that one someone just lost. Not jobs that have no benefits like the last one that someone had. I'm talking about honest to...

I've been informed several times that I'm a pessimist. Well, I do seem to see the ugly side of things or the bad things that may happen, but I really think I'm more of a realist. How would bad things be avoided or even corrected if someone didn't identify them? Football viewing is a good example. There are several things (I'll include my short list below) that really irritate people (myself included) that can destroy the feeling of a great game. I think there are some simple steps that could be taken to remedy them. My short list, in no particular order. 1) Media Time Outs. Let's call them what they really are, enough of the politically correct. They are TV timeouts to sell advertising. Heck, they get more time outs per game than both teams combined. Did I miss something in the 1960's and early 70's listening to the games on WJBC with my dad? I don't recall any commercials unless there was a legitimate break in the action. I'm sure on th...

School is Finally back in session. The hottest part of summer is Finally coming to an end The sweet smell of fresh corn is Finally in the air Football is FINALLY back in season. I enjoy the preseason games on the tube in the hot beginning of August. It's always a welcome view compared to the reruns from last season, the hohum of new reality pilots, award shows and yet another season of the Cubs losing. I do hesitate to put a lot of credence to the preseason games of the NFL. They are full of rookies and 3rd place depth chart players working hard to make an impression on either the team they are currently with or for one of the hundred scouts watching each game to find a player that will get released and help their team. So, the action is usually filled with some great plays and emotion. That always seems to die a little in the last week of the preseason schedule. Still, couldn't the Bears look a little more like they really want to win? The 27th was opening night for IHSA...

Ok, I haven't posted in a while and I've been collecting these for a bit. Yes, I know they are a bit off the wall, but here it goes. My first edition of things that make me go HUH? - The box to check mark on the utility bill to donate a $1 for those who can't pay their bill. Do they think that maybe lowering the rate would help a lot more people to afford it and a lot more people to be able to donate for the less fortunate? How much of his bonus does the CEO donate? - Pay at the pump's where if you want to pay cash inside make you pre-pay. How do I know how much it's going to take to fill the tank? - Sports commentators that think they have to state the obvious and ones that think we tuned in to hear them talk. No need to explain. - Sports commentators that think they we tuned in to hear them talk about themselves. No need to explain, you know who I'm talking about. - 911. Quick, you need a police officer for a non-life threatening situation. what ...

June 1, 2010 - the home opener for the Normal Cornbelters in the stadium cited as the Corn Crib. I guess that makes the playing surface the Corn Field! The Cornbelters lost the game 3-2 but the fans appeared to be winners. Unfinished as it is, the Crib is an amazing place by collegiate standards, let alone a community college. Even more amazing is the very few dollars overall of government money invested. There are plenty of box seats complete with backs to help keep you comfy and some enclosed suites if you just have to be in your own little group or if you require shade and A/C (at least I think they had A/C). The outfields are accessible and many families were out there on blankets watching the game. The sound system left a little to be desirable, but who really goes to the game to listen to the commentator. You can listen to the game on the radio if you can't understand the PA guy. I really only find the PA useful to tell me who is at bat and maybe a tidbit or two here o...

Once in a while I have a reason to dig through some old images. I always seem to find a couple of treasures. I shot the Eastern Illinois Homecoming football game in 2002. Tony Romo was still pretty much an unknown. He was in his senior year at Eastern. They were playing the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, a rival from the same Ohio Valley Conference. Not only was it homecoming, but the two teams were tied for 1st place and this game was well into the season being played on October 12. I was shooting for a small wire out from the east coast. I'm not sure I ever knew and I certainly don't remember if the images were being used by the media or a school, but there I was. Well, 8 years later, Tony is very well known and in the NFL. One of the images in the gallery below has licensed several times - from books to ESPN, it seems to get some pretty good play. When an image becomes popular, it also starts to get used by people who don't want to pay. So photographers start doing ...

It's normally the time of year that I must hit the yard and the house repairs before being able to get to any game. Pretty much, that means evenings spent working and maybe a game or two on the weekend when I get bored of the house and yard. Well, April 13th was different. It was just too nice to be all work, so I scooted out to the Illinois State campus to watch and shoot a little softball. Former Ridgeview star Lauren Kellar has been getting starts and lots of playing time as a freshman. It's always good to see local athletes on the local college teams and even more fun to get to see them play. Sure hope I can make some more of America's ball this season. 20100413 Illinois v Illinois State - Images by Alan Look

Robin Pingeton is leaving the Illinois State Redbirds after 7 years as head coach and taking her assistants with her. I can't say it is a real shock that a large D1 school had their eyes on her or even that she took the job. She is certainly qualified. It did surprise me that it happened so fast with what seemed to me as little discussion about it by anyone. Of late, the only real converstations I'd overheard were about 1st assistant Randy Norton who was reported to be a consideration at Indiana State. Randy last week expressed his desire to stay in Bloomington-Normal while his family enjoyed his daughters last year at Central Catholic High as a part of the recent State Champion Lady Saints. Well, surprise, surprise. It will be interesting to hear the reactions in the community. Robin has been great at ISU and has really built a program that was hardly even noticed under her predecessor Jenny Yopp. At the 7 year mark, Robin had shown both her prowness on the court as wel...

Wow, it's been a long time between rants! It's been a busy season. 72 games for me since Aug 29th of 2009, not counting a few that I was just a spectator at. Some of the recent highlights were the girls Illinois State High School playoffs, the D3 Women's NCAA Final Four, and several WNIT games. Be sure to check out the galleries at www.alanlook.com More later.

Well, the High School Girls Regionals are here. Play this year is at Lexington. I guess it is already down to the semi and final rounds. Last night, Ridgeview swatted the Heyworth Hornets. The Mustangs are so well organized and execute so well. THey are a pleasure to watch. 20100210 Heyworth v Ridgeview - Images by Alan Look

Ah, one of my favorite weeks of the year started Saturday January 16th. No, not because of the weather, because the McLean County Tournament has started! Yes, the weather always seems to throw it's rimshot too. I've seen everything from blizzard like conditions to sunshine to torrential rains on Championship day, but the fans and teams always show up. This year the competition should be pretty good, although some of the team rankings are pretty different from past years. ElPaso-Gridley boys are seeded in the top 5, a different look than some of the past years where they struggled past the 1st round. Ridgeview played two games on the 16th and was eliminated from the rest of the competition. That's a big change. The Mustangs seemed to be just a half a click off with just about every play attempt. I did see a couple of sequences that went well for them, but for some reason they just aren't quite there. Heyworth looks to be back in it, but on the boys side, it appea...