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Story Subject Category: Business
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The goal of Habitat for Humanity’s Champaign ReStore is to keep gently used furniture out of the landfill and also help people in need.
Segment duration: 06:49
Story links:
Producer: Virginia Steffen
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Environment • Housing and Urban Renewal • Champaign
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By Maeve Reilly
When we visited a gallery where Charlie and John Sweitzer display their hand-made Shaker-style furniture, it was interesting to see how placing the furniture in a gallery changed people’s perceptions. People were tentative about touching the pieces, but, when they did, they realized that something as “common” and functional as furniture could be a work of art. In the program, one woman talks about how the sensual the show was—getting a literal feel of the furniture was as important as the visual look.
I’ve always been interested in the simple lines and clean design of Shaker furniture, but John’s “live-edge” desk, which incorporated his concept of taking nature’s design—a piece of wood with cracks, uneven surfaces and rough edges, was truly the highlight of the filming at the Ann Lloyd Gallery. John and Charlie claim to be furniture makers, not artists. But when you see the care they use in choosing renewable wood sources and using the form that nature created to often help with the design, you can’t help but examine your own surroundings and think about how much thought you give to choosing things that you use every day.
Segment duration: 05:30
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Producer: Maeve Reilly
Editor: Tim Hartin
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Business
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By producer Virginia Steffen
My crew and I arrived at the Market 6 a.m. on a June morning, armed with camera, tripod and sound equipment. The day was still not too warm, and the sun had barely risen. We started by interviewing Mary Finch about her crafts. Then, we relocated to shoot another interview, and another, and another, until people started filing into the rows of venders, ready for another week of shopping for local food and goods. As the crowd hit full-force, the heat did, too. It was a bright, hot day, but we barely had time to notice because we were so quickly moving around to get patron interviews, and shoot footage of people shopping and musicians performing.
I love Market on the Square, because of all the local excitement going on. There is such a genuine feeling of community here on Saturday mornings in the summer. We saw friends hugging, venders and patrons chatting up like good friends, and lots of community people out enjoying this homegrown taste of summer.
For me, highlights were: getting up on the roof of the city building to interview Kathy Larson with the market behind her, and shooting footage of local performer Michael Powers. Michael is such a great local character, and he is a lot of fun to videotape because he enjoys interacting with his audience members and the camera.
Segment duration: 05:39
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Producer: Virginia Steffen
Chief Camera - Segment: Virginia Steffen
This segment is filed in these categories: Agriculture/Agribusiness • Business • Food/Restaurants • Urbana
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It’s hard to think back 15 years and try to remember how I got the idea for the Oakland Bakery story. It may have been because of the popularity of his noodles. At the time I lived a block away from the Courier Cafe and would go there for breakfast every week. They had the Oakland noodles in their display case at the cashier’s desk. I do remember seeing the Oakland Bakery name on the bags.
Looking at the story again (I haven’t watched it since that episode ran in 1992), I’m struck with a little bit of nostalgia for that sort of mom-and-pop business that has been largely put out of business by people shopping at Wal-Marts and other “Superstores,” and admiration for all the people like Happy Ethington who could work hard at the same job for 37 years, day in, day out and still take pride in their work.
A subject like a bakery was also great to shoot and edit because there was a process that was repetitive. It gave you a chance to catch the same actions again and again if you needed to and then select the best shot of that action for editing. I am amazed at how we did so many stories in 1992 when I look at the technology we have today, which makes it so much easier and faster in many parts of the process. But the interviewing, logging the interviews and writing the story seems pretty much the same—the hard work of finding the story in your subject and paying attention to detail to a thousand details.
Segment duration: 06:31
Producer: Jeff Cunningham
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Food/Restaurants
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Host Alison Davis Wood takes viewers on a visit to the Wind, Water and Light Gallery in downtown Champaign where owner Mary Tangora shows off jewelry, pottery, paintings, shawls, throws and other artists’ works for sale. She and her husband, Larry Steinbauer, both artists themselves, say the gallery’s move from Mahomet to Champaign has brought in more business.
Address: 10 Main Street
Champaign, Illinois
Phone: 217-378-8565
Hours:
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday
Segment duration: 05:17
Producer: Brian Paris
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Business
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After the granddaughters of the founder of this candy store bought back all the furnishings of their grandfather’s store, they cried when the old marble soda fountain was reassembled. They reopened the store in 2004, and are using his recipes for the candy, caramel apples and other treats they serve.
Location: 101 West Sale St., Tuscola, Illinois
Phone: 217-253-3753
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m.
Lunch Served: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Segment duration: 05:39
Story links:
Producer: Tom Rogers
Editor: Tim Hartin
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Food/Restaurants • Illinois Culture/History
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Many children who come to the Homer Emporium have never had a soda out of a glass bottle. Owner Charlene Cunningham patiently shows them how to use a bottle opener. The antique store has the largest variety of bottled pop in Illinois. Find out which are the most popular brands.
Location: 118 South Main St., Homer, Illinois
Phone: 217-896-2880
Segment duration: 05:50
Story links:
Producer: Tim Hartin
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Food/Restaurants
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Ron McFarlain keeps the spirit of Louisiana cooking alive with bread pudding, alligator, gumbo, shrimp and crawfish.
897 East U.S. Highway 6
(1 mile East of the old location)
Utica, Illinois
Phone: 815-667-9855
Hours of operation:
Thursday 4 pm-9 pm
Friday 4 pm-9 pm
Saturday 4 pm-9 pm
Sunday 12 pm-6 pm
Segment duration: 06:34
Story links:
Producer: Tim Hartin
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Food/Restaurants
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During the 73 years he has operated Johnston’s Sports Shop in downtown Champaign, Seely Johnston has sold speed skater Bonnie Blair her first pair of ice skates, given film critic Roger Ebert his first job and outfitted hundreds of skaters with gear. “If you go into a restaurant with Seely, everyone knows him. He’s a combination local historian, businessman and civic leader,” said Prairie Fire host Alison Davis.
Johnston, who is approaching his 96th birthday, was a close friend of U of I football legend Red Grange. “He’s one of the few people still alive who saw Red Grange play at Memorial Stadium,” said Davis. Johnston still goes to work every day, and reads the newspaper faithfully to keep up with current events. Ebert, who is interviewed in the Prairie Fire segment, says Johnston’s secret of longevity is that he looks forward to every day of life.
Segment duration: 09:12
Producer: Alison Davis Wood
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Family history • Illinois Culture/History • Sports • Champaign • Champaign County
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Before he became the restaurant’s owner, Paul Damski loved eating at Carmon’s because all the food was made from scratch. Now he’s keeping the tradition alive by starting work each morning at 2:30 a.m. so he can make fresh biscuits and cinnamon rolls, homemade syrup, and his own sausage and soups for the downtown Champaign eatery.
Prairie Fire pays a visit to Carmon’s beginning with Damski’s arrival at work in the wee hours of the night. “It’s hard on him, but he says he doesn’t want to own the restaurant any more if he has to start buying food instead of making it from scratch,” said Prairie Fire host Alison Davis. Davis said Damski taught himself to cook while he was in college. “His mom was a really good cook and he said he couldn’t live on packaged food,” she said. Now Damski’s restaurant is packed all the time, and people even call ahead to reserve a cinnamon roll.
Segment duration: 08:43
Producer: Alison Davis
This segment is filed in these categories: Business • Food/Restaurants • Historical Landmarks • Illinois Culture/History • Champaign
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