Driving across the Sangamon River at Reas Bridge Road, my first thought was, “They were going to dam the Sangamon here?”  My second thought was, “Just where the heck is the Sangamon River anyway?” ‘Here’ was on a bluff by an old cemetery just north of Reas Bridge Road overlooking the Sangamon River, also known in these parts as Lake […]

  As ET, the Extra Terrestrial, turns thirty this month, it seems appropriate that our “Notes from the River” reveals the dark truth about our own alien invasion right here in the Sangamon River Valley. Yes it’s true, the Sangamon River Valley is being attacked by alien invaders. Many of these silent killers live right among us, hiding in plain […]

  I woke up this morning to a frozen Sangamon River. Well, nearly so at least. It was one of the first significant freezes of the year, which is pretty unusual, actually. It’s typically much more frozen this time of year and a lot higher. I remember a few years back in January, the river was up at least 20 […]

I read with interest the Mahomet Citizen’s Top 10 list for 2011. As the Sangamon River, I’m one of the oldest living members of this community, so I have my own perspective on what’s important. So here’s what I think are the Top 10 accomplishments of 2011.  #10. Notes from the River. While he’d be FAR too humble to put […]

A true story. Once upon a time, 250,000 years ago to be specific, at the dawn of the Pleistocene Epoch, there was a great river running through our fair Village. This river, originating off to the east in the area that was to become West Virginia, flowed westward through our area and on down from here to the Gulf of […]

Here on the Sangamon River, the quiet stillness of the night awakens the senses. As the nights lengthen and the trees stand naked against the night sky, full moons seem brighter and familiar winter constellations return to the sky. Orion the Hunter has returned! ‘Tis the season of the celebration of one of the few truly global phenomena; a celebration […]