Columnists
10/06/2026 · Kane County
The Tiny Pause That Keeps You From Overcommitting
You don’t have to answer every request on the spot. Try this small boundary today: give yourself time to decide before your reflexive yes takes over.
The Two-Word Spell That Makes Blake’s Tiger Still Roar
William Blake’s “The Tyger” is famous for its questions, but its real magic may live in two unsettling words: “fearful symmetry.” Here’s how that tiny contradiction can sharpen your own writing today.
10/05/2026
The Most Radical Gift You Can Give Is Your Full Attention
Simone Weil thought attention was more than concentration: it was an ethical act, a way of treating another person’s existence as worthy of your time. That idea becomes startlingly practical when your phone is quietly begging to be worshipped.
10/05/2026
The Tariff Hangover Arrives Before the Bill
Washington keeps selling tariffs as leverage, while families and small manufacturers prepare for higher prices and thinner margins. Congress also finds new ways to confuse motion with progress.
10/05/2026
Please Stop Turning Paintings Into Theme-Park Rides
The immersive art exhibit has officially reached the stage where the artwork is the least important thing in the room. I’m begging museums, producers, and giant projectors to let paintings be weird, quiet, and occasionally difficult again.
10/05/2026
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View allObituary: Jacqueline Medins Bacon
Jacqueline Medins Bacon, 94, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2026 at Cedarhurst of Woodstock, Woodstock, IL. She died serenely just as she had lived, after a long life of care for others. Formerly of Byron, IL, she was born July 27, 1932 in Oregon, IL, eldest daughter of Willard "Jiggs" Burright and Ferne Henderson Burright. Jackie attended Oregon schools, graduating from Oregon Community High School. She went on to study nursing at Rockford Memorial Hospital, graduating in 1953 with her class in the newly built hospital. During her career she continued her dedication to learning, graduating with both Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees in Nursing from Northern Illinois University. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. Through the years, she worked in many Northern Illinois healthcare settings, including the Warmolt's Hospital/Clinic in Oregon, where she met and married her husband, Dr. Gunars Medins. Together they had one son, Peter Medins, who survives his mother and has been her best lifelong friend. Her other work included: family practice with Dr. Baker, Mt. Morris; private duty nurse at West Suburban Hospital, Oak Park; Singer Zone Center, Crusader Clinic, Winnebago Department of Health, and Swedish American Hospital, all in Rockford. At Swedish American, she was a biofeedback therapist on the Chronic Pain Clinic team. In that role she was known for her special quote: "It's time to fish or cut bait." At the end of her career she became the well-loved Director of Nursing at Pinecrest in Mt. Morris. All this work was done with passion and dedication to her nursing role. In retirement she became an avid and skillful quilter with a guild in the Byron area. She was a purist, rejecting machine quilting, and pursued all of her original work by hand. A major project was the completion of individual quilts for the patient rooms at Serenity Hospice & Home in Oregon. Always loyal to her hometown, Jackie joined her former Oregon High School classmates for many summers in hands-on restoration of the Oregon Depot. Today it is a jewel of history in the town, thanks to their thousands of hours of volunteer work. Next came an opportunity to support the return and restoration of a 1947 Silver View Dome Car to a permanent home at the Depot. Jackie was one of the earliest persons to financially endorse this project. Jackie is survived by her son, Peter Medins, Woodstock, IL; nephew Mike (Marsha) Fry, Oregon, IL; and nieces Doneen McMillan, Byron, IL, and Melinda (David) Katovich, Dallas, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, infant brother, sisters Beverly Fry and Barbara Coloton, niece Michelle Schultz, and beloved daughter-in-law Becky Kent Medins. Forever the caring nurse and friend, she is remembered for her quiet reassurance, tenacity, and skill in patient care. Jackie was a friend to all she met in a lifetime of service. Memorial plans are pending. Donations in Jackie's memory may be made to Serenity Hospice & Home and The Oregon Depot Museum.
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