When visitors come to Illinois, they enjoy our cities, towns, and countryside. They fill our hotels, meeting centers, restaurants, shops and attractions. And, most importantly, they leave behind an economic impact that drives billions of dollars to the bottom line.

Usually no one pays attention to what the losers in a mayoral contest had to say. The recent city hall election was a happy exception. The un-preferred Paul Palazollo said repeatedly during the campaign that the city of Springfield needs a “planner/implementer” to, well, plan and implement.

To see how well this poorly thought-out strategy works, look no further than the declining sales at Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. When the geniuses in charge of these behemoths applied the cutback strategy, their slow decline turned into a perilous nosedive.

BLUFF UGLY This is a comment in response to the April 16 article (“Paying for downtown” by Bruce Rushton) about the development proposed for Fourth and Madison streets by Bluffstone. I had clipped the article because I wanted to remember to look at the Bluffstone website to see what their properties look like.

Right to work laws allow union members to not pay for any of their union’s services, even though unions are required by federal law to service all their members. The laws can cripple unions, which may help businesses, but it tends to drive down wages for working folks.

Coal power is projected to become less economical in the coming years due to new pollution restrictions, prompting a reshuffling of Illinois’ coal-heavy energy portfolio.

Summer camp is a time of discovery and growth for those privileged enough to go, but for underprivileged kids, it could mean starting the next school year on track instead of trying to catch up. Camp Compass, a summer school for homeless or low-income kids in Springfi eld, has a chance to win $25,000 from State Farm, but it needs help.

However, Loren Pettit, a police officer who lies at the center of a legal battle between the police union and the city, said in sworn testimony late last year that McCaffrey prescribed human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for him as a diet supplement as recently as 2012, after the substance was banned by the U.

Just ask hundreds of creditors in Parsons’ bankruptcy case, including people who got rubber checks in exchange for gold, landlords who got stuck with unfulfilled leases and vendors who never got paid.

Springfield Audubon Society Walk and Program.

Farmers markets are festive community events and showcase the Land of Lincoln’s other local treasure – its food! Buying local produce not only supports Illinois farmers, but also physical health and the environment. They just may perk up your social life, too.

The only assumption you can safely make about Assumption Fest is that a great time will be had by all. This huge festival has been going and growing for more than 80 years. Festival organizers are proud to offer “big-city entertainment in a small-town setting” just 41 miles southeast of Springfield.

Make your literal mark on downtown Springfield at the Springfield Art Association’s Third Annual Paint the Street Festival. This all-ages community block party combines painting and live entertainment for a day of fun on Saturday, July 18. The festival will take place on Washington Street, between Fourth and Seventh streets, from 2 to 10 p.

The largest car show in central Illinois rolls into Springfield on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the third year in a row, the show, which offers free admission to spectators, will take place at Knight’s Action Park. This year’s event will move to the southeast side of the park, to the golf driving range.

This summer, hundreds of thousands of people will flock to downtown Decatur to attend one of the largest free street festivals in the Midwest. The “Midwest’s most exciting street festival,” the Decatur Celebration, runs Thursday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug.

Local is the theme of this multiday all-ages festival that combines art, beer and original music to two stages at the intersection of Seventh and Washington streets in downtown Springfield.

Vincennes, a Wabash River town 163 miles from Springfield, is Skelton’s hometown, and his legacy reverberates in the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy with his character costumes, props and paintings. The imposing monument to Clark is the largest on any U.

To get away for the day, consider a jaunt just a couple hours south of Springfield to Kimmswick, Missouri. This historic town offers everything for a girl’s day out or a couple’s daycation. There is a great restaurant, fun shops, history and an estate to tour, all located just south of St.

Whether you’re looking for a hardcore challenge or just something to keep you from languishing on the couch all summer, there’s likely a race in or near Springfield matching your intensity level. Pick a race from our chronological guide and start training for a fun summer.

Gangsters fight each other to the death whilst leaping like gazelles. Young women sing about immigration and body image while navigating the urban dating scene in 1950s New York..

Sure, summer can be accomplished without suds, but why? From hoity-toity craft wheat beers to Schlitz, summer is the season when beer truly shines. During the summer, beer can be truly magical.

The Oaks Golf Course Inc. 851 Dave Stockton Drive Springfi eld, IL 62707 217-528-6600 theoaksgolfcourse.com.

• 14– 20th Annual Scottie Open Golf Outing sponsored by the Waverly Sports Boosters, Terry Park Golf Course, 11 a.m. Shotgun Start, Nancy Heriford, (217) 971-8719..

Warmer weather sends scores of golfers to their favorite courses every day. Golf is a challenging pastime, but a few pointers can help golfers hone their short games, long games and everything in between. 1. Choose the right clubs. There is more to selecting clubs than pulling any old iron out of your golf bag and whacking away.

That sibilant sizzling in the air is the sound of a spectacularly sultry summer concert season. In town and throughout the region, it’s clear that if you don’t manage to see any great gigs this season, it’s only because you didn’t try hard enough. Below is just a smattering of the musical happenings on offer.

The lovely young lettuces of late spring/ early summer are gorgeous enough to be ornamentals; some so beautiful they’re worthy of floral arrangements. Green lettuces range from palest celadon, chartreuse, Kelly green to forest. Some are speckled with red – one is named freckles; some varieties, such as Lollo Rosso, are darkly deep burgundy.

While it’s not necessary to be familiar with Miller’s initial trilogy, it helps in filling in some of the gaps of the backstory.

Up from East Nashville, Tenn., here come Kim and Scott Collins, a “husband-wife, Americana/garage, rock/indie, folk duo” out in support of a new record. Married now for 15-some years, they first got together when Scott, straight from New York City, walked into 12th & Porter, a famous Nashville music venue, saw Kim and the sparks flew.

Let’s take a moment to recognize the meaning of Memorial Day in whatever fashion you so desire. We lost a one-of-akind Springfield musician on May 10, when guitarist Tony Sicillia passed away. On May 29, friends will gather at the VFW Hall on Stockyard Road from 4 to 10 p.

Gala affair. All guests will order off menu. Open to public. sherlock.lolopop. org. 217-546-8387. Lonzerotti’s Italian Restaurant, 600 E. State St. Jacksonville, 217-243-7151..

Abe’s River Race is a fun, family float that offers men, women and youth the opportunity to paddle 13.5 miles down the Sangamon River in canoes, kayaks and wooden boats. This year’s course is slightly longer than years’ past, running from Irwin Bridge to Lincoln’s Riverside Park.

This Saturday, The Lincoln Monument Association celebrates the start of summer with an old-fashioned ice cream social, historic tree tour and children’s activities at the bell tower behind Lincoln’s Tomb. The ice cream social features cake, ice cream and lemonade which can be purchased for $5.