Do you fi nd yourself with too much tension over pensions? Are you not sure murals should qualify for TIF funding because they won’t produce an increment, but you think they’re cool anyway? Do you wish the government would just spy on the bad guys...

Must innovation be a huge departure from what preceded it? Can an innovation be a small variation of what went before, creating or filling a new need? Must it be as dominant as the iPhone to be known as innovative? What may be more important is the spirit that stimulates efforts to create new advances in what already exists.

Ironically, June is both the month of the summer solstice and of America’s biggest annual blizzard. I don’t mean a weather event blowing in from the Arctic, but a merciless storm of words blowing from commencement speakers at high school and college graduation events.

Upon reflection, I can’t help but think that the story he tells would be far different absent the small group of dedicated, energetic and creative people who work together behind the door of room 212 in the county building.

In a sign that some truly awful publicity for her father may be hurting her possible gubernatorial bid, Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s poll numbers have plunged in the past several months. And Bill Daley has considerably improved his standing since he announced his candidacy.

In a humble house by the railroad tracks, a recently released ex-con sits idly on a worn-out couch, smoking a cigarette and ashing in a tuna can. He’s explaining his views on society with an air of irreverence, as one who has seen just about everything.

The Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association is bringing back a lost form of community revelry: the block party. Their neighborhood block party, called Rock the Block in Enos Park, is a celebration of all the area has to offer, and they’re hoping to make it a tradition.

Several prominent public figures in Illinois are pushing for passage of a federal immigration reform bill, which President Barack Obama called “the best chance we’ve had in years to fix our broken immigration system.” The Senate could pass the bill by July 4, though it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.

That Wes Barr is running to replace Sheriff Neil Williamson isn’t surprising. Barr, a former lieutenant who retired from the sheriff’s department last month after nearly 30 years in law enforcement, set up a campaign committee in 2009 and raised more than $25,000 before officially throwing his hat in the ring.

The owner of Maldaner’s restaurant in downtown Springfield pays his taxes, votes and keeps abreast of current events, perhaps moreso than the rest of us, by going to a fair number of city council meetings. But, in at least one way, Higgins sees the world differently.

Joshua Ratz could have done anything on Father’s Day. He could have spent time with his 19-year-old stepson. He could have helped his pregnant wife care for their infant. He could have worked on a motion in his role as assistant attorney general.

Guy Sternberg planted his first trees when he was five years old – in his sandbox. The silver maple seeds he collected on the way home from kindergarten class would sprout and begin to grow.

Ah, sweet-and-sour chicken. I loved it as a child. It was impossibly foreign and exotic, that bright red sauce, those chunks of peppers and onions and sometimes pineapple. The chicken pieces came cloaked in batter so thick that sometimes the meat was indiscernible.

One of the crucial aspects of superheroes is the notion of the secret identity, the physical and psychic split in the character that delineates the real person from the heroic persona. Whenever this narrative conceit is examined the conversation always turns to Superman and Batman.

There’s so much to talk about I’m not going to pretend to fabricate an introduction or lead you down a merry path of assumed meticulous and attempted mellifluous wordplay and just get on with the long todo list for this week.

When the “about” section of a band’s Facebook page says, “A malicious onslaught of diabolical debauchery and brutal blasphemy!!!!!” you know they mean business.

Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending events..

If you have children 12 and under, mark your calendar to attend Get Fit on Route 66 Walk, Run, Roll, Sat., June 22. This Generation Healthy (genHkids) Kids Coalition event, sponsored by Springfield Electric, St. John’s Children’s Hospital, BUNN and Southwind Park, has so much fun in store, your kids will hardly believe there’s exercise involved.

Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Development division offers workshops this summer for the general public to learn or improve their work skills, but others with a personal interest in the subject matter may sign up, too. Sessions include topics such as welding, forklift safety and biodiesel production.

Here’s your chance to delve into the mysterious and the strange. Haunted America Conference returns to central Illinois for its 17th year June 21-22 at the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur. A host of experienced ghost hunters and speakers will share their experiences with ghosts, hauntings, monsters and the supernatural.