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Vachel’s cup
Vachel Lindsay spoke at my mother’s graduation from Springfield High in 1931. I still have the program. Mom adored him. In her eyes he was young, reckless, exotic and incredibly talented. She would carry that love and respect for him all the days of her life.

Old arguments
Ordinarily, I would be thrilled that so many people were discussing the merits of the ongoing historical restoration of the Illinois Capitol. Except they aren’t. They’re discussing “excessive flourishes,” $80,000 chandeliers and $600,000 ornamental doorways.

Editor’s note
Around the country, around the world, small groups are gathering this week in observance of the International Day of Prayer for Peace. The Grassroots Interfaith Team sponsored one such gathering in Enos Park Sept. 18. One participant read “Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace”: “I offer you peace.

The poor tortured tomatoes of agribusiness
Actually, it’s the already-machined, industrial tomato that lab techs are retinkering. It seems that big produce peddlers have discovered that their red, perfectly round, tomato-looking fruits are so flavorless as to constitute consumer fraud.

LETTERS
FOR RENT I have been a Muni season ticket holder for more than 25 years. I have watched this Springfield icon grow and evolve into the top notch, incredible production company that this small central Illinois city is so very lucky to have.

Tweaking pension reform
The conference committee has been working on a solution to the state’s pension problems since June, after urgings by Gov. Pat Quinn to find a way around the spring legislative session’s pension reform gridlock.

As the shredder turns
City officials acknowledge that police officers broke the law last spring when they shredded internal affairs files that were the subject of Freedom of Information Act requests from Calvin Christian III, who is demanding $365,000 in his lawsuit against the city filed after the files he sought were destroyed.

A HOMELESS HOMELESS SHELTER
Helping Hands homeless shelter is without a home itself. Its plans to move to the old Ace Sign Co. building at 402 N. Fourth St. have drawn criticism from residents of the Near North Village apartment building and Sangamon Towers.

OPEL IN THE ROUGH
The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival and Car Show is one of Springfi eld’s biggest attractions, bringing more than 1,000 show cars and an estimated 80,000 spectators downtown each September for the last 12 years.

Shell game
Dynegy Inc. of Houston, Texas, is planning to acquire five coal plants in central and southern Illinois from Ameren Energy Resources of St. Louis.

Volunteers by the dozens help children learn to read
McClernand Elementary School, 801 N. Sixth St., was the site of an “extreme school makeover” during Sharefest, a school renovation effort spearheaded by West Side Christian Church of Springfield in August.

Who wants to run for mayor?
“I like city government because you can make a difference in people’s lives,” explains city treasurer Jim Langfelder, who is barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as treasurer and is now interested in running for mayor. “Everybody in the council chambers – everybody around that horseshoe – would like to visualize themselves in that seat.

Renewable resources for your residence
“A lot of people tell me they’d like to get off the grid,” says Bob Croteau, renewable program coordinator for City Water, Light and Power. “That’s really one of the worst decisions you could make because it is extremely expensive to do so and it leaves you having to make serious lifestyle changes.

Saving personal energy by living downtown
Joan Walters has been around the world, and it shows in her spacious downtown apartment. Nearly every square foot of wall, door or floor features a different artifact – perhaps a tribal mask, a statue or a book – from her travels to Peru, Ecuador, Japan, Italy and other far-flung places.

A pool for all seasons
Our pool closed one week after the summer-ending holiday, just in time for some of the year’s warmest weather.

Fall 2013 home and garden events calendar
Prairie plants demonstration Sept. 19, 5:30pm, Join University of Illinois extension master gardener volunteers to learn about using prairie plants in the garden. Free. Demonstration Garden in front of building #30, Illinois State Fairgrounds. 217-782- 4617.

Planning to plant a tree
Before you select your new tree, be sure you know where you’re going to plant your purchase. Ask yourself the following questions: How much space will the tree have to grow? Look up for power lines. Look in all directions for structures, driveways and sidewalks.

Your basement need not be damp and drab
When applying waterproofing paint, keep in mind such paint is thicker than house paint, so it will take longer to apply, though its application is just as simple as that of standard house paint.

Hardwood floors set the tone in today’s contemporary homes
In the wide open spaces we find in today’s contemporary homes, every centimeter counts and the floor’s role is more important than ever – it is the room’s focal point and the element that sets the tone. The timeless natural beauty of wood gives decors one-of-a-kind personality immersed with warmth and a signature style.

Creating more usable space in your home
Smarter use of existing space can transform a home into a more pleasant living area. Combining smaller rooms or areas, dividing larger rooms, finishing an attic or basement, converting one room into a year-round “indoor porch” – all are possible projects to improve your home’s comfort level and value.

Realism propels Spectacular Now
Teller is Sutter, a high school senior who’s the life of the party wherever he goes, primarily because he puts forth the notion that he doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s got a beautiful girlfriend, an easy job at a men’s clothing store and doesn’t have a care in the world.

Magical Spring Green
In the first act, an evil-looking insect perches on an actress’s arm. Later in the play, bats take flight during a heated argument and finally a small plane drones overhead as the actors reveal a terrible secret. At the American Players Theatre, the outdoor setting is part of the drama, in this case a performance of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.

The Mature Mob makes another hit
If anyone can lay claim to being the “father” of The Mature Mob, it’s Jim Myers. It began in the early ’90s, when Jim, at age 76, began taking tap dance lessons at the Springfield Senior Center, located at the corner of Walnut and Mason streets. But his teacher, Dorothy Irvine, surely had something to do with the group’s birth as well.

Hardy chard
I love greens. Greens in all forms. Salad greens, for sure, but what I’m talking about here are sturdier greens that lend themselves well to cooking, from quick stir-fries to long-cooked, Southern-style braised greens. (Although I should note that the French make delectably delicate soups utilizing cooked lettuce.

PUB CRAWL
Kellie Pickler w/ Brian Davis, Brent Cobb.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Herman Astro
A solidified, totally on it and in it band back in 2009, Milwaukee-based quartet Herman Astro shows up ready to rock, bringing a funky attitude with a soulful edge all wrapped up in gritty guitars and a grinding groove.

Hodgepodge of happenings
In the “unbelievable events” category, how is it that two of my favorites in the music business are playing in Springfield on the same night? Friday, Sept. 27, Willie Nelson is at the Sangamon Auditorium and Los Lobos is at Donnie’s Homespun. Good luck on deciding for yourself; my decision is already made.

THE CALENDAR
The Legacy Theatre, 101 E. Lawrence, 1-800-838-3006. Comedian Josh Alton.

RACE RELATIONS | Building empathy
The public is invited and encouraged to participate in Springfield Race Unity Committee’s “Building Racial Unity: A Grass-Roots Discussion,” Friday, Sept. 20, at Springfield Baha’i Center. The event is inspired by President Obama’s suggestion that grass-roots discussions on race can be helpful in building unity and empathy.

ART | Outdoor studio
Springfield Art Association celebrates its 25th year of the Edwards Place Fine Art Fair, Sept. 21-22, on the grounds of SAA. They hope you’ll join them this year during these milestones in their existence – SAA also turned 100. More than 70 artists will show and sell their wares.

THEATER | Hijinks and hilarity
Roxy Theatricals presents the charming and unique musical A Day in Hollywood: A Night in the Ukraine.