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That was a park when I was your age, kids
FutureGen – a group of large coal companies – is constructing the so-called FutureGen Center mainly to house their visitor, research and training facilities. I cannot help but wonder why Jacksonville should have to give up five acres of park land for a group with a $1.

Cultural arts major
Toymaker George Lucas is thinking about buying Chicago a museum to house his personal collection of early 20th century soft-core and magazine cover art by the likes of Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell, among exhibits devoted to cartooning and movie graphics.

From farm workers to cheerleaders
It doesn’t take an IQ much higher than room temperature to realize that it’s way past time to raise America’s sub-poverty minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. But let’s also pay attention to the millions of people trying to make ends meet on – believe it or not – America’s subminimum.

LETTERS
The day this article came out I received a phone call. It was a gentlemen who had read the article and found my number. It was wonderful hearing from a reader and I hope that many more will contact me with feedback on this article.

The Republican battle for backing
Out of power for a dozen years and hobbled even before that by anti-patronage court rulings, the state’s Republican Party infrastructure has all but collapsed. So, part of GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Rauner’s task he’s set for himself from here on out is to try and somehow rebuild a grassroots infrastructure It won’t be an easy job.

Storied veterans take Honor Flight
Army in August, the month he turned 18, only five months after his brother’s death. Even though the war was over, he was determined to go overseas out of anger over what had happened to Buddy. He was inducted at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and then went to Wisconsin for military police training before he was discharged.

Why Justice Stevens wants to amend the Constitution
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has earned the right to weigh in on the Constitution and how the nation can improve the document that governs so much of American life. In 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated Stevens to serve on the Supreme Court, where he remained until June 29, 2010, ranking him all-time third in years of service.

‘Clerical error’ means headaches for SIU union
With signs, chants and a stack of grievance forms, a group of protestors picketed outside the human resources office at SIU on April 24, accusing the school of using a “clerical error” to reduce the union’s strength. The medical school says the union approved the agreement that led to this situation.

Maintaining the momentum
Long stereotyped as Springfield’s worst high school, Lanphier has worked to transform itself over the past three years, enabled by a federal School Improvement Grant that expires at the end of the current school year.

Medical marijuana rules developing
A second draft of rules for the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program was released April 18. The proposed rules refine a previous draft that was released in January. On Jan. 1, medical marijuana became legal in Illinois after legislation passed in the Illinois General Assembly last year.

Will teach for food
The use of adjunct instructors – part-time, non-staff teachers in higher education, sometimes referred to as “contingent faculty” – has become increasingly common in colleges and universities dealing with financial hardships imposed by slashed budgets.

Lasting faith
But where there is faith, there is fortitude. And the LAFS, a Springfield interfaith group consisting of local clergy, artists and volunteers, has a keen interest in bringing artists from all over the country and different faiths, cultures and traditions together to our city to share their expressions of the divine.

Music from the heart
Earlier this year, Springfield’s Marion van der Loo received a response from Notre Dame de Paris. Months earlier, as conductor of the Springfield Choral Society, she had mailed an audition CD. Officials from the renowned cathedral have invited her group to France this June – and they won’t be singing on the steps.

Foraging spring flowers
Most often, violets appeared in my mother’s famous salad. Friends invited to dinner or inviting us to a potluck asked her, “Are you going to make your salad?” I doubt they would have refused the invitation if she’d said “no,” but having been asked, she felt an obligation to comply.

Pace and plotting nearly undo The Other Woman
From the title of the film, one would think that it refers to a single woman. Actually, it alludes to the various women shady businessman Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is sleeping with, his wife Kate (Leslie Mann, at her flightiest) included.

No maybe for way musics
Wow, what a month of May music coming up. Yessiree, there’s no maybe about it; we are in for a blast of interesting and exciting music moments in the next several weeks.

PUB CRAWL
Tom Irwin, Theresa O’Hare, St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois Pipes and Drums.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Pimpin Henry
Fresh from a refreshing outing at last weekend’s Crowe Fest, Brad Jamison (vocals, bass), Doug Shannon (drums), Dustin Strother (guitar, vocals) and newest member Mike Tash (keys) are on a roll.

THE CALENDAR
Millikin University’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble and University Concert Band.

ART | Spiritual perspectives
Springfield Art Association’s part in the Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield kicks off Saturday, May 3, 4:30-6:30 p.m., with an opening reception of its month-long exhibit titled, Come Creative Spirit..

SCIENCE | Latin-themed look-see
We’re excited about these new Friday night shindigs at the Illinois State Museum. This Friday, May 2, is another good time to explore the museum when they present a Latin-themed evening called First Friday Fiesta.

PRESENTATIONS | Celebrating creativity
Thursday, May 8, Hoogland Center for the Arts opens its doors for the next installment of PechaKucha. The great thing about these dynamic get-togethers is that no two are alike, except for the format.