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Remembering Sen. Vince Demuzio
Demuzio, D-Carlinville, was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 1974 and served until his death from colon cancer on April 27, 2004, at age 63. A former teacher and leader in the Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation, he became a steadfast force in the Illinois Senate, holding leadership positions throughout most of his tenure.

My life of service
Foreign travel is usually regarded as a perk of high office. After I had been elected president of Springfield High School’s Interact Club, the service club for boys, sponsored by the local Rotary Club, I learned that my official itinerary would extend no farther than New Jersey.

Growing ‘populist lobby’
But that wouldn’t be news, since it happens every day. In fact, an occupying army of Gucci-clad corporate lobbyists is permanently encamped in Washington, numbering not a mere 1,500 – but more than 12,000.

LETTERS
SHAKE A PAW, VOTE We need your help to vote for Springfield, Illinois, in the Bark For Your Park Contest. The winner will win $100,000 to build a PetSafe dog park and four other cities will also receive a $25,000 prize. Finalist cities will be selected based on availability of land, civic leader support and number of votes.

Paying for the Obama presidential library
It’s been assumed all along that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s proposal to spend $100 million to help build Barack Obama’s presidential library was designed to put the Republicans on the spot and perhaps provoke an over the top, maybe even racial response, which would help gin up Democratic turnout a bit this November.

JOAN WALTERS AWARDED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
She presently serves on the board of the Citizens Club of Springfi eld and the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition. She’s a docent at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and volunteers transcribing letters for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project.

Setting the stage for Lincoln’s funeral
Spindell is chair of the the 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition, which has been working since 2009 to arrange a grand restaging of Lincoln’s funeral procession into Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery, where his body was eventually laid to rest May 4, 1865..

WHAT PART OF “SUNSHINE” DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?
It didn’t take long for Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge John “Quick Draw” Schmidt to gun down an attempt by the City of Springfi eld to wriggle out from under a court order barring the city council from violating the state Open Meetings Act.

A life-or-death decision for Dallman power plants
An environmental compliance study commissioned by CWLP in December 2013 explored options for the utility’s Dallman 1, Dallman 2 and Dallman 3 boilers.

Livestock industry opposes feedlot registration
CAFOs usually consist of several hundred cattle, swine, poultry or other animals enclosed in a building or pen. One of the issues raised by this method is what to do with the manure generated. It is often spread on fields as fertilizer, but the stored manure sometimes leaks or is dumped into nearby bodies of water, where it can poison wildlife.

The church lady
As executive director of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems since 1994, Bedell has been fighting the good fight for two decades, imploring governors and legislators to lower the blood-alcohol limit for motorists, curb gambling and resist a national trend toward legalizing marijuana.

Lyle Lovett delights
Barely half the venue was filled for an evening with Lyle Lovett. Seats within paperairplane range of the stage were empty. The people who were present left the building with the pleasant buzz that ensues from leaving a hall with melodies still in one’s head and the feeling that $50 for a ticket was a steal.

Arm the same old game
In 2007, sport agent J.B. Bernstein was in trouble. Having failed to sign any big name clients after deciding to set up his own firm, he was in danger of not only losing his business but his home as well.

Homer Soda Company
Regular readers of this space know that I’ve railed against the American habit of constant soda consumption more than once. But truthfully I like soda. I like it a lot. If it weren’t for the problems – medical and dental – excessive soda consumption causes (including sugar-free soda!), I’d probably be swilling it down all day like so many folks do.

PUB CRAWL
MonDope, CJ Stuck, Dustin Strother, Ted Keylon, Macie Smith - 3T Art Show.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Dog of Panic
For five years running, Dan Rohde (guitar, lead vocals), Josh Begue (bass, vocals) and Jesse Miller (drums, vocals) made Dog of Panic one of the area’s most interesting bands. Playing original music self-described as “rock with roots in jam, funk, metal and punk,” the band cites musical influences from Primus to Tool, Incubus to Umphrey’s McGee.

Making mid-May music
As foretold and promised in recent accounts here in this column, May is heating up musically almost as much as the weather did last week. Even though the current outside temps seem to indicate a climate control set on wacky, the music selections and presentations remain constant, playing it cool and keeping things hot.

THE CALENDAR
THEATER & COMEDY Best of the Midwest Comedy Showcase.

FESTIVAL | Fun squared
A full day of fun is planned at the Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Celebration Saturday, May 17. The popular and versatile band Madd Hoss Jackson headlines the main stage from 6-10 p.m. World-traveling Randy “The Cowboy” Erwin takes the stage at 3:15.

FESTIVAL | Euphony for the eyes
The Old Capitol Art Fair takes place downtown on two days, Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18. Perhaps the most popular event of the year, the fair features outstanding art from more than 160 artists. It’s the place to be – full of creativity, a convergence of friends and acquaintances, music, food, children’s art area and more.

FESTIVAL | Inclusion celebration
The Phoenix Center will host the third annual Springfield PrideFest on Saturday, May 17, from 12-10 p.m. on Capitol Ave. between Fourth and Sixth streets. The free day-long celebration of diversity strives to offer something for everyone whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, transgendered, queer and no matter what your age.

FESTIVAL | Pipers in the park
Maybe you’ve heard the St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois Pipes and Drums. If you thought they were amazing, listen to several regional bag pipes and drum groups at noon and 5:30 p.m. at the 19th Annual Springfield Highland Games and Celtic Festival Saturday, May 17.