Editor’s note

Here it is, the 52 nd issue of 2014, completing another year of publishing Illinois Times. This is a good time to remind us all that IT is a minor miracle, an unlikely business that somehow survives and sometimes thrives in the relatively small market that is Springfi eld. As journalists we don’t take for granted the freedom to say what we want while we have fun working for a better community. For this opportunity we are grateful to our dedicated staff, our loyal readers and our committed advertisers. Thanks much. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher