Page 1

Where can Springfield look for money?
The proposed 2016 operating fund (corporate fund) for the City of Springfield is $118.1 million. The Springfield Police Department ($45.8 million) and the Springfield Fire Department ($37.1 million) account for 70 percent of the fund.

A poet of fact
Lee’s specialty was what Wallace Stevens described (in a poem Lee adopted as his professional manifesto) as “the poem of pure reality” which some of us like to think of as the Higher Journalism. Lee called himself “just a guy who writes about stuff that happened” (one of the few times his prose proved inadequate).

Populist proposals won in 2014
Minimum wage. Even though the crimson-red states of Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota elected GOP Senate candidates, voters rejected the lowwage policies of the Republicans and their corporate backers by approving minimum wage increases. San Francisco voters also raised their wage floor to $15 an hour and Oakland went to $1.

LETTERS
Does he honestly believe that Jeff Bezos pays these people so little and works them so hard because he is an evil man? No, it’s all about competition. If Bezos wants to stay afloat, he must demonstrate consistent profit margin growth or his investors will drop the stock like a hot potato.

There’s a gaping hole in Illinois government
Rauner showed great deference to Topinka after the election, officing in her Statehouse suite and giving her chief of staff the authority to hire most of his new employees. I don’t think there’s any question that he grew to truly admire the quirky redhead.

Proposed hog farm near Petersburg making enemies
Grigsby Family Farms, based in Tallula, Illinois, wants to build a 9,300-hog facility about six miles from Petersburg.

BEYOND THE SELFIE
Young women receive a lot of messages through popular culture about who they should be, and often the message amounts to “always be physically attractive.” The pressure and unrealistic expectations that message creates can damage self-esteem and even lead to tragedy.

HEALTH IN FOCUS
When the people tasked with keeping us healthy ask how they can help, the answer can make a lot of difference. That’s the hope of the 2015 Community Needs Assessment, undertaken by the Sangamon County Department of Public Health, St. John’s Hospital and Memorial Health System in Springfi eld.

Aleksandr ‘The Great’ arrives from Kiev
Aleksandr “The Great” Skyrta, a 25-yearold point guard, was scheduled to fly in from Ukraine Wednesday to join the team for its first season. Skyrta describes his English as “very bad,” but he becomes surprisingly articulate when talking about the sport that he loves.

Illinois’ broken tax system
“We’ve got big changes, a bold agenda coming,” Rauner vowed during his Dec. 16 speech at the Sangamo Club. “We’ve got to do what’s right for the long term. … Every generation is better off in Illinois than the last generation – that’s always got to be our guiding principle.

Inside the heart of a place
A benign rainbow trout sits comfortably – as best a trout can – before its coffee cup, smelling a lily. Yes, it’s our favorite trout from the mural painted by Julie Hulvey that once graced the wall of the Trout Lily Café, on Sixth Street downtown.

Low carb feast
Over the years I’ve become convinced that the most effective way to lose weight is with a low carbohydrate diet. That said, your body – especially your digestive system – will thank you to not abandon produce altogether. Of course, for weight-losing purposes it’s good to stay away from starchy vegetables or those high in natural sugars.

Selma: A reminder of sacrifice and struggle
Very few feature films have examined the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders with the prospect of poor box office returns being the roadblock in getting them produced.

Very, very January
Today I get to wish a happy birthday to two of my favorite people. First and foremost, my bestest friend of some 45 years (can it be?), Tom Woolsey, better known to one and all as “Dooley.” Happy birthday, good pal. He happens to share a birthday with another long time acquaintance who has been there with me through thick and thin.

PUB CRAWL
Dumb Records 1 Year Anniversary with Caterpillar Club, International Mutant Orchestra, Full Chroma, The Locals, The Seething Coast.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Sleeping Dogzz
That’s why it’s so nice to present Sleeping Dogzz celebrating 19 years together with three of the four original members still in the band and a total of only six guys ever being in the combo. Sadly, part of the tribute this Saturday is to commemorate the exit of original bass player Jon Gentry.

THE CALENDAR
Elvis Himselvis 30th Anniversary Show.

Children’s Corner | Icy Illinois
This Saturday, Jan. 10, join the Illinois State Museum for another fun “Super Saturday” themed event. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., children ages 3-8 and their families will enjoy learning about the animals that inhabited Illinois during the Ice Age as well as why they ultimately disappeared.

Theater and comedy | Gut-busting burlesque
The Randy Dandies are a burlesque sketch comedy troupe based out of St. Louis. They have been dazzling live audiences with their zany, interactive stage shows for the past five years. Each Randy Dandies show combines aspects of pop culture, comedy and burlesque for an unforgettable, side-splitting night of fun.

Sports and Recreation | Round she goes
A fun skating event hosted by Springfield’s only female roller derby team, Midstate Mayhem. The “Fresh Meat” program is created especially for women ages 18 and up with all levels of skill and skating experience.