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Of the people and for the people – but never like them
As a portrait of Lincoln, this is not only overwrought but misleading. Lincoln was of the people and for the people – but never like the people. A son of toil, he nonetheless was no Jacksonian, as were so many of his neighbors of like class and background.

Why historians vaccinate their kids
The vaccine debate recently hit home to my Facebook circle (so, you know, it must be serious now...). As the arguments flew fast and furious (“The CDC is a giant conspiracy to sell vaccines!” “Science proves that vaccines are extremely effective and not...

A corporate coup d’etat
When I was a tyke, Momma warned me not to eat anything unless I knew where it came from. That advice is so sensible that even Congress acted on it in 2002, passing a straightforward law called Country of Origin Labeling. COOL requires meat marketers to tell us whether the meat they sell is a product of the USA, China or Whereintheworldistan.

LETTERS
BEACH CLOSURE UNFAIR I am concerned about the future of the Springfield beach, especially following the huge damage award against the city. I fear this will be the final death knell of this important local recreation site. It was the only lake swimming available to those who can’t afford to own beachfront property or a party barge.

A liberated Rauner lets loose
Gov. Bruce Rauner was doing pretty well with his legislative audience during his first State of the State address last week, delivering strong applause lines with his refreshing calls for bipartisanship. He even thanked legislators “for your service,” and predicted they would do “great” things together.

Businesses meet in Springfield on environmental issues
Washington, D.C.-based Business Forward hosted a meeting of Springfield business leaders and state lawmakers on Feb. 5 to discuss how climate change negatively affects business.

AG OPTIONS
The changes will affect how farmers insure their crops, adding some new choices to the already complex system. At a seminar held in Springfi eld on Feb.

WHAT’S IT WORTH?
How much is a hotel in downtown Springfield worth? It’s a good question but difficult to answer. Take the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, for example, which one of the world’s richest men quite literally did in December with a cash offer that took Steve Horve of Forsyth, who had bought the building in 2009, by surprise.

Madigan to museum foundation: Drop dead
During last week’s state of the state address, Rauner said that he was working with Madigan on a reorganization plan for an institution with aging exhibits and sagging attendance. Afterward, Madigan during a press conference called the current governance structure a “three-headed monster,” and, without being asked, he singled out the foundation.

Lawmakers target golden parachutes
In January, the board of trustees for the College of DuPage in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn voted to give President Robert Breuder a $763,000 severance when he leaves the community college in 2016. House Republicans called the deal a “golden parachute” as they announced a series of bills to prevent any similar activity in the future.

What part of $1 million don’t you understand?
The jurors both spoke on condition of anonymity. One simply confirmed that the jury intended to award more than $1 million and did not address other questions. The other who answered follow-up questions said that she learned from media accounts that the city might ask a judge to clarify the verdict so that the city would pay $525,000.

Promises, promises
Allan Woodson was one of Springfield’s first black aldermen and the last black person to run for mayor. Following a historic voting rights lawsuit and resulting transition from the commission form of city government in 1987, Woodson and former alderman Frank McNeil, also African- American, were elected to the newly formed city council.

The candidates
Michael Houston previously served two terms as mayor from 1979 to 1987, built a career in banking and business and served on numerous boards for local organizations before successfully running for mayor again in 2011.

Explore historic Hyde Park
Most visitors to Chicago’s Hyde Park begin and end their visit at the Museum of Science and Industry, the popular museum on South Lake Shore Drive that enchants children and adults. But the historic neighborhood, just seven miles south of the Loop, offers much more.

An appetite for love
Tita’s blood (which got into the sauce when she pricked herself on the roses) and Pedro’s roses proved quite an explosive combination. …when Pedro tasted his first mouthful (of the quail in rose petal sauce), he couldn’t help closing his eyes in voluptuous delight….

Son fails to cast a spell
The film gets off to a rousing start as we see the escape of one Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), a rather malevolent witch who’s been incarcerated by the Spook, Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges). This is a rather thankless job, as he’s been deputed to deal with all supernatural threats that come his way.

Sweetheart shows
Looks like we’re blessed with a veritable cornucopia of holidays this week, starting with Abe’s birthday today. Next comes Friday the 13th, Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day, heading straight into Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras. I’m happy to report live music shows are available for each and every event.

PUB CRAWL
Sirens of Springfield Series: CJ Stucki & Tenika Beard, Sarah Schneider, Lorin Devine.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | DJ Hish
This may be the first (and possibly the last) time an official record-spinning, mix-making, beat-inducing DJ makes our band spotlight. But DJ Hish does something different than most mixers out there: he mashes to country music.

THE CALENDAR
217-725-9058. Z Bistro, 220 S. Sixth St., 217-522-4049..

MUSIC | Architecture accentuates music
Local talent Ben Bedford, a singer, songwriter and storyteller lauded nationally for writing beautiful songs about historical events, will perform a special Valentine’s Day concert on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m., as part of the Made for Music Concert Series at the Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site.

HISTORY | A program about progress
On Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m., join the Sangamon County Historical Society and Oak Ridge Cemetery executive director Michael Lelys for a program focusing one of the nation’s leading historical sites. Oak Ridge Cemetery, established in 1865, now encompasses 365 acres and is the largest municipal cemetery in Illinois.

THEATER | A Broadway show for children
The newest show for children at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Dr. Dolittle, Jr.,.