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Ghost writers
The only class of people less happy to confront dead writers than high school sophomores are probably mayors. Dead writers cause more trouble in their hometowns than even the most factious of them ever do when they are alive.

Film introduces new effort for race unity
How did the racial stereotypes that permeate our society come into being? What are the most effective ways to get beyond these stereotypes and build a society worthy of our national motto – E Pluribus Unum? Is our nation becoming more unified or...

Grassroots democracy building in Iowa
Democracy is never given to us, but has to be won through constant struggle against the elites who keep scheming to siphon ever more of society’s money and power into their own hands.

LETTERS
GREENING THE COURSE I live out at Piper Glen and was very thrilled that Walters Golf Management is now on site to help recover this great course. It is nice to see sprinklers working again and actual people working on the greens, fairways and sand traps.

Poll, speech heighten partisan divide
Only 11 percent approve of the job being done by the General Assembly, while 73 percent disapprove. House Speaker Michael Madigan’s favorable rating was only 21 percent, while his unfavorable was 60 percent. Only 19 percent had no opinion of Madigan either way, which means that Madigan is quite well known to voters.

JUST IN TIME FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH
What do Leonardo da Vinci, Freda Kahlo and George Washington Carver have in common? All were either gay or bisexual, and the world would be a lesser place if they’d never lived.

Illinois State Museum closes to public
The proposal to close the museum system was announced earlier this year, part of a package of contentious cuts Rauner is seeking to the state budget.

LAND FOR THE LAKE
Springfi eld’s decades-old proposal to build a second lake remains a distant prospect, but the city is moving ahead with land acquisitions nonetheless. On Aug. 18, the Springfi eld City Council approved the purchase of a plot of land owned by Carl Tega of Springfi eld.

CWLP rate plan on fast track
The utility has proposed raising fixed meter charges while lowering usage rates as a means of stabilizing finances that can swing significantly with the weather. Residential meter charges would zoom from $5.76 per month to $12.87 per month in 2019.

Suing the governor
The newspaper filed suit last week, after the attorney general’s office ruled that Rauner must turn over his appointment calendar in response to a request made last spring, after the governor walked out of a Holocaust remembrance ceremony, then ignored an emailed query asking where he had gone.

Planes, trains and trucks
The international food-processing company Archer Daniels Midland was paying $250 per shipping container to transfer its goods between two railroads in Decatur, and they were looking for a way to cut that cost.

Midwest supper clubs
Supper clubs. They’re a blast from the past that are struggling to compete with national chain restaurants even as they’re experiencing a renaissance with a resurgence of customers that love their retro-cool. They’re an iconic Midwestern tradition. Supper clubs share certain characteristics.

CuisineScene
Kiku Japanese Steak & Seafood House.

Illinois Symphony’s Russian blockbuster
Maestro Alastair Willis will conclude his tenure as musical director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2015-2016 season. The infectiously energetic conductor has asked to be released from his five-year contract early to accommodate an increasingly demanding international performance schedule.

Intern delivers exactly what you expect
If you’ve seen the trailer, (I’d be surprised if you haven’t, as the ad campaign has been more akin to an assault rather than a method of just getting the word out) then you pretty much know the set up and resolution. Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a recent widower who’s having trouble filling the hours in the day.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Jeff Cordes
With a winning smile and a pocketful of songs, Springfield-based singer-songwriter-entertainer Jeff Cordes brings on the music.

PUB CRAWL
Derek Crifasi “Acoustic Rock Classics”.

Blues, BBQ and other news
After last year’s blistering heat fest during the end of August, the Downtown Springfield, Inc. folks decided to bring the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ Festival into cooler days, hence the move to the first weekend of October.

THE CALENDAR
Entertainment, ethnic food samples and cultural exhibits. Free. 786-2241. Abraham Lincoln Commons, Lincoln Land Community College, 5250 Shepherd Road, 786-2200..

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Bigger, better than before
There’s something for everyone at the 17 th Annual Old Capitol Blues and BBQ Festival, hosted by Downtown Springfield Inc. The food lineup is mouthwatering, with vendors offering everything from ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken wings, potato salad, fried green tomatoes, BBQ nachos, kabobs, desserts and more.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Wilkommen! Bier!
This Saturday, the Jacksonville Rotary Club’s annual Oktoberfest celebration celebrates a fifth year of fun, heritage and, of course, bier. Modeled after the 205-year-old Oktoberfest celebration of Munich, Germany, the event kicks off with a traditional Wilkommen (welcome) ceremony and Tapping of the Kegs at noon.

HISTORY | New Salem at night
Enjoy the rich history of Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site during the annual Candlelit Walk Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, from 7-9 p.m. The village will be illuminated with campfires, fireplaces, lanterns and glow sticks during the only annual opportunity to see the historic village at night.