An elegy to the Spirit of ’08
I was 28 years old when Obama won the Iowa primary. Like much of the country, and most of the people in my generation, I was swept away by the seemingly boundless potential of this brilliant, charismatic young senator.

The burdens of office
As I confessed in “My life of service,” in 1965-66 I was president of Springfield High School’s Interact Club, the service club for boys sponsored by the local Rotary Club.

How to make a political platform
Our amendment prompted panicky parliamentary manipulations by Clintonites to doctor their language so it would be a bit less wimpy – and also to block my amendment from even being considered. But Sanders’ savvy policy staff outflanked them so we forced them to debate and vote on our proposal – in view of C-SPAN’s national TV audience.

LETTERS
DRIVING WHILE BLACK I am surprised that Samuel Johnson won’t get his day in court to prove his allegation that he was stopped by Springfield police for the color of his skin, not his failure to use a turn signal (“Judge dismisses lawsuit over ‘racial profiling’ traffic stop,” July 14, by Patrick Yeagle).

Fighting over fairy tales
Gov. Bruce Rauner absolutely refused to budge on negotiating a fully funded state spending plan until the Democrats agreed to some of his anti-union/probusiness agenda. Democrats wouldn’t move off their support for unions.

BUSES ON THE NET
The Springfi eld Mass Transit District announced last week that they’ve integrated their bus schedules with Google Maps and several other online map services, making it simple to get directions for using public transportation.

Disciplinary tribunal dings Cahnman
The case against former Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman argued by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission raises questions about the ability of elected officials who work as attorneys to represent clients with cases involving the jurisdiction that an attorney represents as an elected official.

THREE SISTERS
A cool concept devised by Native Americans will play a central role in the community garden at Butler Elementary School in Springfi eld this coming school year.

Welcome to Springfield
Alan Lowe is somewhat a lifer in the world of presidential libraries, having started his library career as an archivist at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California in 1989. He has also been acting director of the Franklin D.

Trying to get race right
Clemons, who lives in Springfield, says she and a couple of her fellow black friends were pulled over while driving in southern Illinois, ordered out of the car, restrained with zip ties and forced to kneel on the side of the highway in the rain while the police searched their car.

Conflicts of interest
“If my bones are Chicago, my blood is Boston, and specifically Brighton,” observes Michael Harvey in the acknowledgements to his most recent mystery novel.

Fitness and food, my new frontier
Over the past four years, the pace of my life had slowed down considerably. My wife had been struggling with arthritic knees (a common affliction for cooks) and her knees finally wore out. Though she had gone through five surgeries, she was unable to climb stairs or walk unassisted.

Lights Out a fun frightshow
In order for a horror film to work, it’s required that at certain points, its characters act … without thinking? I don’t want to use the word “stupid,” as I surely don’t know how I would behave if a horde of flesh-eating zombies were bearing down on me and I realize I just happened to forget to load my shotgun.

Hot dang music
Is it hot enough for you? If I hear that phrase one more time … Anyway, onward to the music, please. In the parade of weekend festivals that comes each July in our community, the Downtown Springfield, Inc.-sponsored Bacon Throwdown II is a biggie.

PUB CRAWL
Open Mic with Roger Whitsell and Bob Jemison.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Reed Turchi & The Caterwauls
Native of the Asheville, North Carolina, Swannanoa Valley area, Reed Turchi grew up playing boogie-woogie blues piano, became infatuated with the slide guitar sounds of Northern Mississippi and just kept going into blues, rock and soul. From 2012 until 2014, his group Turchi rocked the blues world with solid releases plus hard touring in the U.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Food trucks at the fairgrounds
The festival will be held on Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Conservation World on the grounds of the Illinois State Fairgrounds near gate 7.

THE CALENDAR
Downtown Bacon Throwdown and Bedrock 66 Live! Music Festival.

CHILDREN’S CORNER | Sing, dance and play
The Springfield Park District is proud to present a free singalong, dance-along and do-along music festival and 40-year celebration for Funshop, the Springfield Park District’s play-based educational program for children ages 16 months through five years and their parents.

MUSIC: GENERAL EVENTS | Bands and bacon
The WUIS Bedrock 66 Live! concert series is thrilled to present the Bedrock 66 Live! Music Festival in conjunction with the Downtown Bacon Throwdown II on Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, in downtown Springfield. The music begins at 6 p.m.