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Idealistic thoughts
On Spaulding’s walls he found that “idealistic thoughts crowd pictorially and artistically” – portraits of famed municipal reformers of the time, anti-slavery crusaders from the 1800s, of John Peter Altgeld, an ink drawing of the Chicago social...

Want to govern effectively, Mr. Trump?
Donald Trump showed great skill as a campaigner, steering his campaign past a slew of professional politicians who underestimated him at every turn. Now the test is whether he can govern – that is, whether he can run the United States government, conduct foreign policy in treacherous times and reshape domestic policy to fit his goals.

What is the ‘Trump Fix’?
The transition team itself, which is literally shaping and staffing our next national government, is a viper’s nest of pay-to-play corporate interests.

REMEMBERING
It is our tradition to reserve our last issue of the year to remember some of the Springfi eld-area people who have died in the past year. Those we write about here are people who have come to the attention of our writers, and others brought to IT by readers answering our call to contribute their personal essays to “Remembering.

A man of the stage
My first encounter with Don was in 2007, when I joined the Mature Mob for the first time. The Mob is a group of talented performers who stage an annual revue to benefit Senior Services of Central Illinois.

A softer side of a larger-than-life player
When Denny Polk passed away of acute myeloid leukemia this past spring, he left behind a 30-year legacy in area real estate as well as an indelible impression on those who encountered him.

‘Born with the heart of a healer’
Ben spent his life helping others. He cared for his mother when she became ill, he gave his heart to his employees and their families, and he loved his children in a way that made the word “love” become so very real and take on a life all its own. In all aspects of his life, Ben’s heart was always present for others.

A force of nature
I’m not sure exactly what I expected; I just couldn’t imagine Julianne Glatz unzipping a plastic pouch of Oscar Meyer weiners and handing me a stretched out wire coat hanger to dangle it over a fire. As anyone who reads this paper knows, Glatz had a complete relationship with food – as a connoisseur, critic, creator and consumer.

‘A friend for life’
Scott Williams’ fingerprints are all over homes in Springfield. He helped family and friends. He finished basements, moved drains, changed garbage disposals, built smokers, added ductwork and unclogged toilets.

‘I never felt better in my life’
T.J. lived by the motto, “I never felt better in my life.” Many people remember T.J. for his positive attitude toward life, his zest for learning, his active support of the community as a volunteer, and his interesting quips when he entered a meeting or social gathering.

Driven to make a difference
“Everyone remembers something different about Bronwyn,” said her husband, Bill, “and everyone is going to miss her in a different way.” But whether they remember her as an art conservator, a mother, an aficionado of live music, a volunteer, or a friend, everyone who knew her will remember Bronwyn Eves as an extraordinary woman who died too soon.

‘Pat Grady loved people’
Our dad, Patrick V. Grady, was one of a kind. He was our best friend, our favorite Irishman, hilarious (pee-your-pants funny), our mentor in the real estate business, and the best role model of teaching our children the meaning of family. It was never a question of how much he loved us, our mother Elizabeth, or his seven grandchildren.

A life devoted to history and its preservation
Jacqueline Wright’s devotion to history took on a life of its own when she began her 40-year teaching career at McClernand Elementary School in Springfield. The school is named for prominent Springfield politician and soldier John A.

A dreamer who got things done
The first person in his family to go to college, Henderson came home to Springfield from the University of Illinois in the spring of 1950 to proud parents who had invited friends over. What, he was asked, are you studying in college? Aeronautical engineering, Henderson answered, which resulted in the conclusion that he wanted to design airplanes.

‘Unfaltering devotion to his faith and family’
Misty told us about Raymond and their 8-year-old twin boys, Joshua and Jonathan. They are adopted and African-American while Raymond and Misty are Caucasian. Misty never mentioned having trouble raising kids of a different race. Instead, her stories were about everyday challenges raising twin boys and Raymond’s many health issues.

‘He had a kinship with all veterans’
When I first met Hud (as he was called by his family and friends), I wasn’t sure how to take him. He usually dressed in jeans, boots, a shirt and a leather vest. He wore his hair long and had a beard and handlebar mustache. A big, burly guy. I thought of him as standoffish.

The man with a signature grin
He let me use his tools and showed me everything you never wanted to know about home remodeling. He was not jealous that I worked construction amongst mostly men. He helped instill in me a confidence to build things on my own. He was my fishing buddy, patiently taught me the game of golf, and trusted me to help raise his children.

‘You were a good guy’
Dear Fred, You lived a good life filled with family – Kathy and your two daughters, Joan and Anne, their spouses, Tom and Bob, and your most loved grandchildren – and many friends. We will all miss you, but know that you want no maudlin tears, so I will just share a few memories.

Springfield’s Superbowl champ
Herbert Louis McMath, Sr., a 1972 Springfield Southeast High School graduate and 1976 Super Bowl champion, was born in Coahoma, Mississippi, and lived most of his life in Springfield. While attending Southeast, Herb played football and basketball as well as shot put for the track and field team.

Life in paradise
Jean Broquet was having a lousy day It was July, in Detroit, where she lived with her husband, Larry, and four daughters. The heat and humidity were oppressive. There was laundry to be ironed. The girls were screaming. She’d just washed the floors and was fighting to keep everyone from tracking in dirt.

She changed bureaucracy
A state worker since 1982, Merrill’s experience and knowledge at the Illinois Department of Revenue was such that she helped write the manual on how to process tax returns. When she walked out of the office forever with no warning in 2013, the state wrote up retirement papers while colleagues began tidying up her work area.

‘A man before his time’
My father, Elmer, passed away this past summer. He was a third-generation mason contractor (bricklayer), but was mostly known for his love of books and records. When I say music, it was not the typical Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley of his time.

‘A beautiful married woman with stature and poise’
Mitchell’s grandmother had a way about her. I remember it like it was yesterday. I couldn’t help but be in absolute awe of the way she wore her sunglasses, the way she served me her coffee, and the way she laughed at my jokes. She had a great laugh. I can’t remember the name of the lipstick she wore, but I think it was a little more pink than red.

‘An important member of her church and community’
Helen Tuttle lived the American dream. More than 50 years ago she, along with her husband, started a business from nothing in Greenview that is still thriving. She was an important member of her church and community, always taking time to pray and check up on her friends and family when they were sick, hospitalized or just needed someone to talk to.

The gift of staying put
Mom had the quality of stability. She not only did things for a long time, she was content to be where she was and to do what she did. She was married to Dad for 51 years, until his death parted them. She lived in the same small town for 65 years, was a member of her church for just as long.

‘He loved people and service was natural for him’
Dad made a difference in countless lives and he inspired me. He was born the youngest of 10 children. His mother died soon after his birth and he was raised by his father and siblings. Moms seem to exhibit the ultimate level of service by raising their children.

He inspired people
Making friends was so easy for John. He fit in with just about anyone from the time he was a pudgy toddler until he became a gangly schoolaged fellow. He was gifted athletically, had a tremendous sense of humor, and had just a little too much mischievousness to suit many; i.

The music man
“I walked in, and his eyes lit up,” recalls Donna Jefferson, principal at Dubois Elementary School, who visited Walton shortly before he died. He was in hospice care, she says, but still he had strength. “I had some friends with me. When we started singing, he immediately joined in and started singing every single song.

‘Raised with farm values and a belief in God’
Bill Roth was born and raised on his family’s farm just a few miles west of Ashland. He graduated from Ashland High School in 1952. Bill was raised with farm values and a belief in God that guided him throughout his life. After graduation, he joined the Navy.

The athlete, teacher and coach
Larry Selinger was born and grew up in his beloved north end of Springfield, on a street that he affectionately referred to simply as “22.” It was on 22 nd Street that his love and fierce loyalty to family and friends would grow along with his love for the value and power of athletics.

‘Her friends will never forget her’
Beautiful, genuine, joyful, dedicated, unique, intelligent, devoted, inviting, traveler, familyoriented, spirited, driven, kind, cinephile, patient, loving, witty, adventurous and positive were words that each of Jill Buffington’s nursing school classmates chose to describe her during a vigil held on a rainy Friday evening in September.

Passengers provides a bland journey
Thirty years into a planned 120-year trip to a distant Earth-like planet that’s being colonized, mechanic Jim Preston (Pratt) wakes up early when his cryogenic sleep chamber malfunctions. Amidst 5,000 passengers and the ship’s crew, our hero finds himself alone, save for a cybernetic bartender (Michael Sheen).

New Year’s news
There’s something about the New Year beginning as the old fades away that requires some introspection and retrospection, along with an inspection of the process of getting from here to there.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Hipbone Sam Band
After nearly eight years of playing and racking up almost 1,000 shows, the Hipbone Sam Band is ceasing their seemingly ceaseless touring schedule with a final performance on New Year’s Day.

PUB CRAWL
Here Come The Mummies, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

THE CALENDAR
Afternoon free activities for kids at Springfi eld High School. Evening music, dance and more at various downtown locations. springfi eldartsco.org. Various locations, downtown Springfield..

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | An alcohol-free alternative
The First Night tradition began in Boston on New Year’s Eve, 1975, when a handful of the city’s artists and musicians sought an alternative to the drunken shenanigans behind most major holiday celebrations.

ART | International photography on display
’Tis the season to enjoy a photography exhibition by international photographer David Brodsky. After graduating in 1974 from Russia’s Kiev Industrial Art Design College, Brodsky spent years working as a graphic and multimedia designer and creative director in the Soviet Union, Italy and United States.