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A matter of perspective
Springfieldians are always trying to get above themselves. As I noted in “Seeking the scenic in central Illinois” (Aug. 19, 2010), something must be seen to be scenic, and seeing the landscape in a flat land requires the breadth of perspective that verticality affords.

Working with nine presidents before this one
One reason I consider myself fortunate to have led a life in politics is that, over time, I’ve had a chance to work with nine presidents. From Lyndon Johnson through Barack Obama, I’ve talked policy, politics and, sometimes, the trivial details of daily life with them.

Wall Streeters find new ways to steal
In 2007, their stupid schemes and frauds crashed our economy, destroying middle-class jobs, wealth and opportunities. Far from getting punishment, however, these financial scofflaws were bailed out by their Washington enablers – so the moral lesson they learned was clear: Stupid pays.

LETTERS
I thoroughly enjoyed your article on my grandson, Brandon Sheppard. (“Cleaning up,” Bruce Rushton, Aug 10). You got it right, and our family would like to thank you for capturing his accomplishments and his personality so spot on. I talked to Brandon on Thursday morning and he was very happy with the article.

Get back to the Senate’s original bill
According to figures released last week by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Chicago has more than half of the $12.4 billion in statewide equalized assessed value locked up in TIF districts. About 8.6 percent of the city’s total EAV is in a TIF district, well above the statewide average of 3.

Blaze brings out the best
Approximately 100 firefighters from more than a dozen departments helped battle the blaze at the landmark antique car dealership alongside Interstate 55 between Springfield and St. Louis. Nearly 150 vehicles housed in a storage building measuring more than 26,000 square feet were destroyed in the Aug.

BACKPACK GENEROSITY
donated 350 backpacks to schools across the region this year, continuing a decade-long company tradition. The backpacks are fi lled with school supplies such as notebooks, pocket folders, pencils, pencil boxes, erasers, scissors, crayons, rulers and glue sticks, with the understanding that the schools will then provide them to needy children.

CATHOUSES NEEDED
Run when you come near? Refuse to come inside and sit quietly by a cozy fi re come winter? Hiss and yowl at members of their own species and fi ght with each other for silly reasons? If so, drop plans for acquiring a Komodo dragon and instead...

Museums close in city
The GAR museum, which contains Civil War era artifacts, shut down the first weekend in August and remains closed. Reached via email, Kathy Bower, national secretary for the Women’s Relief Corps for the Grand Army of the Republic, said that the closure is temporary.

Vigil at city hall
On Sunday, Aug. 13, less than 24 hours after a “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville, Virginia, exploded into violence resulting in one death and multiple injuries, more than 300 Springfield citizens gathered at the fountain outside of city hall for a vigil and rally to honor the casualties.

Darkness in the daytime
“For some people, it is a life-changing event,” said Dr. John C. Martin, associate professor of astronomy-physics at University of Illinois Springfield, regarding the upcoming solar eclipse at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21.

Eclipse events
Grab your eclipse glasses and join NASA Eclipse 2017, the Adler Planetarium of Chicago and the Louisiana Space Consortium for a major eclipse viewing event at Southern Illinois University..

Historical eclipse tidbits
• While 23 solar eclipses of varying visibility have occurred in the Springfi eld area in the last half-century, not all have involved the moon crossing over the sun. The path of the planet Venus caused a transit event in front of the sun on June 5, 2012, while Mercury caused the same phenomenon on May 9, 2016.

Vegetables a la Beef Fine dining the Montreal way
I vividly remember a 2013 episode of “Parts Unknown” in which Bourdain visited Montreal and met up with David McMillan and Frédéric Morin, chef/owners of Restaurant Joe Beef and authors of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts..

Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky one of year’s best
As far as Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum, giving a career best performance) is concerned, if he didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all. He’s just been fired from his construction job over a trifling technicality but has a family curse to deal with as well.

It’s hard to build heaven in Illinois
Divided into a chapter for each of the six, Soland provides the backgrounds and ideologies of the leaders, key events and the fates about each commune, and travel information of existing sites to see. Black and white photos of existing structures add to the book’s overall appeal.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Lucky Losers
Heads up, folks! Here comes the best from the west, as Cathy Lemons (vocals) and Phil Berkowitz (vocals, harmonica) bring The Lucky Losers in from San Francisco by way of a Midwest tour.

PUB CRAWL
Groove Daddies, David Lumsden with Greg Pasenko, Galen Weston Band.

Sounds fair enough
We’re closing in on the final days of the 2017 Illinois State Fair, and from all reports, all has gone fairly well. Soon the dust will clear, the flies will fly away, and our entertainment scene will return to normal as the memories of fun times carry us through until next year.

THEATER & COMEDY | Women of WWII
nightly Aug. 18-20 and 24-26, with complimentary preshow entertainment beginning an hour before each performance.

THE CALENDAR
Aug 18-20, 24-26, 8pm. Musical follows a group of young men in Wisconsin’s Sturgeon Bay who enlist in the armed forces following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the women in their lives. $15 adults, $13 seniors, $10 children under 12. theatreinthepark. net.

CHILDREN’S CORNER | Celebrate baseball
On Saturday, Aug. 19, celebrate America’s pastime with an All-American Picnic. Hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the all-ages event features an evening of baseball-themed crafts and activities, performances of Abbott and...

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Solar eclipse bash
On Monday, Aug. 21, avoid the chaos and the crowds in southern Illinois and #GetMooned at Danenberger Family Vineyards during the Great American Solar Eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun from view.