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RIP, Peanut
We didn’t know her age. The vet thought three. She seemed to have a bit of puppy in her. She’d fetch balls and play and lick. Oh, how she loved to lick, as if the whole world wanted nothing more than pug kisses, the more the better, and delivered from head to foot, with special attention paid to nether regions when the opportunity presented itself.

Better than a border wall
When I get in discussions about whether we need a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border stretching from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, my opposition to the Trump Wall is often misunderstood as being against enforcing immigration laws or having border security.

DIY democracy
Check any legitimate poll and you’ll hear them saying clearly and consistently that they want such basics as middle-class jobs, health care for all, a fixed-up infrastructure, a government uncorrupted by corporate cash, a little less greed and, you know, the Common Good.

LETTERS
Yes, the earth’s climate has changed in the past due to natural causes, mostly because of variations in sunlight from tiny wobbles in the earth’s orbit, volcanic activity and the intensity of the sun itself.

Piece of the pot
There may be several reasons to make pot legal in Illinois, but the one that catches the most attention involves dollar signs, and rightfully so. The cash-strapped state has more than $7 billion in unpaid bills and long-term pension debt of at least $130 billion.

Spreading the wealth
If those same visitors make a right on to 16 th Street, they’ll find themselves in the heart of the east side, where a residential street resembles a mouth with few teeth. With decaying houses found in between overgrown bushes and piles of rubbish, it’s easy to see why people from out of town may think they’ve made a wrong turn.

Park District board to fill three seats
Metcalf seats – up for election this year, plus the president’s chair. Of the three, Metcalf is the only trustee seeking re-election. Leslie Sgro, Park District Board president, is running unopposed for her eighth term as the president and has served in her current position for 28 years.

Inside a struggling school
Those are the words of Harvard Park Elementary School building principal James Hayes, who is proud of what the teachers, volunteers and administration of the nearly 500-student Springfield school have accomplished in a building where 90 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced fee lunches.

Kitchen wisdom
My in-laws used to tell a story about how they always cut a small piece off the end of the ham before roasting it. When someone asked what purpose this served, Great-grandmother replied, “I don’t know why the rest of you do it, but I always cut a piece off the end of the ham to be able to fit it into my roasting pan.

Basis of Sex doesn't ring true
During the ‘30s and ‘40s, biopics were a staple of the major studios, particularly Warner Brothers and MGM, where films were made recounting the greatness of the men – and occasional woman – that made the country, and sometimes the world, a wonderful place to live.

Mighty music making
Here we go full-force into a schedule of life in all lanes as the holidays are completely behind us and 2019 is in plain sight. There are plenty of our regular music makers lined up for this weekend as well as a few surprises in store for you. Come on, let’s go.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Thornhill
Fans of local music happenings should be quite familiar with the name Thornhill and the consistently fine music made by the band led by singer, songwriter, guitarist and performer, Tina Thornhill.

PUB CRAWL
J.C.B. Entertainment Karaoke.

THE CALENDAR
Music: General Events Carillon Winter Concerts.

FILM | Molly Schlich Independent and International Film Series
The Chilean film, A Fantastic Woman,.

MUSIC | Carillon Winter Concerts
On Sundays and Wednesdays, listen for the sound of the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon as Springfield Park District’s carillonneur, Carlo van Ulft, plays a wide variety of music from original carillon compositions to arrangements of classical, folk and popular music for the winter season.