Page 1

The great divide in American politics
It used to be that both the Republican and Democratic parties covered some ideological ground. Now, it’s so habitual for conservatives to make their home in the GOP and liberals in the Democratic Party that party and ideological labels stand in for one another.

“We live this every day”
Wright complained about litter, crime and a lack of homeless shelters. Turner called it a campaign speech. People shouldn’t be able to say such things during council meetings if they’re council candidates, Turner insisted. She said she’s contacted the inspector general.

Pension payments pile up
But the administration won’t yet say how much more money will be “saved” during the coming fiscal years by extending the payment ramp, except to suggest that the near-term cost reductions might be somewhere around $800 million a year.

LETTERS
LOOPHOLE FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS With a few computer mouse clicks, Bruce Rushton would know if the Secretary of State’s office had requested a background check on Candace Wanzo, it would have been clean (“Transparency?” Feb.7).

AND THE BAND PLAYS ON
The alderman was the lone dissenter on a 9-1 vote aimed at reeling in the city’s unfunded debt for police and fi refighter pensions, which now stands at $350 million. McMenamin wants to lower the expected rate of investment return from 7 percent to 6.7 percent, then to 6.

NO PARK PRE-K
The Park District will no longer be offering preschool programming after the current session ends May 24. Competition and low enrollment rates that have dipped beyond the “minimum participation levels” were cited as the reason for the decision to end the program, according to a statement that was handed out to parents at Washington Park Preschool.

Rerun at records office
It’s an administrative position, tasked with keeping minutes of city council sessions and otherwise collecting, maintaining and disseminating the city’s records, from birth and death certificates to tickets for code violations incurred by property owners.

Ward 8 up for grabs
Two candidates for Ward 8 alderman, Erin Conley and Dean Graven, live west of Veterans Parkway, where issues aren’t necessarily the same as in neighborhoods to the east, where such challenges as the vacant Bally Vaughn apartment complex near Sacred...

Women compete for more seats at the table
Lisa Badger, a first-time candidate for office who is running for the Springfield Park District Board, says she decided to run because she “feels strongly there should be diversity in government.” Badger and Park District Board president Leslie Sgro are the only two women in the race.

Beets me
Yet my interest in home fermentation didn’t wane. I just felt I needed more guidance so I searched online for fermentation classes. I signed up for a two-day workshop taught by Katz at Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village, a commune in rural northeastern Missouri.

Dragon III: A flawed but satisfying conclusion
Having taken in over $1.1 billion globally, the first two entries have a 95 percent average approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This really is no surprise, as the films are not only visually arresting, but the plots and themes they contain are uncommonly mature and complex for movies of this sort.

Fun and fundraising
Let’s get right to the vital signs and go straight to Sunday afternoon and an event called “Singing for Sammy” at the Curve Inn. The fundraiser, hosted by friends and fellow music folks, is for singer, musician and allaround good guy, Sam Draper.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Masked Intruder
Yes, Virginia, there really is a band that wears ski masks, where each musician dons one of a specific color and they designate themselves as color-coded by instrument and vocal job.

LIVE MUSIC
Masked Intruder with The Timmys and Hospital Job.

THE CALENDAR
African-American Food and Vendor Day.

COMEDY | At the Legacy Theatre
The Amazing Max, Max Darwin, first appeared on stage before he could walk. He loves theater, magic, ninjas and the sound of children laughing. He has been a featured artist on National Geographic’s “Brain Games” and magic consultant for Fox’s “Gotham” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.

ENVIRONMENT | Friends of the Sangamon Valley
Friends of the Sangamon Valley is a charitable membership organization dedicated to the preservation of our natural heritage by acquiring, restoring and protecting ecologically significant lands in the Sangamon River watershed.