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I love trees
In the front yard is a dogwood, which largely takes care of itself. Not too big, not too small, grows slow and perhaps fools passersby into thinking some thought was put into its planting. In the backyard, a big tree once existed, species uncertain, which I discovered whilst replanting lawn.

Police and community can solve problems. Or cause them.
In a series of articles, I’m looking at questions about criminal justice: “Are we safe?” “Are we smart?” “Are we fair?” “What is the best way forward?” I’ve discussed Peoria’s police-pluscommunity effort, similar to the effort beginning now in Springfield and Champaign-Urbana, to deter people who appear likely to commit gun violence.

Tax talk
Think Big Illinois is the dark money group created to support Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal.

LETTERS
NEW SMEAA MEMBER RESPONDS Jill Steiner made a number of excellent points with regard to the elected board that oversees the Bank of Springfield Center.

HENRY FORD HISTORY
Henry Ford revolutionized both the automotive and the agricultural industry by producing affordable and reliable products for consumers. The Ford family is a piece of Americana and a part of that iconic history is going to be auctioned at Aumann Auctions Pre-’30 Auction on April 13.

Count me in
Sen. Iris Martinez, D-Chicago, has sponsored a bill in the Illinois Senate that would allocate $25 million in funding in an effort to provide grants to different agencies and organizations throughout the state to ensure every Illinois resident is counted, though she says more funding to get the job done right would be ideal.

Symphony “Incredibly Inspiring”
As part of its ongoing celebration of the Illinois bicentennial, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra commissioned an original work from Bloomington-Normal-based composer Carl Schimmel, with the resulting piece, “Gate of Horn, Tone Poem for Orchestra,”...

Landscape with native plants and pollinators
It’s finally that time of year to be outside, clean up the leaves and residue from winter and plant flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees and shrubs. This is a perfect time to plan ahead and commit to planting natives that attract pollinators.

Mayor’s monarch pledge
Volunteers working with the city of Springfield and Downtown Springfield, Inc., helped obtain a grant from the Springfield Civic Garden Club for this pilot project. Plants will be selected that will bloom from May through fall when the last monarchs are leaving.

Native plant sales
“We are promoting plants for pollinators, butterflies and native birds,” says Larry Miller, Lincoln Memorial Garden head gardener. He is growing over 95 species of plants in a greenhouse, including over 10 types of milkweed. “Every year I try to offer different plants which we have never sold before.

Washington Park native plant restoration
The native plant restoration at the fishing pier in Washington Park is a tremendous example of what can happen when enthusiastic volunteers partner with a public agency that wants to do the right thing but lacks the manpower. Last spring 1,000 native plants were planted between the road and fishing pier at the Washington Park lagoon.

Bees, Butterflies & Blooms
Bees, Butterflies & Blooms is a new exhibit at Kidzeum that focuses on the importance of protecting native plants and pollinators. It features an observation beehive, live butterfly enclosure, pollinator garden, video interactives and family-focused educational play spaces.

Tips for decluttering and organizing your home
Carey Smith of Springfield has made a business out of helping people declutter their homes. Since 2013, she has used her business, Carey Smith’s Organizing and Decluttering, to work with people who often find themselves in stressful situations due to the condition of their homes.

Home & Garden Events
The Springfield Downtown Pollinator Project.

How to recycle and reuse
The City of Springfield offers free drop-off services for certain types of hard-to-disposeof items for residents who live within the corporate city limits. These programs are funded through the waste and recycling fee that is collected through your monthly CWLP bill.

Foods for a brighter future
After years of being told what was bad for us, a recent report produced in collaborative effort between the World Wide Fund for Nature (previously known as the World Wildlife Fund) and Knorr foods, highlights foods that are good for us, as well as for our planet.

Obvious Sematary a bore
The Creeds, physician dad Louis (Jason Clarke), haunted mom Rachel (Amy Seimetz), precocious nine-year-old Ellie (Jete Laurence) and toddler Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie), have moved to rural Maine to get away from the rat race that is Boston.

Record store day and more
Thursday kicks off with a rip roaring blast coming on strong as the hip and cool night of the week this week. If you like Queen, with a touch of Prince and David Bowie on the side, wind your way out to the Curve Inn for a full night of Black Queen with Purple Stardust opening the show.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Flatland Cavalry
Coming up from their hometown of Lubbock, Texas, home to several greats in the music business through the years, the Flatland Cavalry are rolling into town to take no prisoners as they proceed to work their way up the cool country music, Americana ladder of success.

LIVE MUSIC
Chris Camp and His Blues Ambassadors.

THE CALENDAR
Hunchback of Notre Dame: A New Musical.

Bulletin Board | The Animal Protective League’s annual fundraising event
The Animal Protective League (APL) will hold its annual Upscale Collectible Sale this Friday and Saturday at White Oaks Mall in the upper level of the space previously occupied by Bergner’s. The sale will include furniture, antiques, jewelry, tools, home décor, books, movies, children’s items and holiday décor.

BULLETIN BOARD | An opportunity to get credit help from finance professionals
Not paying off debt can have a negative impact your credit score. A low credit score makes it more difficult to find a bank or credit card company to lend you money or lend it at an attractive interest rate, but it goes beyond that. Your credit score can also affect everything from insurance rates to employment opportunities.