Page 1

Don’t just focus on elections, but on how we elect
A woman recognized me and called me over. “Why is it,” she asked, “that you politicians make it so hard and inconvenient to vote?” I thought of this the other day when I read the news reports about presidents Trump and Putin meeting and jestingly accusing one another of election meddling.

Done deal?
No one disagrees: There are too many homeless folks in Springfield and too little is being done to prevent them from splattering streets with vomit or peeing in public or going off meds. A shelter where they can get services pledged by Memorial Medical Center and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is a good thing.

Incumbents fight off potential challengers
And the most vulnerable of those are newbies who’ve taken controversial votes. Rep. Mark Kalish (D-Chicago) was appointed to his seat in January and then flip-flopped on the abortion issue and voted against the Reproductive Health Act, making him one of the most vulnerable House Democrats.

LETTERS
We have some world-class musicians coming in each week, and I am so glad that we have the opportunity to hear them here in central Illinois. Springfield is often overlooked by regional and national performers. The conditions in which they perform, however, do not rise to their musicianship and professionalism.

POLICE BLUES
The foundation acknowledged that the group’s treasurer has left that position and that the FBI is investigating. It’s still not clear how much money might be missing, but the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in June took a report pegging the loss at nearly $80,000.

Smoke ’em if you can afford ’em
It seemed an astronomical sum in a day when Mexican or Colombian cost half as much, or less, but connoisseurs realized the benefits of no-stems-no-seeds, not to mention high potency, and so indoor-grown became the gold standard while Acapulco Gold faded.

ALPLM GOES BACK TO SCHOOL
Enter the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, which is holding a free back-to-school event this Saturday aimed at priming kids from the first through eighth grades for another year in the classroom. Forget the internet. Kids at the event scheduled to run from 10 a.

The right (wing) stuff
Mercury One, a Texas nonprofit founded by Beck, boasts on its website that the ALPLM was a partner in a recent weeklong exhibit on slavery at the institution in Irving. Other partners included the African American Museum of Dallas, the Dallas Historical Society and Frontiers of Flight Museum.

The Ambassador of Salsa
The Salsa Ambassador is 38-year-old Julio Barrenzuela, who for more than a decade has been teaching salsa dancing every place he can, including nursing homes, facilities for persons with disabilities, and youth organizations around central Illinois. His idea is simple, that taking part in salsa dancing will make the world a better place.

Women’s Art Alliance, now 40, looks back
Some cities sponsor “art hops” where area residents “hop” between various venues on the same night to see a variety of art exhibits. In Springfield the Springfield Art Association (SAA) Collective is offering a multiweek “hop” between two venues to enjoy works by women artists.

Bake a fruity dessert for any season
What sounds like a ragtag cast of characters from a comic book are actually the shining stars of the summer’s dessert scene. Quick, adaptable and simple to make, these are recipes that every home cook should have in his back pocket. All are baked desserts, often in a 9x13 inch casserole dish, though really almost any bakeware will do.

August-ing music
Heeeere’s August and the last blast of summer time fun before the world moves on toward the autumn season and, dare I say, wintertime. The good news for this week comes in the form of fine weather for this time of year, welcomed by musicians who play in the outdoor conditions and audiences who endure the elements for the pleasure of live music.

LIVE MUSIC
Jason Bassett with Jon Wernsing.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Johnny Burgin
Our blues friend, Johnny Burgin (he recently dropped the Rockin’), stops by for a one-night only local show on Friday, and we point that out because in the past, the artist formerly known as Rockin’ Johnny would hang around central Illinois for nearly two weeks at a time, playing gigs all over the place.

THE CALENDAR
Craft Brew Festival and Midwest Makers and Artisan Market.

ARCHITECTURE | Designs with histories
Illinois Realtors is sponsoring walking tours of buildings of architectural interest in the historic district of downtown Springfield. This week, join Anthony Rubano from the Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as he guides a tour through the area of the Old Capitol Plaza and Sixth Street.

HISTORY | It worked in theory, at least
What do a sarcophagus, Secret Service agents and sand dunes have in common? Come listen and learn about a little known and surprisingly humorous American tale of desperation carried out by bumbling criminals.