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Strawberry fields forever, but no monkey balls
I speak not of Springfield’s sole pot purveyor for consenting adults, but a Subway near my office, which got slammed during the first lunch rush of 2020 as dieters jammed the counter and drive-thru in search of veggie wraps, no mayo, hold the cheese. To be fair, they were down a counter person.

Fun with the Illini at the RedBox Bowl
But of course, it wasn’t, and in just about every aspect of the event, the opponent California Golden Bears had the upper hand. The disparity wasn’t most apparent in the stat sheet – actually, the Illini led the Bears in most statistical categories including passing yards, rushing yards and third down efficiency.

LETTERS
The president said his action will save many American lives. To the contrary, his death will increase, not reduce, the risk to Americans there and perhaps around the world, possibly provoking war. In fact, he has placed a bull’s-eye on the back of Americans fighting there.

BABY TALK
Every new year, it’s the same old thing: Who got born fi rst? In 2020, it was A’Nylah Essence Hamilton, who came into this world at 1:40 a.m. on New Year’s Day at St. John’s Hospital. Congratulations. It’s a nice name, and names are not what they used to be.

GREEN ACRES
Pot prices are, so to speak, sky high, with folks spending hours in line to procure marijuana. Some shops shut down less than a week after weed for the masses turned legal, saying there’s either a shortage or staff can’t handle all the overtime.

First lady in the loop on redevelopment push
Langfelder confirmed that he met with the governor and, later, the governor’s wife. He said neither conversation involved indepth discussions about redevelopment plans, including one to establish a downtown campus that came to light in late November,...

Down on the farm
“They call them ‘the farmers in the middle,’ and their numbers are declining pretty rapidly,” said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. “Unfortunately that is the size of the family farmer that is most essential to rural America.

Poached pears. Perfect.
Years ago I worked for a catering company in Chicago that, in addition to standard wedding and corporate events, provided meals and hospitality for some of the biggest touring acts that came through the Windy City. We fed the crews touring with all kinds of acts, from The Dead and Fleetwood Mac to Jerry Seinfeld and Mariah Carey.

Bracing 1917 nearly loses its way
Based on stories his grandfather told him, the script by Mendes and Krysty Wilson Cairns is an exercise in narrative simplicity.

On into the new year
The Music at the Museum concerts, produced by Chris Vallillo on the second Thursday of each month (mark your calendars), present the top names in national, contemporary and traditional folk music. Occasionally, area artists play the venue and this month we welcome one of our finest acoustic groups, the Burr Oak String Band.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Mitch Faulkner
This singer and songwriter, guitarist and performer from Casey, Illinois (between Charleston and the Indiana border), takes his belief in the power of song quite seriously.

LIVE MUSIC
Broseph, Brushville and Isaiah Christian.

THE CALENDAR
Eleanor Spiess-Ferris: “Daphne’s Sister”.

HISTORY | Misinterpreting Mary
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is offering a new guided tour focused on Mary Todd Lincoln. The tour will take guests through the museum to learn more about Mary’s life before, during and after her relationship with Abraham Lincoln.