Page 1

Party time at ALPLM
The hits – or rim shots – just keep coming at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where a baby shower was held this spring for acting director Melissa Coultas, whose husband got a gig at the ALPLM last year after doing campaign work for a state senator.

A pandemic-proof city and other Springfield dreams
While the hospitality industry is undoubtedly the hardest hit by pandemic restrictions, it will also bounce back as people crave travel, even if they choose cars over planes for a while. Prioritizing investments that make Springfield and its quaint downtown a must-visit destination are essential.

Pritzker struggles to explain regional approach
Pritzker waited until people practically begged him to shut down the schools on March 15. He talked about issuing a stayat-home order for days, and then only acted on March 21 after California jumped first. It was clear for days that he would extend his stay-at-home order another month starting April 1.

LETTERS
But when the taxpayers see stories like “Secretary of State won’t say if agency knew about criminal past” (May 5, 2017) and “Transparency? An open letter to the attorney general” (Feb.

Art Association adapts
Springfield Art Association members recently met to seek suggestions about their latest work. One showed she had been experimenting with a variety of mediums since the pandemic began: collage, acrylic landscapes, art journaling. Another asked for help in sketching out a scene from a photo of the Grand Canyon she had taken while on vacation.

No news?
The changes, set to take effect June 1, will apply both to the news and the sports departments. With deadlines for the next day’s paper hitting before sundown, print subscribers will, presumably, no longer be able to rely on delivered newspapers to...

Smokable hemp buds surface
Hemp, as opposed to cannabis, buds, grown under licenses issued by the state Department of Agriculture, have miniscule levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. On Craigslist and on its own website TwoBrothers.

Paycheck Protection gives businesses a chance
Masked employees serve a steady stream of pick-up and carry-out customers now at Cafe Moxo in downtown Springfield, both old and new customers who come to the popular establishment to get their daily caffeine fix or take away a bite to eat.

Foot traffic
Not long after Illinois issued a stay-at-home order in March, my neighbor’s adult children were home, their college and work lives on hold for the moment. Almost every day they were on the driveway or in their yard playing soccer, shooting baskets or drawing chalk art with their younger siblings.

Knives sharp as lightning
While living in France in the late 50s, Paul Childs recalled hearing his wife, Julia, cry out: “Goddamnit! I’ve never yet gone into a private French kitchen where the knives are sharp! How the hell do these people think they’re going to cook when...

Close to live music
Welcome everyone, to another week of coronavirus life in lockdown. We send out our best to all at the forefront of the battle and to those directly in contact with the thing. From what news I have gleaned from reliable sources, we’ve done fairly okay in selfisolating and are headed toward some kind of post-pandemic world soon.

THE CALENDAR
Microbudget Filmmaking in Central Illinois.

BULLETIN BOARD | Helping small businesses like yours
The coronavirus has hit small businesses hard, but SCORE’s mentors can help during this difficult time. SCORE is a national network of volunteer, expert business mentors that has been providing resources to business owners since 1964. As a nonprofit organization, it receives support from the U.