Putting your name above the door

On Sept. 11 a grateful Springfield learned that Tony Kerasotes, head of that family’s movie house chain, had made a gift of $2 million to the YMCA building fund. It is a generous gift, graciousl

Greener than thou

Mayor Davlin wants to make Springfield the No. 1 green city

The world continues to surprise me, and never more than the day in 2008 I read that Springfield had been named one of the top 50 greenest cities in America by Popular Science magazine. Surprise gave w

Trusting to miracles

District 186 tries to excite the reluctant learner

It’s back-to-school time again – the hopeful buzz of the first few weeks when the backward and the indifferent say to themselves, “This year I’m going to get it right,” f

Faithful to the period

The National Park Service plans the next 20 years at Lincoln’s home

When your daughter pauses from her texting to ask, “Mommy, what did Voltaire mean when he wrote that the perfect is the enemy of the good?” – she might – simply drive her down

Daring to imagine the future

Mayor Davlin seeks advice on infrastructure

Mayor Tim Davlin early this month announced his appointments to the City of Springfield’s new Citizens Infrastructure Review Board, intended to obtain citizen input and guidance in prioritizing

Living in three dimensions

Seeking the scenic in central Illinois

Dave Bakke, who usually observes the world from the upper slopes of the State Journal-Register, the other day looked at it from an even higher vantage point – the cenotaph that stands on the edg

Taking the Christian out of the YMCA

The YMCA picks up a new name but sells an old idea

The American public tends to be ignorant of any history that hasn’t been the subject of a TV series, and so it was no surprise when market detectives hired by the national YMCA found members of

Slower than a speeding bullet

Nearly high speed rail moves down the track

Illinoisans often feel like a space traveler who, having intercepted the TV signals that escaped from Earth a generation ago, sees the past when it was still the present. On July 20, authorities annou

It’s not the heat but the stupidity

Our summer cooling technologies remain unevolved

“Springfield,” wrote the St. Louis Republican 120 years ago, “offers a pleasant retreat during the hot summer months to those living in the cities of the South.” This is perhap

Careless with heroes

What “Sentimental Journey” reminds us of

We can all be grateful that when a heavy bomber visits our city, it is an occasion for a family outing. In June the “Sentimental Journey,” a restored B-17 Flying Fortress, spent a couple o