Finding the homeless shelter a new home

Leaders need to step forward. The Salvation Army needs help.

Sometimes it takes a defeat to get everyone’s attention and gather more resources to start building toward a victory. That is an optimistic assessment of the

Is this war really necessary?

Getting ready for David McCullough by finding no glory in 1776

As I read 1776, the best-selling introduction to the Revolutionary War by historian David McCullough, I kept hoping the American colonists and their British cousins woul

Wouldn’t it be great if. . .?

Gather ideas while the good mood lasts. Figure out funding later.

Lately Springfield seems to be in a “Wouldn’t it be great if. . . ?” mood, as opposed to the “there’s no money” mood that prevails most

The other side of the tracks

Can R/UDAT follow-up committee raise partnering to the next level?

The visiting architects and city planners who made up the Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team said over and over that Springfield is poised on the edge of greatness.

Can they make MacArthur Grand again?

Why neighbors beat back blight while awaiting positive news

The Esquire Theatre was brand new, and several other businesses had located near it on Springfield's burgeoning southwest side. "South Grand and West Grand Distr

What we need from Jim Edgar

Come back with a progressive reform agenda — or don’t bother.

Here’s an idea: Instead of reluctantly agreeing to run for governor as a means of rescuing the Republican Party and then trying to survive four years without damaging h

Summer in the city

Reading for hope in the off-season

My summer reading has turned to cities, realizing the good that is in them, solving their problems through leadership, and deciding what personal role to play. My books

America, God is still watching

It was yet another report of the U.S. government’s participation in human-rights abuses. On Sunday, 60 Minutes reported on the CIA’s practice of

You can’t “nuke” global warming

Last month President George W. Bush visited a nuclear power plant in Maryland to proclaim, “It is time for this country to start building nuclear power plants again.

Durbin was not misunderstood

Now that the dust has settled, it’s time for a closer look at what U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin actually said. Why did it ignite such a strong reaction? My take is that the