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RUNNINGFORABE
Lincoln enthusiasts are gearing up for the 2009
bicentennial, planning such events as reenacted Lincoln-Douglas debates, a
period 1860 Presidential Ball, and a Civil War symposium. But in keeping
with the old, organizers are also celebrating the new with a recent
endorsement of Springfield’s Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon. Tim Butler, Springfield Road Runners Club member and
race organizer, says the endorsed status will increase the credibility of
the half-marathon as an important event celebrating Lincoln’s life
and will encourage more runners and history buffs to take to the capital
city’s streets during the 44th annual running, on Saturday, April 5.
“The Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon has a
course which takes runners past some of the most significant Abraham
Lincoln sites in the world — a running tour, of sorts, of
Lincoln’s hometown,” Butler says, “so it is an event
which certainly serves the mission of the Bicentennial Commission.”
The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
is in charge of planning and promoting events to commemorate
Lincoln’s 200th birthday, Feb. 12, 2009.
FOREWORDWITHHUCKABEE
A local author claims a connection to a leading GOP
presidential contender. Larry Toller, associate executive director of the
Illinois Baptist State Association, got Mike Huckabee to write the foreword
to his 2006 book My Story Your Story His Story:
A Memory Journal. No, we didn’t read
the book; we got a press release from Toller’s publisher right after
Huckabee’s surprise win in Iowa. My
Story’s Amazon.com sales rank was
1,134,457 right after Iowa. We doubt there’s a correlation, but
Huckabee hasn’t been doing as well lately, and neither has
Toller’s book, which dropped to 1,343,968.
WATERWORLD
Springfield’s future water needs are the topic
of a public forum hosted by the Citizens Club on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
Panelists are Illinois Chamber of Commerce executive vice president Michael
Ayers, University of Illinois professor Dr. Clark Bullard, Citizens for
Sensible Water Use member Donald Hanrahan, and former Springfield Mayor
Mike Houston. The forum begins at 5:15 p.m. at
the Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St.
A JOB FOR JOB
Job Conger, a freelance writer and contributor to Illinois Times, is putting
together a book about Springfield aviation history for Arcadia Publishers.
He needs pictures of Springfield airports, aviators, and aircraft taken
before 1965, as well as memories of flying from the original Springfield
Municipal airport and the several small airports that operated during the
early years. Contact Conger at 217-544-6122 or e-mail him at
jobconger@eosinc.com.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2008.
