BLUE SKY THE FUTURE

One of Springfield's new City Council members, Dan Chiles, is a thinker, willing to give voice to the audacious. Proof: The Harvard grad and local businessman is circulating a 10-page thumbsucker on policy, "and that includes issues large and small." Emphasis on the large.

He calls it a "partial list" of policy ideas that "certainly do not include every important priority in our town. But it's a start."

His first idea is called a "50-year flyover," a one-day conference bringing together people "from many occupations and backgrounds" to brainstorm the future. Writes Chiles:

"We can't possible make good decisions about the future of our town until we can visualize what Springfield and the surrounding community will be like in fifty years."

There are calls for a new fuels conference; an expansion of CrimeSeen into deeper crime prevention; new transportation strategies; and a city garden program.

We're also psyched by Chiles' call for a new city flag, one that's "bright and beautiful." Finally, a chance to convince the city to adopt the Superman look.