I left the Island Bay Yacht Club at Lake Springfield about 10 p.m. and headed west toward the new access to 55 North. While pondering, I missed it due to new roads, so, I kept driving west on Toronto Road. When I reached Second St., I turned right. The black sky cracked open and lighting crashed down into the fields.

What, I wonder, is the overdue fine on a library lintel that was lost for 36 years? The carved stone lintel that stood atop the main entrance to the old library building had been salvaged when the building was demolished in 1974 and trucked to a storage yard at the state fairgrounds.

Good! The phrase suggests great quality, strong environmental stewardship and a commitment to keeping our food dollars in the local economy. If you support the localeconomies movement, as I do, no doubt you’ll be thrilled to hear that a new, local food store is coming soon to your neighborhood.

deep dusk I gaze down from the little cessna at the california roads now strings of bright moving beads the little towns puddles of light the big ones their mall areas awash spaced streetlamps tiny points and off in the dark hills here and there the single gleam of a house a barn I pick out a country road’s moving light as it inches slow as a bug.

That means votes could be taken on workers comp and Medicaid reform before the new General Assembly is sworn in about a week later. The Republicans have been clamoring for those very reforms for years.

The holidays are upon us, and that means two things: the season of giving and the season of freezing. But Springfield City Water, Light and Power brings both of those ideas together, giving the fortunate a chance to give back and the less fortunate a way to keep the heat on this winter.

About 100 somber men and women in black leather vests line every pathway in front of the cream-colored funeral home in Chatham. On every vest is a collection of colorful patches proclaiming the wearer’s religion, military service and other affiliations and creeds.

Speaking during a lobbying day at the Illinois Capitol Nov. 16, ICADP executive director Jeremy Schroeder told reporters that the coalition was lobbying legislators and Gov. Pat Quinn to pass and sign the repeal.

Two former Springfield cops will face a jury next week in federal court for allegedly violating the civil rights of Larry Washington, the former Vice Lord gang member who was arrested in March of 2005 after Springfield police found cocaine stashed in his kitchen pantry.

That was the message at the coalition’s Nov. 15 public forum on hate activities and hate crimes at Union Baptist Church, 1405 East Monroe St. in Springfield. Featuring speakers from the legal and activism realms, the forum drew about 30 listeners, prompting calls for more community involvement in a problem some believe to be growing.

The Animal Protective League (APL) is a private, not-for-profit animal welfare organization, funded by donations. It operates an animal shelter, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic and maintains numerous programs that benefit members of the community.

Give what’s in your heart. It’s a phrase that, when applied in the figurative sense, precisely summarizes what most social service agencies ask of their donors, hoping that in those hearts is the generosity to donate precious commodities – time, money, supplies, tools and more.

The Holiday Food Basket Project is a ministry of Grace Lutheran Church. Three times a year we provide food baskets to local schools to help families who tend to “fall through the cracks.” In addition, families from the Lutheran Children and Family Services foster program receive food baskets at Christmas.

Started in 1989 with a mission to prevent child abuse and neglect, the Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery provides free emergency, temporary care, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for children from birth through age 6, who may be at risk of abuse or neglect or whose parents are experiencing some type of crisis.

• Clothing for survivors to wear home from the E.R: Specifically, new non-logo adult and youth shirts, sweatshirts, sweat pants and shorts in neutral colors (grey, black, tan, white) in all sizes. New flip flops (sandals) in all sizes. New women’s, girls and boys underwear in neutral colors (grey, black, tan, white) in all sizes.

Sojourn Shelter and Services, Inc. was founded in 1975 to provide a safe place to help victims of domestic violence. Sojourn currently provides 24-hour emergency shelter and hotline services, court advocacy, prevention and education, volunteer opportunities and operates Sojourn Westside Fashions.

Check out our Holiday Calendar each week until January for holiday events and activities. Events are subject to last minute changes, so we suggest phoning prior to attending. Send your holiday events one week or more in advance to calendar@illinoistimes.

Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theater, 1451 Timberline Rd, Goodfield, 309-965-2545..

Ansar Shrine/Springfield Jaycees Holiday Parade.

Lectures in the Library: Victorian Christmas Traditions.

This is true especially around the holidays, when many people load up on seasonal accessories, inside and out. Too many pre-fab decorations can make a home look like a drugstore’s holiday aisle – impersonal and not very creative. Handmade decorations deliver the crafter’s own brand of holiday cheer.

“Vintage holiday décor is finding its way into modern day crafting,” Rusnak says.” Dig out those old family photos. Look for photos taken during specific seasons that can be copied and enlarged for specific projects. Frame a family member’s artwork. I prefer to use vintage items in a new way.

1. Holiday scrapbook chain Collect old holiday greeting cards, colored card stock and magazine images that embody the holiday spirit and cut into trapezoidal shapes. Paint stars or other holiday images on top, if desired. Hang from tree, on doorknobs or over mantles.

Tracking down gifts for a car-loving friend or relative can be a lot of fun. There are more nicely designed, imaginative products more widely available – from auto shops and tech stores to the finest jewelry counters in town. Here’s a look at a few gifts guaranteed to make their hearts race this holiday season.

Another gift sure to appeal to enthusiasts who can’t yet afford their dream cars is the Soundracer, which can make even an old beater at least sound like a Ferrari. The device plugs into a 12-volt power point and replicates the roar of a sports car engine through the car’s audio system via a built in FM transmitter.

As usual, the president gave a Thanksgiving proclamation. President William H. Taft expressed gratitude that America continued “to be at peace with the rest of the world.” The U.S. had never known a World War at that point. “In all essential matters our relations with other peoples are harmonious…” Taft wrote.

If you’re planning a St. Louis holiday shopping trip, why not check out some independently owned stores and get away from frenetic mall mobs for at least part of your trip? There are hundreds, from funky shops in University City’s Loop on Delmar...

“It was built in 1926 and had always been a community market, although the quality had gone down – it was just a convenience store,” Lipton says. “It would probably turn into a bank or shoe store. And I really believed it needed to stay a community market.

Seems she can get mighty far as the members of the writer’s colony she’s staying at can’t help but be drawn to her. Famous crime novelist Nick (Roger Allem) is intent on bedding Tamara, which isn’t much of a compliment, as he would sleep with a post.

Hollywood is not above gouging filmgoers every chance it gets (see the current 3-D scam for proof) and it’s obvious Warner Brothers Studios is out to squeeze every last dime from the fans of the Harry Potter franchise by splitting the last of J.K. Rowling’s novels into two features.

Several years ago here at Now Playing world headquarters we broke the story on Thanksgiving Eve being the biggest party night of the year in the bar and club scene.

One of the all time best experiences in live music must be experiencing seasoned popular musicians familiar with each other performing songs they care for and know well. The Stone Cold Blues Band fits this idea to a “T” with three of the finest and most adept veterans of the local scene steeped in blues, r b and jazz playing the show.

You asked for it, we asked for it, and now we've all got it - Pub Crawl listings are now arranged alphebetically by venue so you can find your favorite bar and see what bands play there this week..

Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at www.illinoistimes.com.

Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending the event..

Here’s a holiday treat for central Illinoisans. Over the Moon Productions gives two free performances of the award-winning comedy Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.

Downtown Springfield, Inc., presents five nights in December where they bring out the festivities and entertainment and unroll the streets from 5 to 8 p.m.

Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St, 217-523-2787..

L. Brent Kington: Mythic Metalsmith.

You can help our local crisis nursery, which opens its doors to parents at risk for abuse or who are in crisis and need emergency childcare, by placing a donation under the decorated Beanie Baby Bears tree in the lobby at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Eastside Pride and Springfield Social Club Happy Hour.

GROW in Illinois Mental Health Support Group.

Visit the Illinois Executive Mansion from Nov. 30 through Jan. 8 to see the governor’s home decorated for the holidays. The decorations have a distinctly historic taste this year thanks to staff and volunteers from Springfield area museums and historic sites.

CAPITOL STORAGE LLC IS ADVERTISING THE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS , ETC. STORED IN THE FOLLOWING UNITS AT THE FOL- LOWING LOCATIONS. Location: 2225 J. David Jones Parkway Unit # 612/601 H - Terry Broida 1529 Maryland, Springfield, Il 62702 Unit # 798 K - Justin Colclasure 722 W.

Compiled from the nation’s press by Roland Sweet. Authentication on demand..

$10 a week for 30 words. To place your ad, contact your display rep or e-mail your ad and contact information to nbulli@illinoistimes.com.

square, Virden. M-F 10-5 Saturday 10-3. 217-965-3641 slyfox@royell.org.

I’m a 26-year-old guy who’s been on 30 dates this year in hopes of finding a woman to build a long, healthy relationship with, but I only ended up with a few notches in my belt. Last night, I went out with a girl who shook my world. I’ve never fallen for somebody so quickly, and the thought of her not liking me tore me apart inside.