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City must put neighborhoods first
Promoting safe and livable neighborhoods throughout our community should be the number one priority of city government. Embracing that priority must not only include the wise investment of our limited resources but also a willingness to seek solutions to neighborhood problems.

Unicorns on the Sangamon
When asked by new acquaintances which of my many achievements I am most proud, I do not mention my bird imitations or my role (admittedly peripheral) in the Great Bran Flake Robbery in 1967. I tell them I am proudest of having won the Harvard Prize Book.

Congress ethics rules undermined by weasels
You might recall the big ethics reform push of 2007. In January of that year, in response to public outrage over breathtakingly flagrant scandals involving uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and several Republican members of Congress, the new Democratic majority in the U.

christmas lullaby
Sleep, little baby, thine eyelids are drooping, Thy warm, tender body relaxing to rest; Jesus thus slept in the arms of sweet Mary, His dear little head on her breast. Lullaby, lullaby, sleep, little baby, sleep. Lullaby, lullaby, sleep, little baby, sleep.

LETTERS
The state found a way to pay for the capital projects. A bill approved during the veto session allows Illinois to proceed with the sale of bonds for the $31 billion capital construction plan by borrowing temporarily from the road fund, according to Crain’s Chicago Business,.

Speaker Madigan likes to share the pain
For years, reporters and pundits have said that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan preferred Republican governors because Madigan wanted to be the state’s most powerful Democrat. There is some truth to that. Madigan hasn’t played well at all with the two Democratic governors whom he’s served under as speaker.

Welcome to our 2009 Holiday Survival Guide
While it never makes sense to deny the problems we face in the world, just for the next couple of weeks we thought it would be good to stop talking about unemployment stats and health care debates. Cease and desist with the unending worry about war, global warming and nuclear threats from Iran.

The trap line
I would not be six till early May and it was only January. I had wanted a pair of kneehigh rubber boots, the shiny kind I had seen in the catalog, and I did get a pair for Christmas. I was proud of my new rubber boots and wore them all Christmas Day..

Holidays at the movies
Too bad the story isn’t as groundbreaking, or at the very least, edgy. Paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is promised a radical spinal cord surgery if he’ll infiltrate the Na’vi, using an avatar that will make him appear to be one of them, and send back intel to the powers that be, who have dubious intentions.

The cookie eaten around the world
If I hadn’t known it before, it was brought home to me when I first journeyed to New Zealand. My youngest daughter, Ashley, was going there to study viticulture and oenology (grape-growing and wine-making). Down under, the school year starts in late February, because the seasons are reversed.

RealCuisine Recipe
Preheat oven to 375°. Scatter the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Toast until the skins have begun to crack, and the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Wrap the hazelnuts in a lint-free towel or old pillowcase and let rest until they are cool enough to handle.

BAND SPOTLIGHT
One look says it all: these guys are living the rock band dream of wild times on the edge. Trash Martini hails from Chicago with Ral II and Erik Donner as the brothers behind the band.

PUB CRAWL
8:30pm-12:30am. Sandanista Open Jam w/Bruce Williams.

Happy holiday happeningss
One point to keep in mind on all the weekly shows: you might want to check with the venue or host before showing up. Sometimes those gigs are changed due to the holiday schedule and don’t get removed from the Pub Crawl. I know, I know, it’s hard to realize that the IT.

First Night 2009
This year’s schedule, a mix of yearly favorites and all new acts, features an eclectic – to say the least – group of performers such as the Springfield Ballet Company, Mark Gifford and his Barton Theater organ and the Springfield International Folk Dancers at the Lincoln Era Ball.

HOLIDAY
Check out our calendar under the category, “Faith,” for Christmas Eve and Christmas services at Springfield churches. Many offer candlelight and music.

THE CALENDAR
2009 Firefighters/Postal Club New Year’s Eve Winter Wonderland.

Holiday
Most business owners close up shop and spend time with their families on Christmas Day. Hence, many restaurants are closed. The Temple understood that some folks might want to eat out before or after church services, while others just want a good meal or the company of others on Christmas morning.

HISTORY
Discover how the Lincolns celebrated Christmas when you take a tour through the Lincoln Home during the last week of December. Ranger-guided tours start at 9 a.m., with the last tour around 4:30 p.m. Don’t miss seeing the Lincolns’ Christmas feast on their dining table, inclusive of oysters, one of Abe’s favorite Christmas foods.

MUSIC
Enjoy after-Christmas blues of the best kind with the Sally Weisenburg Blues Trio. From Peoria, Sally (vocals, keyboards and keyboard bass) Don Berbaum (guitar, harmonica, vocals) and Tony Corpus (drums) execute their professional sound of blues and R

PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on 2nd day of December, 2009 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of...

NEWS QUIRKS
A man who robbed a shoe store in Knoxville, Tenn., made off with four or five left-foot shoes from the storeroom. Police Lt. Bob Woodbridge told the Knoxville Sentinel the robber didn’t get matching pairs because the right-foot shoes were being used for displays.

THE ADVICE GODDESS
I’ve been seeing a guy for six months. It’s frustrating because I initiate our get-togethers, he returns my calls but rarely calls me, and we’ve only been intimate a few times. He went away for five weeks and, because I missed him, I asked if he’d e-mail a photo, which he did.

FIND LOCAL BIZ
cramps, stiffness, athletic injury and arthritis are just a few of the conditions that respond excellently to these therapy packs that provide moist heat to where you need it most. Just heat in your microwave. 529-482, tschoen52@sbcglobal.net.