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Scared space
The folks down in Chatham are facing that dilemma so familiar to our migrant middle class families whose second homes consist of minivans or SUVs: As more and more young families with children move to the suburb looking for a safe place to raise their tax deductions, the streets become less and less safe for kids.

Firsthand report: Iran is Israel’s primary concern
Last month in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the Palestinian city of Ramallah, I met with highlevel Israeli, Palestinian and American officials to discuss regional issues, and a range of Israeli foreign policy and domestic matters.

Six things to do in 2010
In my travels, I’ve heard many cries of despair from you good folks about the timorous Obama presidency. It’s been go-slow and don’trock-the-corporate boat. “Where’s the ‘audacity of hope?’” people are asking.

newyear’s evepoem #1
it’s new years eve it’s frigid clear and there’s a blue moon I have seen blue moons before and expect to see a number more but I will probably not live long enough to see another blue moon on a new year’s eve.

LETTERS
Treating cruelty to animals seriously doesn’t only protect animals — it makes the entire community safer. Animal abusers are cowards who take their issues out on “easy victims” which often include their fellow humans. The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals regularly appears in its records of serial rapists and murderers.

New polls look good for Jim Ryan
Rasmussen recently matched Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Jim Ryan against Democrats Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes. Ryan outpolled Gov. Quinn by seven points, 46-39, but the former Republican attorney general trailed Hynes by two points, 40-42.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM
SOS provides overnight shelter to homeless individuals each winter at the former Methodist church on Fifth Street and Capitol Avenue.

REVISITING THE RHOADS
Police had no leads for months, until two individuals — both admitted alcoholics who had seven DUI convictions between them — stepped forward to finger locals Randy Steidl and Herbert Whitlock for the murders. These testimonies led to the conviction of both men in 1987; Steidl received a death sentence.

Texting ban more bark than bite
“I think if an officer comes up alongside a vehicle, and there’s a cell phone out, and there’s movement that would indicate texting, obviously that’s something we would look at,” Coffrin says. “You’d be surprised at how much we can see into a vehicle.”.

Ball Charter’s waiting list, diversity grows
Hugh Drake once questioned the Springfield Ball Charter School’s unique teaching strategies, which include multi-age classrooms for kindergarten through eighth grade students and a learning scale that measures student progress without grades or report cards.

Decatur genealogy museum traces African-American roots
Evelyn Hood of Decatur began researching her family history some years ago, realizing how hard it is for African-Americans because landowners usually did not include surnames of their slaves in their records. Surnames would tell people their tribes. That families were divided at auction provides another hindrance.

Finding your way to fitness
As a fitness professional with more than 25 years of experience in the industry, I’d like to coach you through this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year’s resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92 percent do wrong and teach you what the 8 percent who succeed do right.

A class way to cook away the winter blues
The holidays are over. It’s cold and dark and gloomy outside. Why not chase away those midwinter doldrums by taking a cooking class or two? A variety of cooking classes are being offered locally that should appeal to cooks of all levels, from total novices to experienced home chefs.

The worst films of 2009
When people find out I’m a film critic, the common response is, “Wow! That must be a fun job.” For the most part it is, but there are other times while sitting in the dark that it feels as if the will to live is being sucked from my body.

Movie times
PLEASE NOTE: Kerasotes listings are for Friday, Jan. 8 through Thursday, Jan. 14. Bracketed show times are Saturday and Sunday only matinees or Friday and Saturday only late shows. All times are subject to change. For updates on Kerasotes films, call 1-800- FANDANGO.

Exhibition: Inspired photographs of poverty and hope in Africa
“The Valley of Mathare” is a visual representation of Hester’s eight-day experience in the Mathare Valley — a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Using both photography and video footage, Hester says his intention is to represent the hope and pain that still exists in the Mathare Valley.

Becoming Elvis
The person, or perhaps more correctly, the personality of Elvis Presley permeates our entertainment culture from all directions. His influence spans generations and runs the gamut from the ridiculous to the sublime with more than a few stops in between.

BAND SPOTLIGHT
Billed as an EP release-slash-going away party, the Brandon Carnes extravaganza this weekend is not your average concert. Son of local singer-musician Suzanne Carnes, the 20 yearold singer-songwriter is about to go itinerant and hit the mythical and mystical road by definitely “leaving Springfield indefinitely.

PUB CRAWL
Hipbone Sam w/ Bad Bill Robinson, Jim Bonefeste and Dale Canham.

THE CALENDAR
Submit calendar listings at www.illinoistimes.com.

MUSIC
Rick Dunham, aka Elvis Himselvis, and the Easy Street Band engage the audience in a birthday celebration for the king of rock and roll. Dunham has performed his tribute show in 31 states, Canada and Europe. He has been featured in the Chicago Tribune.

POETRY
Poet and hip-hop artist A.D. Carson leads a blendedmedia seminar titled “Making Lyrics Work on the Page and Making Poetry Work Out Loud” in Dawson Hall, Room 17. Community members ages 16 and older are invited to craft along under his lead. The University sponsors this event, hosted by Quiddity International Literary Journal.

SPORTS
They stand tall. They run fast. They dunk and dribble well. Don’t miss basketball at its finest and funniest. The Harlem Globetrotters, also dubbed the Magicians of Basketball, take the court at the Prairie Capital Convention Center this Sunday.

PUBLICNOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on 11th day of December, 2009 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon County, stating that CHRISTOPHER J.

THE ADVICE GODDESS
My boyfriend of six months revealed that he’s never been faithful to anyone, not even his wife of 10 years, whom he cheated on constantly because he married too young and made himself stay for the kids. When he divorced about a year ago, he decided never to lie or cheat again.

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. 553-4331, tschoen52@sbcglobal.net.

NEWS QUIRKS
Brier Cutlip, 22, and Paul Bragg, 25, were arrested for firearms possession, a felony parole violation, after sheriff’s deputies in Randolph County, W.Va., found two rifles in Cutlip’s truck. The deputies thought to look for incriminating evidence because the two men showed up at their parole meetings together dressed in blaze orange.