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How to say ‘What do we owe?’ in Mandarin
If enough middle and high school students sign up for it, the Springfield and Ball-Chatham public school districts may offer instruction in Mandarin Chinese, the simplified official Chinese dialect used in the People’s Republic of China.

Standing up against sprawl
In 1979 Springfield looked a lot different than it does today, a sleepy town that many agreed was a great place to raise a family. Outsiders referred to the city jokingly as “Springpatch” and to someone arriving here from Chicago there was not much that could be called “development.

Stiffening the backbones of Democrats
Yes, America needs a new Viagra, specifically targeted to stiffen backbones — in particular, the limp backbones of Barack Obama’s team, as well as the flaccid spines of Democratic congressional leaders. Where’s the drug industry when we really need it? The Obama-ites seem incapable of firm stands.

LETTERS
Gambling is an unstable source of revenue that has never solved any of the state’s funding problems. “There is growing evidence that state-sponsored gambling is both inequitable and inadequate as a long-term revenue source — and that the associated...

northfifthstreetpoem #9
hard-hatted burly friendly men are digging two holes in front of my large red brick victorian house seen lately on the front page of the state j-r, albeit as backdrop. the pits plunge down into the berm (as it’s called in ohio; devil-strip in wisconsin —what in illinois?) the grape hyacinths are deep-sixed, just as they were about to grape out.

Why Quinn’s budget is dead on arrival
Like all of the budgets proposed by governors in the past few years, Gov. Pat Quinn’s spending outline last week was an almost complete fantasy. It has pretty much zero chance of surviving intact and will have to be tossed out and substantially reworked before the session ends.

Budget expert calls Quinn tax proposal ‘insufficient’
In his annual budget address March 10, Quinn said the state would have to make “draconian cuts” of $1.3 billion from education funding unless there is an income tax increase from the current three percent to four percent. Quinn proposed the increase to replace soon-to-expire federal stimulus funds that prevented education cuts in Fiscal Year 2010.

ATRAZINE ANSWERS
Supporters of the product say it reduces erosion and conserves soil and water by allowing farmers to till their land only during planting season. Although atrazine is banned in the European Union, the product is used on nearly two million corn acres in Illinois.

TAKE REFUGE
Waylan is a Nubian goat — he’s sweet but shy, and likes being walked on a leash. Henri, Waylan’s best buddy, is an older sheep who’s making a comeback from years of neglect. And then there’s Stevie, a big-hearted, pot-bellied pig that once suffered from poor health, but now enjoys lots of affection and attention.

Suspended officer admitted using force
Springfield Police Officer Chuck Redpath, Jr., the 26-year-old son of former Ward 4 Ald. Chuck Redpath, was slapped with a 15-day suspension for “use of force, unbecoming conduct and courtesy image” after he arrested and allegedly assaulted 29year-old Darius Billops on Nov.

Noose incidents spark hate symbols bill
Jonathan Lackland, executive director of the Illinois Association of Minorities in Government said the bill is a reaction to the infamous “noose incidents” perpetrated at City Water, Light and Power facilities during summer 2009, as well as an...

Ameren Illinois asking for $130 million rate increase
In June 2009, Ameren Illinois Utilities asked the Illinois Commerce Commission for approval to raise rates on natural gas and electricity delivery rates. AIU delivers electricity to 1.2 million Illinois customers outside Springfield, as well as 850,000 natural gas customers, some within Springfield.

Nuclear power revival?
Clinton Power Station is a silent sentry at the edge of a 5,000-acre man-made lake, six miles east of Clinton, and about 68 miles from Springfield. Its powder blue dome rises above silos, cornfields and endless country roads with names like “500 North” and “County Road 14.

The restoring cup
Different customs, ceremonies and cuisines based around tea span the globe: from Japan’s ritual tea ceremony, to Russian samovars, to British builder’s tea – so named because builders would refuse to work on sites when provisions weren’t available for their tea breaks.

RealCuisine Recipe
Use good tea. As with all food and drink, the end product can only be as good as the ingredients that go into it. There are good quality teas sold in bags, and they’re certainly convenient, but serious tea drinkers know that the best tea can only be made with loose tea.

RealCuisine Recipe
Making tea sandwiches is a great opportunity to have fun and let your creativity shine. The sandwiches should look pretty, but they should also taste as good as they look. Sandwiches can be open-faced or not. Variations – fillings, garnishes, shapes – are almost limitless.

Movie times
PLEASE NOTE: Kerasotes listings are for Friday, Mar. 19 through Thursday, Mar. 25. Bracketed show times are Sat-Sun only matinees or Fri-Sat only late shows. All times are subject to change. For updates on Kerasotes films, call 1-800-FAN- DANGO. For reviews of other films, visit www.

League an entertaining look at opposites in love
Kirk (Jay Baruchel) longs to be a pilot, but he’s stuck working security at the Pittsburgh airport. One day Molly (Alice Eve), a beautiful event planner, leaves her phone at his post and, Good Samaritan that he is, our hero returns it and gets invited to a party for his trouble.

Kristin Lems is back
During the 1970s when Illinois became a battleground as a pivotal state in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, many women and men spent a great deal of time and energy at the Capitol attempting to persuade our lawmakers and sway public opinion on the validity of the ERA.

PUB CRAWL
subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending the event..

BAND SPOTLIGHT
In early 2009 Gypsy Revival rose from the ashes of a popular Indianapolis band called Davey and the Chorus with a firm idea of creating a new original sound within the rock Americana genre.

Stranger in Paradise
The Rev. Howard Finster produced more than 46,000 pieces of art before he died at age 84 in 2001. He was a man possessed, not by demons, but by the need to create art. He was a self-proclaimed “man of visions” who put his visions into his colorful folk art.

MUSIC
Internationally acclaimed classical guitarist John Johns performs compositions by Bach, Frescobaldi, Sor, de Falla, Villa-Lobos and others March 20. Johns’ debut recital was at Carnegie Hall where the New York Times.

THE CALENDAR
The Fleming Academy of Performing Arts St. Patrick’s Coffeehouse Concert.

ATHLETICS
This Celtic sports event ranks as unusual and spirited. Kilted athletes compete in the stone put, caber toss, Scottish hammer throw, weight over bar and sheaf toss. The equipment is like none you’ve ever seen and the events are challenging, to say the least.

HANDICRAFTS
Focus in on the fabric of artwork displayed at the Springfield Area Quilt Guild’s A Community of Quilters Quilt Show the weekend of March 19-20. Besides a display of junior and antique quilts and the featured work of 2010 Marian Brockschmidt Quilting Achievement Award recipient Barbara Olinger, view competitive quilts vying in several categories.

WORKSHOPS
Promote your class, workshop or fundraiser here. Up to 30 words $10 per week; additional words .35 per word, per week. Contact your display ad rep OR email your ad (and contact info) to cenlow@illinoistimes.com.

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 22nd day of February, 2010 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of...

FINDLOCALBIZ
one-of-a-kind modern/contemporary art including glass

THE ADVICE GODDESS
In the two years I’ve been with my boyfriend, I’ve gained 40 pounds. I was unemployed, got lazy, blah, blah, blah. I’ve been trying to slim down without success, probably because I feel so bad about myself now.

NEWS QUIRKS
Police caught a 26-year-old man suspected of stealing a bottle of Schnapps and some cough drops from a grocery store in Riverton, Wyo., after he hid in a nearby building, which happened to be the police station. A dispatcher spied the suspect on the station’s surveillance camera and alerted officers.