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Noise about noise
Were a boom car to drive past city hall while Springfield’s city council was in session, the din would make it impossible to hear what the aldermen were saying.

Profiles in Courage against wrongful conviction
In 1983, 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico was kidnapped from her Naperville home in the middle of the day, taken to a nearby wooded location and brutally killed.

What a holy mess our oil addiction is causing
Luckily, as our country tries to cope with another oozing oil disaster, we have political leaders with the insight, expertise and cool heads to analyze the problem precisely and guide us to rational long-term solutions. For example, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas.

musicopoem # 14
have had the glorious strains of marion van der loo’s choral concert running nonstop through my head (read oliver sacks’ musicophilia if you want to learn about music in your head) but this morning at the y pool the radio was blaring out chattanooga choo choo now the melodies of hebrew love songs are interspersed with eight-to-the-bar.

LETTERS
Either the author is too young to have seen the negative social changes which have occurred since “The Pill” came into use, or has not connected the dots from the statistics about our society in the past 50 years. In my 70s, I am aware of the changes which have occurred.

In Illinois politics, it’s Goofballs vs. Goofballs
The Washington Generals basketball team was formed in the 1950s specifically to play solely against the Harlem Globetrotters. The Generals lost more than 13,000 games in the ensuing decades and won just a handful. All of those wins were due mainly to luck.

East side murder brings call for change
A slightly tense and confrontational passion filled the air of an old meeting room at Union Baptist Church on Springfield’s east side. Gathered there on a humid Thursday evening last week were more than 50 activists, neighbors and business owners – all concerned about the state of their neighborhood.

CAUTIOUS COMEBACK
One measure of the local economy is monthly building permits, based on the theory that building shows confidence in the economy, which in turn spurs more growth. If the latest numbers from the City of Springfield are any indication, we may just be on the path to recovery.

FLOWIN’ FREELY
The event, developed in cooperation with the American Cancer Society, strives to raise cancer awareness and tobacco prevention through youth engagement and entertainment. AfroFlow recognizes hip-hop’s indigenous roots and inspirational messages, using them in an interactive stage show to convey important health-related messages.

UI audit shows holes in the hull of state’s flagship school
Released May 13 by Illinois Auditor General William Holland, the 392-page routine audit found 47 issues among UI schools at Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and Springfield. They include inadequate control of procurement cards, undocumented payroll and fringe benefits for school employees and inaccurate accounting procedures.

Auditor uncovers millions in misspent state funds
Performed by the office of Illinois Auditor General William Holland, the audits expose millions of dollars of undocumented spending, lax enforcement of inventory and spending controls and poor staff training that resulted in inaccurate financial records.

Preventing Alzheimer’s
Brent Bohlen, a retired state worker and current exercise enthusiast, is an unlikely person to be speaking to doctors at a high-level conference on Alzheimer’s disease held this month at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.

Springfield whipped up a storm
Ours was located on what is now the downtown square, but was first an unoccupied square on the fringe of the early settlement, which originally centered around Second and Jefferson Streets. According to Paul Angle’s Here I Have Lived: A History of Lincoln’s Springfield.

Portion distortion
It’s an all-out war. A fierce, raging battle. On one side are those who are working to modify American eating habits to become healthier and more sensible in order to combat what have become epidemic levels of obesity and other dietary-related illnesses.

Robin Hood hits the bullseye
Screenwriter Brian Helgeland begins the tale with Robin (Crowe) in the service of King Richard (Danny Huston) who is waging war against the French on his return from the Crusades.

Movie times
PLEASE NOTE: Kerasotes listings are for Friday, May 21 through Wednesday, May 26. 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-FANDANGO. For reviews of other films, visit www.

A quarter century of Elvis Himselvis
The concept of Elvis Presley impersonation now seems a given in our list of cultural entertainment choices, but at the time Rick Dunham began his pretender adventure in 1985 the King of Rock ’n’ Roll had died on his throne (or did he?) less than a decade before.

PUB CRAWL
Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

BAND SPOTLIGHT
The harmonica surely must be the easiest instrument to learn and the most difficult to master, thereby giving the world a glut of mediocre harp blowers and a handful of skillful players. Kurt Crandall, included in the latter category of harmonica enthusiasts, plies his trade across the U.

MUSIC
Nationally known hip-hop recording artist and poet, Michael “MIKE-E” Ellison and his nationwide AfroFlow Tour perform at the Hoogland May 23 as part of the American Cancer Society’s tobacco prevention campaign using music, comedy, spoken word and dance.

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

ART
Champaign photographer Larry Kanfer is the artist whose work makes the walls come alive at the Robert Morris Gallery downtown through July. The exhibit features artwork that spans his career, including pieces from his popular Prairiescapes series.

FESTIVAL
Meet the future Clayville Inn (pictured). The old stagecoach stop and first brick building in Sangamon County is part of a small historic village and site of the Clayville Spring Festival May 22-23.

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 12th day of May, 2010 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon...

NEWSQUIRKS
Minutes after receiving a report that a convenience store had been robbed, police in Suffolk, Va., found suspect Sean Almond, 43, behind the store, having interrupted his getaway to urinate. He had the stolen cash on him.

WORKSHOPS
$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.

THE ADVICE GODDESS
This man I dated for two weeks is sensitive, spiritual, talks with trees, appreciates astrology — basically, my ideal match. But, I think I messed up, repeating bad patterns: I kissed him first and had sex too soon. He called twice at 9:30 p.m., wanting me to come over and see a movie, but we ended up naked again.

FIND LOCAL BIZ
Plus, a list of all local wedding reception venues and how to reach them. This beautiful publication is on newsstands now. You’ll love IT..