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Involve kids in back-to-school shopping
Back to school means seeing friends, catching up and wearing new clothes, which is fun and exciting for kids. But for parents, back-to-school shopping, planning and scheduling can be stressful.

Taking the Christian out of the YMCA
The American public tends to be ignorant of any history that hasn’t been the subject of a TV series, and so it was no surprise when market detectives hired by the national YMCA found members of that public to be “confused” about what it is, exactly, that a Young Men’s Christian Association is.

Fighting back against the banksters
Just recently, we learned from Kenneth Feinberg, the government’s special investigator of banker pay, that top executives of 17 financial giants shoveled $1.6 billion in excess compensation to themselves in 2008 — at the very moment their failing banks began to draw billions of bailout dollars from us taxpayers.

LETTERS
While the author of “Slower than a speeding bullet” [by James Krohe Jr., Aug. 5] makes salient points about the competing concerns of passenger versus freight rail, he overlooks the fact that freight and passenger rail have successfully coexisted on the same infrastructure for more than 150 years.

grosspoem #7
greater love hath no friend than to help another friend clean out her cesspool this was many many years ago we excavated to the buried lid then pried it up what an awesome sight rather lovely if you can divide beauty from substance mostly brown but...

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail
The first is to do as much opposition research as possible on their Republican opponents to keep races “localized” with nasty revelations about individual candidates. The second is to try to tie the Republicans as closely as they can to the more radical elements within the GOP, including the “tea party” leaders.

Closed murder case still raises questions
Page III on Nov. 11, 1993, held the city of Springfield in suspense for 18 days, until Springfield police solved the case with a confession from the gunman. Michael Gansbauer, then 17, was convicted of first-degree murder and is currently serving a 40-year sentence in the state prison at Jacksonville.

PEACE PARADE
Once run by the Heartland Peace Center, Peace Camp is now organized by individual volunteers. The free day camp was held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day for one week. To watch over the children and teach them about peace, about 20 young adults generally ranging from age 16 to 20 volunteered their time.

EGAD, BAD WEBSITE
Central Illinois has a lot of great nonprofit groups that help the poor and the vulnerable of all ages. They do great work and meet a lot of important needs, but sometimes their presence on the Internet leaves something to be desired.

Housing starts
Across the street from the house she was born in, longtime Springfield resident Jacqueline Carter Smith last week stood beside city and state officials in a vacant lot on the city’s east side.

Artist to paint a five-story mural in pursuit of ArtPrize
Mayosky begins work on the project this week and hopes that local folks who admire his artistry and/or his chutzpah will donate enough money to meet his allocated budget of $5,300. In particular he needs $500 for truck rental, and $1,050 to buy a man-lift by Friday.

A grand tradition at the Grandstand
Darius Rucker, the band’s lead singer – often mistakenly called “Hootie” himself – will return to the Grandstand at this year’s fair, but not with “the Blowfish” in tow. (Hootie and the Blowfish were allegedly nicknames for two of Rucker’s college friends and didn’t actually refer to any band members.

Fighting like crazy
His evidence? Elizabeth was exploring and discussing other religious philosophies and Theophilus thought they were “dangerous to the spiritual interests of his children and the community,” wrote Elizabeth in one of many books about her experiences and the need for mental health care reform.

When State Fair food was real
Ah, the Illinois State Fair – the highlight of my childhood summers. From about the third grade on, I sold produce from my grandparents’ organic farm from a makeshift stand at the end of our driveway. Every year I hoarded those earnings, my allowance and babysitting money, then blew it all on a gloriously uninhibited fair week.

RealCuisine Recipe
This caramel corn is simple and simply delicious. Dark corn syrup and vanilla make most traditional; using maple syrup and flavoring is a nice variation. Adding just peanuts makes it “Cracker Jack.” Using other nuts, singly or in combination, creates a more sophisticated version.

The capital city is bloomin ’ beautiful
Spring rains, sweltering summer heat and those dang Japanese beetles made this yet another challenging year to be a flower gardener in central Illinois. And yet nearly 80 individuals and organizations stepped up and entered a project in the 2010 Springfield in Bloom competition.

Residential projects
Wilma Heckencamp/Sheila Albright 4109-4111 Camomile Lane.

Business makeover projects
Springfield Electric, 700 N. 9th St..

Business gardens
Cedar Point Apartments 1666 Seven Pines Rd..

Nonprofit organization projects
South Side Christian Church 2600 S. MacArthur Blvd..

Residential makeover projects
Ron and Marilyn Miller, 5624 Legacy Lane.

Neighborhood group projects
Vinegar Hill Neighbors 902, 904, 908, 912 South First Street.

Kids far more than just all right
Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a couple that’s achieved the sort of balance necessary for any committed pair to survive. However, their family is put in jeopardy when their children Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) track down the sperm donor their moms used.

Movie times Aug 13-15
AMC listings are for Friday, Aug 13 through Sunday, Aug 15. Bracketed show times are Friday/Saturday only late shows. Weekday or ShowPlace 12 movie times were not available at press time. All times are subject to change. For updates on AMC films, call 1-800-FAN- DANGO.

State Fair, the musical
Yes, fair citizens of central Illinois and other creatures making a beeline for the Illinois State Fair, the time is upon us.

PUB CRAWL
Dates, times and locations

BAND SPOTLIGHT
Singer-songwriters belong to a special group of performers, those who not only entertain, but also edify and enlighten, espousing their personal beliefs to a hopefully appreciative audience.

THEATER
Henrik Ibsen’s dramatic play about the transformation of a young housewife’s attitude after she is caught handling a financial matter behind her husband’s back. The cast features Aasne Vigesaa as Nora, Kevin Purcell as Torvald, Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson as Christine, Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson as Dr.

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

THEATER
Bring your lawn chair or reserve a seat for an evening under the night sky as The Muni’s rendition of the popular musical Annie.

PUBLICNOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on 14th day of July, 2010 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon...

NEWS QUIRKS
Three women ran from a Waffle House restaurant in Springfield, Mo., without paying their $39 check, but they didn’t get far before one of them returned, asking for the three purses the women had left behind. She fled when the manager told her she’d have to wait, but the purses contained the women’s identification.

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
The girl of my dreams works at a restaurant I eat at almost every day. When she started six months ago, I began sitting in her section. I’ve never had feelings this strong. I can’t even look at her without freezing up. Two months ago, I asked her out, and she turned me down, saying it was a bad idea because I’m a customer and she’s too busy to date.

FIND LOCAL BIZ
Featuring one-of-a-kind modern/contemporary art including glass