A while back I remarked that Mayor Tim Davlin has his work cut out for him if he wants to see Springfield ranked as the top environmental city in the U.S. (“Greener than thou,” Sept. 16) Installing LED traffic lights reduces a municipal energy budget the way that ordering a Diet Coke with your double cheese reduces your waistline.

Each year approximately 180,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States and 40,000 women die as a result of their illness. In Illinois, nearly 10,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually. Virtually everyone has been touched in some way by breast cancer – whether it’s a mother, sister or friend.

For example, few grass-roots tea bag enthusiasts realize that the chief funder of their anti-establishment rallies is uber-establishmentarian, David Koch, who’s using the tea party to advance his laissez-faire agenda of creating a corporate kleptocracy that’ll stomp on people like them.

Your article on Sen. Bill Brady [see “The cost of Brady’s plan,” by Patrick Yeagle, Oct. 28] hammers at budget cuts Springfield might suffer if he is elected. The budget is out of control, period. Illinois, including Springfield, needs to cut its budget like families and businesses do when money is scarce.

I joked to a Democrat last week that I seriously doubted state Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D- Orland Park) would ever vote for a legislative pay raise again after getting whacked so hard by the Republicans for his pay hike votes this fall. McCarthy has been brutalized for those votes and he’s had to work harder on this campaign that he has in over a decade.

If voters next week approve a referendum raising Sangamon County’s sales tax rate from 8 percent to a maximum of 9 percent, it would reaffirm a philosophical shift in school funding already begun by the Illinois state legislature, says David Root, superintendent of Williamsville schools.

A simple fix, however, is now in place after Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association member Chris Boyster organized a workday on Oct. 9. With pumpkin decorating and refreshments being served below, a handful of volunteers offered a little elbow grease and several hours of their time to give the west side of the overpass a fresh coat of paint.

On Oct. 10, Sangamon County Board member William “Bill” Moss, a Republican, got into a fight with a 16-year-old Grand Valley Village resident while campaigning in the private neighborhood on Springfield’s north side.

On July 23, the Springfield Police Department announced the arrest of five young men who were allegedly responsible for around 100 instances of theft from homes and cars in Springfield and surrounding communities.

But a book is only so powerful, Steingraber says. She says that, after the 1997 book release, the county in which Pekin lies couldn’t boast even one bookstore. “I couldn’t even get the books into the hands of the people who I kind of wrote it for,” Steingraber says.

BEST RESTAURANT YOU DISCOVERED THIS YEAR.

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE.

Springfield residents decided many years ago that Saputo’s savory Italian dishes are worth telling their family, friends, and neighbors. As a result, Saputo’s quickly established an atmosphere likened to the popular 1980s television show “Cheers.

2941 W. Iles Avenue., 546-3116 • 3210 Northfield Dr., 544-9206 • 6901 Preston Dr., 483-1006.

BEST PLACE TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR GRANDMA MCL Restaurant and Bakery 2151 W. Wabash Ave., 787-8706 • 101 W. Jefferson St., 788-6513.

BEST SPOT FOR A WORKING LUNCH OF 10 Dublin Pub 2413 S. MacArthur St., 793-6871 107 W. Cook, Vinegar Hill Mall, 679-1775.

Not knocking the food at Steak ’n Shake because there is none finer for the market, but the choice in this category most likely was mistaken for best food before a hangover.

661 W. Stanford Ave., 492-8800• 6901 Preston Dr., 483-1006.

BEST PIZZA Gabatoni’s 300 E. Laurel., 528-9629 3219 Lake Plaza Rd., 529-5030.

BEST BEER GARDEN Curve Inn 3219 S. Sixth St. Rd., Southern View, 529-5806.

Hmmmm. Sounds more like a friend than a server. Perhaps longevity is a key to good service as Patty worked nearly every Thursday night since the Brewhaus opened 16 years ago while Kate has walked the well-worn floors at least a couple nights a week for nearly five years.

We opened the area up for no charge after that so people could eat and drink and socialize. After repairs, performers played shortened sets of music until things concluded around midnight.” Next year’s event is slated for earlier in the year. The fun begins Aug.

BEST LOCAL THEATER GROUP Springfield Municipal Opera Association 815 East Lake Drive.

BEST SUMMER EVENT AT THE LAKE Rock the Dock at Lake Springfield Marina 17 Waters Edge Blvd..

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORT BY A NONPROFIT Hoogland Center for the Arts 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

BEST PLACE TO ENTERTAIN KIDS Knights Action Park 1700 Knights Recreation Dr.

BEST ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION Animal Protective League 1001 Taintor Rd., 544-7387.

Bob Nesbit, who teaches health at Springfield High School, was runner-up by only four votes. He has taught for 27 years in District 186, saying, “The part of education that’s important is making it interesting. I have a passion for coaching and teaching, and I think if you have that passion, you’re able to pass that on to the kids.

President and CEO Ed Gvazdinskas, who’s celebrating his 35th anniversary with the credit union, says the nearly 65-year-old institution takes its customers’ trust seriously. “The safest investment we can make for our depositing members is a loan to a borrowing member,” he says.

BEST GAME STORE GameStop 2501 Wabash Ave., 793-9449 2845 Veterans Parkway, Suite B04A, 698-5614 3421 Freedom Dr., 546-9890 2506 N. Dirksen Parkway, 493-1105.

BEST HEALTH CLUB FitClub 2811 W. Lawrence Ave., 787-1111 3631 S. Sixth St., 787-8348 2701 E. Sangamon Ave., 788-8250.

MOST SAVVY INVESTMENT COUNSELOR Steve Koch, Ameriprise 2621 Montega Dr., Suite A, 787-2435.

More than 2,300 individuals participated in this year’s BEST OF survey, significantly more than in any prior year. We hope some of that interest came from a desire to answer the few curve-ball questions we added in the “off the grid” category.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that members of The Mature Mob – Springfield’s over 50 singing and dancing troupe – are a little more “hip” than average senior citizens. The unpaid group whose annual production benefits Senior Services of Central Illinois (SSOCI) is now in its 19th year.

In a large skillet, melt 4 T. of the butter over medium high heat and stir in the onions, shallots and garlic. Cover the pan and let the vegetables sweat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, reduce the heat, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown and caramelized, 15-30 minutes.

Cooking, however, softens the flavor of even the strongest onions, making them flavorful without being overly assertive. Using super-sweet varieties when cooking can make the dish bland and boring. I love onion rings (although I only let myself order them occasionally).

Most recipes for this classic use beef stock or broth. This version, however, uses only water – the intense flavor of the caramelized onions provides more than enough depth of flavor for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. And it comes from a genuine French cook, a professor of French literature at the University of Illinois, U-C.

AMC listings are for Friday, Oct. 29 through Thursday, Nov. 4. Bracketed movie times are Saturday only matinees and Friday and Saturday late shows. All times are still subject to change. For updates on AMC films, call 1-800-FANDAN- GO. For reviews of other films, visit www.

Matt Damon, giving a poignant understated performance, is George Lonegan, a haunted man who’s been cursed with the ability to communicate with the dead. Though his brother Billy (Jay Mohr) views this skill as a blessing and a sure moneymaker, he’s callous towards the emotional effects this has on his only sibling.

The most glorious, ridiculous, fabulous, guiltfree, inspiring, creative, fun holiday we offer in modern American society comes to town this weekend. With the actual date of Oct.

Established as one of the finest pure blues bands in central Illinois, Bluesmattic built a reputation by persevering through fine playing and good performing. The rocking blues trio of Robert Beam (guitar), Greg Campbell (bass) and Scott Henrikson (drums) began as a unit in 2006 combining decades of previous experience from different areas.

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

Dress in costume, buy a $5 prop bag from the folks at the Hoogland, and you’re set to be bedazzled and entertained past your wildest dreams by ADHD Productions’ Rocky Horror Show,.

Central Illinois and the Midwest. Mason City Limits Comedy Club, 114 E. Chestnut, Mason City, 482-5233..

4pm Tue-Sat, Through Nov. 6, Twelve original prints and drawings by Springfield artist. Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site, 603 S. Fifth St..

Aaron David Miller: Israeli- Palestinian Peace Process.

$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.

Horsefeathers Antiques Gifts / Wild Hare Café.

I got laid off when my company relocated. I was unemployed for 10 months while I tried unsuccessfully to find a job. During this time, my wife resented that she was working and I was “off.” She’d criticize the housework I did, saying I never dusted or swept well enough.