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The urgency of shopping local
It was a sad day at The Party Tree Oct. 31, when we made our final closing announcement and bid farewell to our customers and employees. I wasn’t sure how closing day would be since the month leading up to it was like a roller coaster ride. Emotions were running high.

‘A little bit of a challenge’
Like people, streets suffer midlife crises. MacArthur Boulevard between South Grand and Wabash has been going through one for years.

Flying the un-friendly skies
Remarkable, indeed! And how have the high-flying giants been able to achieve such discipline? By deliberately shrinking competition – both through mergers that establish fewer and bigger giants and by agreeing to cut the number of flights that each one offers.

Froggie Limericks: written by the biker in response to the recent Froggie ballad published here.
Froggie wasn’t paying attention. I hit him though not my intention. Now permanently busted, on my shadow thirteen-hundred His life’s found a deeper dimension..

LETTERS
Gambling interests and lawmakers are working behind closed doors on a massive expansion of gambling that includes video gambling/slot machines at racetracks, a land-based casino in Chicago (twice the size of other casinos), 800 more gambling positions at existing casinos, and casinos in Lake County and Danville.

A word of advice to the new governor
He has known just about everybody who was anybody in Illinois and Chicago politics. He’s been an informal adviser to many of the old top dogs, and at the time he was fired he was working for Gov. George Ryan, Senate President Pate Philip and House Republican Leader Lee Daniels.

RENEWABLES RELAY
Tom Weis last week stopped in Springfield with his electric assist “Rocket Trike” on his Ride for Renewables, a public education tour promoting a 100 percent renewable energy grid by 2020 [See “Rocket trike stops in Springfield,” Oct. 28 at illinoistimes.

Area educators weigh in on state budget
General state aid, mandated programs and pre-kindergarten funding have been and should remain top education priorities for the state as it muddles through yet another budget process with record-breaking deficit projections, area educators told the Illinois State Board of Education last week at a public hearing held in Springfield.

Record-breaking year for campaign spending
The 49th Senate district, which borders Sangamon County to the south, was the most expensive legislative race of all, with Democrat incumbent Deanna Demuzio and Republican challenger Sam McCann together spending $2.67 million against one another. The previous record of $2.

Report: Early prisoner release not a scandal
The report dated Oct. 28 claims that most news stories on early prisoner release have been false and the issue has wrongly turned into a scandal.

Syrian official says resolving Arab-Israeli conflict key to peace
Speaking at the University of Illinois Springfield, Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha discussed Syrian-U.S. relations and answered questions from the audience of about 130 people. Syria is on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

Ponzi on the prairie
Pointing at two of three computers, James U. Dodge one day early this year explained to three guests in his west side Springfield home how the financial world he claimed to master could work in his favor every time. His guests were friends, curious about his guaranteed return investment strategy.

Many buildings. Many battles.
“What did I know about restoring old buildings when I started out? Absolutely nothing,” recalls Carolyn Oxtoby, who is often called “the patron saint of downtown Springfield” for her work as a real estate developer. Recently Oxtoby was in Chicago to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Landmarks Illinois as part of the Richard H.

Many buildings. Many battles.
Among the many commercial buildings she has restored and adapted for reuse is a commercial block along South Sixth Street that includes Maldaner’s Restaurant and the adjacent Trout Lily Cafe where she has lived in an upstairs apartment since her husband’s death a decade ago.

Baking pies to build a better neighborhood
Except for college and four years in Chicago when my husband was in dental school, I’ve always lived in the country. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s wonderful having our own woods with wildflowers, massive trees and wildlife; and enough land for privacy, gardening, picnics in warm weather, and bonfires in fall.

RealCuisine Recipe
Preheat the oven to 425°. Freeze the shell for at least 15 minutes, then gently press a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil onto the bottom and sides of the crust with as few wrinkles as possible. Fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Movie times Nov. 5-11
AMC listings are for Friday, Nov. 5 through Thursday, Nov. 11. 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-FANDANGO. For reviews of other films, visit www.

Superman an effective rallying cry for reform
Charter schools are pubic schools paid for by public money, but privately run. As such, there’s limited enrollment in them. Guggenheim grabs us once he focuses on five young students who are suffering in their schools for a variety of reasons.

A November for live music lovers
Now with Halloween and October safely behind us, we look forward to the upcoming holiday season with all the entertainment entities ahead. It’s never too early to brush up on your bridge lyrics for “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” or to practice those tricky little rumpa-pum-pums in “Little Drummer Boy.

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

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Park
Warning, warning this is only a reunion show. Please do not get extremely excited about Park doing more recording or touring. Miles Parkhill reports all band members including Ladd, Alex and Aaron are proud papas and plan to continue devoting precious time to the family.

Saturday November 6
Acoustic Celtic Music Session w/ Paddy’s Bargain.

Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at www.illinoistimes.com
Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at www.illinoistimes.com.

Arjia Rinpoche lecture and book signing
Arjia Rinpoche, a Tibetan high lama who fled Tibet in 1998, addresses the audience in a 45-minute lecture followed by a question and answer session and book signing.

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

Vachel Lindsay 131st Birthday Celebration Open House
Vachel Lindsay 131st Birthday Celebration Open House.

THE CALENDAR
Association of Information Technolgy Professionals.

THE CALENDAR
UIS Public Affairs Reporting Hall of Fame Induction.

Paul Taylor Dance Company
Modern dance is spectacular to watch – the emotive, complex moves and motions transport you into their story as if your empathy was quadrupled. The Paul Taylor Dance Company is one of the most critically acclaimed dance troupes in the world, with Taylor touted as one of the world’s greatest living choreographers.

POLITICS
“What if Lincoln Wins?” Lunch with Lincoln and Governor Yates.

More events, more details in our online calendar at illinoistimes.com
More events, more details in our online calendar at 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 7th day of October, 2010 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon County, stating that MARK A.

NEWSQUIRKS
Police spotted a thief leaving a Wal-Mart store in Alliance, Ohio, and gave chase but lost him. Less than an hour later, dispatchers received a call from a man reporting that a friend called to say he’d been hiding in a dumpster behind a Wal-Mart when a trash truck emptied the dumpster and began compacting 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.

AMY ALKON
I’ve been dating a great guy for three years. I occasionally get invited to work functions, and I’d like to take him, but I can’t trust him to act appropriately (not grope me in front of my co-workers, make inappropriate small talk, etc.). The thought of bringing him makes me so anxious that I go by myself.

FINDLOCALBIZ
back guarantee if not completely amazed. Back pack $29.95; neck pack $24.95. Comes with our complimentary 100% cotton, washable cover. Makes the perfect gift. Call 217-553-4331 to order..