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Good ol’ boy government
Women comprise 52 percent of the population in Sangamon County and 53 percent in Springfield but they are significantly under-represented in elected policy positions, high-level government employment, and on local public boards and commissions. Sangamon County Board has 29 elected members and only five are women.

The Durbin Fee
Is it really possible – even in a nation whose congresspeople believe that laying off people creates jobs and whose wealthy believe that helping to pay to run the country that made them rich is unpatriotic – that some people still believed there is such as thing as free banking? Apparently, judging from the hoohah stirred up by the Durbin Fee.

Playing Washington’s inside game
When the 435 House members and 100 senators failed in July to agree on a long-term deficit reduction plan, congressional leaders did what they often do when they don’t know what to do: They appointed a committee. But don’t sneer, for this is – cue the trumpets – a supercommittee!.

LETTERS
However, fate intervened. I was struggling to lash my seabag, a two-man job. Musial was walking by, saw my predicament and offered to help. He didn’t play the big shot and introduce himself. With his help I got my seabag lashed in time to make muster. While helping me, he indulged in ordinary chitchat.

Good ol’ boy government
Many may say women have only themselves to blame if they do not run for elected office. Others suggest the lack of women candidates is a symptom of an entrenched local culture of power and privilege that by design maintains power for a select few.

Democrats are worried, with good reason
Shock combined with fear was in almost every Democratic voice the day of Costello’s announcement. If Costello was bailing on them, then things must be even worse than they thought. It didn’t help that there appeared to be no “reason” for his decision. His son, state Rep.

TRASH IT, THE RIGHT WAY
The following weekend, on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Prevention First, the Springfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will be accepting old, unwanted prescription drugs to prevent drug abuse by keeping them from getting into the wrong hands.

Occupy Springfield tries to decide what’s next
The website is first on the agenda. How, occupiers ask, can they communicate amongst themselves, keep trolls at bay and still be transparent? There is talk of having one public website and another for the chosen few who will be issued passwords. Or maybe a message board that everyone can read but only a few can change.

SOLAR COLLECTORS
Solar Universe: Central Illinois is teaming with Central Illinois Foodbank to collect food for the needy on Halloween. The company, which helps get people off the grid by installing solar-energy systems on homes and businesses, is organizing employees and volunteers to collect donated food on Oct.

Status quo to remain in coroner’s office
After hearing from a consultant who says that replacing the Sangamon County coroner with a medical examiner would cost more than $300,000 a year, county board chairman Andy Van Meter says the county will keep a coroner system that is vulnerable to the whims of whomever gets elected to the office.

Boys and Girls Club recharging
Without a full-time director from February 2010 until King’s arrival, the club last year skipped its annual fundraising gala, closed its satellite Springfield facility, the ABC Boys and Girls Club south of Bunn Park, and got a late start on many of its after-school programs.

Everybody plays
With the end of summer come the beginning of a new school year, the harvest and the start of an area tradition that draws thousands of children away from their video games and outside onto the mown grass lawns of parks and schools across Springfield. It is the fall soccer season.

Everybody plays
The YMCA isn’t the only game in town, but it is by far the largest, non-traveling, recreational league. Soccer mom Michelle McLaughlin and her daughter, Sarah, enjoy the YMCA program specifically because it fits into their busy lifestyle.

Everybody plays
“Gray needed more competition, more time on the field, not playing the same people and same teams every week,” says Meghan Freer, Gray’s mother. “And he does aspire to play in high school. So he tried out and made the premier team.” The premier is the top competitive team, made up of the most successful students who tried out for the season.

Everybody plays
“Everybody wants to,” Mike says. “Even when you’re a little kid. You see them on TV and you want to be that guy. The David Beckham. It’s a lot tougher than people think, though.

Ice cream art and science
I tasted Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream just minutes after being introduced to my first grandson. Stepping through the doorway, I was totally focused on him. But soon other priorities reared their heads. I’d driven more than 16 hours, mostly through rain, sleet and snow.

Ice cream art and science
Wow! Much of that science is about utilizing ingredients that bind the water which makes up most of ice cream’s milk and cream to other ingredients, creating ice cream that’s smooth and creamy rather than icy and gritty: i.e. that exceptional mouthfeel.

Putting the story in history
Both seek so much to explicate completely and bring to life fully every aspect of their subject that both authors have included in their front matters pictographic representations of their book’s organizing principles. Many readers will find that graphic invaluable.

Rounding out her career
Raised on the Dougan Guernsey Dairy Farm near Beloit, Wis., in the 1930s and 40s, Jackie decided at age 14 to chronicle her family’s business. In the decades since, she’s published more than a dozen books, had several plays and musicals produced, and has written a poem a week for Illinois Times.

The Big Year, light but heady
There’s a subculture of people known as birders who engage in a rather unique competition each year. This informal contest is quite simple and a bit antiquated in execution as it involves sighting as many different species of birds in North America and no definite proof is required.

Michael Taylor excursions
One of the nicest things about doing this column is the opportunity to write about what I think is good and interesting in music around town. What makes that part of the job particularly sweet is interviewing friends and discovering neat pieces of their lives I didn’t know.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Ras of Headshine
Known as an “acoustic coastal, rock and roll, feel good vibe” band, Headshine keeps it poppy and positive, very refreshing for a modern rock band. Ras, the band’s singer and songwriter, pops up to play a central Illinois show after performing in Edwardsville.

PUB CRAWL

PUB CRAWL

MUSIC | Classical character
Violinist Midori performs at Sangamon Auditorium Oct. 25. She is joined on stage by Pianist Özgür Aydin. On the repertoire for the evening: Mozart: Sonata in E-flat Major K.380; Shostakovich: Sonata Op.134; Schumann: Sonata in A minor, Op.105; and Schubert: Fantasy in C Major, D.

THE CALENDAR

THE CALENDAR

PRESENTATIONS | Tapping into talents
One of the more unique events that inspires and informs Springfield about the passions and talents of fellow neighbors is PechaKucha Night. A fifth installment takes place Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:20 p.m. in the theater room at Capital City Bar and Grill.

THE CALENDAR

THE CALENDAR

HOLIDAY | Trail treats
A safe place to trick-or-treat with the little ones this Halloween season is at Henson Robinson Zoo for the Springfield Park District’s Zoolie Ghoulie. The zoo opens at 2 p.m. on four Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 22, 23, 29 and 30, for costumed crusaders and creatures.

THE CALENDAR

THE CALENDAR

HOLIDAY | Blast for the past
The 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry marches into formation with the Springfield Art Association to fire up the Edwards Place mansion for Haunted Nights of History Oct. 20-21. Commemorating the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, the brigade is setting up the historical rooms with a light-hearted, spirited look at the past during this era.

THE CALENDAR

THE CALENDAR

THE CALENDAR

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 26th day of September, 2011 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of...

PUBLIC NOTICES
Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser shall receive a Certificate of Sale, which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the real estate after Confirmation of the sale.

PUBLIC NOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEV- ENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF ILLINOIS SANGAMON COUNTY, SPRINGFIELD, ILLI- NOIS THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, a Municipal Corporation, Plaintiff, vs. THE HEIRS AT LAW OF ALPHONSO A. YOUNG, being GLYNIS YOUNG, CHRIS C. YOUNG, DEXTER A.

PUBLIC NOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEV- ENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF ILLINOIS SANGAMON COUNTY, SPRINGFIELD, ILLI- NOIS THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, a Municipal Corporation, Plaintiff, vs. JAMES H. FARLEY, III; PNC BANK, NA, SUCCESSOR TO NATIONAL CITY BANK, UNKNOWN OWNERS and NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant(s) No.

NEWS QUIRKS
Stephen Frankie Daniel, 21, was caught robbing a gas station convenience store in Snellville, Ga., by police Lt. B.W. Brown, who happened to be waiting in line behind him.

REAL ESTATE
I11-051731 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 7TH JUDI- CIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY, SPRINGFIELD, ILLI- NOIS REGIONS BANK D/B/A REGIONS MORT- GAGE PLAINTIFF, -vs- KAREN J. STEELE; REGIONS BANK S/I/I TO UNION PLANTERS BANK, N.A.

THE ADVICE GODDESS
My husband and I are entrepreneurs, developing a new product. We’re both working long hours. He’s miserable because he has no time for his art (painting), and our sex life is in shambles. There isn’t a lot of blame or anger. We simply go about our entire days with little or no flirting and fall into bed completely exhausted at night.