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What scares me at Halloween
Since this is October, let me tell you about imagined trick-or-treaters on my porch. Yours may well be different but these would scare the bejeebers out of me. First were the banksters in pinstripe suits and the hedge fund traders who brought our economy to the brink of global disaster.

Gizmo-maker as god
More interesting than Jobs himself or his products are the questions his success raises about our relationships with technology, with large business corporations, and heroes. While Jobs was a big-company CEO who died with nearly $7 billion in his own bank account, he was not a typical big-company CEO, or even a typical high-tech company CEO.

Wall Street is dazed and confused
While there is a plethora of particular issues being raised by the protesters – from the corrupting power of corporate money in our elections to the demise of middle-class wages – the unifying theme is that each one adds to the rising tide of economic inequality that’s enriching the most privileged few by knocking down America’s workaday majority.

LETTERS
Unfortunately, when the legislature reconvenes for its veto session, they will consider the Tenaska Bill (SB 1653), which would do just that, by building a new plant in Taylorville. A generation from now, our children will still be paying above-market prices, while Tenaska takes profits out of state for its dirty energy.

What scares me at Halloween
Well, I didn’t promise you a pleasant column, I told you I’d share what scares me; maybe Michael Moore and President Obama would be on your porch. The thing is, we’re watching America shrink and hunker down, cutting services even as need grows. And we’ve got the money, trillions of dollars, being hoarded when it could be working and creating jobs. That’s uglier than any latex mask ever made.

Poll: Illinoisans still believe in budget magic
A large majority of Illinoisans do still believe in magic. According to the poll, 58 percent say the state budget can be balanced by cutting waste and inefficiency. And because of this belief in an utter fantasy world where fairies reign and magic dust solves all our problems, too few want to actually cut state spending programs.

BEST OF ESPRINGFIELD 2011
We’ve been publishing the Best of Springfield for so long we can hardly remember when it started. I’m pretty sure it was 1982 when we first asked our readers to lead us to the best pizza and their favorite downtown eatery.

RIP, CAITIE GIRL
Surely, there was sentiment involved here – how could anyone not vote for Caitie Girl’s, given the tragedy that struck in the midst of voting? But the shuttered restaurant, which won last year for best original menu, was the real deal.

The best dining experience
D’Arcy’s Pint 661 W. Stanford Ave., 217-492-8800 Once again, Best of Springfield voters are giving D’Arcy’s Pint five gold stars. They’d probably give ’em two thumbs up, but it’s hard to break those hands away from a plate piled gloriously high with all the fixings of the perfect horseshoe.

The best dining experience
801 E. Monroe, 544-2523 You want atmosphere? Most downtown Springfield restaurants have you covered in the charm department, but it’s Saputo’s that has mastered the art of making its customers feel both at home and uptown.

Food, glorious food
620 North Bruns, 814-0638 Since opening its doors, Alexander’s Steakhouse hasn’t changed its menu. But why should they? After all, BOS voters have ruled time and time again that you can’t find a better steak in town.

Food, glorious food
Krekel’s Custard and Hamburgers 2121 North Grand Ave., 525-4592. We all know there are tons of places in Springfield where one can get a good burger, but as in years past, voters say that Krekel’s Custard and Hamburgers serves the best burgers in town.

Food, glorious food
Hunan’s Chinese Restaurant and Sushi Bar 1101 Wabash Ave., 793-0999 It didn’t take us long to figure out why BOS voters couldn’t decided whether China Star or Hunan’s Chinese Restaurant and Sushi Bar has the best Chinese food in town. Diners tell us that Hunan’s offers some of the finest sushi in Springfield.

Food, glorious food
Panera Bread 3019 South Dirksen Parkway, 529-6200 3101 White Oaks Drive, 726-5070 Panera offers approximately sixteen types of bread, nine varieties of bagels, and six kinds of muffins. But they don’t stop there. Panera Bread also has a wide variety of brownies, cookies, scones and coffee cakes.

Food, glorious food
Olive Garden 2991 South Veterans Pkwy, 793-0318 With only two salads on the menu, our survey proves that you don’t need a wide variety of salads to be declared the best.

Food, glorious food
Gabatoni’s 300 East Laurel, 528-9629 3219 Lake Plaza Drive, 529-5030 History repeats itself with the Best of Springfield, for voters have once again selected Gabatoni’s as the best pizza in the capital city. With nearly 60 years of experience serving up delicious pizza pies, it’s clear that we can’t get enough.

Food, glorious food
Chesapeake Seafood House 3045 East Clear Lake Ave., 522-5220 Judging by its name, one might think that the Chesapeake Seafood House is located near the water on the east cost. But one visit to the restaurant, housed in an 1850s mansion, and you will thank your lucky stars that we have such delectable seafood in our own backyard.

Food, glorious food
Clay’s Popeye’s Barbecue 1121 South Grand Ave., 522-0386 There’s something about Clay’s Popeye’s Barbecue that makes BOS voters feel good deep down in their soul. Perhaps it’s the 100-year-old sauce recipe passed down from generation to generation.

Food, glorious food
Joe Rogers’ “The Den” Chili Parlor 820 S. Ninth St., 522-3722 On any given day, the line at Joe Rogers’ Chili Parlor stretches out onto the parking lot. Having stood in that line a time or two, we were not surprised to see that the restaurant, also known as “The Den,” won the best chili category by a landslide. In fact, Joe’s received more votes than the second and third place winners combined. What makes Joe Rogers special is the fact that the meat and beans are cooked separately, allowing diners to customize their chili to suit their taste. Not only can diners select the degree of spiciness (mild, hot, medium hot or firebrand), they also choose the amount of meat, beans and oil, if any at all. While we prefer medium hot, with extra meat and beans and a tamale, we encourage you to experiment a bit and come up with your own concoction. If you’re feeling daring, we challenge you to try a bowl of Joe’s firebrand. Should you succeed in finishing it, your name will be placed on the restaurant’s wall with other brave souls.

Are you being served?
Brickhouse Grill & Pub 3136 W. Iles Ave., 546-2745 219 S. Fifth St., (downtown), 679-1500 OK, you’ve got your cheeseburgers, your horseshoes, your nachos, your chicken wings, your seared ahi tuna steak salad. Huh? Brickhouse combines standard tavern fare with a hint of the exotic that doesn’t go too far.

Imbibe me
Friar Tuck 2930 Constitution Drive, 698-1116 With as much floor space as a supermarket, Friar Tuck’s has room for lots and lots of alcohol, and they do, indeed, have lots and lots of alcohol, ranging from cognac to moonshine. Wine doesn’t get short shrift, with aisle-upon-aisle groaning under the weight of offerings from all corners of the planet.

Imbibe me
Club Station House 306 E. Washington St., 525-0438 Closed last year for a few months while new management took the reins, the bar at 306 E. Washington is back and better than ever. Formerly called Station House, the new Club Station House now has a bigger dance floor, an upgraded bar and a display window looking out onto the street.

Entertainment & nightlife
Dave Littrell Band As the frontman and main composer for the Station, Dave Littrell established the Chatham-based group as road warriors, traveling for years across the nation and specifically the Midwest as a progressive electric jam band staple.

Entertainment & nightlife
Jim Leach Fast talking for sure, but it’s his fast thinking that makes Jim Leach the best of the bunch within the talk radio DJ world of our capital city. As the main morning man on WMAY 970 AM, Leach also captains the entire ship on Springfield’s only alllocal, all-day station where folks call in to talk about the issues of the day.

Entertainment & nightlife
Muni/Hairspray Our very own Springfield Muni is one of the largest, all-volunteer, community theater groups in the nation.

Entertainment & nightlife
Black Magic Johnson When you say “the blues” in Springfield, Black Magic Johnson is the band you are speaking about and Mr. Black Magic Johnson himself, Reggie Britton, is the driving force behind the group. Joined by lead guitarist Alexis V.

Entertainment & nightlife
No stranger to this category, Ms. Hartman should be given a lifetime achievement award as the absolute top personality in the Springfield jazz scene for all her years of good work making music that moves us.

Capital city people & places
Knight’s Action Park 1700 Knight’s Recreation Drive, 546-8881 When the summer sun settles into scorch mode, Springfield is lucky it has a little oasis on the south end of town.

Capital city people & places
Chad Young and Josh Powell Twenty-five is too young to die, but that became the story last fall of two young men from the Springfield area.

Capital city people & places
Animal Protective League 1001 Taintor Road, 544-7387 Springfield has at least five places where you can adopt an unwanted dog or cat, but Animal Protective League is, by far, the favorite with readers, who gave the APL more than twice as many tail-wags as all other contenders combined.

Capital city people & places
Greg Gardner, Individual Differences, Inc. 3137 Woodward, 1-800-756-3589 A star wrestler in his youth and later a high school wrestling coach, Greg Gardner was faced with a major change of pace after a car hit him more than six years ago. During treatment, complications led to a stroke and spinal cord injury that paralyzed him below the chest.

Capital city people & places
Cozy Dog Drive-In 2935 S. Sixth St., 525-1992 Don’t bother bringing anything to read when you hit the Cozy Dog. From newspaper clippings to old menus to toys to license plates, you could spend hours just staring at stuff tacked to the walls and still miss something.

Capital city biz bests
Gamestop 2506 N. Dirksen Parkway, 492-1105 2501 Wabash Ave., 793-9449 2854 Veterans Parkway, 698-5614 3421 Freedom Drive, 546-9890 PSP, 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox. Those game systems are either a foreign language or a first language. But whether you’re new or old to the gaming world, Gamestop is the place to go.

Capital city biz bests
FitClub 2701 E. Sangamon Ave., 788-8250 3631 S. Sixth Street Rd., 787-8348 2811 W. Lawrence Ave., 787-1111 With 94,000 square feet of space divided between three fitness centers in Springfield, FitClub is huge.

Capital city biz bests
United Community Bank 301 North Main St. Chatham, 483-2491 Numerous branches Headquartered in Chatham, United Community Bank isn’t a faceless Wall Street-based conglomerate; it is committed to the local market. In fact, the bank has just committed $100 million to small business and agricultural lending in central Illinois.

Capital city biz bests
Nicole Andrews, The Gallery 2939 Montvale Drive, 787-8119 A blonde is not just a blonde. You see, there’s such a thing as a platinum blonde, a golden blonde, a caramel blonde and a strawberry blonde – not to mention hundreds of shades in between.

Capital city biz bests
R&M Cyclery  832 W. Washington St., 544-9550 This one was close, with just six votes separating R & M from the runner-up, but the victory here is well-deserved. You’ll find no greater selection than here, from starter bikes to recumbents to high-end carbon fiber road racing bikes costing thousands of dollars.

Capital city biz bests
Laketown Animal Hospital 1115 Stevenson Drive, 529-4211 With a half-dozen veterinarians on staff, Laketown Animal Hospital can handle most anything, from laser surgery to dentistry. The clinic offers after-hours emergency care and has a mobile resuscitation unit if your pet can’t make it in under its own power.

Off the grid
Bicycle trails Woo hoo! At long last, the Sangamon Valley Trail on the west side, dreamed of for years, opened last summer, and it was about darn time. At a cost of $3.6 million, mostly federal stimulus funds, for more than five miles of trail perfect for runners, cyclists and walkers, there is no bigger bang for a government buck, especially when you consider that all the running, cycling and walking might prolong a few tickers and lower the cost of health care. There is also the planet to consider, and Schwinns don’t generate greenhouse gases. Built on abandoned railroad tracks, the trail links Centennial Park with Stuart Park. Plans call for the trail to be extended north to Athens. Get cracking. Runner-up: Education

Off the grid
Scheels Outfitters 3801 South MacArthur Boulevard, 546-5903 Best of voters are keen on Springfield’s newest sports store. Scheels, one of the first anchor tenants in the Legacy Pointe Town Center on the south end of MacArthur Boulevard, made headlines throughout the spring as anticipation built for its June 2011 opening.

Nourishing the nation, one tray at a time
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack explained: “The vision is, he [President Obama] wants more nutritious food in schools. In a perfect world, everything that was sold, everything that was purchased and consumed, would be local, so the economy would receive the benefit of that.

Springfield hosts Farm to School Summit
In Springfield, on Saturday, Nov. 5, parents, teachers, farmers, food service professionals, school administrators and anyone interested in what’s happening and what needs to happen to bring fresh local food into our own local schools will be able to...

Nourishing the nation, one tray at a time
Both the food itself and the experiential education surrounding it are equally essential to the success of farm to school programs in changing eating habits for the better. When schools tout the benefit of eating produce but don’t offer it in their meals, students are being taught one thing but shown another.

Puss a charmer from beginning to end
While Puss (voice by Antonio Banderas) struts about with a roguish swagger, we come to find out that there’s a heart of gold beating beneath his furry exterior. Orphaned, he was taken into an orphanage where other misfit fairy tale creatures reside and soon befriends Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis).

Balancing Brooke
In a world frighteningly full of frustrated folks fighting to attain and sustain a peaceful existence, Brooke Thomas found a life of balance and contentment. With a joyful marriage, satisfying work and a fulfilling form of personal expression, the Springfield-based singer and songwriter is sitting pretty in a sweet spot.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Old Black and Blue Eyes
The power trio specialized in performing Frank Sinatra standards punk-rock style and made a splash doing so. Now bandmates Dauksch, Brad Bischoff and Michael Mace make “their own brand of high-energy rock fused with mod, ska and punk” while still keeping a few rambunctious versions of Mr.

PUB CRAWL

PUB CRAWL

THE CALENDAR

THEATER | Wild and untamed
Dress as your favorite Rocky Horror character or in your best Halloween ware and laugh yourself silly at one of the most engaging and hilariously-good times in Springfield at the Rocky Horror Show Live.

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THE CALENDAR

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HOLIDAY | Masquerade and accolade
The public is invited to a free evening of supernatural sensations brought to them by the folks at Benedictine University’s Quiddity,.

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HOLIDAY | Streets of treats
Downtown Springfield, Inc.’s Old Capitol Farmers Market 2011 season comes to a conclusion with its annual Halloween at the Market. Not only can you grab the last of season’s fresh produce Oct. 29, but you can enter your kids and dogs in a costume contest.

THEATER | To play or not to play
Six performances of the play, I Hate Hamlet,.

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MUSIC | Acoustical cuts
Singer-songwriter Bryan Adams performs an acoustic concert at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS Nov. 1. The tour is named after Adams’ current release Bare Bones,.

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PUBLIC NOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SPRINGFIELD, SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLI- NOIS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: ARLENE A. FLYNN, Deceased. No.2011-P-557 CLAIM NOTICE NOTICE IS GIVEN of the death of ARLENE A. FLYNN. Letters of Office were issued on the 12TH DAY OF OCTOBER, A.

PUBLIC NOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 7TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY — SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS GREEN TREE SERVICING LLC , PLAIN- TIFF VS DIANA HAYES AKA DIANA L HAYES AKA DIANA L SMITH; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF DIANA HAYES, IF ANY; UNKNOWN OWNERS...

PUBLIC NOTICES
NOIS THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, a Municipal Corporation, Plaintiff, vs. REMWES REAL ESTATE LLC, OSVALDO WESLY, REMWES LLC, BANK & TRUST COMPANY, TOWN & COUNTRY BANK OF SPRINGFIELD, UNKNOWN OWNERS and NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant(s) No.

NEWS QUIRKS
Otis Belicario Keene, 34, admitted stealing $300 worth of items from the base exchange store where he worked at Hurlburt Field in Mary Esther, Fla., when loss prevention officers confronted him after he wore one of the items, a $7.99 watch, to work. A colleague recognized it as among the stolen items.