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Audri says goodbye to Pops
Sept. 10. Pops had been in bed sleeping nearly 24 hours, so Karen and I went in to try to wake him, get him up. His eyes were open and staring straight ahead. The harsh snoring sound coming out of his mouth and the barely perceptible rise and fall of his chest were the only signs he was alive.

A house in a day
The construction of new housing had virtually halted in Springfield after the 1920s. The demand for decent housing by returning GIs and their families led local developers to build hundreds of houses like this one on the east side. The future author stands to the right of sisters Peggy (middle) and Debbie.

Bank of America: Always thinking of you
In the 2007-2008 Wall Street collapse, B of A took advantage of the crisis to bulk up its empire. Using $45 billion in bailout money from us taxpayers, the giant gobbled up two troubled financial powers, investment house Merrill Lynch and mortgage hustler Countrywide Financial.

LETTERS
IMMIGRATION VS. JOBS Regarding “Three strikes and you’re in: Immigrants as the solution, not the problem,” by James Krohe Jr., Nov. 10: In the first decade of the 21st century (2000 through 2009), employment levels only increased by 3.2 million, while the non-institutionalized civilian population grew by 28 million.

Audri says goodbye to Pops
Pops died Sept. 24, after a courageous battle with progressive supranuclear palsy. Thanks to his family and the guidance of Memorial Medical Center’s hospice program, he died with dignity in his own home. Rick Wade is a freelance writer living in Jacksonville.

Court to rule on Springfield legislative district
While all eyes last week turned to the Republicans’ lawsuit against the new federal district map for U.S. congressmen, a similar GOP lawsuit against the legislative district map for Springfield’s state senators and state representatives may be teetering on the brink of collapse.

Juvenile prisons now safer and more effective
A report released Nov. 16 by the John Howard Association of Illinois, a Chicagobased prison reform group, shows the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) has made improvements in safety and rehabilitation services over the past year.

SUPER SCHOOL
Springfield takes it a step further. The school recently won a National School of Distinction award, given to fewer than 2,000 schools nationwide, from the nonprofit Schools Fight Hunger program run by ConAgra Foods.

Get out of jail free – again and again
His first scrape with law enforcement as an adult came in 2008, when he was arrested on suspicion of theft and trespassing one month before his 18th birthday. He pled guilty to misdemeanor charges. In the spring of 2009, he pleaded guilty to five felony counts of burglary and received two years of probation.

Lux et veritas
Nonetheless, a preliminary budget for next year includes cutbacks in maintenance and capital expenditures, Hobbie said after a panel discussion on municipally owned utilities. He could not guarantee how long electric rates will remain at current levels.

All in the family
Another chapter in the tragedy of Tim Davlin, the former Springfield mayor who committed suicide nearly a year ago, was written Nov. 16 when a judge approved the sale of Mid-West Truckers Association stock purchased by the late mayor, apparently with stolen funds.

Holiday movie preview
If you follow movies at all you know that the Hollywood studios release what they perceive to be their best films between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Holiday movie preview
coma after a boating accident and he finds out she’s been cheating on him. He attempts to reunite with his two estranged daughters by dragging them along to confront their mother’s lover (Matthew Lillard). Razorsharp humor and cutting human insights pepper Alexander Payne’s script throughout.

Holiday movie preview
Reilly and Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) who come together to discuss a schoolyard brawl that occurred between their two sons. Needless to say, the air of civility between the couples soon falls to the wayside and their true natures emerge. Running a mere 79 minutes, this modern version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Holiday movie preview
Sandra Bullock stars as a widow who is trying to come to terms with the death of her husband (Tom Hanks), who was killed during the attacks of 9/11. Her son copes with the tragedy by searching New York City for the lock that matches a key his father left him.

Holiday movie preview
relationship between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) whose professional relationship comes into jeopardy when the latter gets romantically involved with a troubled patient (Keira Knightley). Provocative and engaging, the performances from the three principals drive this intriguing drama.

Holiday Calendar
Check out our Holiday Calendar each week until January for holiday events and activities. Events are subject to last minute changes, so we suggest phoning prior to attending. Send your holiday events one week or more in advance to calendar@illinoistimes.

Holiday Calendar
Dec 04, 3pm and 6:30pm, Features Gordon, chef prepared creations, raffles and Santa. Fundraiser for Hoogland Center for the Arts. Hickory Glen Senior Living, 1700 W. Washington, 793-0431. Holiday Concert.

Lend a hand
M.E.R.C.Y. Communities provides housing and supportive services to homeless and atrisk women and children. MERCY started in 1999, serving 10 transitional families and has grown, with our Permanent Supportive Housing, to 30 plus moms and 55 plus children. The children’s ages range from infants to 17 years old.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Let casserole come to room temperature, then cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes more, or until center is firm and top is golden brown. Lightly dust casserole with the powdered sugar.

Get on a casserole
Casseroles are an omnipresent holiday staple, be it grandma’s chicken-stuffed cheese concoction or a fried-onion encrusted green bean favorite. But getting comfortable with a casserole recipe can make it a forgettable presence on a holiday dinner table.

e-Readers made easy
Nothing soothes quite like curling up with a good book. But with the booming e-reader market, the avid readers on your gift list might soon be curling up with thousands at once.

e-Readers made easy
screen, holds up to 1,200 titles and has a battery life of three weeks. The Sony Reader Wi-Fi also offers wireless public library access to allow users to borrow books directly to the device Harry Potter fans will be especially interested: Sony is...

How to gift
Be sure to ‘gift wrap’ If you’re buying an e-reader online, look for the gift-wrap option when you check out your items for purchase. Don’t skip this step – gift-wrapping means the e-reader won’t get automatically linked to your online account and the prices won’t show up on the packaging.

I can has prezents?!
Pet ownership is at an all-time high. Sixtytwo percent of U.S. households own a pet – some 72.9 million homes, according to the 2011-2012 annual survey by the American Pet Products Association. And we’re loving – and giving – to our animals like never before.

I can has prezents?!
Interactive games from the Swedish company Nina Ottosson are designed to stimulate a dog’s brain and reinforce people-friendly behavior. “Puzzle toys provide the mental stimulation many dogs lack in their everyday life,” says owner Nina Ottosson. Fill the new treat Maze and a pet will happily work away to “solve” the puzzle and get the treat.

Thanksgiving memories
My family has had a few Thanksgivings that really stand out. Most have involved either bad weather in the form of snowstorms, or traveling. When I was 10, we drove out to San Diego to have Thanksgiving with my grandmother’s brother and his wife. That one was weird – it didn’t seem like Thanksgiving at all with balmy weather and swaying palm trees.

Thanksgiving memories
Peter broke the speed limit getting to the doctor’s. It’s standard practice now to hospitalize women whose water has broken to prevent infection, but things were more casual then. “Go on home. Head to the hospital when your contractions are 10 minutes apart.

For an early holiday gift, see Arthur Christmas
While Aardman Animation’s Wallace and Gromit characters have been embraced in their native England, they’re only marginally known in the United States.

Get your thanksgiving on
What with all the thanks givings going on I thought I’d chime in with my two cents worth, which in this economy and adjusting for inflation and all that rot, may not amount to a hill of beans.

BAND SPOTLIGHT
A singer-songwriter with multi-generational farm roots from the Missouri Ozarks, Lyal Strickland brings a staunch sense of stability and well-worn sensitivity to the performance of his self-penned material.

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

PUB CRAWL
Transatlantic, Hushpad, Luzhin Defense, Like... with Jetpacks.

THE CALENDAR
Submit calendar listings at www.illinoistimes.com.

Right on key
First Presbyterian Church offers a free lunchtime concert with pianist Agnes Wan on Wednesday, Nov. 30, starting at 12:15 p.m. Attendees may bring their lunch or purchase one at the door for $5. A Hong Kong native, Wan has won numerous awards from around the world.

THE CALENDAR
Line Dance & Swing w/ DJ Marilyn Ferry.

Heartland troubadours
Starring local acclaimed actors Kevin Purcell and Aasne Vigesaa, this is a great time to hear and see the one-hour performance that so many others have raved about as something special. A highlight of the Old State Capitol’s summer History Comes Alive program, Prairie Voices.

THE CALENDAR

Group ride
Join other bicycle enthusiasts at November Critical Mass Friday, Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m. for a night ride on the streets of Springfield. The leisurely-paced ride usually lasts about 45 minutes and averages about 15 riders. Helmets and lights are encouraged, but there are no rules.

NEWSQUIRKS
Police in Portland, Ore., found it worth their while to raid a residence for suspected drug activity after they received fliers advertising “Heroin for sale” that listed the dealers’ names and address. Lt.

THEADVICEGODDESS
For 10 years, this woman and I have had a hot-and-cold long-distance relationship, the temperature of which she’s always controlled. She’s 56; I’m 46. Last year, she felt ready to try for something lasting. She couldn’t afford to travel, so I paid for her flight.