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Banker hubris knows no bounds
Yes, the exorbitant bonus checks pocketed each year by the Goldman Sachers, Citigroupers and other financial tinkerers have been cut by about 25 percent this year, and – oh! – you should hear the Wall Streeters moaning the hard-times, down-and-out banker blues.

All aboard
I suppose the question to the Springfield City Council ought to be phrased this way: If they come, will you build it? “It” is a multimodal transit center, a nice plan for which was unveiled in February by Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission [See the Feb.

Don’t let Springfield be Harrisburg, Pa.
Harrisburg, Pa., and Springfield have some interesting and frightening parallels. Like Springfield, Harrisburg is the capital city and the county seat. The city has a population of nearly 50,000 with a three-county regional agricultural area of approximately 500,000.

Jesse White takes a tumble
Secretary White has managed to mostly avoid scandals throughout his life and as a result has become one of the most popular Democratic politicians of the past half century – one year winning all 102 Illinois counties and then still taking about 70...

LETTERS
For this reason alone, there should not be differing laws governing municipal, religious and privately held cemeteries. [ See “Buried: Oak Ridge Cemetery has serious financial problems,” by Bruce Rushton, March 22.

Harrisburg, Pa.
Today’s political and policy narratives are monopolized by calls for the downsizing of government. It is clear that the public has no appetite for tax or rate increases and that trust in government is dangerously low.

Not at the trough
The list released last week by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a bipartisan affair. It includes such names as U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, who took more than $154,000 from his campaign fund and gave his mother an additional $23,711, and U.

10-year prison sentence for hit-and-run driver
That’s how Sangamon County Circuit Judge Leo Zappa described the death of Danny Dapron Jr., a 30-year-old cyclist killed in a hit-and-run accident on Aug. 8, 2010. Zappa sentenced the driver, Ursula Jones, 23, of Springfield, to 10 years in prison on March 21.

DOLLARS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS
“With so many dedicated neighbors and organizations within Ward 6, we wanted to give back and help financially to support efforts that are happening all around our inner city,” Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe said.

FREECYCLING FRIENDS
Spring cleaning is a gratifying practice, especially when it comes to eliminating clutter. Nearly everyone has a piece of old exercise equipment, a stack of National Geographic back issues, or some other treasure around the house that may have plenty of useful life left…just not for you.

A lackluster performance by Madigan’s candidate
Some things went as expected, notably the 50th Senate District race between incumbent Sam McCann of Carlinville and Gray Noll of Springfield, who got crushed in the Republican contest.

Civil union adoption fight gets heated
Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, sponsors Senate Bill 2495, which would allow a religious adoption agency to not place children in a home if the agency believes doing so would compromise its religious beliefs.

Best in Show
Second place: Ann Frescura Third place: Lauren Williams Honorable mention:.

Images of Illinois
“These images are so amazing we want everyone to see them,” explains contest director, PAA Gallery II manager and all-around visual arts mover-and-shaker Jennifer Snopko. “So, we’re projecting and rotating all 400 images digitally onto the wall of the gallery during the exhibition opening.

People category
continued on page 12.

Images of Illinois
continued from page 11.

Things category
continued on page 14.

Children 12 and under category
Children 12 and under category.

Casa a regular fun house
They’re called “vanity projects,” films that major stars are allowed to make based on their clout at the box office. Often these films have little appeal to major studios, as they are of such a personal nature to the talent involved that it’s perceived that there’s little widespread appeal.

More than morels
Whether it’s a good or bad year for morels depends on several factors (as do all fungi): a hospitable location, precisely the right soil temperature and abundant rainfall are the most important. But there are other wild or at least semi-wild edibles worth foraging for in spring.

Confessions of a (minor) rock star
The acclaimed lyricist’s first foray into “literature” has been garnering positive responses, somewhat to Doughty’s surprise. “The book has been received very favorably. I was sort of braced for – as I’m always braced for – being smacked in the face with negativity, because I’m just an insecure person.

Marching on to April
Kick off your party week with a visit to the Trading Post on Thursday to hear the “eclectic sounds and songs” of Kortney Leatherwood and Perry Zubeck “live and unplugged,” according to funnily facetious promo posters boasting quotes from Rolling Stone.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | SOMA
What happens when you take a batch of well-seasoned local musicians and combine them into a brand new concoction? Go see for yourself as SOMA breaks into the Springfield scene with its first full-on public display of live music.

PUB CRAWL
The Legendary Clampetts - Rock Out for Peace.

Square of the Roots
Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at www.illinoistimes.com.

THE CALENDAR
children 12 and younger. Contact the IC TheatreWorks Box Office at 217-245- 3471, Illinois College Sibert Theatre, McGaw Fine Arts Center, Jacksonville. The Hope Beyond The Grave.

BOOK/MUSIC | Doses of rock ‘n’ roll
Dive into the world of addiction and rock and roll as Mike Doughty stars at The Legacy Theatre on Friday, Mar. 30 reading from his new memoir, The Book of Drugs.

MUSIC | String fling
Saturday, Mar. 31, at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS, guest conductor Andrew Sewell, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra music director, leads the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in a concert of swashbuckling overtures, brilliant symphonies and the beautiful Brahms Violin Concerto featuring extraordinary world-renown violinist, Vadim Gluzman.

MUSIC | Hardscrabble sounds
Virginia country-folk duo, Doug and Telisha Williams, play at the Hoogland Center for the Arts Saturday, Mar. 31. This WUIS Bedrock 66 Live concert proves to be a memorable mix of the plight of Blue Ridge Mountain folk and the struggle of main street America.

THE CALENDAR
Network. Interconnected life journey of farm animals, former farmers and animal rescuers vs. out-of-control industrial system. 787-0014. Lincoln Library, 326 S. Seventh St, 217-753-4900..

DANCE | Slick show
Over 100 Springfield Figure Skating Club members perform three ice shows at the Nelson Center on two days, March 31 and April 1. The group will perform ice versions of “Annie,” “Chicago,” “The Greatest Star” from Funny Girl,.

THE CALENDAR
collect gently used or new bicycles, skateboards, roller blades or scooters. 502-6277, 971- 1036. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Illinois Capitol Region, 928 S. Spring St. The Write Brothers.

PUBLICNOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEV- ENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RUBY J. SWANEY, Deceased NO. 2012-P-119 DEATH AND CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given to claimants of the Estate of RUBY J. SWANEY, Deceased.