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Qestions about Jefferson Crossing
The slogan of the Qik-n-EZ gas station chain is, “The two things you cherish most in your life, make it QIK and make it EZ!” The company’s owners have found that redeveloping the old Jefferson Mall property is neither qik nor easy.

Editor’s note
In this Fourth of July issue we note Independence Day with the story of Springfi eld businessman Sam Al-Khayyat, who arrived in Illinois as an immigrant from Jordan 24 years ago in time to see his fi rst fi reworks display. In Springfi eld he worked his way up, became a U.

China censorship makes U.S. press freedom shine
Years passed. Initially ownership of a cell phone, with access to uncensored, unlimited information, became the principal means of disseminating controversial news items throughout China on Sina Weibo, the national Internet. The openness enabled by the Internet, however, provoked in turn stringent measures of repression.

Congress reinterprets Jesus
Take greed, for example. Wall Street barons, whose raw greed and casino scams wrecked our real economy five years ago, are back to shoving great gobs of bonus pay into their pockets. Meanwhile, the middle class remains decimated, and millions of workaday Americans who were knocked down into poverty are still stuck there.

LETTERS
CLIMATE PLAN VICTORY On June 25, President Obama announced a comprehensive climate plan to address global warming – a welcome first step, and a big one.

Rauner moves some numbers in gov bid
Twelve percent was enough for third place. It’s tough at this point to gauge just where Rauner’s ceiling is. He could zoom way up like the unknown wealthy candidate Jack Ryan did in the 2004 Republican U.S. Senate primary, taking over first place in January and never relinquishing it.

Supreme Court decisions bolster same-sex marriage fight in Illinois
“We can take very little time to celebrate because there is so much work to do in Illinois,” said attorney Donald Hanrahan, president of the Springfield chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Subsidizing coal costs Illinois budget $20 million
That’s the question asked by an alliance of environmental groups in a report released June 27. Titled “The Impact of Coal on the Illinois State Budget,” the report says Illinois is gifting money to an already profitable industry while missing out on millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Shredgate: The plot thickens
The change to the law that forbids tampering with public records took a typically byzantine course through the General Assembly. It started out as a House bill that would have allowed authorities to declare a building a public nuisance if dog fighting, underage drinking, animal cruelty or child pornography were found on the premises.

Summer movie guide 2013
Like a gambling addict who continues to lay large wagers against the house despite mixed results, Hollywood studios keep spending insane amounts of money in the hopes of delivering a fi lm that not only appeals to American audiences but to those overseas as well.

The top 10 summer indies
Teen angst, a biography of a modern genius, a bit of Shakespeare and the annual Woody Allen feature are among the 10 most promising small-budget fi lms to be released in the next two months. Brief descriptions follow, along with approximate release dates.

Living the American Dream in Springfield
Although he came into the world in 1964, Bassam “Sam” Al-Khayyat (pronounced Alkite) refers to July 3, 1989, as the day he was born. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” he says. “My plane landed, and as I stepped through the door the wind brought the smell of fresh cut grass.

Visit Santa Claus in July
Holiday World is located in Santa Claus, Ind., in the southern part of the state east of Evansville, about four hours from Springfield. In Santa Claus it’s all about Christmas. Oh and about Halloween and Fourth of July, but mostly Christmas. The park was the first themed park in the United States, created by Louis J.

Down acceptable
The movie makes no bones about what it’s all about. It wastes little time plunging us into its cliché-filled script, knowing that when you are presenting well-worn material, the best approach is to cover it fast and get to the good stuff.

2013 Lo Springfield Memb
Buckley’s Prairie Landscaping Butler Funeral Homes Café Andiamo Café Moxo Cagnoni Development Calhoun Mohawk Floorz Capitol Blue Print, Incorporated Carrollton Bank Celebrations Catering Central IL Trades & Labor Council Central Illinois Community...

ocal First bership Directory
Giganti and Giganti Glenn Brunk Stationers GoWeb1.com Grand Avenue Deli Greater Springfi eld Chamber of Commerce Green Family Stores Gyros Stop Haenig Electric Co., Inc..

2013 Lo Springfield Memb
Millie’s Chili Mister Battery Modern Mailing and Printing Murphy & Associates CPAs, LLC Naturally You Nail Studio Nicoud Insurance Noonan True Value/Just Ask Rental O3 Internet Consulting Obed & Isaac’s Paris Cleaners Pasfi eld House Pease’s, Inc..

ocal First bership Directory
Star Graphics & Media Steam Shine Stein Design Sundown One Telecom Café Terry Farmer Photography The Arizona Tile Company The Body Quest Store The Cleaning Guy The Closet Guy The Corkscrew The Gables The Northender The Organized Home The Pub at...

A salute to red, white and blue desserts
It’s not hard to figure out why. Blueberries are one of the few ways to have blue food that don’t involve food coloring. Add the red raspberries or strawberries and some sort of white substrate, and hey presto! “Stars and Stripes Forever” starts running through your head.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | New City Road
Truly a representation of the interplay of generations in the Springfield music scene, New City Road, a new band in town, combines family members with longtime local players to create a special blend of musical magic.

PUB CRAWL
Pound for Pound, Black Mask, Big Storm, Execution Techniques.

Independence daze
There’s something about the Fourth holiday being near the end of the work week that makes it all the more fun and exciting. Lots of folks I know are out of town this week and many others plan on leaving work early on Wednesday, taking off Friday and making this Independence Day thing a real blast, if you will.

THE CALENDAR
entertainment hosted by Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation. Orr Building. $40-$50. 415-4408. Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Ave, 217-415-4408. Divernon Homecoming.

FILM | Bringing the big screen to life
Don your favorite 50s character attire from the movie Grease.

HISTORY | Period get-together
Clara Irwin’s Strawberry Party at the Elijah Iles House is set for the Fourth of July and you’re invited. No reservations and no admittance fees are required to join the party. The Lincoln Troubadours singing ensemble and storyteller Cathy Mosley will entertain guests.

HISTORY | Literature ladies
Saturday Afternoons at 603, a series of programs at the Vachel Lindsay Home, continues Saturday, July 6, with a 45-minute presentation by Nancy Chapin of Chatham on early literary clubs in Springfield. Chapin, a member of one of the oldest of these organizations, has done extensive research on the topic.