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New York, New York
It is natural in this season to think of New York City, but this year I have been thinking of it in a happier light than the 9/11 anniversary casts on it. I had reason to read the interview that banker George W. Bunn, Jr. did before he died in 1973.

They’re all just guys with their hands out
Truman was a feisty old man, here to raise funds for his friend Paul Powell in his Secretary of State race. Truman held a press conference and would only answer reporters who stood politely to ask a question of a former President of the United States. He lived up to the tagline “Give ’em Hell Harry.

Help wash formaldehyde out of baby’s hair
For years, their lobbyists, lawyers and PR agents have been making up facts, stories, half-truths and whole lies to keep lawmakers and regulators from banning various cancercausing, hormone-disrupting and otherwise destructive ingredients that their products contain.

LETTERS
IN MY EXPERIENCE There is no denying that Michael Mayosky is a very talented artist. He painted the benches in front of Recycled Records and did a great job, although it took forever to get them back. When he finished them he said he would do a portrait of my parents and grandparents to hang in the store.

The early campaigner gets the numbers
The mail started going out not long after the mid-August Illinois State Fair. Four years ago, during a national Republican tidal wave, the House Republicans preemptively launched their advertising program in mid-September, catching the Democrats off guard.

Hope Institute rebounds with innovations for better care
Created in 1957 by Dr. Charles Jordan of Springfield, the Hope Institute offers education, health and residential services for children with developmental disabilities. Karen Foley, Hope’s president and CEO, says the school isn’t a warehouse for children with special needs.

A.D. CARSON MAKES A STIR DOWN SOUTH
Springfi eld native A. D. Carson has been making headlines for his activism in South Carolina, bringing attention to the racist legacy of Clemson University, where he is working on his Ph.D. in English.

A MESSAGE TO MINORS
Knowledge is power, and a pretty solid way for kids to get knowledge is staying in school. That’s why the Springfield-based Faith Coalition for the Common Good is partnering with Springfield Public Schools to make sure students know someone cares about their attendance.

Cops clam up
Willis says he asked for the report because state police had suddenly stopped releasing the name of anyone but ticketed drivers in press releases about accidents, and hospitals won’t tell reporters how injured persons are faring unless journalists can provide names.

ALPLM panel to convene peace talks
Members of an advisory board to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library have agreed to sit on a panel designed to explore governance issues that erupted last spring when the board’s chairman pushed legislation to divorce the institution from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Building a toll road to nowhere?
First studied and rejected by the Illinois Toll Road Authority in the 1990s, the Illiana Expressway is intended to relieve congestion on Interstate 80, which runs parallel 15 miles north of the proposed Illiana corridor. The Illinois Department of Transportation supports the project, however.

Create a warm and cozy space outdoors
More and more people are staying at home to entertain rather than heading out for a night on the town. The trend of staying at home has sparked many homeowners to invest in their backyards, with outdoor kitchens and patios. But, with the crisp fall air, homeowners have to look at how to extend the use of these areas beyond the summer months.

Not every home improvement pays off
It was a house of mirrors. But this was the kind you had to live in. “No matter which way you turned, you saw yourself reflected back. It seemed like the entire house was covered in mirrors. Every wall, the ceilings, even the kitchen was mirrored,” says Allyn Rawling, a real-estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Evanston.

Blaze of glory
Gas fireplaces can’t compete with the snapcrackle-pop of real wood burning within a hearth turned wonderfully warm by glowing embers of oak, hickory and maple.

Cut your energy bill with a home energy audit
Hurley is energy services manager for Springfield City Water, Light and Power, and he oversees the utility’s home energy audit program. Hurley says CWLP has conducted about 110 energy audits so far this year, but the utility may do as many as 300 audits after a particularly hot or cold season.

Successful home security
For Michelle Tjelmeland, a good home security system is about personal safety. Various zones in her Springfield home are wired and monitored with door chimes, motion sensors, sirens and flashing lights set to signal a breakin, fire, sump pump failure...

The outside is in
“Many homebuyers are attracted to the charm of an old house but want to purchase a brand-new home. A porch adds that desired element of charm, and builders are paying more attention to this,” Frushone says. “Also, buyers today want smaller homes.

Home and garden events calendar
Illinois Herb Association Annual HerbFest.

Barbecue nation
“Geez, I’m so sorry, but I can’t do it this year,” I told Jeff Ball. “I haven’t been able to visit my grandson in Brooklyn for ages. And I haven’t seen my son, Robb, since he moved to Vermont last November. Unfortunately the week of Blues and BBQs is the only one that works for everybody.

Drop fails to live up to Hardy’s fine work
Working at Cousin Marv’s, a rundown neighborhood bar in New York City, Bob (Tom Hardy) provides the film’s voiceover narration, a device that proves to be one of the best and most vital parts of the movie.

Johnnie, Johns, Jerry
Johnnie Owens, designated in this column a few weeks ago as Springfield’s finest jazz ballad singer, can knock out the blues, soul and rock ’n’ roll, too. Experience the talent of this gifted singer and performer on Friday at the Club Room in the Hoogland Center for the Arts at 8 p.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Jukebox Casanova
Any telling of the story of this band comes drenched in sadness with the recent loss of founding member Ben Underwood (mandolin, vocals, occasional drums). But as co-founder Bernie Flesch (vocals, guitar) says better than anyone could, “We continue on as that’s what he would have wanted without a doubt.

PUB CRAWL
The Todd Henry and Stan Kupish Show.

THE CALENDAR
Entertainment, flea market, pony rides, museum tours, craft area and over 25 food booths. Free admission festival and craft show. (Trams to other locations in town.) DeWitt County Museum, 219 E. Woodlawn, Clinton, 217-935-6066..

ART | Intelligent design
For 25 years, Springfield Art Association has hosted its popular Edwards Place Fine Art Fair in the fall. In its 26th year, the weekend soirée features more than 80 artists and their work, Sept. 20-21. The fair will kick off with a rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” by a group from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School.

MUSIC | African rhythm
Here’s something a little different from the normal musical selections around town. Kilimanjaro Rumble, master drummers from Central African Republic, Liberia, Congo, Togo and Nigeria, will be drumming at Southwind Park under the arches on Saturday night Sept.

FESTIVAL | Pioneer past
Step into the past at the Clayville Fall Festival, Sept. 20-21. Families will have an entertaining and educational time at this old pioneer village that was once a stage coach stop for central Illinois. Kids can learn to make candles, churn butter and try their hand at tin punch art.