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Give me Liberty or give me my full refund
Last week, my younger son lost two teeth in the same day. We all know what that means: he was in for windfall from the Tooth Fairy. At a dollar per tooth, he was due two bucks minimum.

GOP leaders turn opposition into obstinancy
“No” can be a very good word. Whether dealing with children or Congress, a firm “uh-uh “ can set useful borders for acceptable behavior.

LETTERS
Now that the line on the sales chart has definitely gone south, the automaker can’t wait to be rid of the magnificent dinosaur, especially since dinosaur juice is so expensive these days.

govt folliez poem # 77
recently sold my daughter my pickup she changed title insurance got new plates but didn’t bother to switch there was still some illinois grace period left yesterday she opened the packet found wisconsin had issued her F U TRUCK she called me how can...

An early signal that Illinois voters are angry
Can the votes of a handful of Chicago and Cook County residents change Illinois? We are about to find out. Winning 22 percent of the vote is not usually considered an overwhelming mandate, but winners write the history books.

Women helping women, here and around the world
In 2006, LaVern McNeese initiated the Springfield chapter of Priscilla’s Lost and Found, a faith-based mentoring program for women that serves just six other cities in the nation. Since then, she said, she’s seen so many women “who just don’t know what to do.

Smith revives GOP club
The Sangamon County Evening Republican Club, declared disbanded and dead about a year ago, will be resurrected just in time for Easter, according to several former party officers.

Where ideas begin to grow
For Springfield inventor Ron Earley, like many others, the sweet gum tree in his yard was a real pain. Commonly referred to as “ankle-breakers,” the tree’s spiked globular fruit can be treacherous to walk on and can suffocate lawns if left uncollected.

Let’s talk about sex
As fate would have it, hundreds of middle- and high-schoolers lined up to enter the Capitol last week as HIV/AIDS advocates from around Illinois held a rally just a few steps away.

Opponents try again to abolish the death penalty
In the nine years since Gov. George Ryan imposed a statewide moratorium on capital punishment, death penalty opponents have pushed and prodded legislators to abolish the practice. This year, due to mounting evidence of excessive costs and nominal deterrence, plus a general atmosphere of change, opponents say it could finally happen.

Ann Bova’s musical magic
When Ann Bova first began the Cabin Concert music series, the idea of friends playing songs in her home and then inviting other friends to come listen seemed a given, a very natural thing to do.

Gardeners, start your engines. And cool your jets.
As temperatures get warmer most of us are starting to dream of the first juicy ripe tomato or the heavenly fragrance of a garden-fresh rose. While we may be ready to get out and garden, it may be a little too early to plant some vegetables and flowers.

Use flour au naturel for the tastiest scones
Growing up in an organic-centered household, unbleached flour was inevitable. Whole wheat was king, but we used unbleached for anything requiring white flour because artificial bleaching destroys most of flour’s nutrients.

Middle of march brings entertainment in abundance
Looks like we’re in for a varied and diverse selection of live music adventures this week in the good, old, capital city. Maybe it’s because a Friday the 13 th , the Ides of March and St.

BAND SPOTLIGHT
This week Springfield celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and that means our resident Celticinfluenced band, The Emerald Underground, is booked solid.

PUB CRAWL
Bourbon Bluegrass Band w/ Sarah Schneider Band and World Groove Revival.

THE CALENDAR
concert. Donations $10 adults, $9 seniors, $8 members, $5 students 6-18. $25 family. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Church, 745 Woodside Road..

MUSIC
Before and after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade snakes and jams through the streets of downtown Springfield starting at noon, two of downtown’s Irish food and beverage establishments, Bennigan’s Grill and Tavern and Celtic Mist, team up for their first annual Blarney Blast situated in a heated tent on Adams Street from 10:30 a.

COMEDY
The Reduced Shakespeare Company, a three-man comedy troupe known for transforming long, serious subjects into short, sharp comedies, perform their show The Complete History of America (abridged).

PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSI NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on the 6th day of February 2009 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office...

Real Estate Foreclosures
Attorney I.D. No. 02125994 JTO, Ltd. File No. 08-33075/ig IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., TRUSTEE SUCCESSOR TO ARGENT MORTGAGE COM- PANY, L.L.C., Plaintiff, vs.

NEWSQUIRKS
When an 18-year-old man entered a bank in Camden, Ark., and opened a bag containing $88 in nickels that he wanted to change into paper money, the teller spotted a gun in the bag and alerted a supervisor, who called police. Capt.

THEADVICEGODDESS
My boyfriend of five years has severe anger and money issues. I constantly helped him out financially, professionally and personally. If I refused there’d be a fight. Still, I love him dearly because he’s a good guy. He’s always said I’m “the one”; that every other woman has left him, but he wanted to grow old with me.