first and ten ... farmers market says so long until spring.

weekender pictorial .. by ... anthony saluto....... indoor farmers market downtown bloomington close up and personal!

a summer flower offered by farmers market exhibitor's, i picked up this on one of my many summer morning treks to coffee hound.

melissa ash, public relations for u.s. cellular coliseum is exhibiting the facility use features near the 50 yard line. i asked melissa how things are progressing for the coliseum. "i think the facility should be considered a major compliment to the twin cities overall quality of life, and nationally on a show by show basis we are tacking above average ticket sales" ash says.
melissaash@uscellularcolisuem.com

upcoming event posters on display showcase the promising entertainment options the twin cities has coming and many thousands will be glad they could partake. www.uscellularcoliseum.com should have plenty of information on upcoming events.

EXTRA EXTRA fun paul dunn goes where the people are to fill the gaps in home delivery for the the pantagraph

still more talent than we know what to do with

local jewelry designers take to market

summer craig, a state farm employee by day, a jewelry designer by otherwise. I'm starting to think a prerequisite in h.r. must be a desire to multi task. quite coincidentally i keep running into art and design people at events where when i ask if they have a day job, the answer is state farm. its great to know you really can have it both ways.

summer craig and her partner designer sister-in law kristie craig have been launching their jewelry line for abut 18 months. summer tells me they do mostly art shows, home shows, and has a home party system. www.bbellissimo.com what could be an interesting twist to the marketing endeavor is the very well known mark shale chain located in many major markets including mag mile in chicago is carrying their line. so accessorize in bn style. summer attended b.h.s. and isu.

decototive wreaths were a hot seller for trailside gardens. owners jeff and kim thomas wrap up a solid year of harvesting freshness for the twin cities. trailsdiegarden1@verizon.net

turkey cookies go by the sheet for those stocking up for thanksgiving, exhibted by kellys bakery.

a renee' samples chocalate covered sesame seeds along with communicating their wide ranges of products and services like catering. a renee' table trim, while in between greeting visitors to the booth, planning a layout for an upcoming catered event is underway.
did we mention paul dunn has a special subscription for anyone not currently subscribing to the pantagraph. free online vs. the centuries old tradition of a hard copy, times they are a changing. amazon announced a new reader wireless reader that will handle publications form newspapers to books and will utilize technology similar to cell phone connections, but with no fees or contracts. whether your into hard copy or soft copy the Internet gets better every day, i for one am thrilled to be around for the transition. after selling some 100 million magazines, papers, books, etc. its fascinating to monitor the magazine people adapt their content and features in various web presentations.

heads up on bloomington country club area car theft

thursday oct 25 late late or early early

auto theft ring hits b.c.c. area, 2 cars ransacked on northcrest, also on northcrest, e p martins Mercedes was stolen from in front of his home. which he later found and retrieved. reports indicate others were stolen around the bhs bcc area and at least 75 vandalism's.

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ads like this are currently $75 per month, and will appear on every post for the month. month to month, payable in advance. i have no numbers at the present time for traffic. you will have a hyperlink to your website. no contract. your best bet is to make a unique offer and test ads for response then keep doing those that work best. its one size fits all at the current time. e mailing your jpeg with instructions on a few lines of copy including your web address is all it takes.

portrait packages from $950 home or studio

head shots from $450 commercial $250/hour

http://www.worldsbestphotos.blogspot.com/

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Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702
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corporate creative storms twin cities

art walk nov. 2, more talent than we know what to do with

darin dawdy poses in front of one of his pieces on display in tonight's art walk
works like this are acrylic on stucco on wood by darin dawdy


BY ANTHONY SALUTO

gosaluto@bellsouth.net

The Twin Cities, via State Farm Insurance, has brought us Darin Dawdy since 1998. Darin works full time at State Farm in the creative services graphic design department.

Darin has had his gallery up and running for almost a year at 101 W. Monroe St. and is able to work in exhibitions as his schedule permits. Recently at the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in uptown Normal, he proved to be a winner having received a special award.

Al Bowman, ISU President, purchased one his works for his home at this summer’s S.C.A.F. It was a large piece and added a star to an artist’s universe.

Darin works with acrylics on stucco and wood. Friday night’s show is expected to bring 400 to 500 gallery goers. I caught Darin prepping for friday night’s event and took some shots to share with my readers. For more information and get connected even further with Darin’s art, visit http://www.darindawdy.com/.

There is also a symphony performance at Bloomington’s Center for Performing Arts friday night. That tied in with dinner and a gallery walk could be a magical evening combination.

what is fall without one these from chocolatier on Main st. downtown Bloomington

TAFFY APPLES HAVE COME A LONG WAY

BY JENI NUSSBAUM

The Chocolatier Inc., downtown’s premier chocolate shop, is prepared for fall with their delectable seasonal treats. Caramel apples with various toppings are always a hit and this time of year is never the same without one. Popular toppings include milk and semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, caramel and different types of nuts. Once you sink your teeth into one of these scrumptious treats, it’s impossible to stop until it’s entirely devoured. Other seasonal candies from The Chocolatier include delicious, solid chocolate in foiled cups or chocolate covered Oreos with seasonal decorations on them with royal icing. The Chocolatier is located at 514 N. Main St. and can be visited online at http://www.chocolatier.ws/.

marcfirst supporters jam the loft on front st.
christie roberts, left teresa thomas, center thursday geruais right out on the town for a good cause ,
marcfirst staff ring up 25k in fund raising at the loft thursday night
dawn hanslow, left christy aosharek, right marcfirst staff during the 6th annual fund raiser

mix stir pour 25k

BY ANTHONY SALUTO
The marcfirst 6th Annual Martinis for marcfirst took place Thursday night at the Loft martini bar atop Central Station Café, formerly known as Bogies.

One part loft bar, two parts loaded buffet line, one part live music by Adam Larson Trio, shake and stir and you have the perfect evening martini.

I have heard martini art glasses were selling for upwards of $250. Mary Pat Frugo-Spellman, Vice President of marcfirst says, “We are expecting on raising around $25,000 during tonight’s event”.

A silent auction was held, meaning you walk around the items with a card placed in front of each them and write down your offer. As the night progresses you can walk around and up your bid until a cut off time where the highest bidder wins the item.

These are a few titles of works that were auctioned off: “Wish” by Melanie Scott-Dockery, “Time waits for no martini” by Mari Rose Minyo, “old school reggie white” by Michael Wille, “tree” by Jonah Ortiz, “martini critter cup” by Devyn Baron, and the list goes on to describe 75 very unique works. I was expecting painted glass almost 100%, but was taken by the works that blended glass art writing on the glass and coming out of the rim. Many basket themes contributed to the evenings fund raising as well.

There was attendance by civic and community leaders, from politicians, mayors, and CEO’s among a packed house all evening in both the banquet hall as well as the bar.

intersection, by angel ambrose

BY JENI NUSSBAUM

Angel Ambrose, a local artist, is someone with more than one style; she enjoys experimenting with her talent to find new variations of her expertise. Ambrose is a landscape painter located in downtown Bloomington. She is a graduate of Illinois State University and recipient of the school’s “Best Undergraduate Painter” award, according to her website at http://www.angelambrose.com/.
“I have been exploring how minimal I can go with a landscape and still have it read as a landscape and be a successful piece of art. For example, I painted a painting with one line. I believe it easily reads as landscape. It is called, “Intersection”. My landscapes are symbolic. An intersection can be a place or an event.”
Ambrose has been showing her art at exhibits in the area and other locations for about 17 years. She continues to attend shows and other events. “I will be showing at Cozi, in Uptown Normal before the year end. Also, I will be showing at the Bank of Illinois with the art group. I was involved in the “Landscape and Beyond” alumni show at ISU for their 150 year anniversary. It was a great show. Also, I have work at the McLean Co Arts Center in the “…and I am blue…” show and the up and coming Holiday Treasures show. “Intersection” will be debuted there as well as three other minimalistic landscapes.”
When it comes to Ambrose’s preferred time to work she says she works best in the afternoon and at night when she feels more creative and does the more administrative aspects in the morning.
Among other events, the more anticipated one is the Around the Corner Art Group’s Seventh Annual Art Walk. “This event began seven years ago. It wasn’t even an event, only a desire to connect people with art and make people aware that there is great art in THIS community. It has been fun partnering with the Eatons, Seefelds, Littles, Dawdys, and Joann Goetzinger. Each artist and spouse is a major contributor. We could not make it happen without friends and family. We believe we can accomplish more together than independently.”
The Art Walk is November 2nd from 4:00 to 9:00 pm on Monroe and Center Streets in Downtown Bloomington.
“I believe we have stretched as a group, and individually because of the group. We are learning and I believe people in the community are understanding more about the art community as a whole. It is a fun adventure.”

editing Jeni Nussbaum
photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
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Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702
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BRAS BUSTING RECORDS

many venues call for one of these

on madison street across from the downtown bloomington garage

downtown business wardrobes niche market

local retailers are loading in the goods for holiday

BRAS BUSTING RECORDS

BY ANTHONY SALUTO

Bedtime Boutique’s sexy nature may feel threatening, but their sales prove otherwise. In the last year the lingerie store has increased its inventory by 30% which assisted in a 35% increase in sales. In addition to the expanding inventory, the actual store was remodeled and now features 3000 sq. ft. of floor space. Also, unlike many downtown businesses, private parking is available for the convenience of customers. Bedtime Boutique opened their doors in 1985 and continues to offer a wide variety of products including plus sizes and bras with 17 different cup sizes up to size 54L. While their customers may be a broad range of ages, the oldest customer is 95 years old and the youngest is 10 years old. In May 2005, Oprah Winfrey spoke on her talk show of many women wearing the wrong bra size. Oprah’s worldwide influence, and millions of viewers each day, prompted women to immediately purchase new bras after being fitted for the correct size. This inadvertent publicity helped Bedtime Boutique move from selling 20 bras a week to 20 bras a day.

editing Jeni Nussbaum
photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
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tunes they are a changing

Kevin Larson, left, marc zion, center, vince donohue, right

stock up on some brew for a fun evening at the bob dylan concert

arena magic evenings pack the house

lined up for caps, t shirts, and anything dylan

Bob Dylan concert


BY ANTHONY SALUTO
The atmosphere was calm much of the time and when the harmonica kicked in, often the crowd took to cheer. I arrived by just after 7 and found a guy who had an extra ticket and bought it for $20. going over for a few shots with my camera I was told I could take my camera in by the guy at the front door. So about a half hour into it I then was asked to remove my camera. Which I did. Having tried to reach the promoter, jamusa for a press pass I was notified Dylan doesn’t allow photography.

There were many empty seats through out the arena, which is great too, you can spread out some or even relocate easily into an area you prefer. Not being a music expert I thought the sound was awesome. For the first time I didn’t have pounding ear drums for two hours after the concert like I did with Reo Speedwagon and a few others. It was so peaceful I almost nodded off in my chair at 10:30 and decided to take off before the stampede for the exits started.

After a long afternoon doing a photo shoot I'm ready for a sandwich. The pulled pork was top notch. I had it with a plastic bottle beer. i don’t like the plastic bottle beers, but see their practicality.

One thing I noticed sitting a few rows from the front on a far curved area in the layout. Many people were loosing their step next too my row of seats. It seemed to be very dark and though the usher was often shinning a light on the area in anticipation of repeat slips, many still did almost have serious falls in the dark. I felt like a spotter and was conscious of protecting myself from a faller at the same time.
I think some of black slip proofing was laid out different on the step most people were slipping on. So watch your step.

By the time I returned my camera to the studio and got some dinner, I was basically just seeing Dylan. The guys I photographed with the beer cases tell me some of them had seen 42 Dylan concerts. They were total fans. Offering some very highly recommended Dylan web sites for those that want to know everything Dylan. Try, www.boblinks.com , or www.expectingrain.com . If you had brain freeze and forgot to go, or otherwise were preoccupied, Dylan will be playing in Chicago for three nights. The Chicago Theatre will be hosting his act, whether tickets are available I haven’t heard. Looks like the November and December calendars are empty for performances, and I haven’t seen a schedule for 08. The Chicago Theatre looks like your last chance to be a live performance fan.

The shirt and cap concessions were packed before the concert and I opted for a t shirt and cap, that cost me $65. I figured I saved a few bucks on the ticket so having a few mementos of the occasion wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Everyone seemed to love the concert and downtown bloomington was a lively and accommodating as can be.

Don and Connie Taylor enjoyed the concert up close. Don says, "we made direct eye contact through binoculars, and he almost waved at us." Connie adds, "making out the words on just a few, was the mumbling we've all grown to expect." Connie adds, "we love how Dylan keeps reinventing his own music". "Like Tangled up in Blue" adds Don.

photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
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Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702
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DAN SLAGELL OF REMAX CHOICE

DAN SLAGELL HEADS UP REMAX CHOICE ... BILL BRADY IS FOCUSED ON GOV. IN 2010

Dan Slagell of Remax Choice, danslagell@realtorschoice.net

This house is on the market currently around 440k ... sweet family home

what mortgage crisis

By Anthony Saluto
Industry experts are monitoring 1 million homes headed for foreclosure. A great deal of which are tied into securities and are bought and sold by investors.
Dan Slagell, of Remax Choice has been realigning his duties. Dan will be assuming the running of the real-estate company as Bill Brady is solidly focused on running for governor in 2010. Dan has been a spark on the real-estate scene since leaving his banking career many years ago. http://www.realtorschoice.net/
Although the real estate game has become increasingly advanced, Dan is still a traditional business man working with what he knows well, simplicity.

For road trips Dan likes to check out the CDs at Circuit City and stock up on some new tunes for the drive. “I bought Bruce Springsteen’s new one, I bought Dave Matthews Band, and I bought Paul McCartney,” says Dan, and adding his selections are a good sign of his age.
When traveling, Dan often checks weather websites for destination conditions before packing. However, he is not dependant on the web for most resources. “I don’t use the internet a whole lot,” says Dan. Dan still reads the paper the old fashioned way foremost to internet options. He mostly uses the internet for directional reasons such as Mapquest.com.
Using Google some and with a few transactions with Amazon and eBay, Dan mostly uses the computer for real-estate related web sites and business matters such as e-mailing and keeping track of investments on various financial sites.
Dan graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Business Economics Agricultural.
Tony: Dan, what do you think of the Marriott project in uptown Normal?

Dan: What I know, or think I understand is that it is private money. Private money has a way of making things work better in general, historically, than public money. I think it’s going to be a good thing.

Tony: How is the so-called mortgage crisis affecting the average resident in the twin cities market with all this news on Countrywide and the likes?

Dan: It has very little effect so far. Countrywide has been in the national spotlight because they’re huge. They have scaled back on making marginal loans because of too many defaults. . If someone defaults here in Bloomington, and we’re getting people because of the overall scheme of things a bit more, not catastrophic or anything, but we’re getting more people to say I can’t make my mortgage, or I want to sell my house but I’m upside down…upside down for any kind of correction. And our correction has been very minimal…less than 10% marketwise from last year. Last year we had an increase, this year it will go down.

Tony: So we had little effect on our mortgages here?

Dan: If anyone has a problem we say call your lender and talk to them and see if you can get any kind of concession, being even to a point where we had a discussion or 2 about a short sale. Which just means you’re my banker, I’m your customer, I say I have a $212,000 mortgage and my place is worth 200 and by the time I get done selling, I’m going to have 185 for you. And the bank would say we would clear your mortgage if you get the 185 even though you owe me 212. That’s what’s happening in Florida and Las Vegas and Arizona.

Tony: So the banks are entering a lets make a deal phase?

Dan: If your bank is no longer in existence, there is no one to deal with. That is the problem. The federal government can’t solve the immediate problem. People get their mortgages from all over, you could have a mortgage that was done and then sold to someone else.

Tony: What percentages of mortgages are sold online?

Dan: Hopefully, none. You can get mortgages from most any place in the past. I would say that your standard lending originators are hurting because there isn’t as much volume. So a lot of people are out looking for new jobs. Some people are brokering mortgages out of their house, the problem is they get to the closing and there’s no money; that is not a good thing. So I try to encourage people not to use that kind of business, because that kind of operation is like a shadow in my opinion.

Tony: So using your local banker in face to face meetings is the best way to shop for a mortgage in these conditions?

Dan: Everything’s negotiable. If online can give you a better rate there is usually a reason for that. We can negotiate with the local guys and local lenders and get you just about as good a rate and we know there’s going to be money at the closing. Because you do want to close on this or we wouldn’t be sitting here.

Tony: Do you see that changing?

Dan: I would say that it has an effect indirectly on people in Bloomington-Normal because we are such an economic universe that we live in. The only direct impact that we have…I read somewhere that over 200 financial institutions have closed, shut down. Some of those weren’t the huge names, but recognizable names.

Tony: What kinds of problems are happening with new construction?

Dan: They are priced too high. And supply and demand as you well know is a factor in pricing. We have just less the 50 home builders and most of them are in trouble. Some of them are in very deep problems, but not all of them. Nationally there is a crisis problem; locally it is not a crisis. New construction is down 37% in the last 2 years.

Tony: Would you include subcontractors in the plight locally?

Dan: If builders are down, then subcontractors are down as well. Most subcontractors can go out and do some remodeling work. They can adapt by becoming a little more diverse.

Tony: In quality new construction, what are homes costing on a price per square foot basis?

Dan: It is so diverse with finishing and lot costs it is really hard to peg that number. It is a moving target, but it is coming down. $150 and even less would be a figure. If you have a ton of money and you want to hire all the best guys in town the price could go to $185 per square foot. Right now pre-owned homes have an advantage because they are already landscaped, have drapes, etc. Existing homes are selling better than new construction.

Tony: where is some of the most expensive land in the twin cities?

Dan: Veterans Parkway is what we call the ‘lake front’. Basically you’re talking $20 - $25 per square foot land on Veterans. There was a big push for an auto mall. They needed 6 out of the 8 or 9 to move into it, but they couldn’t get 6th one to go in on the deal. If that would have happened there would have been a lot more Veterans property on the market.

After graduating from U of I, Dan went into management for Stokley-Van Camp, which along with beans, processed many other vegetables, but mostly sweet corn, peas, lima beans, and kidney beans. With 3 years under his belt at Stokley-Van Camp, he joined Busey Bank in Urbana, IL, specializing in asset management within the trust department primarily focusing on farming. Dan then bought and flipped a bank in Heyworth within a two year period. At the time, he was on the same golf team with Dave Weaver in an event that could be a career-changing experience. “I got to know Dave and he said what are you doing and I said nothing and he said why don’t you come work for me, because I had a brokers license from the banking days,” Dan explains. From there, Dan was running things within 3 years. Dan can be reached via danslagell@realtorschoice.net

editing, jeni nussbaum

photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
news tips, downtown trivia, gosaluto@bellsoth.net
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Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702
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One of the reasons Google is already around the fourth most valuable company in the U.S. The Google ads around stroll the hills border are randomly placed there by Google. I would assume their computers are analyzing our content and placing the most appropriate available advertiser’s ads ever changing. With many thousands of click troughs, eventually commission checks are determined and mailed directly to the hosting site. Thank You Very Much!

a beautiful time to learn

students embrace fall at isu campus

isu campus quad

by jeni nussbaum

In the middle of the sprawling uptown Normal area, there’s a school often passed with little appreciation. Illinois State University is known for its well kept buildings and beautiful quad, which is only magnified by the fall season. ISU’s lush campus is beginning to transform with the changing weather, and for many it is a time to look forward to.

isu campus quad

Leslie Ringger, a former ISU student reflects on her experiences on campus during the fall. “As an art major, I spent many hours in the studio and when it turned fall outside it became more bearable to constantly be on campus. It was nice to be able to take breaks outside in the crisp, refreshing weather…and our campus is beautiful in the fall.” Each sidewalk and path is quickly being covered by falling leaves and the familiar throngs of squirrels are busier than usual. Students willingly take advantage of the campuses vast, outside areas by playing sports, which is mostly Frisbee, studying and simply sunbathing.

isu quad

With summer’s heat becoming a distant memory, students and professors alike can only hope the cooler weather lasts. Although the fall season does mean winter’s wrath is nearing, the colorful, year-round beauty of ISU’s campus is worth the drop in temperature

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61702
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hit the mall, grab a pile of resort wear, 1 800 airtran

winter spectaculars

soon watching your step may be your best survival plan

downtown looking east from my 5th floor studio

salt shelter stock pile to bail us out of our mobility problems we seem to encounter periodically

photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
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One of the reasons Google is already around the fourth most valuable company in the U.S. The Google ads around stroll the hills border are randomly placed there by Google. I would assume their computers are analyzing our content and placing the most appropriate available advertiser’s ads ever changing. With many thousands of click troughs, eventually commission checks are determined and mailed directly to the hosting site. Thank You Very Much!

anthony saluto productions re-launches trivia tees

each bag has 115 tees .. each with trivia questions and answers, printed directly on them. in promotion quantity branding is available on one side.

http://www.golfteetrivia.com/ debuts in 6 million catalogs

I dusted off an old friend this summer. Golf tee trivia, a product I had sold to 10 thousand stores 20 years ago. Over the past few years I started to scout for a new package concept. Deciding on the burlap bag sample with a few friends as a focus group.

With the help of 2 of my assistants over the summer we tracked down numerous old customers, internet e-tailers, a few giant chains, and some media outlets. Then we sent out some fresh samples of the new package.

A large mail-order house is featuring the new package in six million catalogs this holiday. I have no idea how many they can sell.


I would welcome any local retailers that would like to stock the product, please contact me at, gosaluto@bellsouth.net


photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
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One of the reasons Google is already around the fourth most valuable company in the U.S. The Google ads around stroll the hills border are randomly placed there by Google. I would assume their computers are analyzing our content and placing the most appropriate available advertiser’s ads ever changing. With many thousands of click troughs, eventually commission checks are determined and mailed directly to the hosting site. Thank You Very Much!

i'm not telling the secret

http://www.commongroundgrocery.com/



by anthony saluto



the sandwich i heard so much about from don, inspired me to track one down for a photo shoot. around 7 pm i do some shots, and decide i am ready for a bite and was absolutely amazed. the sandwich may be the most perfect level of moist that a sandwich could possibly be. the bread was delicious in in texture and taste. this particular version was without tomato's.



if you've been looking for reason to stop in common grounds, this is a good one.



I’m not telling the secret!

dvd review ...by anthony saluto

I am doing a DVD review on “The Secret”. I see it everywhere. In book form, CD form, abridged editions probably, online as a download maybe, but it’s a book and seeing it presented as a DVD was one more level of packaging I normally don’t see. On the flip side, the descriptions reads, “You’re holding in your hand a great secret of the universe”, in big bold letters. The cast is represented, in this documentary-style film, through continual commentary and consisting of leading scientists, authors, and philosophers. These experts all claim to agree on the theory covered in the work. They discuss the slam-dunk for achieving anything from money, home, spouse, life, and all the dreams you could possibly want your life to be. I related personally to much of the presentation and have seen the theory used in my day to day business and personal relations. This is a feel-good and motivational DVD. I’m glad I popped $35 for it at our local Barnes and Noble, and i may pass it on.


editing, maggie saluto borkholder

By Anthony Saluto

With the historic walls of downtown boasting vibrant works of art, more colorful displays of talent are expected to be done. A wall painting was done in the alley on the side of Studio 222 by Marty Klopfenstein two summers ago with a poem provided by John Firefly, a local street poet, to add to its unique style. Alley art, as it is being referred to by downtowns Jeff Woodard, will most likely become more popular amongst regular visitors of the downtown area.
“The whole thing is that it was just an idea to bring attention to these older buildings…we focus on the facade and keeping up the front of the buildings, but it’s also, I think, important to keep up and take care of the backsides of the buildings too,” said Jeff Woodard, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at the McLean County Museum of History.
This particular mural took about two days to complete and is the first of its kind downtown by Marty Klopfenstein. Other murals will be done in the future with the permission of building owners.
“The idea is that we would have four or five around the downtown area; not a great deal of them,” said Woodard.
Klopfenstein has done several murals in the area and recently finished one at a residence, featuring a cornfield. He has been a downtowner for about 4 years and is also a musician.
“I would love to do more exterior murals, commercial too, the work at South Beach Tanning in Normal was done by me as well,” said Klopfenstein. If I may suggest his cell phone is the best way to each this artist, phone, 287-8872 Other recognizable murals downtown include the wall of faces done by Mark Blumenshine along Monroe St. Some of the faces include Abraham Lincoln, Adlai Stevenson and others who were influential to Illinois history

editing, jeni nussbaum

photography, by anthony saluto, prints or usage, gosaluto@bellsouth.net

editing, maggie saluto borkholder

way past ordinary

healthy is in

By anthony saluto

For healthy alternatives to your routine lunch, Common Ground, a natural food grocery store in downtown Bloomington, offers sandwiches, side dishes and drinks. According to Don, a local downtowner, they have “the best sandwiches for lunch.”
Other sandwiches featured at Common Ground include the chick peas sandwich and the tofu egg salad sandwich, which are all “totally organic food”. A favorite of Don’s however is the avocado, tomato and sprout sandwich. “These things are fantastic,” says Don. This natural food store also has drinks and sides to complete your lunch. Don pairs his favorite sandwich with soy yogurt and a pomegranate blueberry juice.
Common Ground, located at 516 N. Main St, has a wide range of products other than organic food such as household cleaning products, nutritional supplements and books. They are dedicated to providing minimally-processed food with no preservatives or artificial coloring.


Editing, Jeni Nussbaum

downtown bloomington horse drawn carriage during special event. anthony saluto file photo

start new traditions

by jeni nussbaum

Trick or treating, horse drawn carriages, and festive window displays are all anticipated this holiday season in Downtown Bloomington. With Halloween nearing, the Downtown Bloomington Association has been busy planning their annual Trick or Treat event. Participating businesses in the area open their doors to costumed children and families. These businesses will be identified by colorful balloons as a friendly place to stop, explore and of course load up on candy. The event will be Friday, October 26 from 5-7 pm.
The “Once Upon A Time” winter festival is also approaching quickly and will be held Friday, November 30 and Saturday, December 1. The features this year will include horse drawn carriages, the Jaycees parade, St. Nicholas at the museum and live window vignettes. The “Once Upon A Holiday” winter festival has become an annual tradition for many local families and draws in thousands of visitors each year. The event is also a great way to get downtown businesses recognized with most offering special deals and discounts. The Downtown Bloomington Association is dedicated to drawing attention to the historic heart of the city. The Trick or Treat event and “Once Upon A Holiday” winter festival are sure to attract new and experienced visitors to the unique area and provide fun, entertainment and plenty of excitement

winnies takes the stroll ..

winnies takes a stroll down memory lane

by anthony saluto

bill fike has been suiting up the twin cities for more than 3 decades downtown bloomington. working his retail sales floor comes second nature as he puts out some of the best fittings and customer service only an independent could do. winding down on at least some days of the week and working in some golf games and travel. its no secret the store has been for sale. recently the real estate listing has been terminated and acquiring the long clientele business can be done directly with bill. bills an active guy, he loves to travel, golf, partake in aviation, and who knows what he would get into if time permitted. selling is one thing, if not, i am going to reduce the days i work and start enjoying life.

Tony, bill tell me about some of the issues of the downtown associations from years past back in the 70’s

Bill, the owner of sorgs jewelers in the mid 7o's and discount den, another gentlemen and I all got together every morning and played basketball at the ymca. The first meeting I remember was at the pantagraph. It was about the corn festival. Bill from sorgs, kind of took it on in those days.

Tony, did it have a name

Bill, bloomington unlimited, Sharon mc ginnis was an early director.

Tony, I remember al holzman,

Bill, yes that was one of the first I remember, back in the mid 70’s. you remember fitness plus. That business did so well, at 4 in the afternoon, everybody came down here and parked up and down. I told al holzman at the time, we have to do something about this parking, my wife cant even come down and park, they have sold so many memberships. Al claimed there wasn’t any problem, but after they closed up it was paradise we had so much parking.

Tony, so we were combating the eastland factor.


Tony, do you remember going to some meetings.

Bill, I wasn’t much of a meeting participant, because I was so busy down here at the store. Earl that managed leaths was opposed to the island curbs
That they wanted to do because of snow removal problems.

Tony, hours were they a big issue, I remember most stores were open on Monday nights for a long time.

Bill, I was open Monday nights and Friday nights for many many years. it was one advantage of being a downtown retailer, that we could operate by our own hours. then I closed on Friday nights, and 10 years ago when I started the tuxedo business I started being open on Thursday nights, so I was open Monday nights and Thursday nights.

Tony, where did you first open

Bill, I opened at 103 w Monroe, I had a silent partner at that time a guy named fred clark.

Tony, was it opened as winnies

Bill, yes it was called little winnies to begin with, and the reason is because of winnie smith of Decatur. We asked a lot of people from bloomington and they were going there to buy their suits. So we asked his permission, if we could call it little winnies, and he said o.k.

Then I bought my partner out in 1977. and I called up winnie smith and asked if it was o.k. to call it winnies of bloomington, and he said it was o.k. to do so.

tony, did you use an open to buy system for purchasing budgets

bill, my open to buy according to earl from leaths at the time, was my square footage, because if I had room to fit it in here, I bought. I would pack this place and if we ran out of room, I would have a sale and we would get rid of it.

tony, what about peak inventory vs. peak sales, did they coincide.

Bill, the most I ever bought at one time was 500 suits. I had a sales rep call and tell me his credit manager was coming to town to visit my store. I could not have hired actors to come in and do what happened when he was here, I was selling 3-5 suits in the half hour he was here.
The next day the sales rep called me and said what happened, you just got unlimited credit and 6 months dating on invoices. That was the late 70’s when that happened.

Tony, so you could just order whatever you wanted

Bill, that’s right and they didn’t even charge me interest. One check was $74,000.

Tony, how are we going to be buying our suits 10 years from now.

Bill, the recent incident at isu makes me hope dressing up will be back in mainstream.

Tony, what about the internet, whose the big player in suits.

Bill, I don’t think there is one, its fragmented so much, they really have to be fitted, its not really internet friendly.

Tony, what are some of your favorite websites, personally, professionally?

Bill, my home page is cnbc, then I look at cnn, and then my e mail. Mostly news related.

Tony, what about the sourcing in the 70’s vs. right now, how is it different.

Bill, everything was American made in the 70’s, i have two lines still American made but soon they will be in china. Back in the early days a person would see a suit that’s not in stock in their size. You could call up and get it brought right in. as offshore shipments took over you cant do that like you used to be able to

The custom made hart schaffner marx suits are still made in des plaines.

Bill, it was good ride all those years, I just wish state farm would of waited five more years before going casual. That was my best year, then they went casual, they went casual june 14 1997 at 1:16 in the afternoon. The total company, corporate south went casual slightly earlier.

Tony, Are you using the internet for the business

Bill, www.winniesontheweb.com , they can order, I find people use it more in the winter time than they do in the summer just because its cold and people seem to be on their computers more than in the summer.

photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints,gosaluto@bellsouth.net

news tips, downtown trivia, gosaluto@bellsoth.net

advertising information: gosaluto@bellsouth.net

Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702

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uptown normal by air / schnucks open / a day at the airport

uptown normal reinvents itself

click the photo to enlarge

uptown normal under renovation

veterans parkway looking north from washington st., looks smooth over the noon hour
in fields around bloomington fall colors are transforming our environment.
schnucks in north normal is open for business and the development continues on other out buildings. photographed monday on a beautiful day with an 18 mph wind. the project was completed by brinkmann constructors based out st. louis

a day at the airport

huey helicopter draws crowds

mold used to cast chuck yagers bronze statue

a4 sky hawk fighter jet on display at prairie aviation museum

Bloomington F15 STRIKE EAGLE IN 08 IS IN THE WORKS


John Ohler (Restoration Project Manager) and Frank Thompson (Curator) had a smash success this past weekend on a gorgeous day.

A Pancake and Sausage Kickoff Breakfast, preceded by ads and a media blitz, pulled in 1000 eager new and seasoned aviation fans. EAA Young Eagles (experimental aircraft association) flew 100 young aviators ages 8 to 17 in a variety of planes on Saturday Sept. 22 at the event held by Prairie Aviation Museum.

The first annual Day at the Airport event featured open cockpit day, an event often repeated throughout the year. Go to http://www.prairieaviationmuseum.org/ to view hours, event schedules, pricing, and more for the museum located on E. Empire near Image Air.

“We had a steady stream of people all day and the helicopter rides at $20 a head was busy all day as well” said Thompson. The Huey Helicopter, on site with open cockpit, is always a big attraction. The A4 Sky Hawk fighter jet, showcased by pilots David Wilson and Chuck Spreitsma was one of the day’s busiest attractions.


Charles Lindbergh, a man famous for his fearless dedication to aviation, during a storm in November of 1926, bailed out of his plane before a crash near Covell, IL. Artifacts of that plane are on display within the museum.

Due to residential developments around the airport, high speed jet teams no longer fit the safety criteria for the area. The air show, featuring displays such as the Blue Angels, can now be enjoyed in the Peoria area. The air show moved to Peoria in 2002.

The Bloomington museum features many interesting exhibits such as the mold used to cast Chuck Yagers bronze bust statue. This is great way to introduce your children to aviation’ exciting history and spark their interest in becoming future aviation enthusiasts. Group tours are welcome. Visit their website for details.

business update .. waller scoops up cvs building

ward waller tells me his company has acquired the cvs pharmacy building on the other side of the alley just south of the ensenberger condo project. " the cvs is in on a long lease" waller says.

the ensenberger renovation includes two retail spaces flanking the grand entrance. as far as the space on the left, with acquisition of the cvs building the wallers now have control of the alley use. "lawyers have been asking about the space but with control of the alley, we could put in a drive up window for a possible drive through operation." ward explains. "we wouldn't want an office in what should be a retail space." waller says. the wallers are planning on moving their sales center into the retail space on the right hand side of the grand entry, in the near future.

photography copyrighted, anthony saluto , usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net
editing, Maggie Saluto Borkholder
news tips, downtown trivia, gosaluto@bellsoth.net
advertising information: gosaluto@bellsouth.net
Copyright 2007 Anthony Saluto Productions P.O. Box 3425 Bloomington il. 61702
Subscribe to this blog at the bottom.

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