routines resume

first and ten works for here.

Doug Rosenbaum owns his Conquest Financial office downtown Bloomington and provides investment services to his clients. While most of us enjoyed a much needed three day weekend Doug spent time traveling to Philadelphia. Once in Philadelphia he was the referee in a professional NFL game, something he does on a regular basis. Most weekends Doug’s free time is MIA. Doug is a Bloomington Normal native. He can be reached via e-mail at: doug.rosenbaum@conquestfinancial.com .

Tony: Doug, you were off refereeing a game this weekend weren’t you?

Doug: Yes, I was in Philadelphia.

Tony: Who won?

Doug: The Jets won.

Tony: What was interesting on the trip?

Doug: The Philadelphia steak sandwich was amazing. We had it catered in the locker
rooms.

Tony: So back to your office downtown Bloomington, what are working on today?

Doug: Well, first I will be studying the markets.

isu girls take a break today .. in style !

It’s Tuesday afternoon on the Reality Bites patio just around lunch time. Michelle Blaskovich and Amanda Bus sit and soak up the beautiful mid-day breeze. Both students at ISU, the girls have been enjoying their afternoon away from classes and a busy campus. They’ve ordered a Margarita, a Fuzzy Leprechaun, and lunch. Today’s heat will swiftly be followed by crisp autumn air and floating leaves. There is nothing like enjoying the last days of summer with good friends, fun drinks, and fabulous food.
They’ve been out enjoying the artistic side to our downtown landscape. Michelle raves about The MusiCenter. “We just bought an electric guitar with a hard case for $200!” she beams, “It was such a fantastic deal.” She goes onto say that the staff was extremely knowledgeable. “Plus”, she adds, “We got to check out the grand pianos.”
The girls are also really excited about the pottery store with plans to decorate their own Margarita glasses. If the day could last forever they might check out a gallery or two, visit the McLean County Arts Center, or tour the architectural genius that is the old court house. Just further proof that downtown has something for the artist and something for everyone.

michelle, left and amanda, right, toast the day


























back to work n shops




Nancy McClarty has been strolling this particular hill for the last twenty-eight years. Working for our local McLean County Court System, she has enjoyed countless mornings stepping out into the glimmering downtown sun. If you’ve lived here for any time at all I’m sure you’re plenty familiar with the unusually rare warmth that comes through the trees and over the buildings most mornings in our friendly little city.
Nancy too will be a first to tell you about the beauty in this place. When asked what she thinks about Downtown Bloomington, her warm response came with a subtle smile. “Oh, I love it.”, she exclaimed, “I shop around here all the time. I love A. Renee’s shop and I’ve been using the tailor around the corner for years.” It certainly is a wonderful place to stroll the hill.



photography & interviews, anthony saluto ... image usage and or prints, gosaluto@bellsouth.net

writing, maggie saluto borkholder

sidewalk chess anyone !

with 10,000 chess lessons, open evenings, a new entertainment / learning option


welcomes visitors Wednesday sept 5 th , downtown bloomington. 409 n main st



colleykitson@gmail.com

kitson chess academy opens downtown bloomingotn next door to the coffee hound.

tony .. what hours are you going with


colley .. i work full time at sf as a tech analysis, and will be open 5-9 plus weekends.


colley is a fide instructor one of only three in the country. currently colley teaches chess at 6 area schools, such as metcalf.

reachable at 824-5701

colley will offer classes for groups or individuals, 90 minute classes are $10 per student for group lessons.

many fine wood chess boards are on display signed by some of the most famous chess players of our time. colley tells me, bloomington normal has a huge chess player base, and he considers the market to have a very high per ca pita player ratio, even rivaling new york.

food fest goes off like a rocket.

food fest turns main st downtown into "great party"




















by anthony saluto

I sat sipping my coffee hound latte, the town’s best, as well the best I’ve had anywhere, ever. While reading my New York Times I watched the Tent Company erecting a rather large tent spanning a good part of the 400 block of North Main Street downtown Bloomington, Saturday morning. It was in fact a beautiful morning. It’s about 8 am. Watching the tent going up inspired me to want to come back and check it out around start time.

So, I decided to take a swing by uptown to check out the Corn Fest. I can’t find parking, and a little hip pain suggests I blow off the shuttle routine and all that. So I am back at downtown and things are ready. Saving my appetite I go directly to Lancaster's for duck wrapped with bacon, I think they were 2 bucks. I love duck. Then a few crab rangoons hit the spot and I head for the tent for a draft.

Not bad, some music, food, familiar faces, I really like the cocktail height black draped stand up tables spread all over under the big tent. I sip a beer with Doug Hanson, can’t wander too far as the beer can’t leave the tent. I guess I can focus on the beer and then the food, and then some more beer. Sounds great.

I pop in on a friend to find myself on beer garden at show time. Now it’s four girls and me. More live music there. Great time of day and the weather was perfect. Ok, back to the tent, with four girls comes a few guys I hadn't seen for awhile. Lots of boomers are giving the food fest a shot. Surely they know all too well, hey let’s go and they will keep doing it. Maybe the timing was right for many who had just situated kids back in classes and felt well deserving of some relaxation and entertainment. And hey you've got to eat. I pretty much closed the place down at 11 pm. Having drank way more beer than I normally would I managed to stumble home my block and half.

















The India folks had their own activities going on too at city square. In brightly colored flowing dress, they had music on another stage and some food too. From what I hear, the organizers are scrambling with ideas on its success to apply to next year’s food fest. That is good news for you, if you missed it. Perhaps by reading about it, you’ll check it out next time.

Next time, or next year, hmm Farmer’s Market is nice but I don't cook. Some would say do this every month or week. Well there are many events in the pipeline, I can’t keep up with them and that's a good thing. Talented hard-working people catching a break is good stuff. So I strolled the hill pretty much from 8 am to 11 pm in downtown Bloomington. Imagine that. Nothing new really I have been doing it since 1995. Live and work downtown, a great lifestyle for singles and families alike.

More people, more money, more revenue flowing all around, is what makes it all go round. for more on participating in downtown events, you should contact: http://www.downtownbloomington.org/



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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