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With temperatures expected to drop this week and the cold of winter sets in we have a recipe that will keep you all warm. The Dew Chilli Pot Pie is a super easy and delicious dinner idea. It's just one of those foods that we pretty much always have around. Chilli is a favorite for people of all ages. Like we said this is so easy. So let's get started and have ourselves some really good Chilli Pot Pie. The basic ingredients for our Chilli Pot Pie are Dew Chilli, Cheese and Pie Crust. Ingredients Dew Chilli 3 - 4 cups Pie dough 2 sheets per pie Shredded cheese we like a Mexican blend, 1- 2 cups Egg wash 1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water Instructions Press a layer of dough into your pie plate. Paint with egg wash and bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Pour chili into pie dish, and top with shredded cheese. Paint egg wash on outer edges of lower pie crust, then place top layer of pie crust over the pie. Press edges down with a fork to seal, brush entire top with egg wash, then cut a few slits in the top to vent. Bake at 375 degrees on middle rack for 25 - 30 min until crust is browned and chili is heated through. Enjoy! IT'S THAT SIMPLE The Dew Chilli Cans are just like those frozen blocks you use to get. However, these cans are not frozen, but very fresh with a long shelf life. One can serves six people by just heating it up and serving. Add beans and you can serve up to 17 people with one can. But most people like to make Dew Chilli Dishes like the Dew Chilli Pot Pie. Therefore, you will not need to use the entire can. What you don't use, divide up and freeze for future use and dishes. The Dew Chilli family size cans are a very cost effective way to feed the gang with a true high quality chilli that's been around for 112 years. These cans can be shipped anywhere in the county by going to our online store on this site dewchilli.com. The cans are also available at the following Grocery Stories in Illinois. County Markets in Springfield, Illinois. County Market in Jacksonville, Illinois County Market in Sherman, Illinois County Market in Chatham, Illinois County Market in Girard, Illinois Hy-Vee in Springfield, Illinois Grocery stores and Markets or restaurants if you are interested in putting Dew Chilli on your shelves to offer to your customers, contact us through this site, or call your distributor. Dew Chilli is available to all distributors for Grocery stores and Restaurants. dewchilli.com

Now you looking to get a little creative and have a meal people are going to talk about for some time? Well let's make some Dew Cornbread Chilli Bowls. It really is a crowd pleaser, or just a treat for yourself. First let's get everything you need together. Diced Red Peppers. I like to use 2 peppers cut them, remove the seeds and dice them up. Diced Green Peppers. Again, I say get you 2 peppers cut them, remove the seeds and dice them up. One Large Red onion also diced. I Garlic Clove Diced. One or two cans of crushed Tomato's. I like crushed sweet tomatoes One can of beans. I like bushes beans. What you need to do is saute the peppers, onions and garlic in a skillet. You will also need the one Dew Chilli Can. Keep in mind these are large Chilli cans that by themselves serve 6 by just heating and serving. Take what you want of the chilli, then package the rest of the chilli up and freeze for future use. Now we need to make the cornbread for the cornbread bowl. THIS IS SO EXCITING! Either get an instant mix, or make your own. Sugar Melted butter. Milk . Eggs. Flower Cornmeal Baking powder Salt Make your batter, then pour it all in a round baking dish. Bake until cornbread is done. Again, if you don't have the time to make your cornbread from scratch, just get some cornbread mix follow the instructions and bake it off. While your cornbread is baking crack open a can of Dew Chilli. Pour want you need into your pan of saute peppers, onions and garlic. Add your cans of crushed tomatoes and beans and stir, stir, stir. Take your cornbread out of the oven, and then carefully cut out a section, or a well area, in the middle of the bread to pour your Chilli into the cornbread bowl, add some shredded cheddar cheese, top it with Sour cream and add scallions. THEN DIG IN! Dew Chilli Cans are available at any Dew Location. County Market Grocery stores in Jacksonville, Illinois, Springfield, Illinois, Chatham, Illinois Sherman, Illinois and Girard, Illinois. Also available at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Illinois. If your grocery store doesn't carry the legendary Dew Chilli ask them to. We would be glad to stock their shelves for you. You can also order the cans at our on-line store on this website. Just click the store tab. Cans can be shipped anywhere in the United States. dewchilli.com

We may be limited due to shutdowns, but the Dew Crew is still serving you. We wanted to let all of you to know about our new hours of operations during this temporary shutdown of in-door dinning. Dew Chilli Parlor Pub and Grill 2690 S. Dirksen Parkway Springfield, Illinois 62703 Phone: 217-679-1910 This location is open for Curb-Side, Carry-Out and Delivery. Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm. Dew Chilli Parlor 2312 Wabash Avenue Springfield, Illinois 62704 Phone: 217-679-2940 This location will be open on Thanksgiving Eve to pick up your Chilli Bricks in a Can for the Holiday. Then it will be open each week until the Dine-In order is lifted, for Curb-Side, Carry-Out, Drive-up Window and Delivery. Hours; 11am to 7pm. Dew Chilli Pub and Grill 301 North Grand Avenue West Springfield, Illinois. Phone: 217-670-2530 THIS LOCATION IS TEMPORARLY CLOSED UNTIL DINE-IN REOPENS. Orders for the North side are still being taken by calling the number which will be transferred to the Dirksen Parkway location, or you can call the Dirksen Parkway location directly at 217-679-1910. Chilli, Coney's Pasta's Sandwiches, Horseshoes and more is just a call away or by ordering on line at dewchilli.com Also, the Dew Chilli Brick in a Can is available. Just in time for Thanksgiving. Pick up the New Brick in a Cans at any Dew Location, order on line at Dewchilli.com to ship around the country to your loved ones. Or you can pick them up at Participating Grocery Stores. County Market on Monroe Street the the location on Carpenter Street. County Market in Jacksonville County Market in Chatham County Market in Girard HyVee From our families to yours. Be Safe and Happy Holidays.

Illinois, plain and simple is a mess right now. It has the worst credit rating, labeled the most Anti-business state to invest in, not a good place to retire and known as being the highest tax state in the country. Other than that things are just fine here in Illinois. NOT! While America Struggles with COVID, Illinois is in a death spiral and COVID seems just to be the nail in the coffin for the Land Of Lincoln. Poor economic conditions, high unemployment rates compounded by a failed unemployment system not serving those in need. That in itself is forcing many to the streets joining the homeless population. Add a crumbling Infrastructure to the ever growing list of devastating issues facing Illinois and things are not looking good for the state. So with all of that in mind, when you hear people talking about the "plight of restaurants and bars", you might think well that's a frivolous concern. We've seen on FaceBook and other social media outlets comments from many in Illinois. Why should we worry about the independent restaurant industry when we're worried about other things in our lives? Well here is why. It's because independent restaurants feeds America, feeds Illinois. It's because independent restaurants employ more than 10 million people, many million in Illinois because the industry is one of the biggest industries in the State. Fear is mounting that these jobs may disappear for good. As of today several thousand restaurants and bars around the state have closed. Think of this. A report released in June by the Illinois Restaurant Association indicated that then nearly 5,100 businesses shut their doors for good. As of today the forecast is that up to 85% of restaurants are expect to close permanently. That percentage is getting higher as each day of the shutdown continues. This Cantrall, Illinois farm and business just posted on it's FaceBook page today 11/19/2020 the following message. "Hello everyone! As you may have heard, Rolling Meadows Brewery is shutting down for good. It was a difficult decision, but COVID made it a necessary one. We are proud to have accomplished our mission to grow everything we needed to brew. We are so grateful to the vibrant, supportive community that we were so lucky to be a part of." As the New York Times reported other industries, deep-pocketed companies are able to keep workers on the payroll even when there's no money coming in. In some cases large restaurant chains, like Portillo's and Chick-Fil-A, who have those same deep pockets, will survive the crisis and shutdowns. However, independent or locally owned restaurants and bars don't have that luxury. The locals, who are the fabricate of every community, part of the history and building the communities don't have shareholders or the ability to bank money for a rainy day when things are good. Here's why. 90% of the money that independent restaurants and bars earn goes straight back out to pay employees, vendors and rent. In other words, your favorite restaurant and bar is primarily in business of giving a whole lot people a paycheck. In the past few weeks, one of us was forced to lay off 800 workers. Another had to let 1,500 people go. A third laid off 2,000 people, including office staff. Some establishments still offer takeout and delivery, and selling gift cards online, but that's barely enough to keep anyone employed, given the costs of rent, insurance, taxes and fees for sit down restaurants. The independents economic model requires people in seats. And that's not even counting the hundreds of millions of workers up and down the supply chain, from farmers and packers and laundries to importers and accountants, from entertainers and bands to lawn care and building maintenance and other trades, oh yes, and unions. All who depend on restaurants for their living. One Illinois Farmer for example is a good example of what we are talking about. His farm supplies 40 to 50 restaurants around Illinois, "wholesale to restaurants make up about 70 percent of our total sales," he said. Since the recent shutdown orders his restaurant sales have "dropped to zero." Illinois Dairy farmers say the same thing. Bars and mom and pop coffee shops closed are not ordering cream for drinks. Devastating the Dairy industry. So, as restaurants and bars go, so go our communities. If all of these people suddenly don't have money to spend on our main streets, everyone will feel it. This is why you should care, why everyone should care. As owners and operators we take our responsibility to keep people working very seriously. But now we need help. We have fallen victim to COVID and leaders we fear have politized COVID. Forcing shutdown on an industry who really should be part of the solution and not vilified as the problem when all statistics show that the establishments are safer than having dinner at home. To date accurate DATA has not been shared showing the reason to shut down restaurants and bars. Lists have be released but solid DATA has not and the administration refuses time and time again to release it. Why? It doesn't fit the narrative. A large majority of our colleagues, from dishwashers to porters to prep, bartenders and line cooks, have spent their lives in the restaurant and bar business. They have nowhere else to go. WE CAN'T LET THEM DOWN. So let's answer that question we asked in the begging of this. Will we have and Illinois without restaurants and bars? The answer is... NO! We Are Essential! Sources: Illinois Restaurant Association Illinois Policy Institute New York Times Illinois License Beverage Association Illinois Department of Employment Security Illinois Farmers and Dairy Farmers

Hey all go ahead dive into this Layered Chilli Cheese Dip you make at home. Can you say Simply delicious? Here it is. Cream Cheese, Salsa, Dew Chilli and Cheddar Cheese are layered and baked until hot and bubbling. Top it with Green Onion, Tomato, and Fresh Cilantro for a tasty dip that is sure to be a hit. Ingredients: 1 Package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened. 1/2 cup of chunky salsa. 1/2 cup of Dew Chilli. 1/2 cup of chili beans. 2 green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1/4 cup diced tomatoes 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. How To Make It: Oh so easy. First heat your oven to 350-degrees. While the oven is heating, spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread the salsa over the cream cheese. Top with Dew Chilli. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Top with the green onions, tomatoes and cilantro. Then? While doing your shopping at HyVee or County Market make sure you pick up the Dew Chilli Brick in a Can. Or you can pick one up at any of the Dew locations. These are large cans. Again, just like a brick. But, they go a long way. Take what you need, freeze the rest to make some other fantastic dishes. If your grocery store doesn't carry it please ask them to support a local company. Dew Chilli in a can is also available to be shipped anywhere around the country. Great gift ideas sending family or friends 111 year old legendary Chilli spelled with two L's by the way. The second L stands for Love.

From a Son of a Wounded War Vet this is a special day. My father, Lebanese, found the Freedom and Life unlike places far away. Dad, was a proud American who fought for his county. Who fought to ensure the freedoms of the citizens of this Great County. Today, I honor dad and the thousands of men and women who fought for our rights, for our freedoms. The very people who left loved ones behind to fight for this country. The very people who often came home to their loved ones like this. They paid the ultimate price for us. We Owe them. We thank them, their families and all who have served. . I didn't sleep well last night. As I'm sure many of you didn't. I know you didn't, you were calling me. My last call early, early this morning was from a Bar Tender/Waitress. She needed to talk. The fear in her voice haunted me all night as I did my best to make her feel good. She watched Springfield City Council tell her she was no longer going to be able to work. She has three small children she is raising on her own. She has no family here, no one to turn to. Her income is it. It's all up to her. After hanging up with her. I thought about Veterans Day that we all are celebrating and should. I thought about all the men and women who are resting here, in Arlington National Cemetery and in Cemeteries around the country. I thought of Dad. What would these people think after giving so much to have Politically motivated people strip the freedoms away from the citizens they serve. The Freedoms these souls fought for and in many instances died for. During laughter and birthday wishes the Springfield City Council and Mayor Jim Langfelder outlined plans to shut all bars down and dine-in, in conjunction with Sangamon County Officials. The shutdown begins at the stroke of midnight going from Thursday to Friday. The Mayor, knowing the DATA is flawed reversed his position citing spikes in COVID cases in the County and City. The Mayor even stated himself there is no evidence that Bars and Restaurants are the root cause of these spikes, but did say we do know that house parties and other private gathers are. But that didn't matter. Political pressure in order for the Governor to save face was a stronger motivation than the people our local officials serve. So our city leaders shut small businesses down driving people to the very places that are the root cause of COVID spikes. House parties and other private gathers. Oh, yes, the Mayor said he wants to ban all such gathers for the month of November as well.. No Thanksgiving no more of those special family moments. Nope, not this month the Mayor and Alderman/women say. Our City and County and Our State leaders hide true DATA while taking away the freedoms many sacrificed to ensure we the people had. They took away our right to choose, and decide, they took away our right to a livelihood. They took from us our FREEDOM, and on all days, the celebration of our Veterans who again fought and died for those freedoms. COVID is real. But it is real with a 97% plus survival rate. It is real but the mortality rate is down. Yes positive cases are up as expected with more testing. So, While COVID is real so is suicide which has also spiked around the country and I fear will here at home. When people lose hope they often turn to what they consider a last resort. COVID is real but so is Drug Abuse which is also spiking. Every experts say when you restrict people Drug and Alcohol abuse goes up. COVID is real but so is Child Abuse and Domestic Abuse. Again, experts say when people are confined, lost and have no hope they tend to lash out. So I go back to that Bar Tender/Waitress I spoke to last night for a long time. I can say the words like , everything will be fine. But I don't Know. Will it? Governor, Mayor, County Leaders, do the right thing. Give back the freedoms our Veterans fought for. We must fight COVID together, but we must go on living as we are seeing in most of our surrounding states. Life can not stop. Right? Thank you Veterans. I'm saddened your special day is tainted with the bad destructive decisions of our Political leaders. I hold you in my heart. Dad I miss you. I wish we could talk. Especially now.

Doors locking, Lights going out, cash registers stop ringing, employee time clocks not sounding and families left to wonder how they will pay their rent, put food on the table, get the baby formula or medicine needed to take on each day. The order is a surprise reversal on the part of Mayor Jim Langfelder, as well as Sangamon County leaders, who many say caved to political pressure. During the shutdown announcement, the Mayor even said that there is no DATA that can be traced back to Bars/Restaurants, but because of how the legal description is worded, "PLACES OF GATHERING" Bars and Restaurants fall victim to the order. That's a good reason to destroy lives and communities. Over wording. However, other businesses are allowed to operate. It is very clear that the retail drink and food industry has been targeted with no evidence just faulty wording. Why not change the wording and do what is right? During the meeting, and lots of Birthday Wishes and laughing between some Council Members, as citizens were devastated by the news, it was announced that as of Thursday when the clock strikes Twelve midnight that all Bars in Sangamon County and the City of Springfield will be closed. All Dine-In service will come to a stop, but carry-out, curbside and delivery will be allowed. However, not clear are some important issues. Will utilities be cut off? Will they continued to be billed at the highest rate? Will there be any relief? Some talked of a license proration that will take place after the first of the year, but by then many small businesses will be lost for good. Perhaps increasing the number in tent city the city seems so proud of is the cities solution? While we all strive to defeat COVID we all expect to be treated fairly. If there is DATA showing Bars/Restaurants are to blame for outbreaks then release it before making decisions that hurt so many people. That is a failure on the part of our elected officials. Basic questions could not be answered but yet with such determination to shut peoples lives down made, again between laughs and birthday wishes. But, as we have found out the DATA shows otherwise. That DATA was tossed out with no consideration and a lot of denial. Politics of win and lose was on full display during this meeting. In an earlier post there was concern that Ward 6 Alderwoman DiCenso was going to bring up the issue of shutdown. She adamantly denied that. She didn't, but as if on cue, Ward 8 Alderwoman Conley did. The political game of win and lose certainly was on display tonight. What was also on display, between the laughing and birthday wishes, on such a somber night is the complete failure of those who are there to represent all the people fairly without the influence of politics. So you might think that the failure was actually on the part of we the people, who put these officials in office. As many have said time and time again. Elections have consequences. The consequences here is the people lose, while our elected officials go back to their politically appointed high paying jobs or taxpayer retirement funds. Do I sound bitter? You bet. Bars/Restaurants have been vilified because as the head of the health department stated to a large group when asked why? Because we can was her response. So the the General public. Please hear us. We have fought for our community, for our businesses and for the many families who depend on us keeping the lights on only to fall victim, not to COVID, but to flawed and hidden DATA. That is wrong! But, as we have heard. Fear sells and it's fear that will doom us all if we are not careful. Springfield, Illinois. Sangamon County mark this date down. 11/10/2020. This is the day you destroyed your communities. You didn't need the VIRUS which has a 97% survival rate. You are doing it with an executive order. Sleep well tonight Mayor and Alderman and Women and Elected County Officials. Sleep well.

This is what many are referring to as the list. Whatever you call it, this list blows the argument out of the water many have made. That argument? Bars and restaurants are behind the COVID-19 outbreaks and spikes. It's that argument the State and some local leaders have used to justify the targeted shutdowns of these establishments while other establishments are allowed to remain fully opened. The list and the DATA it contains was not supposed to be seen by you or me. It was accidentally released and obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 Project at Columbia University's Brown Institute for Media Innovation, in partnership with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. This information was also obtained and recently released by Springfield Leaks. Below is a link to their on line publication and Document. http://springfield-leaks.com/breaking-the-list-of-all-known-sangamon-county-covid-19-sites-of-outbreak/?fbclid=IwAR2vdgDISBU4n7YWsa1tZ4t0-HAmIVcnbC4x8gDsQra5ZcG4CEflh99a2fA This list is just some of the DATA. Despite the many requests, made by Senator Mike Murphy, Representative C.D. Davidsmey, and Senator Steve McClure, for the DATA to be released that justifies the shutdowns of Bars and Restaurants. This Secrete List or DATA makes it as to clear why it hasn't been released. Again, we were not suppose to see it. If you remember, NBC also uncovered what has been labeled Illinois' Secret List. This investigation also confirms that Bars and Restaurants are not the source of COVID-19 outbreaks. At the time that investigative report was hitting the airwaves, the State quickly reversed it's original decision to not release the DATA by saying it would in a matter of days. Over Two-Weeks ago Governor Pritzker said the public would see the DATA in just a few days. Over Two Weeks later the State still has not released that DATA and reverted back by refusing to release it. Keep in mind this is Months after our State Senators and Representatives requested it. This is a link to the Second NBC Investigative Report. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/two-weeks-after-nbc-5-revealed-illinois-secret-list-the-state-still-wont-release-outbreak-details/2366909/ All of the DATA obtained shows that House Parties, Weddings, Nursing homes and Elderly Care Facilities, Prisons are to blame. Events, like this one, many call Woodstock in a Cornfield, held in Kinkaid this past weekend may also result in higher numbers. Although no one has claimed that just yet. While many do not deny these peoples right to have such a gatherings, bars and restaurants just don't want to get blamed for any outbreak that may come from such gatherings. Many officials and staff sources in the City, County and State , are siding with restaurants and bars, as we saw during a peaceful rally of about 125 bar and restaurant owners, and the general public, outside Springfield City Hall. The rally called on local lawmakers to support Mayor Jim Langfelder, and his decision not to enforce the Governors latest executive order. Staff inside the City Hall joined the rally at some point, also notifying the demonstrators that three of the Council Members drove by saw the crowd and went back to their homes to join the meeting by zoom avoiding having to walk through the rally. Avoiding having to face the same people who elected them. The Group of Restaurant and Bar owners, once competitors, have united and developed a very impressive organization fighting for one cause. Freedom. Weekly, the organization is receiving documents and information like has been reported. One such document sent to the group is a communication exchange involving Ward 6 Alderwoman Kristin DiCenso. In the exchange it is clear that one person writing the Alderwoman has a deep dislike for Mayor Langfelder. The exchange talks about calling for the complete shutdown of Bars and Restaurants in Springfield while using profanity towards the Mayor. Out of respect, and as a courtesy to the Alderwoman, I reached out to her this morning to get her response to the communication that was sent to the Bar/Restaurant group. Here is a transcript of her response. I did remove full names of others mentioned in the exchange for privacy reasons. On Nov 10, 2020, at 10:39 AM, Mike wrote: Good Morning;  You have asked me to reach out to you when I hear something regarding you. We have been told you plan to call for an immediate shutdown of bars and dine in tonight during the committee of the whole you are chairing. Is that true?  Thank you Mike. ------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Once again... From: Kristin DiCenso Date: Tue, November 10, 2020 9:48 am To: mike@ Completely false. Not even on my list of things to talk about. But thank you for reaching out to confirm.  Best, Kristin On Nov 10, 2020, at 10:58 AM, Mike wrote: Thank you for the quick response. Someone has released an email between you and a David B.? It was sent to me and many others and is making the rounds. You have felt I haven't been fair to you so I wanted to make sure I reached out to you. When I respond to the others I will make sure (they know) that you are not planning on that (calling for a shutdown). Again, I appreciate your quick response and  if I hear more I will reach back out to you.  Mike. From Kristin DiCenso: I have not communicated privately with David B. ever. Anything you may have seen is completely fabricated. He comments on my page frequently about the his disdain for the Mayor and HIS desire to close down bars and restaurants, but I just let him spout. I am not bringing up anything related to the Mayor’s Executive Order tonight and I says nothing about it last week when two others did. Hope that clarifies the issue for you, Best, Kristin On Nov 10, 2020, at 11:40 AM, mike@ wrote: Thank you. It is clear that Mr. B. does not like the Mayor in the messages. Again, I will let everyone know that you do not plan on bringing this up tonight. I do appreciate you getting back to me and I appreciate you understanding why I'm asking. It's important to many people trying to feed their kids and making a living.  Please keep in touch.  Mike. Kristin Dicenso responded; You’re welcome and you too. I will ALWAYS be straight with you. And please know, I order out 4 to 5 nights a week and tip ridiculously. I’m a foodie. I don’t want to lose the great local restaurants we have. We need you! Best, Kristin Judge for yourself. We do appreciate the Alderwoman responding. It is encouraging that the Alderwoman stated she does not plan to call for a shutdown. We hope others on council follow suit. Regarding the DATA. Lawmakers we are speaking with are very concerned that anything released now will be highly questionable because of all the secrecy. One Lawmaker stated, "During the Governor's Media updates he holds a bunch of papers up claiming they are the DATA. If they are why not release them then? We think they are not." What is upsetting to many of the Bar/Restaurant owners is the fact that DATA is being kept secret as exposed by the above reports destroying people and communities. That the small Bar/Restaurants who don't have deep pockets are being targeted when the DATA shows it should be others. Jobs and livelihoods have been lost. Plus, the establishments who are the fabric and of every community has unjustly been vilified and mostly by the media and elected officials with no supporting DATA. Because as one County official, during a meeting of officials and 200 Bar/Restaurant Owners, Said. BECAUSE WE CAN. This blog was intended to promote what is happening at the Dew. Food Items and cool stories. Unfortunately we have had to use it to get our story out and to fight for our lives. We hope we can get back to normal soon. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

They came from all over the City of Springfield and from around the County. Bar owners, Restaurant owners, Waiters, Waitresses, Cooks, Dishwashers, all armed with a message for City Council and other Leaders. Joining these moms, dads, grandparents and kids, were many residents of the community asking if they can stand with us and hold a sign. There were about 125 people representing the establishments plus the many local residents. The people here surrounded city hall greeting Alderman and Officials as they entered the building for the nights City Council meeting. Several of the Alderman, like Chuck Redpath, as well as other Alderman and City Treasurer Misty Busher as well as other City Officials came back outside in a show of support for all small businesses in the City and County. All saying we have to keep our small businesses open and people working. Ward 9 Alderman Jim Donelan could be heard responding to the those gathered. "I needed to see this" As he went into City Hall. The peaceful protest did send a strong message. All these people wanted to do is let their elected officials see their faces, hear there stories. However, those inside city hall let rally goers know that three of the Council Members saw the large gathering outside and decided not to attend the Council Meeting in person, but instead join by a Zoom Call avoiding the people. That left many at the rally wondering. If they can't face the people that elected them, then why are they there in office? All during the Rally, the community showed support to the folks here wanting to be heard. Up and down the street those driving honked there horns in a nod of support. Even City Buses driving by gave everyone a toot. People walking, dropped by letting the group know that the community is with them. The Group was also here to show support for Mayor Jim Langfelder and the Alderman who are supporting keeping businesses safely open and people working. During a Press Conference this week the Mayor stated, "we hear a lot about restaurants and bars on COVID, but you know what the number one cause of COVID outbreaks are?" He asked. " Private house parties" He powerfully said. The Mayor is exactly right. Uncovered Data revealed by an NBC Investigation into what the Network called Governor Pritzkers secrete COVID files shows just that. Those files obtained by NBC show that Restaurants and Bars are not the leading cause of the spread of COVID. In fact they are the least. Instead, House Parties, Graduations, Weddings, Nursing homes and Prisons are the leading cause of sources of outbreaks . The Secrete files were so secrete the information was not even shared with Local Officials. DATA again showing that Bars and Restaurants are not to blame. That confirmed by the Director of Public Health. So the question is if the DATA is showing Restaurants and Bars are not the Result of COVID outbreaks then why are these establishments being targeted? We have to go back to an October 25th meeting Establishment owners had with elected officials and health officials. It was at this meeting the answer was made clear as shocking as it was. "BECAUSE WE CAN" Mayor Jim Langfelder quickly announced, that while he supports the Governor's Efforts, He can not support another shutdown. He along with Sangamon County Officials have decided to allow establishments to remain open. But ask that they follow rules, most of which have been followed. Again, the reason behind the low outbreak rate at Bars and Restaurants. At last nights City Council Meeting, city leaders were to discuss and were asked to get behind the Mayors efforts to save local businesses and jobs. While Alderman did support the Mayor a few did not stating they were upset that the Mayor made the decision in the first place without talking to them, so because of that, they would not support him now. These people were disappointed in those comments by some Alderman, the same that would not attend the meeting in person because of the citizens gathered outside wanting to be heard. To those gathering outside of City Hall, Those Alderman not supporting the Mayor have made their argument political. They feel it's that political dance that is destroying local lives. They Mayor says even still he is pushing forward and not abandoning the local business which have been the fabricate of the community for decades. He told the Journal Register that he has the authority under his emergency powers to implement the contents of his resolution on his own and that he plans to sign an emergency order in the coming days reflecting that. To many it's clear that the Mayor has a full understanding, as do Alderman like Chuck Redpath and others, that watching business after business close is not only devesting to the businesses, but to the City and many families. They understand that is not the solution in defeating COVID. The Mayor has put in place more requirements jointly with Sangamon County. Again most establishments have been doing what the Mayor is asking. But the additional measures the establishments agree will be enforced. "We are not only fighting for out lives, but for our community" one rally goer stated. In fact, going back to the DATA that was uncovered, since shutdowns began the number of cases have risen due to private house parties. People are gathering in larger groups at their homes and not at restaurants and bars which are enforcing all safety requirements to combat COVID. The result higher COVID cases. "Let us be part of the solution for we are trained professionals in our industry on serving people keeping them safe, We are not the problem, we are part of the solution to cut back on these causes of outbreaks like house parties", Another Rally goer stated. As part of being part of the solution local establishments are asking to be part of the discussion. Since decisions are being made on an industry very few leaders understand. Establishments are asking to be part of decision process. In other words be part of the solution that helps our entire city, and not target one over another, as is now being done. Establishments want the community to know that they, as they always have been, are here for the community. They are asking that the community be with them not vilify them based off of what has clearly become flawed DATA while the True DATA has been kept from local officials and citizens. Establishments are also calling on leaders and organizations to stop targeting them. For example in recent days the Sangamon County Democratic Party put on its website a list of restaurants and bars calling on people to boycott them. Calling those owners " Whiny Entitled Owners." which prompted these T-Shirts to be made and worn by many owners at the City Hall Rally. "That was heart breaking. We hosted many of their campaign and party functions at our places. To see a major political party turn on us is disheartening. " One small business owner said. Another example is at least one City Leader posting on their FaceBook page numbers to call to report businesses and bars. Asking citizens to become police not knowing the circumstances of what may have been going on at the moment in the business. "For an elected official to call for citizens to become police can incite violence. Instead of calling for the demise of a business and confrontation, why not reach out to that business and work with them to do better. That's a true leader." Another Rally goer said. Restaurants and Bar owners want the Community to be a Community. Be nice to each other, work with each other, look out after each other, but don't vilify anyone. After all we are all in this together. Thank you Mayor and All elected officials We stand Ready to Work with you. Will you work with us? To our Community.

Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, Sangamon, County Officials and other elected officials held a joint news conference to announce new mitigation measures regarding COVID-19. These measures, less than a week, after Mayor Langfelder announced he would not be enforcing the Governor's orders. Today, the Mayor said he made his decision on these new mitigation measures calling on all citizens of Springfield and Sangamon County regarding COVID-19. The Mayor said the new rules will not just target small businesses like restaurants and bars as the Governors order has and has happened in the past. Recent data has shown that Restaurants and Bars have not be the source of COVID outbreaks as has been proclaimed by many. A recent NBC investigative report called Illinois Keeps a Secret List of Thousands of Coronavirus Outbreaks. Confirms what many restaurants and bars have been saying all along. Those establishments are not the source of COVID outbreaks. This is the link to that investigative report and those secrete lists again shows Restaurants and Bars have not been the source of COVID outbreaks. Instead it reveals that, private house parties, graduations, weddings, nursing homes are the leading places of COVID outbreaks. Here is the link. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-keeps-a-secret-list-of-thousands-of-coronavirus-outbreaks-now-nbc-5-has-it/2361313/?_osource=SocialFlowFB_CHBrand&fbclid=IwAR0fpO8kt8s99TnjVCfOxoJsGrNexDHFVLlg-5HF6ftSHduzNC1qMRc5yxk This is something Mayor Langfelder acknowledged during todays press conference. To area Bars and Restaurants who have been vilified, that was music to their ears. Bars and Restaurants have worked hard to keep our communities safe. The Mayor is quoted as saying, "you know everyone brings up restaurants and bars, but do you really know the number one cause of outbreaks? It's house parties, house parties!) The new mitigation, for the first time, not only will be enforced on bars and restaurants but all retail and small business locations. The new approach will last for two weeks and the new data will be reviewed. The Mayor is hoping at that time the mitigation can be eased. To customers of small businesses. The Mayor urges you to keep supporting our communities businesses and to cooperate and understand the small business location is only doing what they have been mandated to do. Mike and John, owners of Godfather's Pizza and Dew Chilli Parlor's of America said, " We think the Mayor has taken a reasonable approach. It's also appreciated that bars and restaurants are no longer being vilified and targeted and that the burden or beating COVID is being a shared community experience. We ask our customers to follow the guidelines set forth by the Mayor and Sangamon County leaders. We will do our part, please do yours? " Mike and John went on to say delivering this message to the Mayor, " Mayor, we just listened to your press conference. We think your approach is very reasonable and we thank you for telling the side of the restaurants and bars who have been vilified for so long. This must be a community effort and all businesses, as you stated should take part. We are putting a notice of support out for your call to action. We assure you we will be following the guidelines as we battle this together. Thank you for your support". The following are the new mitigation guidelines for Springfield and Sangamon County. We ask our customers to help us by supporting our business and the the measures we are taking. We also ask our customers to be helpful and understanding regarding the requirements we must follow in keeping logs on everyone who enters our locations. Springfield and Sangamon County County Rules for Operation and Customers Per Mayor Langfelder Occupancy and Social Distancing Establishments must operate their indoor public areas at no more than 25% of capacity and their outdoor public areas at no more than 50% of capacity. Indoor and outdoor capacity restrictions will be calculated and enforced separately. For example, if the capacity of an establishment is forty guests inside and fifty guests outside, the maximum number of guests allowed will be ten inside and twenty-five outside. For those customers being served indoors, the establishment must have all customers complete a health questionnaire setting forth the name and phone number of each guest and the date, time in, time out, and the guest's table number. Establishments must maintain these questionnaires and provide them to the County upon request. Establishments must ensure that all customers only consume food or drink while seated at a table (not a bar or countertop). All seated customers must be seated at their table so that they are at least six feet away from: (a) any other customer seated at any other table; and (b) any other patron service area. In lieu of compliance with this six-foot rule, the establishment may use physical barriers to separate a customer seated at their table from customers seated at other tables and from other patron service areas. Establishments shall not allow customers to sit at bars or countertops. Orders for food and drink may be taken and fulfilled at a counter or bar and payment for the food and drink accepted, but only if 6 foot social distancing guidelines are followed with the use of recommended face coverings. Establishments shall not allow customers to consume food or drink while they are standing. To the extent possible, patrons must wait for services off-premises, either outdoors and maintaining a social distance of 6-ft with the use of recommended face coverings or in their vehicles. Patrons can remain in the waiting area but should adhere to 6Mft distancing guidelines. Fire departments located in Sangamon County will assist Sangamon County Liquor and Health Inspectors in determining occupancy limits. Hours of Operation Establishments may not begin serving the public until 6:00 a.m. Establishments must close by 11:00 p.m., and no customers shall remain in either indoor or outdoor serving areas after 11:00 p.m. Face Coverings Establishments must have an adequate supply of face coverings for staff, as well as a policy and training for staff to wear their face coverings. Employees must wear face coverings over their nose and mouth. Establishments shall ensure that all customers wear face coverings over their nose and mouth while they are in the indoor public areas but not seated indoors with their own household/party. Hand Washing and Sanitizing Stations Hand-washing sinks must be accessible, functional with hot and cold warming water, and fully stocked with soap, hand drying devices, and waste cans. Hand sanitizing stations must be provided, as appropriate, in multiple locations to encourage hand hygiene by both patrons and employees to supplement hand washing. Train and remind employees of effective hand hygiene practices, including washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Live Music/Dancing Is Not Permitted. Circulation If existing windows in the areas tables are provided for customers' use are operable, they must each be opened one inch to increase the volume of fresh air entering the building while the area is open for use by the public. The establishment's existing HVAC equipment shall be operated at maximum capacity for the purpose of exchanging the air in the indoor public areas tables are provided for customers' use. TWO WEEKS. TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!

"If we Saw Restaurants and Bars that they were the source of an outbreak- as we've done in every other setting--we would aggressively addressed those issues. We have not" This is a direct quote. You would think a quote from a Republican Senator or Congressman, or a quote from a Restaurant or Bar owner. But it's not. It's a quote from this Mayor. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has stood by Governor J.B. Pritzker time and time again. She is a loyal foot soldier for the Governor. But on Wednesday October 28, 2020 the Mayor disagreed with the Governor stating restaurants "are the industry that's been the most impacted," She went on to say that she is "worried many may be unable to come back". Those public statements by Mayor Lightfoot triggered an angry response from the Governor. Many point out that the Governor goes to a common fear tactic phrase to make his argument "People are Dying Period". There is no question about it. People have died due to COVID-19 and the Positivity Rate has risen. First the death rate has drastically dropped according to the CDC. There is over a 97% survivability rate and That is because we understand the virus better and have better treatments. Now to the positivity rate. It is going up. That's because, according the officials, testing has drastically increased. Therefore, the positivity rate climbs. Just, like it does in flu cases. During a meeting on Monday October 25th The Director of the Health Department told a gathering of 150 Restaurant, Bar, City and other State Officials that, "Not one COVID-19 case has been traced back to a Restaurant or Bar" The Director went on to say. "Restaurant and Bars have one of the lowest COVID rates". When asked why bars and restaurants are being shut down the Directly quickly, but honestly said. "Because they can be". Meaning these shutdowns have become political. That message was clear during another gathering of 200 plus owners and operators of Restaurants, and Bars along with Senator Steve McClure and Mike Murphy and other City, County, State and Federal officials. Senator Steve McClure told the crowd. "We've been shown no data from the Pritzker administration to demonstrate why Region 3's restaurants and bars should be closed down. We've been asking for more transparency, actual data that we can see, and public hearings for months. Despite repeated promises that data is coming, we've received nothing," Said Senator McClure who went on to say. " In Region 3, there are many employees working at these restaurants, and bars who live paycheck to paycheck, and they don't know how they are going to pay their bills. We've got business owners that may have to permanently close their doors. They've been given no data to support the Governor's unilateral decision to target them." Senator Mike Murphy stated during this news conference that. " I'm disappointed with Pritzker's refusal to release contact tracing data that he says justifies his decision to close indoor service at bars and restaurants." Murphy said and went on to say, " Dr. Ezike state that the biggest cause of outbreaks is universities and large private gathers; however, the new restrictions only damage local small businesses that provide opportunities for thousand of workers to make a living'. Murphy stated. All the elected officials say they have asked time and time again for the Data to be given them. But the Governor refused until recently stating he will release the Data in a week. But that concerns the Senators who are concerned that during that week the so called Data will be manipulated. McClure says if decisions have been made the DATA should be available before those decisions were made. Senator McClure sits on several committees. Two of which are directly related to such things as COVID-19. The Higher Education Committee. The Committee on Public Health. Senator McClure says not one time has the Committee on Public Health had a meeting to address this issue. Why? Because he says the Governor refuses to allow Illinois Lawmakers to come back into session. Instead the Governor is making Decisions without the input of the representatives of the People of Illinois. This concerns many. Illinois lawmakers are not going to work but are still getting paid for work not being done. The Bottom Line is signs like this are going up all over our communities in Illinois. Each of these signs represent people. Lives Destroyed. Why? Not because of the VIRUS but because of decision made based on false DATA and Political motivations. Besides attending the News Conference and Meeting with officials there are other sources of information for this blog. They can be found on the following links. NBC 5 Chicago: https://www-nbcchicago-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/people-are-dying-period-pritzker-defends-restrictions-on-bars-and-restaurants/2361888/?amp=&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D&_js_v=0.1&fbclid=IwAR2Td1v9hZYF4N9tJJ9y7V5lLf-CKbYjNhQzlrNQc60WN-OiFhVXuxANU0k#aoh=16041424193221&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcchicago.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fpeople-are-dying-period-pritzker-defends-restrictions-on-bars-and-restaurants%2F2361888%2F The State Journal Register: https://www.sj-r.com/news/20201030/springfield-bar-restaurant-owners-uncertain-about-future-as-mitigations-begin-sunday The State Journal Register: https://www.sj-r.com/news/20201029/mitigations-ordered-for-springfield-region-3-after-surge-in-covid-19-cases Please support your local small businesses and community.

Dear Mayor: First we want to thank you for taking a stand with the thousands of people in the Hospitality Industry in our community by not enforcing the Governors orders for this weekend. I am sure you will agree it's our restaurants, bars and the many unique venues we have that has built this great city. There is a lot of history in our hospitality industry and history is the story of the fabricate of our community. As you know, John and I own and operate Godfather's Pizza. In Springfield we have two Godfather's Locations. We also have the Dew Chilli Parlor and Dew Chilli Pub and Grills. There are 3 locations. Between these five locations there are 100 incredible people who proudly serve our community. Some are married, some are single, nearly all are parents of small children. Some of our staff are elderly folks supplementing their income, and some are veterans, and some with special needs often pushed aside in life because they are different. But all are great people. To John and I they are family. John and I invested in our locations, locations that have become landmarks in our community. Before we took them over they were on the verge of closing. Dew is over 111 years old and founded in Springfield, Illinois. It's now going national through the New Dew Chilli Canned product. Just that production has provided many jobs on the production line not included in the numbers of people employed in the store locations. Dew is giving our country a taste of our great city, representing our city in a positive way. Godfather’s is the oldest location in the Nation. When the Movie Godfather came out the Dirksen Parkway store location was opened. It too was nearly closed but John and I saw potential and bought it. Today, it has come back from the brink of closure to being the 6th highest volume location in the Country and has been operating in our community for over 50 years, and it's here in Springfield. It's been featured in movies and draws thousands of tourists each year to our great city. Our business, like so many others businesses in Springfield is what built our city. These landmarks will likely not survive another shut down. That means all the people we described above are left with no income, no insurance, no hope. We are writing to urge you to not enforce the Governor's order to close indoor eating and drinking operations for bars and restaurants in Springfield. Our business and that of our colleagues and competitors are close to collapse and further limitations on our ability to stay open and serve our community will mean the end of our business. Since the COVID-19 crisis started, we have taken numerous steps to make sure our business is a safe place for our customers and our employees. This has included purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE), instituting new policies for cleaning and sanitizing, and generally following the guidelines put forth by Illinois and the CDC. We do temperature checks each shift. We have installed plexiglass and have professional cleaning crews come in our locations to sanitize on top of our staff rigorous cleaning. We have gone above and beyond to keep our community safe. To keep our people working. To keep our City Strong. It is frustrating that despite our efforts, the severe restrictions on our business are not tied or linked to anything that has happened in our business. Bars and restaurants appear to be shouldering all the blame for an uptick in COVID-19 cases that, to our knowledge, has not been traced to bars and restaurants. Not only is this unfair, it is ineffective and does not address the larger problem. By closing our business, the Governor is removing our ability to make sure that beer, wine and spirits are consumed safely in our community. Instead, drinking is being driven underground to house parties and other gatherings where social distancing, masking and other safety protocols are not in place or enforced. The Governor is driving people to the very places that are causing a surge in COVID-19. So the Governor's order is feed COVID-19 not beat it. Your order to not enforce the Governor's order allows John and I and our employees do our part to provide safe hospitality environments for our fellow Illinoisans. Allows us to help defeat COVID-19. As winter approaches, the days turn darker and the weather turns colder, We are reaching a breaking point, just as so many of our fellow bar and restaurant owners are across the state. We got into this business because we believe in people, community and providing a “third place” where people can go to enjoy themselves with family and friends. But if these operating restrictions continue, we will be unable to stay in business through the winter. Please work with leaders in the Springfield and Illinois hospitality industry to find a way to effectively respond to ongoing public health crisis while minimizing the already outsized burden and economic crisis that is devastating Illinois bars and restaurants like ours. You have the power to stand with thousands in our community by not going along with the Governor's unscientific restrictions. Monday, 150 owners and operators got together with a few officials from the State, City, County and the Health Department. You were invited but we were told you had a prior engagement. I wish you were there and you would have heard what we did. The Director of the health department said something that is alarming. We appreciate the Directors honesty. The Director in front of all these people stated. "Not one case of COVID outbreaks have been traced to a bar or restaurant" The Director went on to say that the issue has been with Nursing homes, Dorm Rooms and House Parties and Prisons. The Director went on to say that in fact bars and restaurants have one of the lowest percentages of COVID. The Director said bars and restaurants are being shut down because we can shut them down. It's where people are. Those comments stunned us. Again, we appreciate the honesty. The Governor even said it's hard to determine where a case came from, saying COVID can't be traced to a bar or restaurant. It's just assumed it's our industry because people gather there for a brief time. Just what the Director told us Monday. Think of this Mayor. The Big Box stores where hundreds and hundreds of people enter these big box stores. All touching product on the shelves, sneezing, wiping their noises and then placing the products back on the shelves after deciding not to buy it. Compare that to trained professionals, all trained on COVID safety measures and following all guidelines serving the community. Logically, you would think it's the later locations, the bars and restaurants that are the safer place to be. Mayor, a lot of pressure will be put on you by the Governor if you defy his orders. But, we ask that you remove yourself from party affiliation and stay strong. You, in your hands have the ability to save the livelihood of many people. Remember COVID has a 97% survival rate, better rate than the flu. Closing us down is a 100% death sentence impacting our community for years to come. Sincerely, Mike Monseur John Leskovisek Godfather’s Pizza and Dew Chilli Parlor’s Of America