Best of 2012: Year in Movies Provides Comedy, Drama and Political Intrigue

Moviefone.com’s list of the year’s highlights in film.

Superheroes reined this summer at the box office but this year’s best list includes heroes of another kind, from an American president to U.S. soldiers. Moviefone.com compiled this list of the top box office films this year. Many of the movies here will likely be showing up on Academy Award lists. The top is a movie about the U.S. soldiers who captured Osama Bin Laden. Here is the complete list wit a brief description from Moviefone.com critics: 1. Zero Dark Thirty It's a story most Americans are now very familiar with: the decade long manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Starting in the days after 9/11 and stretching to the night of OBL’s death. 2.  Argo The true story of a group of Americans who attempt to escape Iran during the Hostage Crisis. …

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Vote for Your Favorite Florist

Who will win? Your votes have determined the finalists in the weekly Reader's Choice competition. Now you need to vote for the champion! Vote for your favorite until 5 p.m. Friday.

  The nominations are in! We have narrowed down your submissions to the top three finalists in this week's Reader's Choice competition: Florists. After two days of nominations, your comments on local Patch sites, on Facebook and on Twitter have brought us to these finalists: Now it's time to vote again for the Reader's Choice Champion. Cast your vote for one of these three businesses via: Voting will continue through 5 p.m. Friday, May 4. We'll announce the winner on Saturday, May 5 It all depends upon you. So tell us, where is the BEST florist?

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Readers Choice: Best Florist

Tell us which florist you like best.

  Mother's Day is just around the corner, and your neighbors may be looking for advice on where to find the best florist. Who makes the most delightful floral arrangements in Libertyville, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Grayslake area? Let us know. Just sign into our site and then comment below with your vote. Tell us why you love this florist. What makes them stand out? You have until 5 p.m. Tuesday (May 1) to let us know your favorite florist. On Wednesday morning (May 2), we will post the top three finalists — determined by your votes in this article, on Facebook and on Twitter — in a poll. And it will be time to vote again — this time for the weekly champion. Voting will continue through 5 p.m. Friday (May 4). We will post the "Best Of" …

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Readers' Choice Champion: Best Preschool

Your positive comments have produced a winner for the Best Preschool in northern Lake County. But really, all of the entries in this category are winners.

  The results are in, and you determined who has the best preschool in northern Lake County, and the winner is...Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School. Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School received 44 positive comments of the 77 comments left on our Patch homepages in Grayslake, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff and Libertyville. Grayslake Cooperative Nursery School has been educating young children in Grayslake and the surrounding area since 1976. Grayslake Cooperative is unique in that it is a parent-run school and is the only cooperative preschool in Grayslake.

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Readers' Choice: Best Preschool Finalists

Your comments and reviews will determine the champion

  First, thanks for your feedback regarding Wednesday's polling. We can clearly see how passionate our communities are about this topic, which is why we're back with it again today without the poll. The comments that resulted from our original posting on Monday were amazing, and we're looking to build off of that as we move forward. Here is the list of finalists. We eliminated St. Gilbert's per the request of its principal. We encourage your participation and positive, civil comments. Only positive comments will count toward determining the winner. You can post your comments for one of these preschool finalists via: The comments and reviews can be posted through 5 p.m. Friday, April 27. We'll count up the comments and post the winner on …

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Readers' Choice: Best Preschool

Who do you trust to care for something precious: your littlest children, in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Grayslake or Libertyville?

  The last couple of weeks has been about reader tastes in food. This week, we're asking readers something more serious: which preschool do you think does the best job in either Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Grayslake or Libertyville?  We know parents prioritize different things when choosing a preschool, so we also want to know why you think the preschool you voted for is the best. Do they have the most caring instructors? The greatest communication with parents? The most creative activities for toddlers? Let us know in the comments -- and help your fellow parents out when it comes to choosing a preschool.  There are pre-schools listed under Directory, but if we're leaving one off of the list, please let us know in the comments and we'll add …

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Reader's Choice Finalists: Ice Cream

Who will win? Your votes have determined the finalists in the weekly Reader's Choice Chowdown Showdown competition. Now you need to vote for the champion! Vote for your favorite until 5 p.m. Friday.

  The nominations are in! We have narrowed down your submissions to the top three finalists in this week's Reader's Choice competition: Ice Cream. After two days of nominations, your comments on local Patch sites, on Facebook and on Twitter have brought us to these finalists: Now it's time to vote again for the Reader's Choice Chowdown Showdown Champion. Cast your vote for one of these three businesses via: Voting will continue through 5 p.m. Friday, April 20. We'll announce the winner on Saturday, April 21. It all depends upon you. So tell us, where is the BEST place in northern Lake County for ice cream?

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Marcia Sagendorph

5:45 pm on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Three more votes on Facebook for Tastee Freez: Melinda Willen Bush Tastee Freez of course. It's a Grayslake tradition! 8 hours ago · Like · 1 Kelly Colby-Chase Tastee Freeze!!! 8 hours ago via mobile · Like Paula West Tastee Freez!   more ›

The Chowdown Showdown

Reader's Choice: Ice Cream

Tell us which restaurant has the best ice cream to help them win our Reader's Choice competition.

It's time for our weekly Chowdown Showdown competition! As we head into warmer weather, we are on the hunt for the best place to get the best ice cream in the Grayslake, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Libertyville areas. When you or your kids want creamy, melt-in-your-mouth ice cream, where do you go? You know the drill: Sign into our site and then comment below with your vote. Tell us why you love their ice cream. What makes it so good? You have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to let us know your favorite go-to place for a great ice cream. On Wednesday morning, we will post the top three finalists — determined by your votes in this article, on Facebook and on Twitter — in a poll. And it will be time to vote again — this time for the weekly champion. …

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Reader's Choice: Mickey Finn's Brewery & Pub

Today, everyone is at least a little bit Irish, so head out to one of these favorite spots to celebrate.

Congratulations to Mickey Finn's Brewery & Pub, Libertyville for being selected as the best place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! In our recent Patch "Best Of" poll, Mickey's Finn's won the popular vote, while Emil's Tavern on Center, Grayslake and Bridie McKenna's Irish Pub, Highwood were close behind. As you go out to get your Irish on tonight, visit one of these spots. Tell them Patch sent you. Be sure to celebrate safely as many local police departments are having extra patrols out tonight. May the luck of the Irish be with you!!

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