Long-time crossword puzzle creator’s final puzzle in this week’s issue

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

The Rock River Times (TRRT) regrets that long-time crossword puzzle creator Jeremy T. Paine will no longer be able to provide crossword puzzles for publication in TRRT. His final puzzle appears below. The solution to this week’s puzzle will appear in next week’s edition.

Paine’s first TRRT puzzle, “TRRT Special,” appeared in the Sept. 3-9, 2003, issue. Since that time, his puzzles have appeared in every weekly issue (besides the June 16-22, 2010, issue) and have become a staff and reader favorite.

TRRT was proud to include the work of Paine — a former Rockford resident — in a section of the newspaper that, in most publications, is boiler-plate tripe. TRRT appreciates all of Jeremy’s efforts over the years, and wishes him the best with his future endeavors.

In the coming weeks, TRRT will explore options for future puzzles. Readers can share any ideas or thoughts they might have by e-mailing contact@rockrivertimes.com ^[1].

^[2]

Across
1    PDQ
5    Old Ford model
8    Tiger in your tank gasoline brand
12    Native New Zealander
14    Debt reminder
15    Vend
16    Adios
18    Goof
19    Electrical cord termination
20    State in two time zones: abbr.
21    Adios
23    … man ___ mouse?
26    Arithmetic mean: abbr
28    That girl
29    Adios
32    In re
35    Eons
36    Star Wars princess
38    Electronic meter reading
40    New Jersey team
41    Nickname for old sailors
43    Smell awful
45    Pretense
47    DEA agent, perhaps
48    Meanie
49    Affirmatives, at sea
51    Adios
53    Letters on a tach
55    Specialized stock trader, for short
56    Draft org.
57    Adios
62    DDE opponent in the 50s
64    Tater
65    Line on a map: abbr.
66    Adios
70    Three-___ sloth
71    Decimal base
72    Bergman or Garbo
73    Famed 500 mile race site
74    Concorde, for one
75    Monstrous loch?
Down
1    Weather forecasters’ grp.
2    ___ Paulo, Brazil
3    Well-known ISP
4    Univ. lecturer
5    Fibs
6    Sacred Jewish scroll
7    Early American motorcar name
8    ABC-owned cable channel
9    Ms. Ward, on TV
10    Speak as though intoxicated
11    Gymnast Korbut
13    Relative through marriage
17    Hammers on the bench?
22    Approximately
23    The end ___ era
24    Fumes
25    Singer Franklin
27    Extract (information)
30    Kind of test
31    Pale pinkish-violet
33    Pulsate
34    Some Swiss watches
37    Sunny central rooms
39    Belgrade residents
42    Sacred (in ancient Egypt) beetle
44    C major and others
46    One-time TV host Griffin
50    Athletic games
52    Heeds
54    Tiny biters
57    Italian sparkling wine
58    Second word in many fairy tales
59    Regretted
60    Small whirlpool
61    Lease
63    Stitched
67    Gathering of spellers
68    Fabric amt.
69    Many MIT grads

^[3]

Last week's crossword answer

From the Nov. 2-8, 2011, issue