JUNE, 2009 – GENERAL MEETING
The Chamber’s June, 2009 general meeting will be held on Thursday, June 4th, at 8:00 AM, at the East of Edens Restaurant, 6350 N. Cicero Avenue, (773) 545-8888. The Chamber would like to thank Peter Spryopoulos for hosting this meeting and Mark Freedman from Myron & Phil Steak and Seafood Restaurant, for hosting our May general meeting.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
The next Board of Directors’ meeting will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 4:30 PM at the Edgebrook Public Library, 5331 W. Devon Avenue (312) 744-8313. Thanks, to Kathryn Panares for providing our meeting room.
SIGNUP FOR THE BANNER PROGRAM
Applications are still being accepted for the Chamber’s Street Banner Program. A Standard Banner is $300 and a Custom Banner is $350. The program includes a five-year maintenance program that covers everything. A purchase form is included in this newsletter.
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISEMENTS
Business card newsletter advertisements are available for $100 per year. Send your business card to the Chamber by the 20th of each month in order to be included in the next newsletter.
2009 MULTI-CHAMBER GOLF OPEN
The 2009 Golf Open at Ridgemoor Country Club, (6601 W. Gunnison Street) on Monday, June 15, 2009, rapidly approaches! The event is co-hosted by the Edgebrook, Edison Park, Norwood Park and Sauganash Chambers of Commerce and the Kedzie / Elston Business and Industrial Council.
A detail registration flyer has been included in this newsletter. Get involved, if you are a golfer, this is a rare opportunity to play this exclusive country club. If you are not a golfer, joins us
for dinner and enjoy great food and unlimited networking. Participation in this event will be the best advertising money you ever spent!
THE PARKING LOT IS SAVED!!!
As you may be aware, the chamber held a Public Meeting on May 7, 2009 to discuss the future of the parking lot. Only about twenty people bothered to attend to hear a briefing about the state of the parking lot. However, the chamber has received additional financial support since that public meeting. On May 21, 2009, the chamber’s Board of Directors voted to renew its parking lot lease
for the 2009-2010 season. Therefore, the FREE parking lot has been saved for one more year. The chamber once again thanks the Nadig Newspaper (thanks to Glenn Nadig!) for various articles
written in support of the parking lot.
The chamber has received two additional business donations (the chamber thanks Maria A. Materna from The French Manicure Day Spa and Liz Ifkowitsch from Salon Ifkowitsch.
Pastor Fran Holliday from St. Richard’s Episcopal Church has graciously offered to run a “Save the Parking Lot” fund-raiser (date to be determined). Thank you Fran for being so civic-minded! This is a great example of local neighborhood support. In addition, the wonderful Barbara Eastman from Happy Foods will set up a donation box at her store for shoppers to contribute their spare change to help this worthy cause. Finally, Peter Stavropoulos from East of Edens restaurant will conduct a fund-raiser on June 11, 2009 from noon until 5:00 pm. Mr. Stavropoulos will donate half of his sales during that time to the parking lot fund. How nice is that?!
EDGEBROOK FESTIVAL 2009
The dates for the annual Edgebrook Festival are set! Come join us on Saturday, July 25th and Sunday July 26th! The festival will once again be located on N. Kinzua Ave. (east of the
METRA tracks and north of W. Devon Ave.). The Festival will feature: 18-hours of live music from local bands; a beer garden and numerous local food vendors; a Kids Corner; and dozens
of artisans & crafters. A big thank you goes out to Marti Corcoran from Century 21 – McMullen for her most generous platinum sponsorship of the Edgebrook Festival. Thank you Marti!!! A sponsorship form and exhibitor registration form have been included in this newsletter.
SWAP 2009 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
The chamber’s annual business district cleanup program coordinated with the Cook County Sheriff’s SWAP Program is already underway. The chamber seeks volunteers to help coordinate this effort. The chamber will even spring for coffee and bagels! Help us spruce up our downtown business district and take pride in Edgebrook!
EDGEBROOK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Edgebrook Historical Society, in collaboration with the Edgebrook Public Library are sponsoring a lavishly illustrated slide lecture based on the book entitled “Great Houses of Chicago, 1871-1921,” co-authored by historian, Susan Benjamin and architect, Stuart Cohen on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the Edgebrook Public Library.
Relive that great period in Chicago architectural history, due in large part to ambitious business people who built fortunes through commercial and industrial enterprises. These newfound riches allowed those adventurous and civic-minded individuals to employ the services of the most visionary architects of the time to design private houses that, forever more, defined the city as a center of American architecture. Come and enjoy vintage slides of historic homes along Prairie Avenue, Lake Shore Drive and Astor Street. View the grand estates designed by David Adler, Daniel Burnham, Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frank Lloyd Wright for the powerful Armours, Pullmans, McCormicks, and Ryersons.
CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS
The Edgebrook Public Library’s June, 2009 program schedule is full of great learning activities for young and not so young. The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association will sponsor seminar on the proper care of historic house interiors (June 2, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, call 312-642-9900 to register). As Illinois readies for Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, children are encouraged to join the Library’s Land of Lincoln Readers program (call 312-744-8313 for details) and other kids-oriented programming. Honest Abe would be proud!
A TOUCH OF CLASS AT PIATTO’S
The Edgebrook Community Association’s president, Jeff Manuel now has a regular gig at Piatto Restorante Italiano (5304 W. Devon Avenue) every Wednesday from 7:00 – 10:00 pm. Whether it is classical, jazz or esoteric rock, Jeff is a master of all! Check him out and the good food!
MORGAN STANLEY’S GOOD FORTUNE!
The chamber has just learned that our own recording secretary, Jillian S. Holly, has accepted a position as financial advisor with Morgan Stanley’s Riverwoods office! Jillian is top-notch and will be a valuable addition to this nationally-recognized investment firm. You can call her at (847) 831-7903 to set up an appointment. Congratulations young lady!
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
A Vintage Bloom is a new florist business that recently located in downtown Edgebrook (5356 W. Devon Avenue). They are full-service florist that delivers to all city zip codes and collar-suburbs. They have various special offers and you can call Bruce Mueller at (773) 763-2600 to learn more about them.
The Paint Ladies is an interior home painting business that handles any project you can imagine with professional quality results guaranteed! Call Linda Andros at (773) 817-6130 or (773) 615-8410 and set up an appointment.
Essence Med Spa & Wellness Center located at 6413 N. Kinzua Avenue are currently undergoing a major building rehabilitation. Once completed in the fourth quarter of 2009, Essence will offer a full-range of health activities. Call Sue at (773) 733-6449 to learn more about what Essence will have to offer you.
St. George Corrective Vision Center is a full-service medical and optical vision center located at 4145 W. Peterson Avenue (Suite 200). They offer a 20% discount on most procedures. Call Peggy Caro at (773) 685-5606 to set up a consultation.
2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ ELECTIONS
The annual process of preparing the new slate of Chamber Officers and Directors for 2010 has started. If you have the devoting and the willingness to be an active volunteer, please contact the Chamber!
CITY OF CHICAGO LITTER NOTICE
Each year, the City of Chicago spends millions of dollars to clean-up litter. Refuse causes neighborhoods and business districts to look rundown and deteriorated. The City has implemented an aggressive anti-littering program and you can download the information at: www.cityofchicago.org/streetsandsanitation.
ARE PLASTICS BAD?
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PLASTICS
By Eco-chic
Today, I resolved to live plastic free. I found that I could not brush my teeth (plastic toothbrush), wash my hair (plastic shampoo bottle), or dry my hair (plastic blow dryer). Thank goodness I had a bar of soap. Hmmm…can’t wash the clothes (plastic containers) or eat much of anything (milk, yoghurt, even deli items are come in plastic.) Life in America seems impossible without plastics.
But, there are problems! First, plastics can be bad for human health. Polycarbonate plastic (PC) can leach bisphenol A, a hormone disruptor. Styrene, a neurotoxin, is used in the production of polystyrene (PS). This plastic also releases toxins when burned. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) has high chlorine content and often contains toxic additives that can leach out. This un-friendly substance also releases dioxins and other scary pollutants.
There’s more! Plastics often wind up in waterways and eventually the sea where they break down into small indigestible pieces that are consumed by sea creatures and birds. Plastics contain no nutrients and the animals die of starvation. In some areas of the ocean, plastic particles outnumber zooplankton, by ten to one. So much for any birds flying around there.
Recycling rates for plastic are abominably low and only two types of plastics are reused in any quantity. Most single use plastics are consigned to the landfill, there to slowly degrade and leach hazardous substances. Sometimes used plastic makes its way to an incinerator and is then be burned, releasing toxins into the atmosphere. Recycling more of the stuff isn’t a satisfactory solution. Plastic releases bad things into the water and air as it is reformulated. Environmentalists debate whether it is better to recycle (a toxic process) or landfill (more potential environmental and human health hazards).
After learning all this, I want to commit plastic suicide! I’ll take three cases of water in the smallest possible bottles so that I have more to throw away. Double that styrofoam thing under my big steak. What the heck! Wrap it in more plastic! Perhaps I should resolve to minimize my own use of plastics. I’ll buy (and remember to use!) a refillable water bottle. I’ll avoid overly packaged foods and other items. I’ll reduce my consumption just a little.
Pressuring corporations for change is another thought. McDonald’s is not necessarily the company that springs to mind when thinking of environmental conservation. But, the company switched from polystyrene clamshells to cardboard food packaging due to public pressure. Who knew we could have these tremendous problems with a substance that seemed so benign? We need to do something…plastic is with us forever.
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
JUNE 4TH – 8:00 AM
General Meeting
East of Edens Restaurant
6350 N. Cicero Avenue
JUNE 15TH – 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Multi-Chamber Golf Open
Ridgemoor Country Club
6601 W. Gunnison Street, Chicago, Illinois
JULY 2ND – 8:00 AM
General Meeting
North Shore Community Bank -Sauganash
4343 W. Peterson Avenue
JULY 16TH – 4:30 PM
Board of Directors’ Meeting
Edgebrook Branch – Chicago Public Library
5331 W. Devon Avenue
JULY 25TH and 26TH – 10:00 AM TO 10:00 PM
Edgebrook Festival 2009
N. Kinzua Avenue just east of the METRA tracks and north of W. Devon Avenue; adjacent to Baird & Warner