Happy Monday,
Lian and I went to Washington School’s Ghouls Night Out on Friday in costume (she was London Tipton - an heiress on Disney channel much like Paris Hilton - and I was a witch); and Lian graduated to the next level in her swimming lessons at the Community Center! Plus, she had her first strings concert last week at school where she played the violin.
Last Wednesday was the 6th week of the Citizen’s Police Academy. Chamber member, Dr. Kenney, who is a pediatric dentist is also a forensic dentist who gets called out to identify victims of plane crashes. He had interesting stories and gruesome pictures.


It’s this Thursday, October 30. Our Business After Hours monthly networking event will be held at Central Baptist Village from 5 to 7 p.m. CBV is at 4747 N. Canfield Road in Norridge. Food & Beverages provided. Check them out at:
www.cbvillage.org Thank you for hosting this month’s Business After Hours networking event!

Please rsvp to the Chamber. Take advantage of these networking events that are included in your Chamber membership!
Our Women in Business networking event at Dominic’s Kitchen Store last Wednesday was fun! We had almost 30 attend. Chef Matt Zagorski was entertaining while he demonstrated a few dishes that we all enjoyed consuming! Dominic offered a 20% discount and it looked like just about everyone bought something!
Thanks to Dominic Cimilluca for hosting; Chef Matt for the demonstration; WIB Co-Chairs Marta Hoover, Copy Set Center, and Karen Larsen, Order My Gift. Marta donated the wine which was purchased from Chamber member Wine Styles. The sandwich wraps were made by Chamber member Applauze Catering. Karen donated the desserts! It was a great event and there was lots of networking going on besides shopping and eating!
Also last week was the Kidwinks.com Ribbon Cutting with about 20 in attendance! Jean Lemke and Nina Taluc did a lovely job with the website and it was demonstrated at the ribbon cutting. They also had a beautiful banner made. All on the Road catered the event and Wine Styles donated a wine tasting for 10 as a raffle prize which Jim Cone, WSI - We Simplify the Internet, won! I love how our members work together to support each other!
The Business to Business Expo & Taste last week was wonderful! I was gratified to see so many of our Chamber members in attendance. The exhibitors told me they thought it was worthwhile – I hope it increases your business tenfold! Thank you to exhibitors from our chamber:
• Bath Fitter
• Citywide Printing
• Commerce Group Service/Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Harris N.A.
• Liberty Bank for Savings
• The Bethany Terrace…A Health & Rehabilitation Center
• Titan Worldwide

Plans are underway for Winterfest 2008, November 28, Friday after Thanksgiving.
The Chamber is taking a lead role in the organizing, planning, funding of Winterfest. I know you get lots of requests for donation dollars especially going into the holiday season. But this is a Park Ridge tradition that our community not only enjoys and expects but really needs – especially this year. People are sticking closer to home and we want their shopping dollars to stay in the community. Please consider donating for this one day event in any amount. Check out the website www.parkridgewinterfest.com for the donation form. We’ll even take credit card and Paypal.com donations.
The buses are $1,100 each and we’ve ordered 3 of them. South Park Merchants and the City committed funds for the event but we need so much more. It costs about $5 - $6K to put on this event so I could really use your help.
Going on now! Bring in receipts from Chamber members totaling $500 or more and you will be entered into a drawing to win $200 in Chamber gift certificates! (2 at $100)
For a current list of Chamber members, go to www.parkridgeChamber.org and click on ‘Business Directory’. We’ve had almost 60 new members join since the Community Guide was published so checking online is the most accurate way to see who is a member (and who isn’t!). Maybe we’ll get more members out of this campaign!

Would you like to serve on the Board of Directors for the Chamber? You can nominate yourself or someone else. You can email info@parkridgechamber.org or go to our website to download it. Every year, 6 terms are up and 6 need to be voted onto the board. 12 total directors with staggered terms.

Park Ridge’s brightest stars will shine on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at the 73rd Annual Chamber of Commerce Recognition and Installation Dinner at the Park Ridge Country Club. The winners of the Community Star Awards will be honored that evening.

In addition, the 2009 Board of Directors including the new President will be installed.

The Chamber will recognize outstanding citizens, officials, and volunteers with a Community Star Award. All Park Ridge-based companies and organizations are invited to submit nominations in any of the award categories. Information is being sent to all Chamber members and organizations in Park Ridge in early October and will be available on the Chamber website www.parkridgechamber.org around the same time. Nominations are due not later than Dec. 12.

This annual dinner event is shaping up to be as successful as ever, but the Chamber is still seeking financial support by offering a number of opportunities for businesses to promote themselves at the event with a range of sponsorships and donations of auction items. Program book ads are also available. Contact the Chamber office or visit the website for details.

Sponsors and prize donors to date include Timber Lake Lodge & Water Park, 2009 Chicago & Midwest Wine Show, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Liberty Bank for Savings, Dominic’s Kitchen Store, and others.

The event starts at 6 p.m. with cocktails. Dinner is served at 7 p.m. followed by the installation and award ceremonies. For tickets or additional information, please contact the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce office at 847-825-3121 or visit www.parkridgechamber.org.

The Planning Committee consists of:
David Schmidt; Dick Barton; Donald A. Sebastian, Jr.; Jackie Mathews; Karen Anderson; Marta Hoover; Chris Valentine; Valerie Niskanen.

We’re also looking for silent auction & raffle items. So far, we have the following commitments:
Pioneer Press Ad
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark at Grand Geneva
Journal Newspaper Ad
Stacy, hairdresser (certificates to come)
Dominic's Kitchen Store


Do you know about our Greeter Box program? The special needs students at Maine East High School assemble the boxes for the Chamber that go out to all the new residents. In the first year, 500 boxes were sent out. We originally charged $250 for each participant stating it was the introductory rate and would go up to $400 during year 2. However, we are going to raise it only to $275 and only because there was a postage rate increase. Each box costs over $5 to deliver but for your business to reach every new resident, it costs you only 55 cents per box ($275 annual cost divided by 500 boxes sent out). These firms currently participate and we can include a few more so if you’re interested, please let me know:

1 Advanced Physical Therapy
2 Albar Products
3 Brickton Montessori School
4 Central Baptist Village
5 Chiropractic Physicians of Park Ridge
6 Davis & Engert
7 Dental Auxiliary Placement Service
8 Dominic's Kitchen Store
9 Duraclean Services
10 First Chicago Bank & Trust
11 First United Methodist Church
12 Gartner Orthodontics
13 Home Comfort Heating
14 John Kenney DDS
15 Kiko's Flowers
16 Liberty Bank
17 Lutheran General Children’s Day Care
18 MB Financial Bank
19 McGarry's Auto Repair
20 Messiah Lutheran Church
21 Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care
22 PACES (Parent And Child Education & Support)
23 Park Ridge Chiropractic Center
24 Park Ridge Garden Club
25 Park Ridge Public Library
26 Perry's Pizzaria & Catering
27 Regus Business Center
28 Ridge Family Physicians
29 St Andrews Lutheran Church
30 St Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church
31 St Matthew Center for Health
32 State Farm Insurance & Financial Services – Ann Witek
33 Tripilates
34 Y-Tech Heating & Cooling
35 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory


Members I visited last week:
Dominic's Kitchen Store
Wine Styles
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Park Ridge Sav A Lot
XO Glow
Kidwinks.com
Park Ridge City Hall
Park Ridge Public Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Park Ridge Park District
A Sterling Design – Diddy Blyth

Prospective members visited:
Sarena Optical
Oberweis Dairy
Marriott SpringHill Suites

Check out the new Chamber Blog. Simply post your comments. www.parkridgechamber.blogspot.com
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Lutheran General Children’s Hospital Benefit:
On Saturday, November 8, Robert Lord Builders, Inc. will host an exciting day of charity events to include; celebrity appearance by Dan Hampton of the Chicago Bears, the ultimate green expo, organic wine tastings and much more. The event will be held at the nationally award winning, and internationally reported “First In The World Ultimate Green Home”, in St. Charles, Illinois. The luxury “green” estate features one of a kind craftsmanship noted to be the most environmentally friendly residence in the Chicagoland area. This home is not only the ultimate “green” home, it is the ultimate “dream” home! Be one of the first to tour this home that has created history, set the standards for architectural design and has taken the steps in forever changing the world. Ticket price is only $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
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The Men’s & Women’s Association of Lutheran General Hospital Proudly Presents a Folk Music Tribute
Music By The “CHOIRBOYS” Folk Revival Trio. Hear them at www.thechoirboys.net Music featuring the sounds of… The Kingston Trio; The Chad Mitchell Trio; Peter Paul & Mary; The Limeliters; & others. Saturday, November 15, 2008 7:30 p.m. Lutheran General Hospital Olson Auditorium. Tickets are $20.00. Refreshments will be available. To purchase tickets contact Elsa Rivera-Araujo at (847) 723-6105. All proceeds will benefit Lutheran General Hospital special projects. FREE PARKING
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D64 Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF): “Oceans 64” Casino Night which raised nearly $40,000 to fund innovative education will be held on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Beau Jolie Banquets in Schiller Park. The Elementary Learning Foundation was established in 1994 as an independent, not for profit 501-C3 organization. ELF has awarded nearly $500,000 to fund over 150 programs & initiatives. You can help in many ways through donations (a donated item or gift certificate for our silent/live auction), sponsorships (gaming tables, food, entertainment, valet parking, printing, etc.) or underwriting. The sponsorship levels are as follows: $1000, $500 and $250. 100% of funds raised from this event will support grant programs and District 64’s 4,000 students.
Brickton Art Center: On Saturday November 8, 2008, presents third Art Evolution event featuring artwork created live in their gallery by local artists to the rhythms of great music. 7- 9pm Enjoy friends, refreshments and music while you experience the creative process first hand. Featured artists include Aviva Alter, Alan Lerner, Nancy Rosen, Emily Rutledge, Johanna Silva and more. A selection of artwork will be available for purchase and auction. Tickets are $20 which include wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres from All on the Road Catering. You must be 21 and over to attend this event.
Academic Tutoring Centers is proud to announce the publication of their ACT prep guide called ACT SUCCESS. It is the winning combination for students looking to increase scores and increase potential scholarship dollars. Next to a student’s GPA, the ACT exam is the most important factor in determining college admission. Most families do not know that less than 1% of all full ride scholarship money is awarded to athletes! That means the other 99% of all scholarship money is based on other factors - such as ACT scores! Year after year, Academic Tutoring Centers has families report that they saved thousands of dollars per year in tuition simply because their child’s ACT score went up after prepping with Academic Tutoring Centers. ACT prep season is here and registration has started. If you have a high school junior, don’t delay; contact Academic Tutoring Centers today! For further information please call 847-823-5300 or visit www.academictutoringcenters.com.
The students of Lynnette's School of Dance have been hosting a baby shower for the children of Hogar del Pobre orphanage in Celeya, Mexico. Lynnette's daughter who is now 16 years was adopted from the orphanage when she was 6 months old. The collection of baby clothes has been a huge success. If any chamber member would like to donate clothes or a monetary gift, it is appreciated very much. Lynnette will be traveling to Celeya at the beginning of December to purchase Christmas presents for the other 200 children in the orphanage. All the Christmas presents will be purchased from donations. 847-823-7334
Oakton Community College presents Feminist Ecology: Women and the Earth, a juried exhibition of art by women through Nov. 7. Tomorrow, 10/28, from 5 to 8 p.m. is the Gala Opening Night Reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, gourmet coffee bar, and a chance to meet and talk with the artists. 847-376-7061.
Maine South High School Music Boosters present its traditional ‘Band-O-Rama’ on November 8, a dinner and concert by the MS Marching Band, Color Guard and Hawkettes. Donations, silent auction items and raffle items are requested. Funds generated each year pay for scholarships, workshops, and lessons. 847-698-1756
Business After Hours Hosts – thank you! Save the dates:
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will host the Business After Hours on November 20!
Sun & Moon Yoga will host the Business After Hours on January 29,2009.
The Summit of Uptown will host the Business After Hours on February 19, 2009.
Save the date! Saturday, January 17, 2009
Service Organization Night Out with the Chicago Wolves Hockey Team. The Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce, The Elks Club, The Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and other service organizations are invited to bring the whole family! We’ll meet first at The Elks Club in Des Plaines for a buffet dinner and to network.

Enjoy free parking, prizes just for the Service groups, and a Skates (the Wolves Mascot) Bobble Head Doll and get a ticket to another Wolves game!

Tickets for all this will be $25 adults and $19 for kids 12 and under. 56 tickets to the game will be sold. If you want to come just for dinner and networking at the Elks Club, its $17 for adults. Thank you to Rick Pucci for putting it together!
We have collected 101 cell phones to date! That’s 101 service men and women overseas who will get an hour phone card to call home with! A big THANK YOU to Jo Ann Arnswald, MB Financial Bank, who has collected the most cell phones so far.

You can still help our military personnel keep in touch with their families. Donate your old cell phone, battery and charger for recycling. For every donated cell phone, a 60 minute phone card is sent to a military person to use to call home.

The Chamber office is a drop off collection point. These caring Chamber members have also agreed to be drop offs centers for your used cell phones (and battery and charger):

• Sebastian Co. Real Estate (601 W. Devon),
• Ann Witek’s State Farm Insurance & Financial Services (701 ½ W. Devon)
• MB Financial Bank (1014 Busse Hwy)

For more information on this wonderful program, check out www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com