First, thank you to Bailey’s Restaurant, for hosting our monthly networking luncheon last week. The food was fabulous (I had the pork) and the service was wonderful. The restaurant is not closing any time soon and they’re taking reservations for Thanksgiving!
Also, a big thank you to Dr. Susan Crawford, from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, for speaking on “The ’08 Flu & Cold Season. What’s in Store?” It was informative and she made it interesting with her Powerpoint presentation!
And of course, thank you to the 37 members who attended! I love how you all come through to support each other. We had two prospective members that I’m working on!
Thursday:
Networking Business After Hours Nov. 20
Business After Hours: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 31 S. Northwest Highway, Thursday Nov. 20 5-7pm
No additional charge – included in your membership!!!
This tasty event will include an opportunity to make your own treats! Plus a fudge making demonstration, and of course a whole lot of sampling. There will be a showcase of holiday gift ideas and a discount of 20% off all purchases and orders. What a great time to get those customer and family gifts ordered! Other delectable refreshments will be enjoyed!
Come to network with other Chamber members. Support our local retail merchants in Uptown! Shop locally! Save gas.
RSVP to the Chamber so Linda Hills knows how many to expect!
Women in Business Holiday Luncheon:
Nov. 21
The Women in Business Holiday Networking Luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Rosemont at Devon and River Road on Friday, November 21.
Lynda Tourloukis is a motivational coach with her own business, You Can Say Yes! And she’ll speak about ‘Stresslessness’ – how to stress less throughout the holidays!
Please bring non-perishable cans and boxes of food to replenish the Maine Township Food Pantry which lost over 50 boxes of food in the recent floods and needs your help to re-stock.
Cost for the luncheon is $25 for Members and $30 for future members! RSVP to the Chamber. Don’t miss out on this fun event!
Winterfest 2008
11/28/08
Winterfest 2008, November 28, Friday after Thanksgiving.
So many activities are planned!
Thank you to the following for sending in donations in support of Winterfest:
2 Sisters
Anthony Valentino
Baked by Betsy
Christ Karras
City of Park Ridge
Comcast
Dominic's Kitchen Store
George Burrows
Harris Bank
Hay Caramba!
Indira Salon - Tracey Nass
Liberty Bank
Northwest Hwy Building
Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur Knowledge Group (EKG)
Park Ridge Multi Med
Rocky Mt Chocolate Factory
South Park Merchants
Villano Interiors
The Entrepreneur Knowledge Group (EKG) is a Chamber committee made up of business entrepreneurs strategizing best business practices. The EKG will be housed for one day only at 116 Main Street to celebrate an Open House coordinating with Winterfest and to offer the residents Holiday opportunities, popcorn, and hot cider. Debbie Oberschelp, Select Redesign, will decorate the windows. These EKG Businesses will include (so far):
Laughter with Lynda Tourloukis, You Can Say Yes!
Health Tips with Susan Frangos, Higher Level Wellness
Easy Gift Giving with Karen Larsen, Order My Gift
Wealth Tips with Belinda Rosenberger, Merrill Lynch
Complimentary Photos with Diddy Blythe, A Sterling Design
Reimaging your space with Deborah Oberschelp, Select Redesign
Automating your space with Jasna Ostojich, Home Control Plus, Inc.
Kid Friendly Ideas with Nina Taluc & Jean Lemke, Kidwinks
Christmas Cards & Graphics with Rita Baggio, Baggio Studios
Unique Advertising Opportunities with Cathy Janus, Janus Premiums
Check out the website www.parkridgewinterfest.com for the latest schedule of events, which stores will be open, who is doing what and where – also for the donation form as we’re still taking donations since everything costs money! We’ll even take credit card and Paypal.com donations.
Chamber Economic Stimulus Program!
And
Chamber Gift Certificates
Don’t forget to bring in your receipts from Chamber members totalling $500 or more! We’ve got a few but your chances are really good for winning a Chamber Gift Certificate!
You can win $200 in Chamber gift certificates! (2 at $100 will be given away!)
For a current list of Chamber members, go to www.parkridgeChamber.org and click on ‘Business Directory’. We’ve had OVER 65 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!). Just a little crowing, our member count is at 395 today! Only 5 more to go to make 400!
Speaking of gift certificates, I was listening to National Public Radio this morning (NPR) and they discussed gift cards in general and that with so many stores going out of business, the gift cards are worthless. So, here’s a plug for our Chamber Gift Certificates – they’re free to buy, and free to redeem for our members. Non members pay a 20% surcharge. We make no money off of our members! We do this as a benefit to you and to encourage residents to shop locally and bring foot traffic to your door.
Installation & Awards Dinner
‘A Night of Stars’
1/24/09
A Night of Stars: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. It’s 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.
(Note: All nominations for Community Star Awards must be in to the Chamber by Dec. 12 by 4:30 p.m. in order to be considered. We cannot accept any late nominations.)
At the dinner, the 2009 Board of Directors including the new President will be installed.
The dinner is open to all members, their guests, their families, residents – anyone who wants to attend! But seating is limited so please rsvp early. $60 per person.
The Chamber is 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.
Networking beings at 6 p.m. with cocktails. Dinner served at 7 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, and Cathy Janus.
We’re also looking for silent auction & raffle items. So far, the following are donating items for our auction/raffle:
American Eagle
Baileys Restaurant
Dominic's Kitchen Store
French Twist, A Hair Salon for Men and Women, Niles
Hay Caramba!
Howard Frimark
Hyatt Regency O’Hare
Jackie's Nails & Spa
Journal Newspaper
Kustom Kribs
Lutheran General Hospital
Minuteman Press of Des Plaines
Nika le butik
Order My Gift
Park Ridge Fire Department
Perry's Pizzaria
Pioneer Press
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Select Redesign
The Lock Up Storage Center
Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark at Grand Geneva
Wine Styles
And the following sponsors have also committed to us:
Dental Auxiliary Placement Services
Lutheran General Hospital
Resurrection Hospital
Thank you for your support!
Member News
Tell me what’s going on in your business so I can get the word out! Its free. Just send me the info in the 3rd person in an email so I can cut & paste. My weekly updates also are posted on the Chamber blog www.parkridgechamber.blogspot.com once they are sent out. Short and sweet is always best. I edit when necessary.
Indira Salon & Spa News!
Indira Salon & Spa, located at the Shops of Uptown, is under construction and will be open mid-December. Call 847-698-0123 to start reserving your appointments for the holidays! INDIRA is a full-service salon and spa that offers cut, color, style, makeup, wax, facials, manicures & pedicures, body treatments, massage and bridal services. Visit our website www.IndiraSalonSpa.com for more detailed service descriptions. Stop by the salon during Winterfest and receive complimentary Aveda samples, coupons & menu. We are now accepting positions for Stylist, Massage Therapist, Esthetician, Makeup Artist and Retail Advisor, please send resume to owner Tracey Nass at chameleongirl@new.rr.com.
Maine East High School
Jeff Gallichio, teacher at Maine East High School, says if your firm has any assembly of marketing items that his students can do for you at no charge, call him directly at 847-692-8480 to discuss.
Catalyst Marketing & PR
Special Offer
From November 12 to December 31, 2008, Catalyst Marketing & PR offers a special holiday promotion. For only $250, they will prepare a press release about you, your business and/or your products. We will: Interview you; Visit your Web site for additional information; Write a press release, based on the interview and Web-site information; Review a draft of the press release with you, to check details; and Provide the final press release to you.
You can share the final press release with the media and post it to your Web site. For an additional charge, we can distribute the press release to the media for you.
Questions? Please call me or drop me a note: Carol A. Simantz, President, Catalyst Marketing-Public Relations, Inc.,1420 Renaissance Drive, Ste. 301-E, Park Ridge; Phone: (847) 298-8748; Fax: (847) 298-8904; carol@catalystmarketingpr.com
Happy Anniversary: Dental Auxiliary Placement Service, Inc.
Congratulations to Karen Anderson, RN and her company, Dental Auxiliary Placement Service, Inc. on their 20th Anniversary in Business!Karen and her staff have been servicing the Dental Community by providing Temporary and Permanent Dental Staff for Dentists offices, here in Park Ridge and Nationwide. A Medical division was started a few years ago, as well.Karen has been a member of the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce since 1999 and will be inducted as the new President of the Chamber in January 2009.
TriPilates
Holiday Specials!
TriPilates has two holiday specials: one is on the front page of the PR Herald Advocate: New Client Holiday offer of 1 FREE mat class with online pre-registration (www.tripilates.com click on schedule and sign up)
Holiday Health Package: 3 mat classes, 3 equipment classes (including beginners), and 1 private lesson for $185. (savings of $39!) Here's the link:
http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=2720&stype=40
TriPilates, LLC
833 W. Touhy Avenue
Park Ridge, IL 60068
(847) 698-6338 www.tripilates.com
Wine Styles
Wine Styles at 105 S. Northwest Highway: Join us for our One Year Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, December 6th from 12-5 p.m. with over 20 wines open, raffle with great prizes, live entertainment!
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
WINTERFEST EVENTS at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! Friday, November 28
Double decker buses, the arrival of Santa, and many more activities will be going on around town. Bring the family out to enjoy the festivities. Of course, we will be a part of the action with things going on at the store, so be sure to stop by.
Coloring Contest - 11 prizes to be awarded. Stop by the store to get a picture of our very own Truffles the Bear to color. The contest winners will be announced during Winterfest. The chocolate prizes will be on display in the store. The age categories are: 6 and under, 6 to 13, and over 13. (yes, there is no age limit). There will be 2 prizes for each age category and an additional 5 winners randomly selected from all entries. Sampling of Holiday Specialties
Come on over during Winterfest for a taste of some of our holiday treats, including our candy cane bark, hot cocoa and other treats.
Lynnette’s School of Dance Trip to Mexico
Lynnette's School of Dance collected baby clothes for the children of Hogar del Pobre orphanage in Celeya, Mexico. Lynnette's daughter, now 16, was adopted from there as a baby. Lynnette left for Celeya yesterday to visit the 200 children in the orphanage. 847-823-7334.
Maine Center Housewalk 12/5
Maine Center
32nd Annual Park Ridge Christmas Housewalk to Benefit Maine Center on Friday December 5th from 5:30 – 9:30 pm. All proceeds from the annual Housewalk benefit Maine Center, a not-for-profit community behavioral health organization located in Park Ridge. Tickets are $20.00 if purchased before 12/05/08 and $25.00 if purchased on the day of the walk. For further information contact: Suzanne Henn, Maine Center (847) 696-1570 ext. 310.
Dominic’s Kitchen Foods
Celebrate Dominic’s Kitchen Store’s 5th Anniversary in Park Ridge: now through 16th. FREE cooking classes! Special anniversary product offers! Free WMF Ball Whisk with any $50 purchase this day. Free assembly and $50 off any Big Green Egg this day. Dominic’s Kitchen Store thanks its customers for 5 great years with the biggest food making event ever in Park Ridge. Sign up! Class Space is limited! Call Dominic Cimilluca at 847-698-1255 or via email at dominic@dominicskitchenstore.com
St Andrew Life Center Lecture
Wed. Nov. 18
Please join us for a Continuing Education Lecture Presented by Therese Cecchin RN, BSN, CMC Life Care Innovations, Inc. When Hoarding Takes Over a Life Program Objectives and Topics: What is obsessive-compulsive disorder? Wednesday, November 19, 2008 Registration: 3:30 p.m. Program: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saint Andrew Life Center 7000 North Newark Avenue, Niles, IL Please R.S.V.P. by November 14 to Erin Baltzar, Director of Marketing and Admissions, At 847-647-8332
A Silver Connection
12/10/08 Conference
Pat O’Dea-Evans, RN, LCPC and COO of Paxem, Inc (parent of Chamber member A Silver Connection) is reaching out to employers and Human Resources Executives regarding a special meeting “Supporting Caregiver Employees While Increasing Profitability” held on December 10, 2008 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Registration is limited to only 50 employers and cost is a reasonable $50.00 that includes lunch.
In 2004, over 1 million Illinoisans provided care to a family member, ranking our state 6th nationally. It is estimated that family caregivers comprise 13 percent of the national workforce and that 62 percent of this population have had to adjust their work life as a result. Consequently, businesses can lose as much as $34 billion dollars each year due to employees’ need to care for loved ones. To support the working caregiver and ensure that employers maintain a stable workforce, the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, AARP and the Illinois Department on Aging are sponsoring a workshop specifically dealing with the challenges facing employers of working caregivers. Details: “Supporting Caregiver Employees While Increasing Profitability” Wednesday, December 10, 2008; 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. with Networking Lunch; Marriott Chicago at 540 North Michigan Avenue; Call 847-269-6272 for registration form. Keynote Speaker is Melissa Isaacson, Sports Writer for the Chicago Tribune and a caregiver to her parents who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
This is an excellent opportunity for networking, examining working caregiver issues, and identifying ways to balance the needs of working caregivers while increasing profitability.
1/17/09: ‘SONO’
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 and families are invited! Meet, eat and network at The Elks Club in Des Plaines. Free parking at the game, prizes just for our groups, and a Skates Bobble Head Doll – plus two tickets to another Wolves game!
Cost is $25 adults and $19 for kids 12 and under. Only 40 tickets left to the game are for sale. 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!
U.S. Troops: Please Help!
Maine Township Partners with Golf Mill and Journal to Collect Items for Troops
Monday, Dec. 8 through Dec. 15 2008, Maine Township will collect items and monetary donations for our troops overseas. The Journal & Topics Newspapers and Golf Mill Shopping center are also key sponsors of this significant holiday Troop Drive.
The drive’s goal is to collect much-needed personal items such as lip balm, beef jerky, drink packets, AA and AAA batteries, hand and foot warmers, individually wrapped snacks, magazines, white tube socks, foot powder, phone cards and other items not supplied by the military or available to the troops in the field, especially combat areas.
Collection bins for the public will be placed in the vestibule at Maine Town Hall, 1700 Ballard Rd. in Park Ridge, at The Journal & Topics Newspapers offices, 622 Graceland in Des Plaines, and at the customer service desk at Golf Mill Shopping Center, 239 Golf Mill Center in Niles.
Monetary donations should be also mailed to Maine Township, 1700 Ballard Rd., Park Ridge, Ill 60068. Make checks payable to “MTMS.” Funds will be used to purchase the items from the list. Adding a greeting card or letter is an optional but welcomed addition to any donation – the troops enjoy receiving cards and letters too.
All donated items will be sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by the American Legion.
In addition to the collection bins used at sponsor locations, Golf Mill will have a holiday tree in their customer service area at which participants can make their donations in a festive atmosphere. The tree will have individual ornaments with needed items on them. Shoppers may take the ornaments as a reminder of what is needed to purchase and then return them to the customer service area.
For more information on how you can make a positive impact in the life of a soldier overseas this holiday season, call 847-297-2510 or visit www.mainetownship.com.
Oakton
‘Empty Bowls’
Hunger issues locally and around the world are the focus of Empty Bowls at Oakton, 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. Ceramics artists and students from the greater Chicago Area have contributed hundreds of beautiful and unique bowls for this annual fundraiser. For a donation of $12, participants select a unique handcrafted bowl that is theirs to keep, and receive a simple meal of soup and bread as a reminder that “someone’s bowl is always empty.” The event includes a raffle drawing for unique ceramic pieces donated by local artists, as well as a silent auction for prizes that include sculpture and jewelry. Sponsored by the Ceramics Club at Oakton Community College, Empty Bowls is a nonprofit, global movement that has raised millions of dollars for food banks, soup kitchens, and other meal programs. Entertainment will be provided by Patchouli [www.patchouli.net], an acoustic duo whose songs about healing and compassion inspire the human spirit. For information, contact emptybowls@oakton.edu, or call 847-635-1699.
Unemployment Compensation Update
Illinois Employers' 2008 Unemployment Compensation Update
This is a half-day seminar with a Q&A session immediately following.
The current economy is forcing many Illinois employers to make staff reductions to cut payroll expenses. But if you aren’t informed on Illinois Unemployment Compensation law and best practices for employers, you could be missing out on savings by paying more unemployment taxes than necessary.
Did you know the Illinois Unemployment Tax is the only tax an employer has a chance of reducing? You can control your unemployment costs! Knowing how to work within complex unemployment laws will be uncomplicated after attending this seminar.
On December 1, 2008, all employers in the state of Illinois will be mailed a Contribution Rate Determination. This will determine your unemployment costs for 2009. The employer will have 15 days to issue a protest if your rate was assigned incorrectly. Bring your Contribution Rate Determination with you to the seminar to verify that the state has correctly assigned your 2009 rate. Wednesday, December 10, 2008 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, 311 South Wacker Drive, Suite 1500, Chicago $169.00
Having trouble with the link? Simply copy and paste the entire address listed below into your web browser:
http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,P1,DCA7E543-2063-4220-B310-2AD040FE3643
Chicagoland Chamber 12/4/08
Please save the date for a special Transportation Committee meeting on Thursday, December 4, 1:00-2:30PM, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Office, 200 E. Randolph, Suite 2200, with guest speakers, Ryan Mouw, Senior Government Relations Officer, CTA and Karin Sommer, Associate, Metropolitan Planning Council. Mr. Mouw will discuss the City of Chicago and CTA’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Pilot Program. Bus Rapid Transit is a strategy to reduce bus travel times, increase service predictability, and improve customer amenities. In April 2008, the City of Chicago and CTA were selected to receive a federal grant for $153.1 million to implement four BRT pilot routes in Chicago upon completion of a formal grant process. The grant requires the rollout of BRT in four pilot corridors by April 2010, BRT will begin piloting elements in 2009. Ms Sommer will give a presentation on the Metropolitan Planning Council’s recently released report, Moving at the Speed of Congestion, which measures the true cost of congestion to the Chicago region. Moving at the Speed of Congestion pegs the cost our region pays as a result of congestion at $7.3 billion per year. The Council has proposed the Capital Investment Accountability Act to direct all transportation spending to the projects that provide the greatest return. Please email GRCommittees@chicagolandchamber.org to confirm your attendance. (Please specificity which committee your RSVP is for in the subject line)
Contact me:
Gail Haller
Executive Director
Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce
32 Main Street, Suite F
Park Ridge, IL 60068
phone: 847.825.3121
fax: 847.825.3122
email: gail.haller@parkridgechamber.org
website: www.parkridgechamber.org
No comments:
Post a Comment