You would have thought that the Chamber office staff would have had a slow week after the big installation dinner but not so! Last week was another busy week and I have so many people to thank!
By the way, rehearsals for the Washington School play continue – we rehearse 10 hours each week! Tickets are $8 and we’re running the show for 7 performances: Feb. 26, 27, 28 and March 1, 5, 6 & 7. It’s great family fun so let me know if you’d like tickets and I’ll get them for you.
Thank You
Anna Basile, Sun and Moon Yoga!
A big thank you to Anna Basile from Sun and Moon Yoga, 2026 Oakton, for hosting the Business After Hours at her beautiful studio. It was a wonderful crowd who braved the cold and came to network. Anna used All on the Road Catering for the appetizers and WineStyles for the wine and one of her Yoga students baked healthy cookies for us to try as she’s considering starting up an online cookie business.
Anna also had one of her instructors demonstrate various Yoga positions while Anna described what they were. She was VERY flexible!
Hosting a Business After Hours is a great way to showcase your business and facility and get 40 or so people in through your doors. The next available date is July 30 so let me know if you’re interested in hosting. There is no charge but the host does cover the costs of the two hour event. You can also go in with another business if you want.
Women in Business – another success!
Women in Business met at Rainbow Hospice last Friday and we had a record turnout of 60 women (and one lone, brave man)! Chicago Radio Personality, Catherine Johns, was the keynote speaker and she talked about ‘Creating A Positive Image’. Catherine discussed how women often speak, stand, talk, and then gave tips on being more powerful in our speech and body language – then everyone gave their 30 second commercial and received a personalized critique from her! It was very well received and now Catherine Johns and I are talking about having her give a 2 or 3 hour workshop! I’ll keep you posted, of course!
Panera Bread catered the WIB breakfast with bagels, pastries and a huge urn of coffee that never ran out! Park Ridge resident, Ginni Miniscalco, is the catering manager for 11 Panera Breads and submitted the application to join the Chamber this month! Welcome to the Chamber!
Thank you to Dave, Sandy, and Jackie for hosting our event at Rainbow Hospice! We pushed the numbers to the limit and beyond and they still accommodated us!
Welcome to Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists!
New member, Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists, Ltd. had their grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday. Barb from All on the Road catered the event and called me to let me know about the ribbon cutting. So I called over, they joined the Chamber, and Mayor Frimark cut the red ribbon with the Chamber’s 3 ft long ceremonial scissors – thank you to the Ambassadors and board members who made it! Barb will receive a Chamber gift certificate for $10 because she referred them to me as a new member! Thank you, Barb!
Chocolate & Champagne
Networking
Feb. 5
The Chocolate & Champagne Networking event is this Thursday at the Northbrook Hilton from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton in Northbrook, 2855 N. Milwaukee Ave. There are 10 Chambers participating and here’s who signed up from our Chamber. Walk-ins will be $20 pp.
Dick
Barton
Barton & Barton
Carol
Beitz
PR Community Fund
Taylor
Bogdan
American Cancer Society
Jennifer
Fitzgerald
Sabella & Graham
Susan
Frangos
Higher Level Wellness
Marianne
Guinee
4CI (Private Quarters)
Kris
Hansen
The Bethany Terrace
Debbie
Harris
TriPilates, LLC
Linda
Hills
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Dick
Larsen
Larsen and Edlund
Sharon
Lawson
Park Ridge Community Fund
Kirsten
Leys
Prudential
John
Leys
Amm's Limo
Valerie
Niskanen
St. Matthew Center for Health
Sandra
Riordan
Order My Gift (Karen Larsen)
Doug
Root
Home Comfort Heating & Cooling
Belinda
Rosenberger
Merrill Lynch
Susan
Scatchell
A-Abiding Care, Inc.
Debbie
Sloan
J Care
Lynda
Tourloukis
You Can Say Yes!
Suzann
Wilson
No "e" Disign
Sandy
Ziembo
TriPilates, LLC
Jason’s Deli
Jason’s Deli is having their grand opening on Feb. 9 but their ribbon cutting with Mayor Frimark and the Chamber board and Ambassadors is this Thursday, Feb. 5, at 11 a.m.
Monthly Networking Luncheon:
Feb. 11 @
Carlucci’s
You are invited to our monthly networking luncheon next week at Carlucci’s Rosemont, 6111 North River Road, Rosemont.
Carol Dunitz, Ph.D. is a professional speaker and author of Louder Than Thunder. Her presentation is on Increasing Advertising Effectiveness.
The cost for members is $25 pp and future members is $30. Please rsvp to the Chamber.
Feb 18 Educational Workshop at the Library
Workshops! Look for more workshops this year!
The first for 2009 is on ‘Preparing Your 2008 Taxes – Finding Opportunities and Reducing Risk With Your Individual Return.’
It will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Park Ridge Public Library Meeting Room on the 1st floor. Seating is limited. RSVP to the Chamber.
Voluntary $5 donation suggested for the Maine Township Food Pantry.
February Business After Hours: The Bethany Terrace
The February Business After Hours will be held at The Bethany Terrace, 8425 N. Waukegan Road, Morton Grove. They will also be accepting coats for the homeless.
Please plan to attend and network. This event is included in your annual dues at no additional charge! RSVP to the Chamber so they know how many to expect.
2009 Chamber Events
The Chamber is starting to plan events for the rest of the year – electronics recycling, golf outing, Winterfest, and more.
Are you interested in being on any of the Committees? Did you want to get more involved in activities to get your business out there in front of people and get to know more people? Would you like to see more events or different events? Let me know. How about marching in the Memorial Day Parade as a Chamber?
Dues are Due!
The Chamber annual dues did not go up and has not changed in several years.
Please pay your dues! Everyone who’s dues are paid for 2009 will be included in the Community Guide. We’re working on it now with Pioneer Press.
Platinum members will be on the front cover! It’s only $300 more to upgrade to Platinum and it includes 8 lunches! It’s the best value in town! But the deadline is looming. Stay tuned for more details.
Member News
Valerie Niskanen, St Matthew Center for Health, took me to lunch last week at Tandoor Restaurant (thanks, Valerie!). Chris, the owner of Tandoor, does a wonderful luncheon buffet – give it a try!
Other Members I visited last week:
Park District
District 64
Sun & Moon Yoga
Rainbow Hospice
Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists, Ltd.
Academic Tutoring Centers
Academic Tutoring Centers is proud to announce that they will be partnering with Language Stars!
Language Stars is a unique foreign immersion language program for children and their families. Founded in 1998, Language Stars programs include over 5,000 children each week. The programs mission is to revolutionize how and when American children learn foreign languages to foster a future generation of bilingual Americans! Aimed at children ages 3 - 6 years in age, this fun and exciting program will be a true asset to Park Ridge.
For more information, call Academic Tutoring Centers at 847-823-5300.
Oakton Waives Tuition for Recently Unemployed!
Oakton is waiving tuition for recently unemployed…Five select career programs at Oakton Community College are available tuition-free to local residents who have lost a full-time job in the last year. To qualify, students must live within Oakton Community College District 535 and have become unemployed from a full-time job since January 1, 2008. Available certificates include A+ Computer Diagnostic Specialist; Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operation and Programming Preparation; Green Marketing Preparation; Microsoft Project Management Preparation; and Pharmaceutical Preparation. Programs are approximately 12 credit hours and most can be completed during a single 16-week semester. Classes begin February 16th. For pre-screening and additional instruction, contact Career Services at 847-635-1735 or careerservices@oakton.edu.
Jay Crowley President
Northwest Chapter
Womens Council of Realtors
Jay Crowley, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty Partners, Park Ridge was installed as the 2009 President of the Northwest Chapter of the Womens Council of Realtors. Womens Council of Realtors is a nationwide community of more than 17,000 real estate professionals and is the 12th largest professional womens organization in the country. The Northwest Chapter is one of eleven chapters in the state of Illinois.
Congratulations, Jay!
Chicago Requesting RFPs
Thank you to Belinda Rosenberger for this tidbit:
Issued by: City of Chicago (The Department of Aviation)
The City of Chicago ("City") Department of Aviation invites the submission of proposals by qualified persons and businesses to develop and operate concessions at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport ("Airport"). The City is issuing three Requests for Proposals ("RFP") as follows:
1. A Request for Proposals to develop and operate a manicure/pedicure salon services concession in one location in Terminal 3 of the Airport.
2. A Request for Proposals to develop and operate a gourmet tea concession in two locations in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 of the Airport, to include the preparation and sale of tea drinks for consumption at the Airport as well as the retail sale of tea and related products.
3. A Request for Proposals to develop and operate a gourmet food concession in two locations in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 of the Airport, to include the retail sale of pre-packaged or packaged to order gourmet food products.
The City has established an Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise ("ACDBE") participation goal for these concessions, as well as other minimum qualifications including experience in developing and operating comparable retail businesses. The specific requirements of these solicitations are set forth in the RFP documents.
If you have a qualified background and are interested in these opportunities, you are invited to respond to one or more of these RFPs. Interested parties may obtain a copy of each RFP at the Airport's website, www.flychicago.com, which can be found at the "Concessions Opportunities" link under the "Doing Business" tab. If you would like a copy of an RFP mailed, or would like additional information, you may contact:
Unison Retail Management
(773) 894-3900
(773) 894-3910 (fax)
Proposals submitted in response to these RFPs will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. CST, February 19, 2009
E-Cycling Encouraged by the State
State Encourages e-cycling
Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, consumers will be prohibited from tossing many electronic items into the trash, thanks to a new Ewaste bill signed into law earlier this year. Illinois residents can recycle old, unwanted or malfunctioning electronics through a growing network of E-cycling businesses, permanent drop-off locations, or through a series of one-day collection events sponsored by the state and by regional or county solid waste agencies. DCEO maintains a list of organizations that offer E-waste reuse/recycling facilities at www.illinoisrecycles.com.
Even before recycling, any unwanted electronics that are still working should be considered for reuse whenever possible. Check with your local thrift store to see if they accept electronics donations. Also, many non-profits and private businesses throughout the state disassemble electronic equipment and use old components to assemble refurbished systems, separate reusable parts for resale and recycle unusable items for material content. In addition, several electronics manufacturers, such as Apple, Dell and Sony, sponsor their own E-cycling programs and may even accept other brands for a small fee. Retailers, such as Best Buy and Circuit City, as well as cell-phone providers, including AT&T and Verizon, also collect used electronics for recycling or refurbishment. Earth911.com gives a complete list of manufacturers and retailers who offer disposal and recycling programs.
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
Thank you to our Platinum Members:
Aardvark Builders 312.504.4090
Applications Network 847.823.1830
Kumon Math & Reading Centers 847.939.5090
PC Medic Computer Repair 847-299-5556
State Farm Insurance & Financial Services - Ann Witek 847.692.3260
The Exercise Coach 847.823.0035
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