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2011 Winter A Quarterly Newsletter for Village Residents | WINTER 2011 news INSIDE | Winter Reminders | Economic Development Summit | CPR Info OAK ROOK B Signs of the Season 2 oak-brook.org 2 oak-brook.org VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK ELECTED OFFICIALS/ BOARD OF TRUSTEES Gopal Lalmalani, M.D. | President Charlotte K. Pruss | Clerk Stelios Aktipis | Trustee Michael Manzo | Trustee Mark Moy, M.D. | Trustee Gerald Wolin | Trustee Asif Yusuf | Trustee Elaine Zannis | Trustee VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK DEPARTMENTS Police, Fire, EMS Emergency/911 Butler Government Center General Information/630.368.5000 Village Clerk/630.368.5050 Village Manager/630.368.5010 Community Development/630.368.5101 Economic Development/630.368.5022 Engineering/630.368.5130 Fire Non-Emergency/630.368.5200 Library/630.368.7700 Police Non-Emergency/630.368.8700 Public Works/630.368.5270 Water Billing/630.368.5090 Sports Core 630.368.6420 - Administration Building630.368.6440 - Bath & Tennis Club 630.368.6400 - Oak Brook Golf Club CONNECT WITH THE VILLAGE Website | www.oak-brook.org Facebook | “Village of Oak Brook” Twitter | @OakBrookVillage Meetings | Regular meetings of the Village Board are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Broadcasts | Videotaped broadcasts of Village Board meetings air on Comcast Cable Television, Government Access Channel 6 or 110 (Oak Brook Club), Mondays at 7 p.m. A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Have comments or suggestions? E-mail Ashley Stambaugh at astambaugh@oak-brook.org. Fellow Residents, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE It’s hard to believe but it is already the holiday season. May I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a happy, hearty, and harmonious holiday season. Your Village elected officials and staff are continuing to work hard to make 2012 an even better year than 2011! Here are some of the projects keeping us busy: NEW OAK BROOK POLICE CHIEF The Village Board and I are pleased to announce the appointment of James R. Kruger as the Village’s new Police Chief. Chief Kruger has an extensive background in law enforcement, including serving as police chief in Roselle and Winfield. He will bring integrity, knowledge and strong leadership skills as he leads Oak Brook’s Police Department. I want to thank Acting Chief Larson who has done an excellent job since being coaxed out of retirement following former Chief Sheahan’s resignation in the spring. ELECTRIC AGGREGATION On October 6, the Villages of Oak Brook, Grayslake, and Lincolnwood accepted a bid from Integrys Energy Services, Inc., to provide electrical supply for the municipalities’ electric aggregation programs. Integrys’ rates represent a 30 percent savings for residential customers and a 32 percent savings for small business customers compared to ComEd’s summer rates for electricity supply. Letters were mailed to eligible residents and businesses explaining the recent Electric Aggregation options. Kindly visit the Village’s Electric Aggregation Program on our website for more information on this program. BUDGET The Village Board is reviewing our 2012 budget. The proposed budget is on our website. There are also copies at Village Hall and the library. A public hearing and approval of the budget is scheduled for December 13, 7 p.m. at the Village Hall. The budget contains no new tax increases. We have and will continue to reduce expenses without reducing the excellent services we offer. We have significantly reduced our legal fees by hiring a new Village Attorney, Holland and Knight, and a new prosecutor, Rathje and Woodward. We have also reduced our liability insurance costs compared to a couple of years ago, and this year have completely eliminated fees to the lobbyists. The Village has a sound financial policy of maintaining a cash balance reserve of at least six months of operating expenditures in the General Fund. The projected ending cash balance for 2012 is equal to 7 months of operating expenses, which is $1.5 million above the 6-month reserve requirement. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT The Village will be hosting an Economic Development Summit at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus at 7 a.m. on November 30. The Summit will include presentations on the Village’s Commercial Revitalization Plan, what has been accomplished, projects currently pending, and a discussion of future priorities. Additionally, there will be a panel of Village and business experts who will be able to address your questions and ideas on what the Village should be looking at in the future for economic development. Feel free to contact any of the Trustees, Village staff, or I with your concerns, thoughts or ideas. Let us know how we are doing, and what else we need to be working on. I pledge to you that we will do the best we can to make things happen. Respectfully, Gopal L. Lalmalani, M.D. Village President oak-brook.org 3 VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK ELECTED OFFICIALS/ BOARD OF TRUSTEES Gopal Lalmalani, M.D. | President Charlotte K. Pruss | Clerk Stelios Aktipis | Trustee Michael Manzo | Trustee Mark Moy, M.D. | Trustee Gerald Wolin | Trustee Asif Yusuf | Trustee Elaine Zannis | Trustee VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK DEPARTMENTS Police, Fire, EMS Emergency/911 Butler Government Center General Information/630.368.5000 Village Clerk/630.368.5050 Village Manager/630.368.5010 Community Development/630.368.5101 Economic Development/630.368.5022 Engineering/630.368.5130 Fire Non-Emergency/630.368.5200 Library/630.368.7700 Police Non-Emergency/630.368.8700 Public Works/630.368.5270 Water Billing/630.368.5090 Sports Core 630.368.6420 - Administration Building630.368.6440 - Bath & Tennis Club 630.368.6400 - Oak Brook Golf Club CONNECT WITH THE VILLAGE Website | www.oak-brook.org Facebook | “Village of Oak Brook” Twitter | @OakBrookVillage Meetings | Regular meetings of the Village Board are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Broadcasts | Videotaped broadcasts of Village Board meetings air on Comcast Cable Television, Government Access Channel 6 or 110 (Oak Brook Club), Mondays at 7 p.m. A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Have comments or suggestions? E-mail Ashley Stambaugh at astambaugh@oak-brook.org. Resident Survey Results The Village resident survey serves as an instrumental tool for guiding the strategic planning process and for changing general operations. Of the 3,618 surveys that were distributed in July, 860 valid responses were returned, lending a 23.8 percent response rate. Responses were averaged to produce the following results. This summary provides the findings related to services and what residents like best about living in Oak Brook; a full report can be located on the Village website. Public Safety Police Services = Good (4.5) Fire/Paramedic Services = Good (4.8) Public Works Public Works Water Services = Good (4.2) Engineering Department Services = Good (4.0) Street Maintenance = Good (4.8) Street Sweeping = Neutral (3.8) Snow Plowing = Good (4.1) Maintenance of Parkways & Medians = Good (4.0) Leaf Pickup = Good (4.2) Mosquito Abatement = Neutral (3.4) Pathway System = Neutral (3.9) Garbage and Recycling through Allied Waste = Good (4.3) Water Utility Billing Office Services = Good (4.1) Bath & Tennis Club Professionalism & Courtesy of Personnel = Good (4.0) Quality of Facilities = Good (4.3) Variety of Activity Offerings = Neutral (3.8) Quality of Activity Offerings = Neutral (3.9) Golf Club Professionalism and Courtesy of Personnel = Good (4.6) Quality of Facilities = Good (4.4) Library Professionalism and Courtesy of Personnel = Good (4.5) Quality & Availability of Reading Materials = Good (4.2) Village Hall Professionalism and Courtesy of Personnel = Good (4.4) Top 5 things residents like best about Oak Brook Location - Proximity to shopping, restaurants, airports, Chicago Low taxes Roadway convenience Quiet, peaceful, private Safety 5 - Very Good 4 - Good 3 - Neutral 2 - Poor 1 - Very Poor RATINGS From theManager’s Desk DAVID NIEMEYER ADMINISTRATION During emergencies, seconds count. Timely information is crucial for increasing speed and effectiveness of response. Smart911 is a new technology that allows dispatchers and emergency responders to immediately receive the registered individual's personal information. When residents register for Smart911, they are asked to provide information about themselves and their families, such as medical conditions, photographs, home and work addresses or other rescue-related information. Register at www.smart911.com. 4 oak-brook.org The past few months have been a whirlwind for the Village. Our schedules have been busy as we moved into budgeting and further established our new electric aggregation program. Residents can look forward to seeing many positive changes coming in the months to come. 22ND STREET IMPROVEMENTS The 22nd Street widening and improvement project is almost over! By the time you read this most of the pavement work should be done and all lanes on 22nd Street should be open. There is some work that will need to be completed next spring including replacing temporary traffic signal poles with permanent poles, landscaping in the right of ways, and installation of a right hand turn lane from Midwest Road to eastbound 22nd Street. VILLAGE, CHAMBER MEETS WITH BROKERS On November 3, President Lalmalani, Trustees Manzo, Yusuf, Wolin and Moy, and several staff participated in a commercial real estate program before approximately 70 brokers and site selection consultants who represent some of the largest commercial tenants in the Chicago region. The purpose of the meeting was to invite the real estate professionals who market space for tenants and businesses in the Oak Brook area. Detailed information was provided on: the advantages of locating a business in Oak Brook, a summary of the key services and amenities that the area provides, and a discussion on the improvements that Oak Brook has made to make it a “key” player in its efforts to recruit and retain business to our community. A video produced by the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce was shown, and several key corporate leaders discussed the advantages of doing business in Oak Brook. The event was held at Gibson’s and was coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce. In August, the Village Board approved moving our police and fire dispatch operations to the DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM). The changeover will occur in summer 2012. Residents should not notice a change when they call 911. There are several reasons why the Village chose to move our dispatch services. Simply put, Village residents and businesses will be getting significantly better services at a much lower cost. Some of the things DU-COMM can provide that are not available in our current center: Training and Experience. They have an experienced management team and highly trained supervisors at the center 24/7. DU-COMM has dedicated fire/paramedic dispatchers with advanced training in emergency medical dispatch. Their dispatcher training is far superior and more extensive than anything we have offered. Capacity. DU-COMM’s staffing is better able to handle major emergencies because of the size of their staff. Technology. They have significantly better technology and technology support than our center. Costs. DU-COMM will save us $2 million over the next 6 years compared to upgrading our current communications center. In the coming months, we will be working closely with DU-COMM to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible. We will keep you informed as we get closer to the cutover. Register for Smart911 You’re Invited... Economic Development Summit November 30 HYATT LODGE 7 - 9 AM RSVP TO BWING@OAK-BROOK.ORG VILLAGE TO MOVEEmergency Dispatch Operations Water customers can sign up to receive their water bill electronically by e-mail. Customers will receive their e-bill one to two days earlier since the bill does not have to be mailed. If you would like to participate in this program, please e-mail waterbilling@oak-brook.org with the following information: Service Address, Water Account Number, E-mail Address, andTelephone number. The Village also offers customers the option to pay water bill via automatic transfer. To learn more, visit the Village website. oak-brook.org 5 Sign up for Water E-Billing www.oak-brook.org New Website Features You’re Invited... Economic Development Summit November 30 HYATT LODGE 7 - 9 AM RSVP TO BWING@OAK-BROOK.ORG FINANCIAL REPORTING AWARD Staff is putting the final touches on the Village’s new website in anticipation of going live on Jan. 24, 2012. The new site was designed to streamline the navigation options and to provide the information residents, businesses, and visitors are looking for 24/7. Here is a sneak peak at just a few of the highlights of what the new website will include: ALERTS Village staff will be able to send noticeable alerts on the home page- which will be pushed out to the Village’s Facebook and Twitter accounts - to keep the community up-to-date on critical news. ARCHIVE CENTER The Archive Center will store the Village’s agendas, minutes, newsletters, and other date-driven documents and make them easily accessible for anyone to retrieve. BID POSTINGS Bid Postings will allow the Village to post and organizing bids, RFPs, and RFQs online for vendors or local contractors that are interested in providing products and services. JOB POSTINGS & ONLINE APPLICATION Users can create an online profile, download a job application or apply completely online by filling in the application, attaching supplemental paperwork, and submitting to our HR department. NOTIFY ME® Anyone can sign up to be notified via email and/or text message about community activities, meetings, and other updates to Oak Brook’s website. Congratulations to the Finance Department on earning its 33rd consecutive award for Excellence in Financial Reporting! Our auditors gave the Village an unqualified opinion, which means that the Village followed all accounting rules appropriately and that the Village’s financial reports are an accurate representation of Oak Brook’s financial condition. The Village is among an elite group of award recipients. Only one percent of the governments in the United States with populations less than 10,000 receive both an unqualified opinion on their annual and the Certificate of Achievement Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting. for the holiday Village Hall and the Administrative Office will be closed the following days. Police and Fire Departments will remain open. Christmas Eve | Friday, December 23 Christmas Day | Monday, December 26 1/2 Day New Year’s Eve | Friday, December 30 New Year’s Day | Monday, January 2 CLOSED Thank you for your warm welcome to the Oak Brook community. To get better acquainted, let me tell you a little about myself. I am originally from River Grove, and graduated from Holy Cross High School. After starting my law enforcement career I returned to school and received a Bachelor of Arts from Judson University, and went directly on completing my masters degree from National- Louis University. I also graduated from the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI Midwest Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. I am a Certified Police Chief by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police since 2006, and serve on the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and on the DuPage County Chiefs of Police Association. I was honored to receive the Award of Excellence in Law Enforcement by the Illinois State Crime Commission in 2008 and Outstanding Alumni Award in 2009 by Judson University. I have been married to my wife, Karen, for 32 years. We have two children, Kristina and James, and two grandchildren, Liam and Ethan. Karen and I are active in our church in Dundee. I am very excited to begin serving the community and getting to know everyone in the weeks and months to come. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself or if you would like me to attend a community group meeting, please call my office. POLICE DEPT. sa v e m o r e lives Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Call 911. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from heating equipment (furnace, woodstove, or portable heater). Do not use your oven to heat your home. Portable space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room and before going to bed. Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container. Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected and cleaned every year. Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Test smoke alarms monthly. Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. In Your Home Out & About Plan your stops in advance and inform others of your destinations. Be alert, aware and cautious of your surroundings. Know where your belongings are, and where you are going. Park in well-lit, busy areas, keep windows and doors locked. Visually scan the area as you approach your vehicle when returning from shopping and as you approach your home. Take only cash and credit cards that you will need. Do not display large sums of cash - be discreet. While shopping or anythime you leave home, give your home an occupied appearance. Protect your identity from being taken from you. Don’t become a victim - guard your information. Be aware of scams, cons, and ruses. From the Chief’s Desk JAMES KRUGER 6 oak-brook.org The Oak Brook Police Department participated in DuPage County’s No Refusal Weekend on Sept. 2 and 3 from 11 p.m. till 4 a.m. This was a county wide effort by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office to arrest suspected drunk or drugged drivers and address the issue of those that refuse to submit to the breathalyzer test or chemical testing. The Police Department had additional officers working the road in an effort to detect and arrest individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Over the course of the weekend, more than 45 traffic stops were made, 21 tickets were issued, and 2 DUI arrests were made. DUPAGE COUNTY NO REFUSAL WEEKEND The name and image of Sparky are registered trademarks of NFPA.S t e ps to a Safer W i n ter When an adult has sudden cardiac arrest, his or her survival depends greatly on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby. Unfortunately, less than 1/3 of those people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work, or in a public location get that help. Many bystanders are worried that they might do something wrong or make things worse. That's why the American Heart Association (AHA) has promoted Project Smile. SAVING MORE ILLINOIS LIVES through EDUCATION, which emphasizes two steps for bystanders to save a life. If you see an adult suddently collapse you should Hands- Only CPR. Step #1-Call 911; Step #2- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Video instructions to perform Hands-Only CPR is available for viewing on www.Hands-OnlyCPR.org. CPR: sa v e m o r e lives Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Call 911. 21 Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby when you are cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven mitt). Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan. To keep the fire from restarting, leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool. In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing. If you have a fire in your microwave oven, turn it off immediately and keep the door closed. Never open the door until the fire is completely out. Unplug the appliance if you can safely reach the outlet. For fuel assistance, call the Energy Assistance Referral line at (866) 674- 6327. For more information about winter safety tips, contact the Oak Brook Police and Fire Departments. Holiday Cooking Also, the Oak Brook Fire Department offers CPR & AED training courses for AHA certification through the Oak Brook Park District. The class includes possible warning signs of heart attack, the Heimlich maneuver for choking victims, hands-on mannequin training, and how to use an AED. In addition to Park District courses, you may also contact our Public Education Coordinator, Firefighter Bob Robertson at (630) 368-5220 to schedule group training. The Oak Brook Fire Department would like to recognize and thank Joe Kovarik who will complete 40 years of service to the Village on Dec. 1. Joe is a former Oak Brook resident and retired as a Captain from the Oak Brook Fire Department with 29 years of service, and has been a volunteer as the Fire Department Chaplain for the last 11 years. Commitment Corner The Oak Brook Fire Department would like to urge all parents to remind their children to stay away from ice on ponds, lakes, and streams. It takes only a few seconds for a moment of harmless play to turn tragic. It is important to understand that even though the ice may look strong and safe, if the water under the ice is moving, such as a stream, the ice may not form evenly and appear sound in one place while being weak nearby. With the expected fluctuations in temperatures, ice thickness is not always consistent and can change dramatically daily. If you want to venture on the ice and get good exercise, please consider the ice rink maintained by the Oak Brook Park District in beautiful Central Park near the Central Park West building. The Oak Brook Fire Department will once again be a drop off collection point for Toy Express. Toy Express is a non-profit organization, which has been distributing toys and clothes to underprivileged children in the western and southwestern suburbs for the past twenty-one years. Toys and clothing need to be new or gently used. Items will be collected at both Oak Brook fire stations throughout the holiday season. Contact Rose Douglas at (630) 368- 5220 for more information. From the Chief’s Desk TOM MCELLIN FIRE DEPT. oak-brook.org 7 Steps to a Safer W i n ter PUBLIC WORKS From the Director’s Desk MICHAEL HULLIHAN As 2011 winds down I’d like to take a moment to review Public Works/Engineering activities and give a quick snapshot of future activities. Severe weather figured highly in our work this year. A near record snowstorm in February and severe windstorms in June and July required major recovery operations. The Public Works crews were hard pressed to complete essential road, lighting, and forestry maintenance before the onset of leaf season. Construction projects completed this year include resurfacing of 35th Street and a major portion of Trinity Lakes as well as completion of the Timber Trails watermain replacement project. During the Winter months we will be performing tree pruning and line of sight clearing in addition to snow plowing, equipment maintenance, and training. Engineering Department will be preparing for the 2012 watermain replacement project in York Woods as well as the paving project in Saddle Brook. As always, both Public Works and Engineering appreciate your patience as we carry out our construction and maintenance, and wish you all a Happy New Year! Winter Maintenance reminders FLOOD PLAIN CHANGES Snow Plowing 8 oak-brook.org DuPage County is expected to release its proposed Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) within the next month. This map defines the areas expected to be flooded during a high water event occurring, on average, once every 100 years. This designation is significant because it defines the areas which are required by lenders to maintain National Flood Insurance. The Village code also restricts development activities within these flood plain areas. The Village staff has already analyzed the areas which will probably be in the flood plain in the new map. While staff used preliminary elevation data, the areas should approximate the upcoming proposed FIRM. Based on this data, the number of properties in the Village that fall at least partly in the flood plain increases from 45 to 100. The public comment period is expected to open in January 2012, but staff has already forwarded the first set of comments to the County to ensure that the official map accurately reflects documented flood events. The Village Engineer will update residents on developments as the public comment process continues on the Village website. As winter settles in there are some areas of your home and property that deserve attention. A little work now could save some cold and difficult situations later. Make sure gutters and downspouts are free of leaves and sticks Ensure windows to basements and crawl spaces are closed to prevent water services from freezing Make sure sump discharge pipes are intact and discharging to the proper area to avoid ice ponding Disconnect hoses from exterior faucets and drain water supply lines feeding them Have lawn irrigation systems drained and purged Take items around the yard, which could get covered by snow and become trip hazards, inside Have supplies of deicing salt and snow shovels at convenient Street crews apply highway deicer salt to pavement surfaces until snow accumulation reaches an 1 ½ inches or more. During snow plowing operations, snow is pushed to the side of the street and is continuously repeated until the storm subsides. Once the storm has passed and all streets have been plowed of snow, a final drive- through pass of the Village is done and another application of salt is applied to rid the pavement of any unplowed snowpack. Safety and traffic flow dictates that main streets be plowed first, followed by secondary streets and finally cul-de-sacs and dead-ends. Under normal conditions, the department strives to plow and salt all streets within 10 hours after the storm. * Note: Not all streets in Oak Brook are maintained by the Village. For instance, Rte. 83 and 22nd Street are plowed by IDOT, while 31st Street, Meyers Road, Midwest Road, and the vast majority of York Road are plowed by DuPage County. New Signage is finding its way to Oak Brook! Over the past year, several Oak Brook businesses have taken advantage of the opportunities presented by the Village’s new signage regulations and have installed new modern signage on their buildings. As an example, Rasmussen College and Evergreen Bank have installed wall signage atop the buildings at 1415 and 1515 22nd Street. The Marriott Hotel also located along 22nd Street has installed wall signage at the top of their building, which now makes the facility easy to see off of I-88. Previously signs on our buildings could not extend beyond a maximum height of 35- feet and were severely limited in size (often limited 100 sq.ft. per building). In addition to new wall signage, several buildings have installed new monument signage that is both more aesthetically pleasing and more readable to the passing motorist. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT From the Director’s Desk ROBERT KALLIEN Hyatt Lodge 2815 Jorie Blvd. A permit application for a $5 million renovation of the hotel has been received and is under review. Millennium Trust 2001 Commerce Drive Permits have been issued and construction is underway for a 74,000 sq.ft. office build-out. McDonald’s Corporate 711 Jorie Blvd. The McDonald’s Corporation is expanding its presence in Oak Brook by leasing an entire floor (31,500 sq.ft.) in the office building located at the southeast corner of 22nd Street and Jorie Blvd. Permits have been issued and construction is underway. Season’s 52 3 Oakbrook Center Permits have been issued for the Season’s 52 restaurant which will be renovating the space formally occupied by Braxton’s. Construction is expected to be complete in mid-2012. Sperry Top Sider 288 Oakbrook Center Permits have been issued for this 1,891 sq.ft. specialty shoe store. Sports Authority Elite 15 Oakbrook Center Construction is ongoing for an 11,200 sq.ft. retail store which opened on November 1. Sur La Table 449 Oakbrook Center Permits have been issued and construction is nearing completion on this 5,240 sq.ft. specialty store. Thomasville Furniture 3011 Butterfield Occupancy permit has been approved for a new 11,500 sq. ft. store in the Oak Brook Promenade. Development UPDATE Winter Maintenance reminders FLOOD PLAIN CHANGES FEATUREDDevelopment Tesla Motors 58 Oakbrook Center This 2,264 sq.ft. automobile showroom is now open! Tesla is new automotive company specializing in “high end” 100 percent electric automobiles. Photo: Village Trustees and staff attend the grand opening of Tesla Motors. The Community Development Depart m e n t is putting final touc h e s o n the Village’s first Economic Development broch u r e . An outside firm will be a s s i s t i n g in the final design b e f o r e printing. oak-brook.org 9 Celebrate the season with us. SPORTS CORE From the Director’s Desk TREY VANDYKE The Bath & Tennis Clubhouse is the perfect gathering place for your winter time event. This private and secluded venue is perfect for your party, meeting, or seminar. Please contact Tammy Perri, our Corporate & Private Event Coordinator, via e-mail at tperri@oak-brook.org to assist you. As the last leaves find their way to the ground, our seasonal outdoor athletic activities begin to find winter homes indoors. Golfers – This is a great time to break down your golf swing and set goals for next year. We hope you will consult our PGA Professionals for winter time training. Here are a few ways to stay active: White Pines Golf Dome in Bensenville All of our instructors see students at this facility during the winter months. The Player’s Academy – Jan. 27 – 29 The Oak Brook PGA staff travels to the Royal St. Cloud (FL) Golf Links for a 3-day golf school. Winter Clinics – Feb. 18 and 25 Hosted at the golf clubhouse. Please call the golf shop at (630) 368- 6400 ext. 2 for more information. Tennis Players - Our tennis professional, Greg Spencer, takes his player development training indoors to the Oak Brook Park District. Please call (630) 677-2563 for more information and to book a lesson. On Sunday, September 25, children of all ages were once again entertained at the Autumn Fest, held at the Bath & Tennis Club. A near record crowd enjoyed face painting, balloon sculptures, pony rides, magic show, pumpkin walk, cup cake decorating, canoe rides, and a moon jump. Youth were able to help put a fire out with the Fire Department and learn about person safety with our Police Department. A special thank you to your neighbors who volunteered to plan and provide a fun family event for the community: Deborah Efrein, Iolanda Castellan, Nellie Naguib, Joyce Antonelli, and Jerry Wolin. Of course, this event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Evergreen Bank Group, Tuscany of Oak Brook, and Trustee Asif Yusuf. Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Autumn Fest! Autumn Fest RECAP 10 oak-brook.org THE OAK BROOK BATH & TENNIS CLUB Celebrate the season with us.Saturday, December 3 at 2 pm & Wednesday, December 7 at 2 p.m. John Groleau: Parents’ College Survival Guide Author and Certified College Planning Specialist John Groleau will talk about the three key areas of successful college planning: career options/ college selection, scholarships/financial aid, and comprehensive family financial planning. John will explain how planning ahead will help a student thrive, not just survive their college years with the least amount of financial burden as possible. He will also dispel myths about financial aid, clarify issues related to retirement nest eggs, and help parents fund college with minimal debt. Sunday, January 8th at 2 pm Dave Clark - Good Food Fast: The 20th Century Dining Revolution Tells the story through words, photos, and music, of how our favorite dining establishments evolved from Fred Harvey railroad dining cars and urban lunch counters. We look at the serious concerns in the early 1900s with food safety that led to establishments marketing their open kitchens, use of popular and trusted brand-name ingredients, and scrupulous attention to cleanliness. We see how these trends began in urban centers, such as Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago, and how they spread across the country first along the rail lines, and later along the highways. From carhops to cookie-cutter franchises, from familiar foods to unique eats, this program will satisfy a thirst for knowledge—although it may leave you hungry for more! Sunday, January 29th at 2 pm Steve Justman - Roots of Americana: Vintage Folk, Classic Country This entertaining and informative musical program takes you on a journey of some of the most influential, important, and well-loved American folk, country, and popular songs. February – Date and Time TBA Shen Yun Show Presentation Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006 with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture. Today, Shen Yun counts many winners of international dance and vocal competitions among its artists and the orchestras include many musicians from world- renowned symphonies and conservatories. Shen Yun Performing Arts’ rapid growth has enabled it to reach all corners of the globe. The group will only continue to expand, and in the not-too-distant future, Shen Yun will have many companies touring around the world simultaneously. Wednesday, February 22nd at 7 pm Dr. Jeff Mishur - Seeing Red: The Art and Life of Mark Rothko One of the most exciting cultural happenings in the Chicago area will take place when the Tony-award-winning play Red premiers at the Goodman Theater this fall. This play explores a period in the life of American artist, Mark Rothko. In the lecture “Seeing Red: The Art and Life of Mark Rothko,“ art historian Jeff Mishur will discuss Rothko’s paintings and mural projects. Mishur will situate Rothko’s work in the context of post-World War II American art. One of Jeff’s specialties is the art of the Abstract Expressionists. Library Programs:LIBRARY From the Director’s Desk SUE MADORIN The Library wishes to introduce two new staff members, Courtney Withrow and Marilyn Wong. Courtney is a recent graduate of Dominican University and holds a master’s degree in Information and Library Science. She will be a part time librarian and can be found at the Reference Desk. Marilyn a former pharmacist will be assisting in keeping our collection in order. We welcome them both. The Library also wishes to congratulate Jacob Post on his promotion to Circulation Supervisor. Oak Brook Public Library has a new Library Commissioner, Jeffry Franklin, whom the Village President appointed on October 25. Veena Mediratta and Hope Sabbagha were reappointed for another term. All three will have terms that expire in 2014. The Library Commission has been making arrangements for a special event. The current Library building had its Grand Opening on March 9, 2002. The Commission has chosen the date of Sunday, April 15, 2012, to commemorate the occasion of being ten years in the new building. Activities for all ages are being planned, culminating in a concert and refreshments. Responding graciously to community needs, the Friends of Oak Brook Public Library has purchased two eReaders, a Kindle and a Nook, for patron information and instruction. The Reference staff would be happy to help patrons with questions about eReaders or downloading books. oak-brook.org 11 THE OAK BROOK BATH & TENNIS CLUB SHOP SIMPLY. SHOP OAK BROOK. Village of Oak Brook 1200 Oak Brook Road Oak Brook, IL 60523-2255 PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID OAK BROOK, IL PERMIT NO. 19 The Village of Oak Brook wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!