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2012 WinternewsOAK ROOK B A Quarterly Newsletter for Village Residents | WINTER 2012 Changing Seasons Snapshots from the Pinstripes Grand Opening 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/630.368.5052 Village Manager/630.368.5026 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 Building 630.368.6440 - 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 at 7 p.m. 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. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE mbdf Friends and fellow residents, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE As we come to the close of 2012, I feel most grateful and thankful to you for giving me the opportunity to serve you. This has been an exciting year, full of many accomplishments, and a few challenges along the way. Let us take a moment to review and reflect on some of the current issues: SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSAL Recently, Butler School District 53 approached the Village about purchasing several acres of the Sports Core property for their school consolidation plans. By the time you receive this newsletter, the Village will have had a public meeting on this matter and received your input on this idea. Additionally, I have received input from a number of homeowners association presidents and our non-District 53 residents who would like to have their children attend District 53 schools. This is a complicated issue, and I have encouraged these homeowners association presidents to work together as well as share resources and information. I have formed a ‘working group’ for this very purpose. Hopefully, our District 53 leaders will be working together with non-District 53 leaders to find common ground with the goal of “unifying” Oak Brook. RESIDENTIAL ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE I am pleased to inform you that our new residential enhancement committee recently held its first meeting. Todd Rusteburg and Cristin Jones have graciously agreed to serve as co-chairs of this committee. The first committee meeting was a brain storming session to develop ideas on how to draw younger families to Oak brook, fill vacant homes as well as revitalize and enhance Oak Brook residential properties. Kindly share your thoughts and ideas you may have in this regard. FORMER POLICE CHIEF SLEP ISSUE & INVESTIGATION I have previously reported to you about the 2007 General Assembly bill sponsored by Bob Molaro that allowed former Police Chief Sheahan to add his Chicago time to his SLEP pension and sock Oak Brook with most of the liability. Recently, the Village Board hired an attorney William Seith to review the circumstances surrounding how this bill was passed. Also, they are reviewing Sheahan’s appointment as Chief including the circumstances behind the negotiation and approval of his contract. Finally, the firm is looking at the facts surrounding the retention of Bob Molaro as a lobbyist for the Village in 2009, including whether there was any connection between that retention and the 2007 legislation that benefited Mr. Sheahan. The final report is expected in January 2013 and will be released publicly. RED LIGHT CAMERA We have always worked very well with our neighbor, Oakbrook Terrace, and we were therefore disappointed to learn of their application to the State for installation of two red light cameras at the intersection of Route 83 and 22nd Street. As you know, this is a shared intersection, and the State recently widened West 22nd Street as well as made major safety improvements to the 22nd Street and Route 83 intersections. Other retail communities such as Schaumburg had installed red light cameras in the past and then ended up removing them because their negative influence on (continued on page 3) DOUBLETREE 630.472.6000 HYATT LODGE 630.568.1234 MARRIOTT 630.573.8555 RESIDENCE INN 630.571.1200 Our “Shop & Stay Getaway” Package includes: • Overnight accommodations plus complimentary breakfast for up to 4 • Oakbrook Center VIP shopping discount card • Free shuttle service to Oakbrook Center Choose from 4 Great Oak Brook Hotels, and celebrate the season with our annual Shop & Stay Getaway featuring exclusive savings. Now you can get everything on your shopping list in one convenient location! TO BOOK, VISIT US ONLINE AT OAKBROOKHOTELS.COM $129 package rates from per night* OAK-30787_Winter2012PrintAd_R3.indd 1 11/12/12 5:06 PM Snapshots from the Pinstripes Grand Opening 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/630.368.5052 Village Manager/630.368.5026 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 Building 630.368.6440 - 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 at 7 p.m. 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. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED businesses in their communities. We intend to vigorously oppose this red light camera application with the State because we believe that the recent improvements to the intersection make the cameras unnecessary and will hurt businesses in both Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace. PINSTRIPES, LE MERIDIAN On a positive note, there are many exciting things happening in and around Oakbrook Center Mall, which are reported elsewhere in this newsletter. However, I want to mention two noteworthy events in the last few months. First, we celebrated the opening of Pinstripes - a great place to take your family for bocce, bistro and bowling! Secondly, the Village Board recently heard plans for a new Le Méridien Hotel at the old Renaissance Hotel. The hotel will be an upscale, boutique type hotel that will be a great addition to Oak Brook! Finally, kindly note that the Village Trustees, our staff, and I are available to you at all times. Feel free to email, call, or meet any one of us. Let us know how we are doing, and what else we need to be working on. There is always room for each one of us to improve, and I pledge to you that we will do the best we can to make things happen! May the beauty and tradition of the upcoming holidays fill your heart with joy, warmth and happiness. Kind Regards, Gopal G. Lalmalani, M.D. Village President ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION 4 oak-brook.org From the Manager’s Desk DAVID NIEMEYER Our recently reconstituted Streetscape Committee has been busy working with Oakbrook Center mall and our local hotels, restaurants and offices to improve pedestrian access around the mall. Hitchcock Design developed a plan that is on our Village website that was recently shared with over 30 business representatives. Streetscape Committee Chairman Jeff Kennedy gave a presentation on the plan and the committee received unanimous consent to (1) proceed with the project, (2) do it in an “Oak Brook classy way” and (3) that costs should be shared between the Village, mall, and businesses surrounding the mall. The project is currently in the design phase, with the first phase of the construction expected to begin next year. The Village and Greater Oak Brook Chamber have a unique partnership that proactively addresses economic development needs of the Village. The two organizations work tirelessly to bring new business and keep businesses in Oak Brook. The annual report of the partnership is on the Village website, but you can keep reading to see a few highlights of what we have been working on the last few months. The Chamber is sending more than 700 letters to existing businesses in Oak Brook reminding them of all the advantages of staying and expanding in Oak Brook. Targeted letters are being sent to potential businesses outside Oak Brook detailing these advantages. Completion of the first ever Oak Brook economic development brochure. The brochure - available for viewing on our website - highlights the advantages and opportunities available to business looking to locate in Oak Brook. The Village actively participates in building fairs regularly put on by the Chamber with the objective of keeping Oak Brook’s current tenants engaged and spending dollars in Oak Brook. This year, a record number (120) of new office and retail representatives were engaged by the partnership. The Village of Oak Brook continues to maintain high office and retail occupancy rates compared to other Chicago suburbs. The Chamber organized a Commercial Real Estate luncheon with 96 Chicago area office and retail area tenant representatives. Village, Chamber and business representatives touted the advantages of relocating to Oak Brook. During 2012 the Village website transitioned to the new and improved site. Since the launch of the revised website, several improvements have already taken, including: A Mobile Version of Site. Oak Brook’s website now automatically detects a mobile phone browser and displays the mobile version of our website accordingly. However, a mobile phone user will still have the option to view the full site if they choose to do so. Alert Center. The Village can now add important alert items on our website – complete with photos, hyperlinks and real-time updates – with the click of a button while automatically sending public notifications via email or text messages. What’s planned for 2013? The Village’s staff is currently reviewing several new modules, such as modules that will handle Licenses & Permits, Legal Notices, Procurement, Facilities & Reservations, and Newsletters. As these modules come online, the Village will highlight these changes in future editions of the Village’s newsletter and on the Village website. Village Website: Improving our Connection Partnering for Oak Brook Business Celebrate the season with us. ADMINISTRATION Village Hall will be closed for the following days. The Police and Fire Departments will remain open. Christmas Eve: Monday, December 24 Christmas Day: Tuesday, December 25 1/2 Day New Year’s Eve: Monday, December 31 New Year’s Day: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 A two-year legal dispute between the Village and the Westmont Park District has ended. The Westmont Park District owned a parcel of land at the corner of 35th St. and Cass Ave that was actually in the Village boundaries. The land was part of a larger piece of property originally owned by the Butler family that was originally deeded to Westmont (subsequently transferred to Westmont Park District) several years ago with a restrictive covenant that required the property to be used only for passive park purposes. In 2010, the Village adopted an ordinance to disconnect the property from Oak Brook. However, the Park District later indicated that they were considering developing the land in a manner inconsistent with the covenant that ran with the land. Oak Brook repealed the disconnection, and the Park District sued the village stating the repeal was illegal. In late September, the two parties settled the suit, with the Park District agreeing that the covenant restricted the land from being developed and that it had to remain as a passive park in perpetuity. Oak Brook agreed to repeal the repeal ordinance, so the land is no longer within Oak Brook boundaries. For questions, contact the Village Manager’s Office at (630) 368-5026. Now You Know! oak-brook.org 5 In July, the Village Board moved the police and fire dispatch operations to the DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM). The Village chose to move its dispatch services to provide Village residents and businesses with significantly better services at a much lower cost. The Village will be working closely with DU-COMM to ensure that things continue to go smoothly. If you have any issues or questions, please contact Assistant Village Manager Blaine Wing by phone at (630) 368-5022 or via e-mail at bwing@oak-brook.org. Now You Know! CATCHING YOU UP ON TIMELY TOPICS DU-COMM LAWSUIT RESOLVED HOLIDAY HOURS THE OAK BROOK BATH & TENNIS CLUB Celebrate the season with us. POLICE DEPT. From the Chief’s Desk JAMES KRUGER The Police Department has been very busy the last several months. Over the past year, through your generosity the Police Department Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Committee has raised over $10,000, placing us in the Silver Category, so far. Special thanks to LaBriola for a successful and fun “Tip a Cop” event and Paradise Pen for their participation in a special event that included a raffle at their store. We have also had numerous private donations from our residents that really demonstrate what a wonderful community Oak Brook is and the great people that live here. We have also had several personnel changes. After 32 years of service Sergeant Marty Zelisko retired from the Police Department. Canine Officer Danny Ramirez was promoted to Sergeant to fill that position. We also welcomed two new officers to the department. Officer Timothy Walsh was appointed as a probationary police officer in May and graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy in September. Officer Matthew Phillips was appointed a probationary police officer in September and will graduate from the police academy in mid-December. As many of you may have seen, a few months ago the Oak Brook Police Department was featured in a segment on Channel 5 News discussing pedestrian safety. Oak Brook resident, reporter Dick Johnson highlighted in his story the confusion the pedestrian right of way law causes some pedestrians. As a reminder, pedestrians have the right of way in the crosswalk and motorists must stop, rather than yield, for the pedestrian. Please pay close attention to the bike and pedestrian crossing on 31st Street between Spring and York Road, and at York and Canterberry Lane, as well as pedestrians crossing between businesses and hotels to and from Oakbrook Center. The Police Department wishes all of our residents have a safe and happy holiday season! In a continued effort to expand community policing, Chief Kruger and the Oak Brook Police Department are restoring and updating several successful programs. Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA), Homeowner’s Association Liaison Officer (HALO) program, and Bicycle Rodeos are three programs that have or will be receiving a modern, innovative improvement based on current trends in crime and community needs. Returning to a grassroots approach to expand community involvement is a sure-fire way to address the needs of our diverse residential and business communities. CPA has completed its first “recruit class,” and has received excellent reviews from participants. Graduation took place on October 30th, and was a fun-filled evening of food and photo slideshows from the previous weeks. The next academy class is expected to begin Spring 2013. HALO is on its 7th month of implementation, and has proven to be an effective liaison program between the police department and the community. Each association has its unique needs, and this program offers a conduit of communication between associations and the Police Department. Officers assigned to an association can share received information with the deaprtment, as well as alert associations to any unusual activity in their area. To view a list of associations and the Officers assigned, visit the Oak Brook Police Department section on the Village website. Bicycle Rodeos and Safety Towns have been a fun activity for our youth in past years. New changes in laws and different safety proposals have triggered a review of previous programs, and provide an opportunity to make changes based on the needs of Oak Brook. Whether our community members are beginning cyclists or avid riders, bicycle safety is imperative. May 2013 is the anticipated return of “Bicycle Rodeo”. Additional information on this day of fun and education will be forthcoming. Contact a Support Services Officer at (630) 368-8702 for questions regarding community programs. Back to Basics A Regrowth of Community Policing 12 DAYS Photo: John Ciciora dusts for fingerprints at the CPA. 6 oak-brook.org From the Chief’s Desk TOM MCELLIN FIRE DEPT. I occasionally meet people that assume since the incidence of large fires in the Village are relatively low, our department is not busy. A successful fire department is judged by how few fires they have, not by how many they fight. Due to sprinklers and fire detection systems, many fires are negated at the incipient stage. Strong fire codes, enforcement, business and public education also help contribute to the low incidence of fires in Oak Brook. However, our operation is much broader. The mission of the Oak Brook Fire Department is to provide an organization of people who hold devotion to duty above personal risk, to protect the lives, property, and environment of the community. These words summarize what we do, but it is the men and women of our department that embrace these words and respond to the emergency needs of the Village, regardless of the nature of the incident and initiates the process of mitigating the problem to lead to a positive outcome. The department is comprised of specialists in the areas of structural firefighting, hazardous materials response, urban search and rescue, swift water rescue, dive operations, strategic planning, and command and control. Finally, 97 percent of our firefighters are nationally accredited paramedics. Emergency medical service involving illnesses and injuries accounts for the majority of our workload. In addition to Oak Brook’s boundaries, our department responds to several busy miles of the Tri-State (I-294) and Reagan (I-88) tollways and interchanges for vehicle accidents and extrication. The Oak Brook Fire Department is a leader in pre- hospital emergency care. I am proud to represent such a fine organization and am impressed on a daily basis with the compassion and resourcefulness of our department and their commitment to the residents, businesses and visitors of our Village. What’s that noise? Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Make sure every member of your family knows what to do if they hear them. What a shocker! Before each use, inspect all electrical lights, decorations, and extension cords for damage. Two’s company, three’s a crowd. Do not overload outlets with too many decorations or devices. Is it working? Test your ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) to make sure they’re protecting you. Ouch! Prevent trips and falls by keeping cords safely along walls and out of doorways and high traffic areas. Kids eat the darnest things! Avoid putting lights, metal hooks, breakable ornaments, and other small decorations within reach of young children. Thirsty? Keep your Christmas tree stand full of water. A fresh, green tree is less of a fire hazard than a dry tree. Safe and warm. Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, like decorations, trees, gifts, and curtains. Can’t touch this! Consider installing tamper resistant receptacles (TRRs) to prevent kids from inserting objects into the outlet slots. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Share your family fire escape plan with your overnight guests. Hot stuff! Keep children at least 3 feet away from cooking appliances. Use back burners and turn pot handles in away from little hands. Make a wish! Blow out the candles before leaving a room or going to sleep. There’s no greater gift you can give your family than a safe and happy holiday! Visit www.electrical-safety.org for more home fire safety information. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 DAYS of Holiday Safety 1 Photo: John Ciciora dusts for fingerprints at the CPA. oak-brook.org 7 Winter is upon us and gives us all an opportunity to enjoy the great indoors. Be sure to check off your winter property maintenance to-do list to ensure that there are no unwanted surprises in the Spring. Gutters and downspouts should be inspected to insure that periods of snow melt don’t cause ice-damming along gutter lines. Similarly, area drains and sump discharges should be cleared. Now is a good time to make sure furnaces, including filters, are serviced. Chimneys of active fireplaces should also be inspected. During the coming months, the biggest concern for Public Works will be snow and ice control. Read the adjacent article to better understand how we go about accomplishing this task. Here are a few additional notes: Development UpdatePUBLIC WORKS From the Director’s Desk MICHAEL HULLIHAN Although the Village does not have Village-wide restrictions on parking on streets during snow storm events, it is advisable to keep your vehicles in your driveways until plowing operations have been concluded. Vehicles parked on the street make it more difficult for snow plow operators, and when weaving around parked vehicles, significant piles of snow can remain on the pavement. If you have a snow plowing service clear your driveway, please advise them to make sure they deposit the snow onto the parkway behind the curb or edge of pavement. In many cases, this is not done and when our plow trucks come back around, whatever snow they have left in the street will certainly be plowed back into your driveway approach. * Only portions of these streets are considered “Primary.” Note: Many roadways that bisect the Village are not the responsibility of the Village to maintain. The Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) is responsible for 22nd Street (from Clearwater to I-294 bridge, and west of Rt. 83), Rt. 83, and Butterfield Road. The County Division of Transportation is responsible for Meyers Road, Midwest Road, 31st Street, & York Road. Should you need to contact either of these agencies, IDOT can be reached at (630) 832-7330 and the County Division of Transportation can be reached at (630) 682-7321. Snow Plowing ROUTE ROUTE I ROUTE II ROUTE III ROUTE IV ROUTE V AREAS Commercial, Timber Trails, Merry Ln., & Yorkshire Woods York Woods, Hunt Club, Woodside Estates, & Forest Glen Brook Forest Fullersburg, Trinity Lakes, & Robin Hood Ranch Saddle Brook & Ginger Creek PRIMARY STREETS Jorie Blvd., Spring Rd., Harger Rd., Commerce Dr., 22nd St. (Rt. 83 to Clearwater only), 16th Str., Enterprise Dr., Castle Dr., Windsor Dr., Forest Trail, Woodland Dr., Timber View Dr., Timber Edge Dr., Timber Trail, & Yorkshire Wood loop. Dover Dr., Sheffield Ln,*, Hunt Club Dr., Hunt Club Ln.*, Forest Glen Ln.,Windsor Dr., Bradford Ln.*, Wood Glen Ln. Mockingbird Ln., Regent Dr., Kimberly Circle*, Concord Dr., Kingston Dr. Spring Rd. (south), Madison, Wood St., Francis Circle, Adams Rd., Acorn Hill Ln., Trinity Ln., 35th St. 35th St., Saddle Brook Dr., Hambletonian Dr., Fairview Ave., Royal Vale Dr., & Baybrook Ln. The goal of the Village’s snow and ice control program is to mitigate vehicular and pedestrian hazards caused by the accumulation of snow and ice on all Village maintained streets and parking facilities owned by the Village. To assist in achieving this goal, the Village is divided into five (5) separate routes. Each route is assigned sufficient equipment and man-power to clear all snow, curb to curb, within eight hours after a typical snow event has concluded. Typically, this objective is reached, however, there are times when it cannot be due to the amount of snow (over 8”) and/or type of snow, (heavy wet snow requires more truck passes to clear than light dry snow). In order to facilitate plowing operations, and to open up streets where the most benefit will result, the “Primary” streets are cleared of snow/ice first, followed by secondary streets and cul-de-sacs/dead ends. 8 oak-brook.org COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT From the Director’s Desk ROBERT KALLIEN Development Update Oakbrook Center is teeming with renovations. Here are a few of the changes you can expect to see: NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Pinstripes Occupancy permit was approved in mid-September. Over 32,000 sq.ft. of entertainment and restaurant space is now available for Oak Brook residents and visitors to enjoy! Renaissance Hotel General Growth Properties Inc. has sold a shuttered Renaissance Hotel next to Oakbrook Center to an investment firm that plans to renovate and reopen the property as a Le Méridien hotel. The new owners, RockBridge Capital LLC plans a $21 million revamp of the 172-room hotel. The Columbus, Ohio-based hotel investor said it expects to reopen the hotel next fall as a four-star hotel. Oakbrook Promenade Two new restaurants; Freshii and Blueberry Hill have recently opened for business in the Promenade. Retail occupancies are now over 95 percent. Clearwater The John Buck Company has submitted permits for the construction of an 8,000 sq.ft. building to be located on a vacant out-lot located near the corner of 22nd Street and Clearwater Drive. At this time, several restaurants appear to be the likely tenants. NEW OFFICE DEVELOPMENT All interior areas of the Center are being completely redone over a two-year time frame. Oakbrook Center ownership, General Growth Properties, completed a significant portion of the first phase of interior maintenance and renovation by Thanksgiving. The remaining areas will be completed sometime in 2013, with the overall project value in excess of $6 million. New pavement, landscaping, signage and water features are just a few of the new improvements. Permits have been issued for remodeling of the Macy’s anchor store. The value of this work is $1.67 million. Oakbrook Center has received the required interior demolition permits for the former Bloomingdale’s space in preparation for redevelopment. Finally, the Sears anchor store will be undergoing some interior and exterior renovation to make some of their substantial building space available to other retailers. Sears will continue here in Oak Brook, but now in smaller, more efficient space. Hub Group Work is underway for the Hub Group’s new 140,000 sq.ft. corporate headquarters facility at 2000 Clearwater Drive. Permits have been issued, allowing Hub to construct the foundation and structural steel elements. Construction of the new building should be complete by late 2013. Lewis University In the coming months, Lewis University will completing its move from 2122 York Road to its new home in the building located at 1111 22nd Street. Upon completion, Lewis’s presence in Oak Brook will nearly double in size and will occupy in excess of 28,000 sq. ft. of space at its new location. oak-brook.org 9 SPORTS CORE From the Director’s Desk TREY VANDYKE 10 oak-brook.org The Oak Brook Sports Core is entering into a peaceful time. However, the Bath & Tennis Clubhouse remains 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 Sales Associate, via e-mail at tperri@oak-brook.org or by phone at (630) 368-6442 to assist you. We hope you will join us as our seasonal outdoor athletic activities move indoors. Golfers: This is a great time to breakdown your golf swing and set goals for next year. Please feel free to consult one of 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. Winter Clinics, February 16 and 23 Clinics take place at the golf clubhouse. Please call the golf shop for more information; (630) 368-6400 ext. 2. Tennis Players: Our tennis professional Greg Spencer takes his player development training indoors to the Oak Brook Park District. Contact Greg at (630) 677-2563 for more information and to book a lesson. Finally, on behalf of the Sports Core staff, we wish you a safe and happy holiday! Riding in from a successful 2012 season, the Village is excited to announce that the 2013 season’s planning is well underway. In 2013, there will be a total of six (6) events. While the dates and times between August and October are still being finalized, and even a special Saturday match possible, patrons have a great opportunity to save some money and purchase a General Admission season pass or VIP season pass early! From December 20, 2012, until March 31, 2013, the Oak Brook residential General Admission season pass will cost $75 each and the VIP season pass will cost $625 each. The VIP season pass will include tented field-side seating, a VIP parking space at the Golf Clubhouse, and more! Individual Oak Brook residential General Admission tickets will still be available for $15 (instead of the normal $25 pre-event/$30 event-day price) and individual VIP tickets will also be available for $125 each. Pre-season passes will be available for purchase online at www.oak-brook.org/polo, just in time to purchase as a holiday gift! Information about tickets, group ticket rates and events, parking, and sponsorship opportunities will be posted on the Village website. Pre-season Polo Passes ...the perfect present! FRI DEC 14 DEC 25 12:30 PM FRI JAN 11 12:30 PM WED JAN 16 2 PM TUES JAN 25 7 PM WED JAN 30 2 PM SAT FEB 9 2 PM WED FEB 20 2 PM LIBRARY winter PROGRAMS From the Director’s Desk SUE MADORIN T’ai Chi Class Join Personal Trainer Sandy Auriemma as she teaches T’ai Chi for beginners. An internal Chinese martial art, T’ai Chi is practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. Chair Yoga Class Join Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor Sandy Auriemma for a 45 minute class on Chair Yoga. All ages welcome. Below Stairs Leslie Goddard portrays Margaret Powell, a British domestic servant who worked in several stately English homes in the 1920s. Based on Powell’s best-selling 1968 memoir Below Stairs (recently published for the first time in the U.S.), this program goes behind the scenes of some of the most lavish homes of the era. Powell shares a lively look at the work it took to run a wealthy household in this era and the eccentricities often found among employers. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs. Book Discussion Silence of the Songbirds by Bridget Joan Stutchbury links the disappearance of migratory songbirds to the environmental problems that threaten them and examines what can be done to preserve the birds and the ecosystem. Movie Matinee: Fly Away Home Secrets to Smart Home Accessorizing Learn how to shop for great pieces and how to pull them together. Learn the 11 essential elements to every room, and how to incorporate your existing treasures. Book Discussion Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides is an astonishing tale of a gene that passes through three generations of a Greek-American family and flowers in the body of a teenage girl. Calliope Stephanides begins to suspect that she is not like other girls, only to learn that she is not really a girl at all. Please stop in and welcome the Library’s newest employees, Cate Loveday and Julia Frederick. Cate hails from the Chicago suburbs and recently graduated from Elmhurst College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She brings a fresh enthusiasm for literacy to the Youth Services Desk, along with the most up-to-date knowledge of the field, and uses it to lead our preschool story time. She has applied to start work on her Master’s in Library and Information Science at Dominican University. Julia is from the Champaign area and moved here to attend Dominican University. She is currently working on her Master’s in Library and Information Science and is gaining practical experience at our Circulation Desk. Her undergraduate major in English and minors in sociology and mass media provide her with an emphasis in both literature and technology. Our other staff members have a strong library science background to better serve our patrons. Matt Binder, a Circulation Assistant like Julia, is deep into his studies at Dominican. Theresa Ozark in Youth Services will graduate from Dominican in December with her advanced library degree. Jacob Post, Melissa Stroud, and Courtney Withrow are recent graduates, and Mary Williamson and yours truly are also alumnae. Linda Fairbanks and Pat Stone are the cheese; they stand apart, having received their Masters’ in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Denver, respectively. The library field is changing daily, keeping pace with technology. These recent graduates and current students bring new ideas and up-to-date technological information to our patrons, and the Oak Brook Public Library offers practical experience and on-the-job training. I am proud of our Library as we do our part in developing the leaders of tomorrow. oak-brook.org 11 Give the GiftOF FUN This Season! SEASON PASSES ON SALE DECEMBER 20 ON VILLAGE WEBSITE See Page 10 for Details PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID OAK BROOK, IL PERMIT NO. 19 Village of Oak Brook 1200 Oak Brook Road Oak Brook, IL 60523-2255