Month: May 2015

Liquor Commissioner 101

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Learning our lessons about liquor with (far left) Linda Soto, Mayor of Hainesville and (middle) Beverly Sussman, Village President of Buffalo Grove.

Learning our lessons about liquor with (far left) Linda Soto, Mayor of Hainesville and (middle) Beverly Sussman, Village President of Buffalo Grove.

Many people will be surprised to learn that being Village President also includes serving as the local Liquor Commissioner. While this might seem like a dream job to some (no, I do not get free drinks at our local bars!) it comes with some very real and serious responsibilities. To help me and my fellow mayors get a better understanding of this, Lake County recently held a seminar entitled “Liquor Commissioner 101.”  On a Saturday morning in May, we went back to school at the College of Lake County and learned the finer points of the regulation of consumption and sale of alcohol in our communities. As the local ruling authority, the responsibility falls to me (with assistance from the Board of Trustees) to grant approval of new liquor and video gaming licenses, and to ensure that the current license holders are operating within the confines of the law. We were welcomed to the seminar by Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who shared with us the sobering statistic that if a youth starts drinking before age 14, they have a 47% chance of becoming addicted later in life. State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim relayed to us that almost every arrest in Lake County the previous night was alcohol related. Student members of the Lake County Underage Drinking & Drug Prevention Task Force gave a presentation on the importance of compliance checks. Local liquor commissioners have the authority to initiate unannounced checkups at retail outlets and restaurants to see if proper measures are being followed to ensure that alcohol is not being made available to underage youth. I got to participate in a mock liquor commission hearing by playing the part of “Larry Liquor,” who turned out to be the Mayor, so it was a stretch! A staff member from the Health Department explained to us the training available to bartenders, clerks and wait staff through Lake County to encourage responsible and legal alcohol sales and service. Failure to do so can result in the Liquor Commissioner being able to issue fines, temporary or permanent loss of a liquor (and gaming) license, or possible conviction of selling to a minor. All of this is very heavy stuff, and makes me realize that this “bonus” job is not one to be taken lightly. I must say also, that the students are making me think seriously about some compliance checks sometime in the not too distant future. Fair warning…ditch those fake ID’s now, because this Liquor Commissioner is loaded…with knowledge!

 

Diary of a One-Room School Teacher

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Getting ready to start the lesson by ringing the school bell.

Getting ready to start the lesson by ringing the school bell.

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right?  I recently had a day that started out bad and went to worse, and frankly I was in no mood to teach.  But two classes of eager third grade students from Country Meadows were counting on me to lead a field trip at Archer School that afternoon, so what could I do but don my 1860’s day-dress, and subject myself for questioning:

“Did you really teach here?”

Well, I realize that today I might look and feel like I am 165 years old, but no, I am not the actual original schoolteacher from 1849.

“Can I pretend to be naughty so you will use the switch on me?

You know, that’s not a bad idea, but unfortunately your parents could have me arrested if I actually employed old-school discipline.

“How come they did not fall in when using the outhouse?  And is that what I think it is?”

The children were careful and used the privy at home too.  And yes, the raccoons have broken in again and set up their latrine in our outhouse, but they are not smart enough to use the holes!

“Do we get to use the axe to chop wood for the pot-belly stove?”

No, but Mr. Lee Bassett has many pitchforks and other sharp objects to fascinate you in the barn.

“I already know the rules of the spelling bee because I saw a video of one on YouTube!”

Okay… if we are role-playing that it is 1876, and I am really your school teacher and you are really my student, what in the world is a “video” and mercy-sakes, a “YouTube?”

After two hours of relentless inquiry by some of our brightest little residents, I found my spirits had been lifted.  When surrounded by so much infectious enthusiasm and joy, how could they not be?  Thanks, kids!!!

Chocolate Fest 2015

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Our local Lord of Chocolate, Craig Leva, Owner of the Long Grove Confectionary.

Our local Lord of Chocolate, Craig Leva, Owner of the Long Grove Confectionary.

For a chocolate lover like me, having a Chocolate Fest in our downtown every May is a real treat! This past weekend, Long Grove hosted over 15,ooo fellow chocoholics for a three day celebration of the confection. It was possible to enjoy chocolate in many traditional and inventive ways such as chocolate beer, chocolate covered grapes, chocolate martinis…the list seemed endless. I personally sampled and gave a thumbs up to:  chocolate wine, a stuffed poblano pepper with chocolate mole sauce, and chocolate dipped strawberries from the Long Grove Confectionary. This gave me a chance to chat with my friend Craig Leva, owner of the confectionary for the past two years. His business is growing and has recently expanded to include featuring our namesake chocolates in area Jewel grocery stores. The weather really cooperated this year, and helped add to the turnout as did some new changes with the festival. With the help of a new special events firm, the downtown merchants arranged booths primarily up and down Robert Parker Coffin Road, with the main stage at the covered bridge. Popular bands were featured each night and took the celebration into the evening hours, attracting additional attendees. This year efforts were made to work with our favorite local restaurants to offer their specialties in booths as well. And it looks as if the new ideas had a positive effect overall. We will have to wait another year for the next appearance of the Chocolate Fest–thankfully that gives us all plenty of time to work off the excess calories!

Oath of Office

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Congratulating Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer on her new term of office.

Congratulating Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer on her new term of office.

Many smiles were in evidence at our Village Board meeting this week as we welcomed some new and returning elected officials. Continuing for another term are Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer and Trustee Stan Borys. Trustees taking the Oath of Office for the first time were Bill Jacob and Michael Sarlitto. Swearing in ceremonies are by nature joyful and optimistic events, and this one was no exception. Our first meeting with the new team in place went smoothly and we tackled some important issues such as adoption of the updated fire code, revisions of the upcoming resident survey, and a presentation of financing options for infrastructure repairs and expansion. Plenty of work lies ahead for our new Board as we meet the challenges of revitalizing our downtown and our infrastructure, while continuing a high quality of life for our residents in Long Grove. The Village Board is at the beginning of the next leg of our journey, and so far, we are off to a great start!

Spring Fashion Show

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One of the few men in attendance was downtown merchant John Kopecky, shown here surrounded by stylish ladies.

One of the few men in attendance was downtown merchant John Kopecky, shown here surrounded by stylish ladies.

The most fashionable place to be in Long Grove last week was at the Mother’s Day Boutique Fashion Show, held on May 7th at the Grove Country Club. This marked the second year in a row for such a stylish event, coordinated by several of the merchants in downtown Long Grove. The evening featured shopping, cocktails, appetizers, and a runway show highlighting the current looks available in our local stores such as Olivia’s Past and Bella Donna Boutique. It was great fun to mix and mingle with so many well-dressed friends and neighbors, and to be inspired by the beautiful new fashions being modeled. Raffle tickets were sold to benefit the fight against Breast Cancer, and to support a group of local women who participate in a walk for the cure. Lady luck was on my side, because I ended up winning a gift certificate for High Tea with Gerri (our lovely Long Grove tea room), complete with an antique china cup and saucer. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to pull together a successful event like this, and I appreciate the local businesses who participated and helped make this all possible. It was an elegant evening of charity, community, and ultra-chic style!

The Grove Trotters

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Grove Trotters (L to R) Carolyn Denaro, Rosemary Thalanany, Marie Roth, and Angie Underwood on a walk in October, 2014.

Grove Trotters (L to R) Carolyn Denaro, Rosemary Thalanany, Marie Roth, and Angie Underwood on a walk in October, 2014.

What is better than a springtime walk in a woodland; gazing at the blooms of the redbuds and virginia bluebells and listening to the songs of the spring peepers? Having a Grove Trotter or two for company, that’s what!  The creative name for our Long Grove walking group is courtesy of resident Renee Clark, who first organized a number of ladies under this name to participate in a breast cancer walk in Chicago over a decade ago.  That group disbanded, but several years later reorganized with the help of the Neighbors and Newcomers Club to form a weekly walking group to explore the many forest preserve trails and neighborhood pathways in and around Long Grove. Our group is informal, fluid, and members join in as they are able. We are fortunate to have some great local places to get out and enjoy nature, but as women, we all know that there is safety in numbers.  Plus, it makes us less likely to skip the exercise if we know a buddy is waiting to also hit the trail. And of course, there is the gossip…I mean, lively conversation to make the time pass more quickly!  My first experience speaking up at a Village Board meeting was due to the Grove Trotters.  Several of our members came to a meeting to ask the Trustees to allocate funds to help pave and extend a walking path on south Schaeffer Road.  And it worked!  The Village supported that path improvement almost 10 years ago, and this summer we are using grant funds to connect the Schaeffer Road trail to the Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve.  I’m looking forward to exploring this new pathway in the fall with my Grove Trotter friends.  This spring we are working on our daily 10,000 steps in Heron Creek Forest Preserve, Stillman Nature Preserve, Reed-Turner Woodland, and several neighborhood paths in Long Grove.  If you would like to join the Grove Trotters for a walk, contact me via email and I will let you know the time and meeting place for our next outing. Get moving, enjoy the woodland wildflowers, and you might meet a new neighbor in the process!

Outdoor Dining in Long Grove

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(L to R) Georgia Cawley, Barbara English, and Laurie Borawski attend a recent Historical Society luncheon.

(L to R) Georgia Cawley, Barbara English, and Laurie Borawski attend a recent Historical Society luncheon.

This past weekend, we were blessed with several days of perfect weather—sunny skies, comfortable temperatures, low humidity, and a minimum of mosquitoes. After the long winter we all endured, it was a pleasure to spend time out-of-doors, particularly dining alfresco. As we all know, one of the joys of living in Long Grove is the opportunity to enjoy nature and open spaces from our own backyards. But did you know that many of our local restaurants also offer delightful outdoor dining experiences as well?

My husband and I enjoyed a recent lunch on the outdoor deck of the Long Grove Café. While waiting for our food to arrive we were entertained by watching an unusual bird hunt for minnows in the Mill Pond. I snapped him with my cell phone camera, and identified him later as a Green Heron. We had just been admiring his cousin, the Great Blue Heron, earlier in the week as we sat outside Smokin’ T’s with our Bar-B-Que. Did you know you can view a whole rookery from that spot? Last summer, the Long Grove Artist’s Guild sponsored an outdoor program by local artist Marie Roth, who creates American flags out of reclaimed barn wood. A perfect place to view this wonderful presentation was under the umbrellas of the outdoor dining tables at Enzo & Lucia’s. It is such a lovely location to relax, enjoy a meal, and take in the sights and sounds of Fountain Square. We have also been enjoying Long Grove’s newest restaurant, The Chatterbox, which features a charming outside patio area bordered with flowers and plants. This is truly a local gathering spot, as our meal for two quickly became a meal for four when some friends from the Historical Society stopped by to join us. Dining at the table next to us were Long Grove neighbors, as well. Good food, good friends, and a beautiful springtime night in our own Downtown.

Many other area restaurants offer outside dining, but so often these areas overlook a strip mall, parking lot, or busy road. Long Grove dining offers up a choice of attractive places to enjoy nature and the uniqueness of our Village. This season will be gone in the blink of an eye—enjoy it while you can!