Merchants

Fantastic Fannie Farmer

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John Kopecky (seated) introduces Aaron Underwood to Fannie, pictured outside of John's store The Country House.

John Kopecky (seated) introduces Historical Society President Aaron Underwood to Fannie, pictured outside of John’s store The Country House.

It seems we have a lady-about-town causing quite a sensation. Meet Fannie Farmer, the newest addition to our Historic Downtown Long Grove Association. Born in 1942, Fannie is a vintage McCormick Farmall tractor in a flashy shade of red, fully restored and operational. Downtown merchants John Kopecky and Matt Potempa recently acquired Fannie from a farm sale up in Woodstock, Illinois and introduced her to to her new home in Long Grove where she will strut her stuff during the various festivals. Fannie’s inaugural debut will be escorting visitors around town on wagon rides during our upcoming Vintage Days Festival, August 20th and 21st.

New this year, Vintage Days will feature music, shopping, and assorted vendors with a flavor of the past. The Long Grove Community Church is offering an old fashioned ice cream social and outdoor services near the Sunset Gazebo on Fountain Square. The Historical Society is participating with a family oriented Penny Carnival on the grounds of the Farmhouse, and historical wagon tours of the downtown (here is where Fannie gets in on the action!) Come check it out–Vintage Days is a free local festival that will appeal to all ages.

Like a Pig on a Spit

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Adam Ullrich of the Village Tavern helped prepare for the annual Veteran's Pig Roast on July 24, 2016.

Adam Ullrich of the Village Tavern helped prepare for the annual Veterans Pig Roast held on Sunday, July 24, 2016.

As an elected official, there are times when I feel like a pig on a spit–slowly raked over the coals primarily for the enjoyment of others; because they can, because they’re bored, because it boosts their ego. Hey, I get the dynamic–why else would I read the celebrity gossip in People magazine? But in local politics this type of harassment, while entertaining, comes with a cumulative downside. The flaming controversy over a raffle held at the Village Tavern’s Veterans Pig Roast this past weekend is a perfect example.

Chip and Mary Ann Ullrich, owners of the Tavern, have generously hosted this event every summer for the past seven years as a way to publicly honor and thank our military veterans. Chip himself is a veteran from the Vietnam era. Widely promoted and well attended, this celebration is seen as a positive reflection on our community. The pig roast and entertainment are free for our veterans, and the festivities also feature a raffle with the proceeds to benefit local VFW Post 5151 and Midwest Veterans Closet charity organization. This raffle required an application for permission of the Village Board, which was unanimously granted. The Village is supportive of the intentions behind this event, as are the many residents who volunteer annually to make it a success. A win-win for all concerned.

However, a local woman has caused a stink this past week in her attempts to get the raffle invalidated on the grounds that it is illegal gambling. She has made numerous calls to village hall, resulting in a FOIA request for staff to comply with, as well as time from our village attorney, village employees, the Ullrichs and myself. All of this to get notoriety for herself and publicity for her cause. Long Grove seems to be an attractive place for those who like to seek attention by agitating over an emotional issue.

In today’s turbulent times we have no shortage of serious issues to become worked up about. But a raffle to benefit legitimate local veterans organizations is not one of them. This week, staff time (taxpayer funded) and volunteer time (a precious resource) has been used once again to satisfy the demands of community activists looking for recognition in the name of their cause. In my term as Village President I have seen this dynamic over and again with various local issues. When the dust settles, little is ever accomplished aside from the fact that the battle serves to chip away at our limited finances and morale just a tiny bit more. Why is this tolerated? Is it serving the greater good and righting injustice? Maybe not…..but perhaps somebody, somewhere, is enjoying the entertainment?

Summer Fest

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Friends and neighbors sharing a picture perfect day at Summer Fest L to R: Angie & Aaron Underwood, Michael Trickey, Jim Unsler, and Diane Trickey.

Friends and neighbors sharing a picture perfect day at Summer Fest L to R: Angie & Aaron Underwood, Michael Trickey, Jim Uszler, and Diane Trickey.

This is going to be a very short blog post because I think the picture above says it all! We love our town, and Long Grove was a great place to be this weekend as we celebrated Summer Fest in the historic downtown with fun, families, food, carnival rides, and great music. It was cheerful to see so many neighbors, residents and merchants enjoying the festivities despite the seasonable heat. Besides, what’s a good summer festival without a little sizzle?

Colorful Bridges Express Pride and Love

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Starting at the American flag and moving right: Cindy Brown, Marie Roth, Rachel Perkal, Carolyn Denaro, Angie Underwood.

Starting at the American flag and moving right: Cindy Brown, Marie Roth, Rachel Perkal, Carolyn Denaro, Angie Underwood.

Many residents and merchants are proud of our Village, and have been showing their love for Long Grove by creating decorative mini bridges. In the past month, these little works of art have been slowly appearing in our historic downtown crossroads. I’m impressed by the efforts and artistic talent on display, and for the vibrant designs and rainbow of colors our merchants and residents have used to liven up the community for the summer.

One of my favorite bridges is pictured above. I love it for the especially fitting message of peace, hope, and respect. Regardless of ideology, politics, race, religion, creed, color, or whom we choose to love in this world, “All Lives Matter Here.” Bravo to Rachel Perkal and her staff at Epilogue, a lovely store here in Long Grove that features beautiful and unique works of art. It is one of my go-to spots when needing a special and memorable gift. Resident and artist Marie Roth was featured in a show this weekend of her one-of a kind American flags, created from reclaimed barn wood.

Art has a healing power, and love for one another is what truly matters.

Shall We Dance?

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Greeting one of our newest business owners in the historic downtown, Jesse DeSoto of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Greeting one of our newest business owners in the historic downtown, Jesse DeSoto of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

In the year 1900, Long Grove’s first dance hall was built. Housed on a site next to what is now Kildeer Countryside School (and now serves as a parking lot for the old Zimmer Hotel building), this community building was erected at a cost of $2,500. Residents came together to help finance the construction of this social gathering spot, at a cost of $10 per share. According to local lore, dances were held upstairs on the weekends and refreshments were served downstairs, with a separate room to check coats and horse blankets in the winter. Known as Union Hall, dances continued to be held here into the 1940’s, after which it was sold to a turkey hatchery, then a manufacturing company that produced decorative wooden ducks. Years of accumulated sawdust and wood shavings helped fuel a spectacular fire in 1951 that burned the old Union Hall to the ground. Ironically, the fire department was located just down the street but the firefighters were away that evening attending a dance in a nearby town!

One century later, Long Grove’s popularity as a fun place to dance is about to come alive once again. I have recently had the opportunity to meet local resident Jesse DeSoto, a former “Pro” from Season 3 of the popular television show “Dancing With The Stars.” Jesse is in the process of purchasing the former Red Oaks property, and is currently working to relocate his Fred Astaire Dance Studio from Buffalo Grove to our historic downtown. In business for over the past 11 years, this franchise has been consistently ranked as one of the top Fred Astaire Dance Studios in the United States. The former big “barn” on the property is slated to be renovated and reconstructed into a Grand Ballroom, to be used for day to day lessons as well as accommodating social dance events. Future plans for the additional buildings on the site include possible retail and restaurant tenants. Jesse and some of his students recently appeared on ABC Channel 7 to help promote Chocolate Fest this past May. Click here to view a short clip of this.

I know that I speak for so many of the residents and merchants in Long Grove who are excited to welcome Jesse and his new business to our historic downtown. It is a great fit for our community, and truly a kick to see history repeating itself with a popular dance hall coming back to town. This time though, I say we skip the special cloak room for the horse blankets and opt for a disco ball instead!

Chocolate Fest 2016

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Merchant John Kopecky shows his Chocolate Fest spirit at the start of our weekend festival.

Merchant John Kopecky shows his Chocolate Fest spirit at the start of our weekend festival.

If you are looking for something fun to do outdoors on this gorgeous spring day in Long Grove, come join me at Chocolate Fest! You will meet lovable local characters (like the one in the green wig pictured above), enjoy music, shopping, art and dancing, and of course, indulge to your heart’s content in all forms of chocolate.

Craig Leva, owner of the Long Grove Confectionery with ABC Channel 7 morning anchor Tanja Babich.

Craig Leva, owner of the Long Grove Confectionery with ABC Channel 7 morning anchor Tanja Babich.

To kick off the weekend festivities, yesterday I joined up with other dedicated supporters of our historic downtown for the early morning live broadcast on Chicago’s ABC affiliate, Channel 7. And by early morning, I mean I was scheduled for a live interview with anchor Tanja Babich at 4:45 am! Long Grove was fortunate to have Channel 7 showcasing our Village with live cut-ins from 4:30 to 7:00 am, all throughout the morning news program leading up to “Good Morning America.” One of the many segments featured the Long Grove Confectionery, and the unveiling of a newly created sweet treat available for the first time ever this weekend–the Myrtle Cookie. Yes, I have sampled it’s chocolate, caramel and pecan deliciousness and yes, it is to die for!

Closing out the broadcast was the debut of a special routine for Channel 7 by the students of the In Motion Dance performing arts school here in Long Grove. Dancing to Justin Timberlake’s new release “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” was the perfect way to wrap the show and kick off the festival weekend with energy and smiles all around. Happy Chocolate Fest 2016!

Students of In Motion Dance performed a lively routine to close out the live Channel 7 broadcast.

Some of the students of In Motion Dance who performed a lively routine to close out the live Channel 7 broadcast.

 

A Model Citizen

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Sharing a light-hearted moment with emcee Bonnie Conte of Avalon Salon in Deerpark, at the May 5th Long Grove Fashion Show at the Grove Country Club.

Sharing a light-hearted moment with emcee Bonnie Conte (right) of Avalon Salon in Deerpark, at the May 5th Long Grove Mother’s Day Fashion Show at the Grove Country Club.

I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that male politicians don’t get asked to model in many fashion shows. If they do, I’m pretty sure it does not involve wearing a dress, high heels, and lots of accessories (let’s not even mention the indignity of spanx!) Last month I was asked to help support a local not-for-profit group by modeling in their “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” fashion show fundraiser. The Caring Women’s Connection helps a number of organizations and programs in Lake County serving women and children such as: A Safe Place, Lake County Haven, Mount Saint Joseph, Stuben House, and scholarships for deserving high school seniors. I was happy to assist in raising funds for these worthy causes…but modeling? Did they know that my last experience walking the runway was circa 1975, wearing my hand-crafted, (blue-ribbon winning!) 4-H sewing project at the McLean County Fair? These days I’m more accustomed to making speeches or running public meetings, but anything for a good cause, right?

The day was actually a lot of fun and I got the chance to make connections with some fantastic women. The dress that I showcased came from Fashion In Motion, which is a pink mobile truck featuring beautiful clothes and accessories for sale instead of tempting food items. For more information on the work of this dynamic and caring group of ladies visit their website at CaringWomensConnection.com.

Backstage with fellow models Cris Grooms (center) and Rita Foley (right) at the "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Fashion Show sponsored by the Caring Women's Connection.

Backstage with fellow models Cris Grooms (center) and Rita Foley (right) at the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Fashion Show sponsored by the Caring Women’s Connection.

Another local fashion show was held last week in Long Grove and this time my support came by way of raffle tickets purchased, boutique shopping, and cheering on the efforts of our hometown merchants. Over 150 fashionable ladies gathered to see the newest looks of the season just in time for Mother’s Day, courtesy of Long Grove boutiques Olivia’s and Bella Donna. It was a delightful evening of shopping and conversation with friends and neighbors, with the raffle proceeds going towards the fight against breast cancer. Here’s to high style, philanthropy, and lots of lovely ladies!

Boutique owners (L to R) Mira Pinscher of Bella Donna and Lynne Jankovec of Olivia's Past walk the runway to celebrate the conclusion of another successful fashion show.

Boutique owners (L to R) Mira Pinscher of Bella Donna and Lynne Jankovec of Olivia’s walk the runway to celebrate the conclusion of another successful fashion show.

Lights, Camera, Action!

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ABC Chanel 7 news reporter Tanja Babich prepares to interview Long Grove Historical Society President, Aaron Underwood on May 4, 2016.

ABC Channel 7 news reporter Tanja Babich prepares to interview Long Grove Historical Society President Aaron Underwood on May 4, 2016.

This week I got to participate in the production of some promotional footage for Long Grove’s upcoming Chocolate Fest to be held on May 20-22. Chicago’s ABC affiliate, Channel 7, sent anchor Tanja Babich to our Village to interview a few merchants and community leaders, for segments that will be interspersed with live footage filmed on Friday the 20th, first day of the festival. Besides learning a little local history from Aaron (pictured above), the crew took outdoor shots of our historic downtown and did interviews featuring merchants at the Long Grove Confectionery, Broken Earth Winery, and Village Tavern. And of course, chocolate, wine, and broasted chicken were savored along the way! It was really great to see members of our downtown community working together in such a professional, positive, and cooperative way to make today’s film shoot and the upcoming festival succeed. This publicity, which will air just prior to and during “Good Morning America” on May 20th is very advantageous, and could really help boost our festival attendance. Here’s hoping that Mother Nature will gift us with some lovely weather this year!

News reporter Tonja Babich (right) interviews Mary Ann Ullrich, owner of the Village Tavern.

News reporter Tonja Babich (right) interviews Mary Ann Ullrich, owner of the Village Tavern.

Democracy and Difficult Decisions

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(L to R) Resident Carolyn Denaro and merchants Rachel Perkal and Jenny Weizerchon help envision Long Grove’s future at a recent workshop.

It’s no surprise that the job of Village President involves making some weighty decisions. I have previously blogged about this topic, for example, in my post Just Call Me, “The Tie Breaker.” Today I have been trying to make peace with another difficult choice that will result in some number of residents on the disappointed/unhappy/outraged spectrum, no matter how the decision comes down. Certainly politics is not a job for someone first and foremost concerned with pleasing everyone.

David Brooks is a political op-ed columnist for The New York Times, and his articles often resonate with me. On February 26, 2016 he said this about democracy and decisions:

“We live in a big, diverse society. There are essentially two ways to maintain order and get things done in such a society–politics or some form of dictatorship. Either through compromise or brute force. Our founding fathers chose politics.

Politics is an activity in which you recognize the simultaneous existence of different groups, interests and opinions. You try to find some way to balance or reconcile or compromise those interests, or at least a majority of them. You follow a set of rules, enshrined in a constitution or in custom, to help you reach these compromises in a way everybody considers legitimate.

The downside of politics is that people never really get everything they want. It’s messy, limited and no issue is ever really settled. Politics is a muddled activity in which people have to recognize restraints and settle for less than they want. Disappointment is normal.

But that’s sort of the beauty of politics, too. It involves an endless conversation in which we learn about other people and see things from their vantage point and try to balance their needs against our own. Plus, it’s better than the alternative: rule by some authoritarian tyrant who tries to govern by clobbering everyone in his way.”

The article, “The Governing Cancer of Our Time,” goes on to talk about Donald Trump’s current campaign, which I am NOT going to comment on!

But on this subject of learning from other people and seeing from their vantage point, the Village is currently in the middle of doing just that with our Comprehensive Plan Update project. Earlier this winter we held a series of stakeholder interviews, and have been gathering resident opinions via surveys and other online engagement. On April 11th an “EnVision Long Grove” public workshop was held with well over 100 residents attending to participate in shaping the future development of our Village. It was a great turnout and wonderful to see so many citizens working together to help preserve our community character with an eye to our needs going forward.

Updating the Comprehensive Plan will involve a series of decisions by the Plan Commission and Village Board in the coming months. Some may be difficult and generate some passionate discussions and differing opinions. On with Democracy!

Welcome Village Pizza & BBQ!

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At the ribbon cutting ceremony on April 18th with new owners Rusty Gault (left) and Joanie Shunia-Gault (right).

At the ribbon cutting ceremony on April 18th with new owners Rusty Gault (left) and Joane Shunia-Gault (right).

If you are really hungry right now or trying to stick to a diet, you might not want to read any further on this post. Because just look at the deliciousness of this pizza…..

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Yes, we have a new pizza joint in town and the sauce is a family secret! This Monday marked the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of Village Pizza and BBQ, located by the Mill Pond in the former location of Long Grove Cafe. New owners Rusty and Joane Shunia-Gault have relocated from Michigan and brought along their family recipes for thin, hand-tossed, and Sicilian deep-dish pizza. I’ve had the pleasure of trying several different varieties and flavors so far, and each one is better than the next.

Since the first of the year, not a week has gone by without a resident asking me when the new pizza place was going to open. Over the past few months I’ve gotten to know Joane and Rusty and they are a wonderful new addition to our community. Already they have hosted weekly Rotary Club meetings, Chamber of Commerce Mixers, and a get-acquainted gathering for residents hosted by Long Grove Living magazine. The pizza is getting rave reviews and we all wish the best of success for our newest downtown business. Welcome!!

Joanie serves up a slice for an eager resident at a gathering Tuesday evening.

Joane serves up a slice for an eager resident at a gathering Tuesday evening.