Champaign County, IL 2010 Community Profile

Bu si ne ss & INdu st ry www.champaigncounty.org 1

Since 1972, the Dillman family has been satisfying customer exterior needs and striving to improve current practices, allowing us to exceed client expectations. Our business has been built on client satisfaction, as we rely heavily on referrals from those we have completed exterior (siding, roofing, windows, garage doors, screen rooms, and gutters) projects for. Whether it be a homeowner, home builder, multi-family, or commercial developer, each one is regarded as important to our viability and sustainability.

We presently serve the Midwest region and have crews available to travel on a per-job basis.

We would be honored to provide you with a list of projects completed and a contact list.

As an example of our commitment to providing professional services, we are the first company in Central Illinois to become Preferred James Hardie installers, as well as the first to obtain certification from the Vinyl Siding Institute. While these designations may not be important to each client, it is our intention to educate and develop our teams to achieve above-average results and strive for excellence. We have an established recycling program that includes preand post-consumer vinyl siding, cardboard, and aluminum.

Today, we have a staff of over 40 full-time team members and a multitude of subcontract laborers, as necessary, to meet your needs. We would appreciate the opportunity to show you how The Dillman Brothers can serve your exterior needs and provide you peace of mind for years to come.

Honest, Dependable, Affordable Too.

Put The Dillman Brothers To Work For You! We have recycled 50,000 pounds of vinyl siding year-to-date, diverting it from the landfill.

We have 4 people with 37 years of experience (each), plus some members that have been with us 12+ years offering our clients the experience they deserve.

CommunityLink.com

1 800-455-5600

production production manager

Welcome From the Chamber of Commerce........................... 4 Relocation & Development Campustown Renaissance: Good for U of I, Good for Champaign County................................ 6 The Atkins Group: Options for Stylish Living ............. 8 M2: Development with a Future Focus .................... 9 Financial Fitness: Chamber-Member Banks............ 10 Education Prairieview Ogden Goes Green with Geothermal.....12 Urbana District 116: Celebrating Milestones ...........13 University Primary School Makes Learning Fun .....15 Champaign Unit 4 Embarks on Energy Efficiency Program .................................16 Parkland College Prepares for Continued Expansion ........................................17 Health Care Carle Physician Group Makes Patients Comfortable in Their Medical Home — Ahead of the National Trend ..............................18 Carle Foundation Hospital Recognized for Outstanding Nursing Care ........... 18 Continuous Improvement Moves Christie Clinic Toward World-Class Care ...............19 Provena Medical Center Offers New Sports Medicine Services ...........................20 Agribusiness Market at the Square — Bringing It Fresh and Local ................................21 Moore Trees Offers Personalized Planting Plans......22 AG Tours Offer Attractive Agriculture Itineraries ........22

Workforce SEDAC Promotes Energy Efficiency ...................... 27 Regency Apartments Thinking Green..................... 28

director of publication design

LAURA WILCOXEN

proofreader

CHRISTINA REESE

director of photography

lead design cover design web site creation & support director of media purchasing

director of business development director of outside sales marketing specialist business development manager

customer service director

ad research

KELLY FRIEDERICH AMANDA WHITE JOSH CHANDLER DIANA VAUGHN

GEORGE PRUDHOMME DEBBIE MOSS SHAWNA WILLIAMS BONNIE EBERS CHARLIE ROGERS KATHY RISLEY

MARY KOPSHEVER AMY SCHWARTZKOPF

ad traffic ad design

CAROL SMITH JOSH MUELLER

administrative support administrative support

Restaurant Guide For Your Dining Pleasure ...................................... 40

DAVID GHENT

advertising

Recreation & Tourism Bark at the Park ................................................. 34 Gone Fishin’: New Facilities Open a Beloved Pastime to All Residents ............ 35 Arts & Entertainment Arts Play an Ongoing Role in Downtown Development ................................ 37 Fun Facts: Champaign County .............................. 38

KACEY WOLTERS

business development

marketing consultant

Technology Champaign’s Blue Waters to be the World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer ............... 33

AMANDA WHITE

managing editor

photography

Business Vignettes FIX-IT ................................................................. 29 Mezolink ............................................................. 29 Gameday Spirit Serves Fighting Illini Fans with Two Stores .................................. 30 Bridle Brook Adult Community .............................. 30 Columbia Street Roastery..................................... 31 TCT&A Industries ................................................ 31 New Subdivisions ................................................ 32

MATT PRICE

KATHY HAGENE CAROL SMITH

account support

TERRI AHNER TRICIA CANNEDY

human resources assistant mailroom technician

TERESA CRAIG MELINDA BOWLIN

information technology publishing systems specialist

Lodging Guide Be Our Guest...................................................... 44

CHRISTOPHER MILLER

executive leadership chairman and founder

CRAIG WILLIAMS

chief financial officer

RHONDA HARSY

Index of Advertisers ........................................ 46

Government Olympian Drive Project Gets Positive Feedback from Washington ...............................26

ABOUT

this book is published by communitylink and

distributed through the champaign county chamber of commerce. for advertising information or questions or comments about this book, contact communitylink at 800-455-5600 or by e-mail at info@communitylink.com.

« On the Cover The statue of U of I football legend Harold “Red” Grange,

FOR INFORMATION

champaign county chamber of

commerce, 1817 s. neil st. #201, champaign, il 61820, telephone 217-359-1791, fax 217-359-1809, www.champaigncounty.org © 2010 craig Williams creative, inc., 4742 Holts Prairie

who was known as the “Galloping Ghost,” is located

rd., Post office Box 306, Pinckneyville, il 62274-0306,

outside the west wall of U of I’s Memorial Stadium.

may be reproduced without the expressed written consent

618-357-8653. all rights reserved. no portion of this book of the publisher.

Photo by David Ghent Design by Amanda White

www.champaigncounty.org 3

taBle of contents

table of contents

From the

Chamber of Welcome

Commerce

O

ur rich sense of history, which influences Champaign County today, ensures that as a community, we have always been destined for success.

Since 1833, when Champaign County was founded, it has been a welcoming guidepost on the Illinois prairie. In the 1850s, it was a stopping point for a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln, who frequently visited friends in Champaign and Urbana as he traveled the circuit from Springfield for the Eighth Judicial District.

Throughout the years, Champaign County has continued to be both a final destination and a stopping point. As the home to the world-renowned University of Illinois, our community has attracted scientists and senators, teachers and tradespeople, Nobel Prize winners and many other notables. Many stay for a lifetime, enriching the community; some receive or contribute to world-class teaching

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before moving on to influence others in different communities. Regardless of the amount of time people spend here, they develop a unique relationship between this region and the rest of the world. While many of our residents will not receive world accolades, they are the fiber of our community and they are the primary reason that Champaign County is a great place to call home.

What is it that draws and keeps people in Champaign County? In a phrase, it’s “quality of life.” The 998 square miles of the county include the communities of Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy, which make up the commercial hub of the county and the largest population center with more than 120,000 residents. In these tri-cities, homes for every family size, income level, and lifestyle are available.

Bolstered by outlying areas, which claim some of the world’s richest farmland, the

county offers unique opportunities in agriculture and related businesses. The rural nature of the smaller communities has attracted specialty businesses and sole proprietorships, as well as significant new residential growth.

A vibrant business community provides the backdrop for encouraging new commerce and industry. As the home of the University of Illinois National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and the new home of Blue Waters, the world’s most powerful supercomputer, Champaign County is recognized as a center for computing and technology, attracting and retaining a diverse group of traditional and hightech companies and becoming a leader in building the national and global information superhighway.

An assortment of cultural resources and facilities abounds in the area. From museums and performing arts centers to a planetarium and botanical gardens, the offerings are matched only by those in the nation’s largest metropolitan centers.

Choices continue in education where public, private, and parochial school systems strive for excellence in every aspect of staff, facilities, technology, and curricula.

Nationally and internationally recognized city and county park systems provide recreation opportunities for all ages. The spires of more than 100 churches rise above the Champaign County skyline, reflecting a variety of religious beliefs.

Much of the area’s business growth is attributable to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Several high-tech firms are spin-offs of university research efforts.

Even the area’s agriculture potential substantially benefits from the school’s ongoing crop experimentation, including efforts to cultivate disease-resistant crop strains through biotechnology and the development of precision farming methods and information systems.

It’s the blending of these facets that produces Champaign County’s unique qualities.

The combination of visitors and residents adding their substance to the area is evident in the many cultures present here, from turnof-the-century German immigrants, who settled in the northern and eastern parts of the county, to more recent arrivals including a large number of students, faculty, and researchers from other parts of the globe.

Champaign County has built on ample resources and true to its history, it continues to be warm and welcoming, a comfortable mix of technology and tradition.

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Campustown renaissance:

Good for u of i, Good for champaign county

I

BY LAURA WILCOXEN

n the late 1990s, Michael Aiken, then-chancellor of the University of Illinois, wasn’t pleased with what he called the university’s “front door.” At the time, Campustown was a district in decline, with unattractive streetscapes, heavy auto traffic, and boarded-up shopfronts. It was regularly flooded by Boneyard Creek to boot. Aiken felt it wasn’t a good introduction to one of the country’s most prestigious universities.

Aiken spearheaded the creation of Campustown 2000 to deal with the flooding issue and to develop a streetscape improvement project for Green and Wright streets.

Working closely with the city of Champaign and the university, Campustown 2000 helped bring about a $23 million basin and channelization project to tame the creek, as well as a $4.5 million streetscape renovation that reformed Wright into a one-way street and reduced Green Street to three lanes, adding landscaping and lampposts for beautification.

JSM Development, a private owner and developer of apartment and commercial properties, actively supported the Campustown 2000 effort. JSM had already invested in the district and owned multiple properties in

6 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Campustown, and they were convinced the investment was a solid one.

“We knew there was a huge opportunity for retail and housing in Campustown,” said Jill Guth, JSM’s director of development. “The property owners were more than willing to do our part to help the district grow.”

Indeed, it was the private property owners in the district who stepped up to the financial challenge, agreeing to pay additional taxes to fund the improvements. It has proven to be an excellent investment.

“That initial collaboration on the streetscape project was a turning point,” said Guth. “Campustown was cleaned up; we had demonstrated a commitment to revitalization.

For the first time, national retailers began to show an interest in returning to the district.”

Further ambitious projects continued to revamp the district, including the razing of old buildings in the 600 block of Green Street to make way for Technology Plaza, a hightech retail, office, and apartment complex.

Such mixed-use developments are typical of the revitalization in Campustown, making judicious use of space while giving the district a distinctly urban feel.

“Land values are high here, so it makes sense to develop vertically,” said Guth. “Our developments have retailers on the first floor,

with student housing above. Both support each other. It’s a great cross-marketing opportunity, and it’s been a real plus in recruiting new retailers.”

Today, U of I students living in Campustown enjoy a revitalized district with new, amenityrich housing right in the same buildings as the retailers and service businesses they need and use on a daily basis. Additionally, the traditional housing theme of location, location, location is a bonus here, as the district is minutes from the U of I quad. Commercial tenants enjoy the benefits of a built-in clientele, plenty of pedestrian traffic, and the business of the 8,000 to 10,000 employees who work in the area on a daily basis. Campustown is now home to a variety of businesses — dozens of unique restaurants, pubs, bookstores, galleries, and more — including downstate Illinois’ only Urban Outfitters, the first clothing merchant to return to the district. Guth fully expects other national retailers to follow the Urban Outfitters’ lead.

While student-centered, the revitalization of Campustown is not for students only.

Guth says new efforts are under way to make Campustown not only a commercial hub for students, but for all of Champaign.

“We’re working with the Campustown Business Group on continued plans for the

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district,” said Guth. “The university is a huge partner in this; it’s in their interest for Campustown to be successful too, and they’ve been generous in providing support whenever possible. We’re working to draw more businesses into the group to participate, to develop marketing — anything we can do to promote Campustown’s continued success.”

Campaigns to reacquaint locals with the new, hip Campustown have already proven successful, as more and more city residents are heading to the district to take advantage of unique and specialized dining and shopping in a pedestrian-friendly, urban-style environment. Developers have high hopes that this revitalization will also lead to another role for Campustown.

“This area has great potential for research and high-tech companies,” said Guth. “We’re hoping that the commercial, streetscape, and housing revitalization, combined with the opportunity to be so close to the resources of a major university, will make Campustown a magnet for such companies.”

Clearly, more great things are in store for Campustown. Meanwhile, the university and Champaign are enjoying all the benefits of their beautiful new “front door.” www.champaigncounty.org 7

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The Atkins Group:

options for stylish living

T

By lAURA WIlCoXen

he Atkins Group is a residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural real estate firm concentrated solely in Champaign County. The company owns and manages subdivisions in both Champaign and Urbana, offering a wide range of residential opportunities for home owners. These include:

• Ashland Park: Located on the north edge of Champaign, just off Prospect Avenue and Olympian Drive, Ashland Park is strategically located for convenient access to shopping centers, downtown Champaign, and the University of Illinois. Additionally, it offers quick access to interstates 74 and 57. Ashland Park also features a 7-acre park and concrete walking and bike paths throughout the community.

Stylishly affordable, the prices range from $124,000 to $170,000.

• Cobble Creek: Part of the Stone Creek subdivision, the Cobble Creek neighborhood offers luxury zerolot-line properties. The beautifully landscaped setting features grand views and a country atmosphere, all within city limits. In the homes themselves, “craftsman” influence is apparent in the elevations and fine interior detailing. Available models range from 2,070 square feet to 3,022 square feet, some with finished basements. Prices range from the mid $300,000s to the upper $400,000s.

• stone Creek: A golf community, Stone Creek offers upscale living at the entry to southeast Urbana. Its 500 acres surround a beautiful championship 18-hole course. Homebuyers can choose their favorite lot on or off the golf course, and choose their home design and builder. In addition to golf, Stone Creek offers fine dining, walking and biking paths, spacious streetscapes, and a generous commons.

8 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

By mARK Allen

O

ne Main Development’s M2 building continues the exciting redevelopment surge in Champaign’s core. The 2002 One Main building was downtown’s first new building in 25 years; M2 extends the momentum.

“One Main is serious about quality and major investment downtown,” said One Main Development’s Special Projects Coordinator Melia Smith.

Aiming to expand the Champaign skyline, M2 is nine stories with more than 250,000 square feet. There are 20,000 square feet of firstfloor retail and services — including Destihl Restaurant, BrewPub, and BankChampaign — 100,000 square feet of office space on floors two through five, and 51 condominiums on floors six through nine.

One Main Development’s philosophy is to add density and to focus on mixed use.

“We’re all locals except for our CEO, who moved here from Manhattan,” said Smith. “And the CEO’s comment on arrival was, ‘This really isn’t the sleepy Midwestern town we think it is. It can be really cool. Let’s make it really cool.’”

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M2: development with a future focus

That cool philosophy includes an edifice of steel, brick, and limestone.

“We’re building classic construction,” Smith said. “And an important element of this project was to salvage a historic downtown façade and reassemble it on one part of the building. It was important for us to honor the history of our downtown.”

Work began in April 2007, and residents moved into the first condominiums in April 2009. The project was slowed by a major fire nearby that damaged the façade, resulting in more than $1 million in damage. M2 is recovering, however, and striving toward a sustainable future.

“We’re trying to revitalize the core of downtown. You’ve got to have a mix of activities going on,” Smith said, noting that M2 is a 24-hour community, with businesses working in the day, residents who are home at night, and thriving retail.

One Main has invested in a green future as well by choosing to develop downtown and by using thoughtful construction techniques.

“By not building out in the farmland, that in and of itself is an investment in sustainability,” Smith said. “But when you add the quality materials that will help this building last for 50 years or more, and the high-performance energy systems, you really tip the scale on sustainable development. It’s really an exciting project for the town, not just because of the density, but because of the investment in green building.”

Indeed, these developers are strongly focused on the future — “We’re very conscious of the types of uses that come in,” Smith noted — and work with tenants to help their behaviors be sustainable, including providing direction on how to manage and synergize with other tenants. M2 offers centralized garbage and recycling and high-performance HVAC. “We’re a different kind of development company,” Smith said.

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Financial Fitness: chamber-member Banks

W

hether you’re looking for a bank as a newcomer to Champaign County, as a current resident refinancing your home, or as a business looking for lending or expertise, find the right place to take care of your needs at any of these Chambermember banks. Area code, unless otherwise specified, is 217.

BankChampaign, N.A. • www.bankchampaign.com 2101 S. Neil Street, Champaign ................................................................. 351-2870 301 N. Neil Street, Suite 105, Champaign.................................................. 351-2877 #5 Convenience Center Road, Champaign ................................................. 351-2876 Busey Bank • www.busey.com 100 W. University Avenue, Champaign ....................................................... 351-6500 614 S. Sixth Street, Champaign ................................................................. 365-4552 909 W. Kirby Avenue, Champaign .............................................................. 384-3400 907 W. Marketview Drive, Suite 1, Champaign ........................................... 355-1580 2011 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign.................................................... 351-2854 314 S. Randolph Street, Champaign .......................................................... 351-2700 3002 W. Windsor Road, Champaign........................................................... 351-2820 312 E. Main Street, Mahomet .................................................................... 586-4981 1231 E. Grove Street, Rantoul .................................................................... 892-4121 108 Arbours Drive, Savoy ........................................................................... 384-3424 104 N. Main Street, St. Joseph .................................................................. 469-7631 128 E. Holden Street, Tolono ...................................................................... 485-6021 201 W. Main Street, Urbana ....................................................................... 365-4500 2710 S. Philo Road, Urbana ....................................................................... 365-4930 Central Illinois Bank • www.centralillinoisbank.com 2913 Kirby Avenue, Champaign ................................................................. 355-0900 302 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign...................................................... 366-4535 219 S. David Street, Sidney........................................................................ 688-2301 1514 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana ....................................................... 328-7000

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Central Illinois Credit Union • www.cicu.com 2106 W. John Street, Champaign............................................................... 356-9721 2611 N. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana ................................................................ 367-0257 Commerce Bank • www.commercebank.com 1015 W. Windsor Road, Champaign........................................................... 359-9790 Community Plus Federal Credit Union • www.cplusfcu.org 1005 Bloomington Road, Champaign......................................................... 693-3440 526 E. Champaign Avenue, Rantoul ........................................................... 893-8201 First Bank • www.firstbanktrust.com 114 W. Church Street, Champaign ............................................................. 398-0067 1251 Woodfield Drive, Savoy...................................................................... 351-3526 First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust • www.firstmid.com 2229 S. Neil Street, Champaign ................................................................. 359-9837 913 W. Marketview Drive, Champaign........................................................ 378-8023 502 E. Oak Street, Mahomet ...................................................................... 586-3450 601 S. Vine Street, Urbana ......................................................................... 367-8451 First Midwest Bank • www.firstmidwest.com 812 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign...................................................... 378-7629 2004 Fox Drive, Suite K, Champaign.......................................................... 378-7634 First State Bank • www.fsbcorp.com Windsor Road & Neil Street, Champaign .................................................... 239-3000 FREESTAR BANK • www.freestarbank.com 1205 S. Neil Street, Champaign ................................................................. 352-6700 1611 S. Prospect Avenue, Champaign ....................................................... 351-6620 631 E. Green Street, Champaign................................................................ 351-6688 202A Eastwood Drive, Mahomet ................................................................ 586-5322 806D Eastwood Drive, Mahomet................................................................ 586-5322

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410 N. Broadway Avenue, Urbana.............................................................. 351-2701 2510 S. Philo Road, Urbana ....................................................................... 344-1300 Heartland Bank & Trust Co. • www.hbtbank.com 2101 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign.................................................... 359-5555 1101 W. Windsor Road, Champaign........................................................... 359-5555 1103 W. Oregon Street, Urbana ................................................................. 359-5555 1812 S. Philo Road, Urbana ....................................................................... 359-5555 602 S. Vine Street, Urbana ......................................................................... 359-5555 Hickory Point Bank & Trust, FSB • www.hickorypointbank.com 701 Devonshire Drive, Champaign ............................................................. 351-7100 Marine Bank • www.ibankmarine.com 2434 Village Green Place, Champaign ....................................................... 239-0100 Midland States Bank • www.midlandstatesbank.com 1608 Broadmoor Drive, Champaign ........................................................... 398-3800 National City, now a part of PNC • www.nationalcity.com 30 E. Main Street, Champaign.................................................................... 351-0500 505 E. Green Street, Suite 5, Champaign................................................... 363-4080 1771 W. Kirby Avenue, Champaign ............................................................ 363-4070 507 S. Broadway Avenue, Urbana .............................................................. 255-6959 Prairie State Bank & Trust • www.psbank.net 1902 Fox Drive, Champaign....................................................................... 239-7617 Prospect Bank • www.theprospectbank.com 1601 S. Prospect Avenue, Champaign ....................................................... 352-0077 TCF Bank • www.tcfexpress.com 809 S. Wright Street, Champaign ............................................................... 265-6500 U of I Employees Credit Union • www.uiecu.org 2201 S. First Street, Champaign ................................................................ 278-7700 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana.................................................................... 278-7700 206 E. University Avenue, Urbana ............................................................... 278-7700

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Prairieview ogden Goes Green With Geothermal

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By AmAndA Knoles

rairieview Ogden embarked on a geothermal project at South Elementary when it became clear that an aging 1955 boiler was nearing the end of its useful life. Goals of the geothermal project included reducing energy consumption, counteracting rising energy demand, and upgrading heating, cooling, and lighting with minimal disruption of school operations. School officials also introduced a renewable energy curriculum that will help prepare students for the growth of green jobs in the United States.

At a cost of $743,000, the geothermal system, completed in August 2009, is expected to save $33,000 a year and decrease annual fuel emissions by 95 percent. The school district received a $90,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to help fund the project; the rest of the money was obtained by bonding, with additional grants of $10,000 and $53,000 pending.

Control Technology and Solutions (CTS) designed and installed the new system, including a ground source heat pump that will benefit the school both financially and environmentally. According

12 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ground source heat pump systems, also known as geoexchange, are the most environmentally clean and cost-effective space conditioning systems available. Geoexchange systems use renewable energy from the earth to provide heating in winter and cooling in summer, with energy consumption that’s 25 to 40 percent lower than traditional oil, gas, and electric heat pump systems. Additionally, since geoexchange systems don’t burn fossil fuels, they reduce greenhouse gas and other air emissions while eliminating a cause of carbon monoxide inside the structures where they are used.

The project also helped the school fulfill a learning goal.

“This project created an outstanding learning environment for the students and teachers,” said Victor White, Prairieview Ogden’s superintendent. “We have been a role model to our students and the community by not just teaching going green in our curriculum, but living it. So far we have had representatives from six other school districts visit because they read about our geothermal system and they are considering it for their schools.”

U

By Amanda Knoles

rbana District 116 had a good deal to celebrate in 2009. Improvements to test scores were an achievement not only celebrated locally, but also at the state level. Meanwhile, Prairie Elementary garnered grant funds that will help to transform the building into a “green” leader, minimizing the vintage school’s carbon footprint and making it an example for sustainability in education.

Urbana Middle School Celebrates Improved AYP Scores The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act was intended to help level the playing field for students across the nation by making schools and districts more accountable for test results.

The act instituted Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards that schools must meet to avoid sanctions. However, for those districts with diverse populations of students, raising scores across the board has proven to be a difficult challenge, as different groups often have special needs that must be specifically addressed.

Urbana Middle School has risen to that challenge. Through a concerted effort from faculty, staff, students, and the community, UMS dramatically raised test scores to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the first time since 2006. Students with disabilities saw a 22 percent increase in reading scores and a 23 percent increase in math scores. African-American student scores in math increased 11.8 percent.

“I am so proud of our students, teachers, and support staff,” said Principal Nancy Clinton.

“This was clearly a group effort.

“Urbana Middle School has a large and very diverse population, which means we have the numbers to constitute many NCLB subgroups,” she continued. “To have all students moving forward is an outstanding achievement … To have increased our scores so significantly in our special education subgroup is an incredible accomplishment. Our teachers have worked very hard.”

District 116 and the middle school staff began formulating a restructuring plan for the middle school in 2009–10, fully implementing the plan in the 2009–10 school year. The University of Illinois, through the Center For Education in Small Urban Communities, also worked with the district to implement staff development efforts to strengthen approaches to learning and teaching.

“The 08–09 school year gave us the opportunity to do significant planning to strengthen our programs. We will work and concentrate our efforts to implement these changes throughout the summer and into the 09–10 school year,” said Principal Nancy Clinton.

“We really worked hard to provide researchbased interventions for special education students,” noted Don Owen, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “If you go back three or four years and take a look at

the fact that the middle school wasn’t making AYP when the bar was 50 percent — and now we’re making AYP when the bar is 70 percent.

It means we are making huge strides, and we’ll continue that effort.”

Urbana High School Earns State Recognition for Success Urbana Middle School wasn’t the only campus celebrating outstanding achievement. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) was so impressed by Urbana High School’s AYP progress and academic achievements that they invited the staff to share their success stories at the ISBE Regional System Support (RESPRO) meeting.

“We hope that RESPRO groups around the state discover promising practices from these [successful] schools and advance the conversation about shared challenges faced by high schools across the state,” said Carol Diedrichsen, principal education consultant for ISBE. UHS staff presented shared highlights of teaching methods and activities the school undertook to facilitate improvements, while UHS Principal Dr. Laura Taylor gave a presentation focused on how school improvement efforts helped strengthen academic achievement, increase attendance, and reduce disciplinary issues. Taylor also spoke about the value of having a clear mission that all members of the learning community can use for guidance.

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Urbana District 116: Celebrating Milestones

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“I am pleased the faculty of Urbana High School has been recognized for their hard work and dedication to student learning,” said Taylor.

“It is an honor to know that we are being viewed as leaders in terms of school improvement at the high school level for the State of Illinois.

“I hope I provided other principals and school leaders with insight on how focused school improvement initiatives can have a positive impact on student learning,” she continued. “I shared specific challenges we face as we continue to change our school culture.”

Prairie Elementary School Takes the “LEED” in Going Green Prairie Elementary School is about to shrink its carbon footprint. The Chicago Chapter of The U.S. Green Building Council has selected it as one of three schools in the state for its Adopt A School Program. As one of the winners, Prairie Elementary will be transformed into a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) school and will participate in a turnkey program for greening an existing building’s operations through energy and water conservation, sustainable purchasing, green cleaning, and other measures.

The Adopt A School project focuses on the unique attributes of each school and identifies the most beneficial and cost-effective means for achieving certification. The pilot program will provide three unique case studies that can be used as a template by local and state officials and the building and design communities on how to implement green programs for other schools in the future.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, sustainable renovations and operations of existing schools hold significant potential for realizing environmental and sustainability goals in terms of resource conservation and climate change mitigation.

Additionally, such renovations can not only improve the physical teaching and learning environment for teachers and students, but can also reduce operational costs. To help Prairie Elementary reach those goals, representatives from the council will provide free consultation, monitor all utility and energy use, and offer direction on teaching children about energy conservation.

Turning the 1965 vintage school structure into a LEED-certified building will be a challenge; but the grant funds, plus the hundreds of thousands of dollars saved each year in energy costs, will free up money the district can use for academic programs and other areas.

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University Primary School

By AmAndA Knoles

Makes Learning Fun

U

niversity Primary School (UPS), an early childhood gifted education program affiliated with the College of Education at the University of Illinois, offers children ages 3 to 7 a curriculum that takes an eclectic approach. A blend of student-initiated, teacher-guided, and teacherdirected activities allows students to pursue their own interest areas and progress at individual levels. The philosophy at UPS is that young children are best served by teaching practices that strengthen and support their intellectual growth and development, initiate them into basic skills, challenge their proficiency in academic tasks, and foster their social development.

Creativity, problem solving, and selfdirected learning are common threads through all areas of the curriculum, and students are actively involved in projects.

“The project approach gives children opportunities to seek answers to questions they have about various topics,” explains Dr. Nancy Hertzog, UPS director. “Teachers facilitate the students’ inquiries by providing them with resources (field visits, experts, books, multimedia) to help them answer their questions.”

Hertzog says the project technique allows children to learn authentically as “young

scientists” by gathering data through interviews, questionnaires, field sketches, and other means, then sharing their findings with other students. “They have opportunities to learn from each other, as well as from experts and teachers,” she added.

Study groups allow children to work on different aspects of the project in ways that match their interests, learning styles, and readiness. This year students researched how to make their playground an outdoor learning environment all year long.

“Students want to be able to study plants, insects, and animals they see on their playground daily,” said Hertzog. “They explored what other children have in their outside environments, and they developed a plan for building a garden where they can grow plants throughout the year, and a pond where they can study plant and fish life.”

Hertzog said other elements of the garden include an area where students can have outdoor theater productions and a habitat to attract squirrels. Students finalized their garden plan with experts, and the school held a Building Day in December where parents and other volunteers from the community helped the children make their designs a reality.

www.champaigncounty.org 15

Champaign Unit 4 Embarks on Energy Efficiency Program

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e d u c at i o n

By AmAndA Knoles

arden Hills Elementary celebrated its new energy-efficient heating and cooling system with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 29, 2009. Energy Systems Group (ESG) contracted with Champaign Unit 4 to upgrade both Garden Hills and Centennial High School. The upgrades include three new high-efficiency boilers, lighting retrofit, and control upgrades at Centennial and a new geothermal HVAC system, electrical system upgrade, lighting retrofit, and control upgrades at Garden Hills. The improvements are part of the district’s plan to improve facilities and reduce energy consumption in all buildings.

The district has embarked on a conservation program that establishes energy savings targets for each school, with plans that teachers, staff, and students can follow to reduce energy consumption. Strategies include turning off lights when not in use, turning down thermostats at night, closing doors to prevent drafts, reporting leaking faucets and toilets, and keeping windows and doors closed when HVAC is operating. Energy-management systems on vending

16 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

machines have already resulted in rebates of $100 per beverage machine and $30 per snack machine, and the district plans to reward top energy savers with a recognition program.

School Board member Kristine Chalifoux, an architect who was instrumental in getting the ball rolling for making the buildings more energy efficient, has challenged the students to become “the greenest schools in the Midwest.”

She noted that electricity costs for the district have been approximately $1.6 million per year.

Reducing even 10 percent of that figure would provide funds for three teachers, 300 computers, or 7,000 textbooks.

“Saving money is important, but we also want our students to learn to be good stewards of our energy resources,” commented Superintendent Arthur Culver.

The district has applied for grant money to install geothermal systems at seven other schools. Additional improvements at other Champaign schools will be financed with proceeds from a new countywide 1 cent sales tax, implemented in January 2010.

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By Amanda Knoles

ituated on 233 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds near the intersection of highways 57, 72, and 74 in Champaign, Parkland College has provided vocational, technical, and academic instruction to more than 210,000 people since 1967. Enrollment at Parkland has increased 22 percent over the last 10 years, resulting in an urgent need for more space to accommodate students and staff.

The college hosted an open house for its newly renovated gymnasium on September 28, 2009. The $1.3 million upgrade features unique flooring, brand-new bleachers and scoreboards, a theater-quality sound system, the latest in volleyball and basketball systems, and other

improvements, all designed to provide athletes and spectators with the latest in indoor sports technology. The gym is home to the championship Cobras volleyball and basketball teams and also hosts wrestling, youth tournaments, and other events throughout the year.

The Board of Trustees also approved a $5 per credit hour student facility fee, taking effect in spring 2010, that will be combined with funds from the state, community, and students to pay for additional renovations and new facilities at Parkland. (Students also pay a $3 per credit hour fee to cover student activities and registration costs.)

Plans call for construction of an applied technology building, a student services

center, a diesel technology addition, and an art and theater complex, as well as upgrades to science labs, roofs, elevators, and some existing wings.

Two of the projects are part of the multiyear Illinois Jobs Now capital construction program. The Student Services Center will receive $15.4 billion in state funding, and the state will provide $9.1 million of the construction costs for the $16.3 million Applied Technology Center. The Capital Development Board (CDC) will oversee the state-funded construction projects, which are expected to create jobs for Illinois residents while improving facilities for Parkland students.

www.champaigncounty.org 17

E d u c at i o n

Parkland College Prepares for Continued Expansion

Ahead of the national trend

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few generations ago, people entrusted all their health care needs to the family doctor down the street. Health care is again trending toward the strong patient-doctor relationship, established when patients choose a “medical home.” While this term may be new to some, the concept of a patient-doctor partnership isn’t new to patients at Carle Physician Group.

A medical home focuses on patient-centered care coordinated by primary-care physicians and care teams across entire health care systems, including specialties, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, home-health agencies, and social services.

By offering a centralized point of care, the medical home improves quality, reduces health care costs, and encourages patients to be active participants in their wellness through health assessments, patient education materials and resources, integrated care, tracking of medical tests, and provider follow-up.

At Carle, when choosing a primary-care physician, the patient chooses a doctor who not only provides care for routine and chronic conditions, but who also knows the individual’s medical history and can connect him or her to specialty care within the Carle network. Those who choose Carle Physician Group as their medical home have access to more than 300 physicians practicing in 50 specialties across 14 locations, including two new locations in Champaign and Urbana.

In 2008, Carle opened state-of-the-art facilities on Curtis Road in Champaign and on Windsor Road in Urbana, dedicated to the services families need most: adult medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Designed with convenience and patient privacy in mind, the centers feature more exam rooms, secluded waiting areas, a Convenient Care clinic, and on-site lab, imaging, and pharmacy.

Added “comfort” amenities include wireless Internet, a coffee shop, close parking, and covered drop-off.

Both new facilities, as well as several other Carle locations, offer computerized self check-in systems, allowing patients to check in, verify insurance, and update personal information without ever visiting the front desk. With the help of electronic medical records, Carle Physician Group’s team of doctors and nurses can access medical information from any location, making communication about treatment timely and comprehensive.

Committed to providing complete care for families in central Illinois, there’s no place like the medical home at Carle Physician Group.

18 Champaign Chamber of Commerce

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rbana is home to locally owned and operated Carle Foundation Hospital, a 315-bed tertiary-care facility.

Its reputation is one of providing the most advanced technology and care in the region, including Level I trauma, air transport, and Level III perinatal services. The backbone of the services provided at the hospital is a compassionate nursing staff that provides exceptional patient care.

In fact, in 2009, the Hospital received Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This is the nation’s highest honor for nursing care and is widely considered to be the gold standard for nursing. Only six percent of hospitals in the United States hold that distinction, and Carle Foundation Hospital is one of only 22 in Illinois.

Magnet® is awarded to hospitals that provide excellent nursing services; it is based on outcomes that are directly affected by nursing care.

Applicants to the Magnet® Recognition Program undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and review of nursing services. Carle’s Magnet® status is valid for four years.

The commission on Magnet® recognition notes that Magnet® hospitals will lead the reformation of health care, the discipline of nursing, and care of the patient, family, and community.

James C. Leonard, M.D., president and CEO of The Carle Foundation stated, “Carle’s nurses have always provided exceptional patient care to our community. The work everyone did to achieve this designation is incredibly important: It’s all about quality. This is health care reform. This is the real deal.”

Nurses at Magnet® hospitals are the most educated, adhere to the highest professional standards, and follow the best practices, among other characteristics. During the journey to Magnet® status, the hospital’s nursing staff brought about many changes — in everything from shared governance to communication policies — changes that have all benefited patient care. As a result, Carle Foundation Hospital nurses now spend more time at the bedside.

Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that have achieved Magnet status and to the communities they serve, including: By mARK Allen

carle Physician Group makes Patients comfortable in their medical Home — By mARK Allen

H e a lt H c a r e

Carle Foundation Hospital recognized for outstanding nursing care

• • • • •

Better patient outcomes Lower mortality rates Increased stability in patient care Greater patient satisfaction Reduced nursing vacancy rates and turnover

“We are so proud to deliver care that’s Magnet®-worthy every day,” said Pamela Bigler, vice president of patient care services and Chief Nursing Officer at Carle Foundation Hospital. “We are committed to continuously improving our care, strengthening the environment in which our nurses practice, and working together to build a healthier community.”

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By mARK Allen

hristie Clinic embarked on a journey of continuous improvement in early 2006 with the vision of becoming the “Health Care Team of Choice through World-Class Caring.” Continuous improvement — or “Lean,” as it is more commonly known — has been around for many years in manufacturing, with Toyota being a model to which many look for insights to help them get started. In fact, the leadership team at Christie Clinic studied the The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker, Ph.D., prior to the implementation of Lean principles and philosophy in the organization. The foundation of Lean is built upon respect for people and continuous improvement.

www.champaigncounty.org 19

H e a lt H c a r e

continuous improvement moves Christie Clinic toward World-class care

Many people probably wonder, “What can a health care facility learn from a car manufacturer?” The answer — a lot. Patients go through a process flow every time they enter or call a health care facility. Unfortunately, often this flow causes patients frustration because they have to wait for an appointment, a return phone call, test results, and so on.

The team at Christie Clinic has made a commitment to identify the “wastes” in its processes and to squeeze out as many of them as possible. This is accomplished by assembling teams to participate in Rapid Improvement Events. These teams spend an entire week focused on one process, identifying and eliminating the waste to add value to the patient experience. The teams are comprised of employees who directly impact the process, employees who work up or down stream from the process, “fresh eyes,” and patients.

For example, the Radiology Department recognized that the turnaround time for notifying diagnostic mammography patients of their results took too long and caused the patients and their families a great deal of anxiety.

The clinic empowered a team of employees, two breast-cancer survivors, and the spouse of a survivor to take a close look at the process and reduce the waiting time. The team successfully improved the turnaround time by 43.58 percent — seven days!

If you would like to learn more about Christie Clinic’s Continuous Improvement Journey, please contact Jason Hirsbrunner, Continuous Improvement Director, at 217-366-5202 or jhirsbrunner@christieclinic.com.

H e a lt H c a r e

By mARK Allen

Provena medical Center Offers New Sports Medicine Services

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rovena Covenant Medical Center has teamed with the Human Motion Institute (HMI), a firm specializing in enhanced orthopedics and rehabilitation, to plan an expanded program of sports rehab for the community, focusing national knowledge on local care.

“We have national resources that span coast to coast. We’re able to get hold of ideas and technologies and practice variations that aren’t just specific for this area,” said HMI Coordinator Suzie Couch. “We’re raising the bar of care and taking it to a different level — a level of distinction — for central Illinois by expanding our resources.”

Provena has begun to implement its sports medicine service line and plans to acquire sports trainers for local schools, establish a sports medicine clinic for student athletes, and allow “weekend warriors” to be initially assessed as a public service. The center is also addressing its foot and ankle service line, adapting new techniques and obtaining higher-quality equipment for surgery.

As the community ages, Provena wants to get to the grassroots and help people learn about joint health, muscleskeletal health, and how it all fits into the overall health perspective, so that they can stay active. Some athletes are professionals whose physical performance is their livelihood; many are students who pursue sports in conjunction with academics; still others are avid amateurs who participate in sports for recreation and physical fitness. At the Provena Human Motion Institute, the philosophy is to provide all athletes — professional, amateur, and recreational — with the same excellent level of care.

“I believe every person deserves another chance for an active lifestyle,” said Chris Covington, D.O., Provena’s medical director of sports medicine. “The Sports Medicine program is an excellent way to care for our community, from injuries and rehab to education.”

The goal of the Human Motion Institute is simple: to return patients to normal activity as quickly and safely as possible. The program will feature athletic trainers and will also offer clinics to the community, focusing on, but not limited to, golf, tennis, basketball, track and field, volleyball, and soccer.

The center hopes to show people how to take care of their bodies, for lives that are both long and active.

“We’re really interested in getting out in the community and seeing what their needs are,” Couch said.

20 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

aGriBusiness

Photos by Lisa Bralts

Market at the Square — Bringing it Fresh and Local

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By Kelley yoUnG

arket at the Square, a farmers market held by the City of Urbana, began at Lincoln Square Mall in 1979. But a recent surge of interest in locally grown produce and a nationwide explosion in the number of farmers markets has meant rapid growth for the market in just the last few years.

From May through November, the market is open from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday mornings. Local vendors offer a wide variety of products, including produce, meats, cheeses, handcrafted jewelry, pottery, jams and jellies, woodworking, flowers and plants, clothing, and candles. Along with the vendors, patrons come to see the many performers interspersed throughout the market. Acoustic musicians from all genres perform for passers-by, a balloon artist makes creations for kids, and a one-man band is an annual favorite with children and grown-ups alike.

The market offers a program called “Sprouts at the Market” that helps children discover locally grown produce and meet the farmers who grow it. On select Saturdays, kids between the ages of 4 and 10 can take a tour of the market and taste fruits and vegetables that are available that day. With the help of their parents, participants check in at each station to complete various activities, like scavenger hunts and taste tests, that educate them on the benefits of eating fresh, organic produce.

2009 was a record year for Market at the Square. With close to 100 vendors at a time and thousands of visitors every weekend, the market is extremely popular with Champaign County residents.

And as the market continues to grow, patrons are getting savvier. A weekly blog at www.market-at-the-square.blogspot.com gives readers a heads-up on the types of seasonal produce that will be available for the coming weekend. There’s also information on special events and sometimes even a weather outlook so patrons can plan their Saturday morning shopping.

With interest in farmers markets increasing both nationally and locally, the Market at the Square keeps growing … just like the fresh produce in the fields of Champaign County. www.champaigncounty.org 21

aGriBusiness

moore trees Offers Personalized Planting Plans

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By Kelley yoUnG

nlike traditional nurseries and garden centers, the sole focus of Moore Trees’ business is assisting customers in selecting just the right tree.

With a new retail lot in west Champaign, customers can easily access the nursery and walk the grounds with a staff member for a personal consultation.

“Our goal was to give people a choice to visit the retail lot for a one-on-one appointment,” said Jim Goss, general manager of Moore Trees.

“They can come out and choose from 19,000 trees, and we can guide them to the best choices to fit their needs.”

Moore Trees offers balled trees like maples, oaks, and elms; ornamental trees like birches, pears, and crabapples; and various types of evergreens. While those popular varieties, most of which are 12 to 15 feet tall, make up the core of Moore Trees’ business, the company also offers large trees in heights of up to 25 feet tall. Because their roots can hold up to 15,000 pounds of dirt, these large trees require special delivery, with Moore Trees’ 90-inch tree spade

Ag tours Offers Attractive Agriculture Itineraries

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By Kelley yoUnG

f you’re interested in agriculture, there’s plenty to see and learn about in Champaign County. And agriculture professionals from around the world are doing just that through AG Tours Illinois.

AG Tours Illinois is a joint venture between the Champaign County and Quad Cities convention and visitors bureaus and a privately owned tour scheduling company called Chicago Meetings and More. Several years ago, staff members from the three organizations came together to develop tours of their respective territories that would attract both domestic and international groups with an interest in agriculture. By pooling resources, the staff members found they could offer attractive itineraries that would promote agribusiness in Illinois and bring tourism dollars into the state.

Angela Ingerson, deputy director of the Champaign County Convention and Visitors Bureau, worked closely with local businesses and organizations to develop an itinerary that 22 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

would both engage and entertain groups of agriculture professionals. The University of Illinois campus is home to several stops on the Champaign County tour, including the Morrow Plots, the nation’s oldest continuously producing agricultural research fields, and the National Soybean Research Laboratory. Other area activities include a behind-the-scenes visit to Curtis Orchard, with treats like apples, cider, and homemade donuts.

Each tour is different and is created based on the focus of the visitors in a group. The majority of tours come from Brazil, Germany, or France, and most groups have an interest in corn or soybeans. The University of Illinois has also been a huge draw for agriculture professionals because of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, or ACES. “The College of ACES is known worldwide,” stated Ingerson. “It’s an easy sell, because international professional groups are very aware of the expertise we have here.”

truck, which can move more of the actual roots with the plants.

“This allows us to move larger trees and make sure they’re not as stressed,” said Goss. “It takes their survivability up to 95 percent or higher.”

Moore Trees’ main location is on Route 150 (Bloomington Road) in Champaign, and the company has an additional nursery in Pesotum. But in the last few years, a third location has added a little diversity to Moore Trees’ business. Located on the edge of southeast Urbana, Moore’s Christmas Trees is a “U-cut” tree farm. Already well-established with Christmas trees of all sizes, the farm was purchased in 2008 by Moore Trees from the Shoemaker family. The farm offers visitors the chance to cut their own trees with or without assistance from staff members. With a low-key atmosphere, Moore’s Christmas Trees has a gift shop that features fresh pine wreaths and sprays as well as complimentary hot chocolate and cookies.

With personal attention and a huge stock of high-quality trees, Moore Trees is fulfilling the needs of local residents, whether it’s the landscaping season or the holiday season.

Gets Positive Feedback from Washington

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he Olympian Drive Extension project has been on the drawing board for 30 years, but it’s finally moving toward a start date. According to Cameron Moore, CEO of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, the $27 million project will connect north Champaign with north Urbana. An alignment study was completed in 1997, but the project has been stalled due to a lack of funding.

But that issue is now coming to a resolution.

“With a portion of the needed funds contained in the State Capital Bill and favorable feedback from elected officials, it is safe to say that the project is closer to becoming reality,” Moore said. “While no official financial commitments were made, the positive response to the presentation will help keep Olympian Drive top of mind with federal officials.”

Moore says when the Olympian Drive project is completed it will help create and retain jobs for current and future residents, reduce travel times for commuters, and relieve congestion on existing roads like I-74.

By AmAndA Knoles

Government

olympian Drive Project

In response to those who worry that the project may endanger rural areas, Moore said, “The area that Olympian Drive will go through has substantial commercial and industrial development, and more has been planned for the future. Every community will experience growth, commercial and industrial.

The best way to direct that growth is to plan for it where it seems most suitable. This is what the cities of Champaign and Urbana, as well as Champaign County, have done in the area encompassing the current and future sections of Olympian Drive.

“Since commercial and industrial property values are often higher than residential property values, there are possible benefits to consider there as well.”

With needed funding in place, the project could get under way in 2012 and be completed by 2014.

Country Squire

CleanerS

Same day laundry & dry cleaning service

1805 W. Springfield Champaign, IL 61820

(217) 356-9422 www.countrysquirecleaners.com

26 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Workforce

SEDAC Promotes Energy Efficiency

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hether it’s through turning out lights, turning off computers, or reducing fuel use, many business and public groups are striving to be more energy efficient. But one organization is helping them to go beyond simple energy-saving methods and helping to upgrade facilities to reduce their energy output.

The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) is a program that provides assistance to private and public facilities interested in improving their energy efficiency and economic viability. SEDAC is a program managed by the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois and 360 Energy Group, and sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, as well as ComEd and Ameren. SEDAC’s consultants are research specialists at the University of Illinois, explains Ben Sliwinski, technical director of the program, with four to five U of I students working as interns each year.

The program is open to businesses; government agencies; public colleges and universities; and public safety, water, and park districts. The goals of SEDAC are fivefold: reduce the cost of doing business in Illinois, demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of implementing energy efficiency strategies to businesses and public entities, support job creation and retention in the state, support electricity reliability, and reduce pollution. They also provide training and seminars to the public on ways to reduce energy use and costs.

Groups can apply for SEDAC services by filling out an online application.

SEDAC can then provide assistance in several ways. Their consultants can give clients quick advice on how to save energy and consultations to assess a group’s need for improvements, and offer utility bill analysis and recommendations for energy cost reduction.

SEDAC also provides on-site visits and energy consultations, and provides its clients with a list of Energy Cost Reduction Measures (ECRMs). These include improving wall or roof insulation, exterior building shading, and installing waterconserving products. After a consultation, the client receives assistance in evaluating which ECRMs are needed to improve their facilities, and SEDAC assists with implementation, finding financing assistance, and securing bids and support.

Since the program began in 2005, SEDAC’s various services have been used by more than 1,200 businesses and public entities, including the Urbana School District, Champaign School District, Mahomet IGA, and many more. When energy efficiency becomes about more than just turning out the lights, SEDAC is ready to step in.

www.champaigncounty.org 27

Workforce

Webber & Thies, P.C.

Regency Apartments Thinking Green

Transactional Business Law • Estate Planning & Probate • Environmental Law Real Estate Law • Employment Law • Litigation

Richard L. Thies Carl M. Webber David C. Thies Holten D. Summers

John E. Thies Phillip R. Van Ness Kara J. Wade Amber Drew

202 Lincoln Square • P.O. Box 189 • Urbana, Illinois 61801 • 217.367.1126 • Fax 217.367.3752

28 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

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egency Apartments (Regency) has opened the first “green” apartment community in Champaign and one of the largest geothermal apartment communities in the Midwest. Windsor West opened its doors to residents eager to save on heating and cooling bills — and to help save the planet.

Windsor West, a 172-unit property located at 2502 Fields South Drive in Champaign, was constructed with geothermal heating and cooling, along with energy-efficient windows and doors.

Geothermal heating and cooling costs less, uses less electricity, reduces emissions, and produces less air and water pollution than conventional systems. Since an estimated 40 percent of electric energy consumption in the United States is for space heating/ cooling and water heating, broader use of geothermal options offers huge potential environmental, economic, and health benefits. Residents are expected to pay 50–75 percent less than they are used to on their heating and cooling bills.

Keeping with the green theme, Regency also established “valet” recycling pick up to residents of Windsor West and Gentry Square (located at the corner of South Mattis and Devonshire Drive). The service encourages residents to recycle without the hassle of storing and transporting the materials themselves.

“Everybody wins in this. We’re proud to make a contribution to environmental improvement at the same time we’re providing cost savings, convenience, and a comfortable environment for our residents,” said President and CEO Bob Pratten. “The response has been exceptional, with leasing well ahead of our projections.”

Pratten said that Regency plans to begin construction of Windsor West– Phase II, an adjacent 150-plus geothermal apartment community, in 2010.

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few years ago, Dennis and Marcia Riggs found themselves with a broken piece of furniture and no place to get it fixed.

“I saw a need for local, quality wood repair and restoration,” Dennis said, “and I figured if we had a need, others did also.”

The couple realized they could build a business that would fill a void in Champaign County, and the result was FIX-IT, a wood furniture refinishing and repair company. Dennis and Marcia completely restored the first floor of the Masonic building in downtown Sidney, creating a master woodworking shop on the ground floor. They hired a fatherand-son team of certified professional woodworkers and began a pick-up and drop-off service for customers from around Champaign County.

Upon starting their business, they knew immediately that FIX-IT’s main focus had to be delivering the desired results their customers are hoping for. Before working on a piece of furniture, one of the company’s technicians

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By AmAndA Knoles

ezolink, started in January 2008

by CEO David Brown and Aaron Wagener, COO, provides services to help clients manage the growth of their business information while maintaining the integrity and security of sensitive and valuable digital assets.

Providing a variety of solutions to suit the needs of different sized businesses, Mezolink uses policy-driven software applications and services known as Information Lifecycle Management (ILM). According to Wagener, Mezolink helps companies manage information at every stage, from conception to archiving and disposal.

“Until now this type of technology was only made available to Fortune 500 companies,” he explained. “For small and mediumsized businesses and enterprise-level companies, predicting storage needs and controlling costs can be particularly challenging as the

talks to the customer about the history of the piece and the customer’s expectations for its restoration. The technicians work diligently so that the end product is exactly what the customer wants.

FIX-IT does both structural repair of furniture and woodwork refinishing.

The company can work on anything from minor repairs, such as fixing a brace on a chair, to major projects like the restoration of an antique’s original finish. While FIX-IT works with customers to get pieces back quickly, the technicians are careful to take their time, especially when it comes to refinishing.

The business uses new environmentally friendly products that will not discolor wood or make it brittle, and employees do all the work by hand.

FIX-IT welcomes projects both large and small. The company has worked on projects as diverse as a large antique organ top to small touch-up repairs of new modern furniture. And with a 50-year guarantee on workmanship, it’s pretty obvious that customers will be satisfied for years to come.

Mezolink

business grows. We offer solutions by integrating hardware and software products into our managed service offerings.”

In addition to providing Content Management Systems hosting through the use of Microsoft Online Services, Mezolink offers physical and virtual server options within its secure data center at 1800 S. Oak Street in Champaign. The center is temperature-controlled and protected by a Novec 1230 non-liquid fire suppression system. Employing the latest technology in environmentally friendly gas fire suppression systems, the Novec 1230 ensures equipment integrity in case of a building fire. A diesel generator with a 48-hour fuel capacity (constantly monitored in outages) maintains uninterrupted power for servers and building security.

The data center’s temperature is controlled

By Kelley yoUnG

301 N. Neil St., Ste. 400, Champaign 217-531-1182 • www.mezolink.com

and monitored by a chilled water-cooling system for optimal performance of equipment housed in the facility.

Mezolink offers a variety of professional services, including information management consulting, offsite data storage and archive, disaster recovery services, virtual private server hosting, Web hosting, and server rack space.

“Through our investments in state-ofthe-art technologies and our dedication to exceptional customer service and technical expertise, Mezolink continues to raise the bar within the ILM marketplace,” Wagener said.

www.champaigncounty.org 29

Business viGnettes

FIX-IT

218 S. David St., Sidney 217-688-3700

Gameday Spirit Serves Fighting illini Fans with Two Stores

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nown as the only official fan store of the Fighting Illini, Gameday Spirit has been a favorite of sports fans since the first sporting goods store opened in 1986. Owned and operated by three University of Illinois alumni, the shop has expanded to two locations, the original shop in the heart of Campustown and a second in West Champaign. With Nike as the exclusive supplier for all Fighting Illini teams, the Campustown store features an official Nike Team Shop as a prominent part of its display floor.

By AmAndA Knoles

Business viGnettes

519 E. Green St., Champaign 217-328-7722 1615 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign 217-351-9968 www.gamedayspirit.com

With a focus on Illinois athletics, the owners are proud to serve alumni and fans of University of Illinois teams with their two shops and a Web site partnership with CBS Sports. In 2001 Gameday was awarded a multi-year contract as the exclusive vendor of officially licensed merchandise for all University of Illinois sports and special events.

Offering an extensive inventory of fan merchandise in a broad price range, the stores have something to please everyone, from bumper stickers, keychains, and stadium blankets to coffee mugs, antenna toppers, tailgating

1505 Patton Dr., Mahomet • 217-586-3200 • www.bridle-brook.com

Bridle Brook Adult Community

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or adults seeking a premier retirement community, or those in search of independent living with quick access to assistance, Bridle Brook Adult Community offers a variety of appealing options. Phase I Villas are designed for retirees seeking maintenance-free condo living in a beautiful setting with the availability of nearby activities. The Meadows Phase II assisted-living apartments are designed for adults who need some assistance with their daily routines. Phase III, a facility with 30 suites, is for residents requiring special care, including stroke victims and individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s.

“Our unique community offers residents relaxed living in a setting where they can feel secure, comfortable, and make lasting friendships,” said Executive Director Kim Barker.

Assisted-living apartments range from studio efficiency units to two-bedroom apartments with walk-in closets and two baths. A variety of services are available for those who need assistance with bathing, getting dressed, or reminders to take medication. “The nurse call system is available 30 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

to any resident who needs ongoing or temporary care,” said Barker.

Featuring gorgeous grounds with courtyards and gazebos, Bridle Brook offers residents the convenience of housekeeping and laundry services, on-site banking, a movie theater, soda shop, fitness center, billiard room, library, country store, and a Jacuzzi.

The dining room, open from 7 a.m.–6 p.m., serves residents three meals a day. A private dining area that’s open to the public serves lunch and dinner and may be reserved for parties and events.

“We provide a trained and courteous staff on duty 24/7, and residents can feel secure with our emergency call system, security alarms, and cameras,” Barker emphasized.

The construction of Bridle Brook has brought a boost to Mahomet’s economy by creating new jobs and inspiring other new businesses to move nearby. Christie Clinic, located across the street, is a medical office complex bringing doctors and a variety of health care services to the area.

accessories, and collectibles. Featuring official Nike team jerseys, tee shirts, and sweatshirts, the apparel section also includes flip flops, socks, and a variety of hats, from beanies and baseball caps to visors and knit hats for men and women. Popular sellers are team practice shirts, fleece jackets, hoodies, license plate frames, and beer mugs. For diehard fans the shop also carries watches and clocks, pet bowls, Christmas ornaments, barbecue sets, and even a blue and orange recliner with the Fighting Illini logo.

Both stores are open seven days a week with extended hours during home games.

Columbia Street Roastery T

By AmAndA Knoles

he Herriott family has owned a series of businesses in Champaign since 1951. Starting with a gas station, which later became a convenience store, the family business expanded into lawn and garden equipment rentals, party supplies, and ultimately a coffee service supplying offices and restaurants. At the urging of local restaurants they began roasting their own coffee beans. In 1998 Herriott’s Coffee bought the building at 24 East Columbia Street, and Columbia Street Roastery (CSR) became synonymous with Herriott’s coffee.

Today the self-contained coffee operation roasts 19 different varieties from 16 countries and supplies restaurants and coffee houses throughout a 100-mile radius of Champaign-Urbana. CSR also has a Web site where customers may choose from flavors like Amaretto Crème, California Dreamin’, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Peppermint Patty, and Tiramisu. Teas are imported directly from China, India, and Sri Lanka for CSR’s line of traditional, decaffeinated, and flavored iced teas.

“Our goal is to produce the very best coffee or tea in the Midwest that we can roast or blend,” explained Mark Herriott. “We want our customers to enjoy our products on a daily basis and use the quality of our line as a basis to judge other products.”

Herriott says that each year for the past five years the company has sent different members of the staff to visit growers in coffeeproducing countries.

tCt&A Industries

F

308 E. Anthony Dr., Urbana 217-328-5749 • www.awning-tent.com

ounded in 1929 by B.J. Butler, Twin City Tent & Awning began in an 800-square-foot shop on South First Street in Champaign, where Butler built a successful business manufacturing awnings and renting tents. In 1959 his grandson Wayne Yonce started working at the company during school breaks and worked his way up to general manager. Butler passed away in 1967, and Yonce continued running the company with Butler’s wife, Florence. In 1971 Twin City Tent & Awning moved to a larger building on University Avenue to accommodate an expanded product line that included boat covers and roll tarps for grain trucks and trailers.

Wayne and his wife Wanda started Champaign County Tent & Awning in 1975 to handle the tent rental portion of the business. Florence retired in 1979, selling Twin City Tent & Awning

By AmAndA Knoles

“It has been estimated that there are up to 1,000 people involved behind a single cup of coffee” he noted. “Once you’ve seen the people and the growing process, it’s hard to look at coffee beans the same way. Visiting countries and establishing life-long relationships with those involved in the growing process has personalized this business and encouraged us to stay involved.”

Cup for Education was established to provide education resources for people in coffee-growing countries. CSR supports the Cup for Education Foundation by contributing 5 percent of all sales. CSR also pledges 5 percent of sales to the Linda Mills Breast Cancer Research Center, established by Carle Foundation Hospital to focus on prevention and finding a cure for breast cancer.

Through its monthly Saturday morning tasting programs, called “sit and spits,” or cuppings, CSR educates customers on coffee and gives them a chance to learn about the differences between African and Central American beans, what acidity means, and how a variety of factors can enhance each coffee blend. Tours of the roastery, warehouse, and bean room are offered on alternate Saturdays.

to Wayne and Wanda, who became president and vice president. Two years later, the two companies moved to a new 24,500-square-foot plant on Anthony Drive in Urbana and became TCT&A Industries to emphasize the fact that they produced more than tents and awnings.

In 1986 the company introduced a new heat transfer process for backlit awnings that was so innovative that they began providing the service to other awning companies. By using paint on paper and applying it to white vinyl, the process allows for clean, crisp graphics for awning blanks and flexible sign faces.

Kevin Yonce, Wayne and Wanda’s oldest son, joined the company full time in 1989, and in 1995 he became CEO. In 1996 Byron Yonce joined the company as production supervisor.

He was named president in 1999, and the two

brothers continue to run the operation today, with Wanda heading up the finance department as vice president. Wayne handles chairman of the board duties and manages special projects.

With a facility that is the third-largest industrial fabric end products manufacturing plant in the United States, the company has won more than 60 regional, national, and international awards for design and craftsmanship. The everexpanding line includes residential and commercial awnings, rectractable and stationary patio awnings, backlit banners, curtain walls, instant shade canopies and tents, and custom awnings and graphics. www.champaigncounty.org 31

Business viGnettes

24 E. Columbia St., Champaign 217-352-9713 • www.csrcoffee.com

Business viGnettes

New subdivisions continue to grow in champaign county, including the ones featured below.

HAllBeCK Homes • Trails at Abbey Fields: Large home sites border a fiveacre lake in this luxury subdivision.

• Trails at Chestnut Grove: 145 large single-family homes sites in a park-like setting.

For more information on housing options in Champaign County, visit the Home Builders Association of East Central Illinois Web site at www.hbaeci.com.

32 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

— The National Center for Supercomputing Applications

By mARK Allen

Champaign’s Blue Waters to be the World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer

B

lue Waters solidifies the prominence of National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) as an international locus of extreme-scale computing. For more than 20 years, NCSA has been providing high-power computers and technical support to scientists and engineers across the country. Supported by the state of Illinois, the University of Illinois, the National Science Foundation, and federal grants, NCSA is part of the Illinois Institute for Advanced Computing Applications and Technologies.

Blue Waters’ home, the Illinois Petascale Computing Facility, is on pace to be finished by late spring/ early summer of 2010.

The facility, on U of I’s south campus, includes 20,000 square feet of

data center and half that for other infrastructure.

In addition to Blue Waters, the building will house other NCSA computing, networking, and data systems.

“Blue Waters will be made up of more than 200,000 processors — NCSA’s largest current supercomputer has 9,600 processors — so we’re taking a huge leap in terms of the size of the system, as well as in terms of the power it provides,” said Trish Barker, NCSA’s senior public information specialist.

Blue Waters is the most powerful supercomputer being developed with funding from the National Science Foundation and is expected to be the most powerful system in the world for open scientific research.

“That’s quite a feather in Illinois’ cap,” Barker said. “The project came to NCSA and Illinois after a highly competitive process in which other proposals from across the country were considered.

Illinois’ history of leadership in computer science, computer engineering, and supercomputing was

a key reason that the Blue Waters project came to the University of Illinois,” she said.

Education is a key part of the Blue Waters project, and the Virtual School of Computational Science and Engineering offers summer-school training for graduate students.

“We’ve seen tremendous demand for courses.

We always have far more applicants than we can seat in our classes!” Barker said.

“We believe that having this project and this resource at Illinois will play a role in attracting top talent to the university,” Barker continued.

“We think both students and faculty will be excited by the Blue Waters project itself and by the continued Illinois leadership it represents.”

Blue Waters will play a role in simulation and modeling for many fields of inquiry: astronomy, atmospheric science, engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and even psychology, political science, and economics.

“Blue Waters will be a resource for the entire nation to use.”

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“Blue Waters is expected to be the most powerful supercomputer in the world for open scientific research when it comes online in 2011. It will be the first system of its kind to sustain one petaflop performance on a range of science and engineering applications. The project also includes intense collaboration with dozens of teams in the development of science and engineering applications, system software, interactions with business and industry, and educational programs. This comprehensive approach will ensure that scientists and engineers across the country will be able to use Blue Waters to its fullest potential.”

By Kelley yoUnG

r e c r e at i o n & t o u r i s m

Bark at the Park

I

t’s a dog’s life in Champaign County, and things just keep getting better for man’s best friend.

Last year, the Champaign Park District doubled the number of dog parks in town with the addition of a 7-acre dog park in southwest Champaign. Along with the Urbana Park District’s dog park, the aptly named Champaign “Bark” District gives area pet owners another option for exercising and socializing their dogs.

In June 2009, the Champaign Bark District opened on the southeast corner of Windsor and Rising roads. It features a 4-foot fence with a double-gated entry and separate areas for large and small dogs. While the park had been in planning for several years, resident interest and fundraising moved the project up on the park district’s priority list. As the Champaign Park District worked to develop the land, residents spearheaded fundraising efforts to help pay for amenities like a dual water fountain for humans and dogs, and they hope to install a shelter in the future.

The Urbana Park District’s 10-acre dog park, located adjacent to Judge Webber Park in northeast Urbana, opened in 2003. It features 8-foot fencing and a central wooded area for shading,

34 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

and it also has separate spaces for large and small dogs. Urbana’s dog park also has two staff members who frequently monitor activity at the park and can address any issues that may arise.

Both park districts charge the same annual fees, and membership in each park is reciprocal. An annual membership costs park district residents $38 for one dog and $6 for each additional dog.

Dog parks are essentially large open spaces for dogs to run and play off their leashes. In general, dog parks are thought to make dogs better neighbors because they are well-exercised and can socialize better with other dogs.

With all the exercise local dogs are getting, the neighborhoods of Champaign County may seem a little quieter than they used to be.

r e c r e at i o n & t o u r i s m

Gone Fishin’: New

Facilities Open a Beloved Pastime to All Residents

A

n accessible fishing pier and platform designed for people of all abilities will open at Kaufman Lake by March 2010, according to Laura Auteberry, marketing and development director for the Champaign Park District.

A 50 percent matching grant from the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois made design and construction of the $240,000 facility a reality. The funding received from the Kellogg Foundation requires a district match of $40,000 over three years.

The 60-by-20-foot fishing pier and platform extend from the shore over the water at Kaufman Lake in Kaufman Park. The floating structure is attached to the shoreline by an accessible ramp that includes a transition plate, allowing for gradual movement from deck to water level. It is large enough to provide space for group educational activities, and a specially designed railing system allows people who are sitting to fish through the rail.

Other amenities include benches, tackle box tables, a shaded structure, and accessible fishing stations on the platform.

Officials are doing their best to make sure anglers have a good day at the lake, too.

“A habitat area under the pier and platform will provide an environmentally welcoming area for aquatic wildlife and will increase the potential that anglers will catch a fish,” explained Auteberry.

In addition to fishing, the pier and platform feature a wildlife viewing area with an interpretive element that includes natural history, habitat, and fish identification.

Urbana Park District opened an accessible fishing pier at Crystal Lake Park last year, and the Champaign County Forest Reserve completed an accessible fishing pier in Mahomet in 2009. According to Tony Oligney-Estill, director of special recreation for ChampaignUrbana, Carle Park playground in Urbana is also completing playground renovations that include accessibility components.

“Every new playground that is installed by either Champaign or Urbana Park Districts has accessible play components that meet or exceed ADA requirements,” he noted.

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Phone: 217-337-6660 Fax: 217-337-5785 www.champaigncounty.org 35

a r t s & e n t e r ta i n m e n t

Arts Play An Ongoing Role In Downtown Development

T

By AmAndA Knoles

he cities of Champaign and Urbana continue to invest in a variety of arts programs that are helping to revitalize their downtown areas. The 40 North | 88 West, Champaign County Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council began as a community effort when residents recognized a need for an umbrella organization to facilitate collaborative efforts and act as an advocate for local arts, culture, and entertainment.

“The council strongly embraces the idea that the arts are a catalyst for economic development, and I think this has been clearly demonstrated in the vitality of both districts,” noted Don Elmore, president of 40 North. “There are some obvious, permanent, visible contributions in the form of theaters for movies and live events, galleries, and venues for live music. Equally important is the large and growing number of events that take place throughout the year — the Boneyard Arts Festival, Ebertfest, Artists Against AIDS, Pygmalion, the Folk and Roots Festival, to name a few.”

Steven Bentz, director of operations for 40 North, noted: “Our downtowns offer a rich array of arts experiences to both those living in and visiting these areas — everything from live shows to frequent exhibits in galleries, retail stores, and cafés and restaurants. You’ll find DJs and dancing in our thriving nightclub scene, street performances, and children’s arts and craft activities.

“Both communities have major performing arts education institutes (the Conservatory of Central Illinois in downtown Champaign and the Community Center for the Arts in uptown Urbana) and each feature a strong program of arts festivals and regular free public activities throughout the year,” he continued. “You simply can’t separate the continuing success of these two micro-urban communities from the thriving arts, culture, and entertainment their denizens enjoy.”

Megan Wolf, director of resource development at 40 North, emphasized that with creativity comes foot traffic.

“We have a large arts-going audience in Champaign County that enjoys the unique experiences of our arts community.”

In 2007, downtown Urbana launched the Gallery Incentive Program, forming a Gallery District. This allowed galleries to grow and retail spaces to integrate even more creativity into their businesses plans. The Urbana Arts Grant Program, offered annually and sponsored by the city of Urbana and the Urbana Business Association, awarded $50,000 for 22 projects last year.

“We are fortunate to be able to provide support to these arts projects, which enliven our city,” said Anna Hochhalter, public arts coordinator. “We are grateful to our partners who recognize the value of the arts.”

www.champaigncounty.org 37

a r t s & E n t e r ta i n m e n t

Fun Facts: Champaign County Notable Residents

• Roger Ebert, film critic (Urbana) • Allison Krauss, bluegrass singer (Champaign) • Ludacris, rapper (Champaign) • Bonnie Blair, Olympic gold medalist speed skater (Champaign) • REO Speedwagon, rock group (Champaign) • Hugh Hefner, Playboy magazine founder (Champaign) • Andy Richter, actor/comedian (Champaign) • Ken Holtzman, Chicago Cubs pitcher (Champaign) • David Foster Wallace, author of the book Infinite Jest (Philo) • Gen. John Wilson Ruckman, who authored several studies on ballistics and created artillery devices used during World War I (Sidney) • Todd Keller, pro skateboarder (Thomasboro) • Mark Roberts, Hollywood producer, director, writer, and actor (Tolono) • Brian Lee Cardinal of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (Tolono) • Jennie Garth, actress known for 90210 and Melrose Place (Urbana) • Erika Harold, Miss America 2003 (Urbana) • David Ogden Stiers, actor best known for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester on TV’s M*A*S*H* (Urbana) • LaToya Bond, professional basketball player (Urbana) • Katherine Reutter, Olympic silver and bronze medalist speed skater (Champaign) • Jonathan Kuck, Olympic silver medalist speed skater (Urbana)

38 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Champaign County Miscellany • The first pioneer cabin was built in what would become Urbana in 1822.

• In 1854 Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech against slavery at the courthouse in Urbana.

• When it opened in 1868, the University of Illinois had 13 professors and 77 students.

• Rev. Robert Richards, nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, was born in 1926 in Champaign and won two Olympic gold medals for pole vaulting in 1952 and 1956.

• In 1933 the Urbana Association of Commerce issued “Urbana Money” for a month to help the local economy weather the Great Depression.

• In 1964 Lincoln Square in Urbana became the second indoor shopping mall in the United States.

• Urbana was mentioned in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in the 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot. It was also the setting for the 1957 science fiction movie Beginning of the End. • The first Farm Aid concert took place at Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Sept. 22, 1985, and raised over $7 million.

• National Science Olympiad took place at the University of Illinois ChampaignUrbana in 2005; the 2010 national competition will also be held there.

• Roger Ebert’s annual film festival Ebertfest is held at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign.

• The Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul is the largest aerospace museum in Illinois.

• Tolono was Abraham Lincoln’s last stop in Illinois on his rail journey to Washington, D.C.

• Mark Roberts (see “Notable Residents”) shot his feature-length film Welcome to Tolono on location in 2006.

• Gifford is home to the Shortline Railroad Prairie, a 6-acre tract that has been replanted with native Illinois tallgrass species by the Grand Prairie Friends (GPF). This nonprofit volunteer group is also in the process of restoring additional acreage in Champaign County.

• From 1905 to 1937, the small town of Homer was the site of an amusement park featuring swimming, baseball, movies, and even a small zoo.

• In the 1957 creature feature Beginning of the End, the Champaign County town of Ludlow is the first to fall victim to giant grasshoppers! The insects’ monstrous mutation occurs when they consume radioactive food from the Illinois State Experimental Farm.

Sources: Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau; City of Urbana; City of Champaign; Wikipedia.

r e s ta u r a n t G u i d e

for Your Dining Pleasure Area code, unless otherwise noted, is 217.

Alexander Steakhouse 202 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign .............. 359-1789 Atlanta Bread Company 1905 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 356-8040

Cheddars 2101 N. Prospect Avenue, Champaign........ 356-7388 Chef Benjamin & Company 1002 Commercial Drive, Suite 1, Mahomet................................................... 586-2300

Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano 2235 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 356-4300

Chevys Fresh Mex Restaurant 103 W. Marketview Drive, Champaign................................................ 355-7300

Billy Barooz Pub & Grill 2521 Village Green Place, Champaign ........ 355-8030

Classic Events 919 W. Illinois Street, Urbana....................... 367-7118

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House 201 N. Broadway Avenue, Urbana............... 344-9334

County Market 1819 Philo Road, Urbana ............................ 337-0210

Bob Evans 1813 N. Neil Street, Champaign.................. 356-1006

Cowboy Monkey 6 E. Taylor Street, Champaign...................... 398-2688

Boltini, Inc. 211 N. Neil Street, Champaign .................... 378-8001

Culver’s 903 W. Marketview Drive, Champaign................................................ 356-8132 2302 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 352-1699

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 5439 Bison Lane, Terre Haute ..................... 356-9464 907 W. Market View Drive, Suite 5, Champaign .............................................. 378-4400 Buttitta’s Ristorante Italiano 1201 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 355-8656 Cameron’s Catering, Inc. P.O. Box 1427, Champaign ......................... 359-8661 40 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

El Toro Bravo Mexican Restaurant 2561 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign................................................ 351-7024 El Toro II 1805 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 378-7807 Esquire Lounge 106 N. Walnut Street, Champaign ............... 398-5858 Famous Dave’s 1900 Round Barn Road, Champaign........... 403-1166 Fat City Bar & Grill 505 S. Chestnut Street, Champaign ............ 607-0614 Flat Top Grill 607 S. Sixth Street, Champaign .................. 344-3200 Ginger Asian Bistro 1902 Center Drive #C, Champaign ............. 352-6688 Great Harvest Bread Co. 2149 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 398-5623

D. Q. Grill & Chill 3602 N. Mattis Avenue, Champaign............ 373-2412

Guido’s 2 E. Main Street, Champaign....................... 359-3148

Dairy Queen 911 W. University Avenue, Urbana ............... 344-4108 701 N. Third Street, St. Joseph.................... 469-8078

Hendrick House 904 W. Green Street, Urbana....................... 365-8000 Hickory River Smokehouse 1706 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana ...................................................... 337-1656

r e s ta u r a n t G u i d e

Hideaway of the Woods 809 S. Prairieview Road, Mahomet ............. 586-7722 Hilton Garden Inn 1501 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 352-9970 Hooters of Champaign 1706 S. State Street, Champaign ................ 355-7682 Jim Gould 1 E. Main Street, Champaign....................... 531-1177 Jimmy John’s 43 E. Green Street, Champaign ................... 344-6200 1511 N. Prospect Avenue, Champaign........ 359-6700 1811 W. Kirby Avenue, Champaign ............. 369-9100 601B E. Green Street, Champaign............... 344-4443 807 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana ................... 328-3100

Jupiter’s at the Crossing 2511 Village Green Place, Champaign ........ 366-8300

Krannert Center - Intermezzo 500 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana ................. 333-8412

Joe’s Brewery 706 S. Fifth Street, Champaign ................... 384-1790

Jupiter’s Pizza & Billiards 39 E. Main Street, Champaign..................... 398-5988

LUNA 116 N. Chestnut Street, Champaign............ 356-5862

JT Walker’s Restaurant & Sports Bar 401 E. Main Street, Mahomet ..................... 586-1100

Kam’s 618 E. Daniel Street, Champaign ................ 337-3300

Marble Slab Creamery 1211 Savoy Plaza Lane, Savoy.................... 359-5950

Junior’s Burgers & Cozy’s Custard 1511 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign................................................ 355-9020

Kennedy’s at Stone Creek Restaurant 2560 Stone Creek Boulevard, Urbana ...................................................... 384-8111

McDonald’s 1605 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 359-4020

www.champaigncounty.org 41

R e s ta u r a n t G u i d e

Merry-Ann’s Diner 1 E. Main Street, Champaign........................ 531-1160 Michaels’ Catering, Inc. 720 S. Neil Street, Champaign..................... 351-2500 Monical’s Pizza 103 W. Kirby Avenue, Champaign................ 356-4243 Montana Mike’s 1601 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana Murphy’s Pub 604 E. Green Street, Champaign.................. 352-7275 Nelson’s Catering, Inc. 3 005 Great Northern Avenue, Springfield.................................................. 787-9443 Noodles & Company 528 E. Green Street, Champaign.................. 367-2000 O’Leary’s Pub 3540 N. Vermilion Street, Danville................ 442-1485 The Office II 302 S. Country Fair Drive, Champaign......... 714-6008 Olive Garden Italian Restaurant 30 E. Anthony Drive, Champaign.................. 351-6339 Original Pancake House 1 909 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign................................................. 352-8866 42 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Outback Steakhouse 2 402 N. Prospect Avenue, Champaign................................................. 398-3322 Panera Bread 1 903 Convenience Place, Champaign................................................. 239-5000 1 765 W. Kirby Avenue, Champaign................................................. 355-9885 Papa Del’s Pizza 206 E. Green Street, Champaign.................. 359-7700 Pia’s Sports Bar & Grill 1609 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign.......... 351-1993 Red Lobster 1 901 N. Prospect Avenue, Champaign................................................. 355-2577 Roma Ralph’s Pizza 200 E. Cedar Street, LeRoy...................309-962-7073 Round Barn Banquet Center 1 900 Round Barn Road, Champaign................................................. 369-5297 Sandella’s Flat Bread Cafe 7 00 S. Gregory Street, Suite D, Urbana....................................................... 365-0401 Seasons Restaurant 1001 Killarney Street, Urbana....................... 328-7900

R e s ta u r a n t G u i d e

The Seven Saints 32 E. Chester Street, Champaign................. 351-7775 Silver Mine Subs 612 E. Daniel Street, Champaign................. 328-5000 Smoothie King 1 912A Round Barn Road, Champaign................................................. 351-0800 Soma Ultralounge 320 N. Neil Street, Champaign..................... 356-0006 Sun Singer Wine & Spirits, Ltd. 1 115 W. Windsor Road, Champaign................................................. 351-1115 T.G.I. Friday’s 1 00 Trade Centre Drive, Champaign................................................. 352-5595 Tomato Express Ltd. 313 N. Mattis Avenue, Champaign............... 351-1020 Town & Country Catering P.O. Box 928, Urbana................................... 328-2122 Za’s 2006 W. Springfield Avenue, Champaign...... 355-4990 Za’s On Neil, Inc. 1905 N. Neil Street, Champaign................... 355-4990 Zelma’s 1103 W. Windsor Road, Champaign............. 359-1994

www.champaigncounty.org 43

lodGinG Guide

Be our Guest Area code, unless otherwise noted, is 217.

Econo Lodge Inn and Suites 914 W. Bloomington Road, Champaign ....... 356-6000

Homewood Suites by Hilton 1417 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 352-9960

Baymont Inn & Suites 302 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign .............. 356-8900 1006 Southline Road, Tuscola ..................... 253-3500

Fairfield Inn 1807 Moreland Boulevard, Champaign ....... 355-0604

I Hotel and Conference Center 1900 S. First Street, Champaign ................. 819-5000

Comfort Suites 2001 N. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana ................. 328-3500

Hampton Inn at U of I 1200 W. University Avenue, Urbana ............. 337-1100

La Quinta Inn 1900 Center Drive, Champaign ................... 356-4000

Country Inn & Suites 602 W. Marketview Drive, Champaign......... 355-6666

Hanford Inn & Suites 2408 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana ........ 344-8000

Linda’s Oak Meadows Bed & Breakfast Resort 789 County Road 3300 N., Dewey ............. 897-1775

Courtyard by Marriott 1811 Moreland Boulevard, Champaign ....... 355-0411

Hawthorn Suites Ltd. 101 Trade Centre Drive, Champaign............ 398-3400

Microtel Inn 1615 Rion Drive, Champaign ...................... 398-4136

Days Inn 1019 Bloomington Road, Champaign.......... 356-6873

Hilton Garden Inn 1501 S. Neil Street, Champaign .................. 352-9970

Motel 6 1906 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana ........ 344-1085

Drury Inn 905 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign .............. 398-0030

Holiday Inn Express I-57 & Route 36, 1201 Tuscola Boulevard, Tuscola ....................................................... 253-6363

Quality Inn & Suites 305 Marketview Drive, Champaign ............. 352-4055

Eastland Suites Hotel and Conference Center 1907 N. Cunningham Avenue, Urbana ........ 367-8331 44 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center 1001 Killarney Street, Urbana...................... 328-7900

Red Roof Inns 212 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign .............. 352-0101

Sleep Inn 1908 N. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana.................. 367-6000 Lodging Guide

Super 8 207 S. Murray Road, Rantoul....................... 893-8888 Sylvia’s Irish Inn-formerly Lindley House B&B 312 W. Green Street, Urbana........................ 384-4800 Value Place 1212 W. Anthony Drive, Champaign............. 359-5499 Wingate Hotel 516 W. Marketview Drive, Champaign.......... 355-5566

www.champaigncounty.org 45

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Visit www.FlyCMI.com.

Amusements/Recreation/ Entertainment

Old Orchard Lanes & Links — Page 27 901 N. Dunlap Avenue Savoy, IL 61874 217-359-5281 Fax 217-359-5278 lanesandlinks@oldorchardinc.com www.oldorchardinc.com

Twenty-lane bowling center, snack bar with great thin-crust pizza, full-service bar with new indoor-outdoor patio, 36-hole miniature golf course with clubhouse. Birthday & corporate parties available.

Architect

Smith / Burgett Architects, Inc. — Page 27 102A West Main Street Urbana, IL 61801 217-367-8409 Fax 217-367-6725 www.sbarchtx.com

• Architecture • Engineering • Planning • Interior Design Assisted Living

Bridle Brook Adult Community — Page Outside Back Cover 1505 Patton Drive Mahomet, IL 61853 217-586-3200 Fax 217-586-4100 kim@bridle-brook.com www.bridle-brook.com

Welcome to Bridle Brook, a friendly and premier assisted living community. Our community contains 48 private apartments and 30 special care suites for Alzheimer’s care. Call for more information.

Attorney

Livingston, Barger, Brandt, Schroeder — Page 45 2506 Galen Drive, Suite 108 Champaign, IL 61821-7047 217-351-7479 Fax 217-351-6870 www.lbbs.com

Experienced attorneys providing prompt attention to the needs of their business and professional clients. Serving clients throughout Central Illinois. Offices located in Champaign and Bloomington.

Meyer Capel, A Professional Corporation — Page 20 306 West Church St. Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-1800 Fax 217-352-1083 www.meyercapel.com

Meyer Capel believes strongly in developing expertise and teamwork. Each attorney concentrates in one or more areas of legal practice and is dedicated to providing the highest caliber of legal services.

46 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Singleton Law Firm, P.C. — Page 45 2001 South First St., Suite 209 Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-3900 Fax 217-352-4900 singleton@singletonlawfirm.com www.singletonlawfirm.com

Singleton Law Firm is dedicated to serving the legal needs of business and individual clients with an emphasis in the areas of corporate, intellectual property, and commercial real estate law.

Webber & Thies, P.C. — Page 28 202 Lincoln Square P.O. Box 189 Urbana, IL 61803 217-367-1126 Fax 217-367-3752

F.E. Moran Inc. — Page 5

3001 Research Road, Suite A Champaign, IL 61822 217-356-0700 Fax 217-356-0777 www.femoran.com

From commercial properties to residential projects, F.E. Moran, Inc., Fire Protection has the experience and expertise to perform on time and under budget.

• 24-hour emergency service • installation • inspection • repair Kurland Steel Company — Page 15

• Transactional Business Law • Estate Planning & Probate • Environmental Law • Real Estate Law • Employment Law • Litigation

P.O. Box 442 Urbana, IL 61803 217-367-2323 Fax 217-328-6758 www.kurlandsteel.com

Suppliers of all of your steel needs: carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, cold rolled steel.

Fabricators of structural steel and steel building products.

Autobody Repair

Helbling Auto Body — Page 11 501 E. University Avenue Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-8822 Fax 217-352-7429

Helbling Auto Body is great small shop. Easy to find. We guaranty our work, quality paint matching, and fast turn around. In business for 19 years. I Car trained and certified.

Education

Champaign Community Unit 4 Schools — Page 7 703 South New Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-351-3800 Fax 217-351-7386 www.champaignschools.org

Champaign Unit 4 schools provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in advanced academics, in the fine arts, and in extracurricular activities. Contact the Community Relations Office at 351-3822 for more information.

Automotive – Dealership/Repair

Shelby Motors, Inc. — Page 11 1906 Moreland Blvd.

Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-4273 Fax 217-352-4536 www.shelbymotors.com

Greenville College — Page 39 315 East College Greenville, IL 62246 888-818-4625 www.greenville.edu

Shelby Motors has served the Champaign Urbana area since 1942. We are your local Dodge and Jeep and pre-owned vehicle dealer, providing parts and service for all Chrysler products.

Computers

Doctor Micro Inc. — Page 34

907 West Marketview Dr., Suite 343 Champaign, IL 61822 217-778-8203 Fax 800-811-3638 info@doctormicro.com www.doctormicro.com

• Professional IT Services for Small to Medium Businesses and Home Users.

• Server, Workstation, & Home Custom-Builds, Networking, Upgrades, Repairs, Disaster Planning and Data Recovery.

• Laptop Repair • Microsoft Certified Partner.

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian school founded in 1892 that provides superior undergraduate and graduate programs as well as offering adult degree-completion programs in locations across central and southern Illinois including Champaign.

University Primary School — Page 33 Children’s Research Center 51 Gerty Drive Champaign, IL 61820 217-333-3996 www.ed.uiuc.edu/ups

Urbana School District #116 — Page 9 205 North Race St. P.O. Box 3039 Urbana, IL 61801 217-384-3650 Fax 217-337-4973 www.usd116.org

Construction/Contractors

Dillman Brothers Contracting, Inc. — Page 2 3509 N. Cunningham Avenue Urbana, IL 61802 217-344-8290 Fax 217-344-8139 www.dillmanbrothers.com

Exterior home and multi-family construction and renovation specialists.

Experienced in all areas of exterior installation, renovation, and repair.

We provide the best possible job at the lowest possible price.

Energy Consulting

NPL Associates, Inc. — Page 45 912 West Armory Ave. Champaign, IL 61821 217-356-5402 Fax 217-356-4272 georgehm@aol.com www.n-plasma.com

NPL has developed a compact, high power density fuel cell for distributed power applications. Power levels range from 10 to 1000 watts. Demonstration units are available.

3000 Research Road, Suite 1 Champaign, IL 61822 217-403-9990 Fax 217-403-1559 www.geocon.cc

GEOCON is a consulting engineering firm specializing in Environmental, Geotechnical, and Construction Testing Services.

With offices in Champaign, Crescent City, and Frankfort, Illinois, and St. Peters, Missouri, GEOCON offers clients over 100 years of consulting engineering experience.

Sodemann & Associates, Inc. — Page 41

Engineers, Surveyors, & Planners

Berns, Clancy & Associates, PC — Page 34 405 East Main Street Urbana, IL 61802 217-384-1144 Fax 217-384-3355 www.bernsclancy.com

Whether your needs call for engineering design or construction administration, site surveying, or planning assistance for a commercial/industrial development, residential or recreation project, our able staff stands ready to assist you.

Financial Institutions

340 N Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-7688 Fax 217-352-7922 www.sodemann.com

Busey Bank — Page 8

Full-service consulting civil engineering firm founded in 1955. Providing site engineering and surveying work, street design and maintenance, storm drainage studies, design and construction of water and wastewater systems, infrastructure management, structural engineering, as well as grant and loan management.

With Banking Centers & ATMs conveniently located, Busey Bank’s goal is to help you balance how you live with how you bank! Member FDIC. Busey Wealth Management

100 W. University Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 217-365-4500 www.busey.com

Commerce Bank — Page 32 1015 W. Windsor Rd. Champaign, IL 61821 217-359-9790 www.commercebank.com

Through Commerce Bank’s super-community strategy, Commerce delivers sophisticated, competitive products with high levels of personal service. Commerce Bank provides a diversified line of financial solutions to individuals and businesses in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. Solutions include business and personal banking, trust and brokerage, cash management, international banking, and capital market services.

First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust — Page 28 2229 S. Neil Champaign, IL 61820 217-359-9837 www.firstmid.com

First Mid has four banking centers in Champaign County, each with a drive-up ATM for 24-hour service. Access our Toll Free Telephone Banking at 800-500-6085

100 W. University Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 217-365-4800 www.busey.com

Whether you need retirement solutions, estate planning services, or investment management, remember that clients have been entrusting our professionals for more than 85 years.

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Engineering

Geocon — Page 27

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Hickory Point Bank & Trust — Page 47 701 Devonshire Drive Champaign, IL 61820 217-351-7100 Fax 217-351-7818 www.hickorypointbank.com

Christie Clinic — Page 19 101 W. University Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 217-366-1200 www.christieclinic.com

Hickory Point Bank & Trust is a full-service financial institution that distinguishes itself by providing exceptional service and expertise in a personal banking environment.

Christie Clinic has provided health care to the residents of central Illinois for 80 years with locations in Champaign, Danville, Mahomet, Rantoul, Tuscola, and Urbana. For more information about Christie Clinic, visit www.christieclinic.com.

Marine Bank — Page 47

Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc. — Page 5

2434 Village Green Place Champaign, IL 61822 217-239-0100 www.ibankmarine.com

Helping businesses, home owners, and families achieve their goals with personalized, full-service financial solutions. Drive-up open seven days a week to serve you.

Midland States Bank — Page 14 1608 Broadmoor Dr. Champaign, IL 61821 217-398-3800 Fax 217-398-1661 midlandstatesbank.com

301 S. Vine St. Urbana, IL 61801 217-337-8000 Fax 217-337-3439 www.healthalliance.org

Health Alliance offers health insurance products, including HMO, PPO, POS, and even high-deductible health plans that are compatible with HSAs and HRAs. Health Alliance also offers Third Party Administrative services.

Provena Hospitals / Provena Covenant Medical Center — Page Inside Front Cover

Midland States Bank offers full-service banking to retail/business clients including deposit accounts, home mortgages, personal/commercial loans, and Treasury Management solutions.

Complete investment services are provided through our trust company.

1400 West Park Street Urbana, IL 61801 217-337-2917 Fax 217-337-2069 www.provena.org/covenant

The Provena Medical Group is a network of skilled, compassionate, health care professionals dedicated to building communities of healing and hope in Champaign and Vermilion counties.

Prospect Bank — Page 7 1601 S. Prospect Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-0077 Fax 217-352-3777 www.prospectbank.com

Home Health Care

Alpha-Care Health Professionals — Page 42

U of I Employees Credit Union — Page 20 2201 South First St. P.O. Box 500 Champaign, IL 61824 217-278-7700 Fax 217-244-5489 info@uiecu.org www.uiecu.org

115 North Neil Street, Suite 106 Champaign, IL 61820 217-398-4100 Fax 217-398-4175 www.alpha-care.com

Alpha-Care Health Professionals specialize in skilled and unskilled home care services. We provide CNAs for daily assisted living as well as RNs and LPNs for in-home nursing care.

The U of I Employees Credit Union puts your financial needs first. Serving the campus and Champaign County communities with great rates on auto loans, mortgages, and checking. Visit us today at www.uiecu.org!

Florist

Campus Florist — Page 42 609 East Green St. Champaign, IL 61820 217-344-0051 campusflorist@att.net

Fresh flower arrangements for all occasions. Delivery on campus and surrounding areas.

Health care

Amber Glen Alzheimer’s Special Care Center — Page 42 1704 East Amber Lane Urbana, IL 61802 217-384-0100 Fax 217-384-2963 amberglen-adm@jeaseniorliving.net www.jeaseniorliving.com

• 24-Hour Licensed Nursing Supervision • Personalized Assistance & Programming • Family Education & Support • Social/Recreational Activities • Respite & Day Care Available • Specially Trained Caregivers Carle Clinic Association — Page 23 602 W. University Ave. Urbana, IL 61801 217-326-1894 www.carle-clinic.com

With more than 300 physicians in 50 medical and surgical specialties, Carle Clinic’s network of regional clinics provides comprehensive care to patients throughout central Illinois and western Indiana.

48 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

Hotels/Motels/Bed & Breakfasts

Eastland Suites Hotel & Conference Center — Page 1 1907 North Cunningham Ave. Urbana, IL 61802 217-367-8331 Fax 217-384-3370 stay@eastlandsuites.com www.eastlandsuitesurbana.com

Convenient location and great service! Enjoy daily breakfast, wireless internet access, area shuttle service, and indoor heated pool! Weekly and monthly rates available.

Housing/Apartments

Parkview Senior Apartment Homes — Page 12 100 North Parkview Lane Savoy, IL 61874 217-352-3938 Fax 217-352-4441 parkview@flahertycollins.com www.flahertycollins.com

Senior living at its best! One- and two-bedroom units from $430–$895 with most utilities included. Call us at 217-3523938 to find out about our great senior community.

Regency Consolidated Residential LLC — Page 16 1701 Broadmoor Drive, Suite 200 Champaign, IL 61821 217-359-7031 www.regencyapartments.com

Regency Apartments (Regency Consolidated Residential LLC), based in Champaign, owns, manages, and develops apartments in Illinois and Indiana. Currently, it owns 15 communities with nearly 2,700 units. Regency employs nearly 100 people working in its corporate office and three regions: Illinois; Bloomington, Indiana; and Evansville, Indiana. For more information, visit www.regencyapartments.com.

Insurance

General Risk Advisors, Inc. — Page 17 1605 S State St., Suite 104 Champaign, IL 61820 217-355-0033 Fax 217-355-0044 www.generalriskadvisors.com

We provide employee benefit plans for groups of all sizes as well as individual life and health insurance products.

Snyder Insurance — Page 39 2500 Village Green Place Champaign, IL 61822 217-531-8000 Fax 217-351-7654 www.snyder-ins-agency.com

Snyder Insurance is an independent insurance agency based in Central Illinois. We specialize in providing comprehensive and competitively priced insurance for business clients, as well as personal insurance for auto, home, life, and health.

The Wind Insurance Agency, Inc. — Page 35 P.O. Box 767 Champaign, IL 61824 217-337-6660 Fax 217-337-5785 bwind29@aol.com

Laundry/Dry Cleaning

Country Squire Cleaners — Page 26 Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham — Page 27 101 Trade Centre Drive Champaign, IL 61820 217-398-3400 www.hawthorn.com

• Complimentary Hot Breakfast Buffet • Complimentary High-Speed Internet • Full Cable TV and Pay-Per-View Movies • Indoor Pool and Hot Tub • Meeting Facilities — 11 Rooms, Food and Beverage Catering Available Hilton Garden Inn / Homewood Suites - Champaign IL — Page 36 1501 South Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-359-1151 Fax 217-398-5763 www.champaignurbana.stayhgi.com

1805 West Springfield Champaign, Il 61820 217-356-9422 Fax 217-356-9422 www.countrysquirecleaners.com

Same day laundry & dry cleaning service.

Meeting/Conference Center

Levis Faculty Center — Page 9 919 West Illinois St. Urbana, IL 61801 217-333-6241 Fax 217-244-9367 www.levis.illinois.edu

The Levis Faculty Center provides space and an environment conducive for university, business, and community groups to meet for educational and social purposes.

Homewood Suites by Hilton

1417 South Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-9960 www.champaignurbana.homewoodsuites.com

Welcome to the Premier Hotels in Champaign County — The Hilton Garden Inn & The Homewood Suites by Hilton, both opened in November of 2006.

NonProfit

Champaign County Humane Society — Page 27 1911 East Main Street Urbana, IL 61802 217-344-7297 www.cuhumane.org

Providing shelter and care to companion animals in need. Adopt your next pet from CCHS.

Retail

Video Conferencing

Flooring Surfaces, Inc. — Page 8

Area Wide Video Conferencing — Page 11

Three Degrees of Change provides Human Resources consulting and contracted services, professional coaching and management training, helping companies reduce employee turnover, maximize employee performance, and improve customer satisfaction.

Professional solutions for tile, hardwood, and soft surfaces.

Area Wide Video Conferencing offers broadcast quality ISDN video conferencing. This allows you to meet face-to-face without the hassles and expense of travel. Ideal for interviews, presentations, or depositions.

202 South Broadway, Suite 203 Urbana, IL 61801 217-714-3698 cindy@threedegreesofchange.com www.threedegreesofchange.com

Printing

Premier Print Group — Page 35 2602 North Mattis Avenue Champaign, IL 61822 217-359-2219 Fax 217-359-2296 www.thepremierprintgroup.com

Premier Print Group is a full-service, high-quality printer for your marketing and promotional materials. From design to print to mailing we will make your print literature look outstanding.

Public/Private Partnership

Champaign County Economic Development Corp. — Page 12 1817 South Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-6261 217-359-6261 Fax 217-359-1809 www.champaigncountyedc.org

The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, through public-private partnerships, continually improves the local economy by successfully driving business attraction, retention, and expansion.

Real Estate

The Atkins Group — Pages 24–25 2805 South Boulder Drive Urbana, IL 61802 217-367-2121 Fax 217-367-1616 mark@atkinsgroup.com www.atkinsgroup.com

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to development, and we understand that. The Atkins Group is proud to provide one-on-one service to its clients. We ask you the right questions, so we can establish design and construction parameters to fit your specific needs.

401 East Mercury Champaign, IL 61822 217-398-1990 Fax 217-398-9007 www.flooringsurfacesinc.com

Retail – Food

301 W White St. Champaign, IL 61820 217-356-5119 Fax 217-356-9551 www.champaignvideoconferencing.com

Supervalu — Page 21

2611 North Lincoln Avenue P.O. Box 9008 Urbana, IL 61820 217-384-2746 Fax 217-384-2687 www.supervalu.com

Retail – Natural Foods

Common Ground Food Co-op — Page 45 300 S. Broadway Ave, Ste. 166 1 Lincoln Square Village Urbana, IL 61801 217-352-3347 Fax 217-352-2214 www.commonground.coop

Vision

The Eye Center — Page 27 403 W. Windsor Road Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-2020 Fax 217-398-4040 www.2020sam.com

“Where Your Eyes are the Center of Our Attention” • Eye Exams, Glasses, Contacts • Laser Surgery — PRK, LASIK, LASEK • Diabetic and Glaucoma Treatment • No-Shot, No-Stitch Cataract Surgery • Retinal Evaluation and Treatment

Local, organic, and natural foods.

Store open 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Deli open 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

Services – Customer

McCabe Brothers Tool Rental Inc. — Page 33 411 North Wright Street P.O. Box 562 Champaign, IL 61820 217-352-5620 Fax 217-352-5937 www.mccequiprental.com

Full-service rentals: • Construction • Homeowner • Industrial Delivery and pick-up is available for a nominal fee, including outside the Champaign-Urbana area.

• April–November: 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Saturday • December–March: 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, Saturday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Telecommunications

Communication Data Group — Page 43 Prudential Snyder Real Estate — Page 23

102 South Duncan Road Champaign, IL 61822 217-355-7100 Fax 217-351-6994 www.cdg.ws

Prudential Snyder Real Estate is recognized as one of the leading real estate agencies in Central Illinois. By providing local market expertise, we offer “Service Beyond Expectations!”

CDG is a telecommunications billing solutions source for landline, Internet, CableTV, VoIP, and IPTV convergent billing, electronic billing, service provisioning, customer care, mediation, and Carrier Access Billing (CABS).

2500 Village Green Place Champaign, IL 61822 217-951-SOLD www.prudentialcu.com

Recreation

Champaign Park District — Page 20 706 Kenwood Road Champaign, IL 61821 217-819-3843 Fax 217-355-8421 www.champaignparkdistrict.com

Urbana Park District — Page 11 505 W. Stoughton Urbana, IL 61801 217-367-1544 Fax 217-367-1592 www.urbanaparks.org

Urbana’s was the first park district in Champaign County. Our neighborhood and community parks and recreation facilities offer a variety of indoor and outdoor options for all ages.

Midwest Communications Group — Page 26 1910 North Federal Drive, Suite 111 Urbana, IL 61801 Fax 312-577-0960 www.mcginc.us

Telecom services and management for small to medium businesses in Illinois and Indiana. Local POTS/PRI, Long Distance Switched/Dedicated/Toll Free, LAN/WAN, Internet T1-OC3, Wireless Internet, Wireless Cellular/walkie-talkie/data/GPS. Sprint/Nextel Sales and Service.

Television Station

WCIA / WCFN — Page 34 509 South Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-356-8333 Fax 217-373-3633 www.illinoishomepage.net

Rental Service Stores & Yards

Rental City — Page 42 2508 North Mattis P.O. Box 7080 Champaign, IL 61826 217-359-6127 Fax 217-359-6180 info@cuatrentalcity.com www.cuatrentalcity.com

Towing Services

Reynold’s Towing Service, Inc. — Page 15 1417 West Kenyon Road Urbana, IL 61801 217-337-0913 Fax 217-352-9277 www.reynoldstowinginc.com

Reynolds Towing serves the community 365 days a year, utilizing the latest in towing technology and equipment. We pride ourselves on prompt, courteous service and customer satisfaction.

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Personnel Consultants

Three Degrees of Change — Page 33