The North Shore Weekend, January 23, 2021 by JWC Media

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SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

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Krex-ellence: Meet the teen behind the award-winning company Brick Loot P18

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NO. 432 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION

REMEMBERING JIM TILMON THE LATE METEOROLOGIST, AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT, UPBEAT METEOROLOGIST, NEWSMAN, AND CONSUMMATE GENTLEMAN HAD TIES TO HIGHLAND PARK. BY BILL MCLEAN THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Kids play with model airplanes at home. Jim Tilmon—a longtime meteorologist at several Chicago television stations and a former Highland Park Presbyterian Church parishioner—occasionally brought his toy planes to work. But not to goof around during commercial breaks. An American Airlines pilot from 1965 to 1994, Tilmon would lift and display a model airplane on-air, away from his weather maps, to help viewers understand what had precipitated a plane crash. Sitting beside the news anchor to augment a top story, he once explained what happens to an airplane buffeted by wind shear. Tilmon’s impactful, full, and decorated life was grounded in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 16. He died there at age 86. His son Jim, who attended Highland Park High School and Elgin Academy, perished from cancer at age 60 last summer in Rockford; he also was an American Airlines pilot. The elder Tilmon was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and earned a BA in music at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. He served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers for eight years, flying helicopters and planes and earning the rank of captain. His impressive broadcast career in Chicago—as a newsman, as a meteorologist, and as an aviation and science reporter—featured stops at WTTW-TV, WMAQ-TV, and WBBM-TV. His tenure at WMAQ lasted

more than 22 years. “Jim is beloved and remembered as a total gentleman and a great colleague,” tweeted longtime Chicago journalist Carol Marin, who worked on and off with Tilmon for 20 years and retired last year. After becoming American Airlines’ third Black commercial pilot and the nation’s fifth, according to Tilmon’s biography on the HistoryMakers website, Tilmon served as host of WTTW’s “Our People,” a live weekly magazine television show about Black people and issues that ran from 1968 to 1972 and premiered one week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Among his guests were future Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, author James Baldwin, and jazz vocalist Johnny Hartman. One of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists, he received a Chicago Emmy in 1974 and was nominated for a National Emmy and the Illinois Associated Press and

The late Jim Tilmon with wife, Joan.

Illinois United Press International awards for excellence in reporting and broadcasting. Tilmon appeared on a number of national programs, including Hardball, NBC Nightly News, and Nightline. In 2002 the Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored Tilmon with its Silver Circle Award for 25 years in television. Tilmon and his wife of 32 years, Joan, retired to Arizona after his 2002-2005 stint at WBBM-TV. “Jim Tilmon was very relaxed, calm, and composed on-air,” said longtime Highland Park resident and 1984 Highland Park High School graduate Mike Friedman, who teaches tennis at the A.C. Nielsen Center in Winnetka. “He was professional, always … such a well-respected man. His audience wasn’t limited only to those interested in news and the weather. Tilmon appeared in an ER television episode in 1994 and made a cameo, as himself, in the 2012 movie Flight, starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Don Cheadle. And he put his music degree to good use, performing and creating original music for television and motion pictures and other audio and video productions. Tilmon cut a symphony- and orchestra-infused relaxation CD, “Angel Whispers,” in 2003. American Airlines presented Tilmon with the Captain’s Chair Award upon his retirement. Even rival United Airlines granted him the title of honorary captain, and the Federal Aviation Administration named an aviator’s navigation point after him. In 2004 Tilmon was inducted into the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and received the Luminary Senior Award for his impact on social and cultural life in the City of Chicago. In addition to his wife, Joan, survivors include son John, daughter Thera, and five grandchildren. Another longtime Chicago television meteorologist, Jerry Taft, died at age 77 last year. He worked at ABC 7-Chicago for 33 years in a 40-year career.

2200 Elmwood Ave, Wilmette

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1062 Linden Ave, Wilmette

1182 Asbury Ave, Winnetka*

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1062 Central Ave, Deerfield

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932 Elmwood Ave, Wilmette

2205 Kenilworth Ave, Wilmette

931 Greenwood Ave, Wilmette*

1515 Greenwood Ave, Wilmette

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915 Elmwood Ave, Wilmette

1133 Lake Ave, Wilmette

205 Dupee Pl, Wilmette

3115 Hill Ln, Wilmette

420 Brookside Dr, Wilmette

OVER $43 MILLION IN CLOSED SALES IN 2020

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1731 Linneman St 1A, Glenview

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2016 Sherman Ave 1W, Evanston*

919 Ashland Ave, Wilmette*

141 Enid Ln, Northfield*

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

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336 Skokie Ct, Wilmette

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1019 Ashland Ave, Wilmette*

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600 Lacrosse Ave, Wilmette*

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411 Lake Ave, Wilmette

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1236 Elmwood Ave, Wilmette

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1107 Greenleaf Ave 2D, Wilmette*

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

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200

100

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2020

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| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

When Your Home is so Important... Choose the Best Sold

Sold

7 Rolling Ridge, Northfield $2,749,000

1637 Braeside, Northbrook $2,195,000

Sold

732 Bronson, Highland Park $1,925,000

Pending

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1336 Elmwood, Wilmette $1,849,000

Pending

2315 Clover, Northfield $1,790,000

79 Woodley, Winnetka $1,699,000

Top 1% of North Shore Agents** “A particular pleasure at this stage of my career is working with the children of my friends, and the friends of my children.”

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15 Old Hunt, Northfield* $1,690,000

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877 Fairview, Highland Park $859,000

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766 Elder, Glencoe $1,675,000

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408 Sunset, Glencoe $799,000

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602 Provident, Winnetka $1,425,000

1028 Elmwood, Wilmette $1,175,000

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350 Lagoon, Northfield $729,000

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329 Glendale, Winnetka $549,000

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1156 Mayfair, Glencoe $1,175,000

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16 Old Hunt, Northfield $975,000

Sold

1630 Sheridan 3C, Wilmette $490,000 *Handled Buyers & Sellers

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Pending

716 Asbury, Evanston $469,000

*Information available through BrokerMetrics and the NSBAR 11/14/14

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

Personalized Marketing Your Home, Your Story

hether you have lived in your home for 5 years or 50 years, there are so many memories and stories within the four walls. At Engel & Völkers, we focus on structuring marketing around the seller’s personal experience in their home. By capturing your thoughts and memories of your home through the Home Journal, I am able to set your home apart from all the other listings on the market. Instead of cookie cutter marketing about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, I can focus on the essence of your home and what will draw buyers in. While selling your home is a transaction, it is one of the most personal experiences you can have. The same is true for the buyers coming through your home. They need to imagine themselves living there. The Home Journal allows me to gain insight into your personal connection with your home and use it to market effectively. The experience is what sells real estate.

CARLY JONES 312.391.3170 • carly.jones@evrealestate.com carlyjones.evrealestate.com

Engel & Völkers Chicago North Shore

847.441.5730 • chicagonorthshore.evrealestate.com 903 Green Bay Road • Winnetka, Illinois Some sales sold while affiliated with another brokerage. ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

ALIGNED WITH THE BEST We Are Engel & Völkers

“ Engel & Völkers’ innovative leadership, collaborative culture, and global reach are just a few attributes that will prove beneficial in serving my clients.” - Tom Perrella Tom Perrella 847.420.8325 • tom.perrella@evrealestate.com • tomperrella.evrealestate.com 903 Green Bay Road • Winnetka, Illinois Some sales sold while affiliated with another brokerage. ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

SETTING NEW STANDARDS We Are Engel & Völkers

“ Joining this exceptional company is a unique opportunity. Working with the best local professionals to introduce the strength of this iconic international brand to the North Shore is powerful. I am excited to be a part of it. ” - Marina Rivelis Marina Rivelis 847.644.6326 • marina.rivelis@evrealestate.com • marinarivelis.evrealestate.com 903 Green Bay Road • Winnetka, Illinois Some sales sold while affiliated with another brokerage. ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

INDEX

NEWS John Conatser FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

10 street art in wilmette

Jennifer Sturgeon

Former art teacher Howard Kanter delights with chalk drawings

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

14 a creative endeavor

ADVERTISING

Wendy Franzen, Dustin O'Regan, Kemmie Ryan, Sherry Thomas, Megan Weisberg

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

Ryan Hudgins, Mitch Hurst, Bill McLean

DESIGN Linda Lewis PRODUCTION MANAGER GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Amanda Alvarado ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lake Forest teens start new business amid pandemic

16 north shore foodie

An American history lesson with a classic recipe

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART Barry Blitt ILLUSTRATOR Monica Kass Rogers PHOTOGRAPHY Robin Subar PHOTOGRAPHY Mindy Kovco ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER

ALL ADVERTISING INQUIRY INFO SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO 847.370.6940 & JENNIFER@JWCMEDIA.COM FIND US ONLINE: DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! © 2021 THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND A PUBLICATION OF JWC MEDIA 445 SHERIDAN RD., HIGHWOOD, IL 60040

LAST BUT NOT LEAST 18 sunday breakfast

LEGO fan Parker Krex has built quite a business—and he's only 16

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SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

NEWS

STREET ART IN WILMETTE HOWARD KANTER HAS DELIGHTED KIDS AND PARENTS ALIKE WITH HIS SIDEWALK CHALK ART DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Last spring, Howard Kanter needed to get out of the house. Like a lot of us, Kanter had self-diagnosed himself with a serious case of cabin fever. So, he bought some chalk and started drawing. On the sidewalk in front of his house in Wilmette. It wasn't long before neighbors noticed. They started congregating—at a safe social distance—in front of his house to admire his work. "What was adorable and sweet was when families would walk by and the kids would see a Disney character and just stop. We'd watch them outside our living room window," Kanter says. "It was really nice, and then you start to meet the neighbors and you realize community is a lost term. That was the first time for me that art became kind of communal." Kanter is an artist who taught art to middle school students for 30 years, the last 27 at Algonquin Middle School in Algonquin. His 7th graders learn about Van Gogh while the 8th graders focus on Picasso. With galleries being closed or exhibition schedules curtailed, the opportunity for Kanter to make art seen by others has been cathartic. "It has been wonderful. I've always said tongue and cheek that artists are behind the scenes. We don't want to be on stage," Kanter says. "But it's also been hard. We lost a family member in this COVID. So, meeting neigh-

and said, 'You have to fix Belle,'" he says. "So I said, 'Let's go. I can do that.' You watch the weather report to find out how long your art will last." Kanter says there has never been a time when he wasn't drawing or making some kind of pictures. He produces art himself and also has a tight collaboration with his best friend Steve Sager, who Kanter went to art school with 30 years ago at the University of Illinois. It was there that Sager and Kanter started making collage-type art with their

Artist and teacher Howard Kanter’s chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of his house in Wilmette delighted children and families and drew his neighborhood together as the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding. bors—yesterday I had one that waved to us from across the street—has been nice." Kanter has drawn everything from Mickey Mouse to Charlie Brown to "The Starry Night" by Van Gogh to the Grateful Dead turtle. He says he's up to 20 chalk drawings and he never knows how long they'll last, as the rain washes them away. "I drew Belle from Beauty and the Beast and it rained, so one little girl came up to me

fellow students; one student would produce a piece and other students would add their own ideas to it. Kanter and Sager's most recent exhibition was titled, Continued on PG 12

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24â&#x20AC;&#x201A;2021 |

NEWS STREET ART IN WILMETTE

From PG 10

"Serious Silliness." "It starts as collage, but it's not really collage. It's a series of images and when you get past the humor you see that it has composition," Kanter says. "It has an art element, and it has design principles, and when we decide we like those it's finished." While Kanter's collaboration with Sager is currently on hold—shipping between Japan and the U.S. is temporarily suspended due to COVID-19—he continues to make art on his own that captures the mundane nature of everyday life. "I go back and forth on Interstate 57 a lot to see my other best friend

in St. Louis, and I love making a picture of something that people would normally ignore," he says. "I'm doing roadsides and scenes other people would find ordinary or mundane." Kanter will have an exhibition of his own work on display this year, from July 1 through

30, at the Illini Union Memorial Art Gallery on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign. Kanter also does plenty of commissioned work, work that has increased now that some of his neighbors have seen his sidewalk chalk pieces. "People have begun to contact me on my website about house portraits and pictures that they can put up in their shops," he says. All in all, not bad for an artist who consid-

ers himself something of a rebel and outsider. "The term 'outsider art' is used for different reasons in the art world. Art teachers tend to find themselves in that category. I don't have a Master of Fine Arts in Education so the established galleries won't give me the time of day," says Kanter. "But I have never not made pictures. It's just what I do." For more information about Howard Kanter visit howardkanter.com.

Kanter’s paintings capture outdoor scenes that would otherwise go unnoticed. TOP RIGHT: “You’re Seeing This Right.” TOP LEFT: “A Plane Painting." BOTTOM: "Northeast Side of I55 South Going West.”

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

208 W. Washington St #804 Chicago

235 Warwick Road Kenilworth

1 Woodley Manor | Winnetka

BUYER

UNDER CONTRACT | BUYER

BUYER

257 Latrobe Avenue Northfield

381 Locust Street Winnetka

429 Maple Street Winnetka

1034 Elmwood Avenue Wilmette

Thank you to my clients and friends for a wonderful 2020 during unusual circumstances. Wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy new year.

BUYER

170 Birch Street | Winnetka

BUYER

109 Woodley Road | Winnetka

177 Dewindt Road | Winnetka

77 Maple Hill Road | Glencoe

1100 Romona Road | Wilmette

DINNY DWYER 847.217. 5146 Dinny.Dwyer@cbexchange.com

UNDER CONTRACT

111 Thorntree Lane | Winnetka

919 Hill Road | Winnetka

Coldwell Banker Realty | 568 Lincoln Avenue | Winnetka, IL 60093

BUYER

128 Church Road | Winnetka

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

1011 Pontiac Road | Wilmette

RENTED

1126 Michigan Ave Wilmette

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

1210 Sunset Road Winnetka

1239 Cherry Street Winnetka

1616 Sheridan Rd #2G Wilmette

1618 Sheridan Rd #5 Wilmette

2225 Patriot Blvd Glenview

630 Pine Lane Winnetka

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

NEWS

A CREATIVE ENDEAVOR LAKE FOREST TEENS FIND SUCCESS AMID THE PANDEMIC FOUNDING A NEW BUSINESS. BY RYAN HUDGINS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Two young female entrepreneurs, Ellie Houston and Campbell Eggers, seized the opportunity of their unexpected free time and joined together to cultivate a small business during the pandemic. The pair launched Creative Cuts in June 2020, inspired by their Cricut machine, which

enables them to create handmade cards, clothing, and houseware items at the click of a button. The Cricut is programmed through an app on any device and enables users to create a plethora of items including cut-outs, stickers, and engravings. The freshmen at Loyola Academy and Woodlands Academy, respectively, have known each other since preschool, but their friendship began to blossom in middle school during Girl Scouts. Partnering together to launch a business felt inevitable.

“We love making things, but sometimes don’t have use for all of it,” Houston says. “We thought that if we sold our products,

someone else could use them.” As for the design selection process, the 15-year-olds vacillate between choosing premade sketches on the Cricut and absorbing feedback from their peers and customers. They also enjoy adding their own creative touch as well. “I like to play tennis, so we started making tennis towels and tennis socks,” Houston says. Creative Cuts’ products were available at the Winnetka Farmers’ Market over the summer, where the duo was a temporary vendor. Following their debut, they received numerous accolades from shoppers and fellow vendors regarding their young ages and the quality of their handmade products. “The director of the Winnetka Farmers’ Market says she received many comments

Ellie Houston and Campbell Eggers. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

about how other people loved seeing us,” Houston notes. Each week, the pair sold out of their vibrant handmade cards featuring cheery “thank you” and “happy birthday” sayings. This popular product requires a multi-step process, from selecting the color scheme of the cut-out

design to pasting it on the backing to choosing the enclosed envelope. Now, customers can place orders for Creative Cuts products directly through emailing one of the girls, with their addresses linked on the small business’ comprehensive website showcasing their whimsical designs. If customers prefer to purchase in person, Creative Cuts cards are now available at Beat Street in Winnetka and Sage Explorers in Lake Forest. Launching a small business amid a pandemic did not give the girls pause; instead, they have adapted by placing their own designs on top of face coverings and making them for small businesses, family members, and friends. The girls even made a customized mask for a fellow vendor at the farmers’ market who sold plants and wanted his logo featured on a mask. The pair even have aspirations for Creative Cuts that transcend the pandemic. Eggers hopes their work at the Winnetka Farmers’ Market and this feature will be sufficient avenues to get their name out to customers and lead to the pair exploring additional outlets such as opening an Etsy shop. With the girls’ impressive drive and tremendous versatility, their small business has been able to flourish, and they are even expanding their product line to feature customized engravings on necklaces. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next. To learn more about Creative Cuts, visit sites. google.com/view/creative-cuts. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

NORTH SHORE FOODIE

BOSTON BAKED BEANS WITH BROWN BREAD The American Common Bean category includes many beloved, native-to-theAmericas beans—navy, red kidney, pinto, great northern, marrow, and yellow eye, plus garden variety edible-pod beans (string, stringless and snap). It’s not clear which of these the New England colonists first stewed in a pot, but we do know baked navy beans started with Native Americans. The Narragansett, Penobscot, and Iroquois wrapped navy beans in deerskins—or put them in earthenware pots, along with venison, bear fat, and maple syrup and then baked the lot in hot-stone-lined pits. Puritans eschewed the deerskins but took to bean-pot cookery because the long, slow cook times meant the dish could be prepared a day ahead, and in so doing, stick to Puritanical no-cooking-on-Sabbath rules. Eventually molasses—the sticky-sweet sugar-refining byproduct used to make rum in colonial Boston, found its way into the beanpot, sealing the beans-and-Boston partnership that lasted long after no-cooking-on-Sabbath waned. Molasses was also used to make brown bread, itself an adaptive-use product Colonists created due to the shortage of wheat flour. Wheat didn’t grow well in the Colonies, but rye and corn did. So to stretch what wheat they had, the Colonists created “thirded” breads—made with equal parts corn, rye and wheat flour. Earliest examples of the resulting loaves were yeast-raised and less sweet, but sometime later in the 19th century, the pudding-like practice of sweetening the bread with raisins and more molasses and steaming it in a mold, became common. It’s astonishing that such a hearty grain trio—rye, coarsely-ground corn, and whole wheat—yields such a moist, tender, and flavorful loaf! But putting those dry ingredients with molasses, baking soda, and buttermilk works food-chemistry magic. The finished bread most closely resembles the best bran muffin you ever had. Our recipe for Boston Baked Beans is a standard I’ve used for years. The biggest challenge you’ll have with either of these recipes is that they take time. For best results with the beans, you’ll need to soak them overnight and then slow-bake them in the oven for 7 or 8 hours (cut that to 5 to 6 if you have a convection oven.) And it will take you a good hour-and-one-half or more to steam the bread. The results are worth it. INGREDIENTS Boston Brown Bread: 1 cup organic coarsely-ground cornmeal 1 cup organic whole wheat flour 1 cup organic rye flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3/4 cup grapeseed oil OR vegetable oil 1/2 cup molasses 2 cups low-fat buttermilk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup raisins Boston Baked Beans: 1 pound white navy beans 1 tsp baking soda 1 large onion, peeled, and chopped 1/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 Tbsp dry mustard 1 tsp ginger 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (NOTE: you could use tomato ketchup, but your favorite BBQ sauce will be zippier) 1/4 tsp fresh-cracked pepper 1/2 lb bacon, divided (dice all but three slices of the bacon)

RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS METHOD Make beans: Wash and pick over beans, removing any debris. Place beans in a 5-quart pot. Pour 3 cups boiling water over the beans. Soak. As beans absorb the water, add cool water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Continue to soak overnight. Next day, pour out the bean-soak water, rinse, and add fresh water to cover the beans by one inch. Add baking soda and heat water to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 275. Add onion and other ingredients to the pot you will be baking the beans in. Add the beans and liquid. Stir in the chopped bacon. Stretch three strips of bacon over the top. Cover the bean pot with its lid. Bake for 7 to 8 hours (5 to 6 hours if you have a convection oven) until beans are tender. During the last hour, remove lid of the bean pot

of water in a large stockpot (water should be to a depth of about 3 inches.) Carefully place the two batter-filled cans in the During the last few hours of bean-baking, make water. Turn heat under the pot to low until water your brown bread. Combine the cornmeal, wheat is very gently simmering. Cover the stock pot conflour, rye flour, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. taining the batter-filled cans; steam the bread for Stir in the oil and molasses. Stir in the buttermilk 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours, replacing evaporated water and eggs. Sprinkle in the raisins and stir just to with a little more boiling water if needed. combine. Remove the foil and lid on one of the loaves. If Use a safe-edge can opener to open two large cans the bread springs back when touched, and if a (6-inches tall, 3-3/4 inches across), saving the tops. toothpick inserted into the top of the bread comes Once you’ve cleaned the cans out, grease both the out clean, the bread is ready. (If not, replace the lid/ insides of the can lids, and the inside of the cans wrap and steam a little longer.) Remove the cans very well. Divide the batter between the two cans. of bread. Cool on a rack for a few minutes. Turn Replace the lids and then firmly wrap the top third the loaves out. Slice thick rounds of the bread and of each can with aluminum foil. Boil about 10 cups serve hot, with the beans. and bake uncovered, in order to form a nice crust on top of the beans.

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

W E A R E PRO UD TO W E LCOME

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NANCYE SHAEVITZ & E L L E N DAV I S 847.828.4299 | nancyeshaevitz@atproperties.com 847.340.6874 | ellendavis@atproperties.com nancyeandellen@atproperties.com nancyeandellen.com

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24â&#x20AC;&#x201A;2021 |

S U N D AY B R E A K FA S T

TEEN KREX DON’T LOOK FOR 16-YEAR-OLD PARKER KREX, THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR, TO FACE EXTINCTION IN THE CORPORATE LANDSCAPE ANYTIME SOON. BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

A dinner in the Krex household in Glenview typically doubles as a business meeting. All three family members—Parker Krex and his parents, Steve and Erin—have a stake in the Deerfield-based company Brick Loot, which offers subscription boxes and custom sets for LEGO fanatics and other toy brickbuilding enthusiasts. The enterprise’s mission is to celebrate and enhance the building experience for brick builders worldwide. Erin and Steve Krex serve as president and vice president/prime investor, respectively. Parker Krex owns the title of Brick Loot Chief Entertainment Officer. Parker, 16 years old and a Glenbrook South High School junior, launched the company in 2014 at the tender age of 9, meaning he’s been a bona fide business boy for nearly half his life. “All business, all the time,” Parker says of the branding and bottom-line discussions in between fork lifts and sips and napkin blots to the mouth at dinnertime. “I’m the boss, technically, of my parents. “I occasionally shoot down their ideas.” What continues to soar: Brick Loot’s sales figures and awards heap. Parker Krex’s brainchild has generated more than $10 million in sales since its inception. Ten. Million. Dollars. Let that sink in, awed reader. The health publisher Verywell Family named Brick Loot “Best Overall” LEGO Subscription Box of 2021; Brick Loot had collected “Best Kid Box” honors from the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA) in 2020. SUBTA lauded Krex for “constantly evolving” Brick Loot and his pursuit of innovation. “I’m obsessed with LEGO, even at 16,” says Krex, who first played with LEGO at the age of 3, and, after turning 4, started reviewing his sets on YouTube. “Our basement is entirely devoted to LEGO. I’ve always enjoyed playing and building. I like getting new sets, building big stuff. I spent 12-plus hours building the Batwing, Batman’s aircraft. It took 3,000 pieces to construct it, and it’s something I consider a big accomplishment.” The creation of Brick Loot stemmed from deep dissatisfaction, shortly before Parker celebrated his 10th birthday. A gamer subscription box had arrived as an early birthday gift in late July more than six years ago. An exuberant Parker opened it and found a comic book inside, along with a pair of socks, a DVD, and … air freshener. “I remember feeling extremely disappointed,”

Parker Krex

Krex recalls. “A DVD? I didn’t have a DVD player at the time. It could have been so much better, that subscription box. I asked my mother, ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome to get a box with custom LEGO sets each month?’ I also asked her, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could create the subscription boxes?’ ” Erin Krex nodded twice. Steve Krex listened to the ensuing pitch—think Shark Tank at the hyper-local level, under the Krex’s roof—from Parker and Erin and agreed to back the endeavor financially. Hello, Brick Loot. Monthly subscribers receive a box filled with unique, custom and neverbefore-seen items (ranging from 4-8) that work with LEGO bricks and custom building. The company also specializes in creative brick and LEGO sets, custom LEGO minifigures, and custom LED lighting kits. Among Brick Loot’s partners are Brick Stix, Brick Popper, and United Bricks. A monthly subscription box costs as low as $24.88, plus shipping. It’s not unusual for Brick Loot to ship 1,000 subscription boxes in a month. And its retail store, which is located on Pfingsten Road in Deerfield and opened in 2016, features more than 4,000 rare and unique minifigures on display. Parker Krex comes up with a subscription-box theme each month in his office at home, where the student with the 4.0-plus GPA also completes his schoolwork, including studying for his finals in Advanced Pre-calculus, AP U.S. History, and Honors Chinese earlier this month. One subscription box was Hollywoodcentric, and others contained items related to racing and CEO desks. Krex hasn’t reached AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) status yet, but it looks like he’ll get there and stay there. For decades. “At the beginning, I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ll be the next Bill Gates,’ ” Krex says. “I know now that won’t happen. I had a wild imagination back then; I was 9.” But Parker Krex, like Bill and Melinda Gates, has a philanthropic side. Brick Loot

| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021

At the beginning, I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ll be the next Bill Gates.’ I know now that won’t happen. I had a wild imagination back then; I was 9.

has donated more than 23,000 brick toys—17,000 in 2020—to Lake Forest-based Fill a Heart 4 Kids, an organization that gives unaccompanied homeless youth, at-risk children, and foster children educational support, necessities, and positive experiences to help their hearts heal and restore their dignity. “Every holiday season it’s great to be able to make kids smile by giving them toys,” Krex says. “Those kids have very hard lives, especially now with COVID-19 going on. They're struggling, looking for hope. They’re confined constantly, without opportunities to shop or buy toys. They deserve the opportunity to open at least one gift and have some fun with it.” As COVID-19 nears its one-year mark in the U.S., Krex, like the bulk of his peers, misses the things he used to take for granted—hitting up the mall, for one. “It’s weird, not being able to go out and simply walk around places like I did before the pandemic,” admits Krex, who has chosen the ELearning option since the start of Glenbrook South High School’s 2020-2021 academic year. “But I don’t have a lot of free time these days, not even at home. Free time? I honestly don’t know what that is. I’m always either doing homework or working on a Brick Loot project.” Krex’s approach to business mirrors that of a grizzled, measured executive’s method. Rash decisions don’t jibe with Krex’s entrepreneurial spirit; contemplation and big-picture visions do. “I look at everything—all sides, all points of view,” Krex says. “I then pick the best possible option and go with it. “I guess I’m running Brick Loot the right way.” It’s a tremendous guess. Guess what Parker Krex is thinking about studying in college, beginning in the fall of 2022? “Business,” he says. “Or maybe law.” Go with law, young man. You earned the equivalent of an MBA years ago. Brick Loot is located at 151 South Pfingsten Road, Suite E, in Deerfield. For more information, or to order a subscription box or a custom LED lighting kit for LEGO sets or brick and minifigure sets, visits brickloot.com. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

“Baby, It’s Sold Outside!” These are just some of the beautiful homes sold by Janet Borden in 2020...want to sell in 2021? The time to start is now.

43 SO

Number of homes sold by Janet Borden in 2020*

#1 Agent SO

In Highland Park, 2019 and 2020, number of homes sold*

10X

Chicago Magazine’s 5-Star Professional Award Winner

Janet Borden

847.833.3171 | janet@janetborden.com

Janet Borden is a Real Estate broker affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed Real Estate broker with a principal office in Chicago, IL and abides by all applicable Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of Real Estate brokerage. *Data from MRED, Broker Metrics: 1/1/20-12/31/20.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24 2021 |

NEW YEAR, N E W H O M E

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R EAL ESTATE E X PE RTISE

TED PICKUS 847.417.0520

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| SATURDAY JANUARY 23 | SUNDAY JANUARY 24â&#x20AC;&#x201A;2021

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND