The North Shore Weekend East, Issue 273

FIND US ONLINE: DailyNorthShore.com

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Papalia helps patrons find the right mix at Trifecta Grill. P14

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SPORTS

Junior Ryan Evans climbs the steps and taps a sign before entering the Rambler Room. P12

SOCIAL SCENE

More than 150 zoo fans got together to celebrate ZooLA 2017, a philanthropic live auction supporting the Lincoln Park Zoo. P10

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NO. 273 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION

NEWS

Lake County sues opioid makers

BY STEVE SADIN DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM

L

ake County State’s Attorney Michael G. Nerheim is suing 12 producers of prescription painkillers and three promoters of the products to hold them accountable for their role in the growing opioid epidemic across the country.

Though Lake County filed its own lawsuit December 21 in Lake County Court in Waukegan, Nerheim joined state’s attorneys from DuPage, Kane, Will and McHenry counties to show solidarity in their resolve to end the crisis.

Nerheim made fighting the opioid epidemic a top priority when he took office five years ago. “The impact and effect of the five collar counties surrounding Chicago standing shoulder to shoulder shows we’re all serious about this,” said Nerheim in a DailyNorthShore interview. “By showing this we hope more will follow suit.”

Filing suit along with Nerheim as state’s attorney are Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper.

Defendants include Purdue Continued on PG 9

HIGHS AND LOWS

Del Rio opera charms and endears for 47 years

BY JULIE KEMP PICK DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM

W

hen making plans for 2018, be sure to put the Del Rio Opera on your list of things to do. The Highwood restaurant’s famous holiday event won’t start again for another 11 months – but you’ve got to plan ahead and line up early to get tickets.

And when you go to the 90-yearold, third-generation Highwood restaurant to get your tickets, bring your appetite. People begin lining up the day after Thanksgiving to reserve seats for the opera.

“We put on our website that if you can’t get reservations on the phone, I’ve got donuts and coffee - come on in,” said third generation owner Bill Pigati of Highwood. “Then people lined up at 6:30 a.m. and I was still picking up the donuts.”

Pigati started hosting the holiday opera 47 years ago, and it changes every year. “My grandmother had Continued on PG 8 Singer Brittany Pebbles hits the high notes at Del Rio restaurant’s Holiday Opera on December 20. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

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| SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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| SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

INDEX

IN THIS ISSUE SOME GIFTS ARE MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH

[ NEWS ] 8

taxing issues

Wilmette School District 39 votes to extend the tax levy.

[ LIFESTYLE & ARTS ] 10

social scene

The Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo raised some $270,000 at ZooLA 2017.

[ REAL ESTATE ] 11

what you get for $1.5 million

We compare Lake Forest listings in the $1.5 million range.

[ SPORTS ] 12

taking a peek inside the rambler room

A former storage area for Christmas trees serves as a sanctuary/museum/meeting room for the Loyola Academy boys basketball team

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 |

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| SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

NEWS DEL RIO Continued from PG 1 this theory that in the world everything changes, nothing stays the same- you’d better get better,”he said.

And like Del Rio’s wine cellar collection of more than 3,000 choices from the late 1800s on up, Pigati only gets better with age. He always wears a smile and greets each guest with a story that turns customers into friends.

Sold-out performances began on December 1 at 5:15 p.m. and 8: 15 p.m. and ran through December 23 with a few days off in between. A three-course Italian meal was served in plenty of time before each show, with the right mix of cannoli and tiramisu to enjoy during the performance.

Pigati’s wife, Connie Pigati, and the staff are as excited about the Guests of the Holiday Opera at Del Rio in Highwood on December 20 were as festive and opera as the guests, who often wear melodious as the professional singers. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER festive holiday hats and headbands for the occasion. Pigati explained five large golden ring props that they about 10 or 11 professional perform- sérables, there wasn’t a dry eye in the brought into the restaurant. ers from all over the country who house. Surprisingly, Pigati said that one year some of the guests The repertoire included songs appear at Del Rio, including a few Lewis is talking about quitting music showed up wearing partridges on and going into biochemistry. In adtheir heads as a gentle hint that they from Phantom of the Opera, Les seniors.

The baritone just won the New dition, the piano player has a doctor would like to sing “a partridge in a Miserables, My Fair Lady, Italian pear tree” during the classic Twelve operas, several Christmas carols, and York Met competition, and one of of musicology degree from NorthDays of Christmas audience participa- a Hanukkah Carol written by Bill the female singers starred on Broad- western University.

Pigati himself. way in Les Misérables and other Despite the wide range of entertion song.

“I figured if Irving Berlin could musicals. tainment, Pigati admits that some During the song, each section of When Luther Lewis showed off people have a pre-conceived notion the restaurant was responsible for write a Christmas song,I could write his extraordinary vocal range in about opera. singing a particular day. The tables a Hanukkah Carol,” said Pigati.

Pigati explained that there are Bring Him Home from Les MiFor example, years ago Pigati that sang on the fifth day held up

tried to get WGN Radio host Bob Collins to partake in the dinner and holiday opera experience, but he had no desire to hear an opera. Once Pigati said that once he convinced him, Collins went eight times a year with Orion Samuelson, best known for hosting the U.S. Farm Report on WGN Radio.

A satisfied customer told Pigati that she went to the Lyric Opera and the voices were better at Del Rio. Pigati had music minor at Bradley University and played intramural football. “My cousin was dating a quarterback and I got a shift guard in my throat, which fractured the larynx and I talked like a frog for about a year,” he said. Fortunately, he is fully recovered and always ready to join in with the singers.

Pigati said that at Northwestern University, the students are not into opera; they’re into musical comedy.

When he first began hosting the opera at Del Rio, he brought in four students from American Conservatory of Music, DePaul University, and Northwestern, and the students would sing around the piano. Pigati said some were better than others, and a few went on to professional careers.

He paid the students to sing at a Christmas Eve party, and at 11 p.m.

when the evening was coming to an end, two couples walked in. They asked if the restaurant was still serving, and Pigati said that everything was closed -- but he offered to cook something for them anyway.

Later that night, he noticed that the candy dish at the end of the bar had disappeared, so he put ads in newspapers saying that his father’s buddy from Japan brought back the dish, but lost his leg during the war.

The dish had been in the bar since 1947, and he was asking for its return.

“Then a sweet lady from Highland Park brought me a dish –(the one) that’s there now, and a spare,” said Pigati. “She got the dish from her grandmother in the 1896 Columbian Exposition at the Chicago World’s Fair.

Del Rio has been a family business for more than 90 years. In 1922-23 Del Rio was named after Delores Del Rio and operated as a tango club. Every corner of the restaurant is filled with history, which makes for an interesting backdrop to the opera.

Pigati put it best, “People come to hear the opera from all over the country, and it’s like Christmas doesn’t start ‘til the Del Rio.” Del Rio is located at 228 Green Bay Road in Highwood. For more information call 847/432-4608.

Wilmette D-39 extends tax levy 4.35%

BY EMILY SPECTRE DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM

T

he Wilmette School District 39 Board of Education voted in favor 6-1 to extend the tax levy by 4.35 percent, or $2,193,233 million over the 2016 levy, after hearing from numerous residents on both sides of the issue.

Board member Tracy Kearney, who has been outspoken in her concerns over the district’s spending practices, voted against the levy.

Kearney also moved to have the levy request reduced to 2.88 percent, but that motion was overturned 6-1, with Kearny the only board member voting to support it.

The levy issue has been a hot topic among many residents the last couple of months. Numerous residents spoke both for and against it at the board’s November 13 meeting.

Additionally, the community group New Trier Neighbors published two advertisements on December 7 and December 14, asserting that District 39 schools can be fully funded next year without any tax increase.

But other school board members were leery to veer away from what was described by Gail Buscemi, business manager for D-39, as the dis-

trict’s “standard practice” to extend the levy by the rate of inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), plus estimated new construction within the village.

Under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) passed in 1995, the district’s revenue is limited to the rate of inflation, plus an allowance for new property. The district can only raise additional revenue by going to referendum, as it did in 2011. Since that time, the district has aimed to maintain a fund balance of 30 percent — distinctly lower than other New Trier feeder districts that hold balances over 50 percent — and has the lowest per pupil expenditures than many other top-rated schools, including neighboring New Trier feeder districts.

The 2017 CPI estimated amount is 2.1 percent, which converts into an increase of $115.35 on a typical $15,000 tax bill, according to Dr. Lechner’s presentation at the meeting. The levy also includes an estimate of new property growth within Wilmette of $40.1 million.

Cook County ultimately determines the final levy extension amount, which Buscemi predicts will be closer to 2.84 percent, or $1,485,976 over

the extension in 2016.

A debt service amount of $1.2 million, a 4.57 percent increase from last year, is not part of the levy request, because it was previously approved by voters in the 2011 referendum, according to Buscemi.

Buscemi shared a number of charts looking forward five years, that changed the fiscal landscape for the district depending upon variables such as not extending the levy in 2017, or a potential two-year property tax freeze that is being considered by the state. Buscemi estimated that a one-year tax freeze would cause the district’s fund balance to dip below 30 percent by 2022. Likewise, if the district were to elect to freeze the levy in 2017, followed by a two-year, state-imposed property tax freeze, a three-year freeze would cause the district’s fund balances to dip below 30 percent by 2021.

Buscemi noted that if the district’s fund balances were to dip below 25 percent, the district would be placed on a financial watch list by the state, and the district’s bonding rating would be impacted, resulting in paying more to borrow money.

During public comment period, residents weighed in on whether or

not the district should extend the Wilmette, its residents earn higher levy. Many residents supported the salaries on average. “We have a levy extension, noting that families bigger middle class in Wilmette move to Wilmette specifically for than Winnetka and Glencoe,” she the quality school system, and failing said. to extend the levy would hurt propMyles and others worried that erty values. “I want my property extending the levy was too much of values to stay up. The surest way to a burden on taxpayers, who were hurt my property values is to cut already experiencing uncertainty funding to our schools,” said John under the federal tax bill. “When Marshall, a Wilmette resident. your property taxes are higher than Dan O’Brien noted that he your mortgage, you own a liability,” moved to Wilmette specifically for Myles said. the school system and worried that Mark Weyermuller was clear not extending the levy would cause about his intentions. “I want to pay significant cuts to program- less taxes and I am not embarrassed ming. “That will really hurt the to say it,”he said.Weyermuller noted quality of education,” he said. raising taxes in Wilmette could Likewise, other residents ex- contribute to the mass migration pressed support of the school board’s out of Illinois. efforts to spend conservatively. “In But the majority of board my opinion this district doesn’t members were not convinced.“The squander its resources. It’s a wise way that we approach the tax levy steward of its funds,”said Erin Stone, now, while not perfect, has allowed us and will continue to allow us to a Wilmette resident.

But other residents pushed the invest in our capital,”board member board to abandon its long-standing Jon Cesaretti said. He pointed to practice of extending the levy, and using new construction money to consider the tax burden imposed on support projects such as the addition residents. and improvements to Highcrest Kathy Myles noted that while Middle School the board is curother New Trier feeder districts may rently considering. spend more money per pupil than Other board members spoke

about their roles as stewards and liaisons to the community. Board member Alice Schaff noted that as a steward of District 39, the board members have a responsibility toward the students in the district.

“I think not extending the 2017 levy amounts to a cut in our education system,” she said.

But Kearney urged the board to consider looking at spending cuts, as well as creating a budget before extending the levy (or not) based on that budget. She suggested the board consider only asking for the amount the district needs, rather than a larger amount based on the assumption that Cook County will adjust the levy to a lower amount.

All of the board members were in agreement that the outpouring of public input was invaluable, and improved the conversation.“I think this has been an exceptionally well researched and understood topic,” President Mark Steen said.

According to Steen, it has been five or six years since the board conducted a deep expense study. He said in the coming months the board planned to “sharpen our pencils”and see if it was possible to cut expenses without hurting programming.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 |

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NEWS

Have a North Shore New Year

BY JULIE KEMP PICK DAILYNORTHSHORE.COM

L

ooking for a New Year’s Eve outing without having to fight heavy city traffic and pay even heftier city price tags? There are plenty of opportunities to celebrate right here on the North Shore -- for all ages. Here are a few suggestions:

210, Highwood The 210​ ​New​ ​Year’s​ ​Eve​ ​Gala event begins with Indika Reggae from 7 to 9 p.m., followed by an exotic dance by Carmella, and it culminates in the funk/dance highenergy band, Suite Mollie.

Gourmet food options include pecan soup, caprese salad, margarita chicken, pan-seared blackened sea bass, chocolate panna cotta- plus a vegan meal option including vegetable risotto and a champagne toast.

Cost is $150 per person for the gala and the party package, or $25 for the New Year’s Eve Party featuring Suite Mollie at 10 p.m.

210 is located at 210 Green Bay Road, Highwood. For more information call 847/433-0304 or visit 210restaurant.com.

Phoenicia Mediterranean Cuisine, Highland Park Phoenicia Mediterranean Cuisine will offer four dinner options for New Year’s Eve, along with belly dancing entertainment at 8 p.m.

The first dinner option is prime rib served with Au Jus sauce, baked potatoes and steamed organic broccoli. The $59.99 per person dinner includes a whiskey shrimp appetizer, choice of soup or salad, cake or baklava, and a glass of red or white house wine.

The next three dinner options are $49.99 per person and include choice of pan seared trout topped with chef ’s special dill sauce served with sautéed organic vegetables and OPIOIDS Continued from PG 1 Pharma,Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Cephalon, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Health Solutions, and companies affiliated with them.The American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Geriatrics Society and American Pain Society are named too.

Suits Are Part of Nationwide Movement

The five counties are part of a growing effort by local government to rein in drug manufacturers and hold them accountable for their actions. More than 200 governmental units have filed suit in federal court

Kohl Children’s Museum is doubling the fun with two New Year celebrations as the entire wing of the museum is transformed into a giant Times Square-style party complete with a big confetti drop.

The event includes: Children’s concert with the Dreamtree Shakers (morning only) • DJ and dance party (afternoon only) • Party hat making and noisemakers • Family photos and photo frame decorating • All 16 indoor exhibits open for exploration • Giant confetti drop at the stroke of “midnight” The event takes place Sunday, December 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Kohl Children’s Museum is located at 2100 Patriot Boulevard in GlenSuite Mollie will perform at 210 in Highwood on New Year’s Eve. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF 210 HIGHWOOD view. For more information call 847/ oven roasted potatoes or Bronzini there will be a champagne toast at Lake House Lake Bluff Party Package: 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 832-6600 or visitkohlchildrensMediterranean sea bass, grilled midnight.

Lake House Lake Bluff is offer- 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. museum.org. (whole fish or fillet). Oven roasted Two hours of unlimited bowling ing two entrees, two shared sides, a Wilmette Masonic Hall, Wilstuffed Mediterranean style cage Guildhall is located at 694 Vernon bottle of house wine or champagne including shoes, a kid-friendly free Cornish hen with sauce served Avenue in Glencoe. For more informa- and dessert for $80 a couple. The buffet featuring chicken tenders, mette The New Year’s Eve party will be with garlic mashed potatoes and tion call 847/835-8100 or visit choice of entrees include a bone-in pizza and French fries, unlimited gravy and sautéed organic vegeta- guildhallrestaurant.com. pork chop, rotisserie chicken dinner, soft drinks, sparkling cider and a held at the Wilmette Masonic Hall bles. king-cut prime rib 16-ounce, 10- champagne toast starting at $19.99 at 1010 Central Avenue from 7 p.m.

MLG Chicago, Lake Forest to 12:30 a.m. Here is a list of events: Entrees from Phoenicia’s regular ounce filet, snow crab leg and prime per person.

The Marcus Lemonis restaurant • From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.- Family menu will also be available, and the Nighttime Party Ball Drop rib dinner 12-ounce and parmesan DJ Dance Party complete with kids restaurant will be open on New will feature acoustic duo The Sipos crusted tilapia over pasta.

Package at 9 p.m. & Young Band from 6:30 to 10:30 Year’s Day at 11:00 a.m.

Four hours of unlimited bowling, activities The celebration will feature a p.m. in the bar area. From 10:30 • At 9 p.m. – Family Balloon midnight champagne toast and a gourmet buffet including Caesar Phoenicia is located at 1910 First p.m. on music will be provided by party favors. Live music by Ron salad, chicken tenders, pizza, shrimp Drop • 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Adult/ Street in Highland Park. For more Spotify Radio.

Barron and Friends starts at 7 p.m. poppers, grand nacho & taco bar, The regular dinner menu ininformation call 847/266-9990 or and runs until 9 p.m., but the bar dessert sampler, unlimited soft Teen DJ, disco ball/light show cludes chicken, seafood, steaks, ribs, • Pizza, appetizers, dessert and visit phoeniciacuisine.com. drinks, party favors, sparkling cider will remain open until 1 a.m. chops, pasta and sandwiches.These and champagne toast at $33.99 per non-alcoholic drinks will be proGuildhall, Glencoe will be offered along with specials. vided but BYOB Lake House Lake Bluff is located person.

The Big Lagniappe, a New In addition, MLG Chicago features The price is $20 kids/teens and at 525 Rockland Road in Lake Bluff.

Orleans-style band, will begin at 8 an expansive wine menu with over Brunswick Zone Deerfield Lanes $30 for adults. Noise Makers and For more information call 847/295p.m. and continue to play into the 500 bottles from Lemonis’ per7140 or visit lakehouserestaurants.com. is located at 10 S. Waukegan Road in Party Hats are also included. ProNew Year. The chef is preparing sonal collection.

Deerfield. For more information call ceeds will benefit building improvespecials that include rack of lamb, FAMILY-FRIENDLY NEW 847/498-3575 or visitbowlbrunswick. ments at the Wilmette Masonic lobster fettuccine and a langostino MLG Chicago is located at 181 E. Temple and Lodge. com.

YEAR’S EVE EVENTS shrimp appetizer. Everything on Laurel Avenue in Lake Forest. For the menu is served ala carte. The more information call 847/234-9660 Brunswick Zone Deerfield Lanes Kohl Children’s Museum, GlenFor more information visit restaurant will open at 5 p.m. and or visit mlgchicago.com.

New Year’s Eve Daytime Family view wilmetteeventhall.com. with dozens more doing the same in state court,according to a December 20 New York Times story. Attorneys general from 41 states are working together to find solutions as well.

The suit claims the drug companies engaged in a “campaign of unfairly, deceptively and fraudulently marketing prescription opioids in Lake County,”according to language contained in the complaint filed in court.

The three non-manufacturing defendants are accused of working with the drug makers to “promote opioids to doctors and patients, including elderly patients, as appropriate and safe for long-term use to treat

chronic pain,”when that was not the case, according to the complaint.

While much of the litigation Nerheim oversees are criminal prosecutions, this is a civil lawsuit seeking money from the drug companies and injunctive relief to prevent the defendants from engaging in the conduct alleged in the lawsuit. He thinks civil litigation is the best way to deal with businesses that are harming the public.

“Our job is to hold people accountable for their actions,” said Nerheim. “We want to stop them from what they’re doing. We can’t put Purdue in jail,”he added referring to one of the corporate defendants.

“The best thing to cut into their

profits, make it too expensive for them to do this.”

Should the litigation yield results, Nerheim said, the drug companies rather than Lake County taxpayers will be paying for what he calls their misdeeds.Right now the county pays for treatment programs, the costs for law enforcement and in some cases for health care professionals to treat people.

A victory in the lawsuit or a settlement would help shift some of the cost from the taxpayers to the drug companies, according to Nerheim.

He said the need is growing because more people need treatment than the county has facilities. He cited the A Way Out a program as an

example.

A Way Out allows drug users seeking treatment to walk into a police station, say they want treatment and be transported to a facility without fear of arrest, according to Nerheim.

“We are a resource-rich county and we’re running out of facilities.

This all costs money and right now it is on the taxpayers,”he said, adding that a successful lawsuit will force drug companies to help pay.

While all five collar counties are taking action simultaneously, Nerheim said Lake County is taking a slightly different route. While the other four counties hired a private law firm to prosecute their claims,

Nerheim said the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is leading the charge with the assistance of outside lawyers with expertise in the field.

Helping out with the case are attorneys from the Washington D.C. law firm of Motley Rice, LLC, and Highland Park-based Baizer Kolar P.C., according to Nerheim.

“I like the job they did helping Chicago in a similar case,”Nerheim said of Motley Rice. “It’s important to have Lake County lawyers involved too,” he added referring to Robert S.Baizer and Joseph E.Kolar.

“They’ve been sworn in as special assistant state’s attorneys for this case.”

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

SOCIALS ZooLA 2017 The Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo Photography by Violet Dominek

The Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo gathered more than 150 guests for ZooLA 2017, a philanthropic live auction, raising more than $270,000 at a private club adorned with swan motifs that mirrored the gift of two swans that inspired the formation of Lincoln Park Zoo. The exclusive evening, hosted by event cochairs Sarah Beardsley and Katie Gledhill, began with a festive and lively cocktail hour. Following the reception, prominent business, social and civic leaders raised their paddles at the live auction to support the city’s treasured landmark. Proceeds from ZooLA 2017 support the Women’s Board’s leadership pledge to Lincoln Park Zoo’s worldwide efforts in conservation, learning and animal care through new state-of-the-art facilities and programs. lpzoo.org

CAROLINE HUEBNER, SARAH BEARDSLEY, KATIE GLEDHILL

ALLYSON POOLEY, KRISTA COAN

CHARLOTTE MONHART, MARY MCGREGOR

ABBY FUNK, SHAWN SANDOR, PEGGY HOPKINS

GREG & MARY PEARLMAN

123 KENILWORTH AVE,

KENILWORTH

6 BEDROOM | 5.2 BATH | $3,495,000 The beautiful arched doorway invites you into the elegant reception hall of this stately Georgian home on an oversize 156’ X 182’ lot, one block from the lake. The entire home that has been masterfully renovated and meticulously maintained is enhanced with grand rooms, arched windows, high ceilings, hardwood floors, custom millwork, handsome moldings and outstanding architectural details throughout. Elegant living room and dining room. Smashing fully appointed kitchen with adjoining breakfast room and large family room, sunroom and office.

T o view more of this home visit, 123KenilworthAve.info

312.342.4278 | mawickegroup@atproperties.com

IT’S NOT JUST OUR BUSINESS, IT’S OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

One Billion in Sales* *Source: Includes all sales reported by MRED and previous years

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 |

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REAL ESTATE

What You Get For $1.5 Million We’ve scoured the North Shore to find some of the best deals for around $1.5 million.

…In Lake Forest

Location: 385 E. Wisconsin Ave Lake Forest Size: 5 bedrooms, 4.1 baths Price: $1,449,000 Once in a lifetime, a home appears that will be the house of your lifetime! Designed by Alfred Grainger, this house has had only 4 owners in nearly 100 years! High ceilings, gracious rooms are the signature here! The central dining room makes an elegant statement, and a gracious living room with a beautiful stone fireplace is perfect for entertaining. A yummy warm library, with original black tile floor, adorns the fireplace as well, cozy winter nights will be spent here. A sunny sunroom completes the first floor. The four family bedrooms have been renovated bathrooms, all ensuite! Two additional maids rooms have been

re-purposed as an office and sitting room. A generous family kitchen combined the best of yesteryear with the best of today, open to the family room complete with wood-burning fireplace. A huge attic is ready for your imagination to run wild. All this within easy walking distance to town and train, a true stone’s throw to the Winter Club, and a stroll to the beach.

Exclusively Presented By: Marina Carney, Andrew Mrowiec Griffith, Grant & Lackie Realtors Marina Carney 847-274-5566 mcarney@gglrealty.com Andrew Mrowiec 847-308-2589 andy@gglrealty.com

…In Lake Forest

Location: 146 W. Westminster Rd Lake Forest Size: 5 bedrooms, 4.1 baths Price: $1,599,000 Stately all brick Georgian freshly painted and ready for new owners. Gorgeous 1.38 acres on a quiet cul-de-sac near Open Lands in heart of downtown Lake Forest. This property makes you feel like you are out in the country, yet offers the convenience of walk to town, shopping, and lake.

This beautifully expanded home offers a light and bright floorplan ideal for entertaining with tall ceilings, 3 Fireplaces, hardwood floors, front & back staircases and detailed millwork. Special amenities including a gracious entry with bridal staircase, generous sized formal Living room and

Dining room, cheery sunroom that shares seethru Fireplace with the paneled family room, expanded white kitchen with stainless appliances, center island & granite counters and large outdoor paver patio. Office and 5 bedrooms including spacious master with sitting room, private bath, and amazing walk-in closet. Finished Lower level with rec room, full bath & possible in-law suite.

Exceptional in-town location on one of most beautiful streets with some of the most exquisite estates in all Lake Forest!

Exclusively Presented By: Lisa Trace Griffith, Grant & Lackie Realtors 708-710-4104 ltrace@gglrealty.com

Happy New Year!

The Wexler Gault Group

1 BROKERS IN HIGHLAND PARK FOR ALL BROKERAGES, 2015*

#

Beth cell 312.446.6666 Joey cell 312.961.6699 wexlergault@atproperties.com TheWexlerGaultGroup.com

1 Team in the Highland Park office, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016*

#

Over $50 Million Sold in 2017* ** BrokerMetrics, LLC 1993-present

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| SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

SPORTS

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @tnswsports

‘LA CONFIDENTIAL’ An inside look at the Rambler Room — the boys basketball team’s sanctuary/museum at Loyola Academy

BY BILL MCLEAN, SPORTS@NORTHSHOREWEEKEND.COM

T

om Livatino sits on a spacious couch in Loyola Academy’s Rambler Room, located above the balcony level of the school’s main gym.

The passionate boys basketball coach had just finished fielding

records and names of the recordsetting Ramblers.

The cozy room with the organized clutter also includes, among other objects, another couch, a conference table, a dartboard, a portable closet, bookshelves, stacks of game tapes, a University of Wisconsin Badgers trash bin and a piece of wood with the words, “To Dada Love Luke”, written in a child’s raw, jagged penmanship.

Luke, 7, is one of Livatino’s three children.

It’s fairly safe to assume another room like it does not exist in Illinois.

Or in the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

Most hoops teams congregate and strategize in locker rooms or in bland classrooms.

The former storage area for Christmas trees became the Rambler Room in 2013.

“We’re really lucky at Loyola Academy to have all of the facilities we have here,” Livatino, surrounded by his assistant coaches, says. “This room, this — LA senior guard place, is very functional. It’s really Kevin Cunningham important to the team, and I’m grateful we’re able to use it the the final question about his team’s way we do each season. We watch defeat of visiting St. Francis High film and go over scouting reports Junior Ryan Evans runs up the stairs and taps a sign before entering the Rambler Room. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER School in early December. in here. We spend halftimes up Livatino hasn’t fully decom- framed photos of former LA Room is adorned with a variety tip-off; the other for the number plaques cover portions of a wall. here. It’s a special place to be after pressed from his night of work, varsity players — clad in college of items. One features a pair of of hours, minutes and seconds Livatino had tacked the a win, especially a big win. but he’s getting there. The comfy basketball uniforms — hang.

“It’s also a place,” he adds, digital countdown clocks: one for before the Ramblers’ next rivalry current squad’s Team Covenant seat helps.

The wall is crowded, busy. not too far from the spots where “where we have serious conversathe number of hours, minutes and game.

Above his head, rows of Every wall in the Rambler seconds before the Ramblers’ next Postseason championship posters reveal the team’s fitness tions about leadership, about

There’s a lot of going on in there; it’s filled with Loyola boys basketball history and great memories.

When I look around the room, I see a lot of positivity.”

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 |

13

SPORTS being men for others.”

Ramblers senior guard Kevin Cunningham caught an eyeful of the room for the first time three years ago — after mounting the narrow and perilously steep staircase leading up to it.

He made the ascent without the aid of a Sherpa.

“They’re pretty intimidating at first,” Cunningham says of the steps. “But you’d get used to them if you had to climb them as often as we do. My first impression of the room was, ‘Wow this room is hidden from the rest of the world.’ I now think it’s the best room at Loyola Academy. There’s a lot of going on in there; it’s filled with Loyola boys basketball history and great memories.

“When I look around the room, I see a lot of positivity.”

What Ramblers see while going up and down the stairwell: signs, lots of signs, with reminders or inspirational messages.

A sampling: IT’S A GREAT DAY TO TAKE A CHARGE NO REBOUNDS, NO RINGS CUT HARD FINISH WIN “As a freshman, I wondered what was up there,” Ramblers senior guard Patrick Russell recalls. “What’s up there is very cool. The signs with the motivational stuff on the walls, along the stairs, get us pumped before games and after halftimes. It’s a great place to be on nights we win, because it’s where we sing our fight song.”

Pete Mangan, another Ramblers senior guard, calls the room — which could almost pass for an elevated man cave — “our little den.” He once slipped and fell near the bottom of the stairwell after a halftime but bounced right back up and immediately thought, “I’d bet at least a couple of other players experienced what I just experienced.”

Livatino’s take on the dicey path to the Rambler Room?

“I’ve been able to burn some calories walking up and down those stairs,” he says.

A trophy, the Jesuit Cup, rests on the Rambler Room’s conference table. It goes to the winner of the Loyola Academy-St. Ignatius College Prep boys basketball game each winter. Paul Pryma started coaching boys basketball at St. Ignatius in the late 1980s. He also served as the athletic director at Highland Park High School (1994-99), as the varsity boys basketball coach at Evanston Township High School (1999-2005) and as the principal

LA head coach Tom Livatino huddles with his team prior to taking the floor against Notre Dame on Dec. 12. Below: The rivalry clock counts down to zero, the Pound the Rock rests near the doorway and a team photo of the 2013-14 team hangs at the top of the stairs.. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

at Glenbrook North (2005-14).

The same Paul Pryma is in his second season as an assistant

As a freshman, I wondered what was up there,” Ramblers senior guard Patrick Russell recalls.

“What’s up there is very cool. The signs with the motivational stuff on the walls, along the stairs, get us pumped before games and after halftimes.”

— LA’s Patrick Russell coach on Livatino’s staff. The length of a power forward’s body separates Pryma from the Jesuit

Cup in the Rambler Room on the night of the St. FrancisLoyola Academy game.

“So much about this room is about togetherness and brotherhood,” Pryma says. “Many of the charts on the walls in here, along with several of the messages, emphasize defense. I like that; I like a lot of things about this room.”

Luke Livatino makes an appearance in the Rambler Room.

The youngster darts here, dashes there. You almost get the sense he has spent as much time in the room as has in his room at home.

Luke sprints toward the stairwell.

His father orders him to halt.

“Come here,” says Tom Livatino, whose other children (Sienna, 9, and Michael, 5) are also frequent Rambler Room visitors.

The son runs toward his father, still sitting on that comfortable couch under all of those photos of former LA standouts.

The father kisses his son on a cheek and gives him a quick hug.

The son turns and sprints toward the stairwell again.

“Other teams use this room,” Tom Livatino says. “It’s important to note that. Soccer, girls basketball, volleyball … players in those programs are allowed in here, too.

“It just looks like our team is the only team that uses it.”

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| SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Mixologist dishes out expert cocktails, conversation … and kindness

BY DONALD LIEBENSON ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

B

efore Nicole Papalia became a bartender and mixologist, she worked as a nanny and in childcare.

You can basically write your own joke as it relates to skills she has sometimes had to draw upon over the course of her 10-year career in dealing with certain patrons.

For roughly the last four years, Papalia has concocted and dispensed drinks at Trifecta Grill in W innetka.

Before that, she was behind the bar at the now-shuttered Bridie McKenna’s in Highwood.

“It’s a fun job,” she says. “It’s really great if you enjoy getting to know people. You never know what to expect. There is something new everyday. It’s a great opportunity to create.”

Cocktail culture makes a distinction between “mixologist” and “bartender.” Aidan Demerest, writing for bar industry authority Nightclub & Bar, notes, “Achieving excellence in either role requires the same degree of commitment. A mixologist is an individual with a passion for combining elixirs and creating extraordinar y cocktails, whereas a bartender is an individual with a passion for making great drinks and creating well-balanced experiences.

To be successful, you really need both types of pros behind the bar.”

For Papalia, the desire to create is what led her to pursue a career as a mixologist.

“I’m not a very good cook,” she jokes. “I was initially a server, and I was fascinated by one particular bartender, and he would always give me advice on how he (created drinks). I wanted to be that person. They gave me a chance, and I really loved it.”

She attended bartending school to learn the standard cocktails and the history of different spirits. As she became better versed and more confident behind the bar, she developed an appreciation for

flavors and combinations.

“You learn what flavors mesh well together,” she shares. “There is no onesize-fits all in bartending. People have very particular tastes. Everyone has a unique palette, and you have to adapt.”

One recipe she “brought to the table,” she says, is her R aspberr y L e m o n D r o p, whose ingredients inc lude Coin treau, f resh lemon, Chambord, and homem a d e “s i m p l e syrup.” She does not recruit her husband as a taster for a new drink.

“He’s a Jamison and Miller Lite kind of guy,” she explains. “I’m my own guinea pig. Or, I’ ll make a little extra and ask patrons, ‘ What do you think about this?’ Customer feedback is really important.”

A common trope of popular culture is the bartender as a sage who is perceptive and psychologically astute, a f riendly ear for patrons’ ups and downs.

“I’ve heard it all,” Papalia says. “People

are more vulnerable and more emotional when they drink, and psychology is a big part of what we do.”

She recalls a couple whom she bef riended when she worked at Bridie McKenna’s.

“They were my parents’ age,” she says. “They used to come in twice a week, and we always chatted. I admired them. One day she came in without him, hysterically crying. She told me they were getting a divorce. I couldn’t believe it. By the end of the night, she couldn’t get herself home, and she called (her husband) to give her a ride.

When he came in, we all talked for about two hours.

They ended up saving their marriage right in f ront of me. That was a turning point when I realized that his job is more than just making drinks.”

An occupational hazard for a female bartender/mixologist is flirtatious p a t ron s ,

Nicole Papalia

but here again is where psychology comes into play. “ The majority of people know there is a line,” she says.

“You have to be confident enough to be firm and say when that line has been crossed. But I believe that someone trying to pick up a bartender, deep down, they just want conversation and a little attention. ” Better the customer be the center of attention than the bartender, Papalia states. Take the movie, Cocktail; please. She laughs at the mention of the box office hit in which Tom Cruise stands on a bar, recites poems and flips bottles in Top Gun-ish displays of flair.

“If I was standing behind the bar doing flair all night and made people wait for their drinks, they’d ask, ‘How much have you been drinking?’”

With the winter season upon us, Papalia offers a drink recipe that she says is perfect for a cold, winter night by the fire: Orange-Cinnamon OldFashioned The Simple Syrup: In a pot, mix 1 cup of water with 5 cinnamon sticks and the entire peel of one orange, and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until the sugar dissolves.

The Drink: In a tall mixing glass, start off with 1 oz. of the pre-made simple syrup.

Add one orange peel and twist it into the glass to get the full effect of the citrus.

Add 3 oz. of your favorite whiskey/bourbon (she recommends Woodford Reserve) and 4 dashes of orange bitters and 2 of regular Angostura bitters.

Add ice ad use a long mixing spoon to stir the drink.

Strain the drink over a highball glass that has a large, spherical ice ball in it.

Garnish with an orange peel, a cinnamon stick and 3 brandied cherries.

Enjoy!

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SSATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 |

7 3 1 P R O S P E C T, W I N N E T K A Completely restored and meticulously maintained, this home celebrates its original grandeur. Delightfully eccentric and uniquely American, this classic Shingle style home exudes a warm and welcoming façade. Its superb floor plan with an open concept kitchen/breakfast area that leads into the family room.

Offered at $3,950,000 | 731Prospect.info

CALL ABOUT EXCITING UPCOMING NORTH SHORE LISTINGS IN 2018

RENEW YOUR KITCHEN, BATH OR ENTIRE HOME FOR THE

New Year

WE BELIEVE EVERY HOME SHOULD HOUSE YOUR SOUL Restore North Shore is committed to designing and building our clients dreams.

We believe each client is unique in their style and needs. Restore North Shore provides personalized attention to facilitate transforming your home to reflect your personal needs and style in the best possible light.

Margaret Spaan 312.953.3785 mspaan@atproperties.com

RestoreNShore.com If you’re interested in buying, selling or remodeling, I welcome the opportunity to assist you.

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SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 | SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 2017 THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

656 ARDSLEY ROAD, WINNETKA $2,999,000

THE #1 LUXURY BROKERAGE FIRM IN CHICAGO AND THE NORTH SHORE.

Source: MRED $1 million+ sales, Chicago and North Shore, 1-1-2016 to 12-31-2016.

JENA RADNAY, 312.925.9899