The North Shore Weekend EAST, Issue 7 by JWC Media

NO. 7

NORTHSHOREWEEKEND.COM

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25 2012

FEATURING THE NEWS AND PERSONALITIES OF WILMETTE, KENILWORTH, WINNETKA, NORTHFIELD, GLENCOE, HIGHLAND PARK, & LAKE FOREST

In the

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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N o t E s : P l E a s E d o N o t P r i N t P h o t o t o d a r k a N d l o s E d E ta i l . P l E a s E d o N o t c r o P i N t o t h E s k i r t o r c o P y . P l E a s E u s E t h i s i N d E s i g N P d F. b u r g a N d y 11/24-11/25/12

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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index

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Interiors

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Inside This

North Shore Weekend

Limited

p15

NEWS 10 Paddle, paddle everywhere

As the weather gets colder, one group starts to head outside more: North Shore paddle tennis players.

11 Gone but not forgotten

Design For Your Family Interior Design Distinctive Furniture Fine Accessories

Those old stores may have disappeared, but their owners are still thriving on North Shore.

12 It just sits there

For years and years, Hotel Moraine has been a blight on Sheridan Road. What will happen to it?

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

15 Sunday Breakfast Store Hours: Weekdays 9 - 4 Saturdays 10 - 2

506 N Western Ave Lake Forest, IL (847)295-3800

We gather post-election thoughts from Stephen Moore, a New Trier graduate who is a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board.

24 You can go â&#x20AC;Ś. Downtown

We examine the appeal of North Shore downtowns to business owners.

26 What you get for ...

We unveil a number of North Shore houses that can be purchased for $2 million or more.

28 North Shore Offerings

Take a look at intriguing houses in our towns.

16 Social whirl

Take a look at some of the top parties attended by North Shore residents recently.

17 A look back

Socialite Edith Rockefeller McCormick, the daughter of John D. Rockefeller, lived an interesting life on the North Shore.

BUSINESS 31 Main Street

Bob Gariano looks at drinking water on the North Shore, where residents are fortunate not to have problems that afflict much of the rest of the world.

22 Your Weekend Agenda

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OPINION 32 Deep Thoughts

Columnists offer their views on whether our parties can achieve detente, what to change before 2016 election.

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42 The Perfect Weekend

The Merlos, restaurateurs in Highland Park, talk about their ideal weekend together.

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FIRST WORD | 7

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

When one door closes,

another opens

ew items stir the passion of a community more than a closing of a beloved store. When Don’s Finest Foods shuttered in Lake Forest in 2008, hundreds gathered at Gorton Community Center for a meeting in hopes of keeping it open. When Demas Food and Liquors in Wilmette closed after more than half a century last year, people immediately missed the mom-and-pop operation. Even when chains shut down stores – such as the upcoming closure of Saks in Highland Park – many are upset. The good news is, often the entrepreneurs who opened these shops move on to create new businesses. Joanna Brown’s piece in this week’s issue looks at those who ran three well-known stores – Hearts Desire in Highland Park, Senses in Wilmette and Robertson’s Men’s Store in Lake Forest – who have blossomed years after the demise of those institutions.

Of course, one wonders: What happened to some of those long-ago shop owners who seemingly disappeared into the night? Scores who once operated popular North Shore shops haven’t been heard from in decades. In Lake Forest, who could forget Al Chambers, whose voice sounded like he was underwater as he welcomed customers into his basement venue of tapestries, crystals and “smoking apparatuses”? That Western Avenue shop is long gone, but what’s always smoking on the North Shore is paddle tennis, especially as the cold breath of players appear after an amazing stretch of warm weather that’s lingered here since March. Scores of team compete on weeknights and weekends at clubs, and the men’s teams who lose at least enjoy a healthy supply of beer afterward. Enjoy the weekend.

November

David Sweet

Editor in Chief david@northshoreweekend.com

m o N t h ly S p e c i a l Available lunch and dinner • Monday thru Friday

$16.95 choice of: Soup or salad

JOHN CONATSER, Founder & Publisher

Telephone 847-926-0911

DAVID SWEET, Editor in Chief

Contributing Writers

BILL MCLEAN, Senior Writer/Associate Editor

JOANNA BROWN

T.J. BROWN

KEVIN REITERMAN, Sports Editor

BOB GARIANO

SCOTT HOLLERAN

KENDALL MCKINVEN, Style Editor

JAKE JARVI

ARTHUR MILLER

YING KAU, Art Director

JIM PRISCHING, Director of Photography

JON ALLEN, Graphic Designer

J.GEIL, Photographer

ABIGAIL MITCHELL, Graphic Designer

BRIAN BRIGGS, Contributing Photographer

ERYN SWEENEY-DEMEZAS, Graphic Designer

LARRY MILLER, Contributing Photographer

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8 | NEWS

A CLASS PROJECT

EXTRAORDINAIRE

Emma Feeney, 16, works with her New Trier High School classmates to install one of three holiday displays at Westfield Old Orchard Mall as part of their merchandising class.

photography by j.giel

New Trier students create holiday displays for Old Orchard ■

by joanna brown

A senior at New Trier High School with plans for college next fall, Sarah Musekabel is thinking about marketing programs. She hopes her degree will land her a career in the fashion industry. So it only made sense that the Wilmette resident would enroll this fall in New Trier’s one-semester course in fashion merchandising and marketing. The course got rave reviews from her friends who took it last year — but their class projects can’t compare to the one Musekabel and her classmates just unveiled. Twenty-two girls have designed, built, and staged three displays at Westfield Old Orchard mall this holiday season, with guidance from the mall’s marketing team and a Chicagobased design firm. Participants agreed that the opportunity to apply classroom learning to a public project in this locale has been an exceptional experience. “It was an excellent learning process for the girls to have a real-life experience where a client comes to you and tells you what they want and need, and then leaves it up to you to deliver a finished product,” said teacher Melissa Duffy, who led the business class this fall. “All along the way I heard from them, ‘This is so much harder than it looks.’ “ Duffy answered a call from Westfield Old Orchard marketing director Shannon Ridgeway a year ago to partner

on a curriculum that would get the students working for the mall. Westfield had previously partnered with students from Colombia College and DePaul University, but never a high school. “But the high school students are so creative and savvy with social media, we were really excited to see what they’d come up with,” Ridgeway said. This fall, Ridgeway met with students to discuss marketing in general and the mall’s plans for holiday decorations in specific, including the themes students were to focus on: fashion, food, and home. She offered a few supplies to get them started. The mall’s design firm, Oak Street Design, followed up with lessons on design principles and also career options. Students did their own research, too, including a study of other mall displays and the stores’ target markets, and research into the Old Orchard tenants in their display’s retail category. And then they went to work. Musekabel worked on the fashion team, which used magazines to make a fringed dress and a necklace for a mannequin. They added tree branches and bags from the mall’s most popular stores to create a wheeled display 10 feet tall for the mall’s concierge area. Time management, deadlines, and the artistic elements they learned about from Oak Street Design — height presented the biggest challenge — all factored into their decision making.

And like a professional job, the client threw Musekabel’s group a curveball on site. New stores had just opened at the mall, and students worked quickly just before they unveiled their work Nov. 13 to incorporate bags and other collateral that promotes the new tenants. “We learned a lot about teamwork. We all came in with ideas for what we should do, and I think we were all happy with the final display,” Musekabel said. Junior Mikayla Bernstein worked with 10 of her classmates to design a food-themed display. They started with an end table and a gingerbread house. “We wanted it to be welcoming and homey, like the mall’s holiday theme, Magical Moments. We thought of baking in the kitchen and making a gingerbread house,” she said. Students used bags from the mall’s many restaurants to wrap presents around their table, and added an apron and oven mitt from a mall tenant to further their baking theme. Before they knew it, their display was 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. “I think it made me more observant and opened my eyes to the amount of time spent on the store displays. It’s a fulltime job and hard work to bring customers in. The visual art is important to the store, and I really, really enjoyed doing it.” The professionals were equally pleased with the results. “They’re super cool,” Ridgeway said. “This was a wonderful way for us to provide support for our community and for education, and to provide a hands-on experience for these students.” The students’ displays bear small signs explaining to shoppers how they were created and by whom, including photos of students at work. They are located near Macy’s, Barnes and Noble and Williams-Sonoma through Dec. 31. ■

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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HAVING A BALL

paddle tennis is the hot sport on cold days in the north shore Sue Emme plays a game of paddle tennis at the Indian Hill Club in Winnetka.

photography by j.giel ■ by

bill mclean

It was 0 degrees in Chicagoland, with a wind chill factor of I-can’t-feel-my-toes. Jerry James, meanwhile, fished for his paddle racket at his home in Winnetka and couldn’t wait to play a platform tennis doubles match. Outdoors. “We’ll play in any kind of weather,” said the 54-year-old James, an avid league player at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka. “Rain, snow, sleet, you name it. We’re postal workers, with paddles.” When you can see your breath outside along the North Shore, you’ll also see brave paddle players running around mini tennis courts and bouncing off the courts’ chickenwired walls. It’s a winter sport, and its participants embrace it — and use it — to help them get through several dreary, brutal months of weather. “Who wants to be cooped up inside all winter?” said Matt Stiltz, head racquets pro at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest. “You get a good workout when you play paddle; it’s better aerobically than tennis is. The points also last longer and are more exciting, because the fences keep the ball in play.” It sometimes takes about three minutes to complete a point.

“I’ve seen some points last longer than it takes me to eat a quick meal,” said Mike Rahaley, director of racquet sports at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park. “It’s very difficult to put a shot away in paddle tennis. But that’s part of what makes the sport a great one. “It also gives players, of all abilities, an opportunity to get a good sweat going on a cold day,” he added. The Midwest is the paddle hotbed in the U.S., in part because of the proximity of so many courts — at private clubs and park district facilities — in Chicagoland, from Lake Bluff to Hinsdale. In the 1980s, Rod Workman figured approximately 500 men and women played paddle regularly in suburban leagues. “Now there are between 5,550-6,000 league players, and the leagues are really competitive,” said Workman, director of racquet sports at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest. “It’s still trending up. “The brand of paddle being played,” he added, “is nothing like it was 20 years ago. Back then there was a lot of lobbing, with more touch involved. Now it’s more aggressive; players are hitting the ball harder … much harder.” Brian Uihlein’s game is a potent combination of power and mind-bending spins. Like

a majority of paddle enthusiasts, Uihlein has a tennis background. The 1988 Lake Forest High School graduate teamed with John Noble (another current North Shore paddle standout) to win the IHSA state tennis doubles title in ’86. “Brian Uihlein revolutionized the game in this country, with the way he hits shots,” Rahaley said of the two-time national doubles champion. “The spins he puts on his overhead smashes … incredible. His opponents have such a difficult time handling his spins.” Uihlein’s partner these days is Drew Eberly, another former LFHS tennis great. “College graduates who played tennis have become hotshots in paddle,” Winnetka’s James said. “They’ve been great for our sport. They’ve elevated the game in this area.” Winnetka residents Cece Durbin and Sallie McClure were the top women’s players in Illinois for most of the 1970s. They won the first state women’s doubles title, in ’75, and captured another state championship the following year. But they didn’t haul trophies home back then. Champs received clothes. “My mom was an outstanding player, very aggressive and highly competitive,” Sallie Stanley said of McClure, who passed away in ’87 at the age of 62. “She was about

5-foot-5, and very good men’s players would ask her often to hit with them on courts at Indian Hill.” One of Durbin’s favorite paddle stories occurred at a tournament in Detroit. It was snowing during one of her matches. In those days the courts were wooden, unlike today’s aluminum surfaces (today’s courts also feature snow-melting heaters). “In Detroit we had to put our paddles down and shovel our court every three points or so, in order for us to see the lines,” said Durbin. “That’s how hard it was snowing.” Instructors and players insist paddle tennis is easy to pick up, compared to most other racket sports. “Because paddle is not that difficult to play and learn, people usually have fun the first time they play it,” said David Bukowski, director of racquet sports at Westmoreland CC in Wilmette. Players of all levels also have blasts in enclosed environs afterward. Camaraderie takes over for competition in paddle huts after matches, where former foes eat and swig and laugh together. No wonder a major racket manufacturer decided recently to design the bottom of a paddle handle that doubles as a bottle opener. “I’ve used one of those after a match … in a pinch,” Rahaley joked. ■

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news | 11

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Bonnie Arkin, the former owner of Hearts Desire, takes a break from teaching a mosaic class at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe

photography by j.geil

Bouncing back When favorite stores close, North Shore owners find success elsewhere ■ by

joanna brown

The downtown districts that dot the North Shore give character to the communities. They’re filled with boutiques and services that reflect local values and interests – and business owners who pour their hearts into providing just exactly what their customers crave. And it seems that even when a local favorite closes up, the entrepreneur behind stays in town and continues to work with the customers who’ve long supported them. “Trust me, there is life after retail,” said Bonnie Arkin. Arkin was only 24 when she and her mother, Barbara Levin, opened the Highland Park gift shop Hearts Desire in 1980. But she came from a family of collectors, and knew her mom’s personal collection of antiques would easily sell alongside the jewelry she created. “My first love and my passion is making jewelry,” Arkin said. But after 16 years she moved on to the next phase in her life. “Like all great love affairs, my heart fell out of it and it was time to close,” said Arkin, now a Buffalo Grove resident. She tried a variety of jobs, but eventually fell back on the entrepreneurial spirit and desire to create beautiful things that built the store. Mrs. Levin died earlier this year. These days, she divides her time between her own creations and helping others to tap their creative spirit. But she’s always working with old junk, like buttons, broken dishes and mahjong tiles she collects at antique fairs. “I was green before green was cool,” said Arkin. “In my classes we make rejuvenated jewelry, taking old and forgotten things and giving them new life.” The broken dishes are also used in her piqueassiette mosaics. Her creations are available at venues across the country, including Lake Bluff’s Peg Ann Kompany, Wilmette’s Raven and Dove, and several Holocaust museum gift shops. And her classes are scheduled at the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Chicago Jewelry School in Wheeling. Her advice to local entrepreneurs is to stretch their

minds and the way they think about business. “Creative people are always around.” Former Wilmette business owner Laurie Carver knows that Arkin’s advice rings true. Once the creative director at a Chicago ad agency she owned with her now ex-husband, Carver spent more than two years conceptualizing her first retail endeavor. “My tag line was ‘treasures and gifts to delight every sense,’ and as you walked through the store you walked through the senses. It was experiential retail,” she said of the shop Senses she owned at the intersection of Wilmette and Central avenues from 1996-2005. “I always loved creating and had spent all my years in advertising creating in two dimensions,” said Carver, who recently moved to Glenview. “The store was three dimensions, and it was filled with the things I loved. It was a healing place and it attracted neat people.” When the faltering economy forced Carver to close the store, she acted quickly to apply her professional experience and creative instincts in different business settings. Through Carver Creative, she works with small businesses to develop launch strategies, marketing plans and brand identity. “The work I’m doing is gratifying because I love entrepreneurs. I understand them, and I’ve been one, and I’m still immersed in the local community, which I love.” Her advice too small business owners is simple: appreciate what you’ve accomplished. “Continue to do all you can to give the best service you can, and do what you can to use your current clients to help you: encourage them to spread the word about you. Find clever ways to make sure people know you’re here.” In Lake Forest, where Pony and Gridley Swanton were the third and final owners of Robertson’s Men’s Store, the secret to success was as old as the Deerpath address: the customer is always right. Pony Swanton started working in Robertson’s while still a local high school student, and his wife ARKIN >> PAGE 12

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Welcome to the Hotel Moraine … such a vacant place

but that may change with proposal for organic food market, more. (above) The Hotel Moraine in Highwood looks nothing like its elegant forebear (right) which was located in Highland Park.

(left) photography by j.geil (right) courtesy of highland park historical society, circa 1922. ■ by

angelika labno

Dead leaves swirl around the desolate property at 700 Sheridan Rd. A peek through the yellowing curtains reveals the remnants of what once was a furnished hotel room: a few blankets strewn across the once-finished floor, an ancient portable space heater claiming the corner, an iron table propped open, a bottle of Raid. Proof of Hotel Moraine’s vitality in Highwood can be found in web archives or old photo albums. But after more than five years of vacancy, new plans may finally come to fruition. “We are anxious to move this property from a vacant hotel to a viable business(es),” said Highwood City Manager Scott Hartman. Recent developments with the property surround a concept plan presented to

Highwood’s City Council by current owner, Branko Tupanjac, in September 2012. Tupanjac proposed an independent living building in the hotel portion of the property, and an organic food market and café in the former banquet hall space. The plan was supported by the council. The history of the hotel dates back to 1971, when it was first operated as a Ramada Inn, and eventually, The Highwood Inn. In 1985, Highwood resident William Pigati headed a group that bought the motel and renamed it Hotel Moraine, inspire by the grandiose Hotel Moraine-on-the Lake in nearby Highland Park. The place was virtually made new in a $6 to $7 million rehab project. It was furnished to emulate the former Moraine’s splendor, with rooms featuring custom-built furniture, down pillows and French soaps, with bellmen and doormen at your service.

Yet it was not a complete reincarnation of the former luxury hotel. This affordable hotel sought to service business travelers, residents’ special occasions, visitors to Fort Sheridan and Lake Forest College graduations rather than act as a summer residence for the elite. Pigati housed three restaurants in the hotel’s east wing: The Orchid Room, a nightclub café, Italian and Swiss cuisine-inspired Ristorante Emilia, and the lobby wine bar, The Beach Club. Somewhere along the years, the splendor ceased. By 1992, the hotel underwent three name changes and appearances. The owner was now Branko Tupanjac, who acquired the property by bank auction. A string of failed attempts to rejuvenate the property includes the proposed Highwood Towers development in 2008 that never got off the ground. The last workings of the hotel are a stark contrast

from the original plan; the remaining reviews on TripAdvisor, ranging from 2002 to 2006 all offer their horror stories with an accompanying single-star rating. “When it closed, the town felt the impact on its finances,” said Hartman. There is a need for a hotel in Highwood, according to Hartman, who says it would also be a good revenue generator for the city. The property stands as one of the largest redevelopment sites in Highwood, sitting on approximately three acres. Across the street is the Philip H. Sheridan Reserve Center, making the property a prime location for a prominent structure. “Ideally we’d like to see a hotel there, but obviously the market will dictate viable uses for the property,” said Hartman, who is actively working with Tupanjac on the property’s redevelopment. ■

changing, fashions changed,” Gridley said. “People weren’t dressing up as much anymore, the men weren’t wearing suits to the office.” They retired for several months after the store closed (a Jos. A. Bank shop resides there now), but today remain as busy as ever in the endeavors they love most. Both Pony and Gridley have worked in local stores; Pony still

works in Smith’s Men’s Store a couple times a week. And in their hometown of Lake Bluff, Gridley is occasionally behind the counter at Voila. During the summer months, they’re both involved in the Farmer’s Market, Gridley as market manager and Pony as chair of the organizing committee, a nod to the role he

had in founding the market when he served as a Village trustee some 20 years ago. “It’s a lot of fun, and I just love it,” Gridley said. “The North Shore has always been loyal to us, it’s our home, and we know our customer. We adored our customers at the store.” ■

ARKIN >> FROM 11

said it was always his dream to own it. “And it came true!” she said of their 1979 purchase of the local institution from its second owner. Pony’s history with the store is also one of the reasons that their 1993 decision to close it was so difficult. “It had lovely, traditional, country clothing for men, boys and ladies, but lifestyles were

11/24-11/25/12

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

WALTMAN’S LIFE STAYS

COLORFUL

news | 13

Ballet Makkai Presents

The Nutcracker Dec. 1 & 2, 4:00 PM Elm Place Middle School AUDITORIUM Highland Park

Kay Waltman

■ by

katie rose mceneely

everyone thought he was dead. The movie is about the industry people trying to find him so he can perform. It’s the most amazing story; you couldn’t make that stuff up. Eating: Mostly vegetarian and organic; I mostly cook at home; I really love to cook. I’m a real vegetable vegetarian, I grew up on cooked greens of every kind and I love chard and kale. Never met a vegetable I didn’t like. It’s like painting: I experiment with flavors. Watching: “Dancing with the Stars” (I love dancing) and Channel 11 (PBS). I’m interested in different things across the board, nature and science and human-interest stories. I don’t like to fill my head with negative things. Activities: Community Church, bible study, walking, reading, bridge, crossword puzzles and of course...painting. ■

Kay Waltman began her career as an industrial designer in Chicago in the early 1940s and designing in Stockholm, Sweden, after World War II. She also spent 30 years designing interiors after moving to Lake Forest. Originally from Oklahoma, Waltman has been living and painting in Lake Forest for almost 60 years. Reading: “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats,” by Jan-Phillip Sendker; “Indian Summer,” by Alex Von Tunzelmann; and “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” by Walter Issacson. I love biographies and history and I wanted to expand my awareness. I’m reading “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats” after hearing the author speak; I loved hearing about his experiences. I like reading about positive things people have done with their humanity. These are things people need to know about. Listening to: Jazz, Blues and Big Band. It’s the music of my youth and I love the sound of the band. I’m always tapping my foot as I paint; I usually listen to jazz while I paint. Favorite Movie: “Searching for Sugar Man.” It’s the most fascinating documentary about a man named Rodriguez; in the ‘70s he was a very poetic musician, a Bob Dylan type. He was brilliant but the albums never took off. Later one of his albums was brought to South Africa and his music … became the soundtrack to the anti“Thank Goodness you’re here. His dish is empty.” apartheid movement. He frank cotham/the new yorker collection/www.cartoonbank.com became a sensation, but

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

STANDOUT STUDENT

NEWS DIGEST REVIEW

A CUT ABOVE

PREVIEW

Highland Park ■ Ravinia Festival contributed nearly $800,000 to its hometown of Highland Park, said festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman. This is the fourth year of a 10-year agreement through which the festival donates 5 percent of its annual gross ticket revenue to the city for its use as needed. The amount of the contribution is more than $3 million to date. “Ravinia Festival is an important economic engine for our city,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. “Ravinia’s guests patronize our local businesses, and they pay sales tax on food and souvenirs they purchase at the festival itself.” Highland Park ■ Stashs, a well-known hot dog palace which had been open since the late 1960s, shut its doors suddenly last week. The restaurant had moved to Second Street a few years ago from its location at Port Clinton. Bobby Dubin had owned Stashs for about a decade. Winnetka ■ The scheduled reopening of the Cherry Street Bridge was postponed until Wednesday, Nov. 21, weather permitting. Traffic has been forced to detour on Oak Street during construction. The village was slated to complete concrete sealing this past Monday and Tuesday. Questions should be directed to the Public Works Department at 847-716-3568.

Highland Park ■ The City of Highland Park will offer a free guided tour of the George B. Prindle Water Treatment Plant, 10 E. Park Ave., on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. These one-hour tours will provide residents an opportunity to learn about the City’s water supply and what it takes to provide a safe and reliable supply of drinking water to more than 60,000 people. Visitors will also be briefed on the plans to upgrade the water plant to incorporate state-of-the-art membrane filtration that increases treatment capacity by 50%. Kenilworth ■ A community planning workshop sessions on the Green Bay Road Corridor Transportation and Streetscape Plan will take place Thursday, Nov. 29 from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. at The Kenilworth Club. This planning workshop will allow residents to drop in throughout the day or evening and express their vision, values, and ideas. Please call Village Hall at 847-251-1666. Glencoe ■ The Village’s annual Leaf Collection Program will be finished on Friday, Nov. 30 after a seven-week run. Leaves will be collected from the parkway area in residential neighborhoods. Residents participating in the Leaf Collection Program are asked to pile them in a row along the parkway in front of their property and not in the street. Use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers is permitted through Dec. 15.

CORRECTIONS — In the Nov. 17-18 issue, Peter Rosenbaum should have been credited for the photo of the Monica Pedersen book cover. Jon Cancelino should have received credit for the cover photo of Monica Pedersen.

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— In the Nov. 17-18 issue, it was noted that Glencoe elects members of its golf advisory commission. Those members are appointed, not elected.

robert mankoff /the new yorker collection/www.cartoonbank.com

Logan Williams

photography by j.geil

Williams of Christian Heritage is focused on all aspects of film ■ by

angelika labno

Logan Williams pores over his recently shot video footage, scenes of his friends acting across the screen of his home-built computer. After hours of cutting, layering and editing, he will be ready to add music, a score composed by his musical friends. The anticipated narrative short film will be his biggest project yet, aiming for 20-30 minutes of psychological and emotional impact. Branching out from the usual filming locations around his house, Williams just needs to find a willing mechanic shop to bolster his vision. Once the final version is ready, he can submit it to one of Chicago’s many film festivals. “It is amazing what he has produced…and to think that he is only a sophomore is all the more encouraging,” said Christian Heritage Academy teacher Eric Johnson. Taking on the hobby about seven years ago, Williams has worked on every aspect of the filming process ever since, from writing and directing to editing and cinematography. His friends act and help write scripts while Williams lately focuses on being behind the camera lens. “If each person uses their gifts, then you can really do things that are quite amazing,” Williams said of his film production company of friends from Christian Heritage in Northfield. The progression of his filmmaking can be seen on his website, www.kai-pro.com. Clips range from a cutesy skit comparable to Nickelodeon to mature and more serious works. The more recent “Matches” was shown at the school’s “coffee house” showcase,

An Evening in the Fall. The message parallels someone being in the dark and striking matches to someone who wants to start a new “spark” for life, says Williams. When he is not writing scripts or shooting scenes, Williams stays active with sports. Having played soccer since age 5, Williams served as defender in the school’s first-ever boys soccer team this year. In the spring, he plans on playing volleyball. Williams likes to busy himself with publicity for the school, be it by making posters for the opera school or designing in yearbook club. The school makes use of his talents by commissioning him to record and make copies of school performances. He recently used the proceeds to buy a new lens for his camera. Although the spiritual student says he ultimately wants to do what God wants him to do, Williams aspires to entertain the masses with stories told through his unique perspective. He hopes to become a writer/ director like Christopher Nolan, whose movies include “Inception,” “Dark Knight” and “The Prestige.” Williams’s fascination with psychological thrillers has made him quite mindful for his age, as he enjoys tackling existentialist concepts like self-awareness and self-deception. “He does not settle for ‘trite’ answers,” said Susan Baliles, who heads CHA’s upper school theater. Williams just wants to stir inquisitive thinking in future audiences. “It’s hard for us to look at things from the standpoint that we aren’t victims, but closer to perpetrators, in what we do,” he said, after a long pause. “We can choose who we want to be before we go to bed at night.” ■

lifestyle & arts | 15 SUNDAY BREAKFAST Capitalism’s champion New Trier graduate Stephen Moore opines on ‘very depressing’ election and the fate of the country

Stephen Moore, a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board, speaks often about economics and other topics.

photography by don irvine

■ by

david sweet

When Stephen Moore drove through Winnetka and Wilmette before the presidential election, the New Trier High graduate’s mouth was agape. “I saw more Obama signs than Romney signs,” said Moore, a Wall Street Journal editorial board member based in Washington, D.C. who often appears on Fox News. “The North Shore is one of the wealthiest areas in the country. Don’t they understand Obama is talking about them when he wants to raise taxes? I was surprised by their low economic IQ.” The night of Tuesday, Nov. 6 was even more disheartening for Moore — but he saved plenty of fire for his own Republican Party. “The Republicans found a way to lose Senate seats (when Democrats had 23 up for grabs)? That was a very bad showing,” he said. “After this election, the Republican Party has to think about its branding problem, especially with young people. Barack Obama makes it cool to be a Democrat.” The 52-year-old grew up in Winnetka. His political beliefs were shaped in part by the economic malaise of the 1970s. “Waiting in line at 7:30 a.m. for gasoline? It was like, ‘What’s

wrong with our country? Are we turning into Russia?’ ” Moore credits the New Trier debate team with helping him in his job today. “That is a good way to train you and organize your thinking and to learn to speak publicly,” he said. After working at the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute think tanks, Moore — a University of Illinois graduate — launched the Club for Growth, which helped raise money for candidates, and the Free Enterprise Fund, which lobbied for various issues, such as the permanent repeal of the estate tax. He joined the Journal’s famously conservative opinion page — shaped by the late Robert L. Bartley — in 2005. “It’s an honor to work here. I can’t believe they pay me to do it,” said Moore, who interviewed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for a lengthy WSJ piece right after the election and last week lobbed a strongly worded piece arguing that instead of levying more taxes on the millionaires that exist, economic policies should be instituted to help create more millionaires. Though one may be surprised that Moore was interviewed by none other than fiery liberal Michael Moore (obviously not related) for his film “Capitalism: A Love Story,” one would

be less shaken by the knowledge that Stephen Moore never went to watch the film. “I was told by my liberal friends that I said if I could choose between democracy and capitalism, I’d choose capitalism,” said Moore, who hold a master of arts in economics from George Mason University — and who would still choose capitalism today. “That was seen as a radical comment.” Encounter Books has just published Moore’s most recent work, “Who’s the Fairest of Them All?: The Truth about Opportunity, Taxes, and Wealth in America.” He tears into the Democratic idea of economic fairness and is happy to point out which states are in dire straits. “The bluest of blue states are economic catastrophes,” said Moore, referring to California, New York and Illinois. Despite his angst over the state of the union, Moore is a self-described optimist. But he worries about the future, given the recent past. “We leave Americans of every generation better off,” he said. “That may not happen now because of an anti-growth philosophy. You don’t become rich and prosper by making the North Shore look like the South Side. The goal should be to make the South Side look like the North Shore.” ■

lifestyle & arts

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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A-MAZE-ing Gems in Winnetka photography by bonnie robertson Last month, Cindy Galvin invited friends and jewelry lovers to an Elizabeth Cole trunk show at Maze Home in Winnetka. Elizabeth Cole’s jewelry is inspired by antique pieces and motifs from the American West and has been featured by Zac Posen and in the pages of Vogue. ■ JENNIFER MARTAY AND MAGGIE WILSON

KRISTEN KOEPFGEN

JUDY WINSHIP AND CINDY GALVIN

JENNIFER MARTAY & MAGGIE WILSON

The Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation photography by bob carl & ana miyares The Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation (LSCRF) recognized October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its 27th Annual Fall Benefit. The 2012 Benefit Luncheon was held last month at the Hilton Chicago and was headlined by model, movie star, and bestselling author Brooke Shields. The event was attended by over 800 guests and raised over $765,000. ■

MARTHA MELMAN & LYNN CHESTLER

LAURIE ARONSON, SHARON BRISKMAN, AND DEBBIE LEEB

TOM & KATIE ORDOVER

ASHLEY ZISOOK, LILI ZISOOK, ALLISON ZISOOK GOLDSTEIN

BARRY LIND, BROOKE SHIELDS & TERRI LIND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

HER LEGACY OVERCAME HER FRAILTIES Wealth did not bring happiness to Lake Forest’s Edith Rockefeller McCormick, but it helped her accomplish much ■ by

arthur miller

Edith Rockefeller McCormick of Lake Forest is remembered best for her larger-thanlife wealth, her Villa Turicum ruin — and her frailties. Edith was the daughter of John D. Rockefeller who outlived her, he dying in 1937 with 15% of the gross national product of the nation’s value in his hands. Nobody before or since as had such a large share of America’s wealth. But Rockefeller was not an easy father to live with, according to his biographer Ron Chernow (Titan), and was one of the controlling personalities of history. He would walk about the house saying, “Edith is greedy,” one of the great American moments of psychological projection. Not surprisingly, two years before her marriage to school and family friend Harold McCormick (and her resulting escape from her father) she was hospitalized for nervous complaints, and so she came to Chicago by 1897 somewhat confused and fragile. Here her luck did not improve. Her spouse was the second son of Cyrus McCormick and with his brother, Cyrus II, Rockefeller’s chief lieutenants in the 1902 founded farm implement trust International Harvester, with Cyrus II as president. In the Harvester trust the McCormicks for Rockefeller held sway over the Deerings, backed by J. P. Morgan. Harold was a modernist, an early adopter of new technologies and ideas, and landed planes at the broad beach in front of his Lake Forest summer place by 1910. Edith was a notable antimodernist, lover of the classic revival and the Arts & Crafts Movement in the useful arts including architecture, gardening and bookbinding. Both scions of great fortunes and used to prevailing in decision-making, they finally were divorced by the end of 1921, but after a marriage of a quarter century. Edith suffered both the loss of a five-year-old child, John Rockefeller McCormick, in 1901, and later also suffered a miscarriage. These took a further toll on her delicate nervous condition. Edith’s summer retreat project at Lake Forest was to be restorative, very likely, but after blowing through two architects — one classic (James Gamble Rogers) and one innovative (Frank Lloyd Wright) — Edith settled on Charles A. Platt of New York and Cornish, N.H. by 1908 and the main Villa Turicum house was completed by 1909, though work on the grounds continued to 1918. By then she was spending much time in Europe being treated by pioneer psychiatrist Carl Jung for her fragile mental state. After her divorce though she returned to Chicago, living at 1000 N. Lake Shore Drive (Solon Beman, now demolished), and having day-trip summer garden parties at her Lake Forest show place. More period-specific than Mellody Farm, and forecasting the

taste change to scholarly accuracy in design that would animate David Adler and other architects and their clients in the 1910s to the 1930s, Villa Turicum was a great work that was destined not to survive its ill-fated patroness and the prosperity of the 1920s, though it echoed in the work of other architects. Edith met her death in 1932 in bankruptcy and

with the sale of her collections and interiors, with one folio catalog of antiques and superb design only bringing $25,000. But her pursuit of the classical ideal of culture in the New World continues to be remembered and an accomplishment of note. She also donated the land where Brookfield Zoo now lies. Villa Turicum has been a southeast Lake

Forest development for a half century. Its curving roadways were laid out by Highland Park landscape architect Marshall Johnson for the visionary Kendler family’s firm, with housing designs by Beaux Arts-trained architect ROCKEFELLER >> PAGE 20

lifestyle & arts

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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High School meets High Fashion Experience photography by kurman communications, inc.

During their fall semester New Trier High School Fashion Marketing and Merchandising students have been given the opportunity to connect directly with industry professionals at Oak Street Design and take part in the holiday visual displays for a selection of Westfield Old Orchard retailers, which they did on Nov. 13. The displays are showcased at Macy’s, William Sonoma, and Barnes and Noble. ■ KATHERINE MAYER, GRACE SLOWLEY & COURTNEY QUINN

ELLA JACOBS

COCO WU

CAROLINE ROBERTS & CRYSTAL LANDE

9th annual Liberty Gala photography courtesy of pritzker military library Last month, the Pritzker Military Library hosted its 9th annual Liberty Gala at the Hilton Chicago, bringing together men and women from every branch of the Armed Services as well as numerous special guests. Over 400 people attended and raised over $530,000 in support of the library, its programs, and its mission. ■ GITA MIRCHANDANI & CHUCK COPPOLA

LAURA & KEN CLARKE, JEFFREY N. PRITZKER, RYAN & STEPHANIE AHERN

GITA MIRCHANDANI, CHUCK COPPOLA, MARY PARTHE & DAN FALCON

KAVI LARSON, KIM & JOHN CONATSER

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

ith Thanksgiving done and the fridge packed with leftovers, an expert chef always has a post-Thanksgiving recipe in the back of his or her pocket. With Turkey Chili you have an easy way to create an exciting new dish out of the tried and true Thanksgiving menu. •

Saute your onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are clear.

• Add broth, tomatillos and herbs. Bring to a simmer. • Add everything else. Seriously. Just dump it all in and give it a good stir. • Simmer, simmer, simmer for about 30 minutes while you catch some of the Cyber Monday deals.

TURKEY CHILI

• Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or shredded cheese and/ or additional fresh cilantro. Or serve it plain. No matter how you serve it, you’ll love it.

MADE FROM THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

• Enjoy!

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1 yellow onion, diced

3 T. fresh chopped cilantro (Dried works too.

4 cloves garlic, diced

Just use a bit less.)

olive oil

1 can Ortega chilies

Time for a renovation?

28 oz. broth

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

7 tomatillos, finely chopped

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tsp. cumin

1 can diced stewed tomatoes

2 tsp. oregano

2 c. fresh or frozen corn

1/2 tsp. chili powder (more if you like spicy)

2 c. diced, cooked turkey (or chicken)

No, not the house.

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lifestyle & arts

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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ROCKEFELLER >> FROM 20

Duane Dickey — including the 1988 lakefront brick mansion at 595 Circle Lane. This DeBruin house was on the lot where Johnson angled the terrain to include both the iconic stairway and watercourse on the bluff and also the still-intact reflecting pool, with a diagonal half of the 1909-completed McCormick house’s site. The De Bruins built the substantial house and scavenged in their half of the villa’s foundation site for elements to restore the watercourse. And on a lot further south on Circle Lane

the Charles A. Platt created estate a classic, stunning teahouse is preserved, now part of an elemental villa plan. This south-facing ravine edge structure is all that remains of the many Platt-designed buildings once on the former estate. These few elements are most of what remains of the planned and built Villa Turicum. And for much of the mid-20th century this estate was abandoned and in decay, roamed by generations of local teenagers… etched hauntingly in their memories. ■

Edith Rockefeller McCormick and her husband, Harold Fowler McCormick, were both scions of great fortunes and used to prevailing in decision-making.

photography by todd protzman

Al Ross/the new yorker collection/www.cartoonbank.com

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

When Lefeuvre cooks, he never forgets that knife ■ by

katie rose mceneely

The North Shore Weekend interviewed executive chef Thierry Lefeuvre of Froggy’s French restaurant: What made you decide to become a professional chef? When I was about 15, it was a time where you have to decide early what you want to do; as a chef I could travel all over the world if I wanted to, because there would always be a job [and I wanted to travel]. Best advice for a home cook? To be clean, organized, and test everything you do all the time, as you go. Favorite dish on the menu? Favorite food

to make? Right now, the lobster with the vanilla sauce. It’s a signature dish, but I also like to do stew, like a casserole; food that makes you feel good. I have a tendency to like [making those things], but I like to work with seafood. What do you like to eat at home? I like to grill a lot when I’m at home. Right now I like to grill outside and make very simple food. Nothing extravagant or complicated. Favorite tool? A knife! Without a knife there is not much you can do. I also like the Cuisinart food processor, it’s very practical when you are in a kitchen. And a stick blender, they are basically a little food processor and you can do great

soup with that. Easy to use, easy to clean, very inexpensive. Favorite cookbook, or the cookbook that has influenced you the most? That’s a tough question, I’ve got so many books. I buy books all the time, just to look at pictures and look at new technology and to get ideas. Escoffier [Le Guide Culinaire] is very good. Funniest kitchen incident? One time I asked a dishwasher to clean a cucumber, and he ran it through the dishwasher. Froggy’s French Restaurant is located at 306 Green Bay Rd., Highwood. For more information or to make a reservation, call 847-4337080 or visit froggysrestaurant.com. ■

Thierry Lefeuvre

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lifestyle & arts

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND “A rt is for … Gifting” Opening R eception Lake Forest Market Square

Your

3 p.m. Free Enjoy the annual Treelighting Ceremony in Lake Forest’s historic Market Square. There will be hot drinks and sweet treats for waiting celebrants, as well as an ice sculpting performance starting at 3 p.m., a visit with Santa at 4 p.m., and a choral performance by Lake Forest High School Choristers at 4:45 p.m. Lighting ceremony begins at 5:15 p.m. Louisa M ay A lcott ’s “L ittle Women” Citadel Theatre

What to do on the North Shore, when you feel the need to escape

saturday, november 24TH

friday, november 23RD North Shore H armonizers Glencoe Roast Coffee

300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest Times vary (generally 8 p.m.) Tickets $37.50 / $32.50 for seniors and students www.citadeltheatre.org or 847-735-8554 The world premiere of Ann Noble’s new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved story. The March sisters face hard times when they lose their fortune, but learn to thrive by loving the family and friends in their lives. Directed by Scott Phelps.

Dream For Eileen 5K Run/Walk Forest Park Beach

700 Vernon Ave, Glencoe 5 p.m. Free The Harmonizers will carol from 5-5:30pm at Glencoe’s annual “Light the Village Lights” event. Gather at the northwest corner of Park and Vernon to hear holiday music, watch the tree-lighting ceremony, and be there when Santa Claus arrives. Light the Village Lights is sponsored by the Glencoe Chamber of Commerce.

Lake Rd. and E. Deerpath, Lake Forest Registration 9 a.m., Run/Walk 10:30 a.m. Participation $25 Join in a Thanksgiving family tradition to honor the memory of Eileen Shea Lupton. Eileen lost her life in Chicago in 2003 when a porch collapsed. She had just graduated from nursing school. The Dream for Eileen 5K helps raise funds to provide scholarships to nursing students in great financial need.

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sunday, november 25TH Coffee Run Med Fit Racing

620 N. Western Ave, Lake Forest 7 a.m. Free www.MedFitRacing.com This one-hour run heads south on the bike path, and then into Fort Sheridan. At 30 minutes, runners turn around. Participants run at their own pace and will meet back at Caribou Coffee for a social coffee or tea. All runners, triathletes, or those interested in triathlon are encouraged to come. Joyride to beat ALS Joyride Cycle Studio

218 Green Bay Road, Highwood Free but donations are requested 847-926-7029 Popular cycling instructor Fronzie will lead this free ride, which is a fundraiser for the Les Turner Foundation and research to cure ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Donations are requested from all participants. All are welcome, including teens.

NB: Your Weekend Agenda has reduced coverage due to the holiday. We hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving with those you love most.

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

THEATER REVIEW ■ by

Comedy reigns at Laugh Out Loud Theater

brian kirst

Within the confines of the Laugh Out Loud Theater, improvised comedy is king. Naturally, Second City’s habit for molding essential comedy stars has made improvisation a legendary art form in the Midwest. Becoming the next Steve Carell, John Belushi or Jane Lynch may be a far-off dream, but the ensemble team at Laugh Out Loud is eclectic and winning, providing two evening shows every Friday and Saturday. The first, at 7:30 p.m., is family friendly while the 9:30 p.m. offering is far more adventurous. A recent later-night offering found troupe members running, wildly, with audience suggestions for different comedic exercises that definitely showed off their well-honed skills. A game entitled “Emotional Rollercoaster” found the foursome careening between exaggerated happiness, overwrought despair and fierce intensity within moments of each other. “Interrogation” involves a clueless cast member trying to guess which audience generated crime he committed by the mild clues given him by his co-stars, whom are playing belligerent police officers. “Spelling Bee,” meanwhile, finds them creating sentences for imaginary words given to them by the crowd. Participation is obviously the name of the game, here, but each Laugh Out Loud performer definitely shines in their own right, often taking awkward suggestions and building an amusing and intelligent base out of them. Thin Harz Sondericker, has the mobile face of a character actor, and the ability to make each situation unique. Guy Wicke and Jeremy Schaefer have pleasing everyman qualities and a jovial

Laugh Out Loud performers can take an awkward suggestion and build an amusing and intelligent performance.

approach to creating their material on the spot. Lone female, Shelby Jones, is the spark that holds the show together. Her boisterous energy is appealing and draws the audience in, willingly. Of course, those who want to try to match wits with these happy-go-lucky professionals have plenty of opportunities, as well. Laugh Out Loud offers classes for teens and adults

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along with bachelorette parties and a variety of themed shows, as well. ■ Tickets for weekend shows, presented at the Laugh Out Loud Theater on Streets of Woodfield, range from $12-$19. Information on classes and shows can be gained by visiting www.loltheater. com or by calling 847-240-0386

24 | real estate

Open for business With their charm and helpful governments, North Shore downtowns weather sluggish economy well. ■ by

angelika labno

Arriving from Germany a few years ago, Catharina Maerklin decided to open a children’s store in Winnetka. What was the attraction? “Winnetka has its own flair and a cute shopping area,” said Maerklin, owner of leoleno on Green Bay Road since 2011. She also noted the village was the perfect location for her store because of the many families that reside there. Though the national storefront vacancy rate hovers around 11% as the economy totters, vacancy rates in North Shore downtowns have been running lower — with Kenilworth at full occupancy this past summer. The charming, historic downtowns are part of the reason, but places like Winnetka, Glencoe and Lake Forest have also come up with ways to make their downtowns more appealing to prospective businesses. In May, Lake Forest launched a new Business and Technology Incubator designed to create economic development and support local entrepreneurship. Besides offering shared workspace, networking and financial resources, it features monthly distinguished speakers, free and open to the public.

Our goal is to make it easy to open a business in Lake Forest.” — Susan Kelsey Lake Forest’s Economic Development Coordinator Susan Kelsey added that a few years ago, the city came up with a way to streamline the process of getting a business approved in as fast as 10 days. In working closely with a business, from help in planning to liquor permits, both parties can save time and money. “Basically, our goal is to make it easy to

open a business in Lake Forest,” said Kelsey, and the town reflects that with a low vacancy rate of 4.5 percent. Glencoe similarly initiated the Small Business Improvement Program in March. It focuses on aiding in façade and exterior improvements. Program Administrator Ilir Ademaj explained that the village will reimburse up to 50 percent of the cost of approved improvements. “We want to enhance Glencoe as a dining and shopping destination,” said Ademaj. Glencoe’s vacancy rate this month stands at 10 percent. Though Winnetka (with roughly a 7 percent vacancy rate) does not have a program in place that directly aids business infrastructure, there are instances when the village steps in. A recent example is the former post office branch in Hubbard Woods. There used to be an irregular, sloped sidewalk in order to provide a handicapped entry. However, this provided an obstacle for a prospective bagel shop with a vision for an outdoor dining space. The village agreed to assist with that portion of the work, maintaining that it was necessary for the town and not for the sole benefit of the business. The towns may be divided over what services they offer local businesses, but they unite in the businesses they attract. Kelsey describes Lake Forest as the perfect day trip for women, who can delight in lunch and tea before heading out to exclusive jewelry and gifts boutiques. Glencoe offers a cozy small-town feel complete with its own assortment of high-end shops. Winnetka is optimistic about new eateries moving in, which is what the residents want more of, according to Assistant Director of Community Development Brian Norkus. But not all types are a perfect fit. “We don’t have, for example, a Potbelly or Jimmy John’s because of the town’s traditional layout,” he said. Though he was referring to Winnetka, Norkus captured the distinctiveness of the North Shore with one thought in particular. “They’d re-create the town if they could,” he said, “but it’s taken them decades to get to this point.” ■

“Winnetka has its own flair and a cute shopping area,” says Catharina Maerklin, owner of leoleno on Green Bay Road.

photography by j.giel

11/24-11/25/12

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

You’re Invited Our Tradition Continues Saturday, December 1st * 10:00 am to 1:00 pm 568 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka Galleria Courtyard

Coldwell Banker invites you to a traditional, old fashioned holiday experience. The holidays are time for friends, family, loved ones and community.

Enjoy this holiday season in Winnetka. Take a ride through our charming town on a horse and carriage, take a photo with Santa, make crafts with the kids, sip on hot chocolate while listening to The New Trier Swing Choir, and come visit us in our new space.

Winnetka Office ◆ 568 Lincoln Avenue ◆ 847.446.-4000

©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office is Operated by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC.

real estate

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

Modest Proposals What You Get for 1 or 2 Million on the North Shore

HIGHLAND PARK WHAT: A sprawling, California-style ranch with 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms HOW MUCH: $1,150,000 SIZE: 4,717 square feet PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $243.79 SETTING: Located within five miles of Highland Park’s picturesque downtown, as well as other shopping options, the home is likewise near the ever-popular Ravinia Music Festival Grounds.

GLENCOE 234 Dennis Lane, Glencoe WHAT: A three-floor Georgian with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms HOW MUCH: $1,150,000 SIZE: 3,636 square feet PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $316.28 SETTING: Located just off Green Bay Road and within walking distance of downtown Glencoe and the Chicago Botanic Gardens, this property is also near Glencoe’s

INDOORS: Set on a double-wide lot, this fully renovated property includes a home theatre, a Chef’s kitchen with granite countertops, and is connected to an expansive informal dining/living area with a built-in wet bar. OUTDOOR SPACE: This house has an outdoor pool and an outdoor kitchen, as well as a playset, lawn, and a deck. TAXES: $19, 912 CONTACT: Marlene Rubenstein, Baird & Warner Real Estate; 847-565-6666

LINCOLNSHIRE

picturesque lakefront. INDOORS: Gracious entertaining areas, including a living room with a gas fireplace, plus a state-of-the-art kitchen and an indoor spa pool. Bedrooms are split between the second and third floors. OUTDOOR SPACE: A beautiful stone patio, complete with a gas grill, surrounds the swimming pool, which is contained within its own structure. TAXES: $17,617 CONTACT: Jean Wright Real Estate, 847-446-9166

LAKE FOREST

23410 N Elm Road, Lincolnshire WHAT: A country estate with 4 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms. HOW MUCH: $1,480,000 SIZE: 4,900 square feet PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $302.04 SETTING: Adjacent to the Lake County Forest Preserve, this property offers a secluded home setting with easy access to town and transportation. INDOORS: A multi-leveled floor plan

1360 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest WHAT: A Federal-style brick house with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms HOW MUCH: $1,485,000 SIZE: 4,502 square feet PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $329.85 SETTING: Just a few minutes away from downtown Lake Forest, this custom home is situated in a unique prairie setting with stunning views of Elawa Farm.

creates multiple viewing platforms for the gardens and forest beyond. The spacious foyer introduces the bright living room with a large stone fireplace its focal point. Plenty of room for entertaining, heated floors, and a gourmet kitchen add to the total package. OUTDOOR SPACE: Set on three forested acres, with landscaped gardens cut out of the surrounding woods, as well as a fully stocked outdoor bar, pool, decks, a stone patio and a sizable fire pit. TAXES: $16,448 CONTACT: Joanna Koperski of @Properties; 847-668-0096

INDOORS: Features of this stunning home include Neff maple cabinetry, detailed millwork, Brazilian walnut floors, radiant heat, multi-zone stereo system, and an architecturally designed curved staircase. OUTDOOR SPACE: Settled on just less than half an acre, this property is adjacent to Elawa and near to the Lake Forest Open Lands Preserve. TAXES: $19,916 CONTACT: Lori Baker of Coldwell Banker Real Estate; 847-234.8000 or www.1360Middlefork.info

11/24-11/25/12

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

CONGRATULATIONS TO WILMETTE & WINNETKA’S 2012

President ’s Club Members TOP 2% OF ALL CHICAGOLAND AGENTS

SHARON FRIEDMAN SFC Team 847-441-1036

FRANK CAPITANINI SFC Team 847-652-2312

SFCTeam@cbexchange.com

JEFFERSON VICE The Shawn Daily Team 312-560-1640

MAUREEN MOHLING 847-363-3018

maureen.mohling@cbexchange.com

BARBARA MAWICKE 847-917-7345

barbara.mawicke@cbexchange.com

MAUREEN SPRIGGS 847-721-6028

maureen.spriggs@cbexchange.com

jeff.vice@cbexchange.com

BEVERLY & MARSHALL FLEISCHMAN 847-217-0494

JULIE DOWDLE ROGERS 847-401-4005 julie.rogers@cbexchange.com

CAROLYNN SHERIDAN 847-641-9043

carolynn.sheridan@cbexchange.com

beverly.fleischman@cbexchange.com

Dedication and expertise is what makes us #1 on the North Shore ©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office is Operated by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC.

Real Estate

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

HOUSES OF THE WEEK

775 SUMAC LANE WINNETKA, IL 60093

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Every detail exudes elegance & style in the finest finishes a custom home can have. From Brazilian cherry wood & limestone flooring, 7 fireplaces, Shonbek chandeliers, 2 wrought iron staircases & 3 car garage, exceptional trim & moldings. Kitchen features stainless steel appliances, granite counters, 2 sinks, chandeliers and breakfast room & bar. Master bath with limestone, large shower & tub with imported Italian cabinets. All stone exterior. Presented by @PROPERTIES.

399 GROVE ST , GLENCOE, ILLINOIS 60022

$2,599,000 EXCLUSIVELY PRESENTED BY: NANCY GREENBERG 847.835.6077

Built in 2008, this fabulous home built by Highgate Properties will exceed your expectations. Custom built by current owner, the meticulous attention to detail and top-of-the line finishes are evident throughout. All BRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are en-suite, fab finished LL w/sauna, wine cellar, theater & rec. 4 car garage.Beautiful landscaping incl lap pool, hot-tub, stone patio & fire pit. 2 laundry rms. A truly special offering. Presented by COLDWELL BANKER RESEIDENTIAL BROKERAGE.

11/24-11/25/12

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Lake Forest Frame & Design Studio Open Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m., or by appointment 204 East Westminster, Lake Forest | 847.234.0755 | framedesigns@ameritech.net

30 | business

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING Bridie McKenna’s gets new owners, expanded menu

Jim Kane and Susan Kane, the new owners of Bridie McKenna’s in Highwood, get together outside the Irish pub.

photography by j.geil ■ by

jake jarvi

Bridie McKenna’s Irish Pub in Highwood has been building its reputation as a gathering ground since 2007. Now it’s been passed to new ownership under Jim and Susan Kane. “Bridie’s has been an integral part of the North Shore

This place has become very important to us. We want to make sure that legacy continues.” — Jim Kane

Leo Cullum/the new yorker collection/www.cartoonbank.com

for the last five years,” says Jim. “We’ve tried to make our mark, not just on St. Patty’s Day, but as an alternative venue for gatherings with a good reputation for food. This place has become very important to us. We

want to make sure that legacy continues.” Jim and Susan were two of the original investors when Bridie’s first opened their doors. The first thing to change under the Kane’s leadership is the menu. Nobody’s favorite items are going to disappear — they’ll still have the Shepard’s Pie, the plate of Mini Ruebens, and the Irish Curry Chips. It’s just expanding to offer more sandwiches and burgers to meet customer requests for more lunch and dinner options. The interiors are also getting a facelift. There’ll still be two separate bars, several different dining rooms, and private meeting rooms. However, the ambience is getting updated with new furniture and a few new fixtures. Back by popular demand are two other classic Bridie McKenna’s offerings Children under 12 eat free on Tuesday nights with every paying adult. The first Tuesday of every month that’s paired with live Irish music and step dancers. And Friday nights see the return of karaoke, so patrons can belt out the U2 catalogue while drinking a Shandy. The Kane’s are making sure that Bridie’s private rooms are ready for the upcoming holiday party season. “We have some very unique rooms for your friends or your office staff,” says Jim. “Your guests will always remember the party you have at Bridie McKenna’s.” ■

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Business

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

MAIN STREET An engineering feat: Drinking water on North Shore

■ by

This year Illinois colleges and universities will graduate more than 1,000 civil engineers. The title does not have to do with proper etiquette or social poise. It describes a course of study that involves designing buildings and infrastructure projects like roads and bridges. One of the most popular of the civil engineering specialties is environmental engineering. These graduates will often be employed by municipalities and private companies that manage the sanitary systems and water supplies of our towns and villages. A strong case could be made that this profession has done more to ensure the health of Americans than all of the medical and pharmaceutical industry combined. Municipalities in northeastern Illinois have a water supply advantage because of the proximity of Lake Michigan. In 1866, Chicago’s Board of Public Works, under the direction of its chief engineer, Ellis Chesbrough, completed a tunnel under the floor of the lake. The tunnel connected the city’s water supply system to an intake crib two miles from shore. By 1900 there were multiple tunnels and these were integrated into what is today the largest single water supply system for any city in the world. The use of chlorine to disinfect our drinking water began in 1916. As Chicago’s need for water increased in the last century, so did the demands in the northern suburbs. Kenilworth, for instance, installed its first village pump house in 1890. The system used a suction well which drew water through the lake bed sand as a natural filter. The suction well was powered by steam driven pumps and these fed water to the first water mains. In 1926, Kenilworth switched to electric motors to power the pumps and also installed its first chlorination system. In that same year, Kenilworth completed a 200,000-gallon water tower that allowed for steady water pressure in the village, a necessity in a water systems built on flat terrain. Kenilworth today is served by one of the most modern water plants in the country.

show more of less

bob gariano

Located at the end of Kenilworth Avenue, the plant supplies water for water mains and fire hydrants through the village. In addition, Kenilworth has a modern water storage tower located at Exmoor Road and Roger Avenue. Similarly, Lake Forest has invested in its town’s water system. The system serving the City of Lake Forest draws water from the surface of Lake Michigan through 42-inch pipelines and into a modern ultrafiltration membrane system. Lake Forest’s water plant, located at 1441 Lake Road, is open for visits each week day during normal business hours. Staffed by nine full-time operators, the plant runs 24 hours a day every day of the year and treats one and one half billion gallons of water for city residents each year. Municipal drinking water quality is closely monitored by state and federal officials. North Shore communities are known for their efficient and clean water systems. They all exceed the federal standards for safe potable water supplies. Interested citizens can visit their local municipal websites to see the annual published reports of water quality. This vigilance of safe drinking water has increased with technical advances. For example, some of these water quality reports indicate contaminant levels down to parts per billion (PPB), a level of detection unheard of even two decades ago. This level of analytical protocol is impressive when one considers that one ppb in volume is the equivalent of one small drop of water in an Olympic size swimming pool. Water-borne diseases like cholera represent one of the world’s most significant health problems. Water borne diseases kill more that 3 million people each year around the world, many of them children or the elderly. It is good reason that we should appreciate the American civil and environmental engineers on the North Shore who work to constantly improve our drinking water quality. ■ Main Street columnist Bob Gariano is at bob@ northshoreweekend.com.

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32 | opinion Not too soon to think about electoral changes for 2016

Can our two parties achieve détente? ■ by

dan c. thomasson

With billions of dollars spent and millions of charges and countercharges lodged in an almost interminably acrimonious campaign, the result Nov. 6 was a political landscape virtually unchanged. What can the American people expect, more of the same gridlock, partisanship, despair and irresponsibility -- the apocalyptic Four Horsemen of recent modern politics? The dire consequences of that are easy to predict -- and will be by Cassandras whose stock-and-trade in punditry is to wallow in the worst-case scenario. The current Congress has about one more month to prevent the nation from tumbling over a fiscal cliff into chaos, when an automatic $600 billion in budget reductions are set and the Bush-era tax cuts are scheduled to expire.

If the incivility, animosity and partisanship of the past four years continue, it is legitimate to ponder whether decades of turmoil and severe loss of American prominence aren’t in the offing.” Even if that catastrophe is averted, though, the chances are slim for better things from a new government that mirrors the current power structure. The re-elected president will face the same monumental problems he has been unsuccessful at resolving in the last four years. That isn’t to say his Republican challenger would have had a better chance under similar divided authority. With Barack Obama’s re-election, one can probably throw out all the historic models mandating that any incumbent president would not get a second chance with an unacceptable unemployment rate, the worst growth recovery outside of the Great Depression, and a half dozen other negatives on his record. He won in beleaguered places like Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa, where voters apparently decided the devil they know is better than the devil they don’t. Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate didn’t help him much. He lost Ryan’s home state, and the congressman’s controversial Medicare proposal hurt Romney in places like Florida, with its large, older population. And Ryan’s religious rigidity on right to life didn’t help with women voters. The voting demographic has changed dramatically. It is less white and

more conscious of its individual rights. Now what’s important is whether the parties can achieve the detente needed to move the nation forward, to paraphrase Obama. If the incivility, animosity and partisanship of the past four years continue, it is legitimate to ponder whether decades of turmoil and severe loss of American prominence aren’t in the offing. Someone has to take charge; obstructionism on both sides of the political aisle isn’t conducive to good government. It will not be easy for Obama, whose personality seems at times to have made negotiating compromise difficult -- although Republicans aren’t to be excused from deliberately fomenting gridlock. While every second-term president’s decisions are based on possible historic perception, Obama obviously understands that his window of opportunity for achievement is just about two years. After that, jockeying will begin in both parties for the right to succeed him, and every Capitol Hill action will be measured by its impact on 2016. A strong GOP is necessary for good government, and there is a strong lesson for Republicans here. The party should reassess its seeming disdain for the center. It should soften the tone of its demands on key issues like immigration and realize that overemphasis on social issues has alienated major voting blocs. What we all can hope for is that not only will the president do a better job of leading, but that statesmanship will find its way back into vogue in the Congress. ■ ~ Scripps Howard News Service

■ by

john m. crisp

After a short breather since Nov. 6, let us consider how to change our electoral process before the race for 2016 begins, which will be soon enough. First: It’s probably time to do away with the Electoral College. The best book I know of on this subject is “Why the Electoral College is Bad for America,” by George C. Edwards III, a professor of political science at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He argues that the Electoral College may not have been such a bad idea at the beginning, but the founders would have had a hard time imagining how unsuited its original purposes are for the modern United States. Edwards’ arguments are cogent and convincing, and they’re couched in his justified reluctance to tinker with the Constitution. Still, he points out that when the Constitution has been amended in the past, often the direction is toward more enfranchisement -- of blacks, of women -- rather than less, and the abolishment of the Electoral College would enfranchise millions of Democratic voters in Texas and Republican voters in California. Of course, the abolishment of the Electoral College has been proposed many times in the past without success. But maybe it’s time to do some bold thinking on this subject for the good of the republic. Second: In Mexico, you cannot buy a drink on Election Day -- no cervezas, no margaritas, no alcohol of any kind. Believe me, I’ve tried. The presidential election is always held

“Lets change ‘brink of chaos’ to ‘Everything is wonderful.’ ” david sipress/the new yorker collection/www.cartoonbank.com

on Sunday, a day when many Mexicans are off work. Furthermore, beginning on the previous Wednesday, campaigning and political advertising are forbidden by law, and polling organizations aren’t allowed to release the results of their polls until after the election. I’m not necessarily holding Mexico up as a

Why not, every four years, make our presidential Election Day a national holiday, set aside for the important business of voting?” paragon of democracy and, of course, some of these measures would violate our allegiance to free speech. Still, why not, every four years, make our presidential Election Day a national holiday, set aside for the important business of voting? For many of us, voting has become an afterthought, an inconvenient civic duty that we neglect or just send in the mail. Why not honor it every four years with a national holiday in which we do little else? Let’s call it National Voting Day. Third: Shakespeare’s plays, 500 years old, are still legible in contemporary manuscripts, and I suspect that if the ballots that elected George Washington to the presidency are archived somewhere, they’re still legible, as well. But where’s the ballot that I cast last week by dialing through a series of computer screens and pressing buttons? Electronic balloting is faster and potentially more accurate, but its transparency and verifiability are questionable, leading some smaller countries, such as Sweden and Switzerland, to continue to use traceable, recountable, unhackable paper ballots. The fact is, the integrity of the electronic ballot is beyond the capacity of the ordinary person or local election entity to verify. And your faith in our electronic electoral system might be shaken by Victoria Collier’s “How to Rig an Election,” which appears in the November edition of Harper’s Magazine. Collier argues with considerable credibility that the development of computerized voting technology and the outsourcing of elections to corporations have produced highly suspicious vote totals over the last few decades. Nothing is more important to democracies than elections. Ours need attention. Let’s get started. The race for 2016 begins at any moment. ■ ~ Scripps Howard News Service

sports | 33 LEAVING A MARK ON THE PROGRAM

Scouts finish one win shy of state championship game

Scouts running back Hub Cirame makes a cut and picks up yardage in Saturday’s Class 6A state semifinal game.

photography by j.geil

■ by

kevin reiterman

That three-headed monster in Cary-Grove’s backfield — quarterback Quinn Baker, running back Ryan Mahoney and fullback Kyle Norberg —was no Trojan Horse. They were the real thing in Saturday’s Class 6A state semifinal football game at Lake Forest High School. Running out of the triple option, that trio scored five touchdowns and accounted for 432 of their team’s 499 rushing yards. The host Scouts also had a monster on the field. Junior inside linebacker Jack Kutschke played like a retro Brian Urlacher. He was in on a game-high 19 tackles. But the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Kutschke found very little solace in his performance. That L in the won/loss column was all he could think about as the Scouts capped off their season with a 10-4 record and one win shy of a trip to the state championship game in Champaign. “They’re a great team,” said Kutschke, who also shared a quarterback sack with teammate Richard Daniels. “But they beat a great team. “I’m very proud of the season we put

together,” he added. Giving up 42 points? “That’s a little bit of a blow,” said Kutschke. Coming into the high-drama contest, the LF defense had never given up more than 24 points in a game this season. But to their credit, the visiting Trojans (140), playing in front of a jam-packed crowd at Varsity Field (estimated 4,500 fans), ran their offense to perfection. They took control of the game by scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions. “There’s nothing average with their quarterback (20 carries, 96 yards), running back (12-187) and fullback (17-149),” said Lake Forest head coach Chuck Spagnoli. “They’re really good. “You have to execute against them,” he added. “They don’t put the ball on the ground. So it’s hard to get the ball out of their hands.” The Scouts definitely did some things, when they had the ball. Junior Gino Quaid — who mostly makes his bones playing defense — had the home crowd in an uproar when he caught a sideline pass and ripped his way into the end zone from 31 yards out. Spagnoli claimed that he wasn’t trying to

Senior offensive lineman Chase Clemens (No. 59) embraces fellow senior Alexander Moore following the team’s 42-21 loss to Cary-Grove.

be coy by putting Quaid into the offensive equation. “We weren’t pulling out our secret weapon,” the coach said. Hmm. Upon further review, Quaid, a true talent on this squad, came into this game with four offensive touches: three rushes for seven yards and one catch for 21 yards. “Cary-Grove has seen that play (on film),” said LF quarterback Andrew Clifford, who completed 18 of 35 passes for 221 yards to

You have to execute against them. They don’t put the ball on the ground. So it’s hard to get the ball out of their hands.” — Coach Chuck Spagnoli finish his senior season with more than 2,500 passing yards (2,583). “They just had not seen Gino.” Quaid, who undoubtedly could be a

weapon on offense next year, took it to the house after making a “sick” move on a CaryGrove defender at the 30-yard line. “He made a great cut,” said Clifford. “It was a great play by Gino.” Clifford, who completed passes to seven different defenders, finished the campaign with 20 TD tosses. No. 19 and No. 20 went to his favorite wide-out. Junior David Glynn (three catches, 38 yards) used some fancy footwork to finish off his five-yard touchdown with 0:00 remaining in the first quarter. On third and goal at the five-yard line, he caught the pass at the three, used a side step, saw his defender slip and danced into the end zone to make it a 14-14 game. Glynn’s second TD reception — late in the third quarter which cut Cary-Grove’s margin to 35-21 — was even more impressive. He used a double move and came up with a leaping 24-yard catch in the left corner. “It was a slant and go,” said Glynn. “Andrew threw it perfectly to my back shoulder. I was the only who could go up and get it.” LF FOOTBALL >> PAGE 41

sports

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11/24-11/25/12

HEARTBREAKER Pujals, Ramblers battle to the very end in state semifinal loss to Glenbard North Senior defensive lineman Darby Coleman receives a hug after Loyola’s 27-24 loss to Glenbard North on Saturday.

photography by j.geil

■ by

t.j. brown

Loyola Academy senior Pete Pujals might as well have another P in his name — for poise. The senior quarterback — and his teammates — never gave up in Saturday’s Class 8A state semifinal game against visiting Glenbard North. The Panthers’ physical defense battered Pujals and his offense for much of the first half, but the one thing they couldn’t do was break Pujals’ spirit. Here are four examples. With the Ramblers trailing 14-0, Pujals completed 5 of 8 passes for 59 yards in a span of 91 seconds to set up a 25-yard field goal by sophomore Mike Kurzydlowski just before halftime. On Loyola’s first possession of the second half, Pujals got the home crowd back into it by completing three consecutive passes of 27, 8, and 12 yards — with the last one going to Richie Wehman for six points. Then, with the Ramblers down 27-10, Pujals completed 6 of 9 passes for 67 yards, culminating in a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior Luke Ford. And finally, there was the 45-second drive Pujals engineered with 1:34 left, completing 3 of 6 passes for 52 yards and hitting Ford on a five-yard pass on the edge of the end zone with 49 seconds left to play. That score set up a potential dramatic ending. Unfortunately for the Ramblers (11-2), Glenbard North (12-1) recovered an on-side kick to seal a 27-24 victory. “We always believe that we can move the ball,” Loyola coach

John Holecek said. “Three scores in the last three minutes is a lot to ask, but the belief and the toughness was there.” By denying Loyola a return trip to the state title game, the Carol Stream school will play Mt. Carmel on Saturday in Champaign (7 p.m.). Most of the first half was a study in frustration for the

Three scores in the last three minutes is a lot to ask, but the belief and the toughness was there.” — John Holecek Ramblers. Sacks on the first two drives led to punts, and then there were maddening incompletions, including a couple missed connections to a wide-open Ford. “Peter was putting the ball in our hands, and we were just having trouble catching it,” Ford said. But after a first half in which Pujals was sacked twice, chased, pressured and frustrated, he still finished with a sterling stat line: 25 of 41, 289 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. It also left him unsatisfied. “(Winning the state title) has been my goal from the first

day,” said Pujals. “But I had a good run, I guess.” This season, he completed 222 of 366 passes for 2,597 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 623 yards and 17 touchdowns on 106 carries during a magical season that included a trip to Dublin, a deep playoff run and wins over some of Illinois football’s royalty like Simeon, Providence, Mt. Carmel and St. Rita. “It was an unbelievable experience, I cherished every moment of it,” said Pujals who now will get ready to play basketball for Tom Livatino’s Ramblers before setting off to play football at Holy Cross. Notable: Saturday’s game was a contrast between Loyola’s spread offense and Glenbard North’s power-I. Panthers’ running back Justin Jackson and a punishing offensive line dictated the pace as Jackson piled up 228 yards and three rushing touchdown on 44 carries, and three receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown. With such an effective ground game, Glenbard North controlled the football for 33:05. The difference came early when Glenbard North blocked a Loyola punt, giving the Panthers the ball at the Rambler 5, and leading to a touchdown two plays later. “Obviously, they have a super back and a physical offensive line,” coach John Holecek said. Most of the Ramblers’ nucleus will graduate this year, including Pujals, Ford, Wehman, Kris Coker, Daniel Rafferty, Cody Sullivan, Ryan Ribordy, Collin Skinner, Joe Hovanec, John Rushin, Ryan Seymour, James Trimble, Darby Goodwin, James Murray and Brendan Murray. ■

11/24-11/25/12

sports | 35

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

New Trier’s Nicole Retondo (left) and Stephanie Marchuk (center) erupt during action at the state swim meet on Saturday.

photography by j. geil

COLLECTIVE BRILLIANCE Depth steers Trevians to third straight state championship ■ by

bill mclean

From a distance they looked like gigantic white-and-blueand-green lollipops up in the stands at Evanston Township High School’s natatorium Saturday afternoon. What they really were: cardboard, homemade circular fans featuring a slanted “NT.” They were attached to sticks and held by New Trier High School fans at the state swimming and diving meet. “Two years ago our supporters at the state meet waved fans like that,” Trevians senior Riley Hayward recalled. “But each of those (homemade) fans had a picture of a face on it — our team’s faces. It was kind of odd. It was like each was saying, ‘Go, you!’ ” The face of New Trier’s 2012 state swimming and diving team never existed. “We didn’t have one superstar this year,” insisted NT senior Jessica Sutherland. But NT’s crew boasted a constellation of bright stars, and the special sum swam and dove to the program’s third straight state championship behind … zero individual champions. “Total team effort,” NT first-year coach Mac Guy said after his squad tallied 166 points to fend off a game effort from runner-up Fenwick (157). “Everybody,” he added, “stayed totally solid the whole way through. There were so many places in the meet where we had to swim faster (than they had in Friday’s preliminaries) just to maintain our lead (on Saturday).” Fenwick’s Friars stared at New Trier’s formidable depth and never blinked behind their goggles. NT held only a 77-72

lead on Fenwick through seven events. NT went up 98-72 after the 500-yard freestyle (event 8), thanks to sturdy efforts from seniors Stephanie Marchuk (fourth place, 4:55.03) and Campbell Costley (fifth, 4:58.26). With only two events left (100 breaststroke, 400 free relay), NT’s advantage had melted a bit, to 119-108. Guy, an English teacher, had done the math. Nothing was clinched. He huddled with most of his Trevs on deck for a pep talk. The 100 breast turned out to be a titanic clash — minus Leo and Kate. Two Trevians (Hayward and junior Kara Lucenti) and two Friars (Paula Kaminski and Haley Wickham) had qualified for the championship heat. Loyola Academy senior Evan Swenson ended up winning the taut battle in 1:02.42, just ahead of Hayward’s runner-up time of 1:02.49. Kaminski (1:02.53) and Wickham (1:03.13) finished 3-4. Lucenti placed fifth (1:04.39). NT picked up 23 team points. Fenwick picked up 23 team points. Fenwick then finished runner-up (3:25.25) in the 400 free relay; NT’s foursome of Costley, Sutherland, Marchuk and sophomore Nicole Retondo (3:28.45) took third. Team title, to New Trier. Once again. “The team race … It was really close there for a while,” a relieved Marchuk said. “Man, I’m glad we came out on top.” Indiana-bound Marchuk also sped to runner-up honors in the 200 free (1:49.76) and anchored the fifth-place 200 free relay (1:356.04, with senior Taylor Patterson and juniors

Stephanie Marchuk motors her way to a runner-up finish in the 200 freestyle.

Grace Ford and Amelia Girgenti. Girgenti anchored the Trevs’ runner-up 200 medley relay (1:43.75), following legs by Lucenti, Hayward and Sutherland. Duke-bound Sutherland flew to a school-record 56.0 in the 100 butterfly in Friday’s prelims. But the mark didn’t last long. She supplanted it with a 55.9 (eighth place) in Saturday’s consolation finals, before touching 12th in the 100 back (57.52). NT’s divers earned a combined 15 points. Junior Juliette Corboy placed third (407.5 points), matching her finish as a North Shore Country Day sophomore at last year’s state meet. Trevians senior Olivia Loucks took 10th (373.35). “Both performed well all season,” NT diving coach Bruce Kimball said. “They were very positive, very focused.” Costley contributed a sixth-place 1:51.3 in the 200 free, and Retondo, a first-year state team member, motored to sixth in the 200 IM (2:05.95). “(Retondo) stepped up for us in such a crazy atmosphere,” USC-bound Hayward said. “It had to be scary for her. I remember my first year at state. It was overwhelming. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my, this is the craziest thing.’ ” After the state champs and their coaches got together for a team photo in a corner of Evanston’s natatorium Saturday evening, they all agreed to pose with index fingers extended on the right hand and three fingers up on the left. Translation: “13” — for the number of state titles New Trier’s girls swimming and diving program now owns. Then the faces — the real faces, the faces of the consummate team — smiled. ■

SPORTS

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

She’s No. 1

Winning state crown is ‘so unreal’ for Loyola’s Swenson Senior Evan Swenson drives to a first-place finish in the 100 breastroke in Saturday’s state swim meet.

■ by

bill mclean

Evanston resident Evan Swenson hit the water in Evanston Township High School’s pool last weekend. The kind of memory she produced Saturday afternoon? Everlasting. The Loyola Academy senior touched first in a highly competitive 100-yard breaststroke race at the state swimming and diving meet. “To look up (at the results board) after the race and finally see a ‘1’ by my name was so unreal,” a beaming Swenson recalled after zipping to a 1:02.42. She saw a ‘2’ by her name after the 50 freestyle at state last year. At state in 2010, her sophomore season, Swenson settled for another silver medal in the 50 free. The last Ramblers girl swimmer to bow for a state gold

photography by j.geil

medal in an individual event was Betsy Webb, in 2007 (100 free). Teammate Lisi Rowland topped the diving field at the same meet. “That final (100 breast) was crazy, going against so many fast girls,” Swenson added. “Just to be a part of the race was special.” An impressive four of the six championship-heat finalists had entered the 100 breast final with a preliminary time in the 1:02-1:03 range. The swift quartet: New Trier senior Riley Hayward (1:02.2); Swenson (1:02.36); reigning state champ Paulina Kaminski of Fenwick (1:02.56); and Fenwick senior Haley Wickham (1:02.66). In Saturday’s thrilling final Swenson and Hayward — USCbound friends — were essentially even as they propelled from a wall for the final 25 yards. Hayward was eighth in the event at state last fall. Swenson was … not even a breaststroker.

“Last year I was a sprinter, basically,” Swenson said. “The breaststrokers on last year’s team graduated. “I did swim the event when I was younger.” As Swenson and Hayward neared the final wall, the decibel level of the crowd reached an eardrum-puncturing juncture. “A burst of adrenaline kicked in and helped me at the end,” said Swenson. “I’m normally not a very good back-half swimmer in races. All I knew, going in, was that I had to be as fast as I could be from start to finish.” The Ramblers’ 200 medley relay, featuring Swenson as the second leg, sped to the fastest time in program history (1:43.36) in Friday’s prelims. Swenson then joined classmate Madeleine Jardeleza and sophomores Maria Jardeleza and Grace Tierney to tie a Neuqua Valley foursome for third place (1:44.67) in the event Saturday. LOYOLA SWIMMING >> PAGE 41

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Reilly Lanigan, a freshman at Lake Forest, races to a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM at Saturday’s state meet.

photography by j. geil

TOWEL-RIFFIC Lake Forest’s Lanigan rocks in a heavy-medal debut at state meet Nina Nessly of the Scouts gives coach Cindy Dell a high five. She won three gold medals in the athletes with disabilities segment.

■ by

bill mclean

The light-blue towel never had a chance against Reilly Lanigan’s teeth at last weekend’s state swimming and diving meet at Evanston Township High School The Lake Forest High School freshman was sitting poolside at the time, minutes before the start of the 100-yard butterfly Saturday afternoon. Lanigan had wrapped the towel around her arms and torso and appeared to be shivering. Linus needs his blanket for security. Lanigan relies on her towel. “Reilly sometimes gets so nervous before races,” LF coach Carolyn Grevers said. Lanigan raised her towel-covered hands toward her mouth and gnawed away for a while. It was a familiar sight to Grevers, who, at past meets, has attempted to yank the towel free of Lanigan’s teeth. “I do that because I want her to smile … or talk,” the coach said. But Lanigan would rather chew on deck before carving up most of the competition in water. “It is a little habit of mine,” Lanigan admitted. She likely started another routine Saturday afternoon: collecting state medals. Lanigan finished fourth in the 100 fly (55.56) and fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:04.99). She had clocked the third-fastest time in the 200 IM in Friday’s

prelims. “I was a little disappointed after my 200 IM,” Lanigan recalled after her season-best effort in in the 100 fly on Saturday. “So I wanted to make my last race as a freshman a memorable one.” Lanigan’s first race as a freshman on varsity — way back in August, at the Lake Forest Relays — was also memorable. For an entirely different reason. “I swam on a medley relay that got disqualified,” said Lanigan, laughing. “Not exactly an ideal way to start a high school career.” Lanigan’s mother, Kelly, swam the butterfly at the University of Notre Dame. Reilly’s sister, junior Caitlin Lanigan, surfaced as a third-year state qualifier at the LF sectional on Nov. 10. “I’ve always looked up to my sister, and I’m probably a butterflyer because I wanted to be like my mom,” Reilly said. “My mom … She’s given me swimming tips at home. “My sister (Saturday morning), she left me alone.” Grevers started coaching Reilly Lanigan as a club coach years before Lanigan first climbed a varsity block for the Scouts’ varsity. “Reilly,” Grevers said, “is such a driven athlete, one of the most self-motivated swimmers I’ve ever coached. She pushes herself, she trains hard on her own, and she always finds a way to rise to the occasion.” Shortly after Lanigan received her second state medal and

posed for photos with the 11 other fly finalists, she couldn’t wait to return to the deck on Saturday. One of her teammates, senior Nina Nissly, was about to race for a third gold medal. Nissly got it, after recording a 1:18.69 in the 100 freestyle for athletes with disabilities. Nissly had also topped the 200 free (2:49.28) and 50 free (35.22) fields. Her teammates had prepared her well for the unique conditions of the state meet. “I was told, ‘It’s crazy, there’s absolutely no space on deck, and you’ll love it,’ ” Nissly said. Notable: The Lanigan sisters swam the last two legs of LF’s 15th-place 400 free relay (3:33.08) at last weekend’s state meet. Freshman Haley Nelson and sophomore Clare Wieland served as the quartet’s first two legs. … Lake Forest junior Margaret Carney finished 13th in the 100 fly (56.78) in Friday’s state prelims, missing a consolation-finals berth by one spot; Naperville North’s Anna Williams advanced to Saturday with a 12th-place showing (56.64) in the event. … Scouts senior Annie McArdle capped her career with a 15th-place effort in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.3). … Caitlin Lanigan swam a 58.17 (19th place) in the 100 backstroke, after entering the prelims with a qualifying time of 58.64. … Reilly Lanigan’s individual results at state on Saturday added up to 21 points — good for 17th place in the team standings. ■

sports

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

Lena Munzer of the Giants (right) drives with the ball during the Mundelein Tournament. She averaged 25.8 points per game.

SUPERGIRL

photography by j. geil

Yale-bound Munzer opens season in magnificent fashion ■ by

kevin reiterman

She’s the action figure on Highland Park High School’s girls basketball team. And, at times during a game, you could swear that Lena Munzer possesses super powers. Munzer the Magnificent, a four-year starter, has mastered the wrap-around passes and the between-the-legs dribbles. But don’t let that be the only thing that dazzles you. Munzer, in baseball dialect, is a five-tool performer. The Yale University recruit is a scorer, rebounder, passer, shot blocker and unapologetic thief — she leads the team in steals year in and year out. Munzer is what you call a coach’s dream. But there is this one thing about her. In HP’s 57-53 win over the host Mustangs in the fourth round of the 2012 Mundelein Lady Mustangs Turkey Shootout on Nov. 16, the 5-foot-8 Munzer came up with the most unselfish 35-point performance that you will ever see. Which is nothing new to those who know her best. “She’s one of the most unselfish people that I know,” said Highland Park head coach Jolie Bechtel. “She’s always thinking about others.” But is she too unselfish — on the court? “She knows how important it is to get everyone involved. We need that,” said Bechtel. “But tonight, I was yelling for

her not to give the ball up. At the end of the game, we want her to have the ball. We want her to be at the foul line.” At the same time, there’s a fine line. “We don’t want our other players to depend too much on Lena,” the coach added. That appears to be Munzer’s take on things. She’s an equalopportunity superstar looking to be the ultimate team player. “Basketball is a team sport,” said Munzer, who is coming off an outstanding club season with the Illinois Elite. “It takes more than one player to win. And I want this team to win conference and go far (in the postseason). It’s important that attention is taken off me and that others step up.” Then again, she understands her role. “There are times (in games) when I tell myself that I need to take over,” said Munzer, who reached a scoring milestone (1,000 career points) last December. “I’m competitive. I don’t like losing.” In that win over Mundelein, it was Munzer strolling to the line with the game on the line. She hit two free throws with seven seconds left to seal the win. In addition to the game-high 35 points, Munzer finished with 16 rebounds, eight steals and five blocks. She was 9 for 9 at the foul line and 4 for 4 from beyond the three-point line. In the five-game set, Munzer averaged 25.8 points per game. Her other 30-plus point game (31) came against Grayslake North.

But what was she most excited about? The play Grace Quirk. The 5-8 sophomore forward, who is better known as soccer goalkeeper, came up with a steal and a key long rebound in the closing seconds of the game. “That rebound? That was probably the play of the game,” said Munzer. She likes what she sees in Quirk. “She’s such a great athlete. So strong,” Munzer said. “She pushes me in practice. And her offense is improving.” Meanwhile, the other veterans on this HP squad include junior Lizzy LoGrande and senior Tina Berardi. Bechtel also is receiving solid play from juniors Shelly Feldman, Lucy Hoffman, Sarah Glazer and Mackenzie Paulsen. Notable: The Giants wound up 2-3 in the tourney at Mundelein. Besides beating Mundelein, they took down Grant 61-29 as LoGrande led the way with 23 points. LoGrande also was in double figures (12 points) in a 48-47 setback to Carmel. The other losses were against Grayslake North 60-55 and Prairie Ridge 45-34 on Saturday night. ■

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Yes! Steinberg in a good ‘Place’ as she heads to play volleyball at Yale ■ by

New Trier’s Brittani Steinberg spikes the ball during state tournament action earlier this month.

photography by madison roberts

bill mclean

Brittani Steinberg turned down 30 marriage proposals before accepting one. Steinberg is 18 years old. The same smitten guy, Travis, made all 31 of the fun-loving proposals to the New Trier High School senior volleyball star. Travis is a teen with a developmental disability. Steinberg met him when she started serving as a volunteer at Our Place of New Trier Township. The mission of Our Place is to support teens and adults with developmental disabilities so that they can live meaningful, productive lives in their home community with family and friends. Steinberg eventually played along with her good buddy. “I finally said, ‘Yes,’ to Travis,” Steinberg said. “Years ago. “I’m still waiting for my ring.” She and her New Trier teammates engaged in quite a battle with Benet Academy for the Class 4A state volleyball championship at Redbird Arena in Normal earlier this month. The Trevians (39-2) fell to Benet’s Redwings (40-2) in three sets. “Pretty exciting,” said the Yale-bound Steinberg. Here’s the thing about the 5-foot-11 Steinberg, a pretty gifted — no, a very gifted — outside hitter: She genuinely gets as excited about annihilating a volleyball for a resounding kill as she does about spending a meaningful, productive minute with an Our Place teen. “It’s awesome there,” said Steinberg. “When I’m at Our Place, I enjoy every second of every day. It’s the most positive experience. I’ve made so many wonderful relationships at Our Place. “When I walk in, I immediately feel comfortable and relaxed. If I’m having a bad day, or if I’m coming from a bad practice, I forget about anything bad as soon as I interact STEINBERG >> PAGE 41

sports

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

D-LIGHTFUL Lake Forest Academy’s Diouf continues to sharpen her vast array of skills

■ by

bill mclean

Not once did Dija Diouf’s facial expression change in the first quarter of a Cougar Classic girls basketball game at Vernon Hills High School last week. Not after she blocked a shot and collected the ensuing rebound. Not after she swatted another shot four minutes later. Not even after she popped and gathered for another block-rebound sequence, seconds after her second block of the quarter. The Lake Forest Academy junior forward was SAT-exam-taking serious throughout all of the above against Glenbrook North on Nov. 15. “There’s also a fun side to her,” LFA senior guard Lauren Clamage said after the Caxys’ 42-41 loss. “We’ve all seen it. In practice she’ll sometimes (blow) us two quick kisses to let us know she plans to set a pick for us. “One of the nicest girls around,” she added, “and probably the most athletic player I know.” The 6-foot-3 Diouf, a native of Senegal, finished with four points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against North’s Spartans. She then tallied five points and came down with 10 boards in a 54-51 overtime defeat of Maine East in another Cougar Classic game Saturday afternoon.

Lake Forest Academy junior Dija Diouf looks to score during play in last week’s Cougar Classic.

“Dija” is the nickname she came up with last year after her friends and teammates had a tough time pronouncing Khadidiatou, her given name. Diouf was a first-year student in LFA’s ESL program last year, when she averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. She has transitioned smoothly into the academy’s regular program. “That right there shows how hard-working she is, how committed she is,” said LFA girls basketball coach Chris Tennyson. “She’s been great, and she has come so far as a student and as an athlete.” Diouf started playing basketball in 2008, but she shows flashes on the court as if she started dribbling and executing post moves shortly after retiring her pacifier. In other words, her basketball ceiling is high. Sistine Chapel high. “I would like to play basketball in college,” said Diouf, who played club basketball for a highly successful Illinois Elite squad after her sophomore season but plans to battle for Full

Package in 2013. “Every time I step on a court, I become happy and I forget everything. I like playing … I like playing hard. Basketball is one of my passions.” One of the significant hoops changes Diouf had to make after arriving in the U.S. was her approach on defense. She had played aggressive defense in Senegal. Too aggressive. That brand of defense often translated into quick whistles here. “She had to tone it down because she was getting in foul trouble early in games,” said Clamage, who netted team highs of 16 points (vs. Glenbrook North) and 23 points (vs. Maine East). “I think refs (in Senegal) let players get away with a lot. But where her aggressiveness helps us is on offense. Down low she’s very aggressive, and she’s a very good pick-and-roll player. “We enjoy having her on the team.” Clamage also relishes encounters with Diouf in LFA’s hallways.

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Clamage gets a quick smile from her teammate in those moments. Every time. “I’m always happy to see her,” said Clamage. “Who wouldn’t be? She’s in a groove now, more comfortable on a number of levels; she understands a lot of things better now. “For someone as tall and as athletic as she is,” Clamage added, “Dija is not the least bit cocky. And it’s so much fun to be around her.” Notable: LFA scored 10 points and didn’t allow a point in the fourth quarter of its 42-41 loss to Glenbrook North last week. The first quarter wasn’t anything like the first frame, when North outscored LFA 25-20 and the teams combined for seven three-pointers. Clamage and junior guard Emily Krasnow each hit a trey for the Caxys in the first eight minutes. LFA improved to 2-1 in Cougar Classic games when it edged Maine East in OT Saturday afternoon. ■

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

LF FOOTBALL >> FROM 33

Glynn, who ended the year with 43 catches for 661 yards, will miss Mr. Clifford. “He’s the best quarterback that I’ve ever played with,” said Glynn. “I wouldn’t trade him for any quarterback in the state.” Clifford had nothing but praise for his teammates. “This group (accomplished) so much this year,” said the QB. “We’ve left a mark on the program.” Notable: With Cary-Grove’s ball-control offense, it was a big night for tackle stats. Quaid recorded 11 (solos and assists), including a one-yard tackle for loss. Sophomore Jack Traynor and junior Regis Durbin had seven

tackles each, while junior Trent Williams was in on six stops and also blocked his second punt of the postseason. Senior Thomas Kutschke, who has drawn Division I interest, ended up with five tackles, including a five-yard sack. It was his eight tackle for loss of the season. On offense, Hub Cirame ran hard and finished with 78 yards on 18 carries. He also caught four passes for 29 yards. Cirame concluded the season with a team-best 1,117 yards rushing. LF’s other leading receivers were Jack Troller (3-48), Andrew Freeman (2-30), Steve Powell (3-25) and Jack Preschlack (2-20). ■

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LOYOLA SWIMMING >> FROM 36

“We were hoping for a 1:45 on Friday,” said Ramblers coach Mike Hangelmann, adding his 200 medley relay hadn’t gone faster than a 1:48 before the Glenbrook South sectional on Nov. 10. “What they did on Friday was explosive, huge. “Our Friday was as good of a Friday as I could have ever hoped.” Swenson also bronzed in the 50 free (23.19) on Saturday, before serving as the leadoff leg on Loyola’s fourth-place 200 free relay (1:35.97, with Tierney, junior Marta Considine and freshman Maria Kyle). Loyola’s Maria pair — Jardeleza and Kyle — swam against each other in the consolation final of the 100 butterfly. Jardeleza finished ninth in 56.21, ahead of Kyle (11th, 56.76). Jardeleza had entered the state meet ranked 18th (57.87) among qualifiers in the event. But what she did as a qualifier in the 200 individual medley last weekend dwarfed her fly feat. Jardeleza placed 12th in the 200 IM (2:08.04) — as the 31st seed in the event. Her time in a Friday prelim was 2:06.09,

a goggle-popping four-plus-second time drop from her sectional time of 2:10.35. “Friday at state could almost be considered a bigger meet than Saturday at state,” said Hangelmann, whose crew placed fifth (80 points) on Saturday, 19 points shy of a third-place trophy. “Fridays at state are so intense, so competitive. “Saturdays at state,” he added, “are all about racing and having fun.” New Trier edged Fenwick 166-157 for its third straight state title. Neuqua Valley placed third (99). Notable: Tierney was oh-so-close — eight one-hundredths of a second — to advancing from Friday’s state prelims in the 100 free (13th place, 52.49). Madeleine Jardeleza finished 14th (1:53.21) in the 200 free on Friday, missing a consolation-finals berth by two spots. Loyola’s 400 free relay of Kyle, Tierney, Madeleine Jardeleza and Maria Jardeleza placed 13th (3:32.68). ■

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STEINBERG >> FROM 39

with a teen at Our Place.” Steinberg amassed some memorable stats in 2012. She smacked a team-high 305 kills, including 15 in a three-set semifinal defeat of Mother McAuley and 17 in the state championship match. Her 218 digs ranked second among Trevians to junior libero Emily Friedler’s 288. Her final volleyball season at NT was akin to an MLBleading home run hitter who also earned a Gold Glove. “Brittani is a complete player, the full package,” said New Trier junior setter Taylor Tashima, also complete and full (179 kills, 688 assists, 76 aces). “That’s what you want in an outside hitter. You want someone who dominates at the net and is equally effective defensively.” Attempting to block a Steinberg kill has to be a most unpleasant task. Trevians volleyball coach Hannah Hsieh heard opposing coaches gush about Steinberg’s impressive power all fall. And the number of winces opposing front-row players squeezed in ’12, because of Steinberg’s potency above the twine? Too many to count. “One of the most powerful hitters I’ve ever coached,” Hsieh, after her 17th season at NT, said of a Wildcat Juniors club member who helped the club achieve a national ranking of

16 the summer before her junior year. “You’d never want to see it happen, but she could give someone a concussion with the way she hits a volleyball. “There are two ways,” she added, “to generate power in volleyball: Some snap-hit; others are hard, heavy hitters. Brittani’s kills are hard and heavy.” Steinberg’s favorite part of volleyball is hitting, followed closely by … hitting. Hitting also happens to rank third on that list. “You should be good at things you like to do, right?” Steinberg said. “Well, I really like hitting, and I wanted to do everything possible to become a good hitter. First of all, if you want any kind of success as a hitter, you need an excellent setter — that’s what Taylor Tashima is.” Wondering what Steinberg is thinking as she ascends to critically wound a Tashima set? Wonder no more. “There have been times when I’m going up against two very good blockers and I’m thinking, ‘How am I ever going to get around these two?’ But I love it when I’m up there, looking at the ball, and I notice so much open space on the court below me. “It’s at that point when I’m thinking, ‘Go for the sweet kill! Yes!’ ” ■

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The Perfect Weekend

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

11/24-11/25/12

Laura and John Merlo opened their eponymous restaurant on Roger Williams Avenue in Highland Park this fall.

photography by j.geil

For Laura and John THE CHILDREN MAKE IT SPECIAL

When the corn’s in, the kids love to run through the corn fields. They love to fish in the pond.”

n a Friday in the summer we’ll pick up the kids (Dylan, 4, and Jack, 3) at camp around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. in Glencoe. We’ll have friends over to barbecue and play Frisbee in the backyard that evening. With little kids, we focus our weekend around the house as much as possible. On Saturday morning we walk past Starbucks in Glencoe and go down to the beach. We’ll spend a few hours there — play in the sand, go in the water. The kids will end up as beachbum babies covered with sand. We tire them out at the beach. Saturday afternoon, John may go to the gym and when he gets back, I’ll go to yoga. The kids will nap. It’s so nice to

grab quiet time. We work hard at the restaurant (Merlo’s in Highland Park). That night we’ll take the kids to Ron of Japan. They’ll throw pennies in the pond. On Sunday morning we’ll take them to Country Kitchen in Highland Park. Then we may put them in the car and go to the family farm in New Buffalo, Michigan. We have fruit trees, grow vegetables. When the corn’s in, the kids love to run through the corn fields. They love to fish in the pond. They get as many blue gill as they can. Laura and John Merlo, as told to David Sweet

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