WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

FITNESS

T'ai Chi

Mondays

10:00 - 11:00 AM

Whole Foods, 1550 N. Kingsbury

Members - $40 for each

series of 8 sessions  

or $7 per session  

Non-Members - $15 per session

Series continues; join anytime.

Thursdays

10:30 - 11:30 AM

Church of the Three Crosses

333 W. Wisconsin St.  

Members - $40 for each

series of 8 sessions  

or $7 per session  

Non-Members - $15 per session

 Series continues; join anytime.

Hatha Style Yoga
Mondays

7:00 - 8:15 PM 

Church of the Three Crosses

333 W. Wisconsin St.  

Members & Guests - $15

 Basic Meditation 

 Members & Guests - Free  

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

COMING IN FEBRUARY

Register for these programs by calling 773.248.8700 or e-mail

celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org

Payment is due in advance.

Let the Village office know if you need a ride!    

As the Village grows, from time to time events with limited attendance are fully subscribed with a waiting list.  If you wish to participate in any event, please sign up early. You can do this by calling or e-mailing the office.

BEGINNERS' BRIDGE 

Tuesdays, January 17-February 21   5:30 - 7:00 PM

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

THE REALITY OF GLOBAL CLIMATE DISRUPTION     

Wednesday, February 8

6:00 - 7:30 PM

Hosted by Rick and Lois Stuckey 

Members and Guests - Free 

Presenter Susan Silver is with Climate Reality Project. She will present, in a nonpartisan, scientific way, the evidence of climate disruption, its implications for people and animals, developments that will help address climate change and what you can do.

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

HAPPY DOCUMENTARY

Saturday, February 11

A documentary film by Roko Belic, director of the Academy Award®-nominated "Genghis Blues," explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion. 

Meet in the lobby prior to the viewing.
A self-hosted lunch follows at
PJ Clarkes (302 East Illinois Street).    

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR
PRESENTED BY THE HYPOCRITES THEATRE

There will be a self-hosted dinner at Podhalanka, a Polish restaurant near the theater, at 6:00 PM.

This event is full!

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

CHICAGO IN FICTION:  

Saturday, February 18
2:30 - 4:00 PM
Hosted by Myrna Knepler
Members - Free, Guests - $5

We will discuss books that take place in various Chicago neighborhoods and time periods. Attendees will follow this schedule:

February 18 

Chicago
by Alaa Al Aswany 

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

Tuesday, February 21
5:00 PM
Hosted by Pam Washburn
Members only - Free 

 

This event is full! 

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

Sunday, February 26
2:00 - 4:30 PM
Hosted by Hugh Brodkey and Bobbe Wolf
Members only - Free 

 

This event is full!  

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

GILDED-AGE GLAMOUR: RICHARD M. DRIEHAUS MUSEUM TWILIGHT TOUR

Commissioned by banker Samuel M. Nickerson in 1879, the mansion was an audacious testament to his extreme wealth. Richard Driehaus founded the museum in 2003 with an eye toward preserving and promoting architecture and design of the past. The tour will highlight the type of entertaining done by the Nickerson family during the evening hours as it was covered in the newspapers of the day. 

Tour is full!

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

TEST YOUR HEALTH IQ

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

COMING IN MARCH 

Register for these programs by calling 773.248.8700 or e-mail

celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org

Payment is due in advance.

Let the Village office know if you need a ride!    

As the Village grows, from time to time events with limited attendance are fully subscribed with a waiting list.  If you wish to participate in any event, please sign up early. You can do this by calling or e-mailing the office.  

GREAT CONVERSATIONS: DISCUSSING GREAT BOOKS 

Emersons: Monday, March 5
Hosted by Kathy and Jim Zartman  

Ibsens: Wednesday, March 7

Hosted by Bob and Melaine Stephens 

7:00 - 8:30 PM  

Members Only - $30

The March reading is yet to be determined; the office will let registrants know within the week. 

The Citizens of the World books have arrived in the office for this series. Please stop by the office to pick up your book, or let us know if you would like the book delivered to you.    

One spot remains in each group. 

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

CHICAGO IN FICTION:  

Saturday, March 17
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Host: Pam and Mel Washburn
Members - Free, Guests - $5

We will discuss books that take place in various Chicago neighborhoods and time periods. Attendees will follow this schedule: 

March 17  

April 28

 Chicago during the reign of the first Mayor Daley.

May 19

Sister Carrie
by Theodore Dreiser 

To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

Wednesday, April 11  

6:00 - 7:30 PM 

Women's Athletic Club 

626 N. Michigan Ave. 

Members Only - Glass of wine $10 at the event; meal following the event is $35

A prominent musician will play the Stradivarius for us while we enjoy a glass of wine with other Village attendees. An optional self-hosted dinner to follow at the WAC. 

 

 To register for events, e-mail celebrate@lincolnparkvillage.org.

SUPPORT THE VILLAGE
ON AMAZON

Shopping on Amazon through our special Village site generates revenue for us and costs you nothing extra!  

The Village receives a percentage of every sale, and the more items you order in a month, the higher the percentage Amazon will pay.

The only hard thing about this is remembering to do it. To help you remember, contemplate this:

Amazon has an unparalleled range of merchandise.
Consumer Reports says, "Amazon had the best overall selection by far, especially if consumers are looking for books, electronics, baby gear and specialty items." 

Amazon has reviews for almost every product it sells.
Use them to decide which model, which brand or sometimes even to think of something else to give. 

You are probably getting
the best price.
A recent article in The Economist says that Amazon's prices are on average 11 percent below those of other stores. It also noted that Amazon's discounts are in many cases deeper than those offered by the retailers' own Web sites. 

Amazon Gift Cards are a nearly perfect gift!

It's easy to shop from the Village store. Just begin your Amazon shopping excursion at http://www.lincolnparkvillage.org/store.
Then, put one item in your cart and click "Proceed to Checkout," which will take you to the regular Amazon.com site to finish your shopping.

 Lincoln Park Village will receive credit for your entire order so long as you start out at http://www.lincolnparkvillage.org/store.

Still have questions? Just call the Village office at 773.248.8700 for more information. Happy shopping!

Donna and Dirk Vos in Botswana in 2009

Dirk and Donna Vos have lived in Old Town for 17 years. Their house looks out on a neighborhood park, and their hospitality is open to the stranger who comes by to listen to their story for the Village Newsletter.

They both have home offices. "It works that we each have a room of our own," says Donna. Under the name Donna Cousins, she writes from her office and is delighted that her second novel, Waiting for Bones, is receiving good reviews. The two novels are the culmination of years of apprenticeship in writing for publications in Europe, Asia and the U.S. and practicing with short-story construction.

From the beginning, Donna found that her master's degree from Northwestern's Medill School gave her journalism skills that were portable, so that she has been able to hone her craft in the many locations where she and Dirk have lived.

Donna is also fond of the spoken word. In the '70s she was chairman of the board of Steppenwolf Theater and recalls when Gary Sinise and John Malkovich performed a scene from True West as part of a fundraiser in her living room. "In those early days in the theater, we could have used Dirk's financial acumen on the board," she says with a smile.

Dirk has had considerable experience as a board member of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. When asked to serve on the Village board, he observed that the variety of disciplines, personal styles and high energy represented in the leadership group of the Village is really impressive. This, along with the energy and wisdom of Executive Director Dianne Campbell, is the reason for the Village's rapid growth, he says.

Dirk notes that "volunteers in the Village are both receivers and givers; it's not just a one-way street, and that enriches all of us." That kind of reciprocity symbolizes one of Dirk's core principles: "We need to find or invent ways for the organization to be sustainable," he says. In a happy coincidence, he and I discovered a mutual example: I had just come from donating several boxes of books to Open Books, a local organization that supports literacy. Dirk serves on its board as well.

Finding ways to do interesting work and simultaneously generate an income stream fascinates Dirk. He has turned a lifelong interest in maps into an online business as a dealer in antique maps. The beauty and details, often in error, of 16th, 17th and 18th century maps were intrinsically motivating. To see samples of Dirk's antique maps, go to Mapcarte.com. There is even a map of Lincoln Park, although not from the 17th century.

Dirk and Donna have been active for many years in the Old Town Triangle Association. "It's impossible not to be, when the Old Town Art Fair occurs outside our window each summer," they claim. Funds raised by the Fair support a number of children's programs and other local causes. When Dirk discovered the Village (and they both attended the initial organizing meeting at Victory Gardens Theater in 2008), it seemed reasonable to recognize the needs of "another demographic, at the other end of the life spectrum." So the Triangle became an early contributor to the Village, and so did Dirk and Donna. This was the beginning of their connection, which has since evolved into membership.

They share an interest in building a sense of community that may be based on geography but, as Donna observes, also includes affinity groups: memoir-writing, walking, meditation and book discussions.

The genius of Lincoln Park Village is to put together surprising combinations of people and ideas. Discovering connections that may not be evident initially is the kind of challenge that Dirk and Donna enjoy and see in Lincoln Park Village.

--Bruce Hunt

Erwin Helfer's Boogie Blues Birthday Benefit on Friday, January 20th was a rousing community success. 

Erwin Helfer at the piano and John Brumbach at the sax Photo Christina Reznack

 
Despite the fact that another 80 members and friends had reserved places but couldn't make it, the event raised funds for the Village and showed Erwin a rollicking good start to his 76th year.  

Erwin's Birthday Cupcakes, donated by The Kenwood of Lakeview and The Hallmark of Chicago   Photo Christina Reznack

About our connection to the community ...

Hosting a visit with Joanna Todd was fine with Andy Hiken. In fact, more than fine. The Lincoln Park Village volunteer was bringing along two-year-old Stanley, the Todds' large and people-friendly Bernese Mountain Dog, who is also a volunteer for Village members.

It was a sweet deal that perfectly reflects the way Lincoln Park Village operates, with members both contributing to and benefiting from services. Andy, a retired sociology professor, loves canines but doesn't now own one. Stanley delights in sharing his loving heart and his on-site skills as a visitor dog.

So right now Stanley is top dog around the Village--our very first canine volunteer--who is unleashing his generous heart and is extending a paw to any member who wants his company. Named after a town in the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Idaho, where owner Joanna was born, Stanley's date with Andy was pure kismet. In fact, both were smitten by puppy-love-at-first-sight!

Andy settled into his favorite living room chair, a contented smile slipping across his face. One-hundred-twenty-pound Stanley immediately nestled at Andy's feet, eyes closed and head resting comfortably on his crossed, front pillow-paws.

"Stan put a smile on my Andy's face--the one he gets with dogs, cats and babies," says svelte Laurel Baer, who's not typically what you'd call a dog-lover, at least not with pooches who weigh substantially more than she does. "Stan's a sweet and gentle dog--a lovely presence that brings warmth, fun and comfort into the room. My husband loves dogs; he misses having one, and it's something he enjoys," adds the former advertising exec.

Joanna Todd, a recent Village volunteer who works for a newspaper company, believes that dogs like Stanley add texture to people's lives. As the Village's first canine-volunteer handler, Todd sees exciting possibilities both for Villagers and for her four-legged friend.

Besides home visits, Stanley can be taken for a walk. "The walk idea is great for people not getting out of their apartments enough," she says. "Stan's a great excuse: They're meeting him for a walk around the block, and he goes slow; he's a meanderer." She adds that one of Stan's six sibs, a sister, volunteers at Children's Memorial Hospital. "People of all ages sometimes need the extra push to take that walk in order to get the exercise they need."

Stanley, whom Joanna and her husband, Andrew, call a "marshmallow" because he's a "scaredy-cat--a little dog trapped in a big body--" has a wonderfully loving temperament. He thrives on pleasing (and loves treats). He also is a card-carrying Good Canine Citizen, certified by the American Kennel Club to behave well in many situations.

Booking time with Stanley "is an opportunity for people who need extra canine attention--just somebody to sit with them for a while," says Todd. "It's a different kind of visit: Stan doesn't ask anything of you; he enjoys being petted and he likes to share his love."

Todd accompanies Stan on all visits. She figures that though some of us may have retired and given up pet-owning responsibilities, that doesn't mean we've given up the need for an occasional furry friend.

"There are lots of studies out there that say that visits from a dog like Stanley are a very good thing. Having a dog around raises people's spirits!"    

For more information about booking time with Stanley, call the Village office.

                                         --Barbara Sandler

Ellen Stone Belic invites members and friends of Lincoln Park Village to join her for a special screening of Happy, a new documentary by her Academy Award-nominated stepson, Roko Belic.

Happy will be shown in Chicago at 11:00 AM this Saturday, February 11th, in AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. Tickets cost $6.

The film, which is being previewed around the world on that day, presents perspectives on happiness from the Dalai Lama and a handful of researchers and other accomplished people.

Ellen suggests that people meet in the lobby before the showing and sit together. A self-hosted lunch follows at PJ Clarkes (302 East Illinois Street).     

For more information, click here: www.thehappymovie.com or http://www.thehappymovie.com

We will be holding a series of mid-day get-acquainted coffees in our office at 2502 N. Clark St. for people who want to learn more about Lincoln Park Village. Refreshments will be served. Here is the schedule: 

Thursday, February 16 - 11:30AM-1:00 PM

Thursday, March 8 - 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

Tuesday March 27 - 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

If you would like to attend or bring a guest, please call the Village office at 773.248.8700. We look forward to seeing you!

Joining Lincoln Park Village

Lincoln Park Village helps members live life to the fullest by providing a vibrant array of stimulating activities, engaging events and, if needed, services from the most trusted resources. But most important, the Village is a community composed of neighbor-to-neighbor connections that can enrich lives in new and unexpected ways. If you are interested in becoming a member, please call the Village office at 773.248.8700 or follow the links below.

Download Membership Application 

Application Process

Membership is available to adults 50+ living in greater Lincoln Park and surrounding communities. A membership application is available above, or call the Village office for other options. A reduced-rate program, Member-Plus, is available for those on limited fixed incomes.

After becoming a member, an informal conversation will be scheduled to acquaint the new member with the services, programs and events of the Village and to better understand the new member's specific interests and needs.