DEAR OLD TOWN NEIGHBOR,
The leaves are falling, the air is damp, and it's getting darker earlier. Such is the passing of the season. Luckily Trick-or-Treating and Halloweening are here this weekend to make the transition a bit easier on us. The autumnal spirit has hit Wells Street -- from the excitement of the children to the hardy mums. Read on to see what else Old Town has been up to!
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Old Town Merchants and Residents Association Donates $50,000!!!
 On October 15th ten deserving organizations were honored at the Fall Social and Community Awards Ceremony. The groups include A Red Orchid Theatre, Chicago Neighbors United, Deborah's Place, Franklin Fine Arts, Hope Institute Learning Academy, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, LaSalle Senior Center, Near North Library Friends Association, Police Chaplains Ministry, and Project Education Plus.
 The Board of Directors reveiwed lists of possible condidates and chose recipients based on their impact on the immediate community and the city and state as a whole.
This isn't the first donation made by OTMRA into the community. In 2007 the Association elected to donate $100,000 to six groups. All donated funds are generated by the street festivals in Old Town, so it can be said that these donations are truly a gift from the community as a whole.
This year's Community Awards Ceremony was hosted by Orso's Italian Restaurant. Thanks to the Milito Family and the staff at Orso's for closing down for a couple hours to accomodate Old Town Merchants and Residents Association members! And congratulations to our hard-working and very deserving Community Award Recipients!
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Events in and Around Old Town
**CAPS Meeting at the Near North Library
Tuesday, November 3rd, 6:30pm
310 W. Division
Beat Meeting for 1821/1823
**CAPS Meeting at Shenanigans HOB
Thursday, November 5th, 3:00pm
16 W. Division
Meeting of the Hospitality Sub-Committee
**LaSalle Senior Center Fundraiser!
Thursday, November 5th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Join the friends of the LaSalle Senior Center for live jazz, an appetizer buffet, and cash bar. All revenue will go to support the Center's senior programming. For more information visit www. lasalleseniorcenter.org
**Lincoln Park Block by Block
Thursday, November 5th, 6:30pm
Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative program with the Chicago History Museum Exhibit:
Lincoln Park Block by Block.
The evening will include a welcome from CHM President Gary Johnson, a special presentation by the New Leaf Theatre, and interactive research projects by DePaul Students. There will be opportunity to view the exhibit following the program. For more information, visit: http://cgia.depaul.edu/Event/registration.aspx
**Dinotto Ristorante 20 Year Anniversary!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
215 W. North Avenue
Join George, Dino, JC, and Dinotto staff as they celebrate the 20th anniversay of Dinotto. It was 20 years ago that Dinotto first opened their doors on North Avenue in Old Town. Stop in and congratulate the team!
**Chef Joe Doppes Thanksgiving Crash Course
Saturday, November 21st
Bistrot Margot, 1437 N. Wells
This course includes demonstrations and tastings of turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potato gratin, succotash, mashed potatoes, sausage dressing, pan gravy and a glass of wine! Give Bistrot Margot a call at 312-587-3660 for more information!
**BLOCKHEAD FITNESS New Location Opening!
Monday, November 23, 2009
557 W. North Avenue |
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There you have it! Old Town is bustling through the fall. Two words of advice: don't forget to set your clocks back an hour this weekend, and don't forget about Old Town this holiday season. We've got all you need here from entertainment to dining to shopping and more!
Sincerely,
Old Town Merchants & Residents Association | |
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The Marathon Hit Old Town
Some years you get to watch the marathon in shorts and flip flops. Not this year. The temperatures on Sunday morning, October 11th were seen as near ideal for some runners, but downright cold for their fans. The beginning of race day was cold and gray. By the time the first runner crossed the finish line in Grant Park the sun had fought its way through the clouds.
The scene on Wells Street on Marathon Sunday is really energizing. By 7:00am hundreds of volunteers are getting the watering station, sponsored by O'Briens Restaurant, set up and ready to hydrate the athletes. A sea of blue jackets busily stacked and filled cups as instructions for safety and proper "cup handling" were shared over the loud speaker. Mind you, during these last minute preparations the marathon was already well under way. Old Town sits in between mile 10 and 11 on the marathon course. Spectators caught their first glimpse of racers at about 8:15am.
A Chicago and North American record was set on Sunday. 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Sammy Wanjiru from Kenya broke the previous record of 2:05:42 by one second. The winner of the Chicago Marathon receives $75,000. In this case, Wanjiru got an extra $100,000 for setting a new record. Not a bad for a Sunday morning. Liliya Shobukhova from Russia won the women's competition with a time of 2:25:56. Australian Kurt Fearnley won the men's wheelchair competition for a third year, with a time of 1:29:09 and Tatyana McFadden from the US won the women's wheelchair competition with a time of 1:50:47. |
LOCAL RESTAURANT DEALS AND EVENTS
Trattoria Roma: Book your holiday events in the private party room! Package deals for groups range from pizza parties to full course sit-down meals. ALL PACKAGES CAN BE CUSTOMIZED!! email tromaevents@aol.com or call 312-664-7907
33 Club: Join the staff at 33 Club this holiday season. They will be open on Thanksgiving offering their regular menu and a $46/person pre fixe holiday option. 33 Club also offers up their fare on Christmas Eve and Day. Don't miss their $65/person pre-fixe New Year's Eve Party or Brunch on New Year's Day! For more information give them a call at 312-664-1419.
Dinotto: Stop by the Chilean wine tasting on Thursday, November 5th at Dinotto Ristorante! From 5:00pm - 7:00pm you can join the Chilean Consulate General and Chilean Trade Office of Chicago while tasting the wines of Chile. To RSVP, call Ms. Pia Jorquera at 312-654-8946 or email secreconsul@cgchicago.com.
Orso's: Holiday season is here at Orso's! Whether you're looking to entertain family, friends, or colleagues, the possibilities are endless. Book the private party room with Agnese or Elizabeth by calling 312-787-6604. Packages start at $19.95 a person with two hours of house wine.
Bistrot Margot: Right now you can get a $10 Petits Plats du Jour at Bistrot Margot. This is a smaller portion, smaller price, with all the usual flavor. Coq au Vin, Bouillabaisse, Beef Wellington -- it's all on the Petits Plats menu. Call 312-587-3660 to find out your daily specials. Bistrot will also be open on Thanksgiving serving a three-course prix fixe for $32.95. Reservations are recommended with seatings from noon-7:30pm. |
Franklin Fine Arts Celebrates Principal for a Day and Halloween
October in Old Town means the Franklin FIne Arts kids are getting creative with pumpkins. Take a walk through the neighborhood and see if you can spot some of the art!
This morning, on October 30th, they celebrated by parading through the Franklin Campus Park. Kids, parents, staff and friends were not disappointed by the costumes. Even the staff dressed up!
Franklin also invited four community members to be Principals for a day on October 29th. The Principal For A Day program was started by the Mayor's office 13 years ago to foster relationships between the schools -- who are ever in needs of additional funding -- and private companies and residents. | |
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