Submitted by Lake County Partners

Lake County Partners Board of Governors Chair Chuck Lamphere has announced the selection of a new Lake County Partners (LCP) President and Chief Executive Officer, following an extensive national search and interview process. Michael Stevens, the current Deputy Development Director for the City of Columbus – Ohio’s largest city, and the state’s capital – will serve as the new LCP President/CEO.

Michael Stevens brings 15 years of economic development experience in both the public and private sectors to LCP. At the City of Columbus, he has focused on regional collaboration and business retention and expansion, resulting in 116 companies locating or expanding there, adding 24,475 new jobs to their local economy. Prior to working at the City of Columbus, Stevens worked for Cardinal Health as its Manager of Facility Operations, which included developing and managing a $10 million dollar budget and managing facilities in five states. Prior to that, he served as the Economic Development Director for the City of Dublin, where Cardinal Health’s main headquarters are located.

During his career, Mr. Stevens has demonstrated success in improving the local business climate, fostering regional economic development, and enhancing regional competitiveness.

Chuck Lamphere, LCP Board of Governors Chair, and President of Van Vlissingen & Company said, “The selection committee was very impressed with Mr. Stevens’ credentials. His leadership skills, diverse experience and expertise, as well as his demonstrated ability to produce results in the area of economic development made him our top candidate.”

Lake County Partners is Lake County’s Economic Development Corporation. It is a public/private partnership made up of local elected officials from across Lake County, and local business leaders. Its mission is to maintain economic vitality and quality of life in Lake County by creating and retaining quality jobs, stimulating capital investment, pursuing economic diversity and improving the County’s business climate. Partners’ focus is on attracting, retaining and expanding businesses, advocating for infrastructure improvements, and spearheading initiatives that bolster business success.

County Board Chairman David Stolman said, “Creating and retaining jobs is more important now than ever before given the recent economic challenges. We are confident that Mr. Stevens will bring the leadership we need to continue to improve Lake County’s economic vitality. We look forward to him joining the LCP team and welcome him to Lake County.” Mr. Stevens will start at the end of March.

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Here are 10 more entries into the GazeboNews/Pasquesi “Best Pet Photo” contest of 2012! I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!

We’re still taking submissions, so if you want to be in on the contest please send your best pet photo to adrienne@gazebonews.com by Feb. 24. Winner gets a $50 gift certificate to Pasquesi Home & Gardens!

** (it’s going to be hard to pick a winner!!)

Sir Magnus Pym

Bailey

Patty

Sawyer

Cider

Simba

Lucky

Clancy and Nellie

Callahan

Flanagan

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Submitted by the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce

On Wednesday evening, February 22, Sandy Lincoln, senior vice president and chief market strategist for BMO Asset Management U.S., will make his much-anticipated annual appearance in Lake Forest. The title of this year’s presentation is “Peak, Trough, Now & Next: A look at what the markets have been through, what’s happening now, what likely comes next, and what to do with your investments.”

Known for his engaging style and insightful analysis of the economy and financial markets, Lincoln has appeared on CNBC, CNN, WGN, Bloomberg, and Nightly Business Report on PBS, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. This is his 12th annual presentation with the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce.

Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, this year’s event will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, which is located at 1905 W. Field Court in Lake Forest. In addition to the presentation, appetizers and wine tastings will be provided by The Fresh Market.

The event is generously sponsored by BMO Global Asset Management, a multi-disciplined asset manager with specialized teams and boutiques located across the globe, including operations in Toronto, Chicago, London and Hong Kong. With additional personnel based from the Middle East to Asia to South America, the international network oversees in excess of $40 billion dollars.

The general public is welcome; walk-ins will be accepted. Admission is $25 after. Reservations may be made through the Chamber website at www.LFLBchamber.com or by calling the Chamber office at 847.234.4282.

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This is a good reminder to lock your doors–when you’re home and when you’re not!

The Glenview Police Department is investigating a “ruse” residential burglary that allegedly occurred in the 4500 block of Concord Lane on Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m.

A man told a homeowner that he was working on water pipes and needed to check the home’s water. He walked through the home checking faucets and was talking on a walkie talkie in a language the homeowner could not understand. After the man left the residence, the homeowner noticed that jewelry was missing.

Incidents similar to this have been reported in Lake Forest and other North Shore communities this winter.

In Glenview, two additional recent “ruse burglary” attempts were reported. One was on Feb. 10 in the 2500 block of Harrison, and the other was on Feb. 16 in the 2200 block of Robincrest, according to the Glenview PD.

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By Adrienne Fawcett

I wondered what about Wonder! when I drove past it on the way to my daughter’s basketball tournament in Deerfield last month. It was a large, brightly lit, big-box store in a strip mall building previously occupied by Sears Great Indoors. There was no tagline beneath the Wonder! sign, so unless you were standing in front of the store and looking in the window, you had no idea what Wonder! was.

Turns out it sold high-end products for babies and young children, and that it was financed by a Lake Forest man. Also turns out that it closed less than four months after it opened.

Here are two articles about Wonder!’s closing:

Chicago Tribune

GlobeSt.com

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The Best Pet Photo Contest of 2012 is off to a great start! Here are the first 12 photos that arrived in my inbox on Monday morning–I’ll post all of the photos throughout the week. Thank you for sending them and for sharing your pet stories. They are awesome!

We’re taking submissions up till Feb. 24, so if you want to enter a picture in the GazeboNews/Pasquesi Home & Garden Best Pet Photo Contest, please send it asap to adrienne@gazebonews.com.

GRIFFIN

CINNAMON

ANGEL

JACK & CHUCKIE

ANITA DEE

CINNABUN

ANOUK

KARMA

JOE

BREE

A LAB AND CATS

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The Lake Forest College Department of English is pleased to invite the community to participate in the annual Lake Forest Literary Festival that will take place from Monday, February 27 through Wednesday, February 29. The events will be held in Meyer Auditorium in Hotchkiss Hall on the College’s Middle Campus unless otherwise noted.

“I’m very excited by the diversity of the voices represented at this year’s festival, most of whom are concerned in some way with environmental writing or writing about place,” said Professor and Lit Fest organizer Josh Corey. “From the feminist ecopoetics of Brenda Iijima to the gonzo piscatorian Mark Spitzer to the contemporary fairy tales of Kate Bernheimer to the visionary environments of Ed Roberson, these writers all bring ethical and imaginative intensity to their work.”

Events are sponsored by the Dean of the Faculty, American Studies Program, the English Department, Artist-in-Residence, Student Government, and the Mojekwu Fund.

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Submitted by GLASA

The Joyride Cycle Studio and Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) invite the community to an evening of spinning, fitness and giving on Feb. 29 at the Joyride studio, 218 Greenbay Road in Highland Park.

Participants will ride alongside GLASA athletes, who usually ride hand cycles but for the event will ride their newly transformed stationary bikes. There will be a ride for teens first and a ride for adults to follow.

Register at www.joyridecyclestudio.com

Post cycling, local author Beth Aldrich will talk about her book, Real Moms Love To Eat.

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