WWW.OLDTOWNTRIANGLE.COM APRIL 2009 VOLUME X • NUMBER 83 CALENDAR PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE All events are held at the Old Town his is a test of your mental acuity. Picture last Triangle Center unless otherwise Sunday morning; you arise to blowing snow designated. Meetings are open to all Tand winter advisories. Here’s the question: What members. season is it? If you answer spring in chicago, your memory is working. If you got it wrong, don’t despair; TRIANGLE EVENTS you just need a few more years in Chicago. ❡Welcome to the spring in Old Town. The snow is melting, and we April 14, 7:00 p.m. are getting prepared for our first outdoor event of the OTTA Board Meeting season—the Annual Neighborhood Spring Clean-up April 20, 7:00 p.m. on April 25. Whether you are an annual participant, a Neighborhood Improvements member who has missed the event, a new member who Committee Meeting doesn’t know what I’m talking about or a resident who April 21, 7:00 p.m. doesn’t even know what the association is, please join Historic District/Planning and Zoneing us at 9 am at the Triangle Center, 1763 N. NorthPark. Meeting We will reve up your engines with coffee “and” (as April 23, 7:00 p.m. FERN BOMCHILL DAVIS my mother would say); you will meet your neighbors, CAPS Meeting receive your broom, shovel and trash bags and be sent off to beautify our neighborhood April 25, 9:00 a.m. ❡Obviously, the Triangle will benefit from our clean-up efforts. The neighborhood Annual Neighborhood Spring Clean-up will be polished and ready for outdoor activities and, of course, the Art Fair. Our “clean- ing crew” will have an opportunity to see old friends and neighbors and make new OPENINGS acquaintances. ❡Spring clean-up is also a great opportunity to reach out to recruit new April 5, 2:00-5:00 p.m. members. We want to serve all the Triangle residents, and the otta Board cannot know Landscapes by Robert Pogatetz what neighbors need if we haven’t met them. If every clean-up volunteer brings a new May 3, 2:00-5:00 p.m. or previously non-participating resident to the April 25th event, we have a good chance Still Lifes by Carl Holzman of expanding our base. If you and your friends are not the outdoor types, you can do your mingling at the April 18th performance of Our Town at the Triangle Center. I know SPECIAL EVENT residents that are participating in both events! ❡Speaking of “reach out” efforts, thanks April 18, 3:30 p.m. to Crilly Court Condo Association which opened its doors and welcomed otta Board Our Town: A Reader’s Theatre Presentatio Members to a “meet and greet.” You have a beautiful building with a “New Orleans” T Courtyard and energetic residents with whom we look forward to working. Are there other associations out there who want to meet with us? ❡No newsletter prior to June can end without a plea for volunteers and contributions to the Art Fair. We need your Check it out time and your money, but the cause is worthy. Not only will you have fun, fun, fun, but The OTTA Times with color also the money raised at the Art Fair funds the operations of the otta and its substantial photos—online at charitable contributions, including support for the Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls. oldtowntriangle.com If you need information on how to volunteer or donate money, please contact the otta office. ❡Hope to see you all on April 18 and April 25. T ART FAIR 2009 poster, a photograph in brilliant COMMITTEE Chris Beer, General Chair blues, reds, and yellows entitled Sunnyside REPORTS Up. The nautical image inspired the theme It’s April, and we are counting down to for our First Sight, Friday Night party, to the 60th Old Town Art Fair. At our last be called, Ship Ahoy. The party will feature Chairmen’s meeting, we introduced the good food, music, dancing, and a Ëp2 COMMITTEE REPORTS CRIER GALLERY OUR TOWN POSTSRIPT PAGES 1 & 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 & 5 PAGE 7 fromËp1 silent auction with works borhood, insure necessary services to our intruders had left the area. Residents are from artists who are exhibiting in the fair. residents, and support arts and education urged to be especially careful about locking Please join us for this gala event. programs in our schools. doors, including garage doors and gates; Sixty new artists were juried into this keeping back areas well-lighted, and having year’s fair, joining the 200 returning artists. CAPS working alarm systems. The quality of their work is outstanding, and Neighbors reported that the illegal squat- Shirley Baugher we expect huge sales, even topping those ter had returned to the empty house on of last year. We have also acquired a num- About 14 officers, including the Internal the southeast corner of Willow and North ber of new sponsors for the fair, including Affairs Commander, and many neighbors Park. The building is now owned by Bank of The Chicago Tribune, Luna Bar, and Artful joined us at our CAPS meeting on March America, and their legal department must Framer Studios. They join returning spon- 26, 2009. Officer Benny Wong chaired the file a complaint before police can take action sors WXRT and Yelp.com. We expect more meeting. In reviewing the ICAM report, against the individual. Officers have vowed sponsors to join us by opening week-end. he noted that the crime rate was up slight- to contact the bank and ask that they lodge This year we are introducing a new ly, though major crimes are down. a complaint. Hopefully, the squatter can be program format—a map-fold broadside, Old business dealt primarily with drug evicted in the next few days. replaces the book format of past fairs. It dealing taking place around the clock in Kudos to the 18th District Community picks up all the familiar elements relevant the alley behind the 300 block of West Relations Department on their excellent to the art fair. Historical information and Concord. This is of particular concern information service. other features not pertinent to the art fair because of the area’s proximity to LaSalle Sergeant Schumann has also informed and other unchanging information for- School. Neighbors who reported this us that Target is conducting a special pro- merly in the catalog will be published in a problem will try to get license plates to gram to provide children (ages 12 and separate membership booklet. pass along to police. The officers will fol- under) with eyeglasses, Target’s optical We still need volunteers for all com- low up with increased surveillance. department will give a free pair of glasses to mittees. Volunteers are the life blood of Two attempted break-ins occurred in the child upon receipt of a valid prescrip- our fair. If you have any time available and the 1700 block of Crilly Court. Perpetrators tion from the doctor. The child may select would like to be part of this event, please were seen trying to enter the lower level of from 40 different frames. The lenses will go online to [email protected]. and one residence, but were unable to break the be non-glare and scratch resistant. These sign up. We can promise you a great time lock. They did open the basement door at glasses normally sell for $200. There are and the satisfaction of having provided another residence, but were deterred by the no income guidelines. You can find stores much-needed service to the community. loud alarm system the opening triggered. with optical departments by going to www. Proceeds from the fair are used to main- Police responded immediately and made target.com It is best to confirm participation tain the historic character of the neigh- a thorough search, inside and out; but the first. T A new restaurant is coming to the Old Town neighbor- bread in it) and a new an asparagus tart with wafer hood. Located at the southeast corner of North Avenue thin Serrano ham, piquillo peppers, marcona almonds, and Cleveland, the restaurant is touted as an upscale THE ^TOWN and sherry vinegar. Tribune food critic Phil Vettel has American bistro. It will feature appetizers, small plates, named Perennial one of the best brunch restaurants in and charcuterie made on the premises. Mondays through CRIER Chicago. Try it. Fridays will be dinner only. On Saturdays and Sundays, If you haven’t checked out the bakery goods at both brunch and dinner will be served. There will also be a side- Catering-Chocolate, 1712 N. Wells, now is the time. Every day, mas- walk café. A mid-June opening is projected. ter baker Ann Kelly turns out a mouth-watering selection of breads Ryan Poli, chef de cuisine of Old Town’s favorite restaurant to meet your every taste: cinnamon-raisin, brioche (bread and rolls), Perennial, has launched his new Spring menu, and it’s spectacu- wheat and white loaves, marbled rye, baguettes, and many more. lar, as we would expect. Among the additions are: grilled salmon Also stop by for the flaky croissants offered on week-ends. with a roasted beet salad, fiddlehead ferns, pickled ramps, and You have probably received posters requesting your participa- port wine reduction; and a flat iron surf and turf with shrimp tion in the neighborhood Clean and Green activity on April 25. ravioli, baby leeks, braised artichokes, and a shrimp vinaigrette.