Dear Members:
Back after a two-year hiatus, the Explore Elmhurst Express Trolley program offers residents and visitors a FREE 30-minute ride around the lively City of Elmhurst, connecting the shopping districts of downtown Elmhurst, Spring Road, and York and Vallette.
Making six stops across the shopping districts, the 16-week trolley will run every Friday and Saturday from June 3 through September 17 from 12 noon to 12 midnight. No tickets are required.
The trolley also is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), which allows riders to track the vehicle’s location by visiting ExploreElmhurst.com.
The route travels to different shopping districts in Elmhurst, making stops near shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Riders will also enjoy listening to the Elmhurst University Jazz Band recordings and a historical narrative about the City.
Explore Elmhurst Express Trolley Route:
Stop 1: York Street and Park Avenue
Stop 2: York and Schiller Streets
Stop 3: Second Street and Addison Avenue
Stop 4: Cottage Hill Avenue and Virginia Street
Stop 5: Spring Road at the Illinois Prairie Path
Stop 6: York and Vallette Streets
The trolley is handicapped accessible and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant. Collapsible and small strollers that fit in the seating area are welcome aboard. Onboard storage is unavailable and it is against fire code to place strollers, bikes, or belongings in the trolley’s aisle.
The Explore Elmhurst Express will have a series of special events and activities throughout the summer so follow the Explore Elmhurst Facebook and Instagram pages to have the most up-to-date information. Riders will also have the opportunity to enter-to-win weekly prizes every time they ride the trolley.
The inside of the trolley will feature display advertising purchased by 24 local businesses and not-for-profit organizations to help partially underwrite the program’s cost.
Participants include Access Sports, Adapt Chiropractic, Alpine Creek Dental, Bacci Pizzeria, Beyond Shades, Cloud Nine Restaurant Group (One Fifty One Kitchen/Bar and Pints), Community Bank of Elmhurst, Edward Jones Investments (Kevin Kost), Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst Park District, Elmhurst University, GIA MIA Elmhurst, Hauert Law Office, Hinton Insurance Agency – Farmers Insurance, IC Catholic Prep, Kelley Stetler Real Estate (Broker with Compass), La Jolie Boutique MLN, See Your House Right Here (Eva Snachez), Spring Road Business Association, Suburban Bank & Trust, The Katris Law Group, Total Window Treatments, Unlimited Heating & Cooling and York and Vallette Business Association.
Inaugural IACCE Leadership Summit
Yours truly was among more than 40 of my peer executives from across the state to participate in the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ (IACCE) Inaugural Leadership Summit hosted by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce in Bloomington on May 17.
The Leadership Summit focused on how chambers can development a culture of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI), as the Peoria Chamber of Commerce has adopted under new President and CEO Joshua Gunn, who most recently served as Vice President of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina.
Mark Your Chamber Calendar
“Networking on the 9s,” our Chamber’s 74th Annual Golf Outing, will tee off at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park on Friday, September 23, as part of ECCI’s annual September Chamber of Commerce Month activities. Click HERE to register as a sponsor, golfer or lunch guest.
New Members
Our Chamber welcomed three new members in May as follows: Bazzy Boutique, CarmieCakes Bakery and Fox Pest Control.
Happy Anniversary
Ten members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in June as follows: 45 years—Verlare Cleaners of Elmhurst; 25 years—The David Agency Insurance, Inc.; and 5 years—Chicago Water & Fire Restoration and Daily Herald Media Group.
Dropped Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following two members in May: Lexington Square of Elmhurst and Two Men and a Truck
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Our Chamber lost a trio of longtime active members in May with the passings of Jan Pauli, Dennis Sluga and Frank Mushow—all of whom were members of the Rotary Club of Elmhurst. Former Chamber Ambassador and 2008 ECCI Civic Hall of Fame inductee Jeannette Mary Pauli (nee Doering), former Owner of Pauli’s Marathon, passed on May 4 at the age of 88 in Estero, Florida. Former Chamber Ambassador Dennis James Sluga, a longtime real estate agent, passed on May 2 at the age of 77 at his Elmhurst home. Frank R. Mushow, a longtime member of the City of Elmhurst’s Zoning and Planning Commission and former member of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Commissioners, passed on May 6 at the age of 79.
Also, Elmhurst Police Chief Michael R Ruth passed away on May 30 while hospitalized following a medical procedure.