Dear Members:

The Elmhurst St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee on which I serve will stage its 26th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade down Spring Road on Saturday, March 4, at 12 noon, stepping off north from Wilson Street and marching to the former Silverado Grill.

2017 ECCI Civic Hall of Fame inductee Jack Island of the Silverado Grill will be honored as the parade’s Grand Marshal.

Ken Bartels of Community Bank of Elmhurst and I will again serve as commentators on the local cable television coverage by Elmhurst TV.  The parade will air on Comcast Channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 throughout March on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. starting on March 14.

April 4 Consolidated Elections
Early voting for the April 4 Consolidated Elections will be available at Elmhurst City Hall (209 North York Street) starting on Monday, March 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On election day, Elmhurst City Hall and polling places across DuPage County will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Any eligible voter in DuPage can access any polling location within the county.

One Aldermanic seat in each of the Elmhurst City Council’s seven Wards is up for election, with four of those races being contested.  Nine candidates are running for four seats on the Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board of Education and three candidates are vying for two seats on the Elmhurst Park District’s Board of Commissioners.  Three of the nine seats on the Elmhurst Library District’s Board of Trustees are up for City Council appointment.

In non-mayoral election years, voter turnout in Elmhurst rarely surpasses 40 percent of some 26,000 registered voters.

To paraphase the Will Bailey character in The West Wing:  No matter who you vote for, make sure you vote.

104th Annual ECCI Awards Gala
Some 150 ECCI members and their guests are signed up to celebrate our Chamber’s 104th Annual Awards Gala at the newly-rebranded Elm West Banquets on Friday, March 10, from 5 to 9 p.m.  Click HERE to register as an attendee and/or sponsor.

2022 honorees are A.J. “Toche” Terrones Business of the Year Helping Hands Cleaning Service, Ambassador of the Year Eva Sanchez of See Your House Right Here @properties Elmhurst, Chairman’s Award recipient Desiree Chen of Elmhurst University and ECCI Civic Hall of Fame inductee John DeVries of DeVries Animal Hospital.

Elmhurst TV coverage of the one-hour awards program will air Comcast Channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 in April (dates to be announced).

21st Annual Economic Outlook Luncheon
Leslie McGranahan, Vice President and Director of Regional Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will be the Keynote Speaker for the 21st Annual Multi-Chamber Economic Outlook Luncheon and Business Expo at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort, 3500 Midwest Road, Oak Brook, on Thursday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Click HERE to register as an attendee, exhibitor, logo sponsor and/or event sponsor
Elmhurst is among the 21 participating West Suburban chambers of commerce and one of two original event organizers, along with the Westmont Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau.

Economic Development Projects
The Elmhurst City Council’s Development, Planning and Zoning (DP&Z) Committee at its February 27 meeting voted unanimously (3-0) in agreement with the Zoning and Planning (Z&P) Commission in favor of both the Planned Unit Development (PUD) application and setback variance for a proposed 28-unit condominium at 200 North York Street, and in opposition to a height variance of 109 feet versus the by-right height of 77 feet.

The Z&P Commission opposition vote to the height variance was 4-3, with the majority of Commissioners fearing that the requested height variance would set an unwanted precedent as the first redevelopment on that block and that eight condos in the two additional floors did not constitute enough additional density to the project.

The City Council is expected to begin review of RSCK’s development proposal at its March 6 meeting at City Hall.

New Members
Our Chamber welcomed no new members in February.

Reactivated Members
Bannerville and BMO reactivated as members in February after absences of four and three years, respectively.

Dropped Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following one member in February:  Z&M Consultants.

Gone, But Not Forgotten
Lawrence Paul “Larry” Fricke, a long-time Chamber supporter during and following his 31-year fundraising career at Elmhurst University (1983-2014), died in Indianapolis on February 2, one month before his 98th birthday.  Family and friends celebrated his life on February 19 at a special gathering in Elmhurst.