COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
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Greetings!
Welcome to 2021 and all the possibilities it may bring. I would like to take a moment to thank all the Chamber board, members, volunteers, staff and civic partners for your leadership and grit throughout the challenges of 2020. I am proud on how we all worked together, adapted to change to further our mission to connect members to the community while remaining vigilant and cautious. With 2021 the Chamber, along with our civic liaisons, are continuing to develop new ideas and events.
In our January Newsletter you will find activities to you keep our businesses and your family busy, news of how to stay safe and healthy and information from the Village and County. Don't forget to vote for The Glen Ellyn Community Awards for your favorite business, civil servant and volunteer! Every nomination is read and all recipients are notified of the accolades. It is a nice thing to hear praise especially in such a hard year.
The Chamber is dedicated to be a resource and an advocate to our members. Please remember to hire, dine and shop local to keep Glen Ellyn businesses alive.
Dawn Smith
Glen Ellyn Chamber Executive Director
CHAMBER OFFICE HOURS
In Person Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday 9am - 4pm
Staff are working remote Monday & Wednesday
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Glen Ellyn News & Events
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Vote for the BEST in The Glen Ellyn Community Awards- Through January 24
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Chili Cook-Off (Virtual) - January 2 - February 7
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Glen Ellyn Chamber Santa Letter Program - Letter Pick Up Information
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Glen Ellyn Historical Society - Scavenger Hunt in Downtown Glen Ellyn
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Glen Ellyn Public Library - Glen Ellyn DEI Project
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Glen Ellyn Park District - Continued Blood & Food Drives dates
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Glenbard Parent Series - Workshop for Professionals : How to Bring Out The Best in Students ages 9-15 in a Pandemic
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College of DuPage - Community Newsletter
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Vote for the BEST of Glen Ellyn |
The Glen Ellyn Community Awards is a chance for the community to say THANK YOU to all the hard working public servants, teachers who are educating our children, employees who give 100%, storefronts that go the extra mile in customer service and all the amazing residents, both young and young at heart, who volunteer so much of their time and talents to make Glen Ellyn a wonderful community to live, learn, work, dine, shop & play for all.
Voting is November 30, 2020 - January 24, 2020
One vote per email.
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Business
· Non-Profit of the Year
· Restaurant of the Year
· Retail Business of the Year
Service Industry Business of the Year
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Civic
· D41 Educator of the Year
· D87 Educator of the Year
· D89 Educator of the Year
· Firefighter of the Year
· Library Employee of the Year
· Park District Volunteer of the Year
· Police Officer of the Year
Village Employee of the Year
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Service
· Stuart S. Stone, Citizen of the Year
· Paul Herwaldt, Senior Citizen of the Year
Youth of the Year
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3rd Annual Glen Ellyn Restaurant
Virtual Chili Cook-Off
Don't miss the 3rd Annual
Glen Ellyn Restaurant Virtual Chili Cook-Off supporting local Glen Ellyn restaurants from January 2 to February 7, 2021.
Rate your favorite chili options among the 10
restaurant participants: Reserve 22, Maize +
Mash, A Toda Madre, Main Street Pub,
North Side Sports Bar, Made In Italy, Ellyn's Tap & Grill, 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill, Two Hound Red and Blackberry Market.
This year’s event will be held virtually. Each participating restaurant will have their chili entry available for purchase at their restaurant for carry-out from January 2 - February 7 (Superbowl Sunday.) After each patron orders a chili from a competing restaurant, they are encouraged to rate that chili based on an overall enjoyment rate and on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest). Voting will take place via the website: www.gechili.com.
Patrons are also encouraged to post a photo of their chili order using #gechili on the ‘Glen Ellyn To Go’ Facebook page to be entered to a win a weekly gift card sponsored by the participating restaurants.
At 8pm on February 7, the restaurant with the highest average rating will be crowned this year’s virtual chili champion by a people’s choice vote.
The participating Glen Ellyn restaurants all thank you for your support, generosity, and patronage during this time. For more information, visit www.gechili.com.
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Glen Ellyn Chamber Santa Letter Program Delivered Smiles
Parents can pick up Santa letters at Gather and Collect (473 N Main St, Glen Ellyn) beginning Monday, January 11.
The Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce with the help of local merchants and non-profit organizations supplying elf power, delivered smiles and an autographed letter from Santa himself. Over 1500 letters were received and mailed to local children in the Glen Ellyn area. The effort was funded by the Village of Glen Ellyn.
The Letters to Santa Mailboxes was a new program this year in downtown Glen Ellyn so that children could mail their Christmas wishes to Santa Claus. The goal was to draw their parents to the area to shop in the stores and take out from the many downtown restaurants.
Many individuals and organizations contributed to the program. The program was managed by the Chamber and Julie Spiller of Gather and Collect Vintage Store led day-to-day operations. Anna Semprevivo of Locally Made created the mailboxes and together with Spiller, tirelessly searched for return addresses for children who omitted that information on their letter. The printing was fast-tracked by the House of Graphics. Volunteers from the Glen Ellyn Infant Welfare Society, The Kiwanis Club and the League of Women Voters assisted Santa in answering the letters with a personalized note and photo of Santa himself.
“We were thrilled to create this program in downtown Glen Ellyn to bring some cheer to local children during such a challenging year.” said Dawn Smith, Glen Ellyn resident and Executive Director of the Chamber. “Stores and restaurants are really hurting in the pandemic so we had the added bonus of increasing foot traffic downtown.” Chamber member Julie Spiller added “Watching kids line up to drop off their letters and reading them helped me get back in the holiday spirit after a trying 2020. I was glad to be part of the magic!”
The letters from the children were equally joyous and heartbreaking with mentions of relatives suffering from Covid-19, requests for baby sisters or puppies and advice to Santa to keep healthy during the pandemic. A child named James drew pictures of masks and hand sanitizer, requesting that Santa “follow CDC Covid Safety Protocols.”
Nikki asked for Santa to “make Covid go away,” and Ally suggests that Santa “find some time to relax.” One child asked Santa for the coronavirus “to go away because I am struggling in school.” Oscar wishes “for my family to have health and for you too, Santa.”
Francesca spoke for many when she asked for Santa “to give hungry kids food, toys and a roof over their head.” Many were polite and asked about Mrs. Claus or the reindeer. Others got right to their wish list, complete with URLs and cut out photos to make it easier for Santa to get just the right item. House elves played a big role in many letters. As Mikayla pointed out, “Charlie has been holding me accountable.”
Santa has taken note of the letters’ wish lists and has returned the letters. Parents can pick up the letters from Gather & Collect in downtown beginning Glen Ellyn January 11. The Chamber plans to make this an annual program, giving children a direct line to Santa Claus every Christmas.
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Glen Ellyn History Scavenger Hunt Downtown
Learn Glen Ellyn History at this free, fun and family friendly activity in downtown Glen Ellyn provided by the Historical Society. Print off the map, search for the 18 clues and don't forget to shop and take carry out along the route!
Bring the completed scavenger hunt to Stacy's Corners Store for a Stacy's Tavern Museum button.
Maps are available in the lobby of the History Center.
Have fun being a local history detective!
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The Glen Ellyn Public Library
Glen Ellyn DEI Project: Moderated Panel of Village
10am - 12 pm, Saturday, January 23
Glen Ellyn DEI Project: Moderated Panel of Community Organizations
1pm - 3pm, Saturday, January 23
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The 2021 Glen Ellyn Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Project will kick off this week with a listening session for village leadership representing seven taxing bodies: Village of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn Public Library, Glen Ellyn Park District, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn School District 41, Glenbard Township High School District 87, and Community Consolidated School District 89.
SAVE THE DATE for the first two panel sessions with moderator Reesheda Graham Washington of RGW Consulting, LLC that are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC on Saturday, January 23! Reserve your spot and receive the Zoom Meeting IDs by email at gepl.librarycalendar.com.
The purpose of the Glen Ellyn DEI Project is to provide a format for the residents of Glen Ellyn to learn more about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion activities taking place in the community and then to participate in open, facilitated conversations regarding their thoughts and ideas about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Glen Ellyn.
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The Glen Ellyn Park District will continue offering monthly blood and food drives in 2021
Both the blood and food drives will follow the same schedule:
Thursday, January 21 • 9:30am-3:30pm
Thursday, February 25• 9:30am-3:30pm
Tuesday, March 30• 1pm-pm
Tuesday, April 27• 9:30am-3:30pm
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One donation can save up to three lives! The SARS CoV-2 antibody test will be performed on all successful donations. Blood drives are offered in partnership with Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company. During Tier 3, appointments are required for the blood drives. |
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Make hunger history by donating non-perishable foods. The drive-thru drop-off food collection drives will benefit Glen Ellyn Food Pantry and are offered in partnership with Kiwanis Club of Central DuPage and State Representative Terra Costa Howard. |
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Workshop for Professionals - How to Bring Out The Best in Students ages 9-15 in a Pandemic
Wednesday, January 13
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Free Virtual Event
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Phyllis L. Fagell will present a Workshop for Professionals titled How to Bring Out The Best in Students ages 9-15 in a Pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the challenges of guiding students through new academic hurdles, preparing them for an uncertain future while facilitating good mental health. School support staff and other professionals are key allies, mentors and confidantes who help students navigate thoughts, feelings and dilemmas that they may not understand. How can we approach the new virtual reality of this work to create a positive difference and motivate students to excellence. |
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College of DuPage
Community Newsletter
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Don’t miss out on getting up-to-date news and events from College of DuPage. Click here to register and receive the new COD NOW community newsletter.
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Get YOUR BUSINESS INVOLVED
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January Monthly Meeting (Virtual) - January 12
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Chamber 101 Informational Meeting (Virtual) - January 27
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Annual Installation of the Board of Directors & Village Updates |
Join us for our Installation of our Board of Directors for 2021.
Village Manager Mark Fraz will be providing the latest Village updates for 2021.
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Tuesday, January 12
11:45 AM Zoom Link Opens
Noon - 1:00 PM Program
Free to All Chamber Members
Virtual Meeting via Zoom. A link to join will be emailed prior the meeting.
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Virtual Chamber 101 Member
Information Meeting
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Are you maximizing your Chamber membership? The Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce has many new member benefits and cost saving programs. Whether you are a new member or a veteran, come and learn how the Chamber works for you! At this session you can schedule your benefits for the year, use your member log-in to learn how to easily update your information online, network with new members and Chamber Board of Directors, learn about new events and how to get involved.
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Wednesday, January 27
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Free to All Chamber Members & Prospective Members
Virtual Meeting via Zoom. A link to join will be emailed prior the meeting.
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Local County & Village News
- DuPage County Health Department releases COVID-19 vaccine site
- Downtown Glen Ellyn Streetscape and Utility Project
- Comprehensive Plan: Second Public Hearing Scheduled for January 7
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DuPage County Health Department's COVID-19 Vaccination Prioritization
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DCHD is working to prioritize vaccinations in alignment with the Phase 1a recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) which includes healthcare personnel (HCP), as defined by CDC and further defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), including updates provided on 12/31/20.
- HCP currently providing direct patient care services will receive top priority, pending vaccine supply.
- HCP will be required to present verification of their healthcare personnel status, i.e., employee ID badge, check stub, state licensure, or certificate.
- Vaccination is by appointment only and dependent on vaccine supply.
- As the vaccine supply provided by the State of Illinois/IDPH is allocated based on county jurisdiction, DCHD is further prioritizing its administration of vaccine for individuals who reside, work, or attend school in DuPage County. Individuals presenting for vaccination at a DCHD location may be asked to provide verification of residence, employment, or school attendance within DuPage County.
- Vaccination prioritization will continue to change as COVID-19 vaccine supply increases in the coming weeks.
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Please sign up for weekly updates at www.dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccine
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Downtown Glen Ellyn Streetscape and Utility Project
The Village of Glen Ellyn is embarking on a once-in-a-generation streetscape and utility project to repair aging infrastructure and upgrade the appearance of Downtown Glen Ellyn. The necessary utility construction project provides an opportunity to upgrade the streetscape at the same time.
In order to minimize the impact on the downtown business community and take advantage of recent competitive construction pricing, the Village is considering beginning construction in a phased approach in the spring of 2021. To learn more about the project, please visit the Streetscape and Utility Project website's Frequently Asked Questions.
Business owners and residents are encouraged to also vote on the material samples that can be found downtown on the northwest corner of Main Street and Crescent Boulevard. Materials can also be viewed on the website where guests may cast their ballots. Videos and pictures are included.
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Comprehensive Plan: Second Public Hearing Scheduled for
January 7
The Glen Ellyn Plan Commission reviewed approximately the first half of the draft Comprehensive Plan (pages 1-43) at a public hearing on December 10, 2020, held via Zoom. The Village’s consultants, Houseal Lavigne Associates, covered a range of topics including residential area policies, commercial area policies, housing diversity, potential development sites, building heights in the downtown and parking ratios for new development. A recording of the Plan Commission public hearing is available to view here.
The next public hearing on the second half of the draft Comprehensive Plan will be held via Zoom on Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 7 p.m. Zoom links to participate in the second public hearing are available on the Comprehensive Plan website. Topics to be covered at the second public hearing include transportation, community facilities, parks and open space and plan implementation.
Opportunities to Provide Feedback and Comments
A copy of the most up-to-date draft of the Comprehensive Plan can be found on the website. Residents and businesses have the opportunity to provide comments and feedback directly on the website or by emailing Village Planning Manager, Kelly Purvis.
Consider signing-up via Notify Me to receive notifications on the Village’s website. Notify me allows you to receive updates (via email or text) on the comprehensive plan.
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AVERE on Duane Luxury Rentals |
437 Duane Street
Glen Ellyn, IL
(630) 376-5169
AVERE ON DUANE is a 48-unit luxury rental development in downtown Glen Ellyn. Located steps from the library, Metra station, dozens of restaurants and retail establishments.
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45 S Park Blvd Ste 200
Glen Ellyn, IL 601837
(630) 474-0925
General Law Practice: Family Law, Real Estate, Estate Planning and Business Representation
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Participate in our GLEN ELLYN
DINE AT HOME
Curbside Pickup / Delivery / Carryout / Drive Through / Outdoor Dining
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Participate in our KEEP SHOPPING
LOCAL program
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Curbside Pickup / Online / Shipping / In Store |
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Glen Ellyn Essential Services |
These Business are critical to our community. Please contact these companies via phone or email as many of these companies are working remotely.
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Volunteers are needed. If you are an able and willing to volunteer, please visit DuPage County’s Volunteer Portal, Giving DuPage, who links volunteers with non-profit organizations within DuPage. Contact the Chamber if your Non-Profit would like more information, and to be connected. |
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Glen Ellyn Business Resource During COVID-19 |
The Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to be a resource during this difficult time. Please click the link to view:
- Emails shared with Glen Ellyn Chamber members regarding COVID-19 on their website
- COVID19 Links to Village, County & State.
- Additional ways to help in the pandemic.
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Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce Members
Thank you to our Members. Because of your paid membership, the Chamber is able to continue to connect business with the greater Glen Ellyn community.
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Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce
810 N. Main Street
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
630.469.0907
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