LINCOLN SQUARE

School’s back in session and no one deserves a happy hour drink more than our Chicagoland teachers. Ampersand Wine Bar at 4845 N. Damen Ave. is showing their appreciation by providing 1 complementary glass of wine to any teacher during happy hour, 5:00 – 6:00p.m., on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays throughout September to help take the edge off and ease into another school year. Bring your school ID or some sort of proof of your educator status just in case.

LOOP

A new month brings a new Activate party to a Loop alleyway. Since May, the party makers of the Chicago Loop Alliance have been enticing the 21-and-over crowd to explore art, music and performances that feature one of our five senses. The theme of next Thursday’s party, 9/15, is Taste and it starts with DJs, art installations, and a fashion show in the historic Cow Path Alley located next to the entrance to the Hyatt Centric Hotel at 100 W. Monroe Street. It’s a great way to spend the evening from 5:00p.m. to 10:00p.m., while the weather is still warm. Then the party continues at the rooftop bars of Aire in the Hyatt and Boleo just up the street at 122 W. Monroe St. for more taste adventures. Don’t forget to RSVP here and start off with your first drink for free.

LINCOLN PARK

Hulafrog is a national network where family-oriented community events and businesses can advertise for free, and parents can share information. It began in Red Bank, NJ and has spread to connect 2200 cities in 28 states.  The Hulafrog Lincoln Park-to-West Town chapter is offering a little contest and all you have to do is sign up through your Facebook account to receive the bonus of a chance to win a $200 gift card to Old Navy. Subscribing gives you access to the network and you’ll start receiving information and alerts regarding activities from your community.

NORWOOD PARK

Fall Fest! No, I’m not rushing seasons just yet. It’s not until next weekend so mark your calendars for this  outdoor festival at the Norwood Park Train Station at 6088 N. Northwest Hwy. Two days of live music with more than 35 vendors of food, merchandise and local services starting Friday, 9/16 from 5:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. with The Black Oil Brothers and Run Forrest Run; and running through Saturday, 9/17 from 12:00p.m. until 10:00p.m. with Company Man, Billy Ray Valentine, Half Full, Hodie Snitch, and The Breakfast Club headlining. There’s always a need for volunteers and the Norwood Park Chamber of Commerce & Industry makes it easy to sign up for a shifts.

NAPERVILLE

It’s tough not to come across unnerving crime reports when searching for neighborhood news to share. Although it’s unthinkable, being a victim of a crime may be at times unavoidable. So the Naperville Police Department and Naperville Crime Stoppers would like to educate residents in safeguarding homes, vehicles and surroundings to prevent the crime of burglary by sponsoring three Burglary Prevention Forums this month:

Tuesday 9/13 7:00 – 8:00p.m. – Naperville Municipal Center (400 S. Eagle St.), Council Chambers

Monday 9/19 7:00 – 8:00p.m. – 95th Street Library (3015 Cedar Glade Drive) Meeting Rooms A and B

Wednesday 9/28 7:00 – 8:00p.m. – Brookdale Elementary School (1200 Redfield Road)

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Even though we have had some cooler days we will still be in for some more hot days. During the week I just want something quick, easy, cool and relatively healthy.

I like to use Greek flavors when cooking light and cool. Extra Virgin Olive oil, lemon and oregano are wonderful and very versatile. Add these wonderful flavors for a Greek Garbanzo salad. Drain and rinse canned garbanzo beans. Add chopped onions, celery and green pepper. Mix well and top with pitted, halved Kalamata olives and crumbled feta. Serve with pita triangles. Brush them with a little oil and fry on an indoor grill pan.

The indoor grill pan is also great for quick grilled chicken or steak. Use your Greek flavors again or your favorite Italian dressing. Marinate for ½ an hour or so and fry quickly on the hot grill pan. If you like, add sliced green and colored peppers, mushrooms with onions along in the grill pan for quick fajitas. Serve in warm flour tortillas with salsa and sour cream. The grilled meat is also wonderful with salad. Serve warm or room temperature on spring greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette. Never use marinade on raw food! Always make more if you want to carry on the same flavors. 

We think of grilled cheese as a winter food eaten with hot soup. Grilled cheese on an indoor grill pan during warm weather is fantastic! Experiment a little. Try different cheeses – provolone, muenster and Swiss along with sharp cheddar are awesome. Add a slice of ham or salami for even more flavor. Sliced home grown tomatoes or grilled mushrooms on a grilled cheese are two of my favorite additions. If you are a basil lover fresh leaves in the grilled cheese add a lovely fragrant herb flavor.

These dishes are just as tasty when the weather is cool as well as hot. Add different vegetables and change the flavors to suit your taste. A few red pepper flakes or hot sauce will add a little punch. Change the salad to iceberg lettuce and serve a classic blue cheese salad with steak or chicken. Top with homemade croutons fried in garlic infused olive oil.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Could this Labor Day weekend be summer’s last hurrah here in Chicago? Well, if it is, the City has lined-up many annual Labor Day favorites to help us make the transition to another season!

Returning for its 37^th year, the Chicago Jazz Festival will be held in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.) in The Loop this Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. showcasing free live performances by Chicago’s vast jazz talent as well as national and international jazz legends and artists. Not only does this favorite Labor Day Weekend Festival celebrate the mainstream of the national jazz scene but it also incorporates Chicago’s unique contributions to the art form as well! If you love jazz, this is a MUST!!

Returning for its 3^rd year, and another favorite Labor Day Weekend Festival, The Great American Lobster Fest sets-up at the east end of Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. where live lobster is flown in fresh from the cold waters of the East Coast! This Fest also features live music, cold beverages, unique craft shopping and family-friendly activities. Not a fan of lobster (like me) — don’t worry — many other great food options will be available. You may also want to stick around for Navy Pier’s final firework show of the season!!

It wouldn’t be the same this Labor Day Weekend without the Taste of Polonia Festival returning to the Copernicus Center (5216 W. Lawrence Ave.) in the Jefferson Park neighborhood this Saturday, Sunday & Monday from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This Festival features non-stop live music on four stages with over 30 bands performing Rock, Pop, Jazz, Polka and more; a great variety of Polish food and beer; a casino and bingo games; a Kids stage and fun zone with inflatables & a climbing wall; carnival rides & games; plus 60+ vendors! Definitely something for everyone at this Festival!!

Returning for its 26^th year, The African Festival of the Arts returns to Washington Park (5100 S. Cottage Grove Ave.) in the Woodlawn neighborhood this Saturday, Sunday & Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Festival grounds are transformed into and come alive as an African Village offering a glimpse into the many unique treasures of the African continent with hundreds of vendors and artisans from Africa and the African Diaspora presenting artifacts, traditional crafts, museum quality art and textiles along with other special-interests pavilions such as African drumming, interactive demonstrations, children’s programming, author & book readings and much more! You will definitely be immersed into the African culture!!

Finally, please welcome our newbie this Labor Day Weekend! Ciders & Sliders Festival will be held at Lawrence and Elston Avenues in the North Mayfair neighborhood this Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It’s a joining of the popular apple-infused beers right now along with the iconic mini-burger known as the slider! But besides the flavor-laced craft beers and mini patties, plenty of live music, unique craft vendors and family-friendly activities are all part of this Festival’s mix!!

This weekend’s Movies in the Parks wraps-up its 2016 Summer Season with “Some Like It Hot” at Osterman Beach (5800 N. Lake Shore Dr.) in the Edgewater neighborhood on Monday, September 5^th!

So, Summer’s Last Hurrah or Not?

SUE MOSS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

If you want a comfortable interior without blowing a fortune on your utility bills, then you’ll want to make sure your windows and doors are adequately insulated. Without it, your home will experience drafts that will end up wasting plenty of energy and money. If it’s boiling outside and you want to make sure the cool, air conditioned air stays in while the hot air stays out, you need to make sure that your doors and windows are properly insulated.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make sure your home is well insulated that are both affordable, and will help you realize significant energy savings.

Patch Up Air Leaks

The first things you should do is find out where the leaks are occurring, and plug them up accordingly. The best way to do this is to caulk your window and door casings inside and out. When you’re done, there ideally should be no more exchanging of air between the indoors and outdoors. To add extra protection to drafts, add some weatherstripping in the sash.

Make Use of Draft Stoppers

You can quickly and easily stop a draft in its tracks by adding a draft stopper under your door. While you can find a ton of stylish door stoppers or “snakes” on the market, you can even make one yourself if you’ve got a bit of a crafty side to you. All you need to do is sew a tube of fabric that fits the width of your door or window and fill it with uncooked rice.

Add Insulating Window Film

If you don’t have the budget nor the desire to completely change your windows, you can still add an insulating effect on the windows you’ve already got by adding insulating window film. This is a plastic, sticky sheet that you place directly to your window panes, and acts as an additional layer of protection against the outdoor temperature. Keep in mind that while the film is rather transparent, it is not entirely clear, which might be an issue for you if there are specific windows that you want to provide an unobstructed view of the outdoors.

Stick on Rubber Weather Sealing

Adding self-stick rubber weather sealing along your windows can significantly help to keep drafts at bay. All you need to do is cut the strips according to your windows’ specific dimensions, then peel and stick them along the frame to ward off any drafts. You can easily find these sealers online or at you local hardware store.

Hang Cellular Shades

Also referred to as ‘honeycomb shades’, cellular shades insulate your home while still letting the light come in through the windows. They’re made with fabric folds that create many layers of air pockets which insulate windows much like a down quilt would keep you warm in bed. Just about every home improvement or design stores sells cellular shades, and will custom-fit them for any size or shape window in your home.

Install Storm Doors and Windows

While this option might be the most expensive on this list, it’s highly effective. In fact, storm windows placed over old windows can actually offer the same effect as brand new, energy-efficient windows.

The above ideas can effectively prevent any unnecessary exchange of air from the inside out. Any money you spend on these tactics will be more than made up for in energy savings on your utility bills.

Apple made it official that the iPhone 7 will be announced on Wednesday, September 7. The new phone will be very similar to the iPhone 6 externally. There will be improved cameras and no headphone jack, which will instead be a Type-C USB port.

For those who don’t know the headphone jack you currently use is a 3.5mm audio jack. The jack came out with the Sony Walkman portable tape player and at the time was groundbreaking in its technology. According to Wikipedia, “the phone connector was invented for use in telephone switchboards in the 19^th century and is still widely used.” Once it was reduced in size for use in other technologies like a smartphone and computing devices, it was the standard bearer for this technology.

The proponents of the new USB port are excited about the prospects including thinner devices, faster charging, digital sound improvements and better video. The jack takes up precious real estate within the technology and can cause interference. The opponents to the new USB port are concerned about the many headphones and earbuds that become obsolete unless they have an adapter in addition to the power consumption a USB will have on their smaller devices like a smart phone or tablet.

For those who are unfamiliar, USB Type-C is already in use by Apple MacBook, HP Spectre laptops, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and Google Nexus 6P. These mainstream users are paving the way for this change because the USB Type-C is not going away.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO