Hodgkins DARE officer ends 12-year run

Hodgkins Police Chief Ernest Millsap presents Sgt. Michael Cimino with a statue honoring his years of service as the DARE officer for the police department.

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

Hodgkins police Sgt. Michael Cimino recently ended his 12-year stint as the police department's DARE officer.

Cimino addressed the 2013 DARE graduates on April 24 in his last official act as the coordinator of the anti-drug program.

“It’s helped me to look at law enforcement through the eyes of sixth-graders, and how they view police officers,” Cimino said. “It’s made me more mindful and aware of our image in the community. 

"I’m proud that, as a DARE officer, I was able to be a positive adult figure, and in particular a positive law enforcement figure, in so many children’s lives.  Often, because I taught multiple siblings in succession over several years, and interacted with their parents and siblings over and over, I had the feeling of being a part of their family.”

Cimino will now assume other police duties as Officer Matthew Hosteny takes over as DARE officer.

“I think what I will miss most is seeing the enthusiasm of the kids when I would walk in.  Kids get very excited about DARE activities," Cimino said.

"I’m sure [Hosteny] will do a great job, as he’s young and he already has a good relationship with the kids,” said Cimino.

The Hodgkins DARE program was started in January 1991 by former Chief Phil Kringlie, who was then a youth officer, at the behest of Chief Rich Stewart.

A year later, Sgt. Chris Milojevich was invited to run the program, and did so for nine years. 

During his tenure as DARE officer, Milojevich started the practice of taking the kids on field trips and doing community service projects, such as raking leaves for the elderly and fundraising for flood victims and a children’s home for the abused.

He first contacted Cimino, who had already been a juvenile officer for two years at that time, about DARE in 2000, to see if he would be interested in becoming the new DARE officer.  He turned the program completely over to Cimino in 2001.

“I wanted him to run DARE as he saw fit, to make the program his own,” Milojevich said.  “I didn’t want to intrude on his ideas.  I was given free reign, and I wanted him to have the same opportunity.” 

Milojevich was pleased with the results. 

“I think Mike did a wonderful job,” Milojevich said.  “He was committed to making the program work, sacrificing a lot of time away from his family.  And the kids really loved him.”

Hodgkins Police Chief Ernest Millsap, who taught DARE in Countryside for 12 years, had modeled his own program in the much the same way as Milojevich, taking the kids on field trips, doing fundraisers, and participating in various community service projects. 

In addition, he started doing end-of-year video slideshows to highlight the activities of each graduating DARE class, and that was something Cimino incorporated as well. 

At the recent graduation, Millsap gave a public recognition of Cimino and expressed both his personal appreciation of the hard work Cimino has done, as well as the appreciation of the department for the many years of service given.

Millsap also relates to the sentiments Cimino expressed.  “The bonds you make with students are always there, as well as with parents,” he said. 

The Hodgkins Police Department is now at work developing further school-interaction programs, which Millsap will unveil in the coming months.

“We are in the process of developing DARE-type programs for some of the lower grades, which will cover anti-bullying, avoiding bad situations, and knowing who to call if help is needed,” Millsap said.

Fireworks, festivals on tap for 4th of July

By Bob Rakow
Desplaines Valley News

There’s no shortage of  4th of July celebrations in the area next week as several communities host parades, fireworks shows and festivals to mark Independence Day.

The Bridgeview Park District will host its annual fireworks show at dusk on July 3 at Commissioners Park, 8100 S. Beloit Ave.

The show will be preceded by the inaugural Art in the Park Expo from 3-7 p.m.

Artists and budding artists 18 years old and younger are invited to submit their work for display. Participants are asked to label their work with their name, age, school and phone number. Only one submission per person is allowed. Artists must drop off their work by 5 p.m. July 2 at park district office, 8100 S. Beloit Ave.

In Summit, the Summit Park District will host an Independence Day celebration July 3 at the park district offices at 5700 S. Archer Road.

The event will include children’s games from 6-7 p.m. as well as free throw shooting and bean bag throwing contests at 6 p.m. Interested participants must sign up before the events. 

A concert of patriotic music performed by the West Suburban Concert Band will begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by the fireworks display at 9 p.m.

The village of Lyons will celebrate its quasquicentennial during the town’s annual Independence Day parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. July 4 on Joliet Avenue. The theme of the parade is the village’s 125^th anniversary.

The village will host a kid’s party at 7 p.m. at Veterans Park, Ogden and Lawndale avenues, and Smith Park, which is located across the street. The family-friendly event is designed for younger children and will feature music, games and face painting.

The annual fireworks show will begin at dusk at Smith and Veterans parks. Organizers encourage people to walk rather than drive to the event, which drew nearly 10,000 cars last year. The show’s grand finale will be longer than usual this year in celebration of the village’s 125^th anniversary.

Brookfield also will celebrate the 4th of July with a parade, which begins at 10 a.m. at Washington and Cleveland avenues and proceeds down Grand Boulevard to Brookfield Avenue and ends at the Village Hall.

The parade will be followed by music, food and fun beginning at noon at Kiwanis Park, 8820 Brookfield Ave. The Neverly Brothers are expected to perform from 12:30-2:15 p.m. followed by Deja Vu from 2:45-4:30 p.m. Battle of the Bands winners Far Sighted and Something's Not Right are expected to take the stage from 5-6 p.m.

The Pleasant Dale Park District will hold its annual fireworks show on July 3 at dusk at Walker Park, 7425 S. Wolf Road, Burr Ridge.

The following day, Boy Scout Troop 69 will hold its 14^th annual 4^th of July Pancake Breakfast. The event will take place from 7:30-11:30 a.m. at Walker Park.

Breakfast will feature pancakes, eggs, sausage, egg strata, fruit, orange juice and Starbucks coffee. There will be raffles, door prizes and a bake sale at the event. The cost is $5.

Those who’d rather see tomatoes than fireworks explode can take part in the Tomato Battle on July 6 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

Some 5,000 participants are expected at the event, which will feature dancing, beverages and a food fight involving 300,000 pounds of over ripe tomatoes being tossed at each other. 

Organizers describe the event as a combination of a German Oktoberfest and Spain’s La Tomatina tomato-throwing festival.

Festivities begin at noon with live entertainment and costume contest. The tomato battle commences at 4 p.m. when bathing suit-clad participants converge on a giant pile of tomatoes and pelt them at one another for three hours.

Eye protection, shoes with good tread and a change of clothes are highly recommended. Participants must be at least 14 years old. The cost is $50. Register at www.tomatobattle.com.

Bedford Park police seek public’s help in finding hit-and-run suspect

Police sketch

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

Cook County Sheriff’s Police released a sketch last week of a man wanted for a hit-and-run crash that left a man critically injured in Bedford Park.

Sheriff’s Police, South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and the Bedford Park Police Department are seeking the public’s help in finding the driver of the car.

A dark gray Jeep Grand Cherokee struck a man in his 30s about 10:15 p.m. on June 13 in the 5800 block of 73rd Street in Bedford Park, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Police. The victim was left critically injured.

The motorist was described as a 5-foot-6, 150-pound Hispanic man with short hair, sheriff’s police said. He was driving the Grand Cherokee, which has front-end damage.

Calls to the Bedford Park Police Department for more information were not returned.

Anyone with information should call Bedford Park police at 708-458-3388.

State Rep. Zalewski named to Illinois pension reform conference committee

Zalewski

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

State Rep. Michael Zalewski, a staunch supporter of the Madigan proposal to solve the state's pension crisis, was one of the House members named to the conference committee charged with forging a compromise solution to the pension mess.

“I thought it was a good bill,” Zalewski (D-23rd), of Riverside, said earlier this year. “I spoke for it on the House floor."

Zalewski was one of three lawmakers named to the 10-person conference committee by House Speaker Michael Madigan, who sponsored a draconian House pension reform bill that easily passed that chamber before being shot down in the state Senate.

“The state is on the brink of fiscal collapse," Zalewski said. "We have to right the ship."

Zalewski said the Madigan plan was more painful than the one offered by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and was tough on retired state employees.

“There were things in the bill that I wish we could have softened,” he said. “But the bill was necessary.”

Gov. Pat Quinn hopes the rarely used legislative conference committee can help both sides reach a compromise solution to resolve the state's daunting pension crisis.

The committee was the result of a special session last week called by Quinn to address the pension problem.

That session, just like the recently concluded regular session, failed to deliver a plan to rectify the state's $100 billion unfunded pension liability.

The problem has been and continues to be the inability or unwillingness of Madigan and Cullerton to budge on their competing measures.

The conference committee, made up of five members each from the House and Senate, is designed to "bridge the differences and forge agreement on a comprehensive pension reform plan," a statement from Quinn's office said. 

Legislators used last Wednesday's session to vote to create the committee, and Quinn plans to call another session on July 9 to pass legislation, the statement added.

Legislative leaders said that was probably too soon for a deal to have been hammered out, if one can be reached at all.

Political paralysis over fixing the worst-funded state retirement system has led to a series of credit downgrades for Illinois, which now has the lowest ratings among U.S. states.

Quinn has expressed frustration over the inaction and its impact on the state's ratings and borrowing costs. Illinois is in the midst of a $31 billion capital improvement program, partly funded by the sale of bonds, and it is set for a planned sale of $1.3 billion of general obligation bonds this week.

The Illinois General Assembly last turned to a conference committee to hash out a compromise on legislation in December 2005.

Madigan has favored unilateral cuts to retirement benefits to reap savings of up to 30 percent over 30 years,  an approach labor unions have said violates the Illinois Constitution. Cullerton has advocated a plan, backed by labor unions and passed by the Senate, that gives workers and retirees choices between reduced benefits and continued access to state-sponsored healthcare in retirement. Actuaries says the Cullerton plan achieves just one third as much savings as the Madigan plan does.

A third plan that addresses only the State Universities Retirement System is being pushed by the heads of universities as a way to save as much as Madigan's approach, while having a better chance of withstanding a constitutional challenge in court, its backers allege.

That plan calls for higher worker pension contributions, gradually shifts pension payments currently made by the state onto the universities and community colleges, and ties pension payment increases to inflation. 

Both of the original authors of the toughest bill that's passed either the Senate or the House — Sen. Dan Biss (D-Evanston), and Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) — are included on the 10-member panel.

Biss was named along with Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), by Cullerton. Raoul will be the committee chairman. 

Madigan named Nekritz, Zalewski and another ally state Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago).

Senate GOP Leader Christine Radogno, of Lemont, selected Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), her point person on budget matters, and Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), who ran for governor against Quinn in 2010.

Getty appoints Marine to fill trustee vacancy in Lyons

U.S. Marine Sgt. Jason Thomas is sworn in by Village of Lyon s Clerk Dawn Campos.

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty and the Village Board last week named U.S. Marine Sgt. Jason Thomas, an Afghan veteran, to fill a trustee vacancy created by the resignation of Trustee Ryan Grace.

Thomas, a Brookfield native, enlisted in the Marines in 2005 and spent eight months in Afghanistan in 2010.

He moved to Lyons in 2012 with his wife, Nicki, and two sons Nicholas, 2, and Ethan, 1. Thomas, 28, has been an active participant in the Lyons community and is a Marine Corps recruiter in Lake County.

He was appointed trustee on June 19 to replace Grace, who resigned last week because of increased work responsibilities. Grace recently took on a new role with his employer and now oversees a multistate territory and does an extensive amount of traveling.

"I am honored to represent the residents of the Village of Lyons," Thomas said. "I vow to share the same unwavering pride, dedication, and loyalty to serving our village as I have our country."

"I thank Mayor Getty and my fellow board members for their trust and support, and I look forward to working with them as a team to keep improving our already improving community," he added.

Grace said he was humbly honored to have been able to serve the people of Lyons and will continue to be an active supporter of the village, Mayor Getty and the United Citizens Party.

Getty thanked Grace for his hard work and dedication over the years.

"It has been a privilege to work with Ryan throughout the years and I wish him nothing but the best on all his future endeavors," the mayor said.

Thomas will finish out Grace’s term, which runs through April 2015.

Getty said he was looking forward to working with Thomas for the next two years and was certain that Thomas's diligent work ethic and fresh perspective would make a great addition to the board and to the Village of Lyons.

Justice Tobacco Mart to open July 1

Justice Tobacco Mart owner Moe Zeidn helps put up the sign on his new store.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Trustees in Justice voted this week to approve a new convenience store for 8400 S. Roberts Road.

 

Justice Tobacco Mart was granted a business license though its owners can't use the building's marquee sign until it's brought up to code.

Owner Moe Zeidn said the store would open on July 1.

Trustees earlier this year turned down plans for the same business.

"It was approved this time because they changed their business plan," said Village Clerk Kathy Svoboda. "They are now going to be more of a convenience store with a section for tobacco products instead of being only a tobacco store."

Svoboda said part of the delay in granting the license was the amount of work needed for the building.

"It took some time readying the property for occupancy," she said.

Trustees also approved a deal with Classic Truck & Trailer to accept a piece of the company's property at 8650 W. 82nd Place that was part of a local detention area.

"That way they don't have to pay taxes on a piece of property that they can't use," she said.

Qdoba to close Southland locations

The Qdoba Mexican Grill chain is closing both of its locations in the Southland on Friday as part of a 67-store closing the company is planning to help grow the brand and improve customer satisfaction.

The store at 5141 W. 95^th St. in Oak Lawn and in a LaGrange Road outlot at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park will both close by 3 p.m. The chain will also close 16 more stores in the Chicago area on Friday.

The chain, which is owned by Jack in the Box, will keep four Chicago-area locations open, at least for now, in Wheaton, Schaumburg, Lincoln Park and the Loop.

For a complete list of closing locations, visit Qdoba Closings.

The company said in a news release that despite the 67 closings it plans to open 70-75 new locations this year and 60-70 more next year.

Applebee’s shuts down complete

AppleIllinois LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, this week completed the sale of 15 of its 33 Illinois Applebee’s restaurants and closed 18 others, including locations in Homewood, Mokena, Matteson and Tinley Park.

AppleIllinois sold the restaurants for $2.4 million to RMH Illinois LLC as part of an auction supervised by the U.S. bankruptcy court. 

Remaining open in the Chicago area are Applebee’s in Calumet City, Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Hodgkins, Evergreen Park, in Chicago at 7519 S. Cicero Ave. and 6656 Grand Ave., in Joliet at 2795 Plainfield Road and 2400 W. Jefferson. 

Other locations remaining open are in Bradley, DeKalb, Elgin, McHenry, Peru and Zion.

Applebee’s has 2,000 U.S. restaurants, of which all but two dozen are owned by independent business owners.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.

Battery Giant opens in Orland Park

Brian Nolen II stands in his new Battery Giant store in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new business that promises to help power up your lives is now open in Orland Park.

Battery Giant, which carries everything from car batteries to hearing aid batteries, held its grand opening on June 22 at 15006 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park in the Orland Greens shopping center.

The franchise is located in an 810-square-foot shop co-owned by father and son, Brian Nolen Sr. and Brian Nolen II.

“We carry batteries for everything,” said the younger Nolen, who lives in Hazel Crest. “We also can rebuild battery packs for power tools, lanterns and laptops. That is very handy if you have an older model of a device. Some of them they don’t make battery packs for anymore. We can fix those.”

The Nolens can also order key fobs that have batteries sealed inside of them, such as for a car.

Battery Giant is a smaller player in the battery marketplace, admitted Nolen. Their chief rival is Batteries Plus, which has been around for much longer than Battery Giant.

“Battery Giant has been around for less than 10 years,” said Nolen. “My comparison is we’re Burger King to their being McDonald’s.”

The Nolens have the company’s 16^th store and the first in the Chicago Southland. There are two other stores in the north suburbs.

“For sure, we’re looking for another location in the south suburbs or northwest Indiana,” Nolen said. “But not until we get this one going good.”

Nolen said he and his father are equal partners and share all of the duties.

The store is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For information, call the store at 708-460-4664.

Pepe’s reopens in Hickory Hills

A new Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant reopened recently at 8128 W. 95^th St. in Hickory Hills under new ownership.

The restaurant has a full bar with televisions and is open for lunch with a buffet served from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Specials include half-price margaritas on Tuesday and Thursday, all you can eat tacos on Monday and kids eat free on Sunday.

For information, call 708-430-0700.

Giordano’s hosts Orland Business After Hours

Giordano’s of Orland Park is hosting a Business After Hours event for the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 14325 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park.

Giordano’s is sampling its new menu.

This will be the chamber’s last Business After Hours until September.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also follow business happenings at Comings & Goings

Dotty’s gaming cafes coming to Southland

Dotty's has signed leases in 13 communities including Oak Forest.

By Bob Bong 
Southland Savvy 

A Naperville-based chain of cafes has big plans for video gaming in Illinois.

Dotty’s, which got its start in 1992 in Nevada, has a unique approach to video gaming.

Dotty’s CEO Dan Fischer plans to open at least 150 “warm, cozy and inviting cafes” equipped with video gaming machines as opposed to dark bars that are the usual location for machines in Illinois.

“We cater to women,” he said. “They like to play at Dotty’s because of the atmosphere. It’s nothing like a regular bar.

“Our locations are small, about 1,500 square feet,” he said. “They will have liquor licenses but our emphasis will be more grandma’s kitchen than tavern.”

Fischer, who hails from Minnesota, last year moved his base of operations to Naperville from Las Vegas.

“I’m a Midwesterner,” he said.

So far, Dotty’s has 13 leases signed, including locations in Lemont, Crestwood, Midlothian, Worth, Oak Forest, Matteson, Alsip, Country Club Hills, Blue Island, Joliet, Dolton, Romeoville and Lyons.

“We’re negotiating another 75-80 leases,” he said. “I come in and tell the town fathers, ‘We don’t compete with any businesses in your town. We’re a new niche’.”

The first Dotty’s will open this summer, he said. “I’m guessing Lemont will be the first one to go live.”

Two towns that you won’t see on Dotty’s list are Orland Park and Tinley Park, which have both voted to keep out the gaming machines.

But that doesn’t deter Fischer.

“I believe that every town in Illinois will eventually break down and allow the machines,” he said. “When they do, I’ll be ready.”

Illness forces closing of Frankfort Meats

A recent stroke suffered by owner Tom Fetherling has led to the closing of Frankfort Meats and Deli in downtown Frankfort’s Trolley Barn.

The store, which has been providing meats for more than three decades, will close for the last time on Sunday.

"Thank you for all of your business & years of friendship," is part of the closing message written on a sign in front of the store. The sign also encourages customers to come in and leave contact information.

For information, call the store at 815-469-1145.

Sweet Annie’s reopens in Flossmoor

After some initial indecision on whether to move from Flossmoor to Homewood, Sweet Annie’s bakery stayed in town but moved into new and bigger quarters at 1050 Sterling Ave.

The bakery opened its door on June 11 less than two weeks after closing its original location that owner Anne Aboushouna opened five years ago.

The bakery now shares space with Drew’s Coffee, a coffee shop modeled on a French café.

Hours at the new location are from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Texas steakhouse opens in Oak Lawn

Texas Corral, a small steakhouse chain based in northwest Indiana and modeled on the honky tonk Western theme of the highly successful Texas Roadhouse chain of restaurants right down to the peanuts on the floor, held its soft opening this week in the former Leona’s restaurant at 6616 W. 95^th St. in Oak Lawn.

The Oak Lawn location is the ninth for the chain and its first in Illinois. There are six in Indiana, including its flagship location in Highland, and two in Michigan.

The steakhouse is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

This is the second go-round as a steakhouse for this location. The building was the home to Regency Steak House years ago.

For information, call 708-459-8761.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also follow business happenings at Comings & Going.

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Cycle Gear store for motorcyclists to open Friday in Tinley Park

Cycle Gear will open its 99th store on Friday in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Cycle Gear, a national retailer of motorcycle apparel and accessories, will open its second store in the Chicago area at 10 a.m. Friday at 6905 W. 159^th St. in Tinley Park. The grand opening will be June 28-30.

It will be the second Midwestern location for the retailer, which opened in 1974 and is based in Benicia, Calif., near San Francisco.

“We opened the first Midwestern store in November in Schaumburg,” said Johnny Lin, chief marketing officer. “We wanted to make sure we could sell motorcycle accessories in the winter in Chicago. Our biggest fear was that sales would disappear in the winter months. That didn’t happen.”

Lin said the Tinley store would be about 3,500 square feet, about average for a regular store. The company has some superstores that range from 15,000 square feet in Mesa, Arizona, to 30,000 square feet in Sacramento, Caif.

“We sell everything except the bike itself,” Lin said. “That includes everything from boots to helmets to parts.”

Lin said Cycle Gear carries accessories for all brands of motorcycles except Harleys.

“They have their own chain of retail stores,” Lin said.

Lin said the company is in growth mode and the Tinley store will be the retailer’s 99^th store. The 100^th store will open later this summer in Harrisburg, Penn.

“We’ve opened four stores in the last year,” he said.

Lin said the company will probably open a third Chicago-area store in the future, but he didn’t have a timetable or location for that store.

He said the Tinley store would have a staff of 10-12 team members led by store manager Nycool (pronounced Nicole) Yarnall.

“We’re recruiting team members for both the Tinley and Schaumburg stores,” Lin said. “Just visit the stores or apply at the company website.”

Lin said there would be lots of giveaways for the grand opening weekend in particular as well as for the next month. Raffle prizes will include a GoPro Camera, Shoei Helmet and a Cycle Gear shopping spree. 

“We’ll have a lot of swag to give away,” he said.

The Tinley store will be open seven days a week, which Lin said was unusual for motorcycle shops.

“Most cycle shops are closed on Sunday and a lot are also closed on Monday,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being open seven days a week.”

Hours for the Tinley store will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For information, visit Cycle Gear online or check out Cycle Gear Tinley Park on Facebook.

Stay of execution for Rand Hallmark stores

Closing of the Rand Hallmark stores in Frankfort, Tinley Park, Orland Hills, Joliet, Lockport and Oswego has been delayed until the end of the month as owner Gary Watland tries to find buyers for the shops, which had been planning on closing Monday night before hitting the auction block Tuesday.

Charter Fitness opens new facility in New Lenox

Charter Fitness has opened its new larger facility at 1325 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox and closed two locations that were former Cardinal Fitness centers at 2465 E. Joliet Highway and 800 Laraway Road.

The new facility has longer hours, more parking and better fitness equipment including cardio exercisers and an outdoor running track. The new gym is also planning free Wi-Fi and child care.

Hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For information, call 815-463-8500 or visit Charter Fitness of New Lenox on Facebook.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.