The Eye

The Eye

Everyone else is weighing in on the Chicago Tribune’s new design, so why should we sit on the sidelines? It was probably best said by one of our associates who commented that the new Tribune looks as if it was designed to be read by 25-year-olds who don’t read the newspaper. We have yet to talk to one “adult” who has bonded with the new look. We remember that the Chicago Daily News closed its doors just nine months after its final redesign back in 1978. We don’t wish that upon the venerable Tribune but everyone is keeping an eye on its future.

Suburban Buick in Wheaton, once the high profile dealership of the late Gabor Bushy, is no longer affiliated with Buick or GM. The dealership, now managed by Bushy’s widow and second wife Kim, is only selling used cars and providing service under the name of Suburban Automotive. All the Buick and GM signs has disappeared along with its new car salesmen who have moved on to new posts. Bushy and his first wife Karen, the former village president of Oak Brook, were once a well-known power couple in DuPage County.

Patricia Andrews-Keenan, the long-time and well-known media relations director for Comcast and predecessor cable companies (Time Warner and AT&T, just to name a few), has reemerged as the owner of her own public relations and strategic communications company—Tallulah Group, based in Naperville. PA-K had been with Nielsen Research for the past year before launching her own brand. “We are doing work for educational institutions (Columbia College for one), not-for-profits and corporate clients. You can catch up with Pat at Tallulahgroup.com.

A seagull in Manistee, Mich., has developed the habit of stealing a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos from a local convenience store. The Eye received a e-mail video of the seagull committing the crime. The gull’s shoplifting started early this month when it first swooped into the store and found the Doritos in a rack by the door. Since then he’s become a regular, always taking the same type of chips. The manager thinks it’s great because people are coming to watch the feathered thief. That’s been good for business, especially since customers have begun paying for the Doritos. However, the manager did say, “If the seagull starts to grab a six-pack of Bud to go I may have to put a stop to it.”

The question is whether Brian England, the president of the new Leaders Bank in Naperville, saves money by not purchasing suit coats. At the recent open house for the new bank, England’s personal tailor, who was in attendance, assured everyone that she does make a coat for every pair of pants that Brian buys. C’mon, Brian, we like the look of your suspenders but the coat should decorate something besides the back of your chair. The Naperville bank joins Oak Brook and Hoffman Estates as the third location for Leaders Bank.

The DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau, observing its 19th anniversary, presented awards at its annual luncheon to four partners in hospitality and tourism. Award recipients were Elmhurst College, the Green Initiative Award; WGN-TV, the Media Partner Award; Julie Glazier of the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, the SMILES Customer Service Award; and the village of Lombard and Village President William Mueller, the Hospitality Advocacy Award.

In August The Eye reported that a new lifestyle magazine called “Michigan Avenue” was being introduced by Niche Media. We weren’t sure what to expect in view of the dire predictions of the demise of print media and the worldwide financial crisis. At The Business Ledger we received six copies, all individually addressed to staff members. The premiere issue was 360 pages featuring hometown supermodel Cindy Crawford on the cover and a full page ad on the back from the Ralph Lauren Collection. The quality of pages, the design, the color—everything was first class. The editorial pages were filled with Chicago names such as Winfrey, Pritzker, Obama, Maher, Brock, and of course, “Michael.” We can’t remember a start-up of this magnitude since “George,” the ill-fated political magazine started by the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. Michigan Avenue’s pages are filled with ads from all the top retailers. Recession? What recession? The next issue is due out Nov. 15.

Our congrats to Dr. S. Alan Ray, the 13th president of Elmhurst College, who will be inaugurated Nov. 8 at the Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel on campus and later feted at a black-tie-optional dinner-dance at the Chicago Marriott Oak Brook.

Finally, one suburban banking professional who understandably wants to remain anonymous had this request of the business community: “Call your congressmen. Tell them to get the regulators off our backs.”

Posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 (Archive on Sunday, November 09, 2008)
Posted by jstoltz Contributed by jstoltz

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