by Nicole Sankowski | Feb 21, 2020 | Blog
by Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
When RC Training & Fitness moved to the Oak Park Arts District right before Thanksgiving, they had already thrived for several years in their previous home on Madison Street. They had simply outgrown the space and needed more room. Now with almost double the square footage, Ross Oberlin and the rest of his team at RCTF are ready to take the business to the next level in their new gym at 335 Harrison Street.
Since his days as a high school wrestler in Elmhurst, Ross has always had a passion for fitness. He majored in exercise science at Illinois State University and worked for Special Olympics after graduation. It was then that he realized that he also loved coaching. It was this intersection of fitness and coaching that led him to his vocation as a personal trainer and to the business that he founded—a semi-private training gym that offers an individualized custom training program for each member.
Back when Ross was fleshing out the details of his new business idea, he went to his grandparents’ lake cabin to spend some time alone. One day, he was sitting on the dock watching a man in his early 40’s learn to water ski. As Ross tells it, “Skill acquisition doesn’t happen quickly in middle age and this guy was getting walloped. He was trying his best, but he kept falling. Just as I was getting up to leave, he tried again and this time he did it. He was water skiing! And he let out an involuntary whoop. It was such an expression of joy, of his pride in himself. He was crowing!” That crow struck a chord in Ross and he knew that he had found the name of his new business, RC Training & Fitness (the RC stands for “Rooster’s Crow”), and its mascot, a rooster.
Ross goes on, “He wasn’t the youngest, he wasn’t the first, he’s not going to be the best, he’s not even going to be very good, but he was so proud of what he just did. It gave him a new definition of who he was and what he was able to do.” And that, says Ross, is what the gym is about. “If you’re proud of something you accomplish in this gym, then we’re going to celebrate that with you. It’s about your individual goals. What anyone else thinks about it doesn’t matter.”
Although the concept is his, Ross is quick to credit the success of the business to the rest of his team which includes Operations Manager Abby Resek and coaches James Young and Sydney Stacey. In addition, his wife Michele is “the reason this place exists” and does all the back-end work. Even Ross’s young daughters Lucy and Jojo motivated him when the process of moving to the new space felt overwhelming. “I had a vision of Lucy running on the turf in the back room, and that’s what inspired me when things got hard. It was a special moment when the turf went down and I got to see her do it. It was just how I saw it in my head.”
At RCTF, every member has an individualized custom training program that is designed to meet their goals. The 60-minute training sessions are scheduled online and most people train two or three days per week. Each session has a 1:6 coach-to-member ratio. For those people who aren’t yet sure if the model is right for them, RCTF offers a no-obligation Kickstart Membership for $299. The Kickstart begins with a consultation to discuss fitness goals and then a one-on-one orientation session. “After six weeks of training, we hope you’ve started to see some results, and you’ll have a good understanding of what it’s like to train here. Most people fall in love with our gym and want to join.”
The sense of community that their business model fosters is extremely important to Ross and his team. “We don’t want people to pay for a membership and then not show up. We’ll check in on people who we haven’t seen a while. There is no shame or guilt. We want our members to feel cared for.”
RC Training & Fitness is located at 335 Harrison Street. Training sessions are offered Monday through Saturday at various times of the day. They can be reached at 708-434-5291 or through their website at www.rc-fit.com.
by Nicole Sankowski | Jan 1, 2020 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
Growing up in Michigan, Shayne Blakeley loved music. He still recalls the Fisher Price cassette player he carried around when he was a toddler and the goofy version of “On Top of Old Smokey” that it played. After moving to Chicago with the dream of owning his own record store, his life took a momentous turn when his banker heard his story and said, “You’ve got to go meet my friend Val.” It was serendipitous timing since two people gave their notice just as he was starting, and Shayne jumped right into full-time employment. “And the rest,” he says, “is history.”
It’s been almost twenty years since that day, and after struggling to keep Val’s halla Records afloat since Val Camilletti’s death in July 2018, Shayne feared the time had come to shutter the business. But another fateful meeting, this time with Trevor Toppen, altered his plans.
Like Shayne, Trevor grew up in Michigan, but their lives have followed very different paths. Trevor studied accounting at Michigan State University and has owned several businesses. Currently, he lives in River Forest with his wife and two sons and works as a turnaround consultant with Kugman Partners.
So what’s the link that brought these two unlikely friends and business partners together? The answer is Jaxon Toppen, Trevor’s teenage son. Shayne had been managing the store singlehandedly for a year when Jaxon came in to browse one day with his mother. She casually mentioned to Shayne how working there would be Jaxon’s ideal job, and Shayne replied that he could really use some help. “I was pretty overwhelmed by that point. Jaxon started working here, and we immediately developed a great rapport.”
Although Jaxon provided some much-needed assistance in the store, Shayne still faced the enormous task of keeping the business financially solvent. “This time last year, things were going really well, but then the first quarter was a ghost town, and it was looking really bleak.” Shayne explained that Val had somehow managed to scrape by every year, but he didn’t realize how bad things were until she passed away, and “he saw how the sausage was made.”
As Trevor came and went with Jaxon and spent more and more time at the store, he and Shayne got to talking about the current challenges. Because of debt that had been carried over from before Val’s death, Shayne was limited in his ability to buy new stock which in turn led to a reduction in sales since there wasn’t much left in inventory. “Shayne’s hands were tied. It’s miraculous to me how long he kept it going,” says Trevor.
But Trevor was inspired by Shayne’s passion for the business, and the longer they talked, the more he wanted to help. “Val’s halla Records needs to exist. Music is hugely important to my family. It’s been the best influence on both of my sons and if I can enable this store to be a part of our community, then that’s what I want to do.”
With Trevor’s assistance, a new company was formed that purchased the assets and name of the old business. The cash inflow to Val’s estate will ensure that creditors get some of the money owed to them, and Shayne and the “new” Val’s halla Records will get a fresh start. This clean slate has enabled Shayne to restock the store with thousands of dollars of new merchandise. “One of the things that makes me so comfortable about partnering with Shayne is that he’s so inherently conservative with money. We went back and forth many times before he felt comfortable placing such a large order,” laughs Trevor.
So far their collaboration is paying off. Sales were up “pretty substantially” over the last two holiday seasons. “People want to shop here and support the store, and I think we’ve done a good job of having inventory for them to buy,” says Trevor.
With the holidays over, they are laying plans to maintain that enthusiasm during the anticipated first quarter slowdown. Shayne’s vision is to pack the stage as often as possible since live music is always a draw. And Trevor described how they are working to partner with other local businesses and are considering having a dedicated School of Rock section in the store—a cross promotion to benefit them both.
Shayne and Trevor are excited about the future and the possibilities of their partnership. “I’ve dedicated almost half my life to this place. This is what I want to do,” says Shayne. And with Trevor’s help, he’ll hopefully be doing it for a long time to come.
Val’s halla Records is located at 239 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District and can be reached at 708-524-1004. They are open Monday through Saturday from 11-7 (closed Wednesday) and Sunday from 11-5.
by Nicole Sankowski | Dec 4, 2019 | Blog
by Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
Holiday shopping opportunities abound in the Oak Park Arts District. Stocked shelves, holiday events, and rotating discounts are making Harrison Street the place to be this December.
At Elevate Hair and Beauty Boutique (321 Harrison Street), you can purchase a bath bomb gift set ($50) to treat someone special or shop their Jingle & Mingle event on Friday, December 13 from 6pm-9pm. There will be drinks, snacks, and special holiday sales.
Still marveling at the last minute good fortune that is keeping the doors open, Val’s halla Records (239 Harrison Street) is offering a holiday bundle to “get you into vinyl.” For $149, customers can buy an Audio-Technica turntable with headphones (model AT-LP60XHP) that comes with a $30 Val’s gift card which covers the price of just about any album in the store.
Love pie? The Happy Apple Pie Shop (226 Harrison Street) is offering a gift card special: Buy $100 of gift cards (any denominations) and get a $20 gift card that can be used January through March. Whole pies, slices, and mini pies are available in three flavors each week.
The Brown Elephant (217 Harrison Street) is decked out for the season and has everything you need for your holiday table including a set of four colorful champagne flutes for $12. And if you still need ornaments, check out their decorated trees for inspiration where nothing is priced higher than $5.
Looking for the perfect hostess gift? Rare Bird Preserves (211 Harrison Street) sells a three-jar box set ($34-$40) of their locally-made products. Mix and match their classic preserves and signature curds in flavors like strawberry rhubarb and passion fruit. They are sure to satisfy the foodie on your list.
Bead in Hand (145 Harrison Street) is hosting a staff jewelry show on December 13 from 10am-6pm and December 14 from 10am-5pm. If you’d rather make something yourself, then drop in on December 6 or 20 from 2pm-5pm or December 7 or 21 from 1pm-4pm to create snowflake ornaments. Three sizes are available and are priced at $6, $12, and $15. Bring the kids and delight the grandparents with these holiday ornaments.
Celebrate the season at Studio 144 (144 Harrison Street) with “The Twelve Days of Christmas” promotion that runs from December 13-24. Check Facebook for the deal of the day. Candles are a popular gift and you can get two for $25 (regularly $20 each) throughout December. For the child in your life, celebrate Disney’s Frozen II with a singing Anna, Elsa, or Olaf doll ($39.99 each).
Jake’s Place Books (142 Harrison Street) is offering rotating discounts every week in December and has several books by local authors available. Consider the graphic novel Rusty Brown by Chris Ware ($26), the fill-in journal Read Your Partner Like a Book: Everything You Should Know…But Never Thought to Ask by Rob Elder ($12), or the newly-released The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg ($22). They have something for every bibliophile.
Shopping for mom and baby? The Birth Boutique (128 Harrison Street) stocks gifts like the adorable Noodoll plush toy ($30) and dinosaur teether with clip ($24). They are hosting a holiday shopping event on Friday, December 13 from 5pm-8pm. Stop by for wine, nibbles, and shopping from local vendors.
Shop the Oak Park Arts District this holiday season. There’s something for everyone!
by Nicole Sankowski | Oct 30, 2019 | Blog
by Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
Chastity Dunlap was bitten by the knitting bug a dozen years ago when she found a woman on Craigslist who gave lessons in a local coffee shop. “Then when I moved to Forest Park, I discovered my first yarn store and loved it. I spent so much time there and soaked up everything I could. It was a wonderful atmosphere; I was so sad when it closed.”
Eventually, Chastity found a new “yarn home” in Downtown Oak Park and started working there on weekends. She ended up purchasing the inventory and taking over the space, and Dye Hard Yarns was born. Now, after two years in business on Westgate, Dye Hard Yarns is getting a new home at 210 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District.
Although she had been knitting for years, it wasn’t until she took a class at Chicago’s local yarn convention (YarnCon) about four years ago that Chastity became hooked on dyeing as well. She has been dyeing in her apartment kitchen after her daughter goes to bed at night, but it is “really inconvenient.” In August, she had an epiphany and realized that her business had become focused on indie-dyed yarns—including her own brand called Kitty Pride Fibers—and that she needed her own studio space to take it to the next level.
Chastity was at first reluctant to move because she loved the “natural charm” of her space on Westgate with its cobblestone street and sunset view, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to look elsewhere and was won over by the bigger space and ease of parking on Harrison Street. Plus, her business is a natural fit for the Arts District, and she’s excited about the possibilities that offers. “I’m hoping to connect with other businesses to collaborate on community outreach and to make the Arts District part of a traveler’s must-see itinerary.”
Once she committed to moving, Chastity became really excited about what she could do with the new space. “I need studio space, but I’m not the only one in that situation. So many dyers at YarnCon are small like me and are looking for a dedicated space outside their home that is fully equipped where they can work.”
She is still working out the details, but Chastity envisions indie dyers paying a small monthly fee to join the studio and to be able to regularly use the space. It will also be available to people who want to pop in to dye something for their own projects and for students. In addition to dyeing classes, Dye Hard Yarns also offers classes in knitting, crocheting, and other fiber arts. “If it’s fiber-related and I can find a teacher, then I’ll offer it,” says Chastity.
While some classes are taught in groups, Beginning Knitting is a one-on-one lesson; it’s free as long as materials are purchased at Dye Hard Yarns. “My goal is to take you through your first project. The first lesson is one hour, and I want you to be fully comfortable before you leave.” Students come back at least twice, but Chastity assures them that they can work with her until the project is done. “Whether it takes a week or three months, they have me for that time.”
Subscription clubs are another way that Chastity spreads “the gospel of knitting.” The every-other-month shipments are available for either socks or accessories and include yarn, a pattern, a small gift, and a storewide discount. “It’s like getting happiness in the mail,” says Chastity.
Dye Hard Yarns also hosts Fiber Fun Night on Wednesdays when customers are welcome to work on current projects and socialize. Chastity is clear about what she wants her space to be. “The original store that I went to in Forest Park was so friendly and welcoming, and I have used it as a barometer of every other yarn store I’ve ever been in. I want my store to be like that, and I want to take it further if I can. I want people to feel like they can sit and talk or not talk and just be together. To feel like they’re a part of something and to get a feeling of calm in a very scary world.”
To support Chastity’s vision for a community studio space, link to her Go Fund Me campaign from her website at www.dyehardyarns.com. Dye Hard Yarn’s retail hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11:30-5:30, Saturday from 10:00-6:00, and Sunday 11:00-5:00. On Wednesday, the shop stays open until 9:00 pm for Fiber Fun Night. Chastity Dunlap can be reached at 708-613-4456.
by Nicole Sankowski | Oct 7, 2019 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
On September 21, Buzz Café hosted the Nineteenth Annual Chair Painting event in their courtyard. Owner Laura Maychruk said that they planned to replace about half the café’s chairs with freshly-painted new arrivals. “During the year, we pop into Brown Elephant and when we see a chair we like, we buy it. Then we put it in the basement until the chair painting.” Local artist Steve Fisher, who painted the courtyard fence and whose art hangs near the cash register inside, has coordinated the event every year.
The event started at noon, and by three o’clock all the painting had been completed. Steve said that he still needed to apply polyurethane to give each chair a nice finish and to protect it from wear. But by the end of September, all the artists would be able to visit their chairs in the café.
Many of the chair painters live in Oak Park and are frequenters of Buzz Café. There were individuals and families, and many people were there for the first time. But whatever their story, everyone enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the chance to leave their mark on Buzz Café for the next year.
Corina Bovio, a third grader from Longfellow, was there with her mom Gabriella. “I always get coffee in the morning at Buzz, and I marked our calendar for the chair painting,” said Gabriella. Corina loves ice cream and so she covered her chair with a giant ice cream cone. “My favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip, but I thought pink ice cream would look pretty on the chair. It looks so edible,” said Corina.
Alex Wagner of Oak Park was one of the first to start painting but the last to finish. His geometric doodle chair took over three hours to complete! “Everyone always asks me how I have the patience to doodle but I just really enjoy it.” Alex likes the waffles at Buzz Café for breakfast and said that he saw the ad about the chair painting a couple of weeks ago. “I’ve always loved the painted chairs and knew that I wanted to make my own.”
Not everyone who was painting lives locally. Barbara Holländer teaches German to English speakers in Düsseldorf and was visiting friends in the area. “I was looking for things to do during my ten-day vacation. I had been to Buzz Café before on previous visits and decided to try chair painting,” said Barbara.
Mark and Poppy Booth had no set plan for their chair. “We’re just freestyling,” said the father-and-daughter team. Poppy, a seventh grader at Julian, said that her favorite Buzz item is the cookies. Mark said that he often comes for the iced tea, but confessed that occasionally he comes on his own to sneak in a hamburger. Poppy laughed and said that sounded like something he would do. “They’re very good!” Mark insisted sheepishly.
Adam Webber grew up in Oak Park but lives in Chicago now and is a morning regular at Buzz. “I’m painting a forest at dawn because that’s the time of day that I’m usually here and the forest represents Oak Park,” said Adam. “I saw the ad about today’s event when I was eating this morning and decided to come back for it. I’m trying to be better about exercising my creative muscles.”
The Burns family from River Forest was painting two chairs, one for the boys (with a dinosaur) and one for the girls (with a unicorn and the moon). Molly Burns, a former art teacher at Hatch school, brought her four children—Marty (age 9), Mary (age 8), Joe (age 5), and Deedee (age 4). It was their first time at the chair painting although they go to Buzz Café frequently. The kids especially like the toys. She saw the ad and said to herself, “We’ve got to go to this.”
Jamya Harris, a kindergartener at Holmes, was there with her mom Julia and baby brother Jamal. Julia used to work at Buzz and had been chair painting before, but it was Jamya’s first experience. Jamya’s plan was to paint “whatever looks pretty.” Her finished chair was an abstract work in her favorite color—rainbow.
Unlike many chair painters, Deb Corbeil of Forest Park has participated many times over the years. “I used to come with my kids when they were young, and they are now all grown.” Her chair had a mind of its own. “Just when I think I’m done, I need to add a couple more things.” Deb is an accountant who said that “art is my therapy.” She likes to go early to Buzz Café to get her favorite scones. “Cinnamon chip are the best.”
Inspired by the burning of the Amazon rainforest, Lincoln fifth grader Sophia Hinojosa painted her chair red with flames so that “people would want to know more about it.” And while she said that she couldn’t draw trees, Sophia did add one green chair spindle to represent them. Armenia Garcia, Sophia’s mom, said that she and her husband recently had breakfast at the café and thought chair painting would be a great activity for Sophia since she likes to animate and draw in her spare time.
Nora and Molly Hartman, sisters from Oak Park, were there with their mom and grandma. “I read about the chair painting on Mom Mail and since my mom and I had painted furniture before, I thought it would fun to do with the girls while their grandma was in town,” said Kendra Hartman. Nora, a sophomore at Oak Park River Forest High School, took inspiration from the video game Animal Crossing for their chair’s seat while her sister Molly, a Holmes fourth grader, painted a black and white design on the back of the chair.
Oak Parker Rose Abrusci was there with her “Little Sister” Katie Betancourt. Rose and Katie have been a match through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for almost two years. “I always thought that employees painted the chairs at Buzz, but then I saw on Instagram about the chair painting event and realized that the public is invited. Katie is a good artist and loves to paint so I knew it was something we had to do,” said Rose.
Amanda Gosnell and her four-year-old daughter Laina were chair painting for the second year in a row. “We come to Buzz every Saturday before music class and Laina always looks for ‘her’ chair,” said Amanda. Like they did last year, they were decorating their chair with Laina’s handprints. “Although her handprints last year were so much smaller,” laughed Amanda. They are big fans of breakfast at the café. “I like to eat bacon!” affirmed Laina.
Matt Becker and Jen Offen and their four-year-old daughter Hazel are new to Oak Park having just moved here in May. They love coming to Buzz Café; the sugar cookies are everybody’s favorite. While her parents focused on the chair legs and seat, Hazel was conscientiously painting the chair back with a self portrait and a butterfly. When asked why her painting didn’t have a face, Hazel said, “Because I’m waiting for the paint to dry!” Once she knew she wouldn’t smear, Hazel added eyes and a mouth, signed her name, and then went inside for a snack—a cookie, naturally.
The mother-and-daughter team of Katie Brennan and Emily Edmunds had cats on their mind at the chair painting. “Our dog recently died and now we’re hoping to foster a cat,” explained Katie who is an attorney and a village trustee in River Forest. “Emily (a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School) and I have been here before to paint and really loved it. We both enjoy having a creative outlet.” Their chair with a cat on the seat and a skyline on the back was a reflection of their talent.
To see these chairs plus others that were painted at the Nineteenth Annual Chair Painting, visit Buzz Café during their regular hours: Monday through Friday 6am-9pm, Saturday 7am-9pm, and Sunday 8am-2pm.
by Nicole Sankowski | Sep 1, 2019 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for the Buzz Cafe
After eighteen months at 11 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District, Stacy Fifer is expanding L’Institut français d’Oak Park with an additional classroom just two doors down at number 17. Her French language school for adult and mature teen learners offers beginning and intermediate conversation and grammar classes as well as classes in French culture and literature. There are three ten-week sessions each academic year (fall, winter, and spring) and shorter review sessions in the summer. Classes meet once a week for one hour with day and evening options available.
Stacy first studied French in high school but didn’t decide to make it her life’s work until she was an undergraduate at the University of Illinois and realized that teaching French at the college level was a viable career path. “My love of French and my passion for social justice and human rights came together and that’s how I became a Sub-Saharan African Francophone literature specialist.”
After earning her Ph.D., Stacy taught for fifteen years at different universities. Her most recent position was at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but the uncertainly that came with being a non-tenure-track professor was too stressful. “I loved teaching and it was really the only thing that I wanted to do so I had to figure out how to make my own language school work.”
Stacy offered her first class three years ago and enrolled just two students. Since then she has relocated twice and now enrolls over 100 students each session. Stacy is quick to offer praise for those people who helped her launch her business, especially her landlords Karen and Peter Morava of Careful Peach Boutique. “They took classes with me and have done a lot to support me. I really look up to them as business owners.”
Stacy loves the energy of the Arts District and the opportunities it gives her students for shopping, eating, and socializing. “I like that my students have all these places to go when they leave class. And I think that my being here is good for the Arts District because L’Institut is bringing 100 people to the area each week. It’s great for all of us.”
When Stacy started L’Institut, she based the classes on the format of a university language department, but she has had to adapt the curriculum to accommodate busy adults. “I figured out pretty early on that people can only come for an hour a week. What people really want to be able to do is to communicate. So that’s what we focus on in class.”
Completing the seven classes that L’Institut offers in Beginning French Conversation is the equivalent of taking 1-1½ years of college-level French. “I’ve been able to add classes every session to grow my offerings with my students. This fall will be the first time that I will finish a beginning level textbook by teaching French VII to people who started with me in French I.”
Some of Stacy’s favorite classroom experiences have been the ones with multigenerational students. “Two years ago, my seventh-grade daughter and two of her friends started taking classes with me. That class also had a woman who was 75 years old and several professional adults. It was so much fun.” According to Stacy, studies have shown that learning a language can ward off dementia as people age. “So it’s never too late to start and it’s good for your brain,” she says.
In addition to classes, L’Institut offers a weekly Conversation Café on Thursday evenings at Léa in Downtown Oak Park. “I love the community that has developed at Conversation Café. Students attend but there are also people who come who are already French speakers. People have dinner or dessert or just a glass of wine. It’s a nice atmosphere.” There is a $5 drop-in fee or a punch card good for ten visits is available for $30.
The fall session at L’Institut runs from September 16 to November 23. An open house on September 10 from 5pm-8pm is a chance for the public to meet the instructors and see the classroom space. “There will be wine and cheese and a chance to win 20% off tuition,” says Stacy.
For more information about L’Institut français d’Oak Park, contact Stacy Fifer at [email protected].
