Jewel Repeals Mandatory Cart-to-Car Service

Patch readers had a lot to say last month when asked what they thought of a new store policy in which baggers were obliged to follow customers and their carts out to their vehicles whether they wanted help or not.

If you've avoided shopping at Jewel-Osco for fear of being awkwardly trailed to your car by an employee, you're not alone, but there is good news. The once mandatory policy created by Jewel's new owners, Cerberus Capital Management LP, has been repealed. A statement on the store's website says the cart-to-car service will still be offered to customers, but it will no longer be forced upon them. Parts of our customer service philosophy are things that every grocery store should do, like ensuring the stores are clean, the shelves are well stocked, and asking if you need help finding an item. Now, we’ve expanded our service to include taking your groceries out to your car. And, if you don’t want or need help, that’s fine too. Many customers …

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Notable Lake Forest Resident to be CLC Commencement Speaker

Reboot Parnters, Inc. Chairman Dean DeBiase will be the College of Lake County's commencement speaker.

Lake Forest resident Dean DeBiase, a former College of Lake County student who gained distinction as a Silicon Valley and Chicago business leader, will be the keynote speaker at the college’s commencement ceremony on Saturday. DeBiase, who transferred from CLC a few credits short of earning a degree, will also receive an honorary associate degree and the Illinois Outstanding Citizen Award. A co-author with Seth Godin of the best-selling business book The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable, DeBiase’s keynote address, "Semper Paratus," will touch on the entrepreneurial movement and content from a new book he is developing. DeBiase graduated from Lake Forest High School a year early in 1975 and wanted to travel the …

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Introducing Small Business Patch

The newly launched site offers tips, info and digital know-how for small business owners.

Patch has launched a new site to educate and empower small businesses with the digital tools, social media strategies and marketing know-how needed to ensure long-term growth. Readers will have access to exclusive interviews with well-known founders and CEOs and small business industry experts who share their experiences, advice and tips for success. One of the latest articles features an exclusive interview with successful real estate entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group. In this Q&A, Corcoran discusses the how to take advantage of the size of a small businesses, and why making big “mistakes” made all the difference in her success. Click here to read about the tactics Corcoran used to grow her business. Additional…

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Lake Forest Woman's Rug Company Gives Afghan Women Hope

Connie Duckworth's rug company, Arzu, means "hope" in Dari.

Lake Forest resident Connie Duckworth, who started her own rug company after retiring as Goldman Sachs' first female trading partner, was recently featured on WGN News for her efforts to alleviate poverty in an Afghanistan village. Duckworth, a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, employs Afghan women to make rugs for her company Arzu, which means "hope" in Dari. Arzu, according to its website, "helps Afghan women weavers and their families break the cycle of poverty by providing them steady income and access to education and healthcare by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave." Through Arzu, Afghan women earn fair labor wages while weaving hand-knotted rugs at home. Arzu also provides the women with literacy classes and operates …

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Update: Proposed Lake Bluff Target Approved for Tax Incentives

Despite concerns over increased traffic and aesthetics, plans for Lake Bluff's first big-box store recently received a favorable recommendation from the joint planning and zoning board.

Update, Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. The Lake Bluff Village Board approved a sales tax rebate of 50 percent for the proposed Target store on Monday, reported the Chicago Tribune. Through a 10-year agreement, Target could collect up to $4.2 million in tax rebates. Should the store close in its first five years, those rebates would have to be repaid to the village. Earlier The proposal for a Target store in Lake Bluff cleared another hurdle as the joint Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4 to 1 at a May 7 public hearing to recommend village board approval, reported the Lake Forester. The Architectural Board of Review is scheduled to consider the proposed site plan and building design on June 4, according to the village. Target Stores, Inc…

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Page, Schmid Lead Local Real Estate Sales

Koenig & Strey recognizes the Lake Forest sales and listing leaders for March.