From the President
By: Kathy Gemperle
The warm weather is here at last after a busy spring. Our auction on April 28 netted about $1100 for our treasury. Attendance was lower than last year, but not the generosity of the audience. Board member Bob Donnelly gallantly stepped in as auctioneer at the last minute after an emergency called our professional auctioneer away. Ara Mayian, Bob’s pinch-hitter for a spell, kept things moving with a decidedly different brand of humor.
As usual everyone had a great time, and most people got terrific bargains! …except for your president who seemed to get into more bidding wars than anyone else over some of the most interesting items. Prize for most unusual auction item of the day went to Bob Remer, who donated two Lake Michigan salmon he had caught on a fishing trip early that day. If you think Van de Kamp’s is fresh, you should have seen Bob’s beauties flip on the auction block!
On Sunday, April 29, “Chicago Day” was celebrated throughout the city and EHS participated in the day-long event at the Chicago Historical Society. Evangeline Mistaras helped man our busy information booth and I presented a slide program on the history of Edgewater.
May brought the finale of the Lakefront Art and Design Project with the Edgewater schools. A display of plans created by students in 10 Edgewater schools was held at Loyola University on May 19. EHS’s part of the program was the production of a slide presentation about the history of the Chicago lakeshore - 1830 to the present.
This presentation was also shown at our May 12 General Meeting at the Edgewater Library and at various block club meetings. Special thanks to EHS members Gregg Mann, Antigoni Lambrinides Sofious, Everett Stetson, Donald Brown and David Schein for their help in research and production.
The Andersonville Midsommarfest on June 23 and 24 was the setting for two readings/performances of “The Edgewater Story,” a play produced by Ray Miller and directed by Tracy Colerider-Krugh, as part of a Neighborhood Arts Project Grant. Writers included EHS members Gloria Evenson, Frances Posner and Kathy Gemperle. Performers included EHS members Sandee Remis, Sara Reynolds, Kathy and Dave Gemperle.
The play included scenes of the sale of Indian lands, a fictional meeting of J.L. Cochran with other land owners, a Swedish family’s desire to own a home “with a lake view,” a meeting of women at the Edgewater Country Club, reminiscences of the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Peter Kranz at the 1933 World’s Fair, a 1968 meeting of the Edgewater Community Council and, finally, a playwriting scene featuring the recollections of Frances Posner. Perhaps someday we can turn it into a theatrical production or - better yet - a musical. Any budding Stephen Sondheims should contact us immediately!
The next Board Meeting will be held on Saturday, August 25. The next General Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 20, at 10:00 a.m. at the Edgewater Branch Library.
Activities of both the Program and Membership Committees have slowed considerably since the resignations of both chairmen several months ago. We wish to thank Dave Gemperle and Phil LaPalio, respectively, for their years of service; we’re having a tough time trying to replace them. We are also in danger of losing JoAnn Holmes as chair of the Finance Committee unless a co-chair can be found. We need warm bodies YESTERDAY to fill these positions. The time and effort commitments are not very demanding, but the responsibilities are important. Please help!
Last, but not least, the Edgewater Home Tour is set for Sunday, September 16, 12 noon till 5:00 p.m. in the Edgewater Glen neighborhood. For more information on how you can assist the Home Tour Committee to make the event a success, please see the Finance Committee report. We’re hoping for the same kind of brilliant fall day as last year.
See you soon!