Tuesday night and today saw Chicago hit by one of the biggest snow blizzards in decades. With horizontal snow, winds of up to 40 mph, ice, thunder, lightening and plummeting temperatures the city was forced to a stand still today, with schools closed for the first time since 1999 and most of the city closed while workmen struggled to clear the streets.

Neighbors needed to be dug out of their houses, because snow had piled two thirds of the way up their doors, preventing them from exiting their houses. Richard Tattershaw had to spend 7 hours shoveling to clear all the snow!!

Roll on summer……

Why has there been no blogging lately??

Well there is good reason:

1. We have been busy working on some fun projects, which is always good.

and

2. The USA team have hit the office, which always makes things hectic but also fun.

For me personally it has been great to spend some face time bouncing ideas around and brainstorming projects with our fearless leader. This is usually done over Skype or Email which, even though we live in a digital world, is never quite as satisfying as being in the same room.

Our clients will, either way, get the best creative in the world. So never fear, first class work is on the way – fresher, faster, fairer!

 Tim

We (Raewyn, Shelly, Rich and I) have just returned from the Chicago Community Trust’s (CCT) 95th birthday celebration. It was entertaining, thought provoking and moving.

What does the CCT do? The CCT connects the generosity of donors with community needs by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. It has been doing this for 95 years. In 2010 the Trust granted more than $100 million to nonprofit organizations; with the economic recession the work has never more important.

There were dance and music performances, a 3D film, a speech by Mayor Daley and penguins from the Shedd Aquarium.

And then there were the affecting Chicago Stories, where we heard from members of the public who were making a difference with help from the CCT. These stories were intimate, personal, collective and important. They told how people with ideas, courage and vision can make lasting change and progress.

The Chicago stories were from:

Claudia Mitchell
Patient, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Yvonne Jones
Principal, John B Drake Elementary School

Diane Latiker
Found, Kids Off the Block

Lisa Nigro
Founder, Inspiration Corporation

I salute every one of these people and the Trust.

The keynote speech was by David Brookes a columnist at the NY Times. He used a description of a woman’s life to illustrate how the many influences we have and decisions we make affect us.

His simple yet vital thesis was that to prosper humans need community and trust, whereby a ‘dense world of connections’ helps us learn, grow and prosper.

The thought that the Trust helps fill in the gaps between people is commanding one.

It was an honor to attend tonight’s event, and we would like to thank the Trust for inviting us.

It’s an absolutely beautiful fall day in Chicago today. The trees are turning yellow and the air just has that touch of chill, suggesting what has been a long Chicago summer is nearly at an end. All too soon it’s going to be Halloween and we are going to see pumpkins in people’s windows and Thanksgiving turkeys on the menu.

But luckily I’ve got one summer activity left, this Saturday evening I’m going sailing on Lake Michigan with some friends. It’s magic out there when the sun goes down and the big city of Chicago comes to life.

When overseas people think of Chicago, I’m sure it’s location on the shores of Lake Michigan is not top of mind, which is a pity because it is one of the things that makes Chicago truly great!

Check out these shots of a previous sailing excursion on the lake and looking back on this great city I now call home.

Raewyn

In 1909, architects Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett published one of the most influential
documents in the history of urban planning: The Plan of Chicago. Responsible for many of the city’s most distinctive features, including its lakefront parks and roadways, the Magnificent Mile, and Navy Pier, the Plan reflected the city elite’s response to the massive influx of inhabitants to urban centers during America’s industrial age.

One hundred years later, architects, planners and landscape architects take a stab at becoming the heir apparent in an exhibition entitled  “Big. Bold. Visionary: Chicago Considers the Next Century“

Taking Burnham’s advice to “make no little plans,” architects submitted proposals for the region over the next century. Among the project submissions are a high-speed rail system, water transit service, ecologically-driven skyscrapers and municipal pier for Northerly Island.

 “Proposals like these, created in the forward-thinking spirit of Daniel Burnham, reinforce Chicago’s reputation throughout the world as an innovator in architecture and design.” 

Lois Weisberg, commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs

Murray Grossmith

2009 U.S. Open Squash Championships, September 2-6

The 2009 U.S. Open Squash Championship boasts six of the World’s Top Ten players. This year’s field is poised to showcase squash’s best athletes on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

This unique event – to be held in an all-glass court in Pioneer Court, between Tribune Tower and the Chicago River – continues to elevate the city’s profile, as well as the sport of squash, which is played in more than 150 countries by an estimated 20 million people.

The 2009 U.S Open is expected to draw sports enthusiasts, spectators and the news media. Last year, the tournament was covered by major local outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, CBS, FOX and WGN-TV, to name a few, bringing the game of squash – not to mention the event’s sponsors – to tens of thousands of Chicagoans each day that matches were played.

Folksey

Here is an alternative way to locate our business while in the Windy City. The Sears Tower has just created a new way to view downtown Chicago. On the 103rd floor they added glass cubes, with glass floors, that extend from the building to give a view of the city. You can look straight down to the street over 1,000 feet below. Of course bring a camera, but don’t forget a polarizing filter.

Gizmag article.

Mark

The Last Word

The Taste of Chicago, the world’s largest food festival, starts today. For the next 10 days over 3 million people will converge on Chicago’s lakefront to eat, drink and listen to free music. The Taste kicks off with the cutting of a 2,000 lb Eli’s Cheesecake. Popular food staples include Chicago-style pizza, Chicago hot dogs, barbequed ribs, Italian Beef and Polish sausage. On July 3 the city holds its Independence Eve fireworks display. This takes place on the shore of Lake Michigan and is often ranked the best fireworks show in the nation. This year’s music line up includes Drive by Truckers, The Wallflowers, Counting Crows and one of my favorites, Chicago’s own Buddy Guy.

Simon  

The Chicago Cubs are the most popular baseball team in America. Unlike most TV stations in the USA, Chicago’s own WGN Channel 9 is called a Super station, broadcasting Cub’s games across the country. People living in small towns across America, places like Little Rock Arkansas, where Bill Clinton comes from, do not have a national baseball team in their state to cheer for. So they become hard core Cubs fans hoping one day the Cubs will win the big prize, The World Series.

Watching a Cubs night game at Wrigley Field (named after the chewing gum) is one the better ways to spend a summer evening here in the Windy City. It’s a bit like the rugby except it’s much warmer, beer is delivered to you in your seat, you get to sing during the 7^th inning stretch and there is 82 home games to watch from April through October.

Simon