Funding for the studio was provided by the District 39 Educational Foundation’s Paul Tilley Music Fund, which was established by Cristina Tilley in memory of her husband. “ The recording studio seemed like the perfect way to honor Paul’s memory, “ said Ms. Tilley.  “He was an exceptionally creative person who loved music.  I wanted to do something that would celebrate music and encourage our kids to express their creativity.”

The Foundation’s grant of approximately $15,000 covered the cost of the engineering console, computer equipment, keyboard, soundproofing and a number of professional microphones designed specifically for individual recording tasks – voice, drums and so on.  The recording software will be “ProTools,” an advanced program that is also used at New Trier High School’s recording studios.

Equipping the studio was done under the guidance of Steve Pont, a professional audio consultant who designs studios for music and advertising professionals. Stan Xidas, a D39 parent, musician and contractor, donated his time and expertise to retrofit an unused office into a studio. Another D39 parent, Tim Scherman, customized a “studio window” that directs the sound waves for optimum sound quality in the room.

The dedication of the recording studio is directly before the annual Youth Connection “Battle of the Bands”, which will be held this Friday at 7:30 pm at the Junior High. The Youth Connection has been an enthusiastic supporter of the studio from its inception and will be taking a leadership role in developing extracurricular uses for the studio.

It may be a cramped and crowded throwback to an earlier day, but that doesn’t bother loyal patrons, who come to buy or repair bikes, sharpen their skates and order team uniforms for the local sports teams their children play for. They love the familiarity, personalized service, information and advice that’s freely given by the shop owners and their employees.

You can watch the TV segment here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Source: MRED llc – Data for single family homes. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Related articles:

• Harper Neighborhood Home Sales

• McKenzie Neighborhood Home Sales

• East Wilmette (Central School) Neighborhood Home Sales

Harper Neighborhood Home Sales – 2011

Want to know what your Wilmette neighbor’s house sold for? You can see that here. Want to know what your home is worth in today’s market? Give us a call at 847-881-6657 and we’d be glad to provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, home value analysis. Or you can get a free, quick, over-the-net evaluation.

McKenzie Neighborhood Home Sales – 2011

Source: MRED LLC – Single family homes data. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Want to know what your neighbor’s house sold for? You can see that here. Want to know what your home is worth in today’s market? Give us a call at 847-881-6657 and we’d be glad to provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, home value analysis. Or you can get a free, quick, over-the-net evaluation.

At our house we have gotten a little lax in the Christmas decorating department, and at this point I’m wondering when we’ll even have time to go get the Christmas tree between hockey games and pageant rehearsals. But luckily for us, most of our neighbors take this decorating thing a bit more seriously and we can enjoy their Christmas lights. One neighbor, in particular, puts on a display worth going out of your way to see. It’s grown every year and has gotten so popular that this year they set their lights to music and invited everyone over to munch on cookies and drink hot cocoa while enjoying the show. Even Santa stopped by to hear last minute gift requests from neighborhood kids.

Steve Maris, a self-proclaimed Christmas junkie, has been decorating with lights every year, adding more and more to his collection each Christmas. At this point he has about 30,000 lights on his house and garage, in the trees and all over the yard. In the past year he has spent countless hours programming the lights to blink to the music until he had a two hour long show. It truly is an awesome sight and will put even the most Scrooge-like person in the Christmas spirit. You can get a taste of it here:

Want to check out Steve Maris’ handiwork in person? The show will go on nightly through Christmas at 1200 Cleveland Street in Wilmette, but don’t count on hot cocoa or cookies unless you bring them yourself. And Santa has headed back to the North Pole to prepare for the big night.

At the Woman’s Club of Wilmette’s 70th Annual Antiques Show and Sale you’ll find everything from furniture to maps, prints, books, linens, vintage jewelry, and more. Dealers returning this year include Ralph Spano Antiques, Neil Zuehlke Antiques, and T.S. Hotter Gallery. New dealers include Silver Acorn (miniature books and vintage jewelry), The Good Stuff (American Indian jewelry), Plain Tales (antique books), Maison Suzanne (textiles and tapestries), and Dovetail Joint Antiques (Americana and furniture).

You’ll also be able to shop for holiday foods and hostess gifts  at the Holiday Boutique.

Do you have damaged glass, china, or porcelain? Bring it to the show for on-site repair by Mary Lou’s Crystal Repair, a show long-term favorite.

This year, the club has named Designs for Dignity (D4D) as a beneficiary of the antiques show. Founded in 2000, D4D engages the talents and resources of the design community to supply premier interior design items and pro bono design services to Chicago-area non-profits serving those who suffer from poverty, addiction, violence and discrimination. Rooted in the belief that a person’s everyday spaces are critical in determining his or her quality of living, D4D’s mission is focused on transforming the lives of marginalized communities by transforming spaces of the local non-profits that support them.

Proceeds will go to fund future D4D projects, as well as a current project being completed for the Warming House Youth Center in Wilmette. The Warming House Youth Center is a not-for-profit agency that provides teens a safe, supervised, and substance-free place to use after school.

When: Saturday, December 3 from 10:00 to 5:00 and
Sunday, December 4 from 11:00 to 4:00

Where: 930 Greenleaf Ave., Wilmette (directions)

Admission: $15 for both days

For more information visit www.womansclubofwilmette.org or call (847) 251-0527

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McKenzie Square is a super-convenient place to live because it’s centrally located in Wilmette and you can easily walk to town, the train, the library and several parks, as well as to McKenzie Elementary and Highcrest Middle School and St. Joseph Catholic Church.

The neighborhood is full of traditional homes shaded by large trees. Highland Avenue and 16th Street are two of Wilmette’s many brick streets, which adds to the charm. Lot sizes are typically 50 x 160 ft. and most houses have 4-5 bedrooms. Architectural styles include Georgian, Four Square and farmhouse (many with front porches), as well as a few bungalows and cape cods sprinkled throughout. Most homes date from the first half of the 20th century, though some smaller old homes have been torn down and replaced with new construction. Unlike nearby Kenilworth Gardens, most houses in McKenzie Square have garages off the alley rather than driveways in front.

Home prices range from $700,000 to $1,200,000, but they can go as high as $1,600,000 for larger new homes.

Currently there are only three homes for sale in McKenzie Square. The smallest has only three bedrooms and is $649,000. The largest is newer construction and is listed at $1,049,000.

1519 Washington - $649,000

1534 Wilmette Ave - $995,000

1761 Washington - $1,049,000

If you’d like to see any of these homes, please give me a call at 847-687-5957 or email me. You can also search for Wilmette homes here.

"The Human Resources Manager" from Israel will be shown on November 17th.

Last week the Tribune ran a story about Wilmette’s arts and culture scene (“Wilmette: Not Like Other Towns”, by Lauren Viera). The article talked about the diverse programming at the Wilmette Theatre, the “Starlight Theatre” series at the Wallace Bowl, the Wilmette Historical Society and the new Studio North Academy of the Performing Arts.

But there’s another great cultural offering the article didn’t mention, and that is the Foreign Film Club at the Wilmette Library. The club meets monthly and and screens great foreign movies from all over the world. And it’s free! The movie club is the brainchild of fellow Coldwell Banker agent, Daverille Sher.

I interviewed Daverille for the back-story on the club:

Anne: When did you start your movie group and what gave you the idea?

Daverille: I started my movie group in 2006. I was President of the Wilmette International Club at the time and really missed foreign movies. The Wilmette Theatre had just been taken over by Carole Dibo and she was open to having us start the Foreign Film Club there. After I gave up the Presidency of the International Club I retained the movie group. I love researching good movies and I love sharing them with others. Three years ago the Wilmette Library kindly offered to host us and we have been there ever since.

Anne: Tell me about the types of movies you show.

Daverille: The first movie we showed was “The Journey” by Ligi Pullappally. Ligi was a client, a lawyer who gave it all up to go to India to write and direct a movie that would give hope to the young gay community. She came and spoke of her experiences. It is an incredibly inspired movie.

"The Colors of the Mountain" from Colombia will be shown on December 15th

I try and keep the movies current and choose ones that are not out on the general circuit. We just saw  “A Screaming Man,” made in Chad. (yeah, I know you didn’t know they made movies in Chad). It is a wonderful movie about the ravages of war, yet it doesn’t show any violent sequences. Absolutely amazing. The lead was not even an actor but his acting was superb.

Anne: What’s the format of the club meetings?

Daverille: The club’s format is simple. We hold it on the 3rd Thursday of the month. We start with coffee, a little something to eat and socializing (it is a great way for people new to the neighborhood to meet others) from 9am to 9.30am. The movie starts at 9.30 sharp. The next movie (on the 17th of November) is ” The Human Resources Manager” from Israel. On December 15th we will watch “The Colors of the Mountain” from Colombia.

If you’d like to be notified about upcoming foreign films, give Daverille at call at 773-230-7346 or go here to subscribe to her e-newsletter. You can learn more about Daverille here.

The goal of Pedal Power is simple: to collect used bikes and scooters and donate them to needy children in the city of Chicago. In the first year Nicole focused her drive in Wilmette and hoped to collect 23-30 bikes. Last year she expanded beyond Wilmette to neighboring North Shore towns and collected 280 bikes.

This year Pedal Power takes place on Saturday, November 5 from 9 am to 12 pm.

If you have used but working bikes or scooters to donate, please bring them to one of three collection points:

• McKenzie Elementary School, 649 Prairie Ave, Wilmette
• George Garner Cyclery, 1111 Waukegan Rd., Northbrook
• Higher Gear, 1874 Sheridan Rd., Highland Park

You can get more information at Nicole’s web site: www.gopedalpower.com