southtownstar.suntimes.com

Sabadosa: Hometown coffee shop owners have ‘passion for perfection’

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:20:22 -0600

There is a new coffee shop/sandwich shop/diner in town. On Jan. 1, Rito’s Coffee opened its doors in the Hometown Plaza location at 4116 Southwest Highway in Hometown. Ryte Kilikeviciene and her husband Alvydas Kilikevicius may very well be the ultimate host and hostess. While Ryte welcomes each guest as if they have just walked into her living room, Alvydas tends the coffee/dessert bar and register. When she disappears into the kitchen to prepare the meals, he waits each table, offering refreshments. The new coffee shop is in the former Gio’s in the plaza, and I remarked at how similar …

Mr. Tightwad’s daily deal: Save 11 percent at Menards this week

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:05:03 -0600

Mr. Tightwad’s so cheap, it’s been 52,563 days since he paid full price for anything. Thanks to Menards, it appears he’ll be able to extend that streak. That’s because everything (except gift cards) is 11 percent off this week. You don’t need a coupon, don’t need a secret handshake, nor do you have to get there during “power hours.” Just show up, buy your stuff and mail in the Menards rebate form. The 11 percent will be given to you in the form of a merchandise credit, which should come in handy in the spring when you’re sprucing up your …

About 10,000 take tour of new Silver Cross Hospital

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:06:45 -0600

On Sunday, Elizabeth Farmer became the first woman to feel a contraction in the new building. The pregnant Lockport resident held on to a doorframe for a moment but assured everyone no others were coming right away and she still expected to deliver at the end of March. Which was good because the birthing suite she was standing in at the new Silver Cross Hospital won’t open until Feb. 26. Farmer and her husband, Mike, expect to have their second baby at the new facility, which hosted “housewarming” tours this weekend. “We had about 3,700 employees’ family and friends here …

The fight begins: Obama budget going to Congress

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:50:00 -0600

WASHINGTON (AP) — The new budget that President Barack Obama is sending to Congress aims to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade by restraining government spending and raising taxes on the wealthy. To help a weak economy, Obama’s proposal Monday requests increases in transportation, education and other areas. While administration officials on Sunday defended the plan as a balanced approach, Republicans belittled the effort as a repeat of failed policies that did too little to attack soaring costs in such programs as Medicare and threatened growth by raising taxes. The debate is almost certain to go …

Hulu, Netflix debut original programming

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:07:13 -0600

In what amounts to a milestone in Internet television, both Hulu and Netflix are debuting original programming.

Foreclosure pact promises more trouble

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:10:01 -0600

The foreclosure settlement involving Illinois and 48 other states is much ado about $25 billion, but for homeowners still in a heap of financial trouble, it signifies little besides more pain. The banks involved will like it, and their investors should draw comfort as well. By settling, the five large banks have indemnified themselves against civil lawsuits over robo-signing and faked paperwork. Criminal charges are possible, but hardly likely. The banks get financial certainty as opposed to the prospect of endless litigation. That should help the shares of four banks involved — JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup …

Very moving time: Orland Plaza tenants anxious as center’s closing looms

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:12:40 -0600

Since she started her business, Knitting Etc., four decades ago, Beatrice Doctor has hopscotched around Orland Park. There was a 10-year run in Orland Square Mall, followed by a stint inside a farmhouse at 151st Street and West Avenue. Then, seven years ago, Doctor picked up again and settled at Orland Plaza. “I thought this was going to be my last move,” she said. But with Orland Park poised to take over the shopping center starting this week to make way for luxury apartments, staying put isn’t an option. What started in 2008 with the village suing to gain ownership …

Moving companies merging

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:28:00 -0600

Wheaton Van Lines Inc. said Saturday it will acquire Hillside-based Bekins Van Lines, establishing the country’s fourth-largest household goods carrier. Financial terms were not disclosed. Wheaton said the combined company would have annual revenues of more than $250 million. Wheaton, in a news release, said its Wheaton World Wide Moving and Bekins would continue to operate as separate brands, but both will be headquartered in Indianapolis, where Wheaton has its corporate offices. Wheaton said Bekins’ Hillside office will be closed. The transaction, according to Wheaton, is expected to be finalized by the middle of next month. Some employees from Bekins’ …

Dow closes down 89 points after Greek deal is held up

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:40:01 -0600

Stocks had their worst day of the year Friday after Greece hit a roadblock on its way to a critical bailout. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 89.23 points, or 0.7 percent, at 12,801.23.

Kindermusik to get chamber welcome

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:07:53 -0600

Briefly: Chamber welcome for Kindermusik, small-business counseling in Tinley.

Looking for a hot stock? Think boring

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:08:22 -0600

While sexy tech stocks have investors drooling, real returns lie in more garden variety businesses.

Manufacturing revival a tough goal

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:08:05 -0600

A manufacturing renaissance is being preached by the White House and GOP hopefuls, but not all are convinced it makes best economic sense.

CD music warehouse to shut down; 248 jobs lost

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:40:22 -0600

FISHERS, Ind. (AP) — Sony DADC Americas says it will start shutting down its Fishers compact disc warehouse in May and will lay off all 248 workers by September. The New-York based company announced its plans Friday. It said employees were notified Wednesday. The Indianapolis Business Journal reports the distribution center handles compact discs for EMI Music, Universal Music and Sony Music. A company spokeswoman says CD sales have fallen dramatically in recent years while more consumers switched to digital downloads to listen to music. The IBJ says Amarillo, Texas-based Anderson Merchandisers LP will pick up Sony DADC’s distribution agreements …

Vickroy: Good spouse helps you get to heaven

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:12:10 -0600

As another Valentine’s Day approaches, let’s take a moment to remind ourselves that as nice as candy, flowers and dinner reservations may be, true love does not require any of that. In fact, sometimes it’s expressed through sutures, intravenous lines and long, long hours. “It’s not chocolate or diamonds or material things that make a marriage last,” Karen O’Mara said. “Love is giving of yourself and being invested in each other’s happiness.” Karen and her husband, Michael O’Mara, both physicians trained in emergency medicine, will be married 40 years in June. For much of that time, they worked side by …

SD 210 adjusts summer school, ‘zero hour’ fees

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:24:01 -0600

In an effort to boost revenue and enrollment, the Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 board raised the cost of summer school tuition and reduced the cost of “zero hour” classes. Fees for both now will be the same — $350 for a full-credit class, and $175 per half-credit class. “We hope this will help increase enrollment for zero hour,” District 210 spokeswoman Stacy Holland said. “Zero hour” classes are held before the start of the regular school day and are popular with students who want extra elective classes. The district made “zero hour” a tuition-based program before the 2010-11 …

Attacks on tax revenue concern Orland Park, Tinley Park

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:12:31 -0600

As state and Cook County officials ponder changes in where tax revenue comes from and where it goes, Tinley Park and Orland Park officials have talked about joining forces to combat any proposals that might saddle their own bottom lines. There’s no question that plans to divert sales tax dollars away from the towns have created a consensus of frustration. “We never know what the people in Cook County are going to do to us, we don’t know what people in Springfield are going to do to us, we don’t know what the people in Washington are going to do …