13 minute read
Big Week
May 18-25 BIG WEEK
Virtual Or In-Person: Meet With An Employment Specialist
Thursday, May 19, 10:30 a.m., Forest Park Public Library (Community Room)
Meet one-on-one virtually or in-person with a career search professional, Diana Munoz from Goodwill, who will help you formulate a plan and determine the best course of action to secure the best possible position. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park.
Signs For Change
Sunday, May 22, 1 - 4 p.m., Reiger Park
The Forest Park Juneteenth Committee, in conjunction with the Forest Park Alliance, are launching this year’s Juneteenth celebration with a community art event. You can create your own Juneteenth-inspired sign at this family-friendly event. Refreshments will be available for purchase from Robinson’s Ribs and the Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor and Living Fresh. Art supplies and blank signs are provided. $10 per ticket in advance, $15 the day of the event. Circle Ave. at 16th Street, Forest Park.
What’s Blooming On Harrison
Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Oak Park Arts District This all-day community festival features arts, crafts, food, beer, rides for the kids, and live entertainment, ranging from choral to acoustic to punk. And one of those punk acts is Chicago’s own veteran ’80s rock band, Barbie Army, featuring Jean Lotus, former editor of the Forest Park Review. Harrison Street between Austin and Ridgeland, Oak Park.
Mystery Discussion Group
Saturday, May 21, 2 p.m., Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore
Marsha Boblitz leads a discussion of Mia Manansala’s Homicide & Halo-Halo. 7419 W. Madison, Forest Park.
Listing your event
Forest Park Review welcomes notices about events that Forest Park groups and businesses are planning. We’ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper. ■ Send details to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302 ■ Email calendar@wjinc.com
7 years, no itch for Exit Strategy
Brewing Company couple’s strategy includes no exit
By JOHN RICE
Contributing Reporter
It takes guts for someone to quit their steady day job to launch their own business. But that’s what Chris and Katherine Valleau did when they started Exit Strategy Brewing Co., 7700 Madison St. Forest Park’s only brewery opened its doors on April 15, 2015. The couple recently celebrated its seventh anniversary with their staff.
Before they launched their business, the Valleaus had lived in Forest Park for 12 years. Katherine is originally from Detroit and Chris grew up in Cincinnati. They met as students at Ohio University. Katherine later earned master’s degrees in education at Dominican University and Concordia University, while Chris obtained his law degree from De Paul University.
Katherine became a teacher for District 91 and currently serves on the school board. She spent seven years teaching fifth grade, before succeeding Anne Murray as the district’s Latin teacher. Chris joined a law firm that specialized in subrogation. He was making a good living but wasn’t happy in his work. Katherine felt he needed a hobby, a creative outlet apart from practicing law. In 2012, she suggested brewing beer and the couple bought four home brewing kits.
“Chris picked it up quickly,” Katherine recalled. “The first batch won a homebrewing contest in the fruit beer category.” His Persephone brew also won an award. He continued to enter contests across the country and received positive responses from the judges. During this time, the Valleaus were content serving their homemade beer to neighbors in The Grove. Then they visited Greenbush Brewery in Sawyer, Michigan and realized, “We can do this.”
They purchased a book titled, How to Start a Brewery, and spent two years drafting a business plan. They found a location within walking distance of their home. Classic Electric had gone out of business and the building sat vacant for 10 years. It had a mold problem and needed asbestos removal. “The skylights were hanging,” Katherine recalled. It took them six months to renovate the 10,000-square-foot building.
They named it Exit Strategy and a graphic artist created the memorable logo, depicting a briefcase in a waste basket. The brewery boasted a 4,000-square-foot tap room, a kitchen and a full basement. It also had a parking lot.
“The first two years were rough,” Katherine recalled, “but the third year it got better.” As the business grew, the menu expanded and staff increased. The brewery developed a dozen “mainstays” with names like “Posthumulus” “Scotsquatch” and “Valleaudated,” while Chris continued to concoct new brews. They also started a “Mug Club,” offering perks and discounts to members.
Five years is considered a benchmark for a brewery and they were only a month away from celebrating that anniversary when the pandemic hit. They had just hired Jessica Philips as general manager and she oversaw over 20 staff members. Then, on March 15, 2020, Gov. Pritzker announced a statewide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The couple was devastated when they had to lock the doors. “I was destroyed emotionally,” Katherine recalled, “But we never considered shutting down.” The brewery remained closed for two weeks. During this hiatus, they gave the place a thorough cleaning and assembled a supply of gloves and masks. They were sad when they had to lay off staff but gave them going-away gifts. “We had ‘grocery day’ and they took home boxes of food,” Katherine recalled, as they cleared the brewery of every food item.
When they were allowed to reopen for to-go sales, Exit Strategy opened one day a week, selling growlers. “We weren’t doing cans then,” said Chris, and they only sold new growlers, no refills. They later began selling canned beer and also sold merchandise, like “Survival Strategy” T-shirts. In July 2020, outdoor dining was permitted.
“The parking lot was full of potholes,” said Katherine and it had no seating. The village allowed them to borrow tables from the Altenheim picnic grove and they attached umbrellas to them. They kept this “patio” open until October.
At their low point, the staff was down to five, including the owners and general manager. But they made enough profit from outdoor dining and to-go orders to begin re-hiring staff. In April 2021, they repaved the parking lot and added new tables, along with lighting and a sound system.
Throughout the pandemic, “Transparency and safety were paramount,” Katherine said, “We put people over profit.” When indoor dining finally returned, they demanded proof of vaccination, before it was mandated by the state. “We received criticism from ‘keyboard warriors’” Chris recalled.
“There’s still some uncertainty about the virus,” Katherine admitted, “But we have a great staff, great food and great support from the community.” They’re back to full strength staff-wise and recently hosted the wedding of Philips and her fiancé, Erin. “We’re in a really great position,” Katherine declared, “Our beer program is growing. It’s the best it’s ever been.”
“We’re a brewery,” she emphasized, “We’re not a restaurant.” Cheers to that!
FILE Exit Strategy, 7700 Madison St, Forest Park.
Seize the Spring
After the longawaited arrival of spring, Mother Nature decided, seemingly overnight, to entirely skip the season and move directly from winter to summer. In all our years in the industry, no one in our offi ce can recall Scott McAdam Jr. a spring that has been as delayed as this year. Redbuds just beginning to fl ower, bud break fi nally occurring after May 1st, and highs that barely broke 40 degrees at the end of April – these timelines are a month or so later than normal. Even forsythia, which normally blooms in late March and early April for up to two weeks, stayed in bloom for over a month! Fortunately, plants have a fascinating ability to adapt to these unpredictable and variable weather conditions. So, what should you be focused on for the coming month to bring out the best in your landscape? 1. Prune all fl owering shrubs after they have completed fl owering to ensure fl ower buds are not pruned off in the fall. This includes forsythia, lilacs, and viburnums. 2. If you haven’t reapplied mulch, mulching your beds will help retain moisture, limit weed growth, and regulate soil temperature. 3. Plant your vegetable garden! Temperatures are warm enough where your plants will stay happy and healthy. Follow these simple recommendations, and you will reap great rewards.
2001 Des Plaines Ave. Forest Park • 708-771-2299 www.mcadamlandscape.com
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Isaac Beal, 30 years a Neighborhood Watch stalwart, honored by village, police
By IGOR STUDENKOV
Staff Reporter
Isaac Beal, a former Air Force pilot and CTA worker, was honored by the Forest Park village council and several Forest Park police officers on May 9 for his 30 years of service as a Neighborhood Watch Ambassador.
During the village council meeting, officials praised Beal for his dedication to the program, and for sticking with it since the beginning. They expressed hope that the program could be reinvigorated, and they knew that the long-time neighborhood watch ambassador could be counted on to help make it happen. For his part, Beal said he was humbled and grateful for the honor.
After the meeting, Beal shared with the Review and Mayor Rory Hoskins stories about facing racism in the South, his experiences in the U.S Air Force, the time he babysat future Chicago mayor Richard. M. Daley and his work on the CTA. But he declined to be interviewed about his life.
“He’s shy,” his wife, Mary Beth Beal, offered.
Everyone who spoke about Isaac Beal, during and after the meeting, talked about his life experiences and his character. Commissioner Joe Byrnes, a former police officer and one-time interim police chief, recalled that Beal was one of the eight original Neighborhood Watch members. He described Beal as an enthusiastic and driven volunteer who could always be counted on to man the phones and get people out.
“Isaac, congratulations -- you are a great guy and I was happy to work with you all those years,” Byrnes said.
“Thank you,” Beal responded. “You are the greatest.”
Later during the meeting, other commissioners offered him praise.
“I would also like to say congratulations to Mr. Beal -- it is a lot of good work you put in this town,” said Commissioner Maria Maxham.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Beal, for your service to community,” said Commissioner Jessica Voogd. “It’s really wonderful that you have this honor.”
Forest Park police officer Tom Cannon, who heads the Neighborhood Watch program, later told the Review that in the 15 years he’s known Beal, he has come to rely on him, reflecting that he never missed a meeting or an event unless he was ill or had a family emergency. Assist with Personal Care & Hygiene
Isaac Beal with his wife, Mary Beth Beal (center), his daughter, Kate Beal and his granddaughter, Amelia (le ), O cer Tom Cannon behind Kate, Mayor Hoskins and Police Chief Ken Gross. “[Beal] has been a pillar of the community and someone everyone in the village should be proud to know,” he said. Beal told the council that he was humbled and grateful for the recognition. “Thank you so much,” he said. “I just want to thank you for recognizing me today. I try to do what’s right for Forest Park. I love Forest Park and I will continue to that, for as long as I live, and I’m happy that you decided that I deserve to be recognized in some way.”
Daily Health Reminders
Meal Planning & Preparation 708.445.6000
Assist with Errands & Transportation Transitional Care After Hospitalization
Ambulation & Dressing Assistance www.rahoakparkchicago.net
Companionship & Light Housekeeping Assist with Personal Care & Hygiene Safety Supervision & Assistance
Right at Home Oak Park Chicago Daily Health Reminders
Meal Planning & Preparation 708.445.6000
Assist with Errands & Transportation Transitional Care After Hospitalization
Ambulation & Dressing Assistance www.rahoakparkchicago.net
Companionship & Light Housekeeping • Companionship & Light Housekeeping Safety Supervision & Assistance • Assist with Personal Care & Hygiene Right at Home Oak Park Chicago • Meal Planning & Preparation • Transitional Care After Hospitalization • Daily Health Reminders • Assist with Errands & Transportation • Ambulation & Dressing Assistance • Safety Supervision & Assistance Assist with Personal Care & Hygiene Daily Health Reminders Meal Planning & Preparation Assist with Errands & Transportation Transitional Care After Hospitalization
Assist with Personal Care & Hygiene Companionship & Light Housekeeping Ambulation & Dressing Assistance Safety Supervision & Assistance
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The Right Care, Right at Home®
Right at Home Oak Park Chicago
708.445.6000
www.rahoakparkchicago.net
Daily Health Reminders
Meal Planning & Preparation 708.445.6000
Meal Planning & Preparation 708.445.6000
