A marketing slip-up in the merger of two large corporations can cause customers to feel angry and betrayed, especially when a company with local ties is being overtaken by a national company. We saw this with the Macy’s corporate take-over of Marshall Field’s, which some are calling this decade’s “New Coke” of marketing disasters. People don’t seem to be as torn up over the Bank of America / LaSalle Bank merger, which became official October......

Oh, Charlie Trotter’s. It is so choice. But recently, diners at Trotter’s were not only sophisticated foodies, but the kids from Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, who were enjoying a signature eight-course meal, compliments of the house. Meals like these are part of Trotter’s Excellence Program, in existence now for almost 10 years. On most weeknights, small groups from area high schools, or groups like those from Mercy Home, are ushered by special invitation......

Even before Chicagoland got its first 70 degree day of the year, area beekeepers were preparing for spring. Beehives—like the ones on the roofs of City Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center, in Garfield Park Conservatory, and the 100-plus hives in a North Lawndale co-op community— have already been checked to make sure the bees have survived the winter and have enough food to last them until the first dandelions, willows, and soft maples bloom.......

The Chicago Public Schools are alway a hot topic here, mainly for discouraging news. Now, there's a chance to make a positive impact and get involved. Chicago Public Schools, in conjunction with the Chicago Teachers Union, have a unique opportunity for you: become a teacher for a day. Whether you're looking to scratch that teaching itch you've always felt or just trying to become more involved in your community, it's a unique chance to lend......

Like his old man, Mayor Richard M. Daley is determined to transform public housing as part of his legacy (here's hoping it turns out better than Sr.'s effort -- several detractors don't have high hopes). His plan is creeping forever forward -- it's currently many years behind -- and the city will eventually replace CHA high rise projects like Robert Taylor Homes and Cabrini-Green with mixed-income housing. But in the meantime, those people whose......

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Chicagoist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla. Art Gabriel Mejia was born in the Chicago area and received his undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University. Gabriel teaches art at Jones College Prep and says of his art, "I am interested in documenting, through painting and drawing, specific moments in time captured through candid photographs of people that I know very well." He'll......

Demetrius Warren, 17, was charged yesterday as the gunman in Amadou Cisse's murder. Warren had already been charged with other crimes from the robbery spree that night, and three others have already been charged in connection with the case. Warren, of the 5800 block of South Michigan, was already on probation for aggravated battery and robber. Until his arrest in November, he was a student at the Alternative Learning Community High School, which the Trib......

As every committed localvore knows, the best way to get fresh local produce (aside from a farmer’s market) is to join a CSA. A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a farm that has decided to sell directly to the public. By investing several hundred dollars in the spring, you can receive deliveries of fresh produce throughout the summer and fall. However, some of us aren’t ready to commit several hundred dollars up front to the......

We know winter can be a bummer. And sometimes ... it can be more than a bummer. Chicagoist heartily endorses getting some therapy — help helps, cupcakes — but we know $150 per session can be prohibitive. Luckily, there are other options. There are some pretty great shrinks-in-training at The Family Institute at Northwestern, for example, where you can see a student therapist for as little as $5 or $10 per session, depending on your......

Barrington Community Unit School District 220 canceled its classes today because its fleet of school buses were vandalized. Unknown culprits slashed the tires on "24 to 26 large buses and 15 to 17 smaller ones," apparently with an ice pick. School bus tires cost about $200, which means someone's on the hook for a lot of damage. A note from the district's superintendent says about 7,000 of Barrington's 9,200 K-12 students take a school bus......

Lotsa burgling going on: Two gunmen robbed the AMC Rivers East this morning, tying up but not injuring four employees. And yet another North Community Bank was robbed yesterday, bringing the total to five robberies at North Community banks in the last two weeks. Another story of animal hoarding, this time a little closer to Chicago but a lot less severe: An Oak Lawn woman had at least 30 cats and 2 dogs in her......

Adam Richer made that cool time-lapse video. Thanks for sharing it with us, Adam! FAO Schwartz is going to open in Macy's. The president of Southern Illinois University plagiarized his thesis back in 1984, but school officials decided today that it was just a mistake, and he should keep his job. The Pui Tak Community Center at 2216 S. Wentworth Ave won a $100,000 landmark-preservation grant.......

Members of SEIU Local 20 held a one-day strike Monday at Roseland Community Hospital. Most hospital workers strike over staffing levels and quality of care issues, but this strike was purely economic. "People aren't lined up to work at Roseland. And we think by the hospital adjusting the pay rate so that it's comparable to other South Side hospitals, that speaks to better recruitment, better retention and ultimately better patient care," Local 20 President Byron......

"I saw the face of Nailah Franklin so often, I began to feel as if I knew her," writes Mary Mitchell in a thoughtful column that contextualizes Franklin's disappearance and the media attention it garnered (1, 2, 3) as part of a broader narrative of how the media responds — and how families approach the media — when black women vanish. "Franklin has been humanized in a way that so many missing black women have......

Though Sara Mair may not have won the whole kit(chen) and cab(f)oodle, it seems that her stint as a contestant on Bravo's incredibly addictive Top Chef has not been a complete waste of her time; now she has speaking engagements and a wider audience interested in her take on jerk chicken, Top Chef judges and, most importantly, cheese. Perhaps you're a member of that potential audience? If so, then you should be making plans to......

Englewood residents held a demonstration yesterday on 74th and Green, protesting the city's lack of effort to curb drug dealing and prostitution in the area. And the Defender reports that Englewood has some of the worst air quality in the city and the highest incidence of lead-poisoning cases of any neighborhood in Chicago — 17.3 percent of kids tested in 2003 had elevated levels. Yesterday's protest was organized through the Chicago branch of ACORN (Association......

Shawn Campbell, CHIRP...

We completely forgot to mention that this weekend is the annual Fiesta del Sol in Pilsen. Now in its 35th year, proceeds from Fiesta del Sol benefit the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council. Over the course of the PNCC's history, they've helped in the formation of Benito Juarez High School, Alivio Medical Center, and today is a major lobby for immigration reform and provides college scholarships for deserving students. Fiesta del Sol is the largest non-smoking,......

He had to promise them one of his lovely TIFs, but Daley did manage to convince mapmakers Navteq to stay in Chicago rather than relocating back to the Silicon Valley in California. It's the City of Chicago vs. Harry's Hot Dogs and the Showmen's League of America and a Giordano's restaurant. And throw in a travel agency too. City Hall wants the buildings at 300-308 W. Randolph torn down to make a small park......

By now it comes as no surprise to followers of politics that one of the most valuable assets in Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign is his wife Michelle. Her demeanor, accessibility and professional pedigree are invaluable to her husband's aspirations. As the Senator's campaign has shifted into higher gear, Mrs. Obama has gradually trained her energies on helping her husband win the Democratic nomination next year. She's taken a leave of absence from her job......

Boy oh boy, the shit is starting to fly! Now that the Aldermen and their challengers have taken the gloves off, you better believe it's game on in your neighborhood! This week, we dedicate this edition of the Hump Day Political News Roundup to kickin' ass and talkin' shit. Yee Haw! 32nd Ward Candidate Sues Incumbent. That's right, Scott Waguespack has had it with Steady Teddy's bullshit. So he's filed a $5 million lawsuit against......

We may have a warped view of Chicago sometimes, but it seems like one trend we notice is that whenever new construction goes up, one bank branch or another is part of it. Gas station torn down at Fullerton & Southport? Replaced by a TCF Bank. Huge construction project (that looked vaguely like a castle as it was going up) at Diversey & Ashland? Lakeside Bank. New office tower at Dearborn & Madison? Fifth Third......

For the 75th anniversary of the Lindbergh kidnapping, Time released what they believe are the top 25 crimes of the century. We must say, we got sucked in and were captivated by the crimes, some of which we were familiar with and some we were completely unawares. Two of the crimes were from the Chicago area. John Wayne Gacy, executed by lethal injection in 1994, murdered 32 boys and young men. Police found 28 of......

It's been a whole seven days since last week, and just like snow, the news is piling up. As our man Barack implores us to let him walk with us on this movement, everyone is just hoping for a piece of his shadow. Let's take a look back. Chicagoist's favorite whipping boy Todd "The Toddler" Stroger got booed by the crowd at Obama's announcement rally in Chicago Sunday. Considering that the people that carried Obama......

If you're looking for a quick way to score an easy 20% on the AlderTrack Challenge, here's your crib sheet. Yesterday we told you about five of the ten aldermen who, through luck, the will of the community, or (more likely) legal wrangling, have the political good fortune of running unopposed. Today, let's take a look at the rest of the bunch. Much has been written about how Alderman Mary Ann Smith skillfully removed her......

Is Maxwell Street Market Still Around?...

Of Fortune Magazine's pick for the 100 best places to work, Illinois companies showed up three times. We're not positive if any of them are somewhere that you work, or that you plan on working when you're done making ends meet with waitressing and bartending jobs, but it's still a nice nod from the wider world of money-making. The three companies listed were CDW Corp., Vernon Hills (technology solutions); Jones Lang LaSalle, Chicago (real estate);......

Nominations for the 2007 Bloggies, the blog awards of the year, are now being accepted. Chicagoist has attended the awards ceremony at SXSW in the past, and we'll be there again this year representin' Chicago. Don't let us go home without making an awkward acceptance speech and picking up an award! We would like to encourage you to nominate your favorite blog (ahem ... Chicagoist) in any of a number of categories: Best American......

Are you an artist? Do you really wish you could be one? Do you want the City to give you some money so you can quit your crappy job waiting tables and make "art" all day? Well good news! Artists in all disciplines can apply now for grants of up to $1,000 through the Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) for the year 2007 for professional, artistic, and organizational development projects. Information on where to get......

Chicago basically shuts down on Christmas Day and, with few exceptions, the artsy folk follow suit. It’s one of only three days all year The Art Institute’s in hibernation. Mondays are typically slow anyhow, so we’ll barely feel inconvenienced. On the 25th, family, worship, Chinese food and a movie, and/or that date with Shaq and Kobe take priority. But there are still a few places you can get your culture on, Chicago style: Zany hairstylists......