Business Comings & Goings: Whole Foods Opens in Southland on Friday

Fans of Whole Foods supermarkets can celebrate the grand opening of its first store in the Chicago Southland at 15260 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park with a bread breaking ceremony at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 2. There will be live entertainment, sales and giveaways. For information, visit Whole Foods on Facebook.

Advocate Merges Hope, Lutheran General Children’s Hospitals

Advocate has merged its two children’s hospitals – Hope in Oak Lawn and Lutheran General in Park Ridge – into a single pediatric care center called Advocate Children’s Hospital.

Advocate says the integrated Children’s Hospital is the largest pediatric care provider in Illinois and among the top 10 pediatric care centers in the United States.

The two pediatric campuses will offer families more specialists – 400 pediatricians and 230 pediatric subspecialists – and greater access to care – the Level IIIc perinatal center and Level III neonatal intensive care unit – than Hope or Lutheran General could provide on their own.

The two campuses will share a phone number – 855-312-5437.

Annie’s to hold Trunk Sale

Annie’s Ltd., a women’s clothing store at 5203 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn, will hold a Trunk Show on Nov. 8-9 for designer Samuel Dong, who will make an appearance at the show.

The show will be held at the store from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9.

RSVP to the store at 708-636-9800.

Sweet Deal at Great Clips

Great Clips, at 9621 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn, is taking part in Operation Gratitude, which offers $3 off of every haircut for every customer who donates leftover Halloween candy to American troops stationed overseas from Nov. 1-11.

Britt Fitzsimmons said in a release the hair salon will also be accepting other items for care packages that will be sent to the troops as well as cash donations to help pay for the care packages to be shipped.

For information, call Fitzsimmons at 708-254-0786 or visit Great Clips Operation Gratitude.

Marquette Bank sponsors Adopt-a-Soldier

Marquette Bank is inviting customers and neighbors to participate in its sixth annual Adopt-a-Soldier Program, which sends care packages to U.S. soldiers serving overseas.

Now through Friday, Nov. 2, Marquette Bank will be accepting personal care, entertainment and food items for the holiday care packages.

Along with donations, Marquette Bank will be also accepting names of Chicago-area soldiers who will be receiving the care packages.

Collection bins and a list of acceptable donation items are located at all 23 bank branches.

For information, visit Adopt-a-Soldier or call 1-888-254-9500.

Evergreen bank sponsors business networking 

Marquette Bank, 9858 S. Western Ave. in Evergreen Park, will host a Business Open House from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8.

There will be refreshments, a prize drawing and networking opportunities.

Businesses can register by calling 708-423-4450

CUB offers help on electricity referendum

The Citizens Utility Board has opened an online Chicago Power Center to help educate Chicago voters on the electricity referendum they will vote on Nov. 6.

Voters in Chicago will see this question on the ballot: Shall the City of Chicago have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?

“It’s unusual for Chicagoans to face a vote that will have such a direct impact on their electric bills,” said CUB Director David Kolata, whose consumer group is officially neutral on the referendum. “This is a major pocketbook issue for electric customers, and we want to do everything we can to avoid the possibility that the first time somebody learns about it is when they enter the voting booth.”

Thanks to a 2009 state law, “municipal aggregation” allows local governments to negotiate power prices with Commonwealth Edison competitors on behalf of their residents. If a community passes a referendum, it can automatically switch residents to a new supplier, while allowing those who choose to opt out.

Veterans Job Fair on Nov. 8

A series of statewide job fairs to find employment for veterans will stop in the Chicago Southland from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, at Chicago Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St. in Oak Forest.

The fairs are sponsored by the Illinois Department of Employment Security and local workforce partners.

“We know jobs are available,” said IDES Director Jay Rowell. “More than 120,000 positions in Illinoisjoblink.com and 175,000 in the Help Wanted On-line index demonstrate our business leaders are ready to hire.”

Companies that hire veterans can be eligible for up to a $5,000 state income tax credit, and they may be eligible for a $4,800 federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Oak Lawn Chamber Open House

The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce will hold an open house from 3-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at its new location inside the Oak Lawn Metra Patriot Station at 5120 Museum Drive. The event is open to the public from 3-5:30 p.m. followed by a chamber membership reception from 5:30-7 p.m.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bob@chicago-patch.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.