2009 is a year of change. We have a new economy, a new president, and soon we’ll have a new mayor. I’m sure we’ll have lots of new electronic toys as well which some of us will struggle to master.

Even our ideas about recycling are shifting and taking on new meaning. To me, recycling used to mean making a quilt with leftover fabric, dragging my newspapers to the curb or spray-painting some old wicker furniture. Today the three Rs no longer mean reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, but reduce, reuse, and recycle.

We all know that change is inevitable, but while sometimes it’s exhilarating, there are other times it’s overwhelming and frightening.

There is one Elmhurst woman who views change, in the real estate market and home values at least, as a challenge to be met head on. Laura Reedy Stukel is a Realtor who grew up in Elmhurst and slowly began to look at the housing market in a new and positive way.

On December 1, Stukel became the first real estate agent in Elmhurst to earn certification as an “EcoBroker” and probably the only real estate agent with this designation currently practicing in DuPage County.

"Three things happened to me to make me more aware of the changing housing market," she said. "My husband and I hunted for a home in Elmhurst we could renovate in a green manner. We thought of adding a fifth bedroom, which seemed silly since the house we bought was big enough already.

"At the library I found the book ‘Creating the Not So Big House,’ and it changed our direction in rehabbing and demonstrated to me that there’s a growing interest for people to have smaller and more comfortable homes as opposed to sprawling homes that are sometimes too big to enjoy," Stuckel added. "The changing economy and a greener consumer mindset made me realize that now was the time to prepare to reuse/remodel rather than use the tear-down approach we’ve seen in recent years."

Stukel took an 18-hour course which focused on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions to help buyers and sellers enjoy healthier, more comfortable, and more cost-effective living. The course was divided into three parts, including environmental issues, energy-efficiency, and helping clients apply green practices. She realizes that her training as an EcoBroker comes at a time when the real estate market is flat, and she looks upon it as a great opportunity to help both first-time buyers as well as sellers.

She suggests people send their green questions to elmhurstgreen@earthlink.net. She is hosting a seminar Monday, February 23 at Francesca’s Amici entitled "Ready, Set, Green Homes: Buying, Selling, or Updating Your Home." For more information on this seminar, call her at (630) 434-4957 or e-mail L.ReedyStukel@LWReedy.com.

"Elmhurst is such a special place because we have so many homes with different styles and from different eras, and every style of home has different challenges in energy efficiency,” she said. “The sellers who pay attention to these details will be the ones who stand out in a crowded market. It’s also a new way to approach home-buying and remodeling."

I would add that it’s one way to face change in a positive way.
 
First Inaugural Super Bowl Party

As a fun way to benefit the new Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, the Honorable Lee Daniels, hospital trustee, and Chef Hank Dreyer, owner of Wine and Vine, 105 S. York, hosted their first "Inaugural Super Bowl Party," featuring the first annual chili cook-off between Daniels and Dreyer.

Guests watched the game while nibbling on all kinds of typical "football food," including the two versions of chili, and cast their votes for one of them.

Among the guests were Mayor Tom Marcucci with wife Mimi, Mayor Larry Hartwig of Addison, and State Rep. Bob Biggins.

Sandra Nelson, Marilyn Graber, Chris Doucet, Darrell Whistler, Joel and Nancy Herter, Diane McGuiness, Tom and Lois Brown, and past Hospital CEO, Bob Magnuson represented the Hospital. The mayor and aldermen Mike Regan, Steve Morley, Chris Nybo, and Susan Rose and her husband Norm Leader, represented the city, while Colette Kubiesa with husband Ken and Chris Healy represented the Park District.

Also on hand were Pete DiCianni, Dan Hiffman, Blanche Hill, Jay Washburne, Joyce Sloan, Anne and Rich Daniels, Pam Daniels, Laura Anderson, Ed Momkus and Betsy Golterman, Pam Daniels, Chris Cahill, Peggy Tschetter, Tonja Pastorelle, and Frank and Deb Catalano; in fact, Deb was celebrating her birthday.

The winner? The Steelers, of course. Both chefs created outstanding versions of chili, and the vote was close.

Send ideas and comments to elmhurstovereasy@comcast.net.