GA_041819

14 | April 18, 2019 | The glencoe anchor sound off
glencoeanchor.com
City Girl Confessions
So much more than a candy store
Kelly Anderson
Contributing Columnist
A
few years ago I
covered the grand
opening of The
Sweet Buddha in Glencoe.
I shot photos, interviewed
owner Sarah Miller and
had a sugar-filled day at
her cheery candy store.
But here’s the thing:
I just walked into The
Sweet Buddha this past
week and found myself
taken aback. Everything
was different. Is the candy
still there? Yes, delicious
candy is still present
and accounted for. But
the vibe of the shop has
evolved. I suspect its
growth can be traced to
the evolution most local
businesses adapt to —
tailoring your shop and
its products to consumer
demand and laboriously
tweaking that formula to
stay fresh and current.
Fresh and current are
two words that came to
mind when I walked into
The Sweet Buddha. There
is a lovely display of jewelry
that runs the gamut
of easy, everyday bracelet
stacks to delicate rings
and earrings with a bit of
sparkle. I noticed several
handbags, scarves, and zip
pouches along with go-to
gift items like glassware
and candles. I grinned
when I saw a whimsical
station of the store
in which shoppers could
make customized dorm
room signs using letters
from old license plates.
My youngest child, who
happened to be tagging
along, busiest herself
by making friends with
stuffed animal unicorns.
A quick glance let me
see that the store was a
treasure trove for young
ones and their bright
imaginations — colorful
backpacks, rainbow reading
pillows, notebooks,
glittery signs, etc.
When I gestured to the
brightly lit event space,
Sarah passed along information
on birthday parties,
personalized candy
baskets and event hosting
(not just for children
either — think jewelry
making or painting).
The genius herein is that
the store owner is a parent
and knows how to balance
the shopping harmony
among the age groups.
Sarah wisely set up a
couch, coffee table and
TV so kids are welcome
to hang out, relax, and
enjoy a sweet treat while
parents shop for a few
blissfully uninterrupted
minutes. Yes, you read
that correctly: this store
has a spot specifically for
your kids so you can shop
in peace.
I’ll confess: I thought I
had this local shop figured
out. I had written about
it long ago, I had known
its story. The problem
was that I didn’t check
back in — something that
often happens when we
consumers get busy with
and opt for convenience
over shopping local. What
I learned is that The Sweet
Buddha still satisfies a
sugar fix but it shines as a
fresh specialty store.
As my visit came to an
end, I made a promise to
myself that I would not
fall into this kind of trap
again; the trap that removes
curiosity from our
daily lives. Small business
owners work exhaustive
hours to ensure a positive
consumer experience in
our community. Let’s stay
curious about how these
stores are doing. Let’s
walk in and look around
when we have an extra
five minutes. Let’s share
the secret of what makes a
local business so great. In
doing so, you might
learn, as I certainly did,
Sweet Buddha is located at
660 Vernon Ave., Glencoe.
Photo by Sarah Miller
that this is so much more
than a candy store.
Kelly Q. Anderson is a writer,
photographer and former
Chicagoan. She pens blogs
and books from her home in
Glencoe, which she shares
with her husband, son,
daughter and Boston terrier.
THE LAKE FOREST LEADER
Driver in stable condition
after jumping out of
moving car, off overpass in
Lake Bluff
A driver suffering from
a mental health crisis
jumped out of his moving
vehicle and then off an
overpass around 6:10 p.m.
on April 8 in unincorporated
Lake Bluff, according
to the Lake County
Sheriff’s Office.
The driver, a 28-yearold
Libertyville man, traveled
westbound on Route
137, just east of Interstate
94 in unincorporated Lake
Bluff, and had one passenger
in the car, a 42-yearold
man from Grayslake.
The driver, who is not
being identified, opened
his car door and intentionally
fell out of the moving
vehicle on the roadway,
for an unknown reason,
according to the passenger.
Witnesses reported the
driver got up and jumped
off the overpass, falling
onto the railroad tracks
approximately 30-feet below
the roadway, per the
release.
The driver sustained
serious injuries and was
transported to Advocate
Condell Medical Center in
Libertyville.
Sgt. Christopher Covelli,
of the Lake County
Sheriff’s Office, said the
driver is in stable condition
at the hospital as of
April 9.
The passenger of the
vehicle — who is a friend
of the driver — was not injured
when the car struck
the guardrail, Covelli added.
“The passenger was
completely taken off guard
and taken by surprise when
the driver jumped out of
the moving vehicle,” Covelli
told The Lake Forest
Leader.
“It appears the driver
was in mental health crisis
and attempted to inflict
self-harm,” the release
says. “In addition to treatment
for his injuries, medical
personnel will evaluate
the man’s mental health.”
Reporting by Alyssa Groh,
Contributing Editor. Full
story at LakeForestLeader.
com.
THE WILMETTE BEACON
Resident suggests
proposal to save
cottonwood trees at
Community Playfield
After attending the Wilmette
Park Board meeting
the day before to speak
about the stormwater project,
resident Herb Engelhard
attended the Village
Board meeting the next
day to speak about the
same topic.
Engelhard and fellow
resident Rick Prohov arrived
to the Village Board
meeting on Tuesday, April
9, after the designated public
comment time, as they
were not familiar with the
Village Board’s practice
of public comment taking
place near the beginning of
the meeting. Immediately
upon the board adjourning
the meeting, Engelhard
and Prohov indicated they
wanted to speak. All board
members except trustee
Joel Kurzman voted in favor
of reopening the meeting
to allow them to speak.
Kurzman voiced his displeasure
that the residents
were allowed to speak outside
of the designated public
comment time.
“There needs to be consistency,”
he said. “There
have been 11 years of
meetings on this, and I
have sat in those seats (in
the audience) and wanted
to get that mic and I wait
for the appropriate time
and juncture to do it.”
Trustee Kathy Dodd
defended the residents, as
public comment time takes
place at different points in
the meeting depending on
the body they’re speaking
in front of.
“It is confusing that the
park district has public
comment at a different
time,” she said. “Even in
some of our committee
meetings, public comment
is at the end of the
discussion. I want to acknowledge
if you’re not a
resident who is constantly
attending these meetings
that it can be confusing for
them.”
Reporting by Todd Marver,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at WilmetteBeacon.
com.
Please see nfyn, 15