Live Music and Entertainment Scene - April 14-17

Come get a taste of all the great nightlife and live entertainment in store for you this weekend in downtown Elgin:

La Puesta Del Sol/The Eclipse Room
165 E. Highland Avenue
847.468.1416
It's finally here!

On Saturday, April 16, La Puesta celebrates the Grand Opening of The Eclipse Room, an intimate room for the best live entertainment in downtown Elgin. Legendary caribbean rock band Mr. Myers will be on hand to kick things off in style! $15 advanced tickets, $20 at the door. Call (847) 468-1416 to reserve your tickets NOW!

Villa Verone
13 Douglas Avenue
847.742.0263
http://www.villaverone.net/

This Thursday, April 14 is Elgin Person of the Week time again! This week your celebrity bartender is James Myers! The EPOW fun starts at 6PM. Also crooner Jeorge Holmes returns to VV on Sunday, April 17 at 5PM. Come hear all your classic faves by Sinatra, Elvis, Pavarotti and more! Reservations are highly recommended! And be sure to check out VV's new weekly specials: Mondays - free dessert with purchase of 2 entrees; Tuesdays - $20 bottle of house wine with purchase of 2 entrees; Wednesdays - get your 2nd glass of house wine for only a PENNY with any entree purchase.

Elgin Public House
219 E. Chicago Street
847.468.8810
http://www.elginpublichouse.com/

Sample beers from Around the World, including Traquair, Red Stripe, and Monty Python, at EPH's Free Beer Tasting on Friday, April 15 from 7-9PM. On Saturday, April 16 come for the Tequila and Little Bites food pairing and stay for the rockin' musical stylings of Storm Crow at 9PM. Don't forget Half-Price Burger Night on Monday evenings and Trivia Night every Wednesday at 7PM.

Martini Room
161 E. Chicago Street
847.741.0349
http://www.martiniroomelgin.com/

Let's face it, nobody enjoys paying taxes. To help you get through this most dreadful of days, Martini Room is offering their own special tax break: 20% off drinks on Thursday, April 14. For the calorie conscious, be sure to check out Martini Room's new SKINNY DRINKS, made with their own, sugar-free simple syrup, freshly made sweet and sour, and muddled with fresh fruits and herbs.

Red Bar Winery and Bistro
74 S. Grove Avenue
847.695.1659
http://www.redbarwinery.com/

On Thursday, April 14 beginning at 9PM enjoy Red Bar's Thursday Night Salsa with all the hottest salsa music and dancing to set your night on fire. Fridays are now Plush Fridays at Red Bar with the best Hip-Hop, House, R&B and Reggae plus ladies get in free before 11PM.

Douglas Street Sports Pub
231 Douglas Avenue
847.695.5659
http://www.douglasstreetsportsbar.com/

Enjoy blazing hot Blackhawks & Bulls playoff action with DSSP and 35 cent wings during all playoff games. Don't forget Karaoke Wednesdays, U-Call It Thursdays and Fantastic Fridays including DSSP's signature Friday Fish Fry starting at 4PM every Friday for only $8.

Gasthaus
15 N. Grove Avenue
847.695.8828

Come party like a rockstar this Thursday, April 14 as DJ Seth K is mixing all your favorite Old School, Dance and Top 40 every Thirsty Thursday featuring great food and drink specials.

Elgin OPERA
Kimball Street Theatre Rider Center at Elgin Academy
350 Park Street
847.695.5014
http://www.elginopera.org/

The Final Round of Elgin OPERA's 5th Annual Vocal Competition will be held on Sunday, April 17 at 1:30PM. The competition attracted singers from the Fox Valley area, the Chicagoland area and across the midwest. This event is open to the public. Entrance fee at the door is $10.

Fourth of July Parade Applications Now Available

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin is now accepting applications for the City of Elgin’s 2011 Fourth of July Parade - Presented by Sherman Health, which steps off at 9am at the corner of Slade and Douglas Avenues on Monday, July 4.

Parade and sponsor pplications are now available through the DNA’s website at www.DowntownElgin.com or at the DNA Office at 2 Douglas Avenue in Elgin. Completed participant and/or sponsor applications along with any applicable fees must be submitted to the DNA by 5pm on Friday, May 27 to secure a spot in this year's parade.

Every year the DNA and the City of Elgin try to make the parade more entertaining and visually appealing, so if you plan to participate, please make every effort to submit a high quality entry! The parade entry fee is $100 for businesses and political groups. There is no fee for not-for-profit organizations.

The theme of this year’s Fourth of July Parade is "Toys on Parade". Groups, organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate by decorating floats or parade vehicles in the finest toy-themed regalia or dressing up in toy-inspired costumes.

In addition to the regular parade float judging, which includes a first, second and third place prize in the Open, Business and Childrens categories, a special "Eco-Elgin Award" will be given to the float that best tells the story of a "Green" Elgin - utilizing eco-friendly materials and processes for their parade entry.

This year's Fourth of July Parade will also include a "People's Choice" award, voted on by the general public for the entire week following the parade, for the parade unit that best exemplifies the "Toys on Parade" theme. Photos of every parade unit and the online voting form will be available on the DNA's website at www.downtownelgin.com beginning July 6 and "People's Choice" award voting concludes Monday, July 11.

To select our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal, this year we are inviting local students, classrooms and schools to nominate a deserving teacher as our 2011 Parade Grand Marshal. Nomination forms will be sent to all public and private Elgin schools and will also be available on the DNA website beginning Wednesday, April 20. The parade committee will choose three candidates from all of the nominations to serve as Grand Marshals.

Groups, organizations or businesses can also help to present the parade for our community while gaining valuable promotion and premiere exposure by becoming a parade sponsor. Sponsors are included on all marketing and promotions prior to the parade and given special recognition on parade day, depending on their level of investment. Parade sponsors may also be parade participants, and must complete both the parade application and the sponsor commitment form - available now at the DNA's website. Sponsorship is available at levels of $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or more. Contact Jason Pawlowski, DNA Promotions Coordinator, at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org for more information.

Over 16,000 spectators annually attend this summertime tradition. Last year's parade featured over 110 units, 25 floats, 150 different parade vehicles, 2,600 participants and took over 50 volunteers to coordinate. As such the Parade Committee is also seeking additional volunteers to work this year’s parade. The time commitment is approximately 6am to 12pm, depending on what duty you are assigned. Volunteers are treated to a free breakfast at orientation before the parade and each receives a free parade t-shirt. Please contact Suzan Shipyor at the DNA Office at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail downtownelgin@gmail.com to learn more about parade volunteer opportunities.

2011 Downtown Madness Champion Crowned

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin closes out Downtown Madness, its successful month-long restaurant and bar social media promotion, by crowning its first ever Downtown Madness Champion: Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork.

After a whirlwind 5 weeks of voting excitement that saw 16 sweet dishes and drinks from downtown Elgin establishments square off in a March Madness-style bracket tournament and pared down to the eventual top two by the voting public, Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork defeated Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 182 votes in a back-and-forth Final Round of voting from March 30-April 5.

To celebrate, the DNA invites the public to join us at Elgin Public House, 219 E. Chicago Street, on Thursday, April 7 from 5-7PM for our first ever Downtown Madness Happy Hour and Championship Celebration.

Elgin Public House will be offering their Madness MVP, the Pulled Pork Plus PLUS (Pulled Pork sandwich with cheddar cheese, jalapenos, bacon & cole slaw) as a special-of-the-day, as well as, Irish themed drinks such as St. Peter's English Ale, Cream Stout & IPA for $7, Killians, Smithwicks and Harp for $4, Guinness draft for $5 and Jameson & Tullamore Dew w/mixers for $5.

The evening will culminate with the presentation of the 2011 Downtown Madness Trophy, courtesy of Andersen's Trophies, 27 N. Grove Avenue in downtown Elgin.

The DNA also congratulates Alice Moring of Elgin, who went a perfect 15-for-15 in her predictions in the Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge. For her efforts, she will receive $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates for picking the most correct "winners" based on the week-to-week voting throughout Downtown Madness.

The DNA would like to thank all of the great downtown establishments who participated:

Al’s Café & Creamery, 43 DuPage Court, 847-742-1180
Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant, 11 Douglas Avenue, 847-695-2644
Buckingham’s Steakhouse at Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Avenue, 847-468-7000
Domani Café, 107 E. Highland Avenue, 847-695-8851
Douglas Street Sports Pub, 231 Douglas Avenue, 847-695-5659
Gasthaus Zur Linde, 15 N. Grove Avenue, 847-695-8828
La Puesta Del Sol, 165 E. Highland Avenue, 847-468-1416
La Quebrada, 50 N. Spring Street, 847-622-7970
Martini Room, 161 E. Chicago Street, 847-741-0349
PRIME BurgerHouse at Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Avenue, 847-531-PRIME
Ravenheart Coffee, 176 E. Chicago Street, 847-841-8451
Red Bar Winery, 74 S. Grove Avenue, 847-695-1659
Spanky’s Gyros, 51 Clock Tower Plaza, 847-841-8451
Toom Toom Thai Restaurant, 23 S. Grove Avenue, 847-531-8755 Villa Verone Ristorante Italiano, 13 Douglas Avenue, 847-742-0263

Thanks to Jeff Myers and Jeff Turner from the Chef Jeff & Jeff Show on WRMN-AM 1410 and special thanks to Brian Fletcher, Brian Ilc and Daily Herald Media Group for the wonderful promotional consideration throughout the tournament.

Most of all, thanks to everyone of you who participated in Downtown Madness!

Downtown Elgin Harvest Market Seeking Sponsors

The Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin recently announced that in 2011 the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market - Presented by Alexian Brothers will be moving to the old Gail Borden Library parking lot on the S.W. corner of Kimball St. & N. Grove Avenue.

The Harvest Market is seeking sponsors for our 2011 Harvest Market season. Sponsor benefits include choice of 4 dates at the market to promote your organization with table, tent and chairs provided. We also have exclusive First Thursday sponsor opportunities as well.

If your business or organization is interested in becoming a Community or First Thursday Sponsor for the 2011 Downtown Elgin Harvest Market season, please download and complete sponsor forms and send to:

Jennifer Benson
Harvest Market Manager
Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin
2 Douglas Avenue
Elgin, IL 60120

Click to download the Community Sponsorship Form

Click to download the First Thursday Sponsorship Form

For questions or additional information about the 2011 Downtown Elgin Harvest Market, call Jennifer at 847.488.1456 or e-mail ElginHarvestMarket@gmail.com

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 5, 11:30AM

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. With less than 30 minutes to go, let's update you on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 11:30AM CDT on Monday, April 5):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 66

These two deserving candidates need your help on this Election Day! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru TODAY at NOON.

Buzzer beater time!

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 5, 10AM

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. We've got an old-fashioned barn burner in the Championship Game of Downtown Madness! Things could not be any tighter! With less than 2 hours to go, let's update you on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 10AM CDT on Monday, April 5):

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork by 9

These two deserving candidates need your help on this Election Day! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru TODAY at NOON.

We'll have one more Championship Edition of Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog at 11:30AM!

Get your popcorn ready!

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 4

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. One thing we've learned about Downtown Madness: it's never over until it's over...and it's far from over yet! With less than 24 hours to go, let's update you on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 12PM CDT on Monday, April 4):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 11

This one's for all the marbles! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru Tuesday, April 5 at Noon.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 3

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. In 48 hours, the final round of voting will be complete and we will crown our 2011 Downtown Madness Champion. Let's update you now on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 3PM CDT on Sunday, April 3):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 58

This one's for all the marbles! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru Tuesday, April 5 at Noon.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 2

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. Just because March has moved on, there's no April-fooling around in Downtown Madness! It's One Shining Moment time for one of these two power "HOUSES". Let's update you now on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 3PM CDT on Saturday, April 2):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 49

This one's for all the marbles! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru Tuesday, April 5 at Noon.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - April 1

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. Just because March has moved on, there's no April-fooling around in Downtown Madness! It's One Shining Moment time for one of these two power "HOUSES". Let's update you now on the scoring in the Downtown Madness Championship Game (as of 3PM CDT on Friday, April 1):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 34

This one's for all the marbles! If you have not already voted for your favorite in the Championship Game, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Final Round voting continues thru Tuesday, April 5 at Noon.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Welcome New & Renewing DNA Members From March 2011

The DNA would like to welcome our new and renewing members from March 2011:

Burritt Building, LLC
25 S. Grove Avenue
847.608.8574

D. Hudson Productions
164 Division Street, Suite 305-306
847.845.6333

Judson University
1151 N. State Street
847.628.2500

Keystone Realty
23 S. Spring Street
847.931.1818

La Quebrada Restaurant
50 N. Spring Street
847.622.7970

Transystems Corp.
1051 Perimeter Drive
Schaumburg
847.605.9600

Ramona Aguina

Hector & Maria Alvarez

Laura Dion-Jones Casey

Michelle Clute

Joe David Dominguez

Titus Dominguez

Juan Figueroa

Leonard & Karen Haseman

David & Tonya Hudson

George Irizarry

Karin Jones

Richard Kozal & Heather Ronnow

Jason Pawlowski

Rebecca Sanchez

Bruce & Suzan Shipyor

Michael & Jennifer Wong

Roy Vombrack & Jennifer Silk

Help support the organization that supports downtown Elgin in 2011 by becoming a DNA Community Family/Individual Member. For a $30 annual fee, members receive:

• 2 VIP seats for Elgin's July 4th Parade
• 2 guest passes to The Centre of Elgin
• Member price for DNA events/activities
• Elgin Tower Building puzzle
• Exclusive members-only promotions

You can even sign-up and pay for your membership online via our Secure Online Payment Processing page.

For more information about DNA Membership and for other ways to get involved in your downtown, call (847) 488-1456 or e-mail downtownelgin@gmail.com.

Scholarships Available to DNA Members

This year the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin unveiled the DNA Scholarship Program, which provides assistance to DNA members to attend local educational workshops and conferences on topics related to entrepreneurship and small business development. Scholarships will be made available for those conferences and workshops throughout the year that the DNA chooses based on their offering of topics related to entrepreneurship and small business development. These scholarships cover the advertised cost of the workshop or conference; travel and other associated costs are not included. Our first DNA Scholarship offering of 2011 is for the following event: Becoming Entrepreneurs: Conference for Women Presented by YWCA and Elgin Community College Thursday, April 14, 8:30AM-4:00PM ECC University and Business Center 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin IL 60123 Eligibility Requirements: This scholarship is available to female owners or employees of current DNA-member businesses located in downtown or female DNA members who are interested in opening a business in downtown in the next 2 years. A maximum of (2) scholarships will be awarded for this conference. Those selected to receive a DNA scholarship are expected to write a brief summary of what they learned from the experience to share with the community via the DNA’s various communication vehicles. This summary is due one week following the workshop or conference. The scholarship application and event flyer are available here >> Please forward completed scholarship applications to Tonya Hudson, DNA Executive Director, by FAX at (847) 488-1449 or e-mail thudson@downtownelgin.com by April 6. Please feel free to contact the Downtown Neighborhood Association at (847) 488-1456 with any questions about this event or the DNA Scholarship Program.

Downtown Madness FINAL ROUND Voting Now Open

Welcome back to Downtown Madness – the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin’s exciting new interactive promotion for the entire month of March and first week of April pitting downtown Elgin's restaurants and bars in a head-to-head bracket tournament, similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, where the public’s votes determine the winners.

The voting action has been fierce throughout the first two rounds of competition and our third round voting totals topped the 500 mark! Our "fine four" have been pared to the last two teams standing. Here are the Final Results from the Third Round of Downtown Madness:

- Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork defeats Al's Cafe's Burns Malt by 63

- Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng defeats Villa Verone's Asparagi by 96

We now unveil the last two teams standing in our winner-take-all FINAL ROUND of Downtown Madness:

- Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork vs. Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng

Final Round voting in Downtown Madness is now open and concludes Tuesday, April 5 at Noon. Subscribers to the DNA’s Downtown Neighborhood News Top 10 weekly e-blast will receive the link to the Final Round Voting Form in Wednesday’s edition of the DNN.

Voters can also visit DowntownElgin.com, "Like" us on Facebook at facebook.com/DowntownElgin or just CLICK HERE to access the Final Round Voting Form.

Voting is limited to one vote per e-mail address and you must vote for one of the two entries in the final match-up!

For an up-to-date scoring summary on all the match-ups to see how your "teams" are doing, visit Downtown Madness Score Central throughout the Final Round on the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Blog at DowntownElgin.blogspot.com.

We will announce the winning venue on Wednesday, April 6. At that time, the DNA will also announce the winner of our Downtown Madness Pick ‘Em Challenge, in which individuals attempt to predict the winners from the Opening Round thru the Championship Game according to the weekly voting.

For more information about Downtown Madness, please contact DNA Promotions Coordinator Jason Pawlowski at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org.

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 28

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. The shot clock is ticking down on the Third Round of Downtown Madness! With a record voting turnout, let's update you now on the scoring in both of these pivotal match-ups in Round 3 (as of 9AM CDT on Monday, March 28):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt by 31

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads Villa Verone's Asparagi by 58

Time is running out! If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 3, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per valid e-mail address), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Third Round voting continues thru TODAY at Noon. We will announce the winners of the Third Round of play as well as unveil the Championship Game round on Wednesday, March 30. Voting for the final round of Downtown Madness tips off March 30 thru April 4.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 27

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. With less than 24 hours to go in the Third Round of Downtown Madness, let's update you now on the scoring in both of these pivotal match-ups (as of 12PM CDT on Sunday, March 27):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt by 23

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads Villa Verone's Asparagi by 67

It's put-up or shut-up time! If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 3, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember - ONE VOTE per person, per valid e-mail), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Third Round voting continues thru Monday, March 28 at Noon. We will announce the winners of the Third Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Championship Game round on Wednesday, March 30. Voting for the final round of Downtown Madness tips off March 30 thru April 4.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog throughout the weekend for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 26

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. We're starting the second half of the Third Round of Downtown Madness and things are getting exciting! Let's update you now on the scoring in both of these pivotal match-ups in Round 3 (as of 3PM CDT on Saturday, March 26):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt by 13

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Villa Verone's Asparagi by 85

It's put-up or shut-up time! If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 3, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Third Round voting continues thru Monday, March 28 at Noon. We will announce the winners of the Third Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Championship Game round on Wednesday, March 30. Voting for the final round of Downtown Madness tips off March 30 thru April 4.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog throughout the weekend for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 25

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. The early stages of the Third Round of Downtown Madness has made for some exciting drama! Let's update you now on the scoring in both of these pivotal match-ups in the Round 3 (as of 3PM CDT on Friday, March 25):

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt by 34

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Villa Verone's Asparagi by 63

It's put-up or shut-up time! If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 3, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Third Round voting continues thru Monday, March 28 at Noon. We will announce the winners of the Third Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Championship Game round on Wednesday, March 30. Voting for the final round of Downtown Madness tips off March 30 thru April 4.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog throughout the weekend for the latest updates!

Now back to the action...

Call for Submissions for Elgin Pop-Up Poetry Project

The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission is currently accepting submissions from writers of all ages for the first ever Elgin Pop-Up Poetry Project. Published and unpublished poets throughout the greater Chicago area are invited to submit a poem for consideration. Submissions will be accepted during the month of April (National Poetry Month) and are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2011.

ABOUT THE ELGIN POP-UP POETRY PROJECT
The theme for this year’s project is Icons of Elgin, which could be a person, place or thing. Selected poems will be enlarged and displayed in tandem with photography from Elgin ’s 1440 Photo Project at government buildings, downtown storefront windows, and other public places during the summer. Final selections will be published in a special commemorative book to celebrate the event. This project is sponsored by the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, City of Elgin , Downtown Neighborhood Association, and the Palmer Foundation.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Only one poem per author will be considered. The poem can be no more than 10 lines (not including the title). The poem can be an existing work or a new poem. Poems must have proper spelling and punctuation before submission. No special formatting will be accepted that includes graphics or unusual symbols. Standard indentation, justification, spacing will be reproduced as close as possible to the submitted poem. An excerpt from a longer poem will be considered if it can stand alone. Poems will be judged on quality of writing but also for accessibility and suitability for public display before a general audience. If reprint permissions are required, permission must be obtained prior to submitting the poem. Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2011. Copies of submitted poems will not be returned.

SENDING IN YOUR POEM
There are three ways to submit a poem:

1. An application can be downloaded at www.cityofelgin.org, where it can be saved electronically and emailed to elginarts@gmail.com.

2. Mail poem to: Elgin Pop-Up Poetry Project, Attn: Sean Hargadon, Chairman, Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and Sylvia Grady, Staff Liaison, City Manager’s Office 150 Dexter Court, Elgin, IL 60120.

3. Directly submit poem online at http://www.elginarts.org/.

All poetry submissions will be judged by an independent panel. Writers whose poems are chosen for display will be notified in May. While there is no honorarium offered, each writer whose work is displayed will receive a copy of the poster featuring his/her poem. For more information contact: Sean Hargadon at elginarts@gmail.com. Look for Elgin Pop-Up Poetry Project 2011 on Facebook.

Downtown Madness - Round Three Now Open

Welcome back to Downtown Madness – the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin’s exciting new interactive promotion for the entire month of March pitting downtown Elgin's restaurants and bars in a head-to-head bracket tournament, similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, where the public’s votes determine the winners.

The voting action has been fierce throughout the first two rounds of competition and our voters have again paired the field from eight elite establishments to these four fine finalists.

Here are the Final Results from the Second Round of Downtown Madness:

- Al's Cafe's Burns Malt defeats Domani Cafe's Domani Latte by 94

- Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork defeats La Puesta Del Sol's La Puesta Margarita by 73

- Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng defeats Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk by 114

- Villa Verone's Asparagi defeats Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings by 39

We now unveil the last four teams standing and our two powerhouse match-ups for the pivotal Round Three of Downtown Madness:

- Al's Cafe's Burns Malt vs. Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork

- Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng vs. Villa Verone's Asparagi

Third Round voting in Downtown Madness is now open and concludes Monday, March 28 at Noon. Subscribers to the DNA’s Downtown Neighborhood News Top 10 weekly e-blast will receive the link to the Third Round Voting Form in Wednesday’s edition of the DNN. Voters can also visit DowntownElgin.com, "Like" us on Facebook at facebook.com/DowntownElgin or just CLICK HERE to access the Third Round Voting Form.

Voting is limited to one vote per e-mail address and you must vote for one of the two entries in each match-up! Failure to vote for one entry in each match-up will invalidate the remainder of your votes.

For an up-to-date scoring summary on all the match-ups to see how your "teams" are doing, visit Downtown Madness Score Central throughout the Third Round on the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Blog at DowntownElgin.blogspot.com.

The Final Round of voting for the Downtown Madness Championship Game takes place March 30-April 4, with the winning venue announced on Wednesday, April 6. The DNA will also announce the winner of our Downtown Madness Pick ‘Em Challenge, in which individuals attempt to predict the winners from the Opening Round thru the Championship Game according to the weekly voting.

For more information about Downtown Madness, please contact DNA Promotions Coordinator Jason Pawlowski at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org.

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 21

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. The Second Round of Downtown Madness is nearly in the books but there's still time to will your team onto victory! With a little more than 3 hours to go in Round 2, let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 8 (as of 9AM CDT on Monday, March 21):

Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt leads
Domani Cafe's Domani Latte by 85

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
La Puesta Del Sol's La Puesta Margarita by 66

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk by 107

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings by 40

It's Bracket Buster time! If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 2, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Second Round voting continues thru TODAY at Noon. We will announce the winners of the Second Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Third Round on Wednesday, March 23. Voting for Round 3 tips off March 23 thru March 28.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 20

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. The shot clock is winding down on the Second Round of Downtown Madness! With less than 24 hours to go in Round 2, let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 8 (as of 3PM CDT on Sunday, March 20):

Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt leads
Domani Cafe's Domani Latte by 80

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
La Puesta Del Sol's La Puesta Margarita by 65

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk by 60

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Villa Verone's Asparagi by 11

It's Bracket Buster time. If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 2, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Second Round voting continues thru Monday, March 21 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will update the voting throughout the weekend and announce the winners of the Second Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Third Round on Wednesday, March 23. Voting for Round 3 tips off March 23 thru March 28.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * * *

CLICK HERE to watch Jeff Myers of Elgin Today announce the updated brackets for the Round of 8.

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 19

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. We are coming up on buzzer beater time in the Second Round of Downtown Madness! With less than 48 hours to go in Round 2, let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 8 (as of 5PM CDT on Saturday, March 19):

Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt leads
Domani Cafe's Domani Latte by 68

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
La Puesta Del Sol's La Puesta Margarita by 59

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk by 54

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Villa Verone's Asparagi by 13

It's Bracket Buster time. If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 2, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Second Round voting continues thru Monday, March 21 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will update the voting throughout the weekend and announce the winners of the Second Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Third Round on Wednesday, March 23. Voting for Round 3 tips off March 23 thru March 28.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * * *

CLICK HERE to watch Jeff Myers of Elgin Today announce the updated brackets for the Round of 8.

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 18

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. We are coming up on buzzer beater time in the Second Round of Downtown Madness! Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 8 (as of 4PM CDT on Friday, March 18):

Al's Cafe & Creamery's Burns Malt leads
Domani Cafe's Domani Latte by 42

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
La Puesta Del Sol's La Puesta Margarita by 35

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk by 45

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Villa Verone's Asparagi by 13

It's Bracket Buster time. If you have not already voted for your favorites in Round 2, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), forward the voting link onto your friends and family to encourage them to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Second Round voting continues thru Monday, March 21 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will update the voting throughout the weekend and announce the winners of the Second Round of play as well as unveil the updated brackets for the Third Round on Wednesday, March 23. Voting for Round 3 tips off March 23 thru March 28.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * * *

CLICK HERE to watch Jeff Myers of Elgin Today announce the updated brackets for the Round of 8

New Harvest Market Manager Jennifer Benson to Speak at DNA’s March Out to Lunch

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin's next "Out to Lunch" meeting will be Monday, March 28 from Noon-1:15PM and is proudly hosted by Toom Toom Thai Restaurant at 23 S. Grove Avenue in Downtown Elgin.

Our featured guest speaker for March will be the DNA's new Downtown Elgin Harvest Market Manager Jennifer Benson, who will discuss her exciting plans for the 2011 Harvest Market season, which begins Thursday, June 2.

For $12.00 per person (all inclusive with tax & tip included - cash only), guests will enjoy a delicious lunch buffet courtesy of Chef Toom Wiitanen, featuring Pot Stickers, Garden Salad, Thai Chicken Wing, Chef Surprise, Pepper Steak (Beef), Pad Thai Woonsen (Tofu), Thai Fried Rice (Veggie), Fruit, and choice of Tea, Coffee or Soda.

Interested guests should RSVP to DNA by no later than Friday, March 25, with your name and e-mail address via our Online RSVP Form, by phone at 847.488.1456 or by e-mail at downtownelgin@gmail.com.

The Out to Lunch Meetings, presented by the DNA and conducted on the last Monday of each month, are an effort to engage the public by showcasing a different downtown Elgin restaurant each month and featuring guest speakers and topics relevant to the community. Recent Out to Lunch guest speakers have included City of Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, City Manager Sean Stegall, Police Chief Jeff Swoboda, and U-46 Superintendent Dr. Jose Torres.

Downtown Brainstorm to Focus on Addressing Perceptions

The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) of Elgin invites the community to participate in Downtown Brainstorm #2, an interactive planning workshop about downtown Elgin and the DNA, on Tuesday, March 22 from 6-8PM at The Centre of Elgin's Heritage Ballroom, 100 Symphony Way.

The theme of this workshop will be “How do we continue to change the perception of downtown Elgin for the better?”

Proposed discussion topics include, but are not limited to:

• Proposed new downtown marketing and branding campaigns, including a new DowntownElgin.com website
• Plans for marketing downtown's available commercial spaces and properties to potential tenants and buyers
• Accentuating the positives/eliminating the negatives through key marketing messages via social media, community outreach and other engagement tools
• Image enhancement through special events and promotions

The public is encouraged to attend this workshop to share ideas, meet new people and get involved in their community. To RSVP for Downtown Brainstorm #2, please contact the DNA at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail downtownelgin@gmail.com by Monday, March 21 at Noon. You can also RSVP via our Online RSVP Form.

In November of 2010, the DNA held its first Downtown Brainstorm Workshop in an effort to engage the Elgin community and encourage more involvement in downtown issues, happenings and DNA programming. Approximately 60 people attended this workshop and in a series of 3 roundtable rotations discussed topics such as special events, arts initiatives, property improvement, community outreach, “green” initiatives, new business recruitment, fundraising and marketing. Three reoccurring themes emerged from this workshop, upon which the DNA based its focus for programming and projects for 2011:

1.) More communication about who DNA is and what we do.
2.) Smaller, more frequent downtown events and promotions, especially in the arts.
3.) More marketing about the positive changes in downtown.

The DNA will provide an overview of how this feedback is being implemented in its current programming and projects at the workshop.

Downtown Madness Rolls into Round 2

Welcome back to Downtown Madness – the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin’s exciting new interactive promotion for the entire month of March pitting downtown Elgin's restaurants and bars in a head-to-head bracket tournament, similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, where the public’s votes determine the winners.

After a hotly contested Opening Round of voting from March 4-14, our voters have paired the original Field of 16 to eight elite establishments.

Here are the Final Results from the Opening Round of Downtown Madness:

- Domani Cafe's Domani Latte defeats La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 84

- Al's Cafe's Burns Malt defeats Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 132

- La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita defeats Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 13

- Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork defeats Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 108

- Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk defeats Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 31

- Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng defeats Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp by 14

- Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings defeats Martini Room's Appletini by 23

- Villa Verone's Asparagi defeats PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 6

Here are the Downtown Madness Second Round match-ups:

- Domani Cafe's Domani Latte vs. Al's Cafe's Burns Malt

- La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita vs. Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork

- Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk vs. Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng

- Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings vs. Villa Verone's Asparagi

Second Round voting in Downtown Madness opens at Noon on Wednesday, March 16 and concludes Monday, March 21 at Noon. Subscribers to the DNA’s Downtown Neighborhood News Top 10 weekly e-blast will receive the link to the Second Round Voting Form in Wednesday’s edition of the DNN. Voters can also visit www.DowntownElgin.com, "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DowntownElgin or just CLICK HERE to access the Second Round Voting Form.

Voting is limited to one vote per e-mail address and you must vote for one of the two entries in each match-up! Failure to vote for one entry in each match-up will invalidate the remainder of your votes.

For an up-to-date scoring summary on all the match-ups to see how your "teams" are doing, visit Downtown Madness Score Central throughout the Second Round on the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Blog at DowntownElgin.blogspot.com.

Third Round voting for the Final Four establishments tips off March 23-28. The Championship Game round of voting then takes place March 30-April 4, with the winning venue announced on Wednesday, April 6. The DNA will also announce the winner of our Downtown Madness Pick ‘Em Challenge, in which individuals attempt to predict the winners from the Opening Round thru the Championship Game according to the weekly voting

For more information about Downtown Madness, please contact DNA Promotions Coordinator Jason Pawlowski at (847) 488-1456 or e-mail jpawlowski@elginil.org.

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 14

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. We are coming up on buzzer beater time in the Opening Round of Downtown Madness! Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 16 (as of 9AM CDT on Monday, March 14):

Domani Cafe's Domani Latte leads
La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 85

Al's Cafe's Burns Malt leads
Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 125

La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita leads
Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 14

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 107

Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk leads
Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 29

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp by 21

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Martini Room's Appletini by 11

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 5

Time is ticking down on the Opening Round voting clock. If you have not already voted for your favorites, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), encourage your friends and family to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Opening Round voting concludes TODAY at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will announce the winners of the Opening Round of play and unveil the updated brackets for the Round of 8 on Wednesday, March 16. Voting for the Round of 8 tips off March 16 thru March 21.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * *

And don't forget to download your bracket in our Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group. Correctly predict the winners (based on the round-by-round voting) from the Opening Round straight thru the Championship Game to take your shot at $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates.

To download and fill out your bracket, click here!

Completed Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge sheets must be submitted to DNA by Monday, March 14. E-mail predictions and completed sheets to DowntownElgin@gmail.com

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 13

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. Time is running out in the Opening Round of Downtown Madness! Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 16 (as of 12PM CDT on Sunday, March 13):

Domani Cafe's Domani Latte leads
La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 81

Al's Cafe's Burns Malt leads
Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 119

La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita leads
Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 15

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 101

Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk leads
Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 22

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp by 17

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Martini Room's Appletini by 15

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 3

Time is ticking down on the Opening Round voting clock. If you have not already voted for your favorites, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), encourage your friends and family to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Opening Round voting concludes Monday, March 14 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will announce the winners of the Opening Round of play and unveil the updated brackets for the Round of 8 on Wednesday, March 16. Voting for the Elite 8 tips off March 16 thru March 21.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * *

And don't forget to download your bracket in our Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group. Correctly predict the winners (based on the round-by-round voting) from the Opening Round straight thru the Championship Game to take your shot at $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates.

To download and fill out your bracket, click here!

Completed Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge sheets must be submitted to DNA by Monday, March 14. E-mail predictions and completed sheets to DowntownElgin@gmail.com

Downtown Madness Score Central - March 12

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. It's getting down to crunch time in the late stages of the Opening Round of Downtown Madness! Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 16 (as of 5PM on Saturday, March 12):

Domani Cafe's Domani Latte leads
La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 73

Al's Cafe's Burns Malt leads
Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 109

La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita leads
Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 15

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 97

Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk leads
Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 38

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp by 13

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Martini Room's Appletini by 11

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 9

Don't get too complacent leaders. Remember, no lead is safe when the stakes are this high! Cinderellas - if you want to keep dancing it's time to rally fan support for your squads!

Time is ticking down on the Opening Round voting clock. If you have not already voted for your favorites, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), encourage your friends and family to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Opening Round voting concludes Monday, March 14 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will announce the winners of the Opening Round of play and unveil the updated brackets for the Round of 8 on Wednesday, March 16. Voting for the Elite 8 tips off March 16 thru March 21.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * *

And don't forget to download your bracket in our Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group. Correctly predict the winners (based on the round-by-round voting) from the Opening Round straight thru the Championship Game to take your shot at $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates.

To download and fill out your bracket, click here!

Completed Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge sheets must be submitted to DNA by Monday, March 14. E-mail predictions and completed sheets to DowntownElgin@gmail.com

Downtown Madness Score Central Update - March 11

Welcome back to Downtown Madness Score Central. It's getting down to crunch time in the late stages of the Opening Round of Downtown Madness! Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 16 (as of 5PM on Friday, March 11):

Domani Cafe's Domani Latte leads
La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 63

Al's Cafe's Burns Malt leads
Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 95

La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita leads
Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 19

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 87

Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk leads
Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 41

Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp leads
Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng by 1

Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings leads
Martini Room's Appletini by 15

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 19

Don't get too complacent leaders. Remember, no lead is safe when the stakes are this high! Cinderellas - if you want to keep dancing it's time to rally fan support for your squads!

Time is ticking down on the Opening Round voting clock. If you have not already voted for your favorites, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), encourage your friends and family to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Opening Round voting concludes Monday, March 14 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will announce the winners of the Opening Round of play and unveil the updated brackets for the Round of 8 on Wednesday, March 16. Voting for the Elite 8 tips off March 16 thru March 21.

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * *

And don't forget to download your bracket in our Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group. Correctly predict the winners (based on the round-by-round voting) from the Opening Round straight thru the Championship Game to take your shot at $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates.

To download and fill out your bracket, click here!

Completed Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge sheets must be submitted to DNA by Monday, March 14. E-mail predictions and completed sheets to DowntownElgin@gmail.com

Downtown Madness Score Central

Welcome to Downtown Madness Score Central. We are at "halftime" of the Opening Round of voting for Downtown Madness. Let's update you now on the scoring in each of the match-ups in the Round of 16 (as of Noon on Wednesday, March 9):

Domani Cafe's Domani Latte leads
La Quebrada's Tampiquena by 47

Al's Cafe's Burns Malt leads
Spanky's Gyros Italian Sausage by 69

La Puesta Del Sol's Margarita leads
Douglas Street Sports Pub's Bacon Cheddar Burger by 7

Elgin Public House's Pulled Pork leads
Ravenheart Coffee's Mediterranean Club by 69

Buckingham's Steakhouse's Grand Tomahawk leads
Gasthaus Zur Linde's Das Boot by 33

Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant's Pa-Naeng leads
Red Bar Winery's Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp by 1

Martini Room's Appletini leads
Toom Toom Thai Restaurant's Thai Style Chicken Wings by 4

Villa Verone's Asparagi leads
PRIME BurgerHouse's Drunken Bull Burger by 12

Our voters have come out strong in the first half with great team efforts put forth by each participating establishment's starters. With the second half of the Opening Round of voting upon us, it's gut check time! Don't get too complacent leaders. Remember, no lead is safe when the stakes are this high! Cinderellas - if you want to keep dancing it's time to rally fan support for your squads!

If you have not already voted for your favorites, VOTE NOW!

If you have already voted (remember, one vote per person, per computer), encourage your friends and family to get out and rock the vote for your teams!

Opening Round voting concludes Monday, March 14 at Noon. Downtown Madness Score Central will announce the winners of the Opening Round of play and unveil the updated brackets for the Round of 8 on Wednesday, March 16. Voting for the Elite 8 tips off March 16 thru March 21.

Time for the second half of voting to get started!

Stay tuned to Downtown Madness Score Central on the DNA Blog for the latest updates!

* * * * * * *

And don't forget to download your bracket in our Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group. Correctly predict the winners (based on the round-by-round voting) from the Opening Round straight thru the Championship Game to take your shot at $100 in Downtown Elgin Gift Certificates.

To download and fill out your bracket, click here!

Completed Downtown Madness Pick 'Em Challenge sheets must be submitted to DNA by Monday, March 14. E-mail predictions and completed sheets to DowntownElgin@gmail.com

Adirondacks - Thrones of Summer 2011 Participation Reminder

Adirondacks-Thrones of Summer 2011 is directed by the Elgin Community Network in partnership with the Gail Borden Public Library, City of Elgin, Elgin Climate Change Organization, Elgin Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Neighborhood Association and Elgin's businesses, corporations, restaurants, public agencies, schools, churches, community groups and not-for profits. The event is completely volunteer driven and free to the public!

Once again ECN is asking the community to enthusiastically embrace the imaginative Thrones just as they did the Rain Barrels, Bicycles On Parade, and Dinos. They are asking you to be a part of this extraordinary project and create a fanciful work of art using a simple, oversized adirondack chair as the canvas.

These artful entertainment pieces will be

· Displayed throughout the community during June
· Be a part of Gail Borden's Midsummer Knight's Read
· On the float in the City of Elgin's 2011 4th of July Parade
· Showcased in July and voted on at the library
· Exhibited & auctioned off at Elgin's largest art festival, Art & Soul on the Fox/Passeggiata on July 31

At less than $3 a day, this is a great way for you to advertise your identity. The exposure is immense and ongoing from June to August.

The deadline to participate is Tuesday, March 15. There will be a colossal, eco-friendly, medieval kickoff slated for Saturday, April 23 at Gail Borden Public Library.

The DNA encourages all of our downtown businesses to participate in this excellent promotional opportunity which enhances and enriches our community.

For more information, please download the Adirondacks-Thrones of Summer 2011 application by clicking here!

Again, please submit your completed application and fee by Tuesday, March 15.

For more information, contact Sigi Psimenos at 312.953.8216 or email sigiusa@yahoo.com

The Madness is Here!

The Madness is Here! Welcome to Downtown Madness - the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin's exciting new interactive promotion for the entire month of March with downtown Elgin's restaurants and bars.

In the spirit of the popular NCAA College Basketball Tournament, we proudly unveil our own version of March Madness with a distinctly downtown twist this Friday, March 4 in the form of a bracket tournament that will pit 16 sweet dishes and drinks from downtown establishments against each other and YOU, the voting public, determine the winners.

Beginning this Friday, the public will be able to vote online for their favorite "dish" or "drink" in each of the Opening Round match-ups at http://bit.ly/fQ7GtX. (NOTE: The link will not be "live" until Friday at 1PM.) Downtown Neighborhood News subscribers will receive a personal invitation to the voting link on Friday morning.

Here are your Opening Round match-ups with corresponding "signature dish" or "signature drink" in parenthesis:

-Domani Café (Domani Latte) vs. La Quebrada (Tampiquena)
-Al's Café & Creamery (Burns Malt) vs. Spanky's Gyros (Italian Sausage)
-Douglas Street Sports Pub (Bacon Cheddar Burger) vs. La Puesta Del Sol (La Puesta Margarita)
-Elgin Public House (Pulled Pork) vs. Ravenheart Coffee (Mediterranean Club Sandwich)
-Buckingham's Steakhouse (Grand Tomahawk) vs. Gasthaus Zur Linde (Das Boot)
-Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant (Pa Naeng) vs. Red Bar Winery (Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp)
-Martini Room (Appletini) vs. Toom Toom Thai Restaurant (Thai Style Chicken Wings)
-PRIME BurgerHouse (Drunken Bull Burger) vs. Villa Verone Ristorante Italiano (Asparagi)

Opening Round voting lasts from Friday, March 4 thru Monday, March 14. After which eight of the 16 establishments will move on to the Round of 8, with second round voting slated for March 13-21. The final four establishments tip-off third round voting March 23-28. The Championship Game round of voting then takes place March 30-April 4, with the winning venue announced on Wednesday, April 6.

In addition to the public voting component of Downtown Madness, there will also be a separate Downtown Madness "Pick 'Em" Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group, where the public will have the opportunity to fill out and predict the winners of the entire Downtown Madness bracket tournament from the Round of 16 through the Championship Game.

Points are awarded for each correctly picked "winner" based on the week-to-week voting results. The sheet with the most points at the end of the promotion will win $100 in Downtown Gift Certificates. In case of a tie, a drawing will be conducted amongst the high-point sheets to determine a winner.

The official Pick 'Em Challenge brackets will be available this Friday, March 4 at www.DailyHerald.com/community/elgin as well as http://www.downtownelgin.com/.

All completed sheets are due into the DNA, via e-mail at DowntownElgin@gmail.com or dropped off in-person at 2 Douglas Avenue, by no later than Monday, March 14. A complete list of rules and instruction on how to play will be available on the bracket sheet and on the DNA Blog.

For clarification purposes, the round-by-round selections made by participants in the Pick 'Em Challenge DO NOT have any bearing on the voting component of Downtown Madness.

We invite everyone to join in on all the "hoopla" of Downtown Madness! Bring your family and friends downtown to rediscover all of our great restaurants and bars and vote for your favorites.

Downtown Madness Round of 16 Voting

WELCOME!

Click here to Join the Madness!

2011 Downtown Elgin Harvest Market Seeking Volunteers

The 2011 Downtown Elgin Harvest Market - Presented by Alexian Brothers, which kicks off Thursday, June 2, is seeking volunteers interested in participating in our Market Advisory Committee.

Under the direction of the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s new Market Manager, Jennifer Benson, this advisory committee will provide input and feedback about shaping the market in 2011. We are also seeking volunteers to assist with set-up, take-down and other duties during the market season.

Vendor and sponsorship applications for the 2011 Harvest Market as well as other Harvest Market specifics will be available soon.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market or would be interested in joining the Harvest Market's Advisory Committee, please contact Jennifer Benson at 847.488.1456 or via e-mail at elginharvestmarket@gmail.com.

Last Chance to RSVP for February Out to Lunch at DSSP

Our next Out to Lunch meeting will be Monday, February 28 from Noon-1:15pm and is proudly hosted by Douglas Street Sports Pub at 231 Douglas Avenue.

February's featured guest speaker will be City of Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda.

For $12 per person (all inclusive with tax & tip included - cash only), guests may choose one of three delicious lunch options:

- Italian Beef Aus Jus on soft roll
- Turkey Patty Melt - 1/2 lb of homemade turkey breast piled high on marble rye with Jack & American cheese and grilled onions
- Vegetarian Patty Melt - served between two roasted pieces of marble rye with Swiss and American cheese and grilled onions

All meals come with fries, a cookie for dessert and a beverage of choice - soft drinks, iced tea or coffee.

Please RSVP to DNA by no later than Friday, February 25, with your name, e-mail address and choice of entree, by phone at 847.488.1456, by e-mail at jpawlowski@elginil.org or you can RSVP Online!

Downtown Brainstorm #1 Results & Next Steps

In November of 2010, the DNA held its first Downtown Brainstorm Workshop in an effort to engage the Elgin community and encourage more involvement in downtown issues, happenings and DNA programming. Approximately 60 people attended the workshop and discussed the following topics in a series of 3 roundtable rotations:

• Special Events
• Arts Initiatives
• Property Improvement
• Community Outreach
• “Green” Initiatives
• New Business Development
• Fundraising
• Marketing

An overview of the feedback received at this meeting is available here >

The DNA utilized this feedback to help us plan our organizational programming for 2011. We decided to focus on the 3 themes that we saw reoccurring at the workshop. These themes are outlined below along with a brief summary of some of the programming that we have started for 2011 to address them.

More communication about who DNA is and what we do.

• Creating a direct mailer to Elgin residents promoting the mission of the DNA along with our new downtown directory brochure listing downtown businesses and attractions.


• Speaking to neighborhood groups and encouraging resident memberships and involvement.


• Putting out regular communication about what our committees are currently working on via social media and website.


• Providing small “innovation grants” to downtown businesses to assist them in promoting their business and the downtown in creative and innovative ways.


• Hosting an information workshop about downtown grant programs and an open house for our Downtown Design Resource Center in April.

Smaller, more frequent downtown events and promotions, especially in the arts.

• Planning at least one promotion each month to promote downtown businesses and attractions. Look for "Downtown Madness" in March...


• Planning 1-2 downtown cruise nights leading up to the Downtown Car Show.


• Working with the Cultural Arts Commission on public art component of a poetry and photography contest to display work in vacant storefronts.


• Encouraging and supporting other groups to do small downtown “street” events throughout the summer and fall.
  

More marketing about the positive changes in downtown.

• Revamping downtownelgin.com with enhanced visual media and social media applications to engage visitors.


• Producing short videos interviewing downtown business owners about what they do and why they do it.


• Planning to launch a campaign marketing downtown’s available commercial spaces and properties to potential tenants and buyers.


• Planning a downtown streetpole banner campaign with key marketing messages.


• Distributing our new downtown directory brochure in the Daily Herald Fox Valley edition (15,000+ subscribers)

We hope you will join us for our next Downtown Brainstorm Workshop on Tuesday, March 22, 6-8PM at The Centre of Elgin’s Heritage Ballroom. Please RSVP to (847) 488-1456 or downtownelgin@gmail.com.

Thank you for supporting the organization that supports downtown.

The DNA Board of Directors & Staff