Author Archives: Ed Fuhrmann

Sunday Small-Business Blues

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

So this is the first “nice” weekend of spring (after that extra-nasty winter), and we were out and about today like good American consumers, spending money here, and planning to spend money later there. (That IS what we’re supposed to do, isn’t it? … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Downtown, Economics, Planning, Resilience, Walkability | Leave a comment

About those jobs…

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

While we’re waiting for the economy to “rebound” (ain’t gonna happen, but that’s another post), it is important to really understand that a lot of the well-paying, benefits-providing jobs that existed before the recession just aren’t coming back. More and more of the “middle … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Economics, Planning | Leave a comment

Local beats Corporate… again!

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

Have you shopped for a snow-shovel in Round Lake Beach lately? Maybe reload on some other supplies like roof de-icer? Unable to wait any longer, the RLB Home Depot removed their “Winter is here!” section the second week of January, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Resilience | Leave a comment

“Rental Bubble” on the way?

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

Perhaps coincidentally, this article in the New York Times was published the day before the Daily Herald’s article about Round Lake Beach village leadership being concerned by the relative lack of sales of single-family homes to actual homeowners, and more-so to investors: “Wall Street’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Planning | Leave a comment

Webinar: Countermeasure Costs – Putting a price on Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

Webinar: Countermeasure Costs – Putting a price on Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2013 Time: 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. Central Time Cost: Free (Advance Registration Required HERE) The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is pleased to announce the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Meeting / Webinar, Planning, Walkability | Leave a comment

Bike-To-Metra Guides

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Ed Fuhrmann

Our RL villages ought to get together, along with the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, to think about the marketing potential of a professionally-produced “Bike-to-Metra Guide” for our villages, especially in light of the Millennium Trail passing through RL & RLB. From … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Millennium Trail, Transit, Walkability | Leave a comment

“Showrooming” and the Local Economy

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

“Showrooming” is the practice of customers going into a retailer to investigate a product, whether for fit, complexity, size, operation, etc. They often rely on the expertise and knowledge of an employee or the business owner to find out more … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Economics | Leave a comment

No Left Turns!

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

Read on to make sure you don’t get a traffic stop from “RLB’s Finest“! By now, we all know that Rollins Road has that “slight” construction detour, on a dedicated bit of pavement we’ll use for most of the next year until things are … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction / Maintenance, Rollins Road Gateway | 2 Comments

Fallen Fruit

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

This picture shows the healthy, loaded apple tree in front of the RLB Village Hall, southwest side by the RLB Police Dept offices. The apples have a nice crunch, and a wonderful sweet/tart flavor like Gala or Braeburn. This post will tell … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Food Production, Parks, Resilience | Leave a comment

Webinar: How to Organize an Alternative Gift Fair

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

[Updated Wed, Nov 13 2013!] Webinar: How to Organize an Alternative Gift Fair Date: Thursday, Nov 7, 2013 Time: Noon – 1PM Central Time Cost: Free Webinar Description: “Tired of the commercialization of the holidays? Want to build community? Join this webinar … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Meeting / Webinar | Leave a comment