With our August business luncheon, we're going back-to-school! This month, get up close and personal with your local neighborhood school administrators and education experts. We'll be talking about education issues in the community and ways that local schools and local businesses, two vital forces in any neighborhood, can come together and support one another.

By now, you have probably seen a number of emails, Facebook posts and tweets from us discussing the reconstitution of Special Service Area #38 Northcenter. For those that may still have questions, we wanted to provide some information about what the SSA is, what it does and why the renewal of its funding is important.

It's the kind of story that can break your heart, especially around the holidays-a man in the community, a veteran, is on the verge of getting evicted. He's having trouble making ends meet due to the intense cost of recent medical bills. It's a story we hear all too often.

Don’t be alarmed if upon entering Heal Veterinary Clinic, Lolita doesn’t say hello or check you in at first. You will catch her puttering around the reception area or staring into space, but you would be advised to wait for the actual receptionist, as despite her clean hospital whites, Lolita doesn’t work here. She’s a big, fluffy, lop-eared rabbit, one of several “house pets” at Heal Veterinary, along with loud-mouthed macaw Ralph and the cats, C.P. and Horchata.

The Northcenter Chamber of Commerce could not put on all the events, programs and networking opportunities that we do without the help of an amazing volunteer Board of Directors. This board is comprised of business owners, entrepreneurs and committed residents who have made an impact on the Northcenter business community. In this series, we will introduce you to them one by one. Today, meet our newest member of the board, Ron Lanz.

Enter Power Plumbing’s main office on Ashland Avenue and before you even walk in the door, you’re met with a window full of accolades. Since moving to the area in 1980, this family-owned, family-operated (three generations!) business has won more than 34 awards for performance and customer service, including the Angie’s List Super Service Award a stunning 12 years in a row.

Since 2008, Special Service Area #38 has provided enhanced cleaning, landscaping, snow removal and other services to Northcenter's primary streets, to help beautify and promote Northcenter as a desirable place to live, work and play. These services help attract new businesses, residents and visitors to Northcenter as well as enhancing the experience of living and working in Northcenter for its residents and workers.

Chicago is a polka town, and who better to kick off our rockin' Summer Concert Series than one of the Windy City's finest polka-rock ensembles, The Polkaholics? Thanks to the music, great weather and good times, fans of all ages packed Town Square to dance, play and have a good time!

For the past 19 years, through the eras of Michael Jordan and Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas and Jonathan Toews, John Merkel has been Northcenter's go-to guy in the world of cards and collectibles. Merkel, the owner and manager of Elite Sports Cards & Comics on Montrose Avenue, began as many collectors do, as an "avid sports fan and a novice collector." He got into it as a hobby, and after an early retirement, took over a previous incarnation of Northcenter's sports card and collectible shop.