“This alley rocks,” thought Elmhurst resident Dannee Polomsky, while hanging around with her neighbors and children in the alley behind their home. She continued to think about not only about her neighborhood but what the City of Elmhurst had to offer. Seeing economic decline across all of Chicagoland, she wondered what might set Elmhurst apart and how to draw on its strengths. She also wondered why her friends from Chicago and neighboring suburbs didn’t know anything about her community. “My good friend told me they were looking to move out of the city (Chicago) and that they wanted to live along (Interstate) 294. She listed several suburbs but excluded Elmhurst.”
Polomsky is running for Alderman in Elmhurst's northern 3rd Ward. “Elmhurst Rocks,” is not just a catchy slogan like “Don’t Mess with Texas” but a multi-faceted initiative part of Polomsky's bigger idea, called “Project 42.88".
“The rock quarry alone could be showcased with its history, industrial impact as well as its role in floodwater mitigation, which is a hot topic in the community…but you know what? We also have one of the coolest museums around, focusing on… rocks.” The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art is a Smithsonian Affiliate and could not only be featured as part of this initiative, but also provide education and promotion of the bigger project," thought Polomsky
If you like music, you guessed it, Elmhurst Rocks for that too. Elmhurst residents gather on the lawn of Elmhurst College to “rock” out or enjoy a Ravinia-like cultural experience. “Children performing in concerts and theatrical productions can show how Elmhurst Rocks, as can the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra or any group in town.”
Polomsky wants to keep this a grass-roots initiative and seek input from residents to learn how they envision this initiative. She plans to host an informal gathering in April to seek input.
She also hopes to pique the interest of, and reach out to, stakeholders. She hopes they will incorporate “Elmhurst Rocks” into their existing programming, so it will not need a penny of new funding. “The library and the historical museum are currently partnering to educate the community about Anne Frank. Why not ask to make this a shared initiative and use the same mechanisms already in place to promote a theme?” she asked.
Polomsky feels that every entity and person in town could have the opportunity to be involved. “Not only does this strengthen our sense of community, but it highlights our assets and hopefully will create a buzz. This is key to economic development.”
“It’s Good to Be King (a chess shop) can draw attention to pieces made of marble and Salon Efthimia can promote the minerals in their products. The Six Pillars of Character can be created from rocks. Let a special resident carry the ‘Elmhurst ShamRock’ in our St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The list goes on and I welcome more ideas.”
Like some other suburbs, Elmhurst has had novelty painted “mini landmarks” displayed around town in summer months to draw visitors. “In Elmhurst, It’s cars. We could incorporate Elmhurst Rocks in several ways, such as painting cars in a rock & roll theme or even displaying rocks around town.”
Polomsky wants to challenge the community to host the “World’s largest scavenger hunt,” where businesses and City-funded institutions participate. Each would have rocks of one kind on site. The scavenger hunt would require participants to go inside not only get their rocks but ideally be reminded of all Elmhurst has to offer, and drive home the “Shop Local” efforts.
“I dare our local teams to adopt the name. ‘The Elmhurst Rocks’ is funny. A team name like that will promote conversation and create a buzz about the community, especially when competing out of town. It will direct interest to what we have to offer. People will want to know where the team name came from and we can proudly say that Elmhurst Rocks.”
