This week's Patch Portraits series also features a rocker who builds a home for budding musicians in Wilmette and a women honoring Polish culture in Des Plaines. "I lived in Morton Grove for a long period of time and I couldn't find any nicer restaurants in the neighborhood," said Mahesh Sharma as he sat at a table in his new restaurant, Tava. The Indian restaurant, at 7172 Dempster St., opened in September. He said that a lack of finer dining options in Morton Grove was a major reason Sharma chose to open the type of restaurant he did. Earlier: Check out the entire Patch Portraits archive. …

This week's Patch Portraits also feature Northbrook's community rabbi and Highland Park's art activist. When moving back to Evanston several years ago, Erin Marcus wanted a chance to spend time with dogs without having own one. Marcus found a happy medium volunteering with C.A.R.E. at the Evanston Animal Shelter. At the time Marcus owned an insurance brokerage company that required extensive traveling—getting a dog was not a possibility. In turn, giving up her Monday nights to help orphaned dogs find homes seemed like a good way to get in some dog time. Over the years, Marcus' roles with C.A.…

This week's Patch Portraits also feature Niles' "Mr. Canoe," and Glenview's local food guru. For many kids, giving back is not at the top of their list of fun things to do in their free time. John Makowiec, 15, isn't like most kids.   Makowiec runs Cards to Kids, a non-profit that specializes in delivering sports cards to needy, or bed-ridden children. "Cards are beneficial in a number of ways. They encourage math, reading and being active," Makowiec told Patch while sorting through the most recent batch at Winnetka's Bleachers Sports. Earlier: Check out the entire Patch Portrait archives. …

This week's Patch Portraits also highlight one Wilmette couple closing their grocery's doors after 54 years, and Des Plaines' dance studio owner for more than two decades. In late August, Tim and Courtney Tanner packed their bags, waved goodbye and left Evanston with their 15-month-old daughter, Sojourner. The young family plans to work on an organic farm in the foothills of Argentinian mountains, through a program called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or WWOOF. Earlier: Check out all the Patch Portrait archives. Both adults made sacrifices in exchange for the opportunity to live…

This week's Patch Portraits also feature Deerfield's nearby Wright-inspired home and the powerful duo behind Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry. George Esho started fighting at the age of thirteen as a "way to kill time." In the shadow of his older brother, Esho began taking classes at a martial arts center near his home in Skokie. Earlier: Check out all the Patch Portrait archives. "I fell in love with it and since that point on I've been involved in it," said Esho, as he prepped for his daily workout at a boxing gym in Evanston. Before long Esho began fighting as an amateur boxer. In 2002 …

This week's Patch Portraits also features Morton Grove's bookworm nurturer and Northbrook's historical whiz. Jerry's Barber Shop on Green Bay Road has been a testament to the barbering business since the 1940's. While the shop has changed hands several times, its interior remains a timeless snapshot. And according to owner Vivian Arkelious, that's the way customers like it. "They don't want me to change a thing," said Arkelious. "They like it to look the way it always looked, like back in the fifties." Earlier: Check out all the Patch Portrait archives. Arkelious said that many customers like…

This week's Patch Portraits also feature a Niles cancer survivor who became an author and a Glenview woman who changed careers to change kids' lives. Richard Weiner, a lieutenant with Glencoe's Public Safety Department, has a soft spot for an unusual type of victim: exotic birds. Along with his wife Karen, Weiner runs a bird shelter from his Northbrook home. Together they care for more than 70 homeless exotic birds. Earlier: Check out the entire Patch Portrait Archives. "I was a brand new beat cop, walking a beat, and happened to see a guy walking around with a Moluccan cockatoo on his …

This week's Patch Portraits also feature Des Plaines' mayor and Highland Park's shoppers. The Wiener and Still Champion, a traditional looking hot dog joint from the outside, has anything but traditional menu inside. There's even a "secret" menu. The restaurant originally opened in 1975, albeit with a different name. After a change of hands in 1982, the new owner decided to consult wth local school children on a new name. The result was "The Wiener and Still Champion." (Earlier: Check out the entire Patch Portrait Series archives.) When Gus Paschalis took the place over in 2005 he kept the …

This week's series of Patch Portraits also includes Northbrook's original state champ football coach and Morton Grove's lady Violet. "He learned the stuff through his father who learned it through his father who learned it through his father and so on." Dennis Saphir began as he recounted how his father, Kurt Saphir, got into the business of pianos. Dennis Saphir is now a sixth generation paino technician, his son a seventh. Kurt Saphir came to the United States after fleeing his home country of Vienna during World War II, and after living for some time as a refugee in Hong Kong. Kurt began …

This week's series of Patch Portraits also include a benevolent banker from Glenview and Niles' "Uncle Pete." Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky knows a thing or two about what it means to be a firefighter. After serving in Evanston for nearly three decades, he became Winentka's fire chief in April. You can read that story on Patch here. Throughout this week, the station's firefighters use totaled cars to practice rescue protocol after car crashes. Check out the photo gallery here. Ever wonder what it means to be a firefighter, wearing 20 pounds of protective gear on a hot July day, and practicing …

This week's Patch Portraits feature a homeless advocate from Oak Park who has more than 1,600 followers on Twitter and a Deerfield chef cooking up community as he returns to his hometown. When Blake Helton had to think of an Eagle Scout project, his first idea was to run.  Not away from the responsibility but for a cause.  On July 23, Blake will host a 5k fun run and walk at Niles West High School to benefit Share Your Soles, a charity that sends used shoes overseas to people who have none. “I had the idea to do a 5k because I run myself. I’m a track athlete and cross county runner. I figured…

This week's Patch Portraits also features a Northbrook educator's farewell. Dozens of area residents braved the gloomy weather Saturday morning to learn a bit about the people buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. The cemetery was built in 1843 and is the third oldest Catholic cemetery in the Chicago area. The Wilmette Historical Museum has spent the better part of the last year researching those laid to rest in the cemetery, many of whom were instrumental in the early days of Grosse Point, which would later become part of Wilmette.  The event Saturday was the culmination of the last year's efforts…

This week's Patch Portraits also features a Winnetkan au pair and a Morton Grove mechanic. "It was kind of something I fell into accidentally," David Arendt told Patch of his current job as wine instructor and general manager for Glenview's Viking Cooking School.   While visiting many food and beverage conventions as a marketing representative, Arendt developed a love for the wines he was sampling.  After nearly a decade in the sales and marketing fields, Arendt went to wine school and pursued a career as a wine instructor. "I can cook, I can hold my own, but I do not have a culinary …

This week's Patch Portraits also features a farming couple from Deerfield, Des Plaines' record reviver and Jewish United Fund volunteers from Highland Park. Four years ago, Caitlin Stephenson took over the vintage clothing store she had worked at for several years. Stephenson added her own flair to the place and changed the name to Factory Vintage.   "I always like the vintage look," Stephenson said. As a young girl she had been captivated with classic movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Becall. Stephenson gets her merchandise from a variety of sources, some are bought new, others are …

This week's Patch Portraits also features a Wilmette mother who's turned her experience in stand-up comedy, MTV and SNL into a stage of her own. Don Nilles, who joined the Army at the age of 17, served in the 101st Airborne Division unit during the Vietnam War. He would later join the Special Forces and become a Green Beret. Almost four decades later, Adrian Bucur, now 28, becomes an officer in the United States Army, also serving in the 101st Airborne Division. During a ceremony honoring Bucur's accomplishment on becoming an officer, he asked Nilles to give him his first salute. The two …

This week's Patch Portraits also feature the story of a Northbrook man determined to end hunger, and the story of the family behind Niles' garden center and oldest business in town.  Khaleel Musa, 19, recalls his family's weekly trips into Chicago on Sundays for the food that fit their Islamic customs, such as halal meat. The MCC Full-Time School and Northridge Preparatory School graduate said it was occasionally difficult to get the food they needed during the week.  So, along with a handful of uncles, cousins and his father Saleh, the Morton Grove resident opened Rayan Supermarket, next to …

This week's Patch Portraits also highlight one woman's hopes of a renovated Des Plaines Theatre and New Trier's senior class president discusses life outside the bubble. Glenview Fire Chief Wayne Globerger has seen a lot of changes since he started with the department in 1987.  “When I started we were still riding on the tail board of the rear of the engine, hanging on,” Globerger told Patch. While he’s fought his fair share of fires as he worked his way up the ranks, these days, Globerger said his responsibilities are mainly administrative. He became fire chief five years ago and today, …

This week's Patch Portraits also features a farewell from Highland Park's mayor. John Szostek has been putting on the Custer Fair for 30 of the 40 years it has existed. "I used to be an entertainer in the fair. I did mask and comedia dell'arte. Out of that experience it was offered to me to manage the event," Szostek said. During one of his early stunts, Szostek badly injured himself. After healing, he called the previous owner and asked if he could preform a new act, only to discover that the fair was slated to be canceled. But by the end of the phone call, Szostek was asked to take over the…

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Casey Cora, Phillip Downie and Natalie Kaplan. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, a North Shore world traveler and Oak Park's taxi driver. "This food pantry is about community, it's about everyone. It is not just about the people who come here that need food," states Cynthia Carranza, Director of the Niles Township Food Pantry. "People who are in the position to give, to help us out, believe me when I tell you it's just as important for them as it is for the person coming to get food." When Carranza left …

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Pam DeFiglio, Jenny Fisher and Andrea Hart. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, a Niles Boy Scout helping to restore community history and Northbrook's seven-year debate team dominators.  Dr. Kirk Reed, senior pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church, gave his last Easter sermon this Sunday. In his 39 years as a pastor, Reed has served five churches in the Chicagoland area. "I had no idea I was going in this direction. . . I loved church when I was young but it was mostly because they had good music, and good …