HS Board

The concept of building and erecting small birdhouse-style structures and turning them into lending libraries for neighbors and passersby was born in Wisconsin in 2009 and since then the idea has taken off like a wildfire with numerous groups and individuals adopting the idea and both building and erecting them around the country. The idea is to take a book and leave a book, too.

Locally, Joey Carbone’s name has become synonymous with the idea. His wife, Jen, read about the concept and asked him if he would build one for her and, the rest, as they say, is history!

“I do not have a background in carpentry,” Carbone admitted. “Everything that I know, I learned from my father who doesn’t have a background in carpentry either but is the handiest person I know.  When I was young, I would watch him every chance I got, whether he was fixing a hole in the wall or building a desk.  He taught me everything and still teaches me to this day. He even helps build mini libraries for us.”

Once friends and neighbors saw the Carbones’ mini-library, they began asking Joey to build custom little libraries for them, as well, and he obliged as much as he could, using donated materials and volunteer help from friends and neighborhood kids. He has never accepted pay for a library.

“People call me crazy for not charging for the libraries,” he continued, “but I don’t do it for the money.  I do it simply because it is nice to be nice. Since we don’t charge anything for a library, we are able to reach more families.  That’s what it’s all about — spreading the love of reading and knowledge and giving more access to literature. The payment I get is seeing the happy families enjoy the libraries and that is plenty for me.”

“We have all of our mini libraries in Mount Prospect, except for a few special cases. There is one at Dewey School in Evanston, another at a community garden on the south side of Chicago, and two that are technically in Des Plaines but are very, very close to Mount Prospect. We have a total of 61 mini libraries right now.”

And they are all unique neighborhood works of art, if you will – which get neighbors sharing and talking and helping one another.

“I couldn’t have done this without some wonderful and generous neighbors,” Carbone continued. “This has been a group effort in many ways.  I have an amazing group of consistent volunteers that help cut wood, paint, even dig holes to install the mini libraries.”

“I’ve met so many wonderful, kind and generous people in our community and have even gained lifelong friends.  I’ve also taught my two sons so much about woodworking, art, painting and philanthropy.”

While Carbone’s mini-library pre-dated the pandemic, the worldwide health crisis had an effect on it during 2020.

“The pandemic caused people to become more interested in the mini libraries — because it was a safe and fun thing to do,” Carbone said. “They are able to social distance, be outside and stay safe.  This year we even had “contactless Halloween” where we had over 35 mini library “custodians” supply treats for kids that they could find via Google map.”

The Carbones and those with Carbone-built mini-libraries have even turned them into mini pantries during these difficult times.

“I had seen mini pantries online and since the pandemic made it especially hard for people to go grocery shopping, I thought we could help our community by turning our mini libraries into mini pantries,” he related. “Many helped by stocking canned goods, non-perishable foods, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and many other items in their libraries. These items were available to anyone who needed a little help with no questions asked. Everything is shared through our ‘MP Mini Library Mission’ Facebook group.”

In early February 2021 Carbone was honored for his mini-libraries by Mount Prospect’s Special Events Commission during its first-ever VIRTUAL Shining Stars Award ceremony. He received the “Home Town Award” which recognizes a group or individual that has done something special to promote the feeling of community or to further unify the diverse groups within the community and who exemplifies the village’s motto, “Where Friendliness is a Way of Life.”

The Catholic Friday Lenten Fish Fry tradition continued during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic but not on the church campus. Instead, St. Raymond Fish Fry committee members recruited five local restaurants to cook and serve the fish and pizza to patrons and then donate a portion of the proceeds to the church, according to Joe Irick, owner of Station 34 at 34 S. Main Street.

“Last year St. Raymond’s had asked if Station 34 would provide cheese pizzas for their Fish Fry as an alternative for those who do not consume fish,” he recalled. “Then, this year we mutually discussed putting on the Fish Fry at the restaurant and donating a portion of the proceeds back to the church since the Archdiocese of Chicago had said parishes could not do their traditional Fish Fry.”  

“I asked other restaurant owners in downtown Mount Prospect to participate, too, because with the number of parishioners St. Raymond’s has, there was absolutely no way I could handle that many additional patrons on top of our usual busy Friday night business,” Irick continued.  “You see, St. Raymond reported that they served between 450 and 650 people on each Fish Fry Friday, which they held every other week during the Lenten season.”

“Chris Boznelos of Mrs. P & Me was the first to hop in with us and we’re very glad he did, to help shoulder the load! In fact, I’ve heard that they are even doing a fish fry on Thursday nights, too. I also alerted the Downtown Merchants Association of this to see if they could help reach out to other restaurant owners, as well, and a few more hopped in with their assistance.”

The other participating restaurants included Canta Napoli Pizzeria and Ristorante, Jameson’s Charhouse and Mr. Beef and Pizza.  

Interestingly, prior to this, Station 34 did not have fish on their menu. But Irick said that they have now expanded their Lenten season menu to include Alaskan cod.

“It’s been great!  The St. Raymond members/supporters are incredible,” he continued. “Theoretically, it would be nice if this encourages more people to stop in and try Station 34. But right now, I’m just happy to be a part of such a strong tradition that I still remember fondly from my childhood.”  

“St. Raymond de Penafort hopes to return to offering their traditional Fish Fry events in Lent of 2022 as it is such a sought-after community event,” said Sharon Moeykens, Engagement Director. “The parish is extremely grateful that in such a time of uncertainty, these five Mount Prospect restaurants have rallied together to creatively serve a parish and its community during Fridays in Lent this year. We hope to continue strong relationships with restaurants in the area for future events.”

The Station 34 Pizza Pub, 34 S. Main St. (southwest across the street from Village Hall), offered family pizza meal kits to customers locked up during the various COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. They were the brainchild and invention of Station 34 owner Joe Irick who had actually started working on the idea before the pandemic hit.

“I wanted to bring home from the restaurant a fun activity for my kids,” Irick recalled. “So, I started to experiment to find the perfect recipe for a dough ball that would work well in a regular oven. When the pandemic hit, it just made sense to make these kits available for everyone to buy so that they could have a fun experience while stuck at home. It was also another way to bring in revenue while the restaurant was closed for dining.”

“So, we added them to our menu and promoted them on local Facebook groups. Quickly, customers started to promote the product to their friends, and it became popular, so I created a separate website for more direct marketing of the Pizza Meal Kits, and it continues to grow to this day,” he explained.

“Customers love that they have a fun activity to do at home and that the pizza was truly the same quality as restaurant-style pizza. They’ve been a hit!” Irick added.

At the beginning of the pandemic when many were afraid to make a trip to the grocery store, Station 34 even offered delivery of produce, meats, cheeses and toilet paper via their website. They also partnered with Capannari’s Ice Cream to deliver their ever-so-popular pints during the winter months when their storefront is closed. Station 34 has also expanded on the food kits idea and now offers hamburger kits (during grilling season) and taco kits, too. They can all be purchased at station34pizzapub.com.