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District 220 Board of Education met Nov. 4th

November 9, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

The District 220 Board of Education met Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda included:

A copy of the agenda packet can be viewed here. The recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

Related: “Barrington High School’s Polling Place Appears to Be Missing from the Notices the Law Requires,” “A Polling Place for Some: Barrington High School’s Invitation-Only Early Voting,” “District 220 board members approve policy update on political activities,” “District 220 board members violated campaign policies, investigation finds,” “Proposed Policy Change Would Strip Anonymous Formal Grievances in Barrington District 220,” “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Cost of Living, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, South Barrington, Taxes, Unions, Video Recordings, What the Ficke (Bradford)? | Leave a Comment »

Leave the leaves, your garden will thank you (Gladly)

November 8, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Oak leaves on a lawn. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

By Tim Johnson | For the Chicago Tribune

My village has banners up that say “leave the leaves,” and I’m wondering if this refers to leaving leaves in the garden for the winter. Will it be okay if I leave leaves in my garden beds at home? I would love to save time raking up leaves from my garden.

— Cara Coyne, Glencoe

I always look for shortcuts to maintaining my home garden, and using a mulching mower to grind up leaves on my lawn and leaving leaves in garden beds is a significant time-saver. It’s also good for the environment. I like a more natural look to my garden, which luckily is easier to maintain.

My garden has several large oak trees, so there are lots of leaves to contend with. Leaves are now falling and starting to pile up. The normal fall routine for many gardeners is to remove all the leaves from the garden and either bag them up or pile them at the curb for transportation to a landscape waste facility to turn them into compost. Personally, I’ve left leaves in my garden beds at home for over 35 years with good results; it saves lots of time for cleanup, saves fuel for blowers, and supports pollinators and wildlife. This also saves money and time, since I don’t purchase much for my garden beds. The only exception is for fall plantings, which I mulch to help the plants get through the first winter.

Fall leaves create a natural mulch, which helps suppress weeds and improves the soil with organic matter as the leaves decompose. I also don’t cut back perennials in fall; I wait until spring. The perennial foliage and fallen leaves in the beds create a natural look with lots of winter interest, and they provide a habitat for insects and wildlife. We all need to do more to support pollinators, and one way is to leave perennial foliage up for the winter and leaves in beds year-round. Just cut your perennials back late in spring to 6 to 8 inches above the ground for maximum benefit for insects. I have a large hosta planting under an oak tree that I don’t even cut back in spring — I just let the hostas grow up from the old foliage from the previous year.

Because of the mature oak trees in my garden, the leaves pile up too deeply here and there in the borders or get blown into deep piles, so I do need to take those piles down a bit to avoid smothering perennials, groundcovers, and bulbs. You can pile excess leaves in a corner to decompose and create compost to use for future soil improvement. Removing leaves from the edges of your garden beds will give you a clean boundary between the lawn and garden beds, adding some order to the garden’s appearance. You don’t need to grind leaves up to use them as mulch — just let them fall and blow into the beds naturally. The leaves I pile up in the corner of the yard break down over the course of the summer, and every couple of years I can harvest some leaf compost from under the pile.

You can use a mulching mower for the lawn to mulch the leaves and grass clippings, which saves time and returns nutrients back to the lawn. I prefer the look of some leaves left on the lawn in fall versus a clean look, so I lowered my mower cutting height to about 2 inches. My robotic mower doesn’t work well with falling leaves, which is why I use my mulching mower to grind them up. Change the direction of mowing each time you mow. You should be able to easily see the blades of grass after you’re finished mowing for the season. A thick layer of leaves that covers the grass will probably smother the lawn if you leave it through winter, and a medium to dense layer of leaves can damage any areas of lawn that were seeded earlier this fall and are just being established. You’ll need to carefully rake or blow some of the leaves off the new grass if the ground is too soft to push a mower over. If the mower leaves ruts as you go, that’s how you’ll know not to mow the area.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Going green | Leave a Comment »

Man pleads guilty in YouTube threats to shoot McHenry County judge, Barrington Hills police

November 7, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Joel A. Koskinen (Photo Provided by McHenry County Sheriff’s Office)

By Amanda Marrazzo | Shaw Local

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to making YouTube videos in which he threatened to shoot a McHenry County judge, as well as Barrington Hills police officers.

Joel Koskinen, 36, who lives in the Barrington Hills area, pleaded guilty to counts in two separate cases of threatening a public official, Class 3 felonies, according to a judgment order filed in McHenry County court.

In one case, he was accused of creating a YouTube video in June in which he threatened to shoot the judge in the face. At the time, Koskinen was on pretrial release in a case from June 2025 in which he was accused of threatening to shoot and kill Barrington Hills police officers, records show.

In each case, he was sentenced to 18 months of felony probation, during which time he is ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment and follow all recommendations. He is to refrain from alcohol, marijuana and all other narcotics not prescribed by a doctor, according to the judgment orders.

Report continues here.

Posted in County, McHenry, Police Reports, Shaw Local, VBHPD | 1 Comment »

Playing For Keeps

November 7, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

A sunny day at Passion for Polo

By Tricia Despres | Country Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WIDIA VITI

At their Barrington Hills equestrian property, the Lueders family has built a life around family, friendship, and a shared passion for polo.

Jan-Dirk Lueders on Tilla, Nino Obregon, Stefanie Lueders, Anthony Garcia, Leon Schwencke holding Azafata

It’s a rainy morning, but Frauke Lueders can still see the beauty of the day.

“We are all healthy and that’s the most important thing,” Lueders says from her Barrington Hills home, where she has lived with husband Jan-Dirk Lueders for more than 20 years.

Certainly, it’s a lovely place to live a lovely life––a life the couple has enjoyed since moving to the area with their two horses and two dogs.

“My husband and I grew up in Germany with horses and with competition, but never polo,” explains Lueders, who had already established herself as an accomplished equestrian before moving to the States. “Friends invited us over the years to the Kalaway Cup in September, a fundraiser for the riding club and polo club in Barrington Hills. And then we really got sucked in.”

Eventually, that newfound love of polo found a home of its own at Cauthorn Farm, the couple’s nearby 42-acre equestrian property.

“In 2013, we did the spring polo school in Barrington Hills and we liked it,” remembers Lueders, who joined the Riding Club of Barrington Hills with her husband in 2007 before attending Barrington Hills Polo Club’s polo school in 2013. “That’s how it all started.”

Today, both Lueders and her husband play polo, along with their 25-year-old daughter Stefanie and 15-year-old daughter Emma as part of their aptly named Passion for Polo team and facility. And while their son much prefers playing soccer to polo, the sport allows the family plenty of opportunities to enjoy time together.

Article continues here.

Posted in Country Magazine, Passion for Polo, Resident Spotlights | 1 Comment »

Trump administration demands Illinois change school mental health screening policies

November 7, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor

Illinois is facing a federal deadline to change its school mental health screening policies after the Trump administration raised concerns about parental consent and student privacy, prompting a Lake County Moms for Liberty leader to urge parents to opt their children out of the screenings.

Marsha McClary, chair of the Lake County chapter of Moms for Liberty, said Illinois’ opt-out approach does not adequately protect parents’ rights, arguing schools should obtain explicit written permission before asking students personal questions about their mental health.

“Opt-outs can be missed and on multiple levels, whether the parent doesn’t see the ability to opt out or their communication isn’t clear,” McClary told The Center Square.

The U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice are challenging Illinois State Board of Education guidance that allows parents to decline student mental health screenings rather than requiring written parental consent before participation.

In an Oct. 30 announcement, the Department of Education gave ISBE until Nov. 13 to revise its guidance, warning that failure to comply could lead to enforcement action, including the potential loss of federal funding.

Federal officials argue the state’s approach could violate the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which requires prior written parental consent before minors participate in certain surveys or evaluations involving sensitive subjects, including mental or psychological problems.

The department also raised concerns about Illinois guidance making it optional for schools to include screening results in students’ official education records, arguing that could prevent parents from accessing information about their children’s well-being.

Report continues here.

Posted in Politics, School Districts, The Center Square | Leave a Comment »

Barrington Pumpkins Smashing Today

November 7, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Image credit: Paul Bergen/Redferns

Saturday, Nov. 7, 9-11 a.m.
Barrington High School
Upper Parking Lot of the Field of Dreams Complex

“Have fun smashing your pumpkins for composting at the Village of Barrington’s Pumpkin Smash event being held tomorrow at Barrington High School’s upper parking lot of the Field of Dreams complex, adjacent to Hart Road. This free event is open to the public and is held in partnership with the Barrington Environmental Advisory Committee, Barrington 220 and SCARCE.

Barrington Public Works Fleet Foreman Matt Heller has generously donated his 1,115-pound pumpkin, which recently took fourth place in a pumpkin-growing contest. The pumpkin will meet its smashing fate at the event for all to see!”

Posted in Barrington High School, Going green | Leave a Comment »

“New 150 acre data center site available” – 1011 E Main St, East Dundee, IL

November 6, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

(Please click on image to enlarge)

Property Information

  • For Sale: Subject To Offer
  • Property Type:  Industrial
  • Lot Size: 150 Acre
  • Date Updated: Nov 3, 2026

Description

-Price Subject to Offer -New 150 acre data center site available. -Abundant Electricity adjacent to property, but no hard commitment from Com-Ed. Handshake agreement that there will be plenty of power available because these lines will be powering another Data Center about 3 miles away. -Com-Ed is requesting a $1m fee to do the feasibility study. -Huge Com-Ed transmission corridor with 138kV and 345 kV lines (Yada, yada, yada…)

Full listing found here.

Posted in County, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Kane, Land Use, Politics, Taxes | Leave a Comment »

From The Real Story with Jeanne Ives and Amy Jacobson Broadcast Nov. 4th

November 6, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

What follows is a conversation the hosts had with Marty McLoughlin Wednesday morning after the election results were announced:

“Jeanne/Amy: Tell us what’s on your heart and what happened.

Marty: Well, listen, last cycle, 60,000 ballots were pulled in the 52nd District, and we had about 44,000 pulled this time. So, I think it’s pretty obvious that people were not inspired to go to the polls, particularly the independents.

I mean, let’s be frank, we didn’t exactly have the top of the ticket. We’re getting people excited, you know, for Darren Bailey, uh, the second run. And, you know, people like me that, uh, you know, kind of need the turnout, uh, definitely impacted the race that I was in.

Jeanne/Amy: You won last time by 47 votes. Last night you lost by 5,000 votes. And you’re, you’re talking about some nefarious things that were going on outside of, uh, polling places. Do you think that played a part?

Marty: No, no. Yeah, yeah, it was nuts. It was crazy. People were being accosted in the— it’s, you know, the— that’s— it’s not an excuse. I— here’s the good news, ladies. In about 14 months, we get to go out and start the process all over again. In 2 years, decide. Um, that’s what I love about this country.

Every 2 years, you get to decide the direction of our community. So for everyone that’s so devastated, I just like to remind them they’re 14 months away from going out and getting petition signatures to go at this again. That’s what I love about this country is that you get a constant opportunity to provide the direction of how your school boards go, how your park districts, how the state legislature.

I will say this, and you guys know me, we have not done a great job as whatever Republicans are anymore, because I always have a hard time figuring that one out. We should be messaging. We want to return to reasonable. We want to make crime illegal again. We want to make our taxes— tax dollars go further. And we don’t do that in a concise fashion so that nobody knows what we stand for anymore across the state.

If I were to ask, you know, how does Kevin Schmidt message in St. Louis or Joe Sosnowski in Rockford or myself, we’re all independent agents out there. And that sounds great until you’re running against people who are angry because there’s an ‘R’ in front of your name and they don’t really, they don’t really wanna know a whole lot more about you. And I’ve, from a messaging capacity, that’s been one of my big things for years. Let’s get 2 or 3 things that we all message.

So, when there’s an ‘R’ in front of your name, you go, oh, those are the people who brought low taxes. Those are the people that wanna be reasonable. And we don’t do that. And I think it’s a missed opportunity.

So, I congratulate my opponent. I’m looking forward to the higher taxes, the high-density housing, and the BUILD Act. And you get what you vote for. So this will be interesting. I’m sure she has plenty of ideas that’ll solve the state’s problem.

Amy/Jeanne: Yeah, and with super, super, super majorities now, they’re going to get it good and hard. And Maria Peterson will get to, you know, pretend like she’s not really in favor of those policies because they have so many extra votes too, with real true Marxists in Chicago that have been their long term. So, she’ll be safe from some of those terrible votes, and then she can play like, I didn’t vote for that. Again, this is what they do all the time, and this is why Marty, you’re a huge loss, in my opinion, to the caucus. You were reasonable.

Marty: And, um, you know, Amy’s really upset. 300 pounds. Amy thought I was 300 pounds. Are you talking weight-wise, or what are we talking about here? You know?

Amy/Jeanne: Well, you’re gonna run again in 2028, so that’s good news. That’s something positive.

Marty: Who, me? Well, listen, you know what, it’s only government. You know, I can do this in my sleep. Uh, if people want to, um, you know, get involved, I help people get elected all the time, Jeanne. I, I think there’s opportunities that are coming up in the spring, there’s opportunities next summer.

The only way we win this is by getting people, good people, to do this for the right reasons. I’m super proud of the way I did this for 6 years, the way I was mayor for 8. Wouldn’t change a thing. And, you know, the people in the District, it’s been a pleasure serving them.”

BreakthroughIdeas.com

Posted in Breakthrough Ideas, Cost of Living, Data Center, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Elections, Ethics, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes | Leave a Comment »

Barrington Hills Estate Sale Bonanza Fri-Sun

November 5, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Nov. 6 & 7 – 10AM to 3PM
Nov. 8 – 10AM to 4PM

5 AUTUMN TRAIL
Barrington, IL 60010

“HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROUTE 62. LESS THAN 1 MILE BEFORE/AFTER RTE 25. CASH OR CHECKS MADE OUT TO CASH. NO CREDIT CARDS OR ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS. WE ARE OPEN TO PRE-SALES. BRING HELP TO LOAD LARGE ITEMS.”

Full listing here.

Posted in Estate Sale | Leave a Comment »

U.S. Route 14 Underpass Update | Nov. 5, 2026

November 5, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Over the past month, crews have coordinated the following work:

  • Railroad bridge construction.Crews substantially completed the north bridge abutment (the structural element at each end of a bridge) and have poured the concrete for the center bridge pier. Following curing time and removal of formwork from these two areas, sheeting and excavation work for the south bridge abutment will begin later this month.
  • Storm sewer installation.Crews installed a substantial section of storm sewer along Route 14 between Hough Street and Shorely Wood Properties, which will convey stormwater from the bottom of the underpass to the Illinois Department of Transportation storm sewer pump station to keep the roadway dry in inclement weather.
  • Continued work on the storm sewer pump station.With building work largely complete, crews continue with electrical and HVAC work to support the facility.
  • Route 59 culvert construction, a storm sewer that will carry the relocated Flint Creek beneath the roadway.Crews completed the western half of the Route 59 culvert. The culvert has been backfilled to prepare for installation of curb and roadway base material next week, followed by paving and striping work in mid-November. Once this work is complete, the contractor will coordinate a change to the traffic pattern, shifting traffic onto the west side of Hough Street and closing the east side, which will allow for the second half of the culvert to be constructed this winter.
  • Initiated access drive work at Shorely Wood. Crews began demolition and grading work to support a new Shorely Wood entrance drive location. Permanent paving work will be coordinated within Shorely Wood over the next few weeks. Traffic will shift to the new access location following this final paving work and the installation of a temporary drive extension to the temporary Route 14 roadway. This traffic shift is currently anticipated to take place before Thanksgiving.

Alerts will be shared ahead of any changes to traffic patterns, along with revised traffic pattern visuals.

To stay informed and receive project updates, please visit the dedicated project website us14underpass.com or watch for email notifications.

 

Posted in Aunt Blabby, EJ&E/Canadian National, IDOT, Road construction, Traffic, U.S. Route 14 Underpass | Leave a Comment »

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