Beginning today, The Observer will be publishing a monthly feature titled, “Flashbacks.” These publications will showcase stories from past articles posted that are noteworthy for readers in that they remind us of where we’ve been as a community in the news.
George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With that in mind, we give you some of the stories that made headlines in April of 2010 and 2011 in Barrington Hills.
It’s about business, not about socialism – 2010
“I’ve grown tired of the diatribe about socialism, big government and free markets. Those who blog about these things do so on the Internet built by DARPA, using computers built on technology from the space program. They watch so-called ‘tea party’ conventions on TV courtesy of NASA satellites. They go to rallies on roads built and maintained by local, state, and federal governments, guided by GPS satellite technology courtesy of our military.”
For Village President Robert Abboud’s complete Letter to the Editor published in two regional newspapers, click here. To download a PDF version (58 KB), click here.
April Village Board meeting was SRO – 2010
Dozens of residents attended this jam-packed meeting to voice their concerns over a proposed Lighting Ordinance. Public comment lasted one hour and forty-two minutes as residents, one-by-one asked questions or shared opinions, but that’s just part of why this meeting is noteworthy. The Board took only one hour and twenty minutes to discuss their public agenda items that night. One can only imagine or dream of such efficiency with our current Board.
To download a copy of the April 2010 Board minutes (50 KB), click here.
Save 5 Acres to preserve status quo – 2011
“Barrington Hills, already divided among four counties, endured a very divisive campaign for village board that pitted a slate of candidates fed up with local politics against those in power, and the status quo won.”
The full TribLocal story can be read here.
Barrington Hills ethics case continued – 2011
“The next State Board of Elections hearing on a campaign finance complaint against Barrington Hills’ winning “Save 5 Acres” slate of candidates will be held on a yet unspecified date within the next few weeks. The board heard testimony Thursday from a “Save 5 Acres” office worker who admitted to filing the campaign finance report that did not properly identify resident Benjamin LeCompte III as the original source of $5,000 donations to candidates Joe Messer, Karen Selman and Patty Meroni.”
That story from the Daily Herald may be read here.
– The Observer
I’d hope the Village Trustees have embarassed themselves sufficiently to have the good sense not to run for re-election. Abboud , however, is another story and WE must write the ending.
Whenever I read stories that include quotes from our elected here or elsewhere in the press I’m reminded of what Lincoln said: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”