The Village has recently released edited audio recordings from the February Village Board meeting. To access the menu of the meeting’s topical audio recording segments, click here.
Archive for March, 2013
February 25 Village Board meeting recordings released
Posted in Audio Recordings, Village Board on March 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »
School Board candidates focus on finances
Posted in 220, Elections 2013, School Districts, Taxes on March 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Budget challenges, class sizes and teacher evaluations were some of the key topics discussed Friday morning during a forum of the six candidates running for the District 220 Board of Education.
A large crowd of community members gathered at the Village Church of Barrington to hear Penny Kazmier, Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Sophia Chen-deVries, Christopher Geier, Jerry Keaton and Wendy Farley answer questions submitted by residents of the district.
Read more here.
March 18 Zoning Board agenda posted
Posted in Agendas, Zoning Board on March 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Monday evening’s Zoning Board meeting agenda can be viewed here.
Our reputation is our choice
Posted in Elections 2013, News Media, OP/Ed, Save 5 Acres, Unite Barrington Hills, Village Board, Village President on March 15, 2013| 7 Comments »
Last Friday, the Daily Herald published its endorsements for Village trustee candidates with this simple, yet all too candid, introduction:
“Barrington Hills may be best known for its rolling hills, five-acre minimum lots and equestrian-friendly atmosphere, but in recent years it’s also gained a reputation as a community whose leaders are often at odds with their neighbors, their residents and one another.”
If this frank assessment of our community comes as a shock to anyone, then they are woefully uninformed. Given the many stories published about our Village, it’s highly likely some residents friends, family or coworkers know of our acrimonious reputation, but they are likely too considerate to bring it up in polite conversation.
Now that our Village has this reputation (or as President Abboud refers to it, “branding”), what can be done to return to the good standing we once enjoyed? The answer isn’t simple.
Two years ago, the Abboud-supported Save 5 Acres candidates Meroni, Messer and Selman pledged to “Heal the rift“ in our Village, according to an interview published by the Daily Herald soon after their election to office. All three winning trustees agreed with Skip Gianopulos, the fourth elected trustee, who stated, “We have some healing to do in the village. It’s a great place. We all love it and we want to protect it.”
Obviously nothing has changed in two years. If anything, things have gotten worse, as evidence by Trustee Messer’s verbal assault on Trustee Gianopulos at a recent board meeting—with great irony, of course, given the subject of the meeting was rules for civility in public comment (see More village board meeting drama).
The current Abboud candidates running as Save 5 Acres 2.0 promise, “Continuing to improve communication with residents.” One of those candidates stated, “My observation is that there is a great deal of misunderstanding and myth regarding how the village is being run.” We agree, but if President Abboud is reelected, these myths, acrimony, and bad publicity will continue.
The reality is that President Abboud is responsible for encouraging an environment of animosity and for the resulting reputation we have gained among other communities and in the press. Trustees who’ve failed to address his authoritarian “home rule” bravado are also culpable. But in the end, the ultimate responsibility lies with the residents who have voted Bob Abboud twice into office.
The April 9 village presidential election decision must go to the candidate best suited to restoring our reputation. The candidate best suited to restore peace to Barrington Hills. It must be a candidate who is willing to take positive steps to unify us as a community, and to heal the rift between residents and Village government. Who will that be? Hint: it’s not Bob Abboud.
– The Observer
Riding Center closed due to outbreak of equine disease
Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Community Alerts, Riding Club of Barrington Hills on March 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »
According to the Riding Club website, the Riding Center will be closed for a week beginning today due to an outbreak of “EHV-1” in horses in Illinois. The virus, described as highly contagious, causes respiratory and neurologic sickness in horses, and the closure is a precautionary move by the Park District.
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