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Archive for October, 2019

The cost to educate kids in the Northwest suburbs varies greatly by school

Posted in 220, Property Taxes, School Districts on October 30, 2019| 1 Comment »

 

In the case of Illinois’ second-largest elementary district with about 12,000 Northwest suburban students, the school with the biggest per-pupil expenditures has the most special education programs, according to the annual state report card released today.

At Barrington Area Unit District 220, Sunny Hill Elementary School in Carpentersville places first among 12 buildings at $21,108 in per-pupil expenditures, with Grove Avenue Elementary in Barrington lowest at $15,425. District 220 Superintendent Brian Harris said a low-income student population, bilingual and English as a Second Language programs, and state and federal funding requirements are reasons Sunny Hill tops the list.

State education officials said the new report card listing with the school-level per-pupil spending includes ongoing educational expenses, such as staffing, supplies, transportation, security, administrative services, and a school’s proportional share of other centralized expenditures. Expenses are broken down by federal, state and local funding sources.

Read the full Daily Herald story here.

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Owner of Barrington’s Catlow Theater sounds alarm about closing, then reverses course

Posted in Topics Of Interest on October 30, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Hours after sending a dire email warning that downtown Barrington’s Catlow Theater will close unless unspecified state taxes are paid, its owner reversed course Wednesday and said the national historic landmark will remain open.

“I’m in need of immediate help,” owner Tim O’Connor wrote in his initial email to his customers Wednesday. “I need to pay my state taxes by Oct 31st or the Catlow and Showtime Eatery will be shut down by the state.”

O’Connor later told the Daily Herald that after consulting with his attorneys and an accountant, he can pay the Showtime taxes. He also said a solution has been found on how to keep the Catlow and Showtime open, but he declined to elaborate.

Catlow Theater LP filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Oct. 8, records show. Movie studios make up the majority of the 17 creditors listed in the federal filing, including Warner Bros. Distributing Co. at $16,471, Universal Film Exchange at $12,444, 20th Century Fox at $4,376 and Paramount Pictures Corp. at $3,815.

Read more here.

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Barrington Hills says ‘no’ to recreational marijuana sales

Posted in Politics, Springfield, Village Attorney, Village Board, Zoning Board on October 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Barrington Hills village board members have rejected the idea of allowing recreational marijuana businesses in town.

Trustees voted 6-0 Monday for an ordinance prohibiting retail sales or other kinds of marijuana businesses in the village. The vote came a week after Barrington Hills’ advisory zoning board of appeals recommended a ban on recreational pot businesses.

“As with any zoning amendment, if the village board decides to adopt this ordinance, it can always change its mind,” Village Attorney Sean Conway told the elected officials.

Read more here.

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Road projects in Northwest suburbs: Route 53 bridges, work on Arlington Hts. and Algonquin

Posted in Cook, County, IDOT, Springfield, Taxes, Village President on October 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Algonquin Road

Engineering will begin next year for a planned resurfacing of nearly 5 miles of Algonquin Road between Route 25 and Dundee Road in Barrington Hills. About three-quarters of the $10 million funding allocation is for bridge repair and replacement at Spring Creek.

Since 2017, the state has suggested plans to widen Algonquin Road with two lanes in each direction. If that’s the case, village officials have asked for it to be done as a scenic parkway rather than a typical four-lane state highway.

Village President Martin McLaughlin used a baseball analogy when describing the start of engineering work on the multiyear project. “In a nine-inning game, it means the pitcher is warmed up, on the field, and ready to start the process,” he said.

Barrington Road

A $19 million project calls for reconstruction of a 1.5-mile stretch of Barrington Road from south of Algonquin Road to Central Road, and adding a lane each way on a small portion north of Mundhank Road. A bike path is also planned on the west side of Barrington Road.

Read more from the Daily Herald here.

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BACOG well test kits available for pickup beginning today

Posted in BACOG, Taxes on October 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Area Council Of Governments will host a water testing event November 5th for Barrington-area residents who receive their water from private wells.

Households with private wells are advised to test for bacteria and nitrates on an annual basis to detect invisible, odorless contaminants. Bacteria and nitrates can result from animal or human waste or fertilizer components reaching the well water and can cause illness. 

Residents of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington and Tower Lakes and the unincorporated areas of Barrington and Cuba townships are eligible.

Kits can be purchased for $15 between October 28th to November 1st at village and township offices of BACOG member communities. They can be dropped off between 1 and 7 PM November 5th, at The Garlands of Barrington, 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington. Results will be mailed to homeowners within two weeks.

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Ignite the Night benefits Citizens for Conservation efforts

Posted in Barrington Hills Park District, Citizens for Conservation, FPDCC on October 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

More than 500 people attended Citizens for Conservation’s harvest fundraiser, Ignite the Night, Sept. 14 in Barrington Hills.

The event at the Barrington Hills Park District featured live music by Beamish, food and beverages, stargazing with professional-grade telescopes, flashlight walks, close-up encounters with raptors, a raffle and horse-drawn wagon rides, all capped by a spectacular bonfire.

Citizens for Conservation hoped to divert as much material from the landfill as possible. Thanks to the assistance of the group Mindful Waste, all packaging used at the event was compostable, recyclable or reusable.

Mindful Waste volunteers were on hand to educate and help with the sorting process, and after recycling 154 pounds of bottles, cans and cardboard; upcycling 11 pounds of plastic film; composting 315 pounds of food waste, paper plates, cups and napkins; and donating 60 pounds of extra corn, only a six-pound bag of landfill waste remained.

All proceeds from the event will support Citizens for Conservation’s preservation and restoration work in the Barrington area. Supporters of the event included the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the Barrington Hills Park District.

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Count down to Halloween with trick-or-treating, pumpkin and fall fests starts today

Posted in Topics Of Interest on October 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Meet the animals and more at Randall Oaks Zoo’s Fall Festival this weekend.

Festivals and fun activities abound for all ages staring now through Halloween. Here are just a few examples:

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 9 AM to 5 PM Friday through Sunday, Oct. 25-27, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Corn stalk maze, corn-bin play area, fall treats and pumpkins for purchase. On Saturday and Sunday, enjoy Boo at the Zoo with costume contests at 1 PM bonfires, hayrides for $2 and trick-or-treating throughout the zoo. Zoo admission: $3.50 for residents; $4.25 for nonresidents; free for kids younger than 2. (847) 428-7131 or dtpd.org.

What the Trees and the Moonlight Know: 11 AM and 1 PM Saturday, Oct. 26, at Barrington’s White House, 145 W. Main St., Barrington. TesserAct invites kids through middle school age to experience a Halloween adventure combining the modern love of video games and the ancient oral art of storytelling. Wear a costume and sit by the fire for something scary and fun. $10. www.barringtonswhitehouse.com/events.

Trunk-or-Treat: 10 to 11 AM Saturday, Oct. 26, at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, 8901 Cary-Algonquin Road, Cary. Trick-or-treating in the St. Barnabas Church parking lot. Visit decorated car trunks to collect candy, plus games, activities and more. Free. www.stbarnabas-cary.com.

Fall Color Festival: 7 AM to 6 PM daily through Thursday, Oct. 31, at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. See brilliantly colored trees, sample taffy apples and treats, walk along a scarecrow trail around Meadow Lake and more. $10-$15. www.mortonarb.org/special-events/fall-color-festival.

Didier Farms Pumpkinfest: 9 AM to 6 PM daily through Thursday, Oct. 31, at Didier Farms, 16678 W. Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Hayrides, corn maze, pony rides, pig races, Animal Land Zoo, bird-feeding in the parakeet exhibit and more. Free admission; activities require tickets. didierfarms.com.

Hallow-Palooza: 6 to 9 PM Friday, Oct. 25, at Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville. Dress in your best costume for an evening of activities including a photo booth, treasure hunt, indoor driving range, spooky storytime, bounce house, games, magic show at 6:30 p.m., dance party at 7:45 p.m., pumpkin patch (while supplies last) and more. $10 at the door. (847) 428-7131 or www.dtpd.org.

Halloween Party: 9:30 AM to noon Saturday, Oct. 26, at Palatine Park District Community Center, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine. For kids 1-10. Features activities for little ones, carnival games, crafts, a glow-dance party room and goodies. Parents/guardians are required to remain at the event to supervise their children. $7 children; $1 parents. www.palatineparks.org.

Halloween Bash: 10 AM to 11:30 AM Saturday, Oct. 26, at Triphahn Center, 1685 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates. Event for kids 12 and younger features pumpkin decorating, games, crafts and snacks. Come dressed in your costume. Register by Friday, Oct. 25. $5-$6. www.heparks.org.

Halloween Horror Film Fest: Noon Saturday, Oct. 26, to 3 PM Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Catlow Movie Theatre, 116 W. Main St., Barrington. Films include “House on Haunted Hill,” “Night of the Living Dead,” “Gray Matter,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Evil Dead 2” and more, plus vendors, free posters, charity auction and more. Pay once, come and go as you like. $18 in advance, $24 at the door. www.brownpapertickets.com.

Algonquin Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade: 1 PM Saturday, Oct. 26, at Towne Park, 100 Jefferson St., Algonquin. Check in will take place in the Towne Park parking lot and dogs and their owners will be lined up for judging. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Kids 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Awards will be given for the best dog costume and best theme owner/pet costume. $5 per entry. www.algonquin.org.

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Chicago’s tax rates on homes undercut the suburbs, report says

Posted in Cook, County, Property Taxes on October 23, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Effective property tax rates for homes in Chicago, calculated as a percentage of their market value, continue to be among the lowest for communities in northeast Illinois, according to a report issued Monday by the nonpartisan Civic Federation.

The group said among 12 selected Cook County communities, Chicago in 2017 had the lowest average effective tax rate for homes at 1.74%. Its report found that Harvey had the highest rate, 7.08%.

On its face, the finding could be seen as cover for Mayor Lori Lightfoot as she considers a property tax increase to help her wrestle with a projected $838 million budget deficit for next year. But that’s unlikely to mean much to Chicago homeowners who have seen steady increases in their tax bills and are bracing for more.

The federation’s report, however, documents a continued pattern that favors Chicago over communities that are largely poor or with a declining tax base. With a large source of commercial and industrial property plus many expensive homes, local governments in Chicago don’t need high tax rates.

Read the full Chicago Sun-Times report, including reference to Barrington, here.

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Barrington District 220 pushing voter registration ahead of March referendum

Posted in 220, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, League of Women Voters, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts on October 21, 2019| 1 Comment »

After low turnout in April’s election that saw voters reject a $185 million bond issue for Barrington Area Unit District 220, officials are encouraging parents, students and others to register to vote ahead of March’s primary election featuring a scaled down ballot measure.

Barrington Area Unit District 220 officials are encouraging parents, students and others to register to vote as part of an effort connected to next year’s $147 million referendum to fund building projects.

“I’m not sure how many people we actually will get,” District 220 Superintendent Brian Harris said, “but it’s at least worth the opportunity to engage people in their constitutional right.”

Harris said the district’s goal is to have employees qualified to perform voter registration at all 12 schools and the administration center on Main Street in Barrington, with the hope of boosting turnout within District 220’s boundaries in March. That idea was endorsed by school board President Penny Kazmier at a recent meeting.

“It’s a nice kind of community service, I think,” Kazmier said.

Read more from today’s Daily Herald here.

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Learn the legends and lore of the barn owl at Stillman Nature Center’s Raptor Sunday event

Posted in South Barrington, Topics Of Interest on October 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Raptor Sunday

When: 1 to 3 PM Sunday, Oct. 20

Where: Stillman Nature Center, 33 W. Penny Road, South Barrington

Details: Meet barn, barred, great horned and screech owls. Stillman staff will also present a peregrine falcon, broad-winged hawk and red-shouldered hawk. Staff will bring the birds out so you can see them up close. Kids will have a chance to dissect owl pellets. Bring a camera.

Fee: $10 per car

Info: www.stillmannc.org; (847) 428-OWLS (6957)

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