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Archive for December, 2022

Say so long to 2022 at a New Year’s Eve restaurant or bar bash

Posted in Entertainment on December 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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Out with the old and in with the new! A bit trite, yes, but true. And restaurants and bars across the suburbs are saying goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023 with a plethora of New Year’s Eve specials, parties, champagne toasts, dancing, live music, brunches and more.

Make reservations now so you don’t miss out.

Avante Banquets

1050 Northwest Hwy., Fox River Grove, (847) 287-1006, avantebanquets.com/avante-2023-celebration-nye-event/. Party the night away at the New Year’s Eve Celebration from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Dec. 31. The $160 per person package includes an open bar, a filet and lobster dinner, wine during dinner, entertainment from Tony Ocean, dancing, a champagne toast, party favors, a late-night bites menu and more. Reservations required.

Broken Oar

614 Rawson Bridge Road, Port Barrington, brokenoar.com/. Broken Oar is planning a New Year’s Eve blowout bash starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, featuring live music from Triadd at 8:30 p.m. The special three-course meal includes an appetizer, entree (grilled rib-eye $50, surf and turf $60, twin lobster tails $60), dessert and a champagne toast. Reservations are required.

Concorde Banquets

20922 N. Rand Road, Kildeer, (847) 438-0025, concordebanquets.com/. Get dressed up for Concorde’s lavish Greek New Year’s Eve Party starting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 featuring music from DJ Jim Veikos, the Hellenic 5 Orchestra and Alpha Tunes. The $150 per person price includes a filet mignon and lobster tail dinner, open bar, pastry table, party favors, balloon drop, late-night snacks and a midnight champagne toast.

Hampton Social

100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (224) 633-5414, thehamptonsocial.com/holiday. On Dec. 31, raise a sparkling rose toast during dinner. Come back the next day to refuel with Hampton Social’s New Year’s Day Brunch. Reservations requested.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

1751 Freedom Drive, Naperville, (630) 577-1372; 699 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, (847) 205-5111; 9525 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, (847) 678-5155; 1470 McConnor Parkway, Schaumburg, (847) 413-8771, mortons.com/. Morton’s is offering a three-course Chateaubriand menu for two for dine-in from Dec. 24-31. The $179 dinner includes a winter salad, chateaubriand for two, two sides, and sticky toffee bread pudding, Morton’s Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake or bruleed cheesecake. Reservations required. 

Pinstripes

7 Oakbrook Center Mall, Oak Brook, (630) 575-8700; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-9300; 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, (847) 480-2323, pinstripes.com/. Pinstripes is celebrating with two balloon drops on NYE. Both include party favors and complimentary champagne for the adults. The 8 p.m. drop for families includes sparkling juice for the kids. The music starts at 8 p.m. and rocks until the midnight toast for adults. Reservations requested.

Port Edward

20 W. Algonquin Road, Algonquin, (847) 658-5441, portedward.com/. The seafood restaurant is hosting a Holiday Grand Buffet on New Year’s Eve. Along with unlimited champagne, highlights include seafood, prime rib, filet mignon Wellington, steak Diane, salad and veggies bar and desserts. It’s $65 for adults, $20 for kids 5-12, and free for kids 4 and younger. Reservations required.

Ruth’s Chris

933 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, (847) 498-6889, and 100 W. Higgins Road, Suite U-1, South Barrington, (847) 551-3730, ruthschris.com/promotions/christmas-and-new-years-at-ruths/. Ruth’s Chris is open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day serving the prix fixe Ruth’s Classic Menu (starter, entree, side and dessert). Reservations required.

Shaw’s Crab House

1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg-illinois/. For New Year’s Eve, Shaw’s will be serving from the full a la carte menu, which includes Norwegian King Crab, hand-rolled sushi and prime steaks. Reservations are available from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

More opportunities can be found here.

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Barrington Area Library posts New Year’s closure notice

Posted in Barrington Area Library, Property Taxes on December 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

BAL 2022

“The Library will be closed on Saturday, Dec 31, and Sunday, Jan 1.

We wish you a very happy new year!”

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Barrington School District 220 set to ask taxpayers to dig a little deeper with increased tax levy

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, BOHICA, DARCHED, Elections, His Master's Voice, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on December 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

220 Admin

The Barrington School District 220 board was poised to vote at its Dec. 20 meeting on a 6.6% increase in the tax levy for 2022 to support operating revenues and construction overruns.

SD220 spokeswoman Samantha Scheinman said the district expects to receive a 5.6% tax levy increase over the current year but is requesting a 6.6% increase, in the event new construction costs are larger than expected.

Based upon projections, the total expected tax revenue to be approved this calendar year but collected in 2023, excluding bond and interest, will be $140 million, according to board information.

SD220 spans four counties and collects property taxes from each: Cook, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties. The property taxes account for an estimated 81% of the district’s operating revenues.

Scheinman said the board will not issue the debt service extension base this year due to high inflation impacting taxpayers, which is expected to save local taxpayers approximately $2.4 million, collectively, she said.

At the Dec. 6 school board meeting, the board approved the purchase of property at 1525 S. Grove Ave. to accommodate growing enrollment in the Barrington Transition Program. The program works with students on life skills after high school graduation.

“As we looked at enrollment and needs, we see a significant increase in enrollment over the next four years with those students, and they’re already at maximum capacity of space,” Superintendent Robert Hunt said during the meeting. “The unit next to them opened up. Dr. Bein secured a good price for that so we can move forward with the expansion of that program due to enrollment. It has a lot of room for us to prepare for enrollment.”

Currently, the Barrington Transition Program serves 16 students in a space with a five-year lease that started in May 2019. The current space, also at 1525 S. Grove Ave., is 1,658 square feet. According to data provided by Scheinman, enrollment is expected to increase to 20 students during the 2023-2024 school year and up to 26 students for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Read more here.

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Mail theft prevention tips

Posted in Community Alerts, Crime, VBHPD on December 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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“Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight. Ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail if you are expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items.

Please contact the issuing agency immediately if you are expecting and do not receive a check or other valuable mail.

Bank online. If possible, please refrain from mailing checks, cash, gift cards, or other negotiable items. Check with your bank’s online services, as most offer secure and easy-to-use phone apps.

If you must send a check in the mail, use a gel pen to write checks, as ballpoint pen ink can be easily washed off a check.

Monitor bank activity online and review bank statements as soon as they are received to check for discrepancies

Drop off mail at the post office. Take mail containing checks directly to the post office counter to be mailed and record the names of the postal employees who take the check in case an issue arises later.

Use plain white envelopes to mail checks. Please don’t use return envelopes with the utility logo or municipality for tax payments. These tend to be easy targets for thieves.

Do not send cash in the mail.

Tell your Post Office when you will be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.

Lastly, if you see something, say something. Be sure to call 911 if suspicious activity is near any mailbox.”

Source

Related: “Police warn residents about high number of recent mail theft incidents in Chicago suburbs”

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What’s next for Amendment 1?

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Deception, Elections, Police Pension Board, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Roads & Bridges Committee, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on December 26, 2022| 3 Comments »

Taxes Am 1

Now that the Illinois Constitution has been amended to expand government union power, residents can expect to see costly government union demands, increased taxes and litigation to clarify its vague language.

The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the November election results Dec. 5, adding the proposed Amendment 1 to the Illinois Constitution.

Constitutional amendments require either 60% of those voting on the question to vote “yes” or a simple majority of all ballots cast in the election to approve the measure. Amendment 1 failed to reach the 60% threshold on the question but passed with a simple majority of all voters.

Now that it’s official, Illinois residents should be watching for at least three consequences: 1) costly government union demands in negotiations, 2) increased cost of government passed on to taxpayers and 3) litigation to clarify the amendment’s first-of-its-kind language.

Costly government union demands

Even before the amendment passed, the right to negotiate in Illinois was quite broad. Negotiations between the unions representing state and local government workers, including teachers, covered wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. Unlike most of our neighboring states, there were no limits to the wages and benefits government unions could demand.

But Amendment 1 expands bargaining to encompass broad new subjects, including “economic welfare” and “safety at work.” There is no definition or case law explaining what those terms mean. They could encompass virtually anything.

The Chicago Teachers Union has already tried to negotiate broad, non-traditional “economic” subjects into their contract with Chicago Public Schools, such as affordable housing. The Boston Teachers Union recently took a page out of CTU’s playbook when it negotiated the creation of 4,000 units of housing for homeless students into its contract. While the provision may seem altruistic in nature, the creation of housing for students is not traditionally negotiated into teacher contracts. It forces taxpayers to fund public policy decisions that their elected leaders should debate.

Amendment 1 empowers government union leaders to demand more than ever before and ensures they will have a permanent right to strike to get those demands met.

Read on here.

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Police warn residents about high number of recent mail theft incidents in Chicago suburbs

Posted in Crime, VBHPD on December 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

snow-covered-mailboxPolice are warning residents and offering safety tips after a high number of recent mail theft incidents occurring throughout the Chicago suburbs.

The Barrington Hills Police Department issued the warning and said the thefts had occurred in neighboring communities as well as other Chicago suburbs.

The police department said residents should take steps to protect their mail and lower their risk of becoming mail theft victims.

Residents are recommended to retrieve mail promptly after delivery and always avoid leaving mail in mailboxes overnight.

Cash or financial instruments, including checks and gift cards, should not be mailed.

Police said residents should consider the installation of a locking mailbox or utilize a post office box.

It is recommended people use letter slots inside the post office or hand outgoing mail to a letter carrier instead of using blue collection boxes and roadside mailboxes.

Read more here.

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Merry Christmas!

Posted in Community Alerts on December 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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O Holy Night

Posted in Uncategorized on December 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

JK

THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST, STAVRONIKITA MONASTERY, MT. ATHOS

By John Kass
December 24, 2022

For all the children who should be loved always, but especially on this night, with our arms wrapped around them and a long goodnight kiss on the temple, a kiss more precious than anything wrapped in a box.

For every parent who stands quietly in the darkened doorways of the bedrooms, watching those small, sleeping shapes.

For all the babies who aren’t loved enough and grow up with a hard crust around their hearts because there was no one near to plant those kisses and give those hugs. And for every couple so full of love, that they adopt a child and save that life.

And for every young mother who has given her baby up for adoption, to save that life growing inside of her. For all those who couldn’t have children of their own. For those who’ve lost their children. For all who’ve lost their moms and dads. For the moms and dads who give everything to keep their family close.

For those crazy uncles who always drink too much tonight, then sneak outside to put on the red suit in the driveway, hopping on one leg, falling in the snow, laughing out there in the cold, before coming back in to surprise the kids.

For those wise aunts who make sure that coffee is strong and black, to help those crazy uncles sober up.

And for everyone in every choir in the world. They’ve been practicing for weeks in cold, empty churches. And so tonight is their night too, their beautiful voices lifting us up with song, inviting us to humble ourselves as we ask for help in scraping away any bitterness that has grown like a hard bark around our hearts.

Read on here.

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Crabtree closes at 2 PM today

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC on December 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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How ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’ became America’s most banned book

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, Elections, His Master's Voice, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Topics Of Interest, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on December 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

GQ

Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books that have been the subject of complaints from parents in recent weeks on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Maia Kobabe grew up in an idyll. Cow fields threaded by a dirt road. No TV. Almost no internet. Nights fell over hills, stars shone bright, and Kobabe read fantasy novels, imagining other universes while searching for an identity, a glint of self to carry into the world.

“I lived in a shire,” said Kobabe, whose father and mother carved beads, weaved and sewed in a rustic community not far from this Northern California town. “I wish every kid had so much space to wander in. I wish every kid could walk out their door in any direction and be perfectly safe to catch snakes and frogs and pick berries.”

The pull of tides and the sway of nature were easier to decipher than the riddle within. Born with female anatomy, Kobabe didn’t feel like a girl, which became apparent in third grade when wading shirtless in a river during a class trip drew a reproval from the teacher. But boy wasn’t right, either. Kobabe was between two places and didn’t know where to stand. Was there anybody else in the world who felt like this? It was a mystery.

Kobabe’s insightful and moving coming of age discovery of identifying as nonbinary (using the pronouns e, em and eir) is told in the 2019 graphic memoir “Gender Queer.” Two years after its publication, the narrative, notable for its startling honesty and explicit drawings, became the most banned book in America, a target of school boards, conservative candidates, preachers and parental groups who condemned it as pornography aimed at impressionable children. Supported by librarians and vilified by Moms for Liberty, Kobabe was tugged from the writing life into the nation’s cultural wars.

Read more here.

Related: “Controversial ‘Gender Queer’ will remain on the shelf at Barrington High, school board decides”

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