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Archive for March, 2023

Naperville state rep pushes bill to deny state grant money to public and school libraries that ban books

Posted in 220, 300, Barrington Area Library, Big Brother, Ethics, FUBAR, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Taxes, TMI, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, is the chief sponsor of a bill that would allow the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to to deny grant funding to public and school libraries that ban books.

The Illinois House has approved a measure sponsored by state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, of Naperville, that would allow the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to deny grant funding to public and school libraries if they ban books or fail to devise policies against removing titles from their stacks.

The 69-39 party-line vote in the Democratic-led House reflected the partisan divide on the book-banning issue both in the state and nationally. The bill is now being considered by the Senate.

Illinois has not seen as many cases of book bans or attempted bans as states that lean more Republican, according to some research. But according to the secretary of state’s office, citing figures from the Chicago-based American Library Association, there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022, up from 41 the year before.

Democrats say book bans often discriminate against the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups, while Republicans have argued that some titles need to be out of the reach of children if they contain pornography or obscene imagery.

Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin called the bill “a complete go-around and end-around on the local control and authority” of elected library boards.

“I think it’s (a) very blatant attempt to strong-arm our local communities and how they want to direct their libraries to operate and function,” said McLaughlin, of Barrington Hills. “I don’t understand why we have local elections anymore if a bill like this passes.”

Read more here.

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Canadian National railway overpass, other infrastructure work top of mind as 4 seek 3 seats on Barrington Village Board in April 4 election

Posted in 220, DARCHED, EJ&E/Canadian National, Elections, Entertainment, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions on March 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

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With three seats up for election on the Barrington Village Board next Tuesday, two newcomers are in the running as two incumbents seek another term.

Brian Prigge and Margot Dallstream have made their first foray into local government facing incumbents Jason Lohmeyer and Kate Duncan in the April 4 election.

Dallstream said she would like to see more activities for kids and teens and more, mid-priced restaurants for family dining.

Dallstream, 58, said with home rule in Barrington, “it made me very concerned who was on the board.”

“The scope of authority of home rule is quite large. I wanted to be involved in that process. I voted in favor of it, with caution. I like the idea of self- governance,” she explained.

She said the board has discussed a crime-free housing ordinance — since home rule was approved — which would impact her since she said about 40% of her block includes rental property and there have been some crime situations in her neighborhood.

She’s also hoping the new home rule sales tax will speed up infrastructure improvements such as roads, sidewalks, parking areas and the wastewater treatment plant.

Dallstream, a married mother of three daughters and active community volunteer, said she is supported by the Suburban Action PAC, a group formed in 2020 by parents in the Barrington community who felt they were not being heard at school board meetings, particularly around keeping schools closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine requirements.

With one daughter now attending Barrington High School, Dallstream said she spoke out about vaccine mandates and sharing data.

Read more here.

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Bid notice posted for 2023 Roads & Bridges Program

Posted in Politics, Property Taxes, Resident Spotlights, Roads & Bridges Committee, SOUL Harbour Ranch, Unions, Village Government on March 31, 2023| 1 Comment »

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“INVITATION TO BID NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Barrington Hills will receive sealed Bids until the 11th day of April 2023 at 3:00 p.m. local time at the Village of Barrington Hills, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010 at which time the Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud for the following project: VILLAGE OF BARRINGTON HILLS 2023 ROAD PROGRAM Work description: Provide all labor, services and materials necessary for the resurfacing of various roads throughout the Village of Barrington Hills.

This work consists of: hot-mix asphalt removal; placement of hot-mix asphalt binder and surface course; replacement of drainage structures and sewers; restoration and other associated improvement required to complete the project in accordance with the plans, specifications and all other applicable standards. The Contract Documents may be inspected and purchased at Trotter and Associates, Inc., 38 W Grand Ave, Fox Lake, IL 60020, beginning March 29, 2023. Contact Heidi Patla at h.patla@trotter-inc.com to purchase the contract docs. Hard and/or electronic copies are available. Payment for Contract Documents is non-refundable and shall be payable to Trotter and Associates, Inc. in the form of cash, certified check or money order. No partial sets of specifications or drawings will be issued. The non- refundable cost for plans and specifications is $50.00. Addenda will be issued only to plan holders.

Bidders will be required to provide Bid security equal to five (5) percent of the Bid in the form of a Bid Bond written by a company properly licensed in Illinois, a certified check or a cashier’s check. The successful Bidder must also comply with all the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act and all wages must comply with the Illinois Department of Labor Prevailing Wages for McHenry, Lake, Cook, and Kane Counties.

The Village of Barrington Hills, in accordance with the Laws of the State of Illinois, hereby notifies all Bidders that the Village reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, to waive minor informalities or technicalities, to advertise for new bids, or to request confirmation or clarification from any bidder regarding information contained in a bid. The Village will affirmatively ensure that the contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement will be awarded to a responsible and responsive Bidder without discrimination on the grounds of race, color or national origin, but the Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids received and to waive formalities.

Your Bid will be required to be submitted under a condition of irrevocability for a period of sixty (60) days after submission. Bids shall be received in a sealed envelope addressed to Village of Barrington Hills, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010 which is marked in the lower left-hand corner EXACTLY as follows: BID: Village of Barrington Hills 2023 Road Resurfacing Program Published in Daily Herald March 30, 2023 (4597651), posted 03/30/2023”

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Forest Preserves of Cook County March 2023 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC on March 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Mallards

Although female mallards are a muted, mottled brown, they feature a stunning blue stripe on their wings, bordered with black and white feathers. | Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Photo by: Roberta Appleby

In this Issue:

  • The Power of Native Plants
  • Celebrating Women’s History Month
  • Thank You Wild Things Community
  • Latest News: Join the Forest Preserves Police Force, Birdhouse Building Contest, Free Sustainability Lunch & Learn, Forest Preserve Foundation Awards Youth Conservation Corps Grants
  • Upcoming Events
  • Kick Off Earth Month with our Inaugural Trash Bash

Learn more here.

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How exactly is misinformation to be defined?

Posted in Barrington Area Library, Elections, Politics, Press Release, Property Taxes on March 28, 2023| 5 Comments »

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Anne Ordway – Elected Barrington Area Library Board Member

“Dear Editor,

I’m hearing Book Banning is a topic of conversation in the upcoming April  4, 2023 elections for the Barrington School & Library Boards.  In my time on the library board, no parent or patron has approached the Barrington Area library to ban a book.  Parents with concerns about books in schools view a public library different than a school library.

I ran for the Barrington Area Library Board in 2021 and won a seat on that board.  I ran because I am a frequent user of the library and closing it to the public for an extended period of time piqued my interest in library leadership.  We have current Library board members who want to do something about misinformation.  How exactly is misinformation to be defined?  Labeling what one doesn’t want to hear as misinformation is censorship and has no place in a public library.  At no time would we want a librarian to claim something is full of misinformation and then deny a book to a patron, or refuse to order a book for the library.

To assure The Barrington Area Library stays relevant, open, and with materials to offend everyone, I recommend voting for Chase Heidner, Kristin Cunningham, and Kelly Dittmann for the Barrington Area Library Board Trustee positions.

Thank you,

Anne Ordway – “Elected Barrington Area Library Board Member”

Source

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Amazon truck strikes Long Grove bridge, marking 45th crash since 2020

Posted in FUBAR, Topics Of Interest, Uncategorized on March 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Amazon

An Amazon delivery truck got stuck under the Long Grove covered bridge Sunday night, in what was the 45th collision since the bridge reopened in 2020. (Courtesy of Lake County Sheriff’s Office)

It’s happened again: Long Grove’s historic bridge has been struck.

Around 7:40 p.m. Sunday, an Amazon delivery truck just over 9 feet tall got stuck under the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge, which has a clearance of 8 feet 6 inches.

It marks the 45th time the bridge was struck since it was reopened and rededicated in August 2020.

Lake County sheriff’s deputies, who have jurisdiction in Long Grove, have responded each time, and been keeping a running tally.

“There are numerous signs informing drivers of the height restriction and signs prohibiting trucks and buses from using the bridge,” Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Monday morning.

The Amazon driver, Enrique Rivera, 24, of the 2400 block of Glendale Terrace in Hanover Park, was cited for disobeying a traffic control device and driving a prohibited vehicle over the bridge. He told deputies he thought the truck would meet the height clearance, Covelli said.

A towing agency responded and removed the truck from the bridge, and the roadway was closed for about an hour.

Read more here.

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Choose wisely at the polls

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, League of Women Voters, Mad Cows, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 26, 2023| 3 Comments »

BA LCL

Barry Altshuler and Leah Collister- Lazzari share a quiet moment together as they reflect on the apparent campaign violations they’ve gotten away with so far…

District 220 voters elected Barry Altshuler (BA) and Leah Collister-Lazzari (LCL) to the Board of Education (BOE) in 2019.  Despite their lack of experience, and one other vastly more qualified Board member, he was appointed Secretary of the Board and she to Vice President in 2021. Within months, they began displaying symptoms of delusions of grandeur, especially when their race for re-coronation began.

Some examples of their campaign violations include:

First: As we reported on February 10, BA failed to complete necessary paperwork required by the Illinois State Board of Elections  (ISBE) by naming a Treasurer to his Campaign Committee. Yet, even though this publication has repeatedly pointed this failure to follow rules out to him, he ignored them until only recently.

BA Privacy

LCL waited until last month to file her committee details (seen here), which revealed that she and BA share a common Committee Treasurer.

Second: Three weeks ago, BA sent campaign solicitation letters to, “… all the Dr’s in Barrington asking for their support for BOE.” It remains unclear how he obtained his solicitation mailing list, but his actions swiftly prompted the Patient Services President of Advocate Good Shepard Hospital to send the following message to area physicians:

Advocate Letter

Third: It came to our attention recently that BA is censoring comments made to his campaign Facebook page.  This, despite the fact that courts have ruled that public officials cannot block critics from commenting on their Facebook page associated with their political office (see, “Court Rules Public Officials Can’t Block Critics on Facebook”). Yet this was revealed when people try to comment on his site:BA Blocks

BA is a practicing pediatrician.  As such, with that level of education, he cannot in good conscience claim ignorance of these rules and laws.

Fourth: BA and LCL’s campaign signs are printed with the District 220 logo front and center (below).  It’s unclear what, if any, permission(s) they sought or who, if anyone, granted it.  What we do know is last week District 220 Superintendent Dr. Robert Hunt announced as a result, the District will incur the expense of copyrighting District 220 logo’s to prevent its unauthorized use in the future.220 Logo

Fifth: LCL called in to vote on a controversial measure while working/vacationing in New Zealand in violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA), prompting residents to bring OMA complaints to the State’s Attorney General’s office and the Policy Committee of the BOE to undertake review of the rules surrounding calling in to meetings while traveling.

Given all this, we strongly encourage voters to choose wisely at the polls. Consider the missteps of these incumbent candidates and how they have behaved (so far) in the 2023 District 220 election.

Related: “Two term District 220 Board of Education member Angela Wilcox endorses Katey Baldassano, Leonard Munson, and Matt Sheriff for 220 Board,” “Endorsements: Munson, Baldassano and Sheriff for CUSD 220 Board of Education,” “District 220 Board of Education candidates Katey Baldassono, Leonard Munson and Matt Sheriff share their vision,” “Parents at top-rated school expose pornographic books in IL school library (DISCRETION ADVISED),” “The District 220 Policy Committee has a lot on their plate tomorrow,” “Who’s minding Leah and Barry’s campaign finances,” “What 220 voters need to know continued, including our recommendations,” “What 220 voters need to know,” “220 Parents call BS!”

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Indoor vaping, cat declawing could be banned under recently passed bills

Posted in Politics, Springfield, Unions on March 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Illinois_Flag_-_1_1200x721

One measure would begin the process of considering a new state flag

The Illinois Senate passed 68 bills this week while the House had advanced 284 as of Friday morning with hundreds more to go before their adjournment for the week.

It was the first in a two-week stretch of legislative deadlines for bills to move from one chamber to the other. While there are many procedural ways to revive a bill’s language after the deadlines’ passage, the deadlines mark an annual milestone in the session’s final stretch.

Among the hundreds of bills that passed this week were a measure banning vaping indoors and the creation of a commission to consider a new state flag.

Vaping ban

A measure banning e-cigarette use in public places passed the Senate on a 48-5 vote.

Cat declawing ban

One measure that passed last week in the House, House Bill 1533, would make it illegal to declaw a cat if the procedure is not medically necessary.

New state flag?

The Senate on Thursday also advanced a bill to create a commission that would consider designs for a new state flag. The measure sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, passed on a 39-16 vote with Republicans’ main concern being that lawmakers could be using their time on more important issues.

Felons as estate executors

People with previous felony convictions would still be allowed to act as executor of someone else’s estate under a bill that passed through the Illinois House on Thursday.

Rent control on mobile home parks

One bill that did not pass Thursday would have allowed municipalities to impose rent control on mobile home lots.

Read more here.

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Stricter rules for RV parking enacted in South Barrington

Posted in South Barrington, Village Code on March 24, 2023| 2 Comments »

RV Parking

Drivers of campers, boats on trailers, motor homes and other recreational vehicles now face stricter rules if they want to park in South Barrington.

Restrictions approved this week by the village board include limits on where people can park such vehicles, how long RVs can be parked and how many times per year they can be parked at a given address.

Complaints from residents prompted officials to develop the rules, Mayor Paula McCombie said. The changes have been in the works at least two years.

Among the rules:

  • Recreational vehicles can only be parked in residential neighborhoods.
  • Parking RVs on residential driveways is forbidden without first requesting permission from local police in writing or by phone.
  • Permission can be revoked if police discover an RV is in disrepair or a danger to people or other vehicles, among other reasons.
  • Recreational vehicles cannot be parked in driveways for more than one day at a time, and only so that the vehicles can be loaded, unloaded, cleaned or maintained; the limit previously had been 48 hours.
  • Only one RV can be parked at any residence at once, unless one RV is towing another.
  • People can only have RVs parked in their driveways for 14 days each year.

For that last rule, any part of a day counts as a whole day, Village Administrator Robert Palmer said. Previously, RV parking was limited to two weeks per year on dates that are at least six months apart.

Violators can be fined up to $500 for each day rules are broken.

Read more here.

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Organized chaos in Barrington today

Posted in Barrington High School, Community Alerts, Traffic on March 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

BHS

Per the Village of Barrington:

“Active Shooter Training Notice Friday, March 24, 2023 at Barrington High School

An active shooter training scenario is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, March 24th at Barrington High School. Training for District 220 staff and officers from surrounding agencies will be participating. Please note that there will be increased police presence for this training.”

AND:

“TRAFFIC ALERT Hillside Avenue Closed Today at Union Pacific Tracks

Hillside Avenue is closed at the Union Pacific (Metra) tracks between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM today, Friday, March 24th while the Union Pacific completes track repairs. Detour signage will be in place during this work. Please plan accordingly.”

Note: Today is an, “In-Service Day,” and there will be no school.

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