Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Mad Cows, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, The Other Half, Topics Of Interest, Unions on September 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 7:00 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Property Taxes, Sears, Topics Of Interest on September 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Dallas-based Compass Datacenters closed on its purchase of the 273-acre former Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates on Tuesday. The village has not yet seen a detailed plan for the property. (Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer, 2019)
The former Sears campus in Hoffman Estates may now have a promising future to go with its storied past, as Dallas-based Compass Datacenters closed on its purchase of the 273-acre site Tuesday.
The move turns a page for Hoffman Estates and closes the book on Sears’ presence in the Chicago area, from where it helped shape the national retail industry for decades.
“We are very pleased to welcome Compass Datacenters to Hoffman Estates,” Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said in a statement. “The redevelopment of the former Sears headquarters into a data center campus begins a new chapter for this high-profile property and continues the technology diversification of our tax base. Although still preliminary, the investment by Compass will be in the billions of dollars and will have positive effects for our community for years to come.”
Representatives of Compass have not responded to requests for comment in recent weeks.
The company is in the process of being acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, according to a news release in June.
But CEO Chris Crosby’s statement at the time alludes to the ambitions demonstrated by Tuesday’s land purchase.
“The industry is at a critical inflection point today with AI and cloud demand continuing to fuel significant growth,” he wrote. “With Brookfield Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers’ strategic expertise and deep financial resources, Compass is ideally positioned to meet growing demand for hyperscale data centers and campuses.”
Hoffman Estates officials haven’t yet received a detailed proposal for the property, but the 2.4 million square feet of office space there seems destined for the wrecking ball.
Read more here.
Posted in Equestrian Commission, Uncategorized, Village Government on September 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Posted in BACOG, Going green, Land Use, League of Women Voters, Organizations, Plan Commission, The Greatest Generation, Topics Of Interest, Village Board, Village Government, Village President on September 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Barbara Ann Hansen was first female Village President of Barrington Hills.
Barbara Ann Hansen (née Park), 95, passed away in her home in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday, September 2, 2023, after a brief illness. She was surrounded by those who loved and cared for her.
Barbara was born on February 26, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Thomas E. Park Sr. and Mildred Andrea Park (née Danielson). As a sophomore in high school, she transferred to the University of Chicago Laboratory School, graduating in 1945. She attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, graduating in 1949 with a degree in Economics.
In September 1949, Barbara married Julian Rial Hansen; they met during their senior year at the Lab School. For the next 74 years, they created a lifelong partnership that encompassed raising a family, civic endeavors, sports, and world travel.
After their marriage, Barbara and Julian moved to Chicago where Julian attended the University of Chicago Law School. Daughter Jane arrived in 1951. After graduation, the family moved to Milwaukee for Julian’s first job but their stay was cut short when Julian, a Navy pilot, was recalled to serve in the Korean War. After his tour of duty, they returned to Chicago where Julian helmed the family law practice. Daughter Dicie arrived in 1956.
In 1964, Barbara and her family made the move to a gorgeous but rundown 39-acre property in Barrington Hills, IL. For the next 30 years, preserving the native oaks, hickories and wildflowers while incorporating a series of perennial gardens would be a labor of love for Barbara.
Barbara had long been interested in good governance and she was elected to the village’s Board of Trustees in 1977. She concluded 12 years of service with an eight-year term as their first female Village President. Her tenure was marked by significant advances in land use planning and development. Her other civic endeavors included Chair of the Barrington Area Council of Governments from 1976-1978 and work for the League of Women Voters.
Barbara was passionate about flower arranging. After an early misstep using tulips in her first Garden Club of America (“GCA”) flower show, she vowed never to receive an Honorable Mention award ever again. So, she pursued her art with determination, many classes, and hours of practice. In the process she became a GCA Flower Arranging judge in 1983 and earned all of the GCA’s highest awards including two Fenwick medals, the Cramer Award and the Dorothea Wallace award. In her ongoing pursuit of excellence, Barbara became a GCA Photography judge in 2006. She was a member of the Garden Club of Barrington and Founders Garden Club of Sarasota. At the national level, Barbara served as the GCA Treasurer and was a member of the GCA Executive Board.
Her interest in all things horticultural led Barbara to join the Board of Marie Selby Gardens from 2001 until 2007. In 2002, she assumed the Board Chairmanship until 2004. She steered the gardens during a difficult time and the search for a new CEO.
Sports played an important part in Barbara’s life. Tennis, golf, and snow skiing were lifelong pursuits. With diligence and perseverance, she made the A Team for ladies’ golf at Barrington Hills Country Club. For many years, Barbara and Julian held the “Summer Olympics” in August at their Barrington Hills home, inviting their friends to compete in sailing, canoeing, badminton, and horseshoes with ping pong after dinner to settle any ties.
Barbara and Julian loved to travel and visited almost 50 countries and all fifty states over the years. While many of the trips were with family, many others were in the company of intrepid friends. Trips to China, South Africa and Botswana, Tanzania, the Galapagos and Ecuador, Costa Rica, Belize, Argentina, New Zealand and almost every country in Europe were thoroughly planned and joyfully experienced.
In 1979, Barbara and Julian purchased a condo in Longboat Key, FL where they spent many relaxing winters and escaped Chicago’s blizzards. For over 20 years, Barbara was Landscape Chair at Sands Point Condominium where she was responsible for designing and maintaining the 7.8-acre property. In 2017, Barbara and Julian moved to Sarasota full-time. They treasured the beauty and birdlife in Sarasota.
Barbara was often called “a force of nature.” She was a friend to many, a mentor to most and a woman on a mission who made a difference in so many lives. She will be missed by all her family and friends.
Barbara is survived by her husband Julian, her daughters Dicie and Jane Hansen, Jane’s husband Robert G. Stanton, and her two grandsons, Christopher Hansen Miller and Andrew Hansen Miller.
A celebration of life is tentatively planned for November in Sarasota and a small gathering in Barrington later this year. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens may be made at https://selby.org/support/
To add a guest book entry, visit Your Traditions Funeral Home.
Posted in Agendas, Audio recordings, Barrington Hills Park District, Big Red, Conflict of interest, Deception, Entertainment, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Organizations, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Topics Of Interest, Unions, Village Director of Administration on September 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Equestrian Commission will hold a meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Though scheduled to meet quarterly, this will be their first meeting in a year.
Topics on this evening’s agenda are:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Posted in BOHICA, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on September 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (center) with others during an event in Kankakee County Friday | Facebook / Governor JB Pritzker
A hefty tax incentive package has lured a Chinese-based battery manufacturer to Illinois.
Gotion has announced it will build a $2 billion lithium battery manufacturing plant in the community of Manteno in Kankakee County.
Gotion’s total incentive package from the state of Illinois and local governments, which includes Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act, Invest in Illinois and other incentives, is valued at $536 million.
A similar proposal by Gotion to also seek taxpayer funding for a new plant in Michigan has been met with widespread opposition in part because of concerns about Gotion’s connections to the Peoples Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The company is the fifth to make a deal with the state of Illinois under the two-year-old REV program. The Gotion facility will make lithium battery cells and battery packs used in electric vehicles.
“Those batteries will be built by more than 2,600 full time Illinois workers, bringing not just new jobs but also economic development and opportunity to the residents of this region,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
Read more here.
Posted in 9/11 Ceremonies on September 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Retired Palatine firefighter/paramedic Mark Hallett gets emotional during the lowering of the American flag to half-staff during Monday’s Patriot Day remembrance ceremony Monday at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial. Hallett served from 1981-2011 and was the main speaker at the ceremony. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer)
Suburban residents came together Monday to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In Palatine, about 100 police officers, firefighters, public officials and residents gathered at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial downtown. Current and retired members of the Palatine Fire Department marched to the memorial from Fire Station 85, accompanied by the department’s Honor Guard.
“Today, we salute all the brave souls who selflessly gave their lives to save others,” Matt Hallett, a retired Palatine firefighter/paramedic, said during the ceremony. “We continue to mourn the people who were taken too soon from their husbands, their wives, their children and their friends. This day should always remind us that our lives are way too short and, unfortunately, can be taken away without any notice.”
Palatine Fire Department members and retirees march to the memorial site from Fire Station 85, accompanied by the Palatine Fire Department Honor Guard. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer)
Elgin held its annual Patriot Day remembrance ceremony at the Hemmens Cultural Center.
The event featured a combined police and fire department honor guard to post the colors, prayers by chaplains from both departments, a performance of the national anthem by Larkin High School students at a rendition of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes by Elgin police Sgt. Jim Lalley.
Mayor David Kaptain said that while the day honors those lost in the attacks, more people died in the aftermath. He added that many continue to suffer from health issues caused by the toxic, contaminated air following the twin towers’ collapse.
Read more here.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington High School, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plan Commission, Property Taxes, School Districts, Topics Of Interest, Village Government on September 11, 2023| 1 Comment »
780 County Line Road
The Plan Commission is scheduled to have a special meeting this evening starting at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda are:
A copy of the agenda can be found here.
Editorial note: It is recommended that those interested in the discussion regarding the property at 780 County Line Road consider attending this meeting. The poor audio quality of remotely accessed meetings continues to be a problem (and has been for years now). Clearly, this is not a priority for the Cecola administration.
Posted in Community Alerts on September 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Communities across the suburbs will observe the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with remembrance ceremonies.
Hoffman Estates
Hoffman Estates Celebrations Commission is hosting a memorial ceremony to remember and honor all those who tragically lost their lives as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Penn. All are welcome to attend the Patriot Day ceremony at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at the village hall, 1900 Hassell Road. Visit hoffmanestates.org.
Palatine
Palatine will host a memorial ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
The approximately 30-minute ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at North Brockway and West Slade streets in downtown Palatine.
Palatine Fire Department members and retirees will march to the memorial site from Fire Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax St.
They will be accompanied by the Palatine Fire Department honor guard.
Members of the Palatine fire and police departments will lower the flag, place a wreath at the memorial and perform a ceremonial ringing of the bell to signify a firefighter’s last call of duty.
For information, visit palatine.il.us.
Note: These are the two closest locations to our Village. Click here for more.
Posted in Barrington Education Association, Cook, County, Deception, Ethics, Organizations, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Unions on September 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates PHOTO: SCOTT HEINS/GETTY IMAGES
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates has called school choice racist and made it her mission to kill an Illinois scholarship program for low-income children. So how did Ms. Gates try to explain herself this week after press reports that she has enrolled her son in a private Catholic high school?
“Dear Union Sibling,” began her email to fellow teachers. She said that black students have “limited” options on the city’s south and west sides: “It forced us to send our son, after years of attending a public school, to a private high school so he could live out his dream of being a soccer player while also having a curriculum that can meet his social and emotional needs.”
Ms. Gates’s desire to do what’s best for her child is laudable. What’s not is to do that while denying other families the same choice. The school where her son is enrolled reportedly costs her $16,000 a year. What about those who can’t afford such a school? Illinois’s Invest in Kids program funds about 9,000 scholarships, and last year it had 31,000 applications. But the program is scheduled to sunset, and that’s exactly what the teachers unions have demanded.
“Here is the truth: If you are a Black family living in a Black community, high-quality neighborhood schools have been the dream, not the reality,” Ms. Gates’s email says. There’s no arguing about that. For some schools on the south side, the percentage of students who can read or do math at grade level is in the single digits. But then she insists, as the teachers unions always do, that the answer is spending yet more money to “undo the decades of systemic underinvestment.”
More here.
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