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Archive for the ‘Lake’ Category

Fact checking

Posted in 220, County, Lake, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Village Board, Village Code, Zoning Board on July 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »

On Monday night, CBS Chicago reported a story that included audio and text stating the following:

“Over 20 acres of tree-lined property nestled in affluent Barrington Hills feature tennis courts and a sprawling home purchased by Terrance Wallace, the InZone Project founder.” (InZone Project Founder Says He’s Been Hit With Red Tape In Efforts To Bring Black And Brown Boys From Chicago To Live In Barrington Hills Mansion.)

There is no recorded public record of a recent sale of the property on 541 Merri Oaks Road. Public records do indicate that the property is currently owned by a Trust and has been under the ownership of the Trust or related parties since 2002.

Public records indicate that 2019 Real Estate Taxes were approximately $32,000, down from approximately $50,000 for 2018, and in both years, a homeowner’s exemption of $6,000 was taken. (Note: To take a general homestead exemption in Lake County, IL, the Property must be the principal residence of the owner as of the first of the year in which the exemption is claimed and this exemption can only be received on one property.)

If Mr. Wallace has other financial arrangements with the owner, it is not available in public records we can find.

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How deal could speed open-space restoration in three counties

Posted in Citizens for Conservation, Cook, County, FPDCC, Going green, Lake, McHenry, Spring Creek Watershed on June 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Restoration efforts known as the Barrington Greenway Initiative in a 14,000-acre area covering portions of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties could get a boost through a pending agreement between seven agencies, including the Cook and Lake county forest preserve districts. The Cuba Marsh is among the preserves that would be expected to benefit from a new agreement meant to speed restoration and preservation efforts in areas covered by the Barrington Greenway Initiative. (Daily Herald File Photo, 2018)

You may have visited forest preserves in southwestern Lake County, northwestern Cook County or a conservation area in southeast McHenry County for a calming respite from the din of daily life.

Cuba Marsh, Spring Lake and Silver Creek in those respective geographic areas, for example, provide different experiences and getaway opportunities.

What you may not know is those and other protected areas in the region all are pieces of a much larger whole known as the Barrington Greenway Initiative.

Now seven agencies, including the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Lake County Forest Preserve District and McHenry County Conservation District, are working on an agreement to speed up restoration of more than 14,000 acres of prairies, oak savannas, wetlands and woodlands that comprise the Greenway.

Read more here.

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Orphaned coyote pups on the mend at Flint Creek after nearly drowning in den

Posted in County, Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, Lake on May 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

One of four Lake County coyote pups who survived last week’s storms is recovering and in the care of Barrington’s Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation. (Courtesy of Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation)

Four coyote pups caught in a deluge that nearly drowned them in their own den owe their lives to compassionate wildlife lovers with sharp ears and ties to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in Barrington.

In the wake of last week’s thunderstorms, a Waukegan Township employee heard animal cries near a building on township property and went to investigate, said Flint Creek founder and director Dawn Keller. Discovering two coyote pups, he recalled another employee mentioning that an adult coyote had been struck and killed by a car several days earlier, Keller said.

The employee rescued two pups and called Illinois’ Department of Natural Resources, which referred him to Flint Creek, an all-volunteer rehabilitation center. A Flint Creek volunteer then rescued a third pup from the collapsed den. He returned with the pup to the center, but Keller says they both had lingering concerns.

“I called (him) and said, ‘do you think there were more?'” she said to which he responded, “‘I know there were more.'”

Read more here.

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‘Nobody’s looking to go rogue here’: Towns call for changes to state’s reopening plan

Posted in Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, Cook, County, Lake, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes on May 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Palatine, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates passed resolutions Monday calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to alter facets of the Restore Illinois plan in an effort to help businesses. “As I said, nobody’s looking to go rogue here,” Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz said. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer, Feburary 2020)

Palatine, Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates passed resolutions Monday calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to alter the Restore Illinois plan in an effort to help businesses.

“As I said, nobody’s looking to go rogue here,” Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz said. “This is not something we’re looking to do. … There is not one bit of interest in turning this into a political deal. We’re abiding by the governor’s orders. We’ve abided from the very beginning. That’s not going to change.”

However, in Wheeling, where the village board discussed the Restore Illinois plan but did not put a resolution up for a vote Monday night, Trustee Joseph Vito accused Pritzker of overstepping his authority and suggested suing the state — a move his colleagues did not support.

Vito also questioned Pritzker’s plan for not allowing for gatherings of more than 50 people until Phase 5, assuming a vaccine or viable treatment for COVID-19.

Read more here, but also ask yourself where has Karen Darch been recently?

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Officials report uptick in vehicle break-ins in forest preserve parking lots, neighborhoods and other ‘prime spots’

Posted in County, Crime, Lake on May 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Cuba Marsh Boardwalk

Law enforcement officials are warning residents of an increase in vehicle break-ins across Lake County since the Illinois stay-at-home order began.

According to Commander Jim Seifken, of the Lake County Forest Preserve Ranger Police, the burglaries are happening almost every day in forest preserve parking lots because of the increase in popularity at those spots.

Dozens of preserves across the county make up the Lake County Forest Preserves, including Cuba Marsh in Deer Park, Buffalo Creek in Long Grove and Heron Creek in Lake Zurich. Seifken said his department has seen about 25 reports of break-ins taking place throughout these spots since the stay-at-home order was activated.

Read more here.

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Lake County residents getting partial reprieve on property tax payments

Posted in County, Lake, Property Taxes on May 13, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The Lake County Board on Tuesday approved a measure allowing a portion of property tax payments to be deferred for 60 days.

Lake County taxpayers can defer half their property tax payments for 60 days under a measure approved Tuesday to provide residents with some economic breathing room.

And in a significant change over what was being considered, a proposed requirement that residents show a need for the deferral was struck by the Lake County Board, meaning the relief will be more widely available.

As recently as Friday, residents would have to prove they’d been laid off or operated a business shut down as nonessential and hadn’t received any federal stimulus money.

“There’s no one who has been unscathed by what we’re living through,” said board member Ann Maine of Lincolnshire, who introduced an amendment to eliminate the requirement. “We need to do everything we can for everyone.”

Read more here.

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Boaters 1, Pritzker 0

Posted in County, Lake, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on May 9, 2020| 2 Comments »

Members of the Lake County sheriff’s marine unit will not issue tickets to families boating together on Lake County waterways they patrol, Sheriff John D. Idleburg announced Wednesday. The sheriff’s announcement was prompted by questions about how many people can be in a boat at once under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s latest order regarding the COVID-19 crisis.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said no more than two people can be in a boat together. Idleburg’s office sought more instruction from state officials and determined local law enforcement agencies have discretion when it comes to enforcing the boating rule, he said. Idleburg cautioned people against inviting friends or anyone else who isn’t a family member aboard a boat.

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Hart Road will be closing for 3 months beginning May 18

Posted in Barrington High School, County, Lake, Road construction on May 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Hart Road at Route 14 in Barrington will be closed starting at 6 AM Monday, May 18, for three months.

The closure is necessary as part of railroad crossing improvements, along with the reconstruction and widening of the intersection of Hart Road and Route 14, according to the Lake County Division of Transportation. The road is scheduled to reopen Monday, Aug. 17.

On the south side of Hart Road, local traffic will have access to businesses, residences and Barrington High School from Lake-Cook Road.

For more information, visit hartandus14.com.

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Pritzker releases his “Restore Illinois” plan (but the devil is in the details)

Posted in Cook, County, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, The New Normal on May 5, 2020| 3 Comments »

JB Pritzker’s ten-page plan of, “A Public Health Approach To Safely Reopen Our State,” can be viewed and downloaded here.

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Fox Waterway Agency seeks clarification about 2-person boating restriction

Posted in County, Lake, Politics, Taxes on April 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Officials with the Fox Waterway Agency are seeking clarification after Gov. JB Pritzker restricted the number of passengers allowed on board when boating season opens Friday.

In a statement issued Monday, FWA Executive Director Joseph Keller said his agency already had proactive measures in place when the governor announced the restriction at a news briefing Saturday.

The FWA took proactive measures at its Wednesday night board meeting, when members agreed boaters could not tie together boats and other recreational equipment, and ruled that boats must stay a minimum 10 feet apart.

Boating is a popular summer activity for residents with access to the water of the Chain o’ Lakes State Park area. The park borders Grass, Marie and Nippersink Lakes, and the Fox River, which connects seven additional lakes: Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Catherine and Redhead.

Read more here.

Editorial note: It will be interesting to see if Pritzker changes his stance on boating limits, or if ego will not allow him to admit to an error in judgment.

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