Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, The Chicago Way, Unions, Wirepoints, WTF on March 5, 2025| 2 Comments »
“Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.” League of Women Voters claims to serve those goals by educating voters.
But when it comes to one of the most important presidential addresses in memory on Tuesday night, just close your eyes and ears. That’s the League’s message, as you can see in its Facebook post reproduced here. “DO NOT ATTEND, ENGAGE, OR WATCH THE STATE OF THE UNION,” say the champions of voter education.
More here.
Posted in 220, Barrington Area Library, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, League of Women Voters, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The District 220 School Board of Education candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington & Schaumburg Areas March 2, 2025, at the Barrington Area Library was recorded, and it is now available on Youtube.
Click here to view the forum recording.
Posted in 220, Barrington Area Library, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, League of Women Voters, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Candidates for the Barrington Area Library board will meet from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway in Barrington.
The forum for Barrington Area Unit District 220 board candidates is from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at the Barrington Area Library.
Due to limited capacity at all the venues, advance registration of attendees is required at lwvpalatinearea.org.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, Video Recordings, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in 220, Barrington Area Library, Board of Education, Elections, Frau Blücher, League of Women Voters, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald
Several candidate forums are scheduled to allow voters in the Barrington, Palatine and Schaumburg communities to hear firsthand from those seeking elected office in the April 1 election.
The upcoming forums are organized and moderated by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington & Schaumburg Areas. Due to limited capacity at all the venues, advance registration of attendees is required at lwvpalatinearea.org.
Candidates for the Barrington Area Library board will meet from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway in Barrington.
The forum for Barrington Area Unit District 220 board candidates is from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at the Barrington Area Library.
Candidates for Barrington village board trustee are slated from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 at the Barrington Area Library.
Read more here.
Posted in Barrington Area Library, Elections, League of Women Voters, Politics, Springfield on October 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »
On Thursday, October 10th, candidates running for Illinois House 52nd District participated in a Q&A forum/debate hosted by the League of Women Voters (LWV) at the Barrington Area Library. Recordings of this forum have recently been posted to the LMV website.
To listen to the recordings, click here.
Related: “Local League of Women Voters announces new name and Candidate Forums in the Northwest suburbs“
Posted in Barrington Area Library, Elections, League of Women Voters, Politics, Resident Spotlights on October 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Submitted by Elaine Doremus
The League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg Areas will co-host two upcoming Candidate Forums for IL House Districts 51 and 52.
The former League of Women Voters of the Palatine Area recently changed its name to the League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg Areas (LWPBS-Areas), which now encompasses residents from 25 local ZIP codes, including Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, and Schaumburg.
The LWVPBS-Areas also announces the upcoming nonpartisan, in-person Candidate Forums listed below. These forums are presented as a service to voters so that they can hear directly from candidates prior to the Nov. 5 and make informed choices. All League candidate forums are run by trained, nonpartisan moderators.
“Our League takes pride in facilitating informative, respectful, and inclusive candidate forums,” says Camille Basak, copresident of LWVPBS-Areas. “The goal is to help candidates be seen and heard by their constituents.”
Upcoming Candidate Forums:
Candidates: Martin McLaughlin and Maria Peterson
Date: Thursday, Oct. 10
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, Barrington.
Capacity is limited. Register at: balibrary.librarycalendar.com/event/candidate-forum-51st-district-207138
Sponsored and moderated by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Capacity is limited. Register at: balibrary.librarycalendar.com/event/candidate-forum-52nd-district-207137
Cosponsored by the Barrington Area Library and the League of Women Voters of the Palatine, Barrington and Schaumburg Areas.
Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, District 220 referendum, League of Women Voters, News Media, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, School Districts, Unions on March 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »
What’s really needed is to shore up local news. Voters say they don’t have access to clear, unbiased information on candidates amid a well-documented decline of local newspapers and news media.
By CST Editorial Board | Chicago Sun*Times
Early voting has begun for the March 19 primary, and if you’re hesitant about heading to the polls because you don’t know much about the candidates, you’re not alone.
Most voters have found themselves in this situation at some point: Checking their ballot and seeing names of candidates whom they know little or nothing about. Determined to do their civic duty, maybe they pick the first name on the list for a particular office, something research has found can give candidates who are fortunate enough to win the first-on-the-ballot lottery a measurable advantage, based on sheer luck.
Or maybe a voter selects a candidate strictly along party lines, or opts for the person whose name sounds like he or she is from the same ethnic or racial background. Perhaps their vote is based on something a neighbor told them two weeks ago, or something they saw on social media, where misinformation sprouts like dandelions in the spring. Maybe a voter just shrugs and goes by a hunch.
“It’s hard. I’m familiar with some of the names, but you don’t have time to research every single one of them,” one early voter told the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout for his report last Sunday examining voter frustration and apathy over lack of access to candidate information. “Sometimes, I guess it’s just a choice.”
Luck, last names or “just a choice” are no way for voters to make crucial decisions at the ballot box. Clear, factual information on candidates and policy issues is essential to a thriving democracy. Access to information is especially needed for so-called down-ballot races that typically get little publicity.
There are candidate websites, campaign brochures, newsletters from public officials and political parties out there, but they’re hardly known for unbiased information. Community websites have information, too, but they might well depend on people with little time or training in fact-gathering.
More reliable options — think established groups like the League of Women Voters — do exist, along with newer initiatives such as BallotReady and Nonprofit VOTE that aim to provide nonpartisan information.
Read more here.
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 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Elections, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, League of Women Voters, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Transparency, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 9, 2023| 6 Comments »
Newly seated Board of Education member Diana Clopton and Nate Rouse, 220 Director of Equity, Race & Cultural Diversity Initiatives
As seen in our May 4th post, New Board of Education sworn into office, a recent FOIA has brought to light a series of emails between Nate Rouse (D220 Director of Equity, Race, and Cultural Diversity Initiatives), Melissa Atteberry (D220 5th Grade teacher and President of the D220 teacher’s union, BEA), and Diana Clopton, newly elected Board of Education (“BOE”) member, which took place in the months leading up to the recent school board election.
On the recommendation of current BOE member, Erin Chan Ding, Rouse reached out via his Barrington220 issued email address to recruit Clopton to run for BOE: “As you are aware we’ve got some political craziness going on and we are anticipating some strong opposition to equity work moving forward in the district without the support of a sound board of education.”
In order to facilitate Clopton’s placement on the BOE, Rouse offered to put Clopton in contact with “people that are very interested in getting behind/supporting good candidates and putting them in contact with the right people.”
It is no secret that Rouse works closely with Jessica Green, founder of Courageous Community, an organization listed as a Community Partner on Rouse’s Equity220 website. Green hosted a “Meet the Candidate” fundraiser, exclusive to candidates Clopton, Altschuler, and Collister-Lazzari, 3 of the 7 running for BOE in the recent election. Green is also a member of the Equity Committee run by Rouse, but closed to the D220 community, as only “those who support the mission” are allowed to participate. So much for Rouse’s DEI initiative “We Belong to Each Other” ~ it clearly should come with a disclaimer: We Belong to Each Other… but only if you’re the ‘right people.’
Rouse took his support of Clopton running for BOE even further by connecting her with Melissa Atteberry. Atteberry is the current President of the Barrington Education Association (BEA), the D220 teacher’s union. Atteberry was very eager to meet with Clopton, “I would love to meet with you and learn more about your motivations, as well as goals for the district.”
Clopton will be called upon to vote on the BEA Union contract. What influence does Atteberry hold over her in that regard. We know that Chan Ding took political donations from, as well as the endorsement of, the BEA two years ago when she ran for BOE. This subjected her to much criticism. It appears from this election cycle that the BEA has found other ways to influence the BOE elections other than by making public endorsements and donations.
Rouse also took time away from his DEI work to meet Clopton for an extended lunch in Deer Park, where they apparently discussed her ability to combat the “political craziness” going on and the “strong opposition” to the equity work no one other than those deemed privileged enough by Rouse to serve on his private DEI Equity Committee Team know anything about.
Each of the meetings Rouse scheduled with Clopton were conducted on D220 time, on D220 email, and many on D220’s Zoom platform. As seen above, Rouse further orchestrated and participated in meetings between Clopton and BOE incumbent candidate Collister-Lazzari.
Collister-Lazarri and Superintendent Hunt made it very clear at the BOE meeting of September 20, 2022, that only people who “support the mission” would be welcome to participate on Rouses’s DEI Equity Team. The first Equity Committee meeting was reported on at this BOE meeting starting at 48:55, wherein Collister-Lazzari advised the meetings are “not open to the public” because, similar to the Safety & Security Committee, “there’s things that maybe the whole public shouldn’t be aware of.” When pushed as to how one might get involved, Chan Ding advised that administrators (i.e. Rouse) ask parents to be involved based on the ‘fit’ for that specific committee, to which Hunt reiterated, “you want people who support the mission of the work, obviously…” Those people are:
It is clear from these communications that we have a D220 Administrator actively seeking candidates for BOE that support his taxpayer paid position. A position that is closed off from public scrutiny and only available for his “District Equity Team” to be part of. He then puts said candidate in contact with the head of the BEA Teacher’s Union, on whose contract said candidate will soon be voting, as the BOE is currently involved in contract negotiations with the BEA. He then takes it one step further by offering to put said candidate in contact with community members that directly support his paid, closed to the public, District position.
Now, this may all be well and fine if Rouse and BEA President Atteberry offered to meet with all candidates running for BOE so they could share their goals for the District and what constitutes a “sound” BOE. However, Rouse was directly contacted by another candidate prior to the recent election, Leonard Munson, who requested a meeting with Rouse to learn more from him about the DEI programs and initiatives. Rouse refused to meet with Munson, stating his “admin team” has been advised to let D220 Superintendent Hunt know if any requests to meet are made from candidates and to refer requests to Hunt’s office as it was Hunt’s job to meet with candidates to discuss the District’s programs, “including our equity work.”
This should come as no surprise as Rouse has already decided that there are parents who are and who are not on the D220 “District Equity Team” and he has said so publicly, in BOE meetings and on his Twitter feed. Rouse clearly does not believe Munson “supports the mission” as he was denied any meeting with Rouse. Yet, the District emails indicate Rouse not only recruited Clopton, but met with her multiple times on the taxpayer’s dime. Is this Rouse’s idea of “equity”? The BOE candidates, parents and taxpayers of D220 deserve better.
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